Pluton's Pyre

by Gyandeep Kaushal

  After a few hours’ drive, we were at the Ellora Caves, one of most prominent monuments of the nation, an epitome of Indian architecture.We were supposed to spend the entire day there. All of us moved towards the caves one by one, each at our own individual pace and interest.

  To me it sounded like an exhausting—possibly impossible—expedition, but Geetika, the history expert, was hell bent upon doing it all, just as she was the day before. In fact, she was looking at each detail with even more zeal and fervour than she had the previous day.

  ‘Take a look,’ she screamed, as she ran towards a wall panel in one of the caves.

  ‘Where are you going?’ I yelled at the top of my lungs.

  ‘Why don’t you come along and see for yourself?’ she replied without looking back. Her voice echoed through the corridor.

  ‘What?’ I finally caught my breath and asked. ‘What happened?’

  ‘Isn’t this beautiful?’ she said, staring up at a sculpture of Buddha. ‘Just look at it. Look at the perfection with which it has been chiselled. Doesn’t it look as though it was done yesterday? It makes me marvel at the dedication of the sculptor. Don’t you feel the same?’

  ‘Oh, yes, I do,’ I said, although I felt nothing of the kind.

  Nonetheless, it came to me that she was an admirer of art. She would be engrossed in every detail, every corner of every sculpture.

  ‘And look at this,’ she walked a little further and pointed at the roof of a veranda-like opening. ‘I could stay here forever.’

  The roof had colourful paintwork, most of which was worn off the surface.To me it was just something old, but to her,it was art.She could see somebody’s passion,somebody’s feeling, expressed in colour.

  I tiptoed with her throughout the area. Cave by cave, it started to interest even me a little, the way she described everything.Though she infiltrated every corner of the caves, five of them had her totally impressed.

  Cave 11, also known as do-thal, was a double-storey erection, with a series of pillar-like structures at the face-end of each storey. It too housed a number of Hindu images. Resembling cave 11 in its exterior, cave 12 was an even loftier structure—it had three storeys instead of two. It was called teen-thal and consisted of two large panels, each having seven statues of Buddha. This structure is said to resemble the modern-day multi-storey constructions. Cave 14 was a different story, shifting the paradigm of architecture. Every single wall was laden with carved panels, half of which I had no idea of.There was an image of the goddess Durga, one of most prominent Goddesses in Hindu mythology. And on the doorways there were sculptures of guardians, probably symbolizing defenders of the goddess.Then there was cave 15, which was actually a temple that depicted the great Lord Shiva in his many forms and then there was the Kailashnatha temple in cave 16 with its size and exemplary architecture, grand enough to leave you awestruck with its opulence and splendour.

  After having an abundant view of everything, we left for the bus at nearly the same hour as we’d done yesterday.And the same story followed.We got on the bus, travelled to the hotel, ate, chatted around, and went to our beds.We had an entire day on the bus, the next day.Thing was, we’d had to leave half our luggage in the hotel, at Borivali. Had it not been for it, we could’ve left for Bangalore straightaway, from the Aurangabad station itself. But wasn’t it a lucky thing? Who doesn’t want it to hold on forever when touring with the girl you want to be with?

  Chapter 5.0

  Geetika had loved the tour. I thanked my stars for arranging for us those fifteen minutes in which we’d planned to go on this trip. This trip had come as a fast-forward button for the closeness we shared. It was clear that she cherished my company and trusted me, for no reason I could think of. I was the first guy she’d ever gone out with and as she said, that too, on a long trip. She felt comfortable with me. She could even put her head on my shoulders and sleep, and share seats.

  We were now much more than just two friends out of a group. In fact, we had almost forgotten that we even had a group. We were back to college and we could be seen together in the corridor, at the canteen, through the alleys. Our phones kept us busy and college kept us connected.We had our moments of levity and we laughed a lot together. The trip had brought about a new chemistry between us.

