Nun and Her Love, Chapter 10

Happy. Excited. Anxious. He cannot find the right word to describe his feeling after knowing about Euthra. He does not know what to say about her nun life. All he wants to do now is just go and meet her once. He remembers her words, which she said at the Semtokha junction before leaving to Trongsa, “If I don’t return, please don’t be sad. If I return, let us be friends.” He knows that she will keep her words and at least be friend with him.

“It’s a blessing. Blessing,” says Tshegyel and gets out of the office, after instructing his personal assistant to inform the company board about his ad hoc leave. Hiding his excitement, maintaining his serene manner, he walks down as the staff greet him on the way. He does not know how to face her. What if she has forgotten him? How should he approach her? Should he ask her out for dinner? Maybe lunch. Or maybe candle light dinner? He is confused. His head heated up by these thoughts he walks out of the company building when the driver stands outside with the car ready.

Going to the car, he says, “I will drive myself.”

Grabbing the key from the driver, he gets inside. Keeping his hands on the steering, he waits. Pressing the brake, he starts the car. Playing his favourite song, he pulls the car out of the parking and hits the main road. Slowing down the car, he checks Facebook for the location of the Ani Euthra’s charity office. It’s in Babesa. Driving through the town, thinking about how to approach her; he stops in front of a gift shop.

Getting out, he goes to the entrance desk and asks the receptionist, “Which flower is best for a best friend?”

Smiling at him, she goes to the rack and comes back with a flower bouquet. Thanking her, he pays the bill and walks out. Getting back to the car, he drives thinking about how to start the conversation. Should he ask her about the reason behind becoming nun? Or would that be too personal? Thinking about these questions, he crosses Olakha. Finally, he decides to take her for lunch. There, she may feel comfortable and tell him everything about her sudden disappearance, her father and nunnery.

Finally, he stops in front of a building and gets out catching the flower in hand. Going to a pan shop, he asks about the charity office. Walking up for a few minutes, crossing a few buildings; finally, he finds a signboard stuck in front of the building, which reads, “Ani Euthra Charity. Taking them back home.” The sign board features old people smiling. Then he walks to the door. As he is about to push the door, a woman walks out suddenly hitting him hard on his chest and the flower bouquet falls down on to the floor.

The woman says lowering her down, “Sorry sir.”

Picking up the flower from the floor, she stretches her back up and looks at him. Then she shouts, “Tshegyel?”

Hugging him tightly, with flowers in hand, she says, “I knew you would come and help me.”

Before he can speak, she says, “Thanks for the flowers. You are so sweet!”

He goes dumb. Getting away from him, she takes him to another room, catching his hand.

“Stay here, I will be back. Just a minute.”

Taking the flower in hand, she walks away from the room keeping him there, the room is full of photos featuring old people. All smiling. He walks along the wall, observing each and every photo. He has never heard of this charity which helps old people. Then, she returns. Grabbing his hand, she takes him outside, along the corridor. Crossing a few doors, finally she stops at the last door. She knocks.

“Come in.”

Then she pushes the door. Walking inside, she calls me inside. Following her, I walk inside. Looking outside through the window, a person stands; in robe and head shaved. She does not look back at them. Standing a few meters away from her, the woman next to me, says, “Ani, my fiancé is here to help your charity as a volunteer.”

Terrified by this, Tshegyel looks at the woman standing beside him, who is not other than Yethro. He has no idea about her, working here. He is just confused. The nun does not turn her face but she says, “Get him registered as a volunteer.”

Thanking her, Yethro bows her head down and walks back to the door slowly. Getting out of the room, without even getting a glimpse of the standing nun, they walk along the corridor. Then he stops her.

“Yethro, I am here to meet Ani Euthra. Can you help me with that?”

Looking at him, she laughs out loudly.

“We just met Ani Euthra, just a few minutes before.”

“What?”

He wants to go back immediately. He turns his face and walks back to the door. Surprised by this, Yethro follows him and grabs his hand forcefully.

“What are you doing?”

“I want to meet her again.”

Holding his hand tightly, she says, “She hardly meets stranger. Not even dashos.”

Without listening to her words, he takes away his hand forcefully and rushes to the door. Standing there, he knocks, calling, “Euthra.”

Yethro stands looking at him. He keeps knocking but there is no response. He shouts, “Euthra, please. Talk to me. Just once.”

He keeps knocking. Then, Yethro walks towards him. Grabbing his hand, she takes him away from the door. Pulling him back towards the window, she says, “There she is. She is leaving to Bangkok.”

As he looks down through the window, he sees Euthra walking down staircase towards the car parked in front of the building. Then, he rushes along the corridor and walks out running towards the car. As he gets outside, Euthra is about to get inside the car.

Sprinting towards the car like a deer, as Euthra’s head disappears into the car, he shouts, “Euthra?”

