A Bend in the River of Life

by Budh Aditya Roy

  When the dinner was finished, it was just nine in the evening. They wanted to cling together some more time. So they decided to go to the seashore to take a stroll. After a while, they felt like sitting somewhere and sipping some tea. Then the idea hit Kim like a lightning. She said, “Mr. Roy, you have to pass by my house to go to the hotel anyway. Why not we go to my apartment and enjoy jasmine tea quietly?”

  Rana said, “If it is not inconvenient for you.”

  Kim smiled and said, “Had I expected any inconvenience, I would not have invited you in the first place.”

  Rana said, “Kim, what can I say? I am delighted to accept your hearty invitation. It was so nice of you to have opened your door for me without any hesitation.”

  It was a small one bed-roomed apartment, but very cozily and tastefully decorated like a cabin in a cruise ship. Rana complimented her for her excellent taste and fine artistry. Kim was almost embarrassed at his sincere praise and thanked him. Then she prepared a pot of jasmine tea. Rana promptly helped her to carry the tray with the tea pot, cups and plates to her small but beautiful dining table.

  She said, “I really appreciate it. My father never helped my mother like that.”

  He said, “I always found joy to help Keka in whatever she did and she used to be very happy.”

  She said, “What wife will not be happy with a helping and understanding husband like that?”

  Each of them admired the other so much that they were eager to know each other more without wasting any time. Kim still had a lot of curiosity about Keka. So Rana began her story right from the beginning with their first encounter at Darjeeling, their courtship, their pre-marriage sojourn to see the Tajmahal, their wedding, their short but joyful marriage and her sudden untimely passing. It was not at all comfortable for Rana to narrate the story of her demise. When he was struggling to suppress his emotion Kim consoled him. By the time Rana concluded his story, it was about midnight.

  Kim listened to him with undivided attention and then asked him, “Mr. Roy, you said your seminar would end on Friday with the concluding remarks immediately after the lunch interval and you would be leaving on late Sunday afternoon. Why not you check out of this hotel on Friday morning and I will assist you check into another hotel on Friday afternoon so that we can spend a lot of time together on the last two days without any fear of interference from my senior management?”

  Rana said, “That’s a great idea. I had virtually no plan for the last two days. I did not know where to go and what to do except to take a tourist bus blindly. So I will do whatever you say.”

  Before the evening was over they both felt happy at the prospect of two additional days of unfettered friendship which began as a chance encounter.

  The seminar concluded successfully as scheduled. Rana changed his hotel. It was one of the Holiday Inn outfits. Because of Kim’s friendship with the General Manager, Rana got a special deal. In the bargain, he saved some money and got the precious companionship of Kim. Those two days Kim became her natural self because she was no longer under inhibitions of becoming too friendly with a guest of her hotel. She treated Rana as her own endearing guest and he asked her to call him Rana. She took Rana to places that he could not have known otherwise. They went to a short cruise, a Chinese carnival and the nicest family run restaurants not generally patronized by the tourists. She also took him to the lesser known shopping centers where brand name products were available at very competitive prices. Her trust and confidence in Rana reached such a level that she even took him to see her mother and her real home.

  However, all good things come to an end. While eating dinner the night before his departure, the realization dawned on them that parting was just the night away. As they began feeling sadness in separation, Kim asked, “Rana, when shall we see each other again?”

  Rana answered, “Kim, I will be lying to you if I say when. But I know that these training seminars will now be held more frequently than before in our region and I will also be attending them whenever my turn comes.”

  Kim asked, “Can’t you take a transfer?”

  Rana responded, “Kim, transfers depend on the specific needs of the company at a specific location. Besides, I have two very small children. How can I leave them behind?

  See, I am between the devil and deep sea.”

  Kim said, “Rana, I want to let you know that if you bring your children here, I will look after them as my own children.”

  Rana said, “Kim, having had the good fortune to know you for the last few days, I have no doubt about your sincerity. I’ll certainly keep that in mind and explore the possibilities of transfer to one of the Pacific Rim countries. However, keep in mind that the most likely place with maximum possibility of transfer is Hong Kong because of its strategic location and its importance within the company. Kim, best thing would be to stay in touch and take appropriate decision when the opportunities arise.”

  Kim said, “I think you are right. That is the best course of action for now. I will hope and pray.”

  The last night after the dinner, they talked and talked till the wee hours of the morning. At one point Kim said, “You know Rana, if my parents were together, I would have gone with you wherever you are. But my mother is so simple, so vulnerable that it would be a cruelty on her if I leave her alone. After all that she has done for me, it would be a total betrayal on my part. I also want to let you know that she had some kind words for you. Hardly ever in her life she received any gifts from anyone. So the gifts you have given her have moved her so much that she keeps on saying that you are kind and gentle; that you have a heart as big as the ocean.”

