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The Lady

The Lady 

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She opened her eyes  in the semi dark room and the first thought that came to her mind was today was Sunday.  She instinctively reached for her spectacle and placed them between her eyes. The Screen saver clock of her smartphone was showing the time as 5:30.

Since last ten years this had been her time  to start the day.  Only Sunday was  an exception when she allowed herself another one hour extra  before she gets up for preparing tea for self and him.


She closed her eyes again.  But unlike other Sundays she was not feeling  sleepy again.  Neither she was getting the energy to get up and prepare the tea.  She searched her smartphone and played her favourite Rabindra Sangeet  " আনন্দ ধারা বহিছে ভুবনে দিন ও রজনী .....very slowly the music engulfed her mind and sense and she started soaking in the lyrics deep in her heart and soul...পান করে রবি শশী অঞ্জলি ভরিয়া .....she was almost in a trance.  

Since her childhood she was in love with music ,  specially Rabindra Sangeet.  She has done everything she could do to get her notes correct,  she did not spare any effort to hone her skill and always dreamed of becoming one of the most honoured singer of Rabindra Sangeet. But....she sighed and slowly opened her eyes.  A drop of tear rolled out from her eyes. She wiped the tear and sat on  bed.


This was her room and she took lot of pain to decorate her room tastefully.  Presence of her Guru Rabindranath Thakur is felt at every corner of the room.  An halfbust photo ,  rather a sketch ,  which she bought from Shantiniketan during their last visit three years back has taken the centre stage. A  fresh garland of rajnigandha (tuberose) which was put last evening was still hanging fresh from the frame of the sketch.  Besides the single bed  cot,  a small dressing table ,  an wooden wardrobe,  a bookself with a small cane rocking chair and small sofa completes the interior of this Master bedroom of her three bedroom flat.  This four storied  three flats a floor building was constructed on their old house where she has spent her childhood with two sisters and one brother.   As per her father's will , this building was bequeathed to her after her father's demise.  The building was dilapidated and spending fresh on its repair was not a great choice.  So she decided to engage a developer to get the property developed.  The developer , fortunately was a considerate man and he offered two flats and a lumsum amount to seal the deal.


She prepared two cups of tea and left one cup at the kitchen for her husband and came to sit in the balcony.  She loves to witness the serene and spiritual transformation from dark to light , from ignorance to knowledge and general awakening in this time of the morning.  For her the early mornings are magical. At this time the darkness of the night was slowly making way to the commanding presence of the Sun.  


For last three four days she was feeling a sense of disturbance in her inner tranquilIty.   There has  hardly been any such occurrence in recent years which has disturbed her mental peace. Generally she had a very peaceful life.  Her husband was a peaceloving gentleman who never interfered in her life  and her two daughters being away at present due to higher education,  she had an enviable life where nothing ever causes any ripple in her inner peace.  But the occurrence of past three four days has left her confused and the worst part is that she was enjoying it.  She still can't believe that she was not getting angry and she hasn't been rude.  But the fact is that there is no such reason to be angry or rude , yet she knows,  in her age she finds this emotions absolutely juvenile and like a teen ager.  


She was falling in love, but surprisingly , that's not the issue which was bothering her.  She was more disturbed about the type of love she was getting herself involved into. She knew her love for a complete stranger at her age is little unconventional ,  but then again the love she's thinking about is totally platonic and not only that,  there was hardly any chance of meeting each other even. The question of any future chance of marying each other or living in together without marying also didn't arise.  Then what's this love ?  


Her thought disturbed by the sound of calling bell.  Her helping hand has arrived. She got up from her chair and opened the door to let the maid in.  She briefed her about the breakfast to be made and the menu for lunch.  Normally on  Sundays she and her husband  had the luxury of having the elaborate lunch together.  In other days of the week her husband left at about 8:30 for work and she  at about 10:30.  She was a professor teaching history.  The subject doesn't interest her much but the idea of sitting idle at home was even more depressing.


The maid brought a fresh and hot cup of coffee for her.  She smiled at her.


The man she thought  she was in love with was not even a resident of India.  The various encounters in the social media  brought them close.  He also had a beautiful family whom he adored.   It was really a very unusual feeling for her.  She waited anxiously for his messages and loved to chat endlessly .  Their mutual admiration had brought them closer.  One thing she was not sure even today ...was that  there still  has some place for someone special ? After a married life of more than thirty years when she was almost ready to   accept her new role as an aged mother and wife with only to care her own family and her forthcoming extended family after her daughters '  marriage ,  how come her very own self , who is just not a wife or mother or sister to someone , has suddenly demanded something  so passionately for herself alone ? She did not feeling any less love for her children and her husband.  She loved them and will always.  But this new found feeling is totally different than anything she ever knew in her life of more than five decades.


She was not feeling any guilt in an old fashioned way.  She loved them all who made her world till now and will always.... and she loves her new interest  in life who has given her a new identity.  A woman with just a name and her own personality.


She got up from her chair in balcony. She would try a new recipe for her husband today.  She loved to see his gleaming and satisfied face after a good meal.


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