Wednesday, October 26, 2005

Literally in Love

The words still did not come. Words had always been easy for him. The open window let in the bountiful morning sun with the mildly scented air. Mrigank stared outside, not looking anywhere in particular. On the desk, in front of him, lay the few handwritten pages of the manuscript of his current novel.

In the past, Mrigank had invented brilliant characters. The hilarious Bantu De, the very lovable Snigdha Sreemala, the conniving Tejram Tokus and the very evil Kaushik Mistry had all formed the tangy pastis that had been his previous bestseller. He had laughed and cried with them for days. If only it would come back to him now. He wanted to create the magic again. He wanted his character. He wanted her. The only problem was he couldn't see her yet. Unable to write, Mrigank decided to go for a stroll.

He put on a casual khaki brown shirt, and his old, worn out slippers. The road in front of his house was already alive with the chaos of the vegetable market which sprang up there every morning at 7 a.m. He loitered in between the carrots and the tomatoes, as if in tandem with the cow who was busy chewing the spinach leaves strewn on the road. It was then the voice caught his ear. It had the timbre of a drum beat dying away slowly, after being struck with great violence. He looked around, and saw the most alluring face he had ever seen. She was dressed in a faded green cotton saree, and was busy sorting her stock of vegetables into piles.

He watched her for a while. A dark face with eyes which shone with the lights of a wildfire. Her black locks were carelessly tied in a bun behind her head, with a few wayward strands crisscrossing her face. She was humming a song to herself, and every time she parted those mesmeric lips he lost all bearing of space and time. This had to be her. He just knew it. Then as if suddenly snapping out of her spell, he darted back home.

He could not wait to put pen to paper, and draw her out of hiding. He gave her the face he had just seen, and the voice he had just heard. He gave her the purity and freshness of Vermeer's `Girl with a Pearl Earring.' And he gave her the love of Meera. Finally, he christened her Nivedita. When he put his pen down, he could see her, sitting quietly, among his written word. He could feel every tinge of life that radiated off her. He was most certainly in love.

He had only one thought left in him now. "Does she love me too?"

16 comments:

  1. nivedita, huh?? :)

    enjoyed reading this aquie!!though i naturally wondered who she was.

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  2. wow.. i see my favourite artist has had an impression on you as well!!

    isnt he divine!

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  3. @rapz: Yes, Nivedita! :) Oooh... and you must tell me what you figured out after all the wondering? ;)

    @grafx: Yes, he is! :o)

    @sonia: Ahem! Me? or you mean Mrigank perhaps? We are not exactly the same you know.

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  4. i know silly! not u! you wudn't even tell us if u ever fell in love! i'm right na?

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  5. i somehow liked this name -Mrigank and I think Mriganayani wud've suited more than Nivedita - somehow reminds me of 'Sister Nivedita'

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  6. Like the name Mrigank. So Shakuntalaesque:-)

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  7. Oh and I just think I might be generous enough to take you up on that Charlie offer;-) But generosity cannot be only mine to boast...

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  8. @sonia: I wud! Why wouldn't I? For the right number of chocolates I'd tell you anything :D

    @swathi: Mirganayani would have been a bit too dramatic I think. I named her Nivedita for a purpose.

    @ab: :o) Aha! I wud gladly return the generosity or rather share it. Deal?

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  9. mush mush mush. i prefer chocolates :)

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  10. @ab: :o) Okies! Drop me a line n we can work out the details.

    @j: O ye *mushy* chocolate lover.. Welcome! :D
    Nice to have you here.

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  11. ah! but it is YOU who owe ME a treat! :P of course if virtula chocalates wud do, then take a hundred of them, and tell me all ur secrets! ;o)

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  12. @sonia: Arre I remember your treat baba! Virtual Chocolates - first grafx, then you! Et tu Sonia :P (Caesar must be sick n tired of this phrase even in his ancient grave :D ) ...and errr... what secrets?

    @hiren: Hey buddy! Thanks for considering me a writer (which I am not - not by a long shot) Nice to have you on da blog. Welcome!

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  13. After Grafx and Sonia is it my turn? *fluttering eyelashes*

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  14. @j: Oh! Those fluttering 'lashes are gonna be the end of me *swoons and faints* :D

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