Gone By

by Hajong, Beatone

“You did changed” she uttered.

  “In what way”.

  “I mean you became much more caring”.

  “Do you think so”.

  “Yeah! and I liked that” she said extending her hand to embrace me once again.

  “I think we should take a morning walk rather than sitting idle here”.

  “Yeah! that would be better enough” said Anannya like she had been waiting to walk.

  We began to shuffle our steps through the park area. Cool breeze had influenced the area. Slight cold had touched us. That’s the first morning walk I have ever done with her. Else it would be only me with no one by my side. Nearby the park area, a tea stall was opened.

  “Why not we taste the morning tea” I said.

  “Do you really want it. I never knew you like tea” said Anannya staring her eyes at me.

  We walked towards the tea stall. The day began to get mature as the seconds turned into hours. We were there at the tea stall within minutes of walk. Stood before the sales man. She stood beside me resting her hand on my arm. Two cup of morning tea had been ordered. Within fraction of minutes we were handed with cup of Tea. I initiated to take the first sip while Anannya kept staring at me holding her cup.

  “Is it tasty” she said passing a smile on her face.

  “What you haven’t tasted tea before” I said with my casual tone.

  “Yeah! I did but very rare”.

  “You should taste today”.

  “Yeah for sure as you say so” as she takes the first sip of her cup.

  “So, did it tasted good”.

  “Yeah it has got a wonderful aroma” she took another sip of her tea.

  I firmly fixed my eyes at her and watched her sipping in.

  “Why you looking at me such way...didn’t you never seen me drinking coffee”.

  I burst out in laugh.

  “Of Course my Dear..but never seen you drinking tea” I giggled.

  I was supposed to leave by the evening that day. My intentions were to spent some little amount of time with her for the rest of the day. We started to walk off from the tea stall. She was holding me by my arm side and our steps added together timely. We were again back to the park area. This time the sun has spread its full light across the whole city. The morning began to get older as the time passed on. I took a quick chance to look at my wrist watch. 10:30am was cool enough to go out for a walk in a fresh park area. Indeed we have been there for the last one hour. I wanted to know something about Anannya’s Dad. That was the first time I wanted to know about her Father. I addressed her with soft tone and loving tenderness.

  “Dear, what’s your Dad does”.

  I began to show more of my chivalry and caring unlike before. Dear was the word I began to use for her. I found it standard and more affectionate towards her. I knew she liked it. She always wanted to be called by new names. But she never happened to show out.

  “Well, My Dad is a Business Man” she said.

  We were heading out of the park area.

  “That’s good”.

  “Well, Your Dad does nothing more than being a Librarian” she asked.

  “Yeah! He writes but he could never continue the process”.

  “That’s ok at least he’s got the interest in collecting books. That’s a noble Job I believe” Said Anannya peeking at me.

  “Your Dad must have been a good knowledge about business”.

  “Well, I keep away myself from his money making method”.

  “I do actually think of being an Business man too”.

  “Really, you should” She said drawing closer to me.

  We were out in the street by now. Took the footpath and began to shuffle ahead. The conversation was still on between us. I never knew her Father was a good business Man into our own locality. Perhaps the reason maybe I have been only few years to that place.

  “So you have been only few years there?”.

  “Where” I intended to know.

  “I mean at Tura” replied Anannya.

  “Yeah! It’s just the past two years of my Higher secondary I have been there”.

  “You were very shy to talk to” she claimed looking at me, as we headed to cross the other side of the street.

  “You can say that, and that’s the first time I saw a beautiful Soul before me, and that was you”.

  She halted momentarily for seconds. She held my hand and stopped me from shuffling my step ahead. She stood for silence before me with no sign of any gesture or words from her. We were on the other side of the street. I stood casually like usually I was. She stepped closer to me and embraced me. Her eyes turned red. I could feel her tight grip at my back. So did I gently placed my hand upon her back. Her eyes filled up with the floating tears. She somehow managed to control the drops being fallen into the ground.

  “Why did you turn so emotional” I wanted know.

  She kept silent for a while.

  “I don’t know..I just felt what you said” she murmured softly.

  Her eyes were still soaked in brim of floating tears. I gently rubbed it. I could feel her soft skin of her cheek. She grasped my hand and kissed. I felt the sweetness of it and the warmth touch of her lips. I couldn’t wait to give her the warm embrace again. I gently pulled her closer into me and engulfed her into my arm. She was under my arm for minutes until we shuffled to move.

  “I want you to see smile again” said I and we began to walk again.

  She looked at me with her deeply soaked eyes and gave a brief and slow smile. That was probably after a long time I have seen her soaked into tears not for any specific reason. She was very soft and hearty personified Girl. Indeed, her nature would say a kind of kindness heart that she has got. How so ever she never liked to be praised by others. Every word I would say she would keep it in silence into her heart. So deep and rich her heart was that it always pulled me closer to her.

