Yakshagni - An odyssey of unbroken devotion - II

 14) The Date

At the sight of Dharma, Maurya halted. She allowed a faltering smile as their glances clashed.

"What are you doing here?" he asked, Shankaran's words echoing in his head. Looking at her, Maurya did his utmost to conclude that there was no undeniable attraction like the older man had implied. It was apparent that Shankaran had a way of convincing people with reasonable persuasion however, it did occur to Maurya that Shankaran had not taken any name and it was only Maurya who presumed that his source of attraction was Dharma.

"I came to meet Mitali and Nikhil to discuss our trip to Modhera."

"Oh yes, I wanted to talk to you about it," he checked his watch, "Right now, I can't. I have a meeting. Why don't I meet you in Index?" he asked

Dharma nodded, "I will wait for you then."

"Yes, I will be there around six," he confirmed and strode on.

The clock struck six and Dharma waited with bated breath. Should she go down or would Maurya come up? She was pleased with the choice of her dress because, when she had checked her collection of clothes that morning, she had opted for this simple long dress, keeping in mind her visit to the corporate office. The A-line dress in mulberry purple reached up to her calf. It had a white lace pan collar and three-four length sleeves.

**************

Chaitanya waited eagerly for Dharma. It was almost eight and normally, she returned around this time from work. He hovered near the park, monitoring every auto and bus. A few of the hostel girls were dropped off by their colleagues, some returned in autos and a few others arrived in bus. Chaitanya planned to talk to her first and then if she refused to indulge him, he would drop the bombshell. Grinning with glee, he lit a cigarette and blew the smoke into the air. From somewhere nearby, he heard the loud throbbing beats of a marriage procession. He perceived it as a good omen to set his plan in motion. The stretch of the road that led to Dharma's hostel was dark and deserted. On that particular evening, the street lights were turned off, and consequently, the road was overcast with misty shadows. It was the perfect setting he desired.

************

It was eight. Dharma closed her desktop and cleared her table. Collecting her things, she went down. Except for a few people in the accounts department, most of the staff had left.

Stepping out into the open, she absorbed the undertone of the night. It was that time of the year when the days and nights fused with one another without a clue. At the cusp of seasons, between the Winter and the Spring; sunlight and twilight merged into a long spell; the day shrinking from the dazzle of the Sun and the night obscuring the glow of the Moon. Subsequently, the evenings were dark and windy while the mornings were dry and brittle. The chilly evenings had not yet subsided and Dharma wished that the Spring would bloom quickly, allowing the days to stay longer.

Dharma considered taking an auto and she sauntered towards the main exit. All at once, a car screeched to a halt in front of her and she jumped back startled. The window glass was wound down and Maurya leaned from his seat to open the door,

"Get in, we will talk on the way," he directed while she dawdled indecisively. He looked at her pointedly and she slid into the car clumsily. Clicking the belt into place, she smoothed her dress down as the car moved ahead.

"Have you eaten dinner?" he asked. In response, she shook her head. Then realizing that he was driving and not seeing her, she answered, "No..."

"Good, then we can discuss over dinner."

Dharma sat stiff, stifled by the enclosed space.

"So how was your day?" he enquired, stealing a glance at her.

"It was fine..." she wished she had something more interesting to tell him.

"When are you leaving for this Modhera?"

"Next week! Mitali will be booking the tickets tomorrow."

Maurya stopped the car in front of a brightly lit compound. A guard came hurrying and Maurya asked him, "Table for two?"

"The place serves good Asian food," Maurya let on.

Dharma viewed the garden restaurant where tiny bulbs glittered everywhere. They were shown an exclusive table that was concealed from others by the surrounding greens. Soft lounge music played on and a candle flickered on the centre of the table. It was an upscale restaurant and Dharma wished that she had worn a trendier outfit. She perused the menu card thoughtfully. She looked for items that she could eat decently in front of Maurya. She was sure that she would make a mess of noodles. Maurya asked, "What would you like to have?"

She gave her preference for food and he asked for red wine. Dharma debated if it was right to have wine with one's boss.

"You look too stressed out. Relax and enjoy the food," Maurya advised.

"I prefer orange juice," she conveyed and Maurya ordered for the same. Once the waiter left, Maurya asked, "So how do you plan to approach the authorities for permission in Modhera?"

"Haven't made any plans. But I am carrying some pictures of Tapan's show and newspaper cuttings, just in case..."

 The waiter approached and poured wine into Maurya's glass. Maurya swirled the drink in the glass and tasted it. He approved and the waiter added more wine from the bottle.

The candle glowed too brightly, throwing harsher shadows on Maurya's face. She watched him as he placed their order with the waiter. An old and compelling memory rose out of nowhere. Maurya was sitting on the rough floor of a cottage, enjoying the meal she had prepared. There was someone else giving him company. It seemed like reminisces from the past.

But whose past? Dharma drew her brows in a frown.

Maurya turned back to her and her gaze fell, hiding her expression from him. The food arrived and Maurya stated, "I hope you like Asian food..."

She nodded and an exasperated Maurya asked, "Are you on silent mode tonight?"

Dharma grimaced, "No, of course not!"

