Thursday, January 18, 2018

Nun and Her Love, Chapter 12, The Final Chapter

Opening her eyes forcefully, she looks for her phone. After finding it under her pillow, she checks the battery. It’s dead. Jumping off the bed, she goes to the window and takes a glimpse of Paro valley. It’s sunny and bright outside. She has no idea, what time it is. Then walking out of the room, she goes to the next room, where her parents booked the room for last night. Going to the door, she finds it latched. Does this mean, they have left her in the hotel?
She walks down the staircase, eyes looking for her parents. As she lands in the lobby, there is no sign of them. She goes directly to the receptionist.
“Ashim, did my parents check out?”
Opening the log book, flipping through the pages, the receptionist says, “Nope.”
“What?”
“Maybe they are in the swimming pool.”
Thanking her, Shaycham walks towards the swimming pool walking past the parking. She has not even washed her face. Hiding her face from the people on the way, finally she is in the swimming pool. There, she finds her parents. Today, Euthra and Tshegyel are arriving from Bangkok. Euthra had eyes surgery, five days ago. Her mother has been crying for last one week after she knew about Euthra’s eye surgery decision. She begged Euthra, but Euthra does not listen. More than her, her mother loves Euthra. But she is not jealous of that, though at times, she feels disappointed. Sometimes, you need to accept the fact that it’s okay to be loved less.
Without going to them, she walks back to her room and gets into the bathroom. Taking bath, she gets out. Switching on the phone, she opens her Messenger. It’s a message from her boyfriend, Khamsum. Today is their second anniversary. She graduated six months ago. Khamsum wants to marry her and go to Australia but she is not being able to tell this to her parents. What if they reject Khamsum? So, she decided to seek help from her sister, Euthra when she is back. After knowing Euthra being adopted, their sisterhood bond has become even closer. Euthra never insult her by calling her Nalay. On vacations, she did help her with charity works.
She admires her. People know that Euthra has donated only one of her kidneys but actually, she gave both. That’s why, she has become very weak and her body changed totally. She always stays in pain. The eye surgery decision was a thunderstorm to our family. Actually, some patients become blind without kidneys, so she wants to donate it before she becomes blind. So, was the case with her late mother. She, too, donated both kidneys and was blinded. Euthra got inspired from her mother’s charity work. So, no one was able to stop her.
The ring of her phone drives away the flashback bringing her back to the hotel room. It’s her Apa. Answering the call, she says, “I will be there in a minute.”
After a few minutes driving from the hotel, as the Paro Airport zooms in, parking the car; her father looks at her.
“Shaycham, your sister will be different now, so be nice to her.”
She nods. Her mother stays stuck to the seat, eyes swollen and reddened. Having waited for a few minutes, the plane lands. Getting out of the car, her father walks to the entrance when her mother does not move an inch from her seat. Standing beside her father, Shaycham asks, “Apa, why our mother is so attached to Euthra?”
Her father does not look at her. Looking away far into the green valley, he starts, “Your mother was at the verge of going mad, when we didn’t have children even after five years of our marriage. So, getting Euthra from the roadside, she considers her as a lucky charm. Literally, Euthra saved your mother’s life. Thus, she never wanted to lose her. Thus, she is so lost in Euthra and sometimes she even forgets that you are her daughter. I am sorry, but she is not doing that intentionally.”
Knowing the truth behind her mother’s immense love to Euthra, she thanks her father for sharing. She always wanted to ask about that but she could not. She did today and she feels happy after knowing the truth. Finally, as Tshegyel walks out from the entrance, with his hand holding Euthra’s. Her eyes are bandaged. She walks slowly as Tshegyel helps her. Behind them, Yethro walks out with luggage. Standing in front of us, Tshegyel says, “Euthra, your father is in front of you.”
He says softly to her ears, when my father stands there silently, eyes drowned in tears. He stays stuck like a statue.
“Oh!”
Stretching her hand out in the air, she waves looking for father. Looking at her, Shaycham goes in front of her and says, “Welcome home, Ashim.”
Holding her hand, she hugs her. Her fingers running through her hair, Euthra says, “Shaycham.”
Getting away from her chest, Shaycham grabs father’s hand and takes it to Euthra’s. Wiping tears off his face, her father hugs her.
“Welcome home, Euthra.”
After half an hour of driving, finally the Thimphu City comes into their sight. Parking the car in the garage, Tshegyel helps Euthra to get out of the car. Her mother has not even spoken a word. Walking her into the house, Tshegyel takes Euthra directly towards her room. Standing in front of the door, Tshegyel says, “Euthra, this is your room.”
