The Mystical Flutist

Chapter 3: The beckoning

It was while she was fighting with this confusing state of heart that the most unexpected thing happened. Tuhi was walking back from the choir practice with her friends. The November chill has started setting in and the valley snuggled cozily within the thick blanket of fog. The girls walked down the road, lined with eucalyptus trees, next to the staff quarters. Tuhi was taking in the heady smell of the eucalyptus, while humming a tune in her head. Suddenly she stopped at her track. Behind the old pine tree next to history teacher, Mrs James quarter, ‘those eyes the colour of deep forest pool’ appeared. Tuhi slowed down, so her friends could walk ahead. The shadowy figure emerged from behind the tree and stood, staring at Tuhi. He then gave her a faint smile and beckoned her. Tuhi’s heart flipped and her stomach did a somersault. She followed him down the narrow alley behind the staff quarters. He was walking ahead, and every 2 seconds turned his head to see if Tuhi is still following his trail. They crossed the playground, and headed straight towards the old tower house. Tuhi immediately remembered the first time she met ‘the boy’ here. What was his name? He never told it to Tuhi. It never seemed necessary….

Now he reached the old dwindling iron bench and stopped. He motioned Tuhi to sit and went and perched up on the other corner. He waited expectantly till Tuhi sat down. Tuhi felt weird that someone was asking her to sit at her own spot. She wanted to tell him that this is her ‘little world’ where she comes when she’s sad, happy or sad & happy. And it is he who without even knocking has stepped into her world. But she kept quiet. She somehow just couldn’t speak when those eyes are looking straight at her. She sat down, obediently. He then took out the flute from his pocket and started playing it. The music, ever so soothing and ever so painful engulfed her. To her it didn’t seem like music, it was more like his voice, talking to her. She closed her eyes….as tears streamed down her cheeks. But they were happy tears, as Tuhi had never felt so happy in her entire life.

Duur deshi shei rakhal chele

Amar bate boter chayai

Shara bela gelo khele…..

Gailo ki gaan shei ta jane

Suur baaje tar amar prane….

Bolo dekhi tomra ki tar

Kothar kono abhash pele….

(The shepherd boy from the far away land

Came to my garden and played under the shade of the tree

Only he knows what he was singing

But the tune lingers in my heart….

Can anyone tell me what is it, he was talking about …)

In front of them the sun was setting lazily behind the undulating Nilgiri range. The sun seemed to be in no hurry today. It spread its dusk glow like a warm hug on the two little kids sitting on the old dwindling iron bench, with their eyes closed, tears streaming down both their young pink cheeks.

The music stopped. Tuhi opened her eyes and looked at him. His head was tilted to a side, and the soft green eyes glistened warmly. He got off the bench and slowly walked to where Tuhi was sitting and stood facing her. He had not moved his gaze from her for a minute. There was a strange intensity in his eyes, which reminded Tuhi of the way she and her friends study the night before their exam. It’s almost like they drink in all the words in the book so they will never forget the black & white print. He was now standing facing her. Tuhi’s heart leapt to her mouth. She tried putting up a brave face and continued looking at him. But deep inside, her heart was twitching and twisting like poor Bambi caught in a vine. He held her hand. His eyes were like warm summer day, assuring and gentle. Tuhi was glad to see that the dark cloud of pain was nowhere to be seen. She drew a deep breath, and before she could understand anything she stood up hastily.

“My name is Tuhi. It means the ‘chirping of birds’. What is your name?”, she blurted in one breath and looked up at him.

He stood there in silence. But the gentleness of the summer day has been replaced by the stormy dark clouds. Tuhi was confused. What did she say to make him so upset? She looked at him with pleading eyes. But he looked like he was just being stricken across the face. He lifted Tuhi’s hand and before she could understand anything, he removed the silver bracelet with the dangling star from her wrist. Tuhi gasped. That was her most prized possession. It was a gift from her Didan (Grandmother) on her 10th birthday, and she never removes it. Didan had given it to her and told her that the little dangling star will look after little Tuhi and protect her always. She couldn’t believe that the boy had removed it from her hands. She became livid, angry tears rolled down her cheeks. She was just about to lunge at him to get back her silver bracelet. But he started retreating fast. Tuhi just couldn’t make sense of anything. Why did he get her here? If all he wanted was the silver bracelet, he could have taken it near the staff quarters. And why is he looking like he’s in so much pain, after he took the bracelet.

“Why did you take my silver bracelet?” she shouted. But the boy now turned his back and started running, faltering over the playground as his vision was blurred too. Tuhi’s head reeled and she sat under the pine tree next to the iron bench. She dropped her face between her knees and cried.

Ami tare shudhay jabe ‘Ki tomare dibo ani’-

She sudhu koy ‘Ar kichhu noi, tomar golar malakhani’

(I asked him, “What is it that I can get for you”

He replied, “I want nothing but the necklace around your neck”)

The moon peeped from behind the clouds and seeing the little girl crying hid behind the clouds again. She knows that the first heart-break is the most difficult pain for a girl. The moon wished she could hold the little girl and cradle her gently till her tears dry. She asked her firefly friends to help her. The fireflies flew down to Tuhi and glowed gently around the little girl. If anyone could see the little girl crouching under the pine tree now, they would think that the fairy godmother had made a ‘circle of angels’ around her to keep her safe.

The next few days went like the worst nightmare for Tuhi. In her head she had gone through that evening some hundred times, but still nothing made sense. There were so many questions in her head. But where will she get the answer. She had crossed the staff quarter in the pretext of some work or other almost 10 times a day. She had even gone behind the pine tree pretending that she lost an earring. But he was nowhere to be seen. No one had seen him, and Tuhi will never see him again.

It was almost after a week that Tuhi walked past the playground and climbed towards the old tower house. Her heart twisted at the sight of the old dwindling iron bench. She slowly dragged herself towards it and slumped down at the same place she sat that evening. Her eyes stinged and big fat tears rolled down her cheek again. Tuhi wondered exactly how many gallons of tears can her body hold. She held her face in her hand and the only word she could utter was “why….why….why”. Just as she was wiping her eyes with the back of her palm, something familiar caught her eyes, below the pine tree. Tuhi got down and walked towards it. As she bent down and removed the dry pine leaves, her amber eyes widened.

She picked up the flute and held it in her hands.

Di jodi toh ki dam debe jai bela shei bhabna bhebe

Phire eshe dekhi dhulai bashi ti tar geche phele

(If I give you my necklace how will you repay me?

He kept thinking about it the whole day

At daybreak when I came back

I found he has left his flute on my garden)

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