All the same, she could not let go of the images that assailed her. Out of nowhere, she asked him, "Have we met before?"

With a wry smile, Maurya answered, "Mm, I guess it was at the last meeting in my office."

"You know I didn't mean that."

With a long sigh, he placed the glass on the table and leaned back, "So what did you mean Dharma?"

Maurya's fixed stare and set tone flustered Dharma. She was aware that Maurya was miffed at her question, nevertheless, she was keen to get rid of these bothersome memories that troubled her.

"I don't know. I get flashes of images at times, like some memories from the past. I think they are some buried memories from my childhood."

"You don't remember your childhood?" Maurya asked, unwittingly stirred by the upheaval palpable in her eyes.

"I was found unconscious near a river. Some of the students of Mohandham found me by the wayside and they carried me back to the township. Jaydev Mohan sir and his wife took care of me and gave me shelter."

Maurya was utterly shaken by her revelation, "How old were you when they found you?"

"Seven..."

"Before that?"

"I don't remember anything before that...Hence, I asked you if we had met earlier," Dharma shed light on her question.

There comes a moment in everyone's life that suggests an unspecified sense of something ending and something else beginning, an impending shift in the planned scheme of things. So far, Maurya had been convinced by the knowledge that irrespective of his attraction for her,  he was immune to Dharma's magnetism. He had taken pride in the fact that he was capable of resisting strong feminine allure. And in spite of his refusal to be swayed by her beauty and personality, he sensed a presage about their connection. Added to it, was Shankaran's admonition which Maurya felt, played greatly on his mind at the moment.

"No, we haven't met earlier. Even if we had, it wouldn't have been so unforgettable that you are haunted by it," with a deliberateness that shunned her suppositions, Maurya began to concentrate on his food.

Sufficiently reminded of her absurdity, Dharma wished she had not been so dumb to talk about her silly beliefs. Swallowing her pride, she searched for topics to overcome the awkward silence. She recalled that he said he had wanted to discuss the trip with her.

"I am planning to meet this caretaker of the sun temple during the trip. I would like to depict some parts of his narration in the show. I hope it is alright?"

"How do you plan to do it? Your designs are already approved," Maurya asked, his gaze shifting to her.

"Either, I will do it as an anecdote in between the show or talk about it as the show-stopper makes an entry," she suggested.

"Have you decided on the show-stopper?"

"I thought I will ask Sonia. She might have a better idea."

"What about you? Why don't you participate in the show and be the show-stopper?"

"Me? I don't think so," Dharma replied, surprised by his recommendation.

"Why not? You have walked the ramp so what is the problem?"

"I did it only once. I don't think I will be able to carry it off confidently," she replied, sipping the juice.

"Think over it."

Dharma nodded, wishing she had many more ideas to share with him.

"How are your friends Kamya and Brahim?"

"They are good. I am moving into their apartment next month."

"You are quitting the hostel?"

"Yes, I share the room with six other girls and it is very cramped."

"The area where Brahim stays is much better than the one where your hostel is in..." he observed aloud.

Dharma realized that he knew more about her life than she did.  She wanted to know about his childhood, his hobbies, and everything else outside his work but she shrank from it. He always carried an air of remoteness that discouraged anyone from getting close to him.

"Anything else?" he asked her, catching her unawares. She shook her head and he gestured to the waiter for the bill.

*************

Chaitanya scowled at the growing lateness of the hour. It was almost ten and Dharma had not yet made an appearance. Where was she? Was she staying in that scrawny friend's house? He hated those friends of Dharma. They regarded him so condescendingly; as if he was some misbegotten youth. In truth, he should be the one who should consider those strays with utter contempt. Growing up in an orphanage with no knowledge of their parents, they should be gratified that Chaitanya deigned to talk to them. And Dharma! Shouldn't she be pleased that a man like him born in a noteworthy community is paying her attention? God knows who her parents were! Probably, was born out of wedlock.

The night got colder and he felt the chill in his bones. He considered returning to his inn. At once, he saw the headlights of a luxurious car and he ducked behind a tree.

The car drew to a stop in front of the hostel gate. Chaitanya saw Dharma getting out of the car as he waited breathlessly for the car to leave. The moment the car pulled away; he crossed the road hurriedly.

In the process of opening the gate, Dharma paused when someone called out her name.

**********

As soon as Dharma was out of the car, Maurya lost no time in speeding away. There was a storm brewing inside him. Not knowing how to quell it, he recognized that the turmoil centered around Dharma. Even though he put up a strong resistance, he could not refute that the wall he had built around him was crumbling little by little. And it plagued him greatly.

Why was her childhood similar to his? He had no idea where he was from, like she had no memory of her parents. She was found near a river whereas he walked out of the sea. What was it that connected them?

He stopped at the signal at the end of the road and took a chance to glance at the rear-view mirror. To his surprise, he saw Dharma still in front of the gate talking to someone. He peered at the reflection through the outside mirror. There was a man, holding her hand. Dharma's body language indicated that she was agitated. She was trying to shove his hand away.

Maurya swerved the car and took the free left turn. Then, reversing the car, he headed back to the hostel.