First Impressions

Chapter sixteen

I raised my right hand and rang the doorbell. Finally.

I could absolutely feel the anticipation growing inside me.

I waited patiently for a minute. Yet no one answered the door. I checked the time. It wasn't that early at all. So the chances of them not being here was minimum.

Eventually, before deciding to ring the doorbell again, the door was opened.
Much to my amazement the door was opened by a small girl. I looked at her, puzzled and she returned my gaze with an innocent, cute expression. I assumed she would be no less than 5 years old.

Releasing a breath I didn't know I was holding, I glanced around her, expecting someone else to come too.

"Who is it?" I heard a distant sound and then the footsteps approached.

"It's a girl, Mama. Big girl." she said and eyed me again tip to toe. I felt conscious due to the way she was taking my appearance into notice.

A young woman appeared at the doorway behind her.

"Yes?" she asked.

"Isn't this 56A, 78?" I asked to reconfirm though I had already read it outside.

"Yes." She said to me.
"Babu just go inside and resume your play." She said to the little girl.
And turning to me again,she said, "And you are?"

"I-I am here to meet...Is this your house?" I asked.

"Of course it is."

"I was here to meet a person..named...Taruna. Do they not live here?"

"What? No. Nobody in this house goes by that name." the lady replied.

"Uhm. Are you sure? "

"Yes. "

"Then I guess I got mistaken. I am sorry. But, how long have you been living here?" I asked.

"Just a year. Or maybe more than that." She replied.

"Oh. Thanks. And I am sorry." I apologised.

"Its just fine. Maybe the person you are looking for used to live here before we came."

"Presumably." I managed to say.

~~
I felt broken. Once again. The amount of excitement I had built up in me before coming here had just been shattered like broken pieces of glass. It was the only information I had and now it was as useless as a gun without a trigger.
After having visited 'Ashray', having my wishes and hopes ruined I went to their neighbouring house to enquire about their ex-neighbours. The man there, instead of imparting some information invited me inside for no apparent reason and I, sensing trouble just ran away from there as soon as possible.

I asked the driver to stop near a temple which was on the way. I craved for some peace, quietness and mental satisfaction and I felt no place other than the temple would provide me that.

Ringing the Temple Bell at the entrance, I entered the temple. I could spot the beautiful statue of Goddess Durga decorated with ornaments and clothes.
Standing infront of the Statue that portrayed the supreme power, the one who ever since time immemorial is believed to eliminate all the miseries of the people, the one who protects people from all evils and the one who provides strength to the weak, path to a lost wanderer, faith to the disillusioned, I felt calm.

I joined my hands, closed my eyes and if what people believed about Goddess Durga is true, I would pray sincerely to her to provide me with all the strength, hope and optimism that I couldn't afford to lose right now.