  When the day had gone to noon, we were by a river side. I have never seen that river earlier. The smooth flow of water and the green fields by its bank tempted us. We searched for a spot to rest for the noon. The river bank was covered with loosely sands. We made comfortable by the sandy bank. Above us the white clouds roamed. The Birds added its melodious tune into the air. Thought the time had matured to noon yet that day there was no sign of tormenting heat from the sun. Of course the day bloomed bright but the synapse of outgoing winter and the oncoming Spring added the flavour more into the environment. Even the natural beauty of nature bloomed like their first birth into this mother earth. We were the only two souls for that day by that river bank. The reflection of our image could be perceived on the water surface. It glittered bright in the presence of bright light from the Sun. Also the aroma from the nearby burning bushes added into the air. We began to talk again like we always did. No matter whatever may be the topic we couldn’t stop to let ourselves to flow like the running water. Nothing resembled that day like any other day we had spent together. I believed that was the most touching moment I had in my life. The scene still pictures on my mind and for brief instant I could smell her perfume. We returned back to her place.

  The time was almost ended. I was supposed to leave for my place. I was ready by the evening. I had to catch up a Bus until I had to travelled for more three hours from here. Both Gagan and She came up to drop me to the station. I couldn’t even know how to thank these people around me who had been so generous and favourable in the time of need. I was in the middle of the station. Gagan had gone to get something eatable for us. She stood before my eyes. And like always she came closer and embraced me. I held her gently into my arms. Stood for minutes with her inside my warm hug. Gagan stood few steps away from us with some fruits and cakes in his hands. I loosened her out and stood quiet before her.

  “Do take care” she hissed softly.

  “I’ll write to you every day. I’ll say everything that happens there. I promise”.

  She nodded her head and walked off towards Gagan. I turned to look for the
bus and got into it. Within no time I was out of the city. Only memory of her I could keep on my mind. Her image floated before my eyes. A name that I would never forget, Anannya. A thing I wanted to tell her which I had missed before I could board on. I rethought the words, I had on my mind. I had missed to tell her I Love you Forever. That’s where I wanted to begin the year with. Now that I wanted to take new way of telling her everything that goes on in my life. I have decided to write letter to her every day. It would just take few hours to reach to her from Satara. Indeed, I knew it would be the old fashioned but yet it had something better and more to say about each other. I had promised her to write and at no circumstances I would fail to do it. Not only that in response she would write me back. What tempted me to write a letter to her when I could talk to her through mobiles I couldn’t know about it. But I found it a better and a different way of expressing the life and converting them into real memories. I was laden with thoughts inside the moving bus. I could remember the days when I used to write letters to my Mom and Dad. But, now it has been years that I would start writing a letter with actual sheet and actual pen on my hand for the one whom I had always thought of. The time elapsed for hours and I had been unknown where the time had ran. I glanced at my watch while a man coincidentally happened to ask me the time. It’s almost 9:00pm. I was still seated in bus. Yet, to reach Satara. I thought as soon as I would reach, the very first thing I would do was to write my first letter to her. Every word and emotions I feel I thought I should write down, thus I would express all my life to her. Beyond dreams was she for me. Covering me like the dreams of my life, and here was I being away from her. Nothing seemed so close to heart except for her Soul which had touched for whole of my life. Just an half hour more I had to travel.

  “So, did you write the letter to Anannya after reaching” Isha interrupted between my narration. “Yes I did and posted the next day” I replied her.

  “What did you write in the letter” she said curiously.

  “After reaching that day I couldn’t wait to hold a pen and a paper in my hand”.

  “Please do say what did you write in the letter. I’m being curious to know about it” said Isha.

  I couldn’t wait anymore to see the curiousness in Isha’s face. So I began to narrate the words of my letter.

  Dear Anannya,

  I don’t know how to begin since I’m writing this first letter to you. I don’t know what to say but I want to say you all that things I wanted to say. It’s been the beginning of New Year. Somewhere in the corner of our hearts there has been the deep touch of our soul together. When I saw you the very first moment on my return I felt like the world has turned on my side. Without you nothing would have been possible enough in my life. Those emptiness you have filled out with new zeal and ecstasy with warmth touch of your affection. I know I may not be perfect cause I have never learned how to deal with my faults. Here I’m today before you for what I could be. This beginning of the year I would try to be best person for you. All I wish you be by my side all through my life. Anything beyond you I can’t think of. Before departing I have been thinking about you a lot. Any where I go you have been always in my heart. My heart goes empty without you, like the empty vessel. A dream I see everyday to be with you. Gradually I could gather that courage to stay far from you. It hurts but yet it makes me feel good enough that you are by my side. When I think about you in my bed at night I can feel the pain that I endure. I still ensure you about my life’s perfection without your sight for days. But, whenever I think of you it generates that sign of happiness into me knowing that you are always by my side. Last night after I reached the very first thing I did was to write a letter to you. So, this is my first words of my life to you.

