When Abhimanyu entered the room, Deepanita was giving her makeup the last minute finish.
“Are you ready to move?” he asked.
“Yes pretty much and you?” Deepanita’s seductive eyes were glowing.
Abhimanyu looked at her, just like the way he looked at her when they met for the first time. Her voluptuous curves were looking more perfect in the black satin gown she was wearing, it’s neckline was slightly revealing the division of her assets. The heart shape crystal pendant of her necklace was resting just above the cleavage lending it a mysterious sheen. Abhimanyu always liked Deepanita’s subtle ways of expressing her sensuality.
“Well then if you are ready to move.... I am ready to drive” He emphasized on the word ‘drive’ and a mischievous smile flashed at the corner of his lips.
In the beginning of their relationship Deepanita use to find these remarks quite boyish, doesn’t matching her own intellect, but after sometime she started kind of liking it. It gave their relationship a touch of teenage romance.
In teenage, when her friends used to flip the pages of magazines to know about the latest fashion and hairstyles, she used to fill the pages of her diary by writing poems. In a way Abhimanyu’s treatment gave her back what she missed in her teens.
“Okay, so if you are ready to drive…I am ready to drop” Deepanita shot back, matching his mischievous tone.
Abhimanyu came closer and hold her tightly “In place of dropping it, I would like to see you holding it, today is a big day for me, I can’t wait to see you holding the trophy for the best creative person of the year”
Suddenly Deepanita realized the importance of the event, they both were going to attend in few hours. The big yearly meet of the ad-professionals, the award ceremony where she was among one of the nominees, the speeches, the endless conversations of creative people, off course some boastful, some meaningful.
“Shekhar will also come” suddenly Deepanita’s voice turned low.
“Oh! Yes, not only Shekhar but many other top honchos of the ad world, but don’t worry, I know you will win. Your campaign ‘The Eyes of India’ is the talk of the town and you deserve the award.”
“I am not worried about the awards Abhi, it’s just that I am feeling nostalgic, getting nominated with the seniors under whom I have worked and learned.” she didn’t completed the sentence and uttered the last few words quietly, as if she was saying those words only to herself.
“And now you are competing with them. My Deepa has come a long way,
Come soon, I am waiting in the car” Abhimanyu left the room in haste.
Deepanita looked in the mirror. Memories flooded her eyes. She remembered the way Shekhar used to scold her for her mistakes and the way he used to notice her when she wore pink. She an intern, he the CEO of the agency, his each and every word was like a golden command for Deepanita. Those days were really special for her, locked in her heart forever.
She raised her chin and took a deep breath. Surely, she has come a long way, a long way as a person. From a wild stream she has turned into a deep lake. A lake who knows her boundaries.
Chapter 2
When Abhimanyu and Deepanita reached the venue, ceremony was about to start. After exchanging formal pleasantries with known faces and getting introduced to the new ones, the couple took their seats in haste but Deepanita’s eyes continued her search. It was searching Shekhar, her ex boss, her mentor, her unsaid special friend.
Her search was over when she heard an infectious laugh. Deepanita looked at the direction from where the sound of the laughter was coming. Shekhar was standing near the bar. His imposing height, broad shoulders and sharp eyes were setting him apart from the crowd, and his quintessential way of standing – slightly leaning over the counter, resting his right hand on the counter, and moving the left with the rhythm of his statements was hard to miss.
Deepanita got up from her seat to greet Shekhar but suddenly the lights went off. A beautiful host appeared on the stage marking the beginning of the ceremony, forcing Deepanita to sit back.
“What happened, are you nervous?” Abhimanyu pulled her hand.
“Will I get nervous for an award?” she rolled her eyes.
One after another categories were declared. Ad films were shown, nominees were announced and winners were called on the stage. All these were equally complemented by glittering entertainment. Finally the host announced -
“Best creative award for generating awareness for social cause….
“Yes…” Abhimanyu punched his fist in the air.
“It’s just a nomination, stop behaving like a kid” intervened Deepanita
.
“The nominees are…” continued the host…
“Rekha Mehta from Think Factory for ‘Earth Existence’.
George Jaccobs from ECG for ‘Stars of Tomorrow’.
