Wednesday 26 March 2014

The Other Side Of The Coin

“Heads, we get married; tails,we break up”- she muttered to herself as she resorted to the silvery round object to take the decision for her. She waited a moment, had a look on the dripping blood through the tube, smiled feebly and flipped the coin up in the air.

 

Sunlight pierced her eyes while she tried to open it softly. A hazy table with two glucose bottles and few medicines on it; as she immediately turned her head towards her right.. Rimli closed her eyes again and felt better. She is too weak to keep her eyes open. Faintly she could understand her mother’s voice talking to somebody unknown. "Oh God!! Is Ma crying? What are they talking about? How long I was senseless? When I came to hospital? Which Hospital is it?” All the questions which flocked together in her mind stampeded as her mother’s whimpering -sound came closer and that unknown heavy male voice said- “Control yourself Mrs. Mitra. Rimli would begetting back her senses anytime and trust me it’s very very early stage of ‘Leukaemia’and look at her age; she is young. I bet she can fight off.”…… Mother’s tears-unruly!!

 

“Leukaemia?? Did he really pronounce ‘Leukaemia’or do we have nightmares even when we are senseless??” - As if she at this moment is having no other crunch than this word- ‘Leukaemia’ which suddenly smacked her whole world into obsolete morsels. “Have I really got my senses back?”- Rimli tried to open her eyes again to get the proof. Mother standing in front of her. “Hey how r you feeling now?”- Mrs. Mitra managed to utter.“Absolutely fine, Maa!”- Rimli with a grin. Mother smiled back and a long mother-daughter conversation followed. “The visiting hour is over; I have to go now dear. Will meet in the afternoon. Want me to get anything for you?”-Mrs.Mitra pulled her purse and hurried towards the corridor. “Just my phone, some books and my purse, Maa”- Rimli tried to wave her hand steadily to her mother.

 

Tunir- a guy whom Rimli knows since she was 20. They were college besties- an extension of each other by now. It’s been 9 long years to this symbiotic relationship and when they pull in to the fact that loving and knowing each other couldn’t be more, the decision of ‘tying knot’ was axiomatic. It’s just one month left to ‘The Day’.  It’s just one month left for them to get married and it’s one whole day of combat which Rimli faced with herself in this one day in hospital-“ to get married or not to?” Life seems so futile without Tunir. How would she manage without “the name” which has blended thoroughly with each drop of her blood? Instantly she votes for the marriage and almost immediately in the next moment her perplexed eyes chance upon the channel on her hand through which she is receiving blood into her body. She realized she is left with no alternative when that each drop of her ‘baneful’ blood would abjure ‘the name’ from her life slowly and she changes her mind saying to herself-“I can’t do this to him. I can’t finish his life by marrying him.”And the battle continues between No-i-can’t-live-without-him and No-i-can’t-leave-him-alone-and-go.

 

“Thank you, Maa. It seems ages I have not used my cell phone.” She promptly checked the missed call list.7 new missed calls but none from Tunir. “Huh, busy man” she sighed. It’s been a week she is not hearing from Tunir .He’s busy with his new project. “Ok bye Maa, see you soon tomorrow.”Both waved hand to each other and Rimli lied down, again bewildered. Astraddle, she decided to toss.

 

It’s head. All the three times. Anxious and baffled face is all blush-and-smile now.Relieved, Rimli leaned over the pillow on the tilted bed and complacently checked her mobile phone. An e-mail on gtalk caught her eyes. She runs through.“Hii, what’s up Rim?? Sorry, was tied up in work last few weeks. Fever ok now?? Rim, it’s been a month I wanted to tell you something and you know more that it’s no-go to keep back from you. I know you will be feeling horrible of me but then as you know I have none to bank upon but you and I knew no better way to convey than to mail you...Rim, I think I have fallen for Esha.... I know it’s obtuse just a month before marriage but ...” 

 

Remaining text- blurred..!! 

 

 She is sitting inert, immobile- coiled up in one corner of the bed putting her head on her knees. The white-face gazing vacantly on “Ashok Stambh” of the coin as if there is no end to it.

 

But “Head” it was....!!

Photo Courtsey: Author

 


3 comments:

  1. erom ekta lekha pele ekhan theke inspired hoe amio golpo nijer blog e likhte aromvo kortam....

    ReplyDelete
  2. I am speechless,A stupendable pen sketch from a very simple girl with all extraordinary talent. Excellent is a very little word in front of this pen paint.
    Chaliye ja puchku...

    ReplyDelete