  Love,

  Beatone

  “That was really touching moment for you” said Isha.

  “Yeah! I felt that moment great”.

  “How sweet must have been you felt writing letter after years to the one whom you care about”. “Firstly I couldn’t think of searching for words later it bloomed out of my mind” I said.

  She made an innocent laugh on my reply.

  “So, you were running short of words to write to her”.

  “Yeah! Indeed it happened to me” I shuddered.

  “Alright the next phase of your story could be what let us know about that” said Isha flipping an empty page of my diary.

  She had been noting down all my words. She shifted closer to me. I could see the layers of waves being approaching towards us. It touched our feet and would slide back to the sea. In a while our feet was wet by the water. Few meters away there were heap of rocks, which were hit by those splashing water under the effect of huge waves running from the far Arabian sea. The only lonely human were we who had been enjoying the solitary nature of the environment.

  “Well, let’s proceed with the story” said Isha.

  The day turned into noon. But, the taste of the air even turned more sweeter. Never could think I would be with her sitting by a beach side writing a story. I began to narrate her the rest of it.

  Twenty Five

  ..........................

  That was the first letter I had written to Anannya. The next day I posted it to her. I waited for her reply. I had posted her in an brown envelope with the address on top. So, by the very next day she received it from her nearby post office. As soon as she had it in her hand she texted me letting me know about the letter. She told me she was anxiously waiting for it. She couldn’t wait to read it. She wanted to know why I have followed the old primitive method of writing letters to her. I knew people would find it ridiculous writing a letter in this century of time where the use of mobile and the internet has ruled the world. But, there was something cool in writing letter. Not only through letters we were in touch with each other, we also communicated through internet being on social network. But, I found it would me much easier to let her know the detail of my life through words written on paper rather than through any means. In that way she would feel the real touch of my love and never would feel lonely which I always thought about her. How so ever my visit to her every Sunday still intact. Now, that I waited for her return reply out of my letter I had sent to her. She said she would write me back whatever goes on in her life like the way I did. I waited for her first letter to me. Days had turned much more easier and better than before. She liked what I had written to her. I have decided to write every once in a week to her. In that way she would also have the real touch of my feelings and emotions that I would go through. Now that we grew more closer to each other unlike we used to be. I didn’t knew what had played the role that we fell in love more deeper than ever before. Days began to passed on. I had been doing my duties regularly, attending classes of Engineering. I did used to think who knew I would be in love with a girl whom I never thought of. That too in my college life. I was no more a kid, I could reason and analyse things on my own. Every decision I could handle boldly with strong determination and courage. Besides the real reason of my life was Anannya who had taught me the equations of Love. Now I had spent a week with no contact with her through any means. The only letter I had written to her was the last time which was indeed the first I had written to her. Week had gone by and with the promise I gave her I sat with a pen and a paper on my study table to write her the next letter.

  Dear Anannya,

  This week I had something interesting that you wouldn’t imagine about it. I thought about you a lot for the days that passed on. Until I could write this letter to you I missed you very much. I had done wonderful time in my college. My studies are on a smooth way and I have been doing excellent in all my activities. Thinking about you gave me strength to perform the task of my life. It’s been more than a week since I saw you the last time perhaps now I feel I wanted you more closer to me. Here the place had been running dry for the last few weeks, even the weather failed to show its bright climate. The day bloomed in dark and sets in shadow. This has been the routine here for
past few weeks. But, you have always been the bright light of my life. I think about you it brings smiles on my face. And every zest of my soul gears me up to face the challenge of my life. I look forward to create a better life for us. With the missing touch of your hand I had been leading my life here. However you make me realize the reason of life and thus with your name I complete my night.

  Love,

  Beatone

  The next morning I went to post to the nearby post office. We haven’t talk for a week now, neither made contact on any social sites. Just the letters began to flow from each other. I had pasted the stamp on my envelope and handed to the post master.

  “Is your name Beatone” he asked me.

  “Yes”.

  “You have got a letter from Pune” he said and handed me the letter.

  I gave a glimpse on it. I knew Anannya would write me back. I began to shuffle towards my room holding the letter in my right. That’s the first letter I have received from her. I couldn’t wait to read it. I sat on my study table and tore the envelope opening and unfolded the page.

  Dear Beatone,

  Your first letter did really touched my heart. I’m so lucky to be with you. I never knew you would be a man of such heart. I really felt overwhelmed I have loved you whole lot of my life. I would never forget the letters you have posted me, and every letter you would write to me I’ll treasure as the memories of our life. It’s the same thing here with me. Your missing do hurts me too. But, then every time I think I have got the best Man beside me, that makes me feel the zeal out of me. Well, here the things are the same since the time you have gone. I spent my time with Gagan who had been so helpful to me. I understand your problem being away from me. But, My love would never derail from my path that I hold for you. Gagan had been only my friend so far who knows me better after you. I wished you be here by the next Sunday. I can’t wait no more to see you. I’ll be waiting for you.