Shekhar Roy from Independence for ‘Darkless Night’
Deepanita Sen Mathur from Matchbox for ‘Eyes of India”
“And the winner is… George Jaccobs from ECG for ‘Stars of Tomorrow”.
Amidst huge applause George Jaccobs took his award thanking the jury and his colleagues. Abhimanyu also joined the clapping audience as a courtesy while Deepanita congratulated the winning team.
“It’s okay” Deepanita patted Abhimanyu’s thighs.
“Actually, It should have been my line” replied Abhimanyu. There was a moment of silence. They looked at each other and started laughing together. It was a laugh of knowing each other’s reaction beforehand.
“Anyway, you are always my winner” Abhimanyu pinched her cheeks.
“No, you are the winner, I am the prize” she was giving an ear to ear smile.
When the award ceremony got over everyone left the hall for dinner but Deepanita moved towards the exit.
“Abhi, can I join you later?”
“Where are you going?”
“There is a beautiful garden at the back side and I want some fresh air and moreover I want to save myself from the boredom, now that you will start your client hunting process or what you call…”
“Networking” he completed the sentence with a smile.
“Okay enjoy your fresh air; see you in an hour or two” giving Deepanita a peck, he left the hall with his friends.
She felt quite strange while making her way towards the exit. She checked her hair, ironed the gown with her palms and forced a smile. There was a child like enthusiasm in her gait.
When she reached there a smile appeared on her lip. Her guess was right. Shekhar was standing there, all alone.
He turned back and gave her a welcome smile as if he already knew that she will arrive. Their eyes met and Deepanita traveled back in time. Shekhar’s sharp eyes started studying her keenly the way he used to do twelve years back.
“Congratulations” Shekhar’s husky voice finally broke the silence.
“Congratulations…for what? Oh! Congratulations to you too, for… getting nominated” stammered Deepanita. Embarrassed, she bites her lip.
“But I didn’t win” he replied.
“Me too and that brings us in the same category” this time she managed a formal smile.
“Oh! So now we are equal?” His reprimanding tone made Deepanita nervous.
“No no., I mean….” she stammered once again and Shekhar laughed loudly. Deepanita’s cheeks turned crimson.
“Gosh!!! I can’t believe, you are still behaving like an intern from Kanpur. Come let’s sit together for a while, will you? It has been a long time, really long” Shekhar blended his husky voice with gentleman’s charm and extended his arms.
Already in complete awe, Deepanita nodded in agreement just like a teenage girl.
“You didn’t join the dinner” asked Shekhar.
“I don’t want to listen about big ideas, brand emergence, strategies. I read those things every day and…” she paused for a while and continued “someone told me, to be creative you need to observe life. That’s why I am here.” Shekhar smiled.
“Matchbox, hmm… quite interesting, nice name for an agency, you coined out that name, isn’t it? asked Shekhar
“Yes, how do you know that?” she enquired but he didn’t reply.
“Independence is a good name too, you established it last year, right? What are the clients you are handling?”.
“Clients who love slaves” he quipped and a mutual laughter filled the ambience. For the first time they broke the barriers of formality.
“You are still the same?” said Deepanita slowly moving into her comfort zone.
“And you have changed a lot?”
This time Deepanita didn’t reply.
“So you and Abhimanyu are together, good, He joined the agency just 2 months before I left. When you two started seeing each other?”
“Well, he had to wait for more than one and a half year for our first date and then just six months to get married” her eyes shined.
“You two are different, quite a different bond” Shekhar shrugged his shoulders.
“Opposite attracts” replied Deepanita calmly.
“You are not ice and fire” Shekhar comes a little closer “you two are like a kite and string, holding each other. You are a kite”.
Deepanita was surprised at his straight forwardness. Though Shekhar was not completely wrong but she certainly didn’t want him to judge their relationship. It was a fact that more than she and Abhimanyu loved each other, they need each other. Her energy was like a free air while Abhimanyu’s trait was his ability to give her energy a direction.
“It’s better to be a kite attached with a string than being a kite, lying on a ground, tore into pieces by kids” Deepanita shot back. Pride reflected in her statement. Shekhar smiled, as if he was already knew that his statement will provoke her.
“12 years back, I was a secret admirer of a young girl who even when scared in front of so called experienced creative guys used to make it sure that she states her abstract ideas firmly, come what may.”
