Making a turn from the main road towards
Euthra’s bungalow, Tshegyel parks the car in the space nearby the garage.
Stopping the engine, he looks around and he does not find the car of Euthra’s
father but a new car is being parked in the garage. He sees no person around
the house. The surrounding looks serene. It’s dusk now. He looks at the mirror.
He is not sure what to do in this kind of situation. His marriage got cancelled
and this morning, Euthra left saying, “Your family deserves better than me.”
Both parents just said, “Let’s give her time.”
He has no idea how to console her. Today,
he spent whole day, looking for ideas to help Euthra. Unfortunately, no idea
strikes her. Having thought for a day, finally he decided to talk with Euthra
once. He just wants to be with her. Just be with her. He has no idea, how she
will react.
Taking his legs out on to the ground, he
pushes back the door slowly. Locking the car, he starts to walk along the tiled
footpath connecting to the entrance. It’s getting darker and darker. Standing
in front of the door, bending his head down; taking a long breath, lifting his
head up, he knocks. He waits. Opening the door, Zam welcomes him inside with a
smile. He has no idea, if she knows the situation this family is currently in.
Looking at her warm smile, Tshegyel asks,
“Is Euthra inside?”
“Yes, she is.”
As she stands holding the door knob, he
walks past her into the sitting room. As expected, Shaycham is on the couch,
with her eyes on her IPad. Television is switched off. He has not sure if their
parents are at home or not. Going near to the sofa, he seeks Shaycham’s
attention, by calling her, “Hi?”
Startled by my calling, keeping her IPad
down beside her, she turns back.
“Oh, Acho!”
Smiling at her, Tshegyel, speaks softly,
“Parents?”
“Nope, they left to Sikkim,” says Shaycham,
with a calm face.
Thanking her, he heads towards Euthra’s
room, along the corridor brightened by the fluorescent bulbs. Luckily, the door
is kept open. Pushing the door gently, he takes a glimpse of the room. He finds
Euthra lying on the bed, her back leaning up against the wall. She has not
noticed him opening the door so he knocks. Taking her eyes off her phone, she
looks at him. On seeing him, she smiles.
“Please, come in.”
He walks towards her bed slowly, thinking
about how to start the conversation. Sitting down on the edge of her bed, he
looks at her. She stays silently, her body covered with blanket and phone on
her hand. She looks weak. Having observed her silence for a while, finally, he
says, “I am so sorry. I just want to be with you.”
Looking at him, she says, “Don’t be. I am
not.”
“Had lunch?”
He knows that this is a silly question but
he has to start talking. She needs rest but he wants to keep her busy.
“Nope.”
Then, what next? Should he take her out for
dinner? He has no idea what to say next. As he looks around the room, finally,
the calendar hanging down beside her bed catches his attention. Then he says,
“It’s Saturday.”
“Oh, I forgot. Let’s go party, shall we?”
Euthra says her face glowing with
excitement. Pushing away the blanket, she gets up and jumps off the floor.
Looking at the mirror, she says, “I need to change, can you wait for me?”
Terrified by her expression and words, he
walks out of the room saying, “Okay.”
Going to the sitting room, he stands
observing the room. Shaycham is not on the sofa. He hears water splattering
from the kitchen, so he assumes that Zam is in there. Walking towards the
window, he stands looking outside through the window. It’s dark now. The
Thimphu City below glitters, blinkering with street lights and home lighting.
Then, Shaycham walks out of the bathroom. On seeing me, she smiles, “How is my
sister? She does not talk with us.”
“She is fine.”
“Oh!”
Getting closer to him, looking through the
window, Shaycham says, “Life is unpredictable. I never knew that Euthra was
adopted but people always questioned me because we are different. Look at me, I
am brown and she is snow white. She is talented and brainy but I am lazy and
stupid. Thus, people insulted me. They made comparisons. Even Euthra calls me
Nalay.”
As she ends her words, Tshegyel stands
silently when Euhtra walks into the room, dressed in torn jeans, looking
stunning. Observing her for a while, Shaycham shouts, “What is this?”
“I am going to party,” says Euthra, walking
towards the table.
Looking very angry, Shaycham goes near to
Euthra, shouting, “Are you insane? People mourn when someone is dead. It’s not
time for you to party but pray for your mother. Shame on you!”
Ignoring Shaycham’s words, looking at the
kitchen, Euthra shouts, “Zam, where is my car key?”
Getting out of the kitchen, taking a new
box off the book shelf; Zam takes out the key and gives it her. Taking the key
from Zam, she rushes out of the room, when Shaycham stands at the table frozen.
Without saying a word, he walks out. Once outside, he follows Euthra. Getting
inside the car, the headlight starts to glow as he near the car. As she backs
out the car from the garage, he rushes towards the car. As she stops, he pulls
the door. Jumping on to the seat, he looks at Euthra when she presses the
accelerator suddenly, throwing him off the seat.
Speeding down the slope, reaching the town
she drives through Olakha, then up to Semtokha junction. Stopping the car at
the junction, she looks at him.
“I am sorry. We can never be together. I am
very grateful to have met you. I hope, you will understand.”
Before he can say anything, stretching her
arms, she hugs him tightly. Then she whispers, “I am going Trongsa to find my
father. If I don’t return, please don’t be sad. If I return, let us be
friends.”
“Euthra, take your time. I can wait for
you. Even my whole life,” says Tshegyel, his eyes drowning in the ocean of
tears.
Holding his face with her soft hands,
Euthra kisses him.
Then, getting away from him, she looks at
him saying, “This car was a marriage gift from my parents. I am happy, we rode
it together.”
He looks at her, his heart aching as if
it’s being hit by a bullet. As he stays stuck to the seat gasping for breath,
Euthra says, “Please, go back home now.”
He opens the door and takes out his numb
body off the seat. As he stands outside, Euthra pulls back the door and speeds
away, the blinkers disappearing from his sight.
Story by: Phurpa Dorji (PJIKKS)
Chapter 9 Tomorrow @9PM
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