There were intermittent sparks flying out of the bonfire.
There was enough wood to keep it going all night. And like the fire, our spirit
wasn’t getting cold anytime soon. It was Priya’s turn to entertain the class.
Priya was our English teacher, and she accompanied the class on the final year
trip. She chose to recite a poem for her students as a parting gift.
“Out of the night that covers me..”
She started, light flickered on her face as she went on with
the elocution. We were captivated. We all knew how strong she felt, an
invincible lady.
“I am the master of my fate
I am the captain of my soul”
William Ernest Henley himself couldn’t have read it better.
She smiled, there was applause. And then the sound of nature took over, a
distant waterfall and the burning wood.
“Ritwik” Priya said “you’re the only one left now, and I
don’t believe any one here wants to get back to the tent yet.”
“But ma’am I can’t think of anything, so many of them sang
already.. can’t I just...”
“You’re good at creative writing” she interrupted “why don’t
you read one of your own?”
“Should I tell the essay you praised so much in class?”
Shreya protested “Oh please Rit, I’ll doze off here on the
grass if you do that”, the rest followed.
I wasn’t getting away unless I told them something
interesting.. I looked at Priya’s face, she was looking at me inquisitively.
And then I knew what I wanted to share with them.
“Ma’am I wanted to tell you something the first time I saw
you.”
Someone whistled, Priya frowned funnily, we all chuckled.
“You look like someone I know.”
“Who?” she enquired innocently.
“Well I don’t really know her, but I can’t forget her.”
Shreya looked green-eyed.
The crickets chirped as my friends calmed down, they knew it
was going to be a good story. What did the crickets know?
“This was when I was in 5th grade, I would see
this couple everyday. They looked like college students, they would sit in the
park opposite my window for hours.”
Shreya sighed, Amit mocked her.
“The guy looked cheerful, the girl was pretty”
Priya flattered herself “of course she did, she looked like
me.”
“He proposed on Valentine’s day, she was more than happy to
accept the bouquet and chocolates. They sat on their usual bench hand in hand
for hours. They seemed to be so much in love.”
I chuckled as I described his mischief “he put his arm
around her and tickled her arm, she blushed and hit him with the bouquet, but
he never stopped. She gave up and rested her head on his shoulder.”
“Quite a view.” remarked Amit.
“Their meetings got longer, he would tease her n she’d smile
back.”
Unlike others Priya had lost interest in my story by now,
she was staring at the fire.
Shreya got up and sat
on the planck right beside me “did anything exciting happen?”
“Yes, he stopped coming, last time I saw him he looked tired
and dull, I think that rascal broke her
heart.”
Priya didn’t react on my choice of word, her gaze fixed on
the fire.
“The girl came back after a few weeks. She was alone and
looked sad.”
“Did they break up?”
“Yeah I think so.. she’d sit on the same bench playing with
the pendant he gave her, I think she was hopeful coz she didn’t throw it away.”
“Did he come back?”
“No, but the girl wasn’t ready to accept he wasn’t going
to, not for a very long time.”
Amit yawned, Shreya looked sad, others looked at me for
more. Priya was clearly not interested any more. She was admiring the stars
now.
“She would hold her pendant and sit there all alone, smile
at times looking genuinely happy and then the very next moment a tear would
roll down.. she wept on the bench” my voice grew heavy.
“I felt so sorry for her, the break-up definitely took its
toll on her beauty, she started looking tired and weak like his ex.”
Shreya was feeling blue, like she’d break into tears
anytime. The night wasn’t getting any darker. “Had it not been for the fire we
would all be in our tents by now getting bored” said Amit,
“Poor girl” Shreya said in a feeble voice.
“She eventually stopped coming after a few months when
monsoon set in.”
“Maybe she realized how mean he was.”
“Maybe not, she was back on the next valentine’s day,
playing with her pendant and smiling.”
Shreya lit up “I knew there was a twist, he came back,
didn’t he?”
“No, didn’t I tell already?” I didn’t know what irritated me
more, her innocence or his cold-heartedness, “he was a rascal!”
Priay flinched this time, I looked up apologetically, her
eyes were moist, I knew that face
“He died of cancer.” The crickets chirped, what do they know about love?