  Two days after we were back at college, I asked her out for a movie. I actually had to ask her three times.The first time, she had to help her landlady Naani, because her husband was seriously ill and they had no one who could take him to a hospital. I called her the next day, but she had to deal with some weird topic in network management and she said she couldn’t go before she’d finished it. I had that feeling for the entire day that it would be a wrong move to ask her again, before she finally agreed to go with me the third time.

  ***

  I wanted to go watch an animated movie, but she’d made it clear that if I wanted her to come along, it had to be that illogical third-grade romantic movie she’d been waiting for ages to see. I thought, who cares, at least she was going with me.That was a good thing. Besides, research done at Mahphunomiyuki University, Godknowswhatland, says romance is good for health.Are they joking? Of course not!

  So I went to pick her up from her guesthouse. I didn’t have a bike so I had to bribe Shobhit, one of my roommates at the hostel, with a packet of Marlboro smokes against his Pulsar for an evening.After driving about twelve kilometres, I reached her place.

  I thought of knocking at the door of the house, but the same moment it came to me she was in a PG, so I texted her to apprise her of my arrival. She replied saying she’d be out in a minute. I leaned on my bike and stood there waiting for her.

  Seven years earlier, a girl had verbally ripped me apart in front of an entire class.And now here I was, standing like a stud in front of the house of a beautiful girl, who was about to ride with me on a bike and wanted to go for a movie with me. It was the kind of dramatic change that can go to one’s head.

  She came out, this time wearing unusually heavy makeup. She was wearing ruby-pink churidaars below an embroidered kurta, and matching lip-gloss. I could almost smell her face. It smelled like a rose, perhaps because of the cosmetics she’d applied. She had done her hair in an enamouring fishtail braid held in place with a glossy cerulean-blue barrette.And she had a shiny little purse too, which would’ve cost her more than all the cash it would’ve contained.

  ‘Hi,’ she mouthed, as she closed the gates.

  ‘Hi,’ I said, looking at her like a witless moron, enchanted by her surreal beauty, ‘Make yourself comfortable,’ I said, as she tried to sit sideways.

  ‘I’m nervous.’

  ‘Don’t worry. We’ll make it on time.’

  ‘No, not that, silly,’ she said and frowned.

  ‘Then what?’

  ‘I’m not sure if I can manage sitting sideways like this and make it up to the theatre.’

  ‘So why don’t you sit with your legs on both sides of the vehicle?’

  ‘Are you sure?’ she asked.

  ‘Yes, I am. There’s nothing to be worried about.’

  ‘Okay,’ she said and did as I suggested.

  Fingers crossed, I kick-started the bike to ride with the same spirit Mario does to save his princess.We drove amid crazy traffic. For the first time, I was driving with a female as pillion.And it threw riddles my way.Was I supposed to drive like a crazy baboon and thrill the female with my speed or would an elegant cosy ride warm the cockles of her heart? But it so happened that I didn’t have to make the choice. No matter how much I would’ve loved to thrill her, the mobile population wouldn’t let me. So I decided to please the lady the other way. I drove only fast enough to reach on time. I tried to accelerate gently,but I was embarrassed a little,every time the traffic compelled me to apply the brakes at ultrashort notices.

  ‘Are you all right?’ I asked.

  ‘Yes,’ she said, without complaining.

  ‘You may hold my shoulders if you want to.Or you may even wrap your arms
around me.’

  ‘Thanks,’ she said and held my shoulders, ignoring the better option I’d provided.

  In half an hour’s ride devoid of dialogue, we were at one of the grandest shopping malls in the city. It was 8:26 pm by my watch.

  ‘Don’t move. I’ll be back in a minute, okay?’ I dropped her by the entrance of the building and moved the bike ahead to the parking lot. I parked the bike and returned quickly.

  ‘Shall we go?’ she smiled and said.

  ‘Yes,’ I said and we moved in together. She was somewhat irritated when the woman in uniform at the entryway asked her to show her the contents of her purse. It could’ve been the possessiveness for her articles, I wouldn’t dare to ask.

  The theatre was on the topmost floor. I wanted to cut the crap and get into the elevator, but she said we had time and insisted upon using the escalators. After all, I wasn’t the only one that she must’ve taken all the trouble for, in smearing on herself all those cosmetics. Confirming if she was looking good or not by assessing the number of eyes she turned would’ve been her kind of area. She looked right and left, at stores, at bangle-shops, at everything, before we made it to the top floor.