  Rana said, “It was so nice of her to have said that. It only proves how good she is. I can only imagine that your mother is as simple and as pure as my grandma.” He quickly added, “Please give my regards to her. Though we were with her just about an hour that day, I could make out her goodness and simplicity. Her mind is as spotless as a child. I agree that without you she would be totally lost.”

  Kim said, “I have always thought so. She has given me the best with her paltry means. I will feel guilty forever if I run away from her in self-interest.”

  Before they fell asleep on each other’s arms, Rana said in the context of future expectations, “Kim, no one knows what is in store for us. But I can only say that there is a reason why we met under the pretext of a seminar that helped develop this relationship. Perhaps we will not know the reason ever. That should not preclude us from hoping for the future.”

  On the morning of departure, Kim helped him organize his luggage that swelled up considerably in the last two days on account of his shopping spree. By arrangement with the hotel, a hotel car would take them to the airport and on the way back drop Kim at her home. Flight was on time. They started early for the airport. After checking in, Rana had about an hour left. So they sat at a coffee shop for some drinks. Watching Kim for the past few days, Rana seriously thought that Kim not only resembled Keka in physical appearance, but in mental make up too. He could feel that beneath the veil of her beauty and smile, behind her impeccable efficiency and sharp mind, Kim was a very lonely person. As the time for departure was drawing closer, she was becoming gloomier. With sadness written all over her face, she said, “You know Rana, I have never been at the airport with a sense of loss like this. I do not even know if I will see you ever again.”

  Rana replied, “I can understand that, Kim. I can only say that I am also feeling helplessly sad for you. There is nothing else we can do at this moment except to keep faith.”

  His mind flashed back to the last few moments of Keka’s life when he helplessly watched her passage of life to an unknown world. He choked. He saw tears in Kim’s eyes too and held her hand. Then the inevitable happened. The departure announcement on the public address system sounded too rude. They got up. Rana kissed her cheeks very discreetly and said once again, “Please keep faith.”

  In between her tears she said, “Have a safe flight back and d
on’t forget to write.”

  Holding hands they slowly proceeded to the gate. Coming near the gate Rana said, “Kim, my mind says I will see you again in the not too distant a future. Trust in God. I will write shortly.”

  She could not say anything. Emotion choked her voice and tears obscured her vision. She just nodded her head in affirmation and looked far away to the sky through the glass wall of the airport building. Rana went through the gate. Kim stood there, tears streaming down her cheeks like the steady monsoon rain in Taiwan. Both kept waving till they were out of sight of each other. He knew she would be at the public gallery to snatch a last glimpse. While walking to the airliner he looked back to the gallery. Kim was there waving at him. He also waved back. On entering the aircraft he could not see her anymore. When it began taxiing to the top of the runway, she became visible for a while. And as the aircraft darted down the runway for the take off she again appeared in sight for a split second, still waving at the aircraft in anticipation that Rana was still looking at her.

  Rana felt tremendous sorrow for Kim. He wondered if the relationship that just began with Kim was a mere coincidence or an unfathomable design of the Creator. If it was just a coincidence, then how far the coincidence could be stretched to justify that he was selected to participate in a seminar in a particular country, conducted at a specific hotel where he would come across in one of their many restaurants a certain young woman, bearing a striking resemblance with his departed wife?

  He knew no human mind would be able to explain this coincidence or chance encounter. Even his relationship with Keka began as a chance encounter far away from their usual place of residence, because every relationship in the River of Life blossoms out of chance encounter only. For the chance encounter is the basis on which the River of Life was crafted with an intricate design impossible for the human mind to unravel. If the mankind were entrusted with the responsibility to pick and choose their relationships, only self interest would motivate every relationship and the River of Life would splinter and disintegrate into obscurity and oblivion. That precisely is the reason why mankind was deprived of the ability to see and act on the future and choose their relation ships. There is, therefore, no wonder that the Creator of the River of Life decided to keep His uncompromising control and authority over the future and every relationship on earth. Only He has the knowledge of the past and the future and the players in each relation ship. Only He has the design and the blueprint of the River of Life from Eternity to Eternity.

  PASSING OF RAJANI

  Rana returned home from his maiden trip abroad. By the time he reached home it was ten at night, too late for Saurav and Smita to stay awake. They fell asleep. Rajani and Devika were waiting for him since evening. Mita was also giving them company. Rana greeted them and said, “I will never be able to pay back for what you have been doing for me and my children.”

  Rajani told him, “Don’t mention this. You and your children are our joy. Saurav and Smita were happy all day long with the expectation that their daddy would come back and bring toys for them. But it was difficult for them to keep up this late. It is about half an hour that they fell asleep.”

