Just next to your border

A morning , same sun rising from the east , yet I feel different . Took my goats nearby the river and I put my basket under the tree .The basket was full of fruits and nuts . I wanted to clean the goats so I went to the river .Soon when i was finish with my work , i grabbed my basket and hurriedly opened it .To my horror nothing was inside but time few nuts .

  " what , nothing ?"

"sorry , madam , i ate some of your fruits " .

A man with fruits in mouth said with a gentle voice .

"some ? "

" sorry again "

    He looked nice but i took the basket and ran to the goats so i could go home to aunty Nargis .Aunty Nargis was my guardian , my father's sister . she was a little harsh lady but yet she was nice to a little extent .I opened the wooden door to the house and she said with a big sound ,

  " Meera , can't you control your breathe "

" sorry amma , it will not happen again "

" who was the man ?"

" man ? "

" Tahir saw you with someone , dont you dare to lie to me !"

" amma , i don't know him , i swear , he stole food from my basket , don't know him ",   i was scared of amma .

                  Tahir entered with a smirk on his mouth , he was amma's son . i always disliked him , he was an ugly person ,fat and an idiot .I ignored him and went into the kitchen to make some rotis . I remember this was 1940 when the bonds of love were endangered by foreigners who had captured our land ,after giving food everyone i went to massage amma .

" Meera , I have decided that next month will be perfect for your marriage with Tahir "

" amma ..."

" what is the problem , have you forgotten to massage !"

                     I had no right to say anything on my behalf , I won't marry Tahir . Next morning I took the goats to the same river , put my basket under the same tree and walked to the river for cleaning goats . What a lonely life I'm living , I mumbled to myself . An hour had passed so I went to my basket and opened it ,

" you took my food again , where are you ?"

there was none there , "Hello ¡???"

" yes , are you calling me lady ? "

"this is not fair , why are you doing this , stealing my food again"

"you stole my heart and i can't steal your food ."

"I'm going to be married , i will call my future husband to beat you hard for talking to me like this "

"I'm sorry lady , I'm Musa and you ?"

       I was so amazed by this stranger that i covered my face and ran to the house . I thought of him all day , what a silly person he was , Musa , ........ no , wrong , wrong , wrong .....a stranger can't be trusted okay .

                   Tahir was going to Delhi for some days , i was glad that he was leaving ,now no one will follow me . amma was old and not so strong. After cleaning all the dishes i went to Tahir's room , from there i took my jewels which he had snatched from me . I put all of them in my secret pocket which i had sewn in my clothes .

              Next morning was bright and colourful , like my daily routine i went to the river ,put my basket under the tree . I was really excited to meet the stranger because he was the only person who had talked to me so politely .

        after sometime i checked my basket , everything was in order , he is gone i said to myself .

i put my head against  the tree and my tears fell on the ground .

"crying to meet me ". a voice came from the back , he was handsome as moon , his smile was even more exciting and exotic .

"no...", i cleaned my face .

"absolutely , well , i don't see anyone here "

"okay .... Meera "

"Meera , your name ? beautiful ."

"what are you doing in our village ? i have never seen you before ."

"government officer , my duty is finished and I'm going back to Delhi today , i came here to say you good bye pretty lady "

"bye .?

...............no , why was i feeling bad for his going , why did i feel something fir a stranger ...............soon i could see his shadow disappearing forever from my life .........

     Next month i was married to Tahir , he took me and amma to Agra  ,there we settled for a long time . Tahir was cruel with me , he used to tease me and torture me .Tahir was caught drinking illegal drugs so he was arrested by the police . amma had always blamed me for our disappointing present .

"oh god , this girl is a destruction for us ....destroyed  my son's future " amma cried infront of the police.

my life was miserable , an old mad lady living with me , a drug addict husband in jail .

      .....@......................