The Waves Whisper ✓

3 | golden dunes

Naomi emerged from the bathroom with sad eyes, and Kabir couldn't help but notice them. She took a wet wipe from her bag and wiped her cheeks. A flight attendant came with snacks. Kabir took a bottle of Coke and a packet of chips, while Naomi didn't.

"Aren't you hungry?" He asked out of curiosity.

"No." He received a cold response.

He went back and munched on his barely-seasoned potato chips. Out of politeness, he offered some to her, which she refused.

"What happened?" He was well aware that she didn't like that question.

"What?" She asked without looking at him.

"You seemed upset after coming from the washroom."

"Do you frequently meddle in other people's business?" She turned her face towards him. The tip of her nose was red like a cherry tomato.

"Since we are travelling together, I figured it would be impolite not to inquire as to what is troubling you." He said as he gulped down a mouthful of coke. He didn't appear to care what she thought of him.

"You cried, didn't you?"

"Yes, I did. Now go back to chucking your drink." Her face had turned absolutely crimson.

They kept staring at each other for a few seconds after that until he said, "Okay."

"When will we reach?" She asked after what seemed like ten minutes.

"Twenty more minutes." He said and went back to reading the last few pages of Lincoln in the Bardo.

___

Jaisalmer had a dry, clear sky, making it hotter than Delhi. The city was bustling with people, and the buildings were sand-coloured. Naomi and Kabir took a taxi from Jaisalmer Airport to the address Sagar provided them. It took barely twenty minutes for them to reach Roopali's house, which had a large yard where a flowering tree stood. The garden was covered in pink blooms. Naomi glanced at the sand-coloured, two-storey house where her grandmother spent her early life and her last days. The gate to the house was closed. A woman rushed over to open the gate as soon as she saw the car. She seemed like she was in her early thirties.

"Namaste, Sagar Saab told me you'd be coming." She said to Naomi as they walked into the house.

"I'm Garima. I was Roop ma'am's helper."
She said as she put down the luggage.

"Oh, great!" Naomi replied while Kabir roamed around the living room. The house had a small courtyard with little plants in it. Naomi noticed the several awards displayed on the shelf behind the couch.

"I'll be here to help throughout your stay." Garima said. "I'll show you both your rooms."

"Do you take care of the house now?" Kabir asked while following Garima upstairs.

"Yes, I come here to clean the house twice a week."

Garima showed both their rooms, which were situated across from one another.

"For how long are you're intending to stay?" Kabir asked after Garima left.

"I'm not sure. However, not immediately after retrieving the manuscripts. The city seems interesting." Naomi shrugged her shoulders.

In the evening, Garima prepared Laal Maas, Roti, and Mawa Kachori for dinner.

"Garima Deedi, I hope Sagar Uncle has informed you why we're here." Kabir said while having dinner.

"Yes, The drafts."

"Could you show me where they are?" Naomi asked.

"I don't know where they exactly are. Possibly, they are in her office. I'll open it for you after the dinner."

Garima opened Roopali's office after dinner. Because of the room's massive book shelf, which was filled to the brim with books, the space had a scent of old books. There was an empty wooden table, a chair in the middle, and a wooden shelf next to it. Naomi searched the drawers of the table first, but nothing was there.

"Do you have the key to this shelf?" Naomi asked Garima. She gave her the key from the bunch of keys. A few folders, vintage books, and wooden crates were arranged on the shelf. On the top of the shelf, there was a pile of papers stacked together.

"Roopali ma'am never used a computer. She wrote everything by herself." Garima said as Naomi went through the stack of papers. She was unable to make any sense of the writing on it.

"What's this? Please read this for me." Naomi pointed at the title of the book, which was written in Hindi.

"The Waves Whisper by Roopali Agarwal," Garima replied. Naomi riffled through the pages. The inability to read the book made her curious about the content of the book.

"It's late. Garima can go to bed now." Naomi said, pronouncing her name in her American accent.

Naomi struggled to fall asleep at night. The manuscript kept her awake. Asking Garima to translate the entire book wasn't possible since she has other jobs to do. Kabir was the alternative, which she resented. Her curiosity won over resentment as she walked to Kabir's room. He opened the door at the fourth knock.

"Why are you at my doorstep this late?" Rubbing his eyes, he inquired.

"I can't sleep."

"What? Afraid to sleep alone?"

"I'm being serious. I found the draft in her office."

"You did? That's good."

"I want to read them. They are in Hindi."

"So...?" Kabir asked, expecting her to explain.

"So, I want you to read it for me."

"Me? There's no way I'm reading a book yet to be published."

"I don't want you to read it. I want you to read it for me. I'm asking a favour. You came here to help me. Now is the time I'm asking for your help."

Kabir sighed. "Okay, fine. We can start by tomorrow morning."

"Here's it." She handed over the papers to him.

"This. This isn't fiction." Kabir said skimming through the pages.

"What then?"

"It's her own story."


____

*My Hindi is really, really bad. So if there's anyone who speaks Hindi reading this book, lemme know if there are any mistakes regarding the words used.

Please turn that lil star orange, guys. 🥺👉🏼👈🏼