  Rana said, “I expected to come earlier, but there was unnecessary delay at the customs.”

  Rajani, however, wanted to see the children rather happy before falling into deep sleep. She said, “Normally, no one should disturb the children in slumber, but today they will be happy to see their father. Let me see if they will wake up now.”

  So she called them in a low voice, “Saurav and Smita, wake up, your father has come. He brought your toys.”

  No one expected them to get up easily. But to the surprise of all, the big brother first closely followed by the little sister jumped up in one action from the sleeping to the standing posture and began dancing in an extra-ordinary show of love for their dad. Remarkably, when they got up the last thing they had in their mind was toy or any other gifts. They did not ask for anything. They were just filled with spontaneous joy to see their dad back after a hiatus of 12 days. Such an unadulterated and unbridled scene of joy Rana had never witnessed before. He lifted both of them on his arms and kissed them. They kissed back. Then dialogues began between the father who just returned from his first sojourn abroad and his two tender and impeccable children whom sin did not touch.

  They had so much to tell of what happened during his absence that they did not have any clue where to begin. Saurav narrated all his stories first– that great-grandma Rajani cooked delicious cookies and candies for them; that grandma Mita could not catch up with him while playing on the lawn; that a cat came to the house and grand aunt Devika tried to catch it, but it slipped away and similar other stories that he perceived in his flawless mind would impress his dad. Not to be outdone, Smita too began telling her own stories. But how much a one-and-a-half-year old could frame in her baby mind? That did not discourage her. She began her tales with as much gusto as she could muster. Rana could not grasp half of what she said. Nonetheless, he kept smiling and nodding in confirmation of his interest in her stories so as not to dampen her enthusiasm.

  When the stories were told, Rana took out their toys and all other gifts he brought for them. Their joy was simply indescribable. It turned out into a singing and dancing show beyond description, Rajani told Mita, “They are just like their father, easily happy with anything you give.”

  Rana then took some time to show his children how to use the fancy toys and played with them for a while. Rajani again made a comment, but this time to Rana, “Let me tell you something about your children. They are as obedient and as understanding as you had been at their age. They did not give us any trouble at all. Only from time to time Saurav asked when his daddy would come back.”

  It was gratifying for Rana to learn that his children did not make his octogenarian grandma’s life miserable.

  Rana resumed his daily routine at work and at home. Work was his passion, but love for his children was the fuel for that passion. Rana had always been devoting a lot of time with his children especially, at the weekends. He would play with them, tell them fairy tales, read and recite from their books. Rajani would sit close by and derive unlimited pleasure from them.

  Though Smita was too young to read, she would like to have her own books anyway. She would sit on Rana’s lap with her books held upside down and pretend reading attentively, evoking laughter from all. Then she would also giggle at her accomplishments, much the same way her dad used to do at her age. Saurav was growing rapidly. He would also sit on his daddy’s lap and read the new books and ask numerous questions. One of the staple questions outside the purview of his books was, “Does Mama still come at night to kiss me and my sister?”

  He would be easily satisfied with a positive reply from his dad.

  And that is the nature of love. In its purity of conviction and unadulterated simplicity it would allow nothing to dismantle the blind trust reposed on the object of love.

  Life is a conglomeration of many small events and they are strewn around the boulevards of life. But some of these small events are so touching that they live with one forever. One evening Saurav and Smita were playing cheerfully with their dad. In the middle of a game, in the midst of joy and laughter, Saurav came running to his dad, leapt up on his lap and asked, “Daddy, do you love me?”

  With this unexpected question put forward so suddenly, Rana’s heart filled with so much love and compassion for Saurav that he took him up on his arms, kissed him and said, “Yes my son, I love you much more than you can think.”

  Looking at his glittering eyes and feeling the warmth in his voice, Saurav said, “Okay daddy,” and kissed him affectionately. Then he got down from his lap to resume the play.

  Younger siblings learn from the older ones. Observing the exchange of love and compassion between Saurav and their dad, Smita also came running to Rana. He raised her up on his arms also, kissed her two cheeks and told her, “My little mummy, I love you too.” She also kissed he
r dad and got down to play.

  Rajani was sitting nearby watching them play. By witnessing the entire episode she was visibly moved. She said, “Only good parents beget good children like that. I know God has kept me alive to witness the growth and development of these two precious children, the embodiments of divinity.”

  Rana had always been appreciative of the fair treatment that he received from the top brass of his company. The American Inter-Continental Bank soon announced his promotion as the General Manager of their Calcutta branches. Normally, the promotions at that level are announced with a transfer to some larger operations or to the CEO’s office in the country or a transfer abroad. He had no doubt in his mind that in taking the decision in his case the top management took into consideration his unique personal situation with two very young children. Once again he was thankful to his company for this wonderful gesture, not very common in the business world.