I dream. Yes I do. But then you might think what is so special about it? Most all do dream. Yes, don’t they? So what is so special about my dream?

I dream. Yes I do. But then I remember them quite clear when I wake up and I write them down. It comes as a story with no beginning or ending. And before I forget it I write it down adding to it the missing parts. It may be early in the morning or sometime middle of the night. Weird isn’t it?

This is just an example. Please do read it and don’t look for any meanings to it.

It was just a dream.

They meet again

Siva was walking by the shelves of the super market looking at the wares displayed. He had come in, on the way home from his office, to buy provisions for the month. He took the list out of his pocket and glanced through it, wondering where to start. As he walked along looking at the products displayed, he came beside a woman who was engrossed in her own shopping.

Siva looked at the woman casually. And he saw her. For a moment he could not believe his own eyes. After all these years seeing her again was quite unexpected.

“Uma” he called out to her.

She turned and saw him and her eyes widened in recognition.

“Hi Siva” she said smiling at him. She looked happy to see him, but at same time apprehensive?.

“ Hi, it is so nice to see you again after all these years. Where were you and what had happened to you?” Siva rushed out the words.

Uma did not answer for a while but just looked at him.

“Oh. It is a long story and will take sometime to tell” she said with a sigh.

“Tell me. I have lot of time. Come join me for a coffee. There is a nice café in this place.” Siva said. He started to lead her out.

“What about your shopping? I see you have a list in you hand.” Uma asked.

“Oh. Nothing very urgent. Only monthly provisions that can wait. But what about you?”

“I just came in to while away some time before going home.” She said.

They walked out of the shop to the next wing where the café was. Entering the cafeteria, they sat down at an empty table for two. Both did not speak anything but just kept looking at each other lost in their own thoughts. They were brought back to the present by the waiter asking what they would like to order.

“Would you like to eat something?” Siva asked her.

“No, just coffee will do” Uma answered.

“Two coffee please” Siva told the waiter.

Siva looked at Uma for a while “Ok. Now tell me your story”

“I don’t know where to start Siva”

“Why not from the time I  saw you last”

Uma looked down at the table silently drawing on the tablecloth with her nail. Then she slowly looked up at Siva and gave a deep sigh. He knew she was finding it difficult to speak but kept his silence.

“You know when I met Ram and started going steady with him” Uma looked as if wanting some response from Siva but he kept silent steadily looking at her.

“I wanted so much someone in my life to be with. Maybe I was getting desperate as the years rolled away. Ram was a divorcee with a fifteen year old son who was with his ex-wife in Germany. We were of the same cast, so I thought my parents wouldn’t disapprove. Siva, you know how much I wanted their acceptance of the person I want to marry again. I thought my son would also accept him in the long run.” Uma took a sip from her cup of coffee and silent.

Siva did not say anything as he wanted her to tell him in her own way.

“In the beginning everything was fine. As we were getting serious in our decision and was planning on fixing a date everything started going wrong.” Uma couldn’t continue as she choked in her own feelings.

Siva called the waiter over and asked for the bill. Leaving enough cash on the table with a tip, Siva got up and said.

“Come Uma. Let us go for a drive if it is ok with you.”

Uma got up and they went out together to his car and got in. Siva looked at her before starting the car buy she was silent and only looked out silently. Driving out to the main road he drove to the Marine Drive just couple of streets away. Finding an empty place at the sea face wall, Siva parked the car. They sat in the car in silence looking out at the waves crashing on the rocks below. They remained this way for a while and then Uma started talking again.

“Suddenly my mum started finding all kinds of faults with Ram. She started saying what other family members will talk and what would happen to my father’s prestige and so on. I really thought my father would support me, but strangely he seems to agree, with my mother’s opinion, in silence. I don’t know whether they spoke to my son or not, but he too started criticising Ram and even told me that I must stop seeing or speaking to Ram in future.” Uma stopped again.

“Uma, you should have expected that from your son anyway. He was always very possessive about you. How could you ever believe that he would have given his approval?”

“Well I knew he wouldn’t approve but I thought he would have eventually come around. Anyway my mum threatened to cut me off from the family money and from their life. She even turned my brother against me, ordering him not to speak to me under the threat of losing any inheritance. I was very hurt by my brother’s attitude. I thought at least he will stand by me” Uma wiped her eyes with her handkerchief.