Pushing the door slowly, she walks inside. Supporting her hand on the walls, she moves her legs forward slowly. She smells something bad. Her nostrils fighting back the smell, she runs her finger on her bed. The smell gets strong as she gets closer to the bed. It’s smell from an old people. Now, she is used to such smell. Then, she sits down slowly on to her bed. She listens carefully and she hears as if someone is breathing. Taking her hand, she slides her it on the bed towards the pillow. Suddenly, her hand meets something solid. It’s like a human body.
Then she says, “Who is this Tshegyel?”
“Euthra, you know who he is.”
Tshegyel walks into the room. Going closer to Euthra, he says, “Euthra! I want to tell you something. You may not like it or you may hate me for doing this to you but I have done something which you will not approve of.”
“Tshegyel, what are you talking about?”
Catching her hand, he says, “Last month, I met an old man sleeping in the vegetable market. On seeing me he said, “Please, take me to my daughter.” By that time, I didn’t know what to say. So, I left without even talking to him. Then, the night before your operation, I saw the same old man photo being posted on Facebook. The status read, “This man seeks justice after staying in the jail for last 50 years.” Then, I read comments and one of the people, commented, “I know him and he was wrongly accused of the kusung-thungten theft.” Then, I contacted that person who commented that. He told me everything about the man. I sent people from my office to look for that man. They found him. Your dream was to help one hundred people before you donate your eyes, so I just wanted to help you with your last person.”
“Thank you, Tshegyel. Where is he now? Did you take him back to his children? Does he have any children? Did they accept him?”
As Euthra starts to throw these questions, Tshegyel takes his hand on her head. Catching the edge of the bandage, he says, “I am removing your bandage.”
Taking the bandage off her eyes, he instructs, “Please, try to open your eyes.”
“What?”
“Try that!”
Tshegyel insists.
“I am blind and what difference does it make?”
“Euthra, just try to open!”
Taking long breaths, she tries to force the eyes lids apart. Firstly, everything looks blurry. Then, as she opens her eyes fully, she sees an old man sleeping beside her, on her bed.
“Tshegyel, what is happening? I am not supposed to see,” says Euthra, looking confused.
With knees on the floor, catching her hand, he says, “Actually, I lied to you about the eye surgery. If I told you the truth, you would not come back home.” Looking at the man on the bed, he continues, “He is your father.”
Turning his face back to her, eyes angled at hers, Tshegyel says, “You didn’t get opportunity to be with your mother and feel guilty, right? If you are blind, how can you help your father? This is your opportunity. It’s a blessing. When I went to find you at Trongsa five years ago, on the way, I met an old man. He stopped my car. He asked for lift. It was dark and I was frightened. But, I took him in my car. On the way, he narrated about a family in his village, whose father was wrongly accused of kusung-thugten theft from their village Lhakhang. The man was jailed. That night, his wife gave birth to a girl. Villagers chased her away and so she decided to give her child away. Thus, standing at the roadside; carrying the new-born child, she waited for the vehicles. Fortunately, a car came and a couple took her child. They named her Euthra. Actually, the woman sought justice but no one helped her, therefore, she was out casted and villagers threatened to kill her. Nevertheless, staying at the village temple; she prostrated day in, day out, seeking blessing. She donated both of her kidneys and even her eyes.”
“Was he wrongly accused or did he steal the kusung-thugten?”
“The man in the car, said that he was one of the thieves. He was the last thief to be living. Others died vomiting blood. Some died in accidents. Some died going mad. So, living in nightmares for decades, finally, the man in car told the police about your father’s wrong accusation a few months ago. Thus, police released your father from the prison. Now, I believe that you have reason to be strong,” says Tshegyel standing up, as Euthra sits down awestruck by his words, looking at her father sleeping next to her.
He walks towards the door and as he is at the door, Yethro walks into the room shouting, “Tshegyel, this bill is a mistake. It’s a not a bill of eye surgery but kidney.”
Looking Euthra, Yethro goes dumb.
After hearing about the bill thing, catching the edge of her T-shirt, Euthra pulls the shirt up. She finds a fresh cut.
Standing up immediately, she shouts, “Tshegyel, stop!”
As he stands at the door, Euthra rushes towards him. Catching the edge of his T-shirt, she pulls it up. She finds a fresh cut.
Story by: Phurpa Dorji (PJIKKS)

