Sunday, December 11, 2011

St. Antony- A Story



It was late January and a holiday. The tropical weather was mild and comfortable at that time of the year. And besides, being little over couple decades and more ago, the severity of climes have not begun to be felt then. The sea breeze that came from the west when blowing in over the inland lake and caressing the bamboo shrubs in the perimeter of the church, ensured to bring along heavenly spell and mirth. Or was it the sheer presence she lend or the gaiety that accompany a wedding- the wedding of a close friend?

 

It was early dawn, well before sunrise, and I was woken up to the clutter and chatter, the excited shrieks and exhilarated conversations that are common when friends meet up. She'd arrived by train early in the morning. I sometimes felt an initial awkwardness with young women, so I chose to stay a little longer than usual in my bed. When I came out of my room, it was with some excitement, curiosity, and caution. I was determined not to reveal my idiosyncrasies when I was with her, whom I had only seen in photographs and had never seen or personally known before!

 

I saw her lazing down the stairs, and I guess the first smile, nod of the head, and "hello" were not too bad. Photographs captured by a camera are sometimes a faint image of what the subject actually is, and they can also be grossly untrue. Something inside pumped up the excitement and heightened the heartbeat. Strange, I thought. All through the couple of days she stayed at the apartment, whenever I could grab or create an opportunity to be near her and engage in some conversation, I made sure the chance never went begging. I wonder if others noticed the sudden oddity.

 

Something kept telling me that there was a mutual attraction, but it was more latent in her!

 

She came back a few months later. There was no communication between us in that short interregnum. However, the second meeting was a friendlier and more alleviating affair. She had come to my close friend's wedding that afternoon. When my friend sent her the invitation to his wedding, I thanked heaven that she eagerly obliged. I was thrilled that she was there in any case. Perhaps she was gracious to accept the invitation and be there as the representative of her parents’ Perhaps, looking back, destiny enticed her!

 

After the wedding, we all moved to the adjacent banquet hall for the grand feast that the bride’s father had richly organised. After the sumptuous feast and the brief revelry involving indulgent wine drinking, I and a few friends left. We took off towards the pier to take the boat ride across the lake to the island. She was the last one to hop on to the boat, and I offered her my hand to hold on to while jumping on to the rocking little craft, which she unhesitatingly accepted!

 

We had a refreshing couple of hours on the island. The optical illusion in the west caressing the ocean—the sun setting and the magical shadows it cast on the lush green foliage and trees that straddled the island, the sparkling waters of the vast lake like molten gold in the fading sunlight—all of this was perfect for the occasion. There were three women in the group besides her—her aunt, her sister, and another friend's wife. It was an exciting time , even more so for the two of us, which we knew in our hearts, unbeknownst to each other and the rest. I took care to not betray my feelings or make it obvious to others that I was stung by Cupid. Lest her brothers find out, I was quite self-conscious about myself, but I couldn't go any further.

 

It was dark when we returned to the boat that would ferry us back to the mainland. The journey back to the apartment had to be sorted out, as some of us had taken a taxi to the wedding, and now we all had to reckon with the few motorbikes we had. I was the only one on my bike and wished I could suggest that she could travel pillion with me. But timidity stamped out the grit to say so. As luck would have it, or destiny, one of her brothers suggested she ride pillion with me. And he reminded me to take care of her while on the road. She accepted the suggestion without hesitation. Perhaps that was what she wanted too. I chastised myself for thinking for her. Stupid Cupid! But she travelled the distance back with me.

 

I rode the bike with great caution and sensed her timidly holding on to my shirt while I manoeuvred through the traffic. On the way back, she suggested that we stop at the church of Saint Antony. She asked if I had any difficulty doing so. I answered absolutely in the negative. I figured it would give me more time with her on the road. We went into the shrine. The shrine of the Saint was a popular destination for the faithful, who believed that their supplications and petitions would be favourably disposed of by the Saint, God's interlocutor. One’s wish is sure to be granted! I was curious as to what she hoped for and what favour she received from the holy saint. She bought candles and flowers from the vendor outside, and I joined her in patiently lighting them at the altar. It was indeed a good feeling to be in the shrine with her .I wish time could be stopped.

 

When we began our ride back, I was annoyed that the distance to the apartment appeared shorter. I frantically thought of ways to stretch the distance and time so that it could be a long, never ending ride with her.

Did the Saint see my thinking?

16 comments:

KParthasarathi said...

Wonderful narration but it is incomplete.Is there a second part to it?

anilkurup59 said...

@ KParthasarathi,

Ha , second part has not ended , it is still on. So how would I put it down in words?
Nice to know you liked it.

Felicity Grace Terry said...

A great post,as always it was so well written, I'm glad to know there is more to come.

Shilpa Garg said...

Wow!! That's such a wonderful and interesting anecdote!! Looking forward to the next part!! :)

Happy Kitten said...

It is not at all fair from your part to break this story :)

When can we read the rest?

NRIGirl said...

Gives the nice feeling you would get after watching a nice movie. Mhm... so where is the rest?

anilkurup59 said...

@ Petty Witter, Shilpa Garg,Happy Kitten, NRIGirl,

I wonder how this small piece fascinated you folks.Well, thank you all for the comments.

By the way now that all those of you commented seek when the "rest" will be posted, I can only say, I do not know . May be bits and pieces of a story that has not ended may come to mind and I would pen . Thanks again for the appreciation.

Betty Manousos said...

brilliant post! it was so beautifully written.


can't wait for more!

have a great day!

anilkurup59 said...

@ betty mamousos

Thanks for the comment

Insignia said...

Something tells me its a true incident. If its not; then its your skill in enthralling the reader with so vivid description.

I liked the details you mention here - timidly holding the fabric of my shirt :) Just wow!!

Ramakrishnan said...

You are as usual so good at weaving magic with your words. Fascinating romantic buildup. Look fwd to the next part.

adithyasaravana said...

I read the post and the comments and your reaction to that.. was a very exciting write up..
just yest while i was driving, I was talking to my wife.. In the initial days, when we stayed with my parents, so often we used to go to this particular restaurant.. and always to the same place..just to talk till they closed down the shutters and sheepishly go into our house when my father used to grumble.
she replied, ' we both probably tried to impress each other and bought out our best qualities then. Now we have more pressing needs than being just romantic couple'..
long break isn't it..
all weekends were packed with visiting one or other..Have to finish my all casual leave before december.

anilkurup59 said...

@ Insignia,

You have an uncanny knack for smelling out! Thanks B for the comments.

@R. Ramakrishnan,

Just ordinary , I'm afarid. But I value your appreciation. As I mentioned in a reply to some comments before, perhaps its early to pen the rest, may be not.

@ AdityaSaravanan, .

Yes I can gauge the feelings that must have been those days.The problem with romance, in my opinion is there is much disillusionment later because while in bliss, one shows off a different side , polished and immaculate.
Thanks for the comment.

Daniel said...

Not sure whether the saint sees your thinking but I want to see your next blog :)

Kavita Saharia said...

How romantic :):)

anilkurup59 said...

@ Kavita,

Hi,Thanks for having the patience to come to this post and read.