SAVERA. An art of unrequited love – Part 2

A harmonica playing girl, who wore a threadbare frock, had a light brown complexion and sombre hair.

Well, this was Manali’s first gift to me for the love and respect I had showed to this place in all these years. Every gift deserves to be treated with utmost care but some deserves to be loved as well. She was one such gift…

I promised myself that I will draw a masterpiece before I get back to the plains to attend my college and get engrossed in a fast moving city life once again. But a week had passed and I didn’t register a single stroke on my art paper. Every day break dragged me to the stream where I would sit on the pebbled shore and listen to the chirping of the birds nudge the silence of the morning. I will remain seated with both my legs dipped in the cold water rolling all the way down the gigantic mountains and with every passing second I would get more committed to nature. With the progress of the summer blossoming wild dahlias have started to decorate the forest woods in the mountains. I wanted every happening of Manali to be on paper framed by my imagination. But my imagination had other better task to do. Apart from admiring the fleeting butterflies cautiously getting perched on the dew laced petals of bright yellow dahlias, it was happy to dream her mysterious eyes. It was like a routine task for me: sitting by the stream, waiting for her and once she arrived I will allow myself to get hypnotized by the melody she aired her harmonica with.

Wo toh mere dil me utar ayi thi…
Magar tab v meri masoomiyat uske hone se khafa thi …

Mai use janna chahta tha, uske bare me sunna chahta tha…
Magar pahadiyon ki sital pawan me gunjta uska geet, mere har beawaaz khwaish ko pura kar chuka tha…

It was on the tenth day of my stay in Manali that I chose to word my admirations. The sound of the cricket in the olive grasses gleaming in the light of sun had just dried out that I heard the harmonica. The same track…the same girl…the same feeling….

Pal pal dil ke paas…

I kept looking at her unaware that my blank art paper was tossed into the stream by the passing breeze. I don’t know how many art papers will be taken away by the stream before I finally end up creating a master piece. I remained unmoved for the next few minutes in my place. The cold water running over my feet produced no sensation. Everything else had ceased to exist for me. It was my senses walking the imaginative clouds of a serene music and my impatient eyes trying to catch a glimpse of her face….and her eyes.

It was quiet sometime into the morning. The dew on the rocks had evaporated as I found the music stop. My eyes caught sight of someone drifting through the pines.

‘It’s she…’ A voice within me said. I don’t want to let this day go without knowing a bit about her. I already had seven sleepless nights, an eighth one will be tough to survive.

“Hey! Wait….” I shouted. My voice was carried a long way into the forest by the breeze, before silence fell over once again. I stood up. The stream was shallow and the deepest part of it will only wet me to my waist. So I decided to walk across to her.

The cold water was slowly climbing up to me as I was walking towards the other side of the stream. The current being swift beneath my feet did make me lose my balance a few times. But finally I crossed the stream. Ahead of me lies a jungle comprising of erect pines bathing in the benevolent sun, mesmerizing floral plants stalked by fluttering butterflies and several unknown plants. And right behind one such altruistic tree, stands she.

I took a few steps ahead and as my wet feet crushed a few sunburnt leaves producing a churning sound, she turned to me. A thousand wild dahlias blossomed in my imagination. The wind blowing in favour of my fate lifted the streak of hair falling over her eyes and seven days of mystery finally stand ahead of me, resolved. She was one of a kind. Her deep black eyes shadowed by long, curvy lashes had the patience of the mountains. Her hairs were not taken good care of her; it was dull, but still enchanting. Her brown hands had traces of mountain soil on it. Looking shyly at me her lips bent to a courteous smile.

“Did you call me?” Her voice was melodious than her breath.

“Ye….yes….” I fumbled. Not out of nervousness but out of cold. My teeth were chattering. My wet body braving the morning breeze had left me shivering.

She kept waiting for me to reason my call.

“You play the harmonica really well.” Your eyes are really beautiful. I paused. “Will you teach me how to play?” Will you talk to me for some time; I couldn't sleep since a week wondering about you.

“Sure, why not?” She nodded.

She asked me to see her in the morning from the next day and that she will be teaching me how to play the harmonica. I thought that I will be able to get some sleep tonight but then initially it was the mysterious eyes hindering my sleep and now it was joined by shy smile and melodious voice too. Sleep started to inhabit my memories now…

My harmonica tutorial began from the next day. We use to walk up to the hill every day from where we could see the sleeping Manali blanketed by the mountains. We would lie down on the wet grass as the scent of the juice from the pressed blades beneath us would let the buds of passion bloom. Life appeared so blissful. Nature, harmonica, me and she. Our relation was taking roots and it was few days before I would leave the hills that I found myself drawing a pair of mysterious eyes with a piece of charcoal on my art paper.

I waited to see her take birth from the creation of the artist in me…but I never knew that sometimes from now she would exist only in that paper. I never knew that the mountains won’t reverberate with pal pal dil ke paas again…

It was the last morning of my vacation in Manali. She was lying in my arms on the grass. I was grieved with the fact that few hours from now I won’t be able to see her. My heart ached to leave Manali. My heart bled to leave her back…

“I will miss you Savera….” I whispered.

“I will miss you too….”

Witnessing this contagious moment was the blue sky above us with clouds shifting on its lap and the forested mountains around us. I wanted to stop the time. I wanted to push the sun back behind the mountains so that I can have yet another day to spend with Savera. I wanted to take her away with me. I wanted to spend every upcoming moment of my life in her presence. But with the grief of being unable to do any of these a heavy tear left the room of my eyes to stain my cheeks. I turned to her and bent to kiss her lips.

I closed my eyes and I could feel her breath on my chin. The passion on my lips and the love in my heart was about to kiss her thin lips as she placed her palm on my face.

I opened my eyes and she rolled out from my arms. She had tears in her eyes. She stood up and was intently looking at me. She was stepping away from me. Why?

“Savera, why are you crying??”

“I can’t do this….” She kept repeating and stepping back. Tears were getting webbed in her curvy lashes.

“Savera…I love you…” I said stretching my hand but she had gone way to far.

The same answer. “I can’t do this…”She cried and ran down the hill towards the stream to escape my sight. I followed her but Savera was nowhere to be seen. Her last words kept repeating in my head, ‘I can’t do this….’

The next morning I left Manali hoping that the next summer vacation when I will be here, Savera will be right there by the ledge playing her harmonica. May be waiting for me….!!

Semester studies failed to gather all my focus as a part of me remained behind in Manali, trapped in the charisma of the mountains and the charm of Savera. My heart was writhing in impatience. Why can’t Savera love me?

Oh wait, I forgot to tell you. By now I have learnt to play the first line of the song, Pal pal dil ke paas…

I eagerly waited for the vacation to arrive. I eagerly waited to play the full song. I eagerly waited to see Savera…

Next Part - Part 3