Sail Through Styx - A SwaSan SS

Chapter one part B

The skyline of Perth fascinates me for some reason, I have never been  a fan of city life, the jam packed streets, the never sleeping lights, the non existing silence and polluted air had worn me out back in India. But here, among the unfamiliarity of the landscape there is something that draws my eyes, something that urges me to explore, see as much as I can, in the time I have in my hand.

I do not go home immediately as I had told Dr. Maheshwari while taking my leave. Instead I roam the streets leading away from hospital, that I have now grown accustomed to. It's been months since I came here first, and I had found myself a good guide in the form of my aged doctor who was only too happy to suggest the places I should visit and tell me exactly how to reach there.  

For some strange reason, perhaps the clarity of his instructions I had never got myself lost on the vast city in the heart of western Australia, instead I had found a few spots that I loved, even under the stranger cosmos.  

I had watched the sunset, sprinkling handfuls of gold across the water, watched the purple dusk rolling in as the water swallowed the last of light. And then I turned to go home, finally finding some energy to smile at Ma, when she asks me how my meeting with Dr. Maheshwari went. I had to bit my lip at the thought, I had not given it much attention as I kept distracting myself, I  had to share my decision with Ma and I had to convince her to let me have my way just for this once.

I knew she wouldn't listen. It was almost six months since we arrived at baba's home in the suburbs. I hated the idea of living with the people who took our place in his life, but thankfully they did not approach us much. My step mother met us a couple of times, first when she welcomed us to stay at her home allocating the two downstairs bedrooms for our use. Then sometimes she would make it a point to talk with Ma inquiring after my health.  She was trying to be polite, but there were six years worth bad blood between us that was not going to be washed off in six months.  

I did not see my step sister. I was informed that she lived by herself in her university hostel as many of the young people here did. She was an independent adult, who liked living on her own.  I could see my mother's horrified expression at that, my sister was hardly eighteen after all. But then again, she had grown up in a different surrounding. Her thought process might be different from ours. As I was told by my step mother, the room I was given had been hers. There were butterflies painted on the sandy color walls. A guitar sat in a corner by the window,  untouched and gathering dust. Its strings looked mournfully quiet,  as if missing the fingers that used to stroke them. I never touched it, although I was urged to, I did not play the guitar. I had never done so before.

So I was slightly surprised to hear the soulful music vibrating around the garden of Baba's cosy home when I went back that evening. What struck me more was the familiarity of that tune. Somewhere, back home, I had heard that tune. The door to the living room opened to reveal three people sitting in the florescent lit living area. The two middle aged women were my Ma and step mother, the young man with them, had the guitar perched on his knee, his fingers picking on the strings or switching between chords as he created that familiar melody.  As I walked in, he stopped playing and looked up, his brown gaze locking mine for a moment.  And then he smiled, I knew that smile, had dreamed of it for several nights, had once wondered if it would remain same when he grows old.

Standing in front of me in all his glory was Lakshya, smiling just as he had done that day at the losar celebration.

"Hi!" he said awkwardly.

*

The snapping sound of the closing door vibrated through its frame. I leaned against it, staring hard at the now darkening image outside the window in the opposite walls. Tears drained down my cheeks,  ran in tickling lines down my throat and soaked into the gray material of the blouse I wore. I did not care, not even when I knew they would ruin the mascara and turn my face hideous, I simply did not care anymore.