After a thousand of discussion with Neal, finally I
was there to meet his Dad,Mr.Rajiv. And after reading the book, i so want to
meet the writer. Of course I aspired to be one.
In Darjeeling ,
it’s a remarkable attraction, and beauty
retains when you maintain.
I have been driving almost 5 kms of
striking isolated area, when I finally
came to Neal’s place.
Neal came to
receive me along with his elder sister. Mr.Rajiv was sitting in the sofa near
to the fire place. Mr.Rajiv was old and
weak, he moved in his wheelchair with the help of a full time servant. Neal
says his memory fades..
I saw Neal’s Mom
. She was very pretty , her pony tail long enough to touch the ground. When I
saw Rajiv his eyes , they reflected the same gleam I see in her’s. They must be
totally in love.
As I entered
Rajiv tried to greet me trying a bit to stand but he couldn’t. I was
embarrassed, I greeted him back with a “ Hello Sir”
“Call me Rajiv,
so does Neal and his sister. I feel young.
“ he said as he laughed.
“ The answer you
seek. May be it lies with me.I will review your book” he added
I was not sure
if I am going to tell him everything , I always thought it is intimidating. I
could not start , wouldn’t it break his heart to re-visit the past?
“ Don’t worry, I
would always like to go into the past as it my daily dose for happiness. To be
there.”
Seeing him weak
, I wanted to ask him about his health. This man who coached everyone at school
of sportsmanship , is now old and gentle.
“Jasmin , you
don’t have to say anything” Neal said.
“Yes,I know your
curiosity and also everything is so much practical and faster moving in your
generation.And I am proud to say Neal and his sister are good at completing
other’s feeling“he said and looked at Neal’Mom,unbelievable resemblances in their smiles. It pleased me how much he has
put in for his children.
I never fell in
love until I was 23 , when I was sure, found the right person as I thought to
break my silence and may be a bit of me broke too..
Rajiv said “ The
worth of love and unconditional love, I
understood now,on a wheel chair”
I met her when I
was 23, the same town you guys went to school. she fell in love with me. She
said her feeling , I said her I want to be a writer. And so shall she dreamt with me, the year when we were 23 , I never let her go. We were always together
like two beans in a pod. Like we say everyone has the initial phase of knowing
each other, it never passed for us. Until , I decided to leave for my responsibility back home in Calcatta,
my mother was sick.
She was so
supportive and never asked me about the future. While I left she said “ Rajiv dear, be the writer you want
to be”. Like you guys we didn’t have any means of contact, postcards were never
the option as it always reached the girlfriend’s father. As the train was
leaving I saw the tree just outside the station , as the tree faded,when I
realised all my memories with her going to fade too. I never wanted to miss the
sunset, hugs, talks,fights ,her smile. I thought I will get down at the next
stop, and every station I thought so until I reached Calcatta,I never got the
guts.
There he was in
an isolated place where their love blossomed. I already knew the rest of the story . It
was in the book.
“Jasmin , as you
think love is the same. It is a dream, if you want it to be practical ,then its
not love.
I was speechless
when he asked me “ any part of the book I have ever experienced”
I knew no one
who sees my dreams .What is there to hang in when its no worth. Rajiv’s love story was
put into so many tests. She never left his side. I can’t imagine anyone will do
for their love that way.
After our lunch,
I was sitting on the sofa while everyone was taking a nap. I stared at Neal’s
mom Photograph. Her long hairs, her love filled eyes. She must have been 30s
when she died. Why did Rajiv never moved on? . it looked she will come back to
life how thankful she to him for keeping
her love immortal in his heart and raising their kids all alone .No, I think if she would come out of the photograph she
will fight with him for not forgetting
her , for living in a very isolated place alone(so what if it was their dream
place to grow old with eachother )and for not marrying someone else. But when he will say“he was
happy remembering her everyday, writing her” she would calm down and hug him
back.
I thank Neal for
introducing me to the book and its author Mr. Rajiv.
