Rama Moondra

“How can we get married if you have gone blonde!!? Mad girl..Idiot..” Abhi’s irritated voice worked as an alarm .I looked at the watch.  “Jesus! Its 4.30 am Abhi. What’s wrong with you?” I must have been too loud. Neha woke up as I could see the light from next bedroom.

“How can we get married? You owe me a reply right now. What’s your justification?” His voice still was on high note. “Me lord…first a small clarification. You are not getting married to me. So I being bald also do not matter. I have to do kanyadaan.Why are you committing hara-kiri now?” I was so confused and by the way how he knows, I asked. “Aniket called me.”.Abhi got a bit sheepish now. First available opportunity, I am going to bang Anik’s head on the wall. I expressed my desire and the doorbell rang. Neha went to answer the door and I was shocked to see Aniket in my room.

“Damn! My law of attraction is going to prove fatal for you now! You are gone. I am going to kill you.”  I threw the pillow at him. He did not look at me. Neha is too good with emergencies. She put a cover on my head. Anik smiled at me and I remember, he is not going to see me in this color. I sighed.

Neha got tea for everyone. Its five a.m. and the world around me is bubbling already.Jesus Christ!!!!

Why can’t I color my hair if Abhishek is getting married? “You cannot wear Ghaghara- odhna and Boriya (Traditional head ornament worn in Marwari’s) on blonde hair. Abhi, Neha and Anik are on full time convincing spree.

“The girl he is marrying is a blonde too at least intellectually and she too is firang so?” The best shot was Rishi’s who just joined in with his weird breakfast of taco chips with chocolate ice-cream. “It just does not go with Udaipur city’s theme. You gotta look Indian there.”

I am now on a full time job of trying to change city of wedding. Udaipur may not take my blonde look with traditional attire so Goa in gown? I have to give way to altar or do kanyaadaan…it all is same.

So, let us see who wins? Friends or my stand!

I just finished pouring chocolate syrup on my rasgullas..Rishi was looking fondly at the plate. This has been our ritual from twenty years. Whenever we meet, whether its India or U.S. place does not matter..the rasgulla-choco combo has to be done religiously.

“ Whaaaat have you done???” Neha shouted and she looked so shocked.

“What? You have been married to this idiot for fourteen years. Seen us eating this way always. Now what?” I gave her confused look.

“Not that you idiot. Your hair???  Mad ?”

I smiled. I have almost sent all my clients in shock by now. Getting back to curls from straight was normal hair cut. Curls are my regular hairdo and Cheryl and Shruti almost went on strike asking me to get them back.

They were happier than my hair styler, I am sure. But Neha’s shock was not cut and curls.

I have gone Blonde. Somehow no one ever expected me to carry a look like this given to the profession I have.

“Listen lady..the kind of stupid mistakes I do in my life, this is exact colour I deserve. So for once, I got a colour matching my I.Q. and the kind of hectic routine I have, this is only colour left in my life.”

The sense of humour did not work. Leaving Neha fumbled when I started back my journey, I had a chain of thoughts.

Why do we need to bind so many images to ourselves? Experimenting with looks or drastic change at times only signifies the comfort the person has with self. Is it so important to look perfect all the time?

“

“You did not wash yourself? You can ask someone to replace you.” Dr had come out of ICCU and I realized, I sat in completely blood soaked clothes. “I don’t know anyone personally in this city. I am ok, just need headache medicine and glucose water.” I suddenly felt helpless and drained out.

I had not eaten almost anything in dinner and skipped lunch too. The speed of intensity was grabbing my physical senses now.

“We have given blood transfusion. Remaining tests will tell his status but how long he is in India?” Doctor asked empathetically.

“Can he fly as soon as you let him go? It’s a strange city for both of us. I don’t know anyone here and I want to leave with him as soon as possible.” I was almost a nervous wreck.

Doctor let me see him now. Holding his hand tight I sat next to him. “Look at you silly woman! My stylish princess looks dabber.” He still was trying to smile. I noticed, he did not call me Marble this time.

“Princess, you still don’t know why I spiked your pasta…I wanted you to loose because then I could save you and become friends. I got infected with your positive energy. I am happy to be alive to tell you this. I treasure you. I rehearsed those days, how would I ask you to be my friend. So now it’s Showtime.”

He tried getting up, extending his other hand, “Dosti karogi?” I nodded, smiling on his Hindi. It indeed was rehearsed.

“Hey, we gotta go and see lakes of the city of lakes.” I wanted to lighten these moments.

“I have seen deepest lakes overflowing in Udaipur. Marble is now princess. Only princess!” He touched my eyes, wiping them and first time I sensed, I had tears rolling down ever since I held his hand.

“I hate goodbyes so I am sure to see you again.” I hugged him at the airport. We waved and smiled.

My call to my friends in Atlanta lasted five hours that night. They all are now going to be with Steve to make him laugh, support and fill life in his remaining years. He is now going to share home with my dear friend, Dr.Rajan and it has filled me with calmness once again.

Back in my home now, I am on my knees in front of almighty to say thanks for never failing me and to grant him a few more years. God owes it to him. After all, life has just begun for Steve. Now I know more than ever, it’s so important to hold on to relationships.

To a very special person for the realization that slight hint of my pain can moisten his eyes.

Ashish, this series is for you.

My favorite cuisine was now cold and untouched on my plate. Steve was trying to eat daal baati with hands while talking but I could not eat a single bite despite my staple order at Lake Palace.