Happy Losar La

Story by: Phurpa Dorji (PJIKKS)

Chapter 11 Tomorrow @9PM

Nun and Her Love, Chapter 9

 The alarm beeps waking up Tshegyel. Irritated by the sound, stretching his arm, he grabs the phone. Opening only one eye, he looks at the phone. It’s 8.45AM. He has to be in the office by 9. Now, he is the chairman in one of his father’s companies. Forcing his sleepy body off the bed, he goes to the window. Drawing the curtain, wide open, he takes a glimpse of the city. Thimphu is getting crowded with lots of buildings. He has plan to construct a building but now he is worried about getting land.

Walking away from the window, he nears the cupboard when his phone beeps, with a reminder. Taking towel, he goes back to the bed. Picking up the phone, he reads the reminder. It’s says, 12^th Anniversary. Keeping down the phone, he looks around his room, walls filled up with photos of Euthra and him. On the tables, the photo frames glitter. Taking one of the frames in hand, he says, “Euthra, happy anniversary.”

He expects the picture to respond but sadly it does not. Keeping down the frame back on the table, he cleans it with a cloth. In it, it’s a picture of Euhtra and him taken on their engagement day five years ago. This was the last photo taken together. Five years, Euthra left him at the Semtokha junction. The next day, he found himself in the hospital. Only after a week, he recovered. Then, he tried to find Euhtra but he could not. She just vanished. Even her family did not know about her. For last five years, he always prayed to meet her once but no miracle happened.

The knock on the door wakes up Tshegyel from his memories of Euhtra. Walking away from the photos, he goes to the door. Tashi, one of the housekeepers, stands at the door.

“Yes, bro.”

“Sir, Dasho is calling you.”

“Okay.”

Closing the door, he disappears into the bathroom. Washing face as fast he can, then he gets back to the bedroom. He wears gho. As a chairman, he has to be punctual. He has to be sincere. Taking his phone from the bed, he walks out of the room. Walking down the staircase, he heads directly to father’s room without taking breakfast.

Sitting on the couch, dressed in gho, his father welcomes him with a warm smile. Greeting him, he sits downs when his mother appears from the bedroom, dressed in kira. They wear traditional dress only for special occasions. Which means, are they up to something today?

Standing up, he greets mother and sits down. Looking at him, his father says, “We are hopeful that you might have made the decision by now. So, let’s go and meet Yethro’s parents today.”

“Decision?”

Tshegyel asks politely, hiding his anger behind his fake calmness. Yethro is father’s best friend daughter. Last year, they had introduced her to him. They met a few times. But, he has made no decision.

Looking at his silence, his mother says, “You cannot wait for Euhtra, your whole life, right?”

He does not respond.

Then his father says, “She is gone. Please, forget her and move on.”

Standing up, looking at them, he says, “I need time.”

As his mother positions her mouth to say something, he walks out of the room. Without eating breakfast, he walks out. Gentle breeze welcomes him outside. Driver greets him and opens the door for him.

Having travelled for a few minutes, finally he is in front of the office. Parking the car, the driver walks in front of him, taking his laptop. Walking into the lobby, he goes to the receptionist. She stands up respectfully.

“Any words about Euthra?”

She shakes her head. He walks up the stairs thinking about his parent’s words about Yethro. He has felt nothing for Yethro. All she wants is Euthra but where is she? His heart says that she is still alive. There was no accident reported that night on the Thimphu-Trongsa highway. Finally, he is in front of his office. Before getting inside, he calls the marketing officer. Asking him about the company status, he walks into the office. Sitting down, he rotates his chair. Had they been married, by now they would be blessed with children. A happy family. His friends tease him about the late marriage.

Knocking the door, his personal assistant, Lhamo walks in with files in her hand. Greeting him, she keeps the files on the table. Taking the files, he goes through them and signs. Giving back the files, he asks, “What is it, Lhamo?”

Bowing her head down, she says, “Dasho, we received a letter seeking donations for charity.”

“Which charity?”

“It’s from Ani Euthra.”

The sound of this name, startles him. Standing up immediately, he says, “Where is the letter?”

He stands looking outside as Lhamo walks out to get the letter. He keeps walking to and fro along the window, catching his pen in hand.

“Euthra?”

As Lhamo returns with the letter, he rushes towards her. Taking the letter from her, he reads it. Looking at Lhamo, he says, “Google about this charity organization and give me the details.”

“We already checked that,” says Lhamo, taking out her phone.

Then she says, “This charity helps old aged people those who are discarded by their children. It was started by a nun, called Euthra. Here are the photos of the organization.”

Taking her phone, he checks the photos. After scrolling down, finally he gets the picture of the nun. He directly checks her eyes and it’s Euthra, her head shaved and wearing a red robe.

Story by: Phurpa Dorji (PJIKKS)

Chapter 10 Tomorrow @9PM