  ‘Are you sure you still want to see the same movie?’ I asked, hoping she’d have had a change of heart. ‘You see that one there has got all the good reviews and I’m sure you’ll love it.’

  ‘Do you mean that you doubt my choice?’ she said with the trace of a threat.

  ‘Of course not, I was just looking for alternatives. I know this one’s the best.’

  ‘It’s SRK after all!’

  ‘Holy bananas.’

  ‘What?’

  ‘Oh, it’s an upcoming movie.’

  ‘Weird movie.’

  ‘Too early to decide, but let’s see...’

  I walked forward with a staunch heart and let loose a sigh, as I fed the ticket number into the kiosk nearby.After having collected the tickets, we moved into the lobby and bought a tub-popcorn-Pepsi combo. Ours was the third auditorium with two seats in the third row from the front. There was so much competition for this movie’s tickets that I could only thank God we had our seats.

  ‘Here, let me hold it, while you get seated,’ I said and took the popcorn tray from her.

  We sat. I infixed the cola glasses into the shared armrest compartments and put the popcorn tub on the handle, as a flashy advertisement came on the screen. A few more commercials followed, half of which neither of us could understand, because the language was Kannada.The Censor Board Certificate finally showed and the entire movie house reverberated with crazy whistles and hoots.Although it was dark, I could notice the number of female whistlers outdid the males. Geetika’s happiness surfaced as an ecstatic smile.

  There was emotion in the movie; there were twists. It had everything that strummed the strings of Geetika’s heart. Brilliant acting, serious acting, and transcending music, all packed into one! I was enjoying the cola and the popcorn too. Okay, the movie a bit as well! Only, after some fifteen-twenty minutes, when we ran out of popcorn and my cola glass was emptied, nothing seemed to attract me to that theatre anymore.

  ‘Where are you going?’ Geetika asked, as I rose from my seat, about to move into the lobby to get some fresh air. I could have another round of popcorn, maybe some chips too. Or I could watch that animation movie in another auditorium and tell her about my upset stomach later.

  ‘Well, I was thinking I could use the washroom and come back.’

  ‘I’m sure they are going to have intermission in just a while. You don’t want to miss this, Suraj. He just proposed to her. After all the waiting, she’s going to say yes. Stay, please?’ she urged.

  ‘Okay,’ I said and sat down.

  Soon, yes, she said yes, and they sang in a mustard field, danced around and everything was happy-happy.

  I peered at my watch. It’d been around half an hour since she’d spoken about the intermission. There was no sign of it though.

  ‘Geetika, can we please skip this song and walk out of here? I badly need some air to breathe. I’m starting to develop sort of a headache.’ I guess I could’ve gone alone too. Perhaps it was because I wanted to be the gentleman or maybe because I wanted to be with her but not in that theatre watching that stupid movie. Perhaps I was being a little selfish too.Whatever.

  ‘But Suraj, it’s just moments before the break.As soon as this song is over, I guess they’ll...’

  ‘That’s what I’m talking about.You know the story, it’s so predictable. And did I forget to say you can definitely resume after the interval?’

  ‘No, I’m watching this song,’ she adamantly said.

  I didn’t want to sound too pressing, so I waited for the song to get over. But there was no sign of her getting over that movie. It’d already been ten more minutes and I knew I had to wait for another twenty minutes or so, for I’d checked the running time of the movie while booking the tickets.

  I waited and waited, but my patience and tolerance had hit rock-bottom.

  ‘Geetika, please?’ I held her by the flesh of her arms and whined like a baby. ‘Please, can we please just walk out for a few minutes now?’

  She turned her neck in a fashion similar to the crazy ghosts of Indian cinema and I thought her eyes would turn white and she’d wield a ghastly smile, showing her centuries-old rotten teeth, and emit foul breath while saying, ‘Hello, there, you don’t say.’ But she only looked at me with a frantic look in her eyes and said, ‘If you want to go, just go, okay? I’m not leaving this theatre before Intermission, no matter what.’

