aurora australis

Its 5 o clock in Zurich and just then the alarm clock bleated. Leena tossed in her bed, said something, muted the clock and went back to sleep. 15 minute later her mobile rank. Still dozing, half heartedly she left the bed and went to the kitchen, crushed a small slice of ginger in a mortar, put it in a tea bag, dropped it in water boiler and went to the loo.

With two cups of hot ginger tea in her hands she entered the bed room. Dev was snoring. She rested the cup on the side table, went to the window and teared the curtains apart. Out it was all grey and gloomy. ” Dev, get up, …get up ….. You have a flight at 10” she said. at her 3rd warning he got up, stooping on the bed he looked outside the window and gibbered ” it snowed …last night ” Ignoring his remark Leena said petulantly “ hurry up, the tea is getting cold” and waited for him. when he joined, she handed him the jar of crackers. They did not talk much. He was quite and she was not in mood. With the last sip of tea she asked” what would you like to have in breakfast?” and he replied in her most forbidden word” anything “.

” well then I will get the muesli done” Leena said and scurried to the kitchen. He switched on the radio and booted his laptop snoozing in standby mode.

About an hr later Leena called him in the kitchen. It was a modest kitchen and had a dining arrangement for two. She had already laid the table. When he glanced at the breakfast a streak of smile came on his face. The sign of Muesli was no where, and for him it was enough reason to feel good. She had prepared his preferred meal- baked potatoes with dollop of butter, boiled egg, butter toast, cheese tomatoes and cucumber. He took his usual seat and looked at her. She was pouring the hot water in the tea cups, added two cubes of sugar in a cup and he knew that this is his cup. While sitting there he wondered how she manages all this. He wondered what his life would have been, had she been not a part of it, for sure he would have missed his flight today. When she plonked the cup, he held her hand, looked in her eyes and said “sorry”. she lowered her eyes, gently withdrew her hand, sat opposite him and in a forgiving tone said” Hurry up, the taxi may come any moment”. She sporadically asked him if he had his Ticket, passport, cards and keys with him. He on other hand replied nodding his head. Just when they were through with the meal the call bell rang, the taxi had already arrived. When she moved to fetch her morning gown,” its cold and windy outside, you stay here” Dev said and she agreed. When the elevator door closed she rushed to the window in her bed room. From the 17^th floor of her apartment she watched him drawing his luggage. The taxi pulled off. Her eyes followed the zipping taxi till it vanished. She stood by the window, stoned. The bitter argument they had last night was fresh in her mind. She sat there pondering where their relationship is heading. – Is it absolutely normal to go through this marriage- slump? Is staleness for granted-ness quintessential baggage of prolonged relationship? ´Had time made their relationship frigid and fastidious? The sound of a wailing infant upstairs jolted her back to present, she glanced at the wall clock. It was quarter past 10. Something in her mind said “The plane must have taken off “. She inspected the room, the bed was messed up. The cups from morning tea were resting on the table. Radio was still on, belching the weather update. She got up from the window panel, stooped and pick up the cups. Just then she heard the radio girl ranting a breaking news “The flight no. xy from Zurich to California had crashed 5 minute after taking off. ……”. Leena tried heard to hear but she could not listen a word after that, her heart forget to pump and she forget to breathe. She experienced the deepest silence ever. Moment later she rushed to her living room, with a single stroke she switched on all the buttons on board, scuffled with the remote, put on the Swiss national channel. Leena was not good in Swiss language, but from the montage flashing on the plasma screen she could figure out that it was due to the bad weather and the rescue operation are on. She sat there hyperventilating, the thought of Dev not returning home… never ever made her shudder and she passed out.

When she gained sense, she was exhausted; she felt the pain of being left alone in this big mad world. She mustered all her energy, stood up and walked toward her bed room, a though in her mind asked –“am I witnessing a nightmare? It can’t be true. It can never happen” She stooped on the bed to fetch her mobile phone. It was switched off. She entered the wrong password twice. When she managed to access the phone she saw there was a voicemail from Dev. She hurried to listen to it, the mobile fell on the pillow but the room was filled with Dev’s voice-“call me as soon as you get this message, I am waiting “. With tears in her eyes Leena heard the message again. All cherished moment of togetherness floated in her eyes.

Just then the door bell rang and she opened the door. Within a fraction of time her expression changed from despair to triumph to hope. It was Dev. She hugged him to cough, and wept like a child. She dangling on his neck he scuffed into the apartment. Slammed the door and naively said “if your mobile was on, then I would have been on my way to California”. Between her gasp and weep she managed to ask “how? “ “I picked your passport” he said.

Leena folded her hand kissed it and thanked God for letting her switch off the mobile else she would have rushed to the airport with his passport.