“I owe you a sorry, not you.” I tried breathing normal despite almost choked.

“Marble, I spiked your pasta a little  but two things that I did not know about you. You are claustrophobic and still a diver was shock as well your knee was more damaged than I knew. You got a cramp and could not swim and rest was panic of claustrophobia of dark water and inability to swim. I dropped your weights and let you go up. By the time I came up, Nick was already treating you and rest is history. I am guilty of spiking and that itself was a crime.Our old fights  and my history became your support ” (Scuba divers wear stone belt to keep their weight down in water. In emergencies, that’s the first thing to be dropped in water for going up.)

With guilt filling my heart, we came back to our hotel. We sat in hotel lawn to talk, to know about each other’s lives. I went to order coffee and came back to see Steve rolled on grass and cramped. My heart missed a beat.

I tried holding him and froze. He was bleeding through nose. Running back to reception, I shouted loudly for a car to take him to hospital. Hospital was not very close either. Holding him tight, I kept on saying,” You will be fine.”

“Time to go Marble…” He said faintly. “Not in this strange city, not here.” I thought. “You will go back and be in your place. We still have to see lakes of Udaipur…right Steve?”

My white capris were red by now…Steve was bleeding heavy. We reached hospital and thanks to my old connections there, aid was ready.

Doctor gave me a faint look. I did not have any medical papers or clue about his status. He was taken to ICCU.

Broken and choked, I sat down in my biggest prayer second time in life. First time, it was my father under knife after heart attack and critical, god had answered me.

“If I have never done any wrong to anyone knowingly, if I have never hurt anyone purposely than I will take him alive from hospital. God, you cannot leave me reeling all my life.”

Last post on this is tomorrow.

“Now tell me, why did you hate me so much?” I sipped the champagne Steve had ordered as he said it was an occasion to celebrate.

He narrated his story and it’s for you to read as it is. Steve was born in a slum area to an unwed mother. She abandoned him soon after birth and he grew up in church doing small jobs and studying. He left to find his way in life at raw age of sixteen and got in to drug trafficking and addiction. Rehabilitation helped him growing out of his habits and he took up studies again with soccer.

Life was difficult with no good friends or any positivity around. Changing gangs and learning different tricks of crime, Steve bumped into a girl who loved him despite all odds. Insecure and scared of loosing Steve became over-possessive and she left. He broke down and became more aggressive than ever before.

That was the time we met. “I saw you and also felt that everyone liked you. You did well everywhere. Someone who came as a winner and I wanted you to loose. Just human jealous.”

“If it was your way, I would have been dead.” I said despite empathizing with his life.

My one of the most embarrassing, shocking revelation awaited me now.

“Who was your fellow diver that day? (Scuba divers are always in pair, No one dives alone.). George, your regular partner was unwell. So who did you go with?”

I tried remembering from dusty and dark archives of memory lane. Someone came from behind, signaled and we jumped. I came out in fifteen minutes gasping for breath.

“Marble, you would have been alive. I was your fellow diver. I spiked your pasta just because I wanted you to loose. Not to cause you any harm. Thats why I dived with you.I could have stopped your air supply if I meant to kill a breathless diver.You were almost unconscious already.”

Zapped and shocked, I asked,” Why did you not say that? Why did you leave on charge of murder? Your diving career got ruined. You should have clarified at least.”

“Because that time I realized, everyone was caring for you. Everyone was attracted to you. No one was ready to listen to me.. You were the heroine and me,villain.Why do you take so much injustice from world, Marble? Why are you so accommodating?You could have ruined my life but you did not even complain No one but you would have come and met me despite believing that I tried killing you. .I hated myself and hated you as well. I had to go.”

To be continued…

“But why Udaipur??” I was almost in awe listening to Steve’s voice. He has finally arrived in India. His suggestion was to meet in Udaipur.

The city of lakes is personal favorite though I tried to convince him for Mumbai. Last three trips in three weeks had been for wedding arrangements of two close friends in Udaipur so I was kind of done with it for a while.

“ Oh no..It has to be Udaipur..I want to dine in Lake Palace and see a bit of Rajasthan.” He still sounds as adamant as college times.

So, with a thumping heart, I packed my overnighter and four hours drive, my memories were so much of company than disturbance.

Steve met me first time in Atlanta. For some strange reason, we did not get along even for a day. I had great pals, he was lonely, my laughter would be heard on first floor if I was on ground floor and his smile was hardly visible. We fought like anything for projects of training and somehow used to beat each other. Some friends had started keeping scores of “one-up this time” kind.

Please read “Trail of the dead” to know our incident of final nail in coffin.

Steve…I was preparing myself to see the blonde ponytailed guy I met first time and envied his long, thick hair braided in neat plaited pony..Tall, well built, good-looking Steve was soccer player and amazingly fit.

I asked the hotel staff to get my luggage and look around in the lobby. No one resembled him.

“Marble Princess…Gosh! You still look the same!! age stopped ticking or what?” A bald guy, thin and heavy dark circle around eyes..This was not Steve. I gave a blank look. He smiled and the golden tooth flashed. Steve is not even a shadow of what he was. His tooth had a gold nail and I almost had thought of getting a diamond nail on my tooth.

(Sri and Radhika convinced me that my smile has more shine than diamonds and thankfully the idea got dropped.)

We left for dinner and got talking about why he was so angry with me..

(To be continued.. With this post, I am starting a heart wrenching journey of a person and you, my dear reader, have to be with me for next three days.)