TWO
Urmil opened her eyes with the sound of the constant ringing of the doorbell. She didn't sleep well at night and had a sweet dream early in the morning about her beloved Solan.
Veronica Urmil chose a job to earn money instead of her first love, the mountains. There was a surname behind her name, Gautam which she had never used but as she had grown up in the shadow of Reverend Mother Sebastian, she had to keep her Catholic name Veronica though she had never valued religion in her life as she had been deprived of her parental love and affection at her birth.
Urmil didn’t know anything about her parents as she had grown up in an orphanage and so, it was easily understood that her parents had never cared for her and she was simply an unwanted child who was not born out of love but fun and pleasure. She was thrown away out of her parents' lives as rubbish.
Urmil had questioned both Mother Sebastian and Sister Patricia about her parents. Mother Sebastian simply smiled, and replied with a nod "We all are children of God, dear."
Keeping her loving eyes on Urmil, Sister Patricia said "Child, we are not responsible for our birth and so, it is not at all important… be careful about your activities which is the main religion of your life. Never compromise with iniquity… whenever you get a chance... do good, serve the needy… stand beside the underprivileged.”
Her first love, the mountains, came to Urmil only in her dreams. The clouds came down to whisper the message of joy into the ears of the mountains... and whenever the clouds became sad they shed tears and fell on the earth as raindrops.
The day she received the mail with the good news of her job, a door to the new life opened for Urmil… and her daydreaming had taken a shape that made Urmil happy… but presently, she's thinking of going back to the great, silent and kind hills, leaving everything behind. The hills were the part and parcel of her life... and the dancing cascades! Came down with their tinkling anklets and called her continuously, requesting her to come back.
Keeping the green mountains of her dreams away, she shifted her attention to the sky scrapers with blazing firefly windows and decided to be in her path.
Urmil had been living alone since she moved down to the plains and she enjoyed her loneliness. Although she suffered from mental depression at times she didn't want to get in touch with anyone else… and took antidepressants to keep her fit.
… Nah, I have to get up and open the door... the bell has been ringing for a long time.
Urmil looked through the eye hole… Oh God! It's you my dear friend.
In that crowded city, Urmil had her only friend Asthaa Chetri, another mountain lady from Kalimpong, West Bengal. Just like Urmil, she also went to bed clinging to her pillow of sadness. She said "Everyday, I sleep amidst the familiar clouds which come down from my known mountains… and I have realised how impossible it is for me to be away from them, that too to be here in this city of bricks and metals…
I work all through the day but as the night darkens, the cloud of sorrow deepens and starts shedding tears and comes down as rain. Both the feeble and forceful waterfalls put me to sleep and as I get lost in deep sleep, they call me and ask me to go back."
As soon as Urmil opened the door, Asthaa entered like a storm and hugged her.
"Why did you take so long to wake up?" Asthaa smiled rolling her eyes.
"Were you alone or with someone?"
Urmil tapped Asthaa's head and muttered...
"Are you here early in the morning to pull my leg? Come on in, tell me what you want to eat."
"Is morning still waiting for you… did you look at the clock? It's nearly noon. I will order some food, I am hungry. Will you tell me what you want?"
"Order whatever you want, I will have the same… by the way Asthaa, did you call your parents, how are Uncle and Aunty?"
"They are doing well… waiting eagerly for me at Kalimpong… they haven’t seen me for a long time."
"Lucky Chap Yaar! There's no one in this world to wait for me." Urmil looked sad.
"You know… I grew up in an orphanage and don't have any idea about my parents."
Asthaa hugged her friend and kissed her lips passionately.
Urmil smiled and turned her face to wipe her lips in discomfort.
She asked "Do you think I am your boyfriend Shaon? When are you going to settle down, dear friend? There's no problem. He earns well and loves you."
Asthaa stared out of the window. The world knew that Asthaa had a boyfriend, she was an extrovert and had many friends but how could she explain it to Urmil that she only wanted her!
