Soulmates

Namita peeped through the window, ”Wow the greenery, fabulous place really”. She spread the towel on the window sill and started to put on her clothes. Till now her body is reeling like she is in the air only. Mumbai to Abudhabi and then Athens, such a long flight she has never taken. But alas she is alone and free to think about herself. Is she really free was the thought in her mind, Namita smiled, no she is bound to her family, her husband, and her children? Her fifty years had been shared by her parents, siblings, husband, and children. Caring and sharing she has followed till now but that does not stop her to come along on this trip. Ah, at last, she saw the inviting bed but now is the time to go. She geared herself to go out, first to have breakfast, and then she will explore the place.

Namita came to the restaurant. All the tables were full. Her scanning stare caught a table where a single lady was sitting. Namita came nearer and asked her to sit. Permission was granted with the nod of the head and she sat on the chair. Her partner at the table was immersed in her thoughts. Namita saw that she is a young girl around 25, fair and lissom, but the dark furrow on her brows gave her a gloomy disposition.

Namita’s thoughts were disturbed by the waiter’s voice. He was waiting for a long time to take the order. Namita ordered bread toast and tea which was the staple diet for her vegetarian stomach. Namita ‘s voice caught the girl and she ordered one omelet and black coffee. Now she looked at Namita and a vague smile lit up her face.

“Indian?”

“Yes” “and my name is Namita”.Namita also smiled.

“Tiffany from America”

After the initial conversation, they waited in awkward silence to finish their breakfast.

Watching the bread butter it was informed that omelet was very nice.

“But I am vegetarian only,” Namita said.

“But eggs are vegetarian food only” Tiffany commented.

“Sorry I don’t eat eggs even”

“O” this was the small response of Tiffany.

After breakfast, Namita went to the hotel conference hall where she had to present her paper. She got the schedule and her presentation was in the third session that is Indian time 3.15 pm to 4.15 pm.

Namita took the green tea assorted on the table for the guests and sat to listen to the speakers.

Her paper was on Feminism and she got a good clapping for her content and for her beautiful saree and big bindi.

In the night she was not hungry as she had taken snacks offered in the conference room. So she thought to take a glass of milk and then sleep was on her agenda.

She came outside the hotel. It was drizzling and the soft touch of cold rain was soothing to her skin. She thought to explore the lanes around but then the unspoken fear, which is the inbound mentality of many Indian women, caught her. She came to the small garden of the hotel.

She saw the girl sitting there. She was silent as a statue. Namita came near the garden bench.” May I sit?” The girl saw her and smiled. Namita sat beside her.

The girl was deep in thought. ”Penny for your thoughts,” Namita said aloud.

“What? I could not understand. ”Tiffany reacted.

“Pardon me dear, but you are looking so young and vulnerable that I could not stop myself to call you.

“It's okay.”

Namita also started thinking about her family in Mumbai. What is the husband doing now, surely watching TV and the son also busy on his mobile? Her thoughts were broken by Tiffany’s voice.

“May I ask you a question Namita?”

“Yes dear,” Namita replied.

“Why the parents want to make you what you don’t want to be,” Tiffany said.

“My dear what you are saying now is not applicable to your generation now.”

“No, no parents are always like that and they will not change in any generation.”

“It’s not that Tiffany, maybe sometimes you don’t want to understand you only want to rebel.”Namita smiled.

“I don’t know I want to be a Chef but my dad wants me to be a lawyer as he himself is a big criminal lawyer,” Tiffany said.

 “ Maybe they have their reasons, you know this field requires a lot of research and knowledge of different food cultures and also competition, so they may be worried for you.”

“ I don’t know Namita, I am also not very clear in my mind about my desires.

There was silence, both were thinking. Then Tiffany suddenly said,” what about you Namita?”

Yes what about my life, Namita thought. I never had any plans only dreams, and dreams lead me here today. Namita remembered she was married when she was in the first year of college. Then her son was born in the third year and graduation she took with her mother’s degree also. And then bringing up the child, her abusive husband, strict in-laws and mundane things of life caught her up. But the dream of being a doctor did not die and after some years she started her education and finally got her Ph D. Then the career and today she is alone in Europe. Yes, she had come a long way. But did she had clarity in her mind about her future goals? It was like wandering in dark and wherever the light showed at the end of the tunnel she reached there. Now she finds that she sings very well she is good at writing and if she would have pursued the creative field her story would have been better.

“You are not saying anything Namita.”

“Tiffany I will just say that I was not clear about my goal but I chased my dreams and see I have reached here .”

“Do you think Namita I should also bend to other’s desires?”

“ No Tiffany you are today’s girl, I will suggest you think deeply and then decide your goal and your dreams.”

Tiffany’s smile lit up her face and Namita thought that they are now soulmates.