The Last Meeting

14th Feb' 2012

It was a chilly winter morning in the suburbs of Delhi, when at sharp 9:30 A.M., I reached Dilli Haat. I searched him outside the parking lot, around all the Panwaris, where I could possibly find him smoking or roaming, but he was nowhere. 

I sat outside the gate waiting and thinking, “I should have never come back from Chandigarh”. The epitome of Happiness, grace and energy was all left behind in the foothills of Parmanoo, where almost 2 weeks ago, we had experienced the most beautiful sunrise after a thundershower. 

“The most convincing beauty on earth had stirred life among two dead souls, who were living a worthless life full of responsibilities& liabilities. The mornings at Parmanoo were so graceful that it charged and purified the mind, body & soul of all impurities. Also the evenings beside the lake in Chandigarh were so bosom that I could spend my whole life sitting beside the lake watching  the moon and stars in the sky.” 

It was 9:44 A.M. and he was still not there. The dense fog around the whole area had begun to diminish, as the hue of sunlight was dominating the fog. I had already purchased two tickets, so that we could prevent the long queues.  I could not afford to waste even a single minute while meeting him, since he had become an obscenely big personality who couldn’t afford to waste his time on a commoner like me.

“But then, it was all my choice. How could I blame him for my decision? I did this for the betterment of both of us. There was no future left at that place, when we had already suffered huge loss in our business”, I thought.

It was now 10:15 A.M. and my patience had started to boil along with my temper. As it was his usual habit to keep me waiting because he had a strong belief that being a Scorpion (who is ruled by darkness with a carrying capacity of venom), I have the proficiency to absorb all the negativities and converting them into valuable experiences of life. He used to compare me with Athena, the Greek goddess of war & wisdom. Since, he had never seen such a wise and versatile woman who could be just perfect for any man.

” But then, this perfect lady who had left behind all her perfection had now become a commoner , who just stood waiting for the man whom she regarded as her godfather”, my inner goddess said.

While waiting, I took a smoke and as usual my observations of the environment had gradually begun. Earlier, I used to feel embarrassed smoking in the public alone, thinking that it would give a wrong impression of my personality and character.

But, the corporate life had already trained me not to think too much as; obviously I’m not going to approach the Panwari for a date. It’s an insane thought. 

We’re living in 21^st Century and still the same thinking exists when people living in metros actually believe in Live-in relationships and friends with benefits.

I realized that when a woman smokes or she is found smoking in the public, people make two types of assumptions: Either they officially declare her a whore, or they find her bold & brave enough to carry such an image in the public. 

But what does smoking have to do with a woman’s character or the govt. has only given the copyright license to men for smoking in public?

 I usually advice People to just get over with it, as this is just an insane thought. We also get stressed at times and smoke actually lowers the flow of depression hormones in the body. So stop seeing and visualizing us like we’re committing a crime. 

We are proud of being a part of a democratic nation where men actually have full freedom to smoke, whistle and harass a girl in public. The reason women become victimized is just that they prefer ignorance over publicly insulting them.

 Hush, it seems that I was almost about to take an oath of becoming the Chief Minister of Delhi and rehearsing my speech.

After getting out of the Women Empowerment state of mind, I noticed my character assumption getting assassinated by the visual motion of the Panwari, the tea-seller, the municipal workers and a few couples, who were roaming around the ticket counter.

It was 10:45 A.M. now and I had wasted more than enough time waiting for him. I picked my bag and started getting down the stairs, when suddenly, I felt a cold gush of wind advancing towards the parking lot and a loud horn indicating his presence around.

As I turned, I saw the silver car with number 6594 entering the parking lot. I got mixed feelings at that time. First, I thought of walking away from that place to insult him, but then, I knew how desperately I spent 3 months 2 weeks and 4 days waiting to meet him without any contact.

It was just a date, time, venue and my faith, which perhaps pushed me to come and meet him. I had no idea to how I’d react on seeing him after so long. I thought, maybe I should hug him as he comes in front of me.

But as they say, ”it never happens the way you think” and as usual he was busy on a phone call wearing a grey suit and beige shoes.

Mr. Scorpion had finally arrived.

Now that my face and eyes turned red after seeing him. He came looking at me, smiling and observing me, as if it’s the first time we’re meeting. He pretended to be inoffensive.

A smart act but, it’s tough enough to lure me, he knew. Though the best part about him was, even being wrong he usually played inoffensive and smart enough that you can’t actually win from him.

Entering the gates of Dilli Haat, Mr. Scorpion still seemed busy with his cell phone.

I thought for a moment, “Why don’t men marry their phones when they don’t need us?”

 He smirked at me as if he was reading my mind.

When he realized that my temper was about to burst, he postponed his call and started giving smart explanations, “Sorry, I was caught in a meeting at the party office, they were not letting me off, I came here through a very tough situation.”

”It’s Okay”, I said controlling my anger.

 “So how are you and how’s everything at home”, Mr. Scorpion asked.

My inner goddess wanted me to say “How I’d be without you, it’s been long for since I talked to anyone, my life has become hell after you left. I am nothing but a piece of dead meat trapped in a vessel.”

But a scorpion is a scorpion after all, never reveals its state of mind. You have to understand and get into a scorpion’s mind to know the actuality which obviously both of us were very good at.

I said, “All’s good”.

Mr. Scorpion with sarcasm, “Really and since when did this just happen?”

I said,”Do you really care about that?”

Mr. Scorpion,” It is my business indeed.., your life is of course my business. You don’t even bother to tell me what you’re going through. Do I mean something to you or not?”

“If it were your business, then you wouldn't have left me there helpless, when I was getting insulted in front of the world. Where were you that time, when I needed you? Please do not show me your fake concerns mister, because I am not going to be hypnotized by your words at all”, I said firmly with a tear in my eye.

Mr. Scorpion was clever enough to figure out whatever I said, was not on my mind. He knew very well what I was speaking was all that hatred and venom coming out of me, which indeed was not the reality.

He noticed a tear in my eyelashes and said, “If this is it, then why is your eye wet. What’s making you hurt so much? You should be happy to give out your frustration, what’s bothering you huh?”

I gradually didn’t have any of his answers. In spite of pushing into a conversation, he patted my head and left me alone for some time. He soon returned after 10 minutes and ordered a tea for both of us. 

The tea was served in mud glasses called “Kullad”. We both were die hard lovers of the fragrance hot kullad tea. The essence of mud rejuvenated my mind and took me back to the time from where the journey of Two Scorpions began.