A Journey to Kanpur

After an hour of the auto ride, I reached Lakhanpur telecom colony, it was still dark. The auto guy dropped me at the colony gate, after 5 minutes of walking, as dictated by Nazia on the live call, I was standing outside the gate of her dimly lit apartment, all other apartments were dark.

I knocked on the door. Didn’t hear a sound for the next few moments. Took out the phone from my pocket to call Nazia, and her phone rang. But the sound of the ring was not from the inside of the apartment, it was ringing on the apartment staircase, just behind me. As soon as I turned back, the door of the apartment opened and someone whispered- ‘Hello  Arjun, why are you staring at the stairs, am here’.

Surprised, I turned back towards the door again.

The most beautiful girl alive in the world, Nazia Khan was standing at the gate, dressed in a green suit and a black and orange polka dot dupatta, and a hijab. I was seeing her after 3 long years of my life, overflowing with emotions of love and anxiety. I stepped inside the flat and could feel the fresh aroma emanating from Nazia’s body, wanted to hug her but didn’t.

Her face too brightened after seeing me, inner happiness had increased the glow of her cheeks. Truckloads of strawberries squeezed into one jar would not be able to compete with her smiling red lips.

.I couldn’t find any furniture or other amenities except a  chair on which she asked me to sit after handing over a winter shawl. It was a chilling December morning. After a brief lovely chat with emotions oozing out of both, she went to the other room for morning Namaz. She returned with a cup of tea in her hand.

But then, she was looking very reserved, silent this time. I asked her whether it was my presence which made her uncomfortable. She simply nodded negatively and asked what would I have for breakfast. I said anything which was easy for her, she replied ‘cornflakes’.

After having my breakfast, she took me to her bedroom, which was almost empty except for a ground bed, a blanket, and a huge wooden cupboard.

She asked me to rest on the bed. She too sat on the bed on the other side and slid her legs inside the blanket and told me to cover myself too. I was hesitant in sharing a blanket with her, had never been with her all alone, inside a room. Judging my hesitation, Nazia said that there was another blanket too, but it was in the cupboard and I could have it if I wanted. I told her that the shawl and her presence were enough to keep me warm. She lay on the bed with her back leaning against the wall, I started turning the pages of her books.

Nazia-‘ Why are you turning the pages? It’s medical science, as alien to you as your engineering books to me.

I smiled in agreement.

I did not realize how fast the most beautiful day of my life was passing talking to her, and the clock struck 2 PM.

Nazia hurriedly got up from the bed and said-

‘I forgot that I have given an appointment to some patients, I need to visit the college.’

I– ‘Can’t you postpone it to tomorrow? I just don’t want to miss these moments, I have to return by evening, I have my practicals tomorrow, and you know how big a risk I took, just for you Nazia’.

Thoughtful for a few moments, Nazia replied-

‘Arjun I understand your every word, but you did not confirm your visit till late evening yesterday and so I gave the appointments, and some of these patients travel from distant villages, so it will be very unfair to not attend them.

But you don’t need to worry, I will try to be back within an hour. Even am eager to spend time together, maybe more than you are.

Nazia dressed in seconds and left the apartment, but not before locking the door from outside. The reason she gave was that neighbors might knock on the door and become suspicious if I don’t open it, and it would be nothing less than Qayamat in case I opened the door and someone saw a stranger at her flat. I agreed with her.

As soon as she left, I thought of having some sound sleep as the nightlong journey was tiring. Woke up at 6 pm, and Nazia had not yet arrived. I tried to reach her on her cellphone, but the number was not reachable.

I spent some time going through her old slam books, albums, cupboard, and drawers. Everything in the house was covered with a dense layer of dust and smelled of wood.

I had not noticed the huge spider webs, probably enchanted by Nazia when she was in the house. The house looked uncleaned for more than months. At the back of my mind, the phone ring sound from the staircase in the dawn when I had knocked on the door was bewildering me. How did the sound come from the staircase when Nazia was inside the apartment?

Thinking about all that, I went to the bathroom and opened the tap to wash my face, but surprisingly, there was no water in the tap. On putting some pressure on the valve, a few muddy drops fell, as if no one had used it for ages and dirt had accumulated.

But how was it possible? Nazia went to take bath in the morning, and her wet hair locks were still fresh in front of my eyes, how could it be possible if there was no water in the bathroom?

I went to the drawing room and removed the huge wall curtains to get a glimpse of the outside. A layer of dust had settled on the window panes, and it was completely dark, the only view I could get was a mirror image of mine on those glass panes.