“So how come you are here?” Siva asked.

Uma “Well… I defied my family and came with Ram here” she kept silent after this.

Siva did not say anything, allowing her to speak at her own pace. He knew this was causing her lot of anguish. Uma was always a proud person, valuing her privacy very much. She never liked talking about herself.

“He couldn’t keep his job. He was always getting into some trouble or other where ever he worked.” She sat in the car looking out of the window at the waves crashing on the rocks. Her emotions, obviously, must be in turmoil like those waves.

“My job kept us going” she continued, “Then he started drinking heavily” Uma stopped and was looking at her hands twisting her handkerchief into knots.

“First he was going to some bar to drink. Later on he started at home. After he ran through whatever money he had, he started demanding from me. If I didn't give him there would be a big fight” her voice started chocking again with emotions. She lapsed into silence again. After sometime she raised her head and looked at Siva. Her eyes were brimming with tears. He touched her shoulder gently without saying anything. Uma nodded her head and gave a wan smile, acknowledging his understanding in silence.

“Ram started disappearing from the house frequently for days. In the beginning I used to worry and enquire at his friend’s houses and his usual hangouts. Eventually I started ignoring them” Uma continued, “One day he went out as usual and never came back. At the beginning I used to wait for him to return, but then I thought maybe it is for the better. That was nearly a year ago”.

Uma did not say anything after that. Maybe she thought there was nothing more to say. 

Siva took her hand in his and said “Don’t worry, maybe it is for the better. I am happy that I met you again. I thought I will never see you again. Uma. I would like to be your friend again and start again from where we left off”

Uma just sat there looking out. Siva kept quite allowing her to regain her composure.

“I don’t know Siva. I don’t know” she said still gazing out “I am still emotionally very fragile now. I just don’t know”

“It is ok Uma, take all the time you need” Siva said, “I am not going anywhere. I can wait”

She just sat there looking into his eyes.

“In the meantime how about joining me for dinner?” Siva asked with a smile.

For a moment she looked startled by this unexpected question. He could see her the familiar sparkle in her eyes again.

“Why not?” Uma was laughing.

‘Oh my, that laugh again. She looks so beautiful when she laughs like that’ thought Siva.

“Que sera, sera” Siva said quietly to himself, and he started the car.

The End]

(This story was inspired by an entry I read in ‘Top Of The World’s blog space. Thank you Sonia)

The Shelter

She was standing there in an old patched up, but clean dress. She just stood there looking at me with those big eyes.

“What is your name?” I asked her. She mumbled something I could hardly hear.

“Speak louder”

“Maya” she said in a quivering voice.

“Come, sit there” I pointed to a chair next to my table and I settled down into my recliner.

She walked slowly forward and sat on the ground in front of me. I took her chin in my hand and lifted her face. Her eyes were bright and wet with unshed tears. So young and pretty, like an angel. She turned away from me and her lips were quivering and she brought up her hand over her lips, long slender fingers.

“Don’t be afraid” I told her.

I struggled up on my creaking knees walked towards my bedroom. Opening the door I reached inside with my hand. Groping behind on the wall next to the door I turned to her and said “Maya come here”. She was looking up at me apprehensively .Two drops of tears started rolling down her cheek. I just stood there at my bedroom door not saying anything. I wondered what she could have gone through at her tender age to bring that abject terror into her face. I pulled my hand out with a key ring in it.

I walked towards her and taking her hand in mine pulled her up. I started to walk towards another door opposite to mine. I could feel her trying to pull back. Opening the door with a key from the ring I walked in switching on the light. The room was small with a bed, table and a chair. Usually I kept it neat and ready for the unexpected guests dropping in.

I thought it is too late to take her to the quarters behind my house where I have lodged many more like her. “You can sleep here tonight. You will find a blanket in that shelf. I will see you in the morning. Let me see what work you can do here.”

She stood there looking at me with those big wet eyes.

“Don’t be scared. No harm will come to you here. Be assured” I walked away from her.

I could never turn away all those that turned up at my door, whether they came on two legs or four or even flying.