Arohan - The Ascent

When Sky Meets The Ocean - Part 2

Urvashi could only stand staring at Vikram, who until a few moments ago, she thought she had lost forever. How could she ever get enough of looking at him, seeing him stand tall in front of her, his face bearing scars from battles he had fought for his motherland? How could she ever get enough of looking at him, the way his uniform lay stretched taut by the well-toned muscles that must lay under the uniform? Or how could she ever get enough of looking at just how different he had become, from how she remembered him?

He had gone away a despicable criminal and yet, had come back, having turned into a suave, charming, handsome officer who could be called upon, whenever his nation needed him. Gone was Vicky, not a trace of him remained. Here was Vikram, an officer, and a gentleman.

Vikram stood towering above the height of the door, simply watching her eyes rove all over him. All his efforts over the last few years, all the sweat, blood, and toil, all the sacrifices he had made, had finally culminated in this moment. He had long since even given up dreaming of such a day when she would gaze upon him, the way she did just now. 

And then the doubts came flooding back. Vikram scolded himself silently. Don't overthink, don't expect love, he repeated silently, as he feared his hopes would come crashing down.

The entire village stood, behind Vikram and observed what was going on between the two of them. When Teacher Didi, did not allow Vikram to step inside her house, some villagers raised their voices.

In the Mythili dialect, one of the villagers shouted to Uravshi if everything was ok.

Vikram observed as her eyes moved away from his face, to look over his right shoulder, at the villagers standing behind him, who had been witnessing whatever was happening. Then he saw her face curve into a small, divinely beautiful smile.

Urvashi raised her hand to assure that everything was fine. She said something to the villagers in Mythili and looked back at Vikram. She stepped aside from the door, without a word, making way for him to enter.

Vikram swallowed the lump of emotions that has started to form in his throat. For the first time in forever, she had not refused him. This was madam ji, actually standing aside, asking him to enter her house. Touched beyond words, Vikram entered into the hut, his head, instinctively ducking low as he came in. He removed his eyewear as he stepped into the relative shade of the hut and entered the tiny space.

As Vikram came in, Urvashi looked towards the villagers with a small and wave of her hand, asked them to get back to their work. She closed the door in place and latched it.

Vikram was looking around the tiny house. In one corner, where they had made an indent in the wall, for keeping clothes, she had laid down her suitcases, her clothes arranged neatly in there. There was a small 1 burner gas stove at the far end and a table, with a window at the background on his left-hand side. Some bead sheets and a local mattress and 2 pillows completed her possessions in this thatched hut.

Vikram's eyes could not hold back from shedding a couple of tears, even as his back was turned towards her. He quickly wiped his tears away and turned around to her. She was still standing next to the door, watching him closely.

Both stood watching each other, until the silence in the room, had acquired a sound of its own. What words could work in this situation? What were the words, that could be said and heard, when one had worked so hard to attain love?

Vikram pointed to the door. "What were they saying, the villagers?" he asked, looking around the house. Is this how she had been living, just to take care of some tribal villagers, he thought to himself, as his emotions began to overpower him gradually.

Urvashi stood, her hands tightly grasped into each other, tied behind her, as he leaned back into the wall. "They wanted to know if everything was ok," she answered at long last, as Vikram took in her meager possessions, in the room.

Vikram looked back at Urvashi, "and what did you tell them madam ji," he asked,  wanting to confirm what his eyes had seen. Could he really allow himself the luxury to think she cared for him?

"I said, it's ok, there's nothing to worry about," she replied, looking down at the brick red, mud painted to the floor. It had been infused with cow dung, to help keep all kinds of insects outside the house.

Vikram's heart had almost shut down as he spoke the words. he just kept gazing at her, his eyes wide in bewilderment, as if he did not want to believe his years. He tried his luck again, this time bracing for rejection.

"Was that all?" he asked, looking at her with sounding almost as if he would suffocate if he didn't know the answer.

At his question, Urvashi took a deep breath and the toes of her right let moved in a semi-circle around her other leg. As Vikram stood watching her hopefully, she pursed her lips, "there was more I said," she stated, looking at him finally. But not revealing what else she had said.

She walked up towards him slowly, as Vikram just stood watching her, his eyes both dejected and confused. When she was close enough, she took a good look at his face. She could see scars over his right eyebrow and a cut over the left side of his upper lip. She saw scarred right under his chin. As her eyes flew all over his face, Vikram stood, looking down at her as she scrutinized his face.

"How have you been?" she asked at long last, her eyes, finally returning to his eyes again.

Vikram felt his stomach knot up. Was Madan ji really asking him this? He blinked his eyes unable to believe he had actually heard her say that. "Do you want to take a look at my laptop?" asked Urvashi, walking towards her study table, where her laptop was kept. She looked towards Vikram, almost inviting him to come closer. She opened her laptop for him to take a look.

Hesitently Vikram came over and stood in front of the table. he looked from Urvashi towards her laptop screen. She logged into the system and as soon as the screen was unlocked the screensaver came into view.

Vikram was flabergasted to see her screensaver. His eyes immediately flew to Urvashi, who kept staring down at the screen. "I told them, it's ok, my husband is here," she said, as her eyes slowly moved towards Vikram.

Vikram's eyes had suddenly turned stormy, as the full implication of what she had just stated, began to register with him. he could only watch her in awe. His eyes then moved to her screensaver again. It was last letter he had written to her before he went to Afghanistan. "I read it  everyday, as soon as I wake up and before I go to bed. I also prayed everyday, that you would soon come back to me," she sated her fingers running over the screen. 

She turned to look at him, and was just in time to see one single tear run down from his right eye. Uravshi took one step towards Vikram, her eyes unable to let go of his eyes. Vikram stood rooted to the spot, his long cherished dream, finally coming to fruition. He didn't know what to do or what to say. The shock and the enormity of what he heard, had literally pulled the rug from under his feet. Was this actually happening. He kept looking at Urvashi. As he stood watching Uravshi raised her hand towards his face. Vikram's face wore a stoic look, expect for that stream of tear in his right eyes, he stood completely numd.

Just as Urvashi was about to touch him, there was a knock on the door.