  I’d never seen this aggression in her ever before. Perhaps cinema is the inspiration behind female participation in Indian riots.

  So I said sorry and contritely apologized and sat down. And I didn’t move my arse until the intermission. At intermission, we went out together and stood in the lobby. I was going to buy us another combo or some tacos may be, before she stared at me as if I was a slab of deer meat and she was a hungry lioness.That very moment, I remembered I was supposed to go visit the washroom.

  I did buy us the popcorn combo later. Glory to god, her spirits lifted and she began enjoying the movie again. I even found the courage to hold a few puffs of popped corn to her mouth. She sucked in the popcorn like a happy hungry cow.

  As the plot thickened, I tried to relate to it and breathe it all in. It was a matter of an hour before the movie would end. Actually, it wasn’t that bad. But Geetika, she’d just overrated it. More than anything, what irked me was her saying it was the best movie she’d ever watched. I bet she hadn’t watched Godzilla or the Terminator series.

  Anyway, we used the escalator to move down again.We had penta-flavoured ice cream at Baskin Robbins on the ground floor, before we were adding to the screeching tires and honking horns.

  I stopped my bike a few hundred metres away from her abode, so I could walk her home.

  ‘Okay,’ she said, holding her purse with both hands, and giving me a slight smile.

  ‘Okay,’ I said, too.

  ‘Thanks,’ she said.

  ‘For what?’ I asked.

  ‘For the night, for everything.’

  ‘Oh, well,’ I shrugged, ‘I had a great time myself.’

  We looked at each other. She pursed her lips, looked elsewhere for three moments, pressed her incisors against one another, and then widened her lips to display them in a requesting gesture.Without really smiling, she said, ‘If you don’t mind, may be we should both go now.Actually, I don’t want my landlords to see us together like this on the street.’

  ‘Oh, hey, no, yeah I... I’ll leave’, I got nervy, fumbling for words. ‘I was just going to say the same thing, you know.’

  ‘Bye, then,’ she waved and turned to open the gates.

  I too started walking towards my bike, before I turned back and said, ‘The movie wasn’t really that bad.’ She looked at me, beamed, her eyes crinkled at the corners, and waved. I walked away as she went indoors.

&nbs
p; ***

  We had had a good time. It was a lovely night if you ask me.

  I knew I didn’t have to worry. My life was more colourful than ever, more eventful than ever. It was like a Bob Dylan song – you feel the warmth of the sun and relish it as you go swaying like a child in a barley field, one sweet summer.You know things can get no better than this.Thinking about a girl all day, dreaming of marrying her perhaps, getting perky at the mere thought of post-marriage fantasies, perhaps of the first night—it was bliss. I had to worry about nothing: I had a girl, my elephantine books, and friendly brats to share the evening tea with. Gosh, I didn’t even miss Mom that much anymore and I knew it was Geetika behind all of it.

  Post that night, however, our hanging out started ebbing away a little.We texted less, talked less.And thanks to our timetable, catching up with her was not easy. Sometimes, she had no more than a couple of lectures that required attending, while sometimes she’d have to stay all day, while I’d have all the time to bunk. It was as though our communication had gone off to a little snooze. About twelve days later, I didn’t hear from her for two entire days. I left her messages, but she didn’t reciprocate. I tried calling her, but her phone was switched off. I guess it was all because of the exams approaching.There were assignments, internals, what not.

  Only after those two not-so-easy-to-pass days, did I hear from her.

  Chapter 6.0

  I wasn’t expecting a call from her at such an odd hour. It was 11 in the night and there couldn’t be a better surprise.

  ‘Hi,’ I said, doing all I could to display my eagerness. ‘What are you doing?’

  ‘Nothing much, you?’

  ‘Nothing either... was just sitting idle.Where have you been?’ ‘

  Where would I be,’ she spoke listlessly. ‘Have been at my PG for the last three days.’

  ‘What...why? What’s going on? Would someone tell me something? Since day before yesterday, you haven’t shown up at college either.Are you all right?’