Nun and Her Love Chapter 6

It’s sunny outside. Playing her favourite music, Euthra tries to close her eyes and sleep but she cannot. She was awoken last whole night. She watched her favourite Korean drama, but she could not watch. Then she tried browsing net, but she felt restless. She could not call Tshegyel nor she received call from her. Yesterday was the only day in her life, where she felt so lost. Just lost. Firstly, getting her wedding cancelled and secondly, Shaycham’s words about the old woman being her mother. She didn’t believe her yesterday and even now she does not believe her but those words give her no peace

Shaycham pushes her door and walks in. Leaning on the edge of her bed, she says, “Ashim, come and eat breakfast.”

Looking at her, she replies, “No appetite.”

“Come on, Ashim! You didn’t even eat lunch and dinner yesterday,” says Shaycham, pulling her hand.

“Please, leave me alone,” says Euthra, taking back her hand angrily.

“I understand that you don’t believe my words but ask parents once because they are coming today,” says Shaycham, standing up sadly.

“What?”

Euthra shouts and jumps off the bed.

“Yeah!”

Taking her towel off the hook, she rushes to the toilet. Looking at the mirror, she says, “Why are my eyes red?”

Brushing her teeth as fast as she can, she gets out of the bathroom after splashing her face with cold water directly from the tap. She always washes her face with warm water. But today, she broke that rule. Changing her night dress, opening the cupboard she takes out some new clothes. Without even looking at the mirror, getting dressed up in blue jeans, she walks out of the house grabbing the car key.

As she walks out, she dials Tshegyel’s number. Keeping her phone to ear, she nears the car. He is not responding the call. She dials again, catching the steering wheel. Then she sees her leg with bathroom slippers. Ignoring that, starting the engine, she waits.

Finally, Tshegyel answers.

“Tshegyel, please can you wait outside your house? It’s urgent.”

Euthra speaks into the phone and hangs up. She has no idea, if he will wait or not. She speeds down, thinking about the old woman. What if she is really her mother? Was she adopted?

Though not expected, Tshegyel waits in front of his building in sweat pants and wearing a slipper. Braking the car slowly, she lowers down the window when Tshegyel looks at the broken headlights.

“Can you get inside?”

Looking up at her, he asks with a puzzled look, “What?”

“Get inside.”

She insists. Then catching the door, he climbs up and sits in the front seat. As he closes the door, she releases the hand brake and speeds up, when Tshegyel sits back looking stunned. Speeding through the town, overtaking other cars by honking, she crosses the gate, thanking the commuters for visiting Thimphu city. Then, Tshegyel asks, “Euthra, can you say something?”

She ignores him and keeps speeding.

“Euthra?”

She does not reply.

“If this is all about yesterday. On behalf of my father, I would like to apologize. He was upset, so told you unpleasant things. Can you stop the car and talk about it?” says Tshegyel, his body moving side to side, as Euthra drives down the Thimphu-Phunstholing, highway, with the speedometer reading, 70km/hr.

“Just enjoy the ride. Lets’ talk about those things when we reach Paro,” says Euhtra, as the Chuzom bridge comes into their sight.

“What?”

After half an hour of driving, Euthra goes directly to one of the restaurants in Paro town, where her parents are taking rest after the plane’s landing. Getting out of the car, without saying a word to Tshegye; she rushes into the restaurant pushing the door forcefully, alerting the receptionist gossiping at the desk.

Sitting the sofa at the corner, her father is looking down on the phone. Next to him is her mother looking exhausted. There is no sign of the old woman. Maybe she has been kept in the restroom. Running as fast as she can, she stops in front of them, her slippers dashing hard on the floor. Catching a glimpse of her, her father stands up immediately. Opening her arms wide, she jumps on to his chest.

“Missed you, Apa.”

He says no words. Getting away from him, she asks, “Where is Angay?”

“Oh, she is still in Delhi, undergoing treatment,” says her father, looking at her feet, “slippers?”

“Haha.”

Going next to her mother, she hugs her but her mother stays silently without even looking at her.

“Ama, Shaycham mentioned something about Angay being my mother, just curious,” says Euthra, fixing her eyes deep into her mother.

But her mother does not respond, keeping her head down.

“Ama?”

Lifting her head up, her mother looks at her; eyes brimming with tears, “It’s true.”

“We adopted you,” says her father, catching her hand gently, when a monk walks in front of them and says, “Lama says she can be cremated only after seven days.”

Story by: Phurpa Dorji (PJIKKS)

Chapter 7 Tomorrow @9PM