Thank you all for being part of this story and see you soon with another story.




Wednesday, January 17, 2018

Nun and Her Love, Chapter 11

As Euthra’s car disappears from his sight; without even thinking about Yethro’s emotions, Tshegyel walks towards his car. Catching the door knob, he looks back at Yethro, who stands in front of the building looking terrified. He has no idea what she will think of him. Then, walking back to her, he grabs her hand and pulls her towards the car.
“Can you help me with something?”
She does not reply. As she sits down, he starts engine and follows Euthra’s car. Once in the main road, looking at Yethro, he says, “Can you please tell me something about Ani Euthra? Why she became nun?”
Still looking horrifed, she sits saying no words to him.
Without looking at her, fixing his eyes on to the road; he starts, “I am sorry to inform you that Euthra was my first love and will be my last. I know you will understand. You are younger than me and you deserve a young and smart boy not oldie like me.”
She stays stuck to the seat silently. He is not sure if she is even breathing. Nevertheless, he keeps talking assuming that she is listening to him. Euthra’s car has disappeared from his sight. He speeds up overtaking other cars and buses.
“Yethro, I have been waiting for her, till now. That’s why I was not able to marry you,” says Tshegyel, catching Euthra’s car. He cannot stop the car and talk with her, but he will definitely take opportunity to talk with her at the airport. He is not sure if Euthra knows about him following her car.
“This is one-sided story,” says Yethro, looking at Euthra’s car in front of us, without looking him.
“What do you mean?”
“She is gone now. What’s the use of waiting? She is a nun now. Nun. She is never coming back to your life,” says Yethro, looking at him, loaded with emotions.
He cannot respond her and her words ring sense of truth in his ears but his heart cannot accept those facts.
“Why did she become nun?”
He asks slowing the car down, as Euthra’s car stops at the roadside shop, a few meters away from the Chuzom bridge.
“According to some people, five years ago she went back to her village in search of her father when she landed up in nunnery at Trongsa. Staying as a nun for one year in the nunnery, then she came to Thimphu and started this charity organization. For first two years, she dedicated to providing basic needs like food, shelter and clothes to the old people found in and around Thimphu. At first, she was all alone. She started a page on Facebook and sought donations. With the little amount, she got she would provide food to those old people. Then, she started to get more donations. After helping old people with basic needs, she realized that instead of helping them, it would be better to take them back to their homes. As of now, she has taken 99 people back to their homes. Her mission was to help only hundred people.”
Listening to Yethro’s narration, he interrupts, “Why hundred?”
“By then, she will be blind,” says Yethro, taking out her phone.
On hearing these, he pulls over the car to the roadside. Not believing her words, he shouts, choking with surprise, “What?”
“Actually, she has donated one of her kidneys. She is heading Bangkok today to donate other one also. Then, she is going to donate her eyes.”
As Yethro finishes this statement, he hides his emotions and starts to drive. As the wheels hit the road, he stays silent. After driving for half an hour, he catches Euthra’s car. Instead of heading to Paro Airport, her car crosses the airport and heads towards Paro town. He follows the car, maintaining distance, when Yethro sleeps beautifully. The car stops in front of a hotel. Getting out of the car, the driver opens the door for Euthra. She gets out and looks around. As she gets into the hotel, he parks his car a few metres away from hers.
Walking into the hotel, he goes directly to the reception desk. He asks about Ani Euthra.
“Sir, do you have appointment?”
He does not but he has to lie now.
“I am her health advisor,” says Tshegyel confidently.
Taking phone to her ear, the receptionist gets busy. Keeping down the phone, she looks at him.
“She is upstairs. Conference room.”
Thanking her, he walks up the staircase thinking about how to start the conversation. There are many rooms, thus he walks along the corridor looking for the conference room. Finally, he finds the room. Standing in front of the door, he lifts his hand to ring the bell when a man gets out of the room. He smiles at him and walks away along the corridor, talking to the phone.
Pushing the door, he walks into the room. On seeing, Euthra, he lowers his head down, hiding his face. Observing him carefully, looking at the man standing beside her, she says, “Please, I want to talk with him once.”
The man walks out of the room obediently, as Tshegyel stands in front of her. Looking at him, she says, “Please, be seated, my friend!”
Lowering his body down on to the couch, he takes a glimpse of her face. Her fairness has gone. Her face looks dark. She looks frail.
Smiling at him, she says, “You may not be able to recognize my face. Can you?”
Tears filling up his eyes, he says, “I can.”
“Tshegyel, how are you?
He does not respond. Keeping his head down, he stays sobbing not being able to tolerate the pain she is going through.
“Life is unpredictable. You may not know, how badly I treated my mother. I am very guilty and I cannot forgive myself. I want to meet her again and seek forgiveness but I cannot do that. Thus, I chose to be a nun. Staying in a nunnery, I didn’t find the meaning of life, thus came here to help old people. This is my life Tshegyel. I am very happy to know that your fiancé is working in my organization,” says Euthra, her face brimming with happiness.
He stays silent without saying a word. Taking a sip from the cup, she looks at him, “I am happy to meet you before my world becomes dark. I will be living tomorrow to Bangkok for eye surgery.”
The man who left the room a few minutes ago, walks back into the room. Standing in front of her, he says, “Ani, your parents are waiting outside.”
Nodding her head, she looks at Tshegyel, “Tshegyel, keep one thing in mind, even blind can see kindness.”
Story by: Phurpa Dorji (PJIKKS)

Chapter 12 Tomorrow @9PM