"Please take care of my only daughter" - said the moribund woman lying on a charpai. Death quickly embraced her a moment later and she was one of those spirits.
This all came as a sudden blow to me. I looked to my side. The little girl was still holding my hand tightly and watching her ailing mother die and vanish into the vacuum. She quickly clenched her fists and huddled close to me. She must have been around 8 to 10 years old. She was scared.
I decided to take the girl home. I too was just 15 years of age. After my parents, Colonel James Kirpatrick died in a road accident, I was left all alone in the big oak manor situated on top of a hill in Binsar. I used to live there with my caretaker - William Shockley.
As Jhumli entered our lives, my loneliness went down the drains and we became very good friends. We used to play basketball in the evening and then go for long walks. We used to chase ghurals, deer and monkeys.
As time passed by, Jhumli grew into a young beautiful girl. I always used to tease her talking about her marriage and she used to blush like anything.
y exams were approaching near. It was a stormy evening. When I opened the window of my room, I saw her. That was the first time i witnessed her true beauty. As the wind carassed her face, her loose hair were flying like smooth strands of silk. Her pink trembling lips moved in a rhythm and her dark skin became effulgent with the sunrays. Her hazel eyes expressed her happiness as she moved on the farther end of the verandah singing her favourite tune. That was the first time I started loving her secretly. her beauty had bowled me over.
Suddenly our eyes met and she came running to me, took my book, threw it on the table and pulled me in the verandah. I couldn't stop staring at her. She seemed to envelop the beauty of nature. Her laughter was euphonous and I was completely lost. That night I dreamt of her. She was pristine and prestigious to me.
The next morning I woke up early and went out to take a long stroll amidst my pine friends. I thought a lot and finally made up my mind to express her my feelings.
When I returned back; Jhumli was standing with Altaf, our cook Mustafa's son. Before I could understand the scenario, she came closer to me and expressed her desire to marry Altaf. It came as a sudden juggernaut to me. My words froze in my mouth as a myriad of emotions hit me. I was both happy and broken at the same time. Her innocent smile and puppy eyes made me realise that we both were miles apart. I wished her luck and quickly settled in the darkness of my room.
As the candle flickered, the silhouette of our friendship took various forms. My existence was more of a protective nature as promised to her ailing mother. i wiped my tears and slept an unpeaceful sleep that night.
The next day, I married her off to Altaf. Before leavign for her in-law's place, she cried aloud, hugged me tight and the n quickly ran away to the tonga. This all left me rooted to the very place for the next few years.
As I write today, four years have passed after that incident but her aroma still lingers around me and i still love her.
Today morning Altaf came to inform me about Jhumli's death. She died of cancer.
"As you go miles apart from me, I sit back looking at the night sky and searching for you. I remember our long walks. I try to search for you frantically amongst the stars and cry silently. Come back soon dear Jhumli. I'll wait for you in the verandah. I'll wait for you to join me in one of those long walks. I'll wait for you to make me smile like four year back.
Yours ever
- Richard Kirpatrick.
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