He paused for a moment to watch the effect of his words and then drawing himself much closer to her ears he whispered “You were not scared of hitting ground that time”
“Yes I remember. Living only for your ideas no matter even if they are stupid gives you happiness, but everything has its own charm Shekhar. Thinking in directions also takes you somewhere”
They both remain silent for few moments. No one among them wanted the evening to start like this.
“Where were you from the last eight years, you left everything so suddenly? Your city, your job… your friends?” Deepanita’s last word came with a pause.
“I was busy soaking the tranquility of small villages in Italy, witnessing the pace of Manhattan, enjoying the strange tribal rituals of Africa. It was not all of a sudden, if you remember I asked you to join me in my journey, but you didn’t.” Shekhar leaned forward and sighed “In those eight years I was busy observing life and what about you?” A winning smile surfaced on his face as he raised his eyebrows.
Deepanita got up from her place. Holding the arms of Shekhar’s chair, she leaned over his shoulders and whispered “Me…? I was living life” Shekhar was stunned at her response as she walked away laughing like a wild stream. Her laugh was filling that empty lawn. It was also stating that she has defeated Shekhar through her statement.
Shekhar was always attracted toward her spontaneity and her ability to defeat the other person by her subtle remarks. He will be lying if he said he didn’t miss her in the last twelve years. A young new girl in the industry, she was free spirited then, she is free-spirited now, only this time she is more confident. Her laugh worked like a magnet and Shekhar pulled Deepanita by her waist.
“Deep” he murmured gently.
She lowered her gaze as if she didn’t want to look at him at all.
He touched her shoulders and next, Deepanita finds Shekhar’s lips brushing hers. It was instant. His tongue was rolling inside her mouth as if he wanted to discover her each unknown corner, her every new dimension, her very own existence. His right hand was caressing her back while his left arm supported her waist. Deepanita stopped breathing to savour the moment.
He was licking her lips like a precious thing and she was reciprocating his emotions like giving him his dues. They both can feel the heat and hear the loud beats of their heart. All that while, Deepanita was stroking his hair. It lasted minutes but felt like an eternity. He then started licking her earlobes, biting it in the right places, caressing her nape. Deepanita closed her eyes and moaned in pleasure. Her satin gown crushed in between.
Shekhar slowly moved his hands downwards. For a minute it touched her crystal pendant and then moved inside her gown. As he touched her assets, Deepanita opened her eyes.
She pushed Shekhar gently.
“Shekhar, I love Abhimanyu” a tear trickled down her cheeks.
“I am sorry. I should not have” Shekhar looked sideways.
“You don’t have to feel sorry, this was for better” Deepanita cuts in between “At least now we know what was it, I mean the feelings we were nourishing for each other for the last 12 years” said Deepanita after regaining her calm.
“And what was it?” he touched her cheeks gentely but she moved away this time.
“I was a wild stream, you were an unsatisfied storm. You wanted to read me and I wanted to be read. I wanted to be you, like you, but can’t be you and at the very same time, you wanted to protect me, engulf me, but can’t shelter me. It was our strong desire to be in each other’s place. It was coming of two headstrong personalities trying to explore each other’s power. And now it has been released, relished and will stay in our memories forever”
“I must leave now, Abhimanyu must be waiting for me” she moved towards the exit.
“Deepanita, I bought something for you, will you come with me for a moment” She wanted to say no but said yes.
The car parking was dimly lit. Deepanita was continuously looking here and there, ensuring that no one should see them together.
Shekhar bought something wrapped beautifully in pink from his car. There was a small note on it ‘to a mermaid’.
Deepanita opened her gift. It was a painting of a fish jumping out from a sea, with moon shining in the background. Shekhar’s name was also there at bottom left. A unique way of writing ‘S’.
“You were the inspiration behind this painting” said Shekhar.
“Hmm! So I am a fish who can’t leave the water and touch the moon ” Deepanita raised her left eyebrow. Shekhar was stunned at her accurate judgment. Then she put the painting down and narrowed her gaze “And where are you in this painting?”
He lowered his gaze. Words were not coming out of his throat. He was feeling a pain in his stomach.
“Bye Deep” mumbled Shekhar softly and went inside his car.
