Nun and Her Love, Chapter 3

Going to the kitchen, Shaycham picks up the tray lying next to the utensil rack. Zam looks at her, standing at the gas stove, “Is Ashim up?”

Holding the tray carefully in her hand, Shaycham replies, “Nope. I am going to wake her up.”

Saying these, she gets out of the kitchen when Zam says, “Water is ready. Ask her to help Angay to bathe.”

“Okay.”

Walking across the sitting room, she goes to her room. It’s 10 AM and parents will be back very soon. Pushing the door slowly, she walks carefully towards the bed and keeps the tray on the table. Drawing the curtain wide open, brightening the room. It’s foggy outside.

Then she pulls the blanket away from Euthra and shakes her shoulder, “Ashim, wake up! Acho Tshegyel is calling you.”

Euthra stays motionless as if she is deaf but Shaycham keeps shaking her, “Ashim, wake up!”

Opening her eyes, a little, Euhtra pulls up the blanket and covers her head when Shaycham says, “Here is your lemonade. Medicine to your hangover.”

She shows the cup on the tray. Ignoring her words, Euthra closes her eyes. Then she opens her eyes, when Shaycham says, “Acho Tshegyel called me. He asked me to inform you that he will be here by 11AM.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. Your battery is dead, so he called me. Get up and take bath. Water is ready.”

Euthra ignores her words and closes her eyes again when Shaycham says, “He was talking about visiting his village at Paro.”

On hearing these, she forces her head up and taking the cup, takes a sip. After a few sips, she gets off the bed and picking up her phone from under the pillow, she walks outside towards her room, with headache lingering in her head. Pushing the door, she walks inside. Surprisingly, her room is all wet. Her bed is also drenched. But Angay’s bed is dry and she is still sleeping, face turned away. It looks like it rained last night as she forgot to close the window which she opened to let the smell out. Closing the window, she charges the phone. Picking up the towel, she walks out taking a glimpse of sleeping Angay. She heads directly to the bathroom. Taking off her clothes, she gets into the bathtub filled with hot water. Sinking her body under the water, she closes her as the water warms her body up.

Getting things ready for lunch, Zam walks to the sitting room where Shaycham sits on the sofa playing with IPad. Going near to her, she asks, “Is Ashim up?”

“Yes. She is taking bath.”

“What?”

Zam asks, surprised by these words.

“She is in the bathroom,” says Shaycham, confused by Zam’s reaction.

“That water is for Angay not her.”

She rushes towards the bathroom and knocks shouting, “Ashim?”

But she gets no response. Going back to the sitting room, she looks at Shaycham, “Now your father will scold me.”

“Don’t worry.”

After waiting for half an hour, finally Euthra gets out of the bathroom, looking fresh. Going to her, Zam says, “Actually, water was for Angay. This morning, before leaving, your Apa asked me to tell you to bathe Angay.”

Looking horrified by these words, Euthra says, “Why should I bathe that oldie? But she stinks, ask her to take bath.”
Saying these words, she walks towards her room while Zam stands looking confused. She will get scolding now. So, she decides to bathe Angay. She walks down the corridor and walks into Euthra’s room, while Euthra stands in front of the mirror drying her hair.

Going near to the bed, Zam speaks softly, “Angay, wake up!”

But Angay does not move. Taking her hands softly under the woman’s head, she turns her face towards her. Then she holds her hand and says, “Angay, can you hear me?”

“She is blind. Shout at her, then only she can hear,” says Shaycham, standing at the door, making a sympathetic face.

Looking back at Shaycham, Euthra asks, “How did you know?”

“This morning, I heard parents quarrelling about her. And yeah, father was very angry about keeping the window opened last night,” says Shaycham, looking at Euthra.

Taking out phone from the charging, Euthra connects her phone to music player through USB cables and plays a song loudly. Then she keeps the player nearby Angay. Surprisingly, the woman moves her head a little. Thinking that she has woken up, Euthra lowers the music and looks at Zam.

“Now, talk to her. She is awake.”

Holding her hands, Zam speaks softly, “Angay?”

She gets no answers. Then, Euthra shouts, “Angay, get up!”

But Angay says no words. Then, Euthra looks at Zam, “Before I become sick of her smell, let’s take her to the guest room. Forget about taking bath.”

Zam nods, as a maid she has to obey every word of the family member. She holds Angay up and leans her on her back and stands up. Angay is lighter than she thought. Keeping her in the guest room on a bed next to her bed, she comes back to Euthra’s room and takes out the bed. As Zam leaves the door, Euthra opens the window again and let the smell out.

Looking gently at the woman, holding her frail hand, Zam asks softly, “Angay, can you hear me?”

To her surprise, tears start to comes out from the old woman’s closed eyes. Not knowing what to do, she stands up and rushes out. Crossing the sitting room, she rushes towards Euthra’s room, when the doorbell rings. Then she stops and goes to the door.

As she opens the door, Euthra’s father, popularly known as ‘Dasho Nidup’ walks in asking her, “Did Euthra wash Angay?”

Zam stands still not replying, while Euthra’s mother follows him without saying a word. Angered by her silence, Dasho heads towards Euthra’s room when Zam stops him.

“Dasho, Angay is in the guest room.”

Story by: Phurpa Dorji (PJIKKS)

Chapter 4 Tomorrow @9PM