City of Dreams

22.

Try not to resist the changes that come your way. Instead let life live through you. And do not worry that your life is turning upside down. How do you know that the side you're used to is better than the one to come. Fret not where the road will take you. Instead concentrate on the first step. That's the hardest part and that's what you are responsible for. Once you take that step let everything do what it naturally does and the rest will follow. Do not go with the flow. Be the flow.

                ***

"Shehn..." he stopped midway when he saw empty room and a soft voice coming out from the bathroom.

He leaned on the bathroom door to hear more of what she was singing. She had this habit of singing what she felt, at that time, from her heart, he knew that and was curious to know the state of her mind. She was singing musical notes trying it in different octaves. He heard that shower was on, so she was not bathing in bucket and mug! He laughed thinking about that. She then got her perfect note after a few tries and started to sing.

Jahaan peheli baar mile the hum
Jis jagaah se sang chale the hum
Nadiya ke kinaare aaj ussi
Amwa ke tale aana
Jab deep jale aana...

Ni Re Ga, Re Ga, Ma Ga Re Sa Sa Ni
Pa Pa Ma, Re Ga , Sa Ni Sa Ga Pa Ma Pa

Nit saanjh savere milte hain
aa aa aaaa...
Nit saanjh savere milte hain Unhein dekhke taare khilte hain
Lete hai vidaa ek duje se Kahte hain chale aana
Jab deep jale aana, jab shaam dhale aana
Sanket milan ka bhool na jaana mera pyaar na bisraana
Jab deep jale aana...
Jab deep jale aana, jab shaam dhale aana

Though she was in the bathroom singing, she was not a bathroom singer. Her voice was so soothing, and the bathroom's hard wall was enriching her voice with an echo, acoustically, aurally pleasing.

He sat down on the floor near the door remembering the time he met her at first in the bus for the trip he never wanted to go. Just thinking about it gave him goosebumps. He had sat down on the floor like this near her hotel door and slept like a baby back then.

He remembered the morning in one of motel rooms in Kailash when she came out after shower in a white Kurta, hair wrapped in towel held sideways hanging down from her right shoulders, walking towards the porch. When she untied the towel and brushed her hair from the towel sprinkling the water droplets in the air. Her sculpted figure shadowing from beneath her white kurta giving an alluring view to him and her voice humming some beautiful alaaps and ragas. That was the day he fell in love with her!

He came out of his trance when he heard the bathroom door open. She did not notice him sitting on the floor. She was humming the same song and improvising the notes. She was wearing the same white Kurta, the towel wrapped up in her wet hair. She went towards the dresser and applied a moisturizer in face and arms. He was watching everything silently.

Her back towards him, she walked towards the window porch and opened the blinds up and allowed the early morning Sun to enter the room. He could feel her smiling through the side profile when her cheeks widened. She unwrapped the towel and brushed her hair through it. She gathered her hair to the right and patted it with the towel. Some water droplets were shining on her neck.

It felt like a déjà vu. He got up without a noise and wrapped his arms around her waist from behind, startling her.

She gasped, "Darr gayi main!"

"Yeh same kurta hain na jo tune trip main pehna tha?" pecking her neck on left he asked very softly.

"Hmm...Tum gussa nahi ho?" she asked turning her neck to take a glance of him on her left.