Deepanita came back into reality by the wrooming sound of Shekhar’s car. Looking at her watch she realized it has been more than an hour since she left the hall. He thanked the habit of Abhimanyu slipping the car keys inside her purse. She hides the painting inside her own car and hurried back.
Inside the hall Abhimanyu, was still busy in talking to other people. And first time in last two hours she sighed with relief.
“Where were you my love? I just checked the lawn and was about to give you a call” Deepanita said nothing, she holds Abhimanyu’s arms and gave a sigh of relief. “Let’s go home, I am not feeling well” and she leaned on her shoulders.
On their way back Abhimanyu kept telling her how people liked her campaign and about the new clients who were interested in their services.
During the whole drive Deepanita kept looking at Abhimanyu thinking about his traits, behaviour, nature. She kissed him on his cheeks and he pulled her into his arms.
Chapter 3
Deepanita woke up late next morning and to her surprise Abhimanyu was not at home. He left early. Sitting all alone at breakfast table she slipped into the memories of her long journey. She always wanted to kiss the moon, never wanting to step on earth. Shekhar was right, Deepanita indeed changed from a free spirited girl to a sober woman.
Before leaving for the office she took the painting, admiring it for whole 30 minutes till she reached her office. She decided to adorn her new cabin with this precious gift which will remind her about her hidden persona.
After giving much thought and inspecting her work space, Deepanita finally decided to place the painting at the new oak shelf which Abhimanyu designed himself for her cabin. He didn’t tell her but she knew it was meant for that award.
She placed the painting on that aesthetically built space when suddenly her thoughts got interrupted by the creaking sound of the door.
“Oh! Where were you in the morning? Somebody waking up early, huh…, surprise, surprise!” Deepanita winked in amusement as Abhimanyu stepped in the cabin.
“Come.” said Abhimanyu putting his fingers on her lips. His somber looks informed her that right now he is not in a mood to joke. She followed him as he quietly leads her in the conference room.
She sat there quietly waiting for Abhi to start the conversation. Something was cooking in Abhimanyu’s mind and first time in life Deepanita was not able to judge it correctly.
“What happened last night was not expected” began Abhimanyu in a low and firm voice. This kind of tone was meant for his clients or staff meeting, polite and effective “but we can still finish it in style”
The way he stressed on the word ‘finish’ Deepanita anticipated something stormy and closed her eyes.
She opened them when she heard giggles of her team members. Deepanita rose from her chair when she saw each and every staff member of Matchbox was present in the conference room. She turned back to Abhimanyu who started clapping in rhythm.
******************
“My love, I have a better trophy waiting for you” pride reflected in Abhimanyu’s eyes as he pointed towards something wrapped in red with a note “to a beautiful heart”.
It was a beautiful crystal figurine of a fairy sitting on a colourful rainbow. Deepanita looked at the petite creation like a child looking at the jar filled with toffees.
She giggled “Thanks, this I saw in Venice on our last holidays, but they said it was sold to someone else”
“That’s why I ask them to design a new one for you with a particular change”
“Yes you are right, originally the fairy was sitting on the moon, this one is sitting on a rainbow”
Abhimanyu put her arms around Deepanita, her cheeks were red “You are not a moon. You are a rainbow with numerous colours which you keep to yourself, expressing particular shade on particular occasion”
Deepanita’s eyelashes were moist; she tried to say something but pressed her lips instead. Abhi hugged her tightly and the whole office greeted Deepanita on her nomination. After the lunch got over which Abhimanyu arranged as a part of celebration, Deepanita quietly slipped into her cabin.
She looked at the painting gifted by Shekhar for quite some time and then opened the door of her personal closet. Deepanita placed the painting safely there. Some emotions, incidents, feelings are better to be kept inside the closet, expressed only on a particular occasion.
************
Epilogue
Deepanita, was playing one of her favourite Rabindra sangeet on the laptop when Abhimanyu entered her cabin after few hours.
“Oh! You placed it in the perfect place.” he exclaimed.
On the oak shelf ‘the fairy on the rainbow’ was sitting perfectly. As they both sit together Deepanita leaned over Abhimanyu. The lyrics of the Bengali song filled the ambience …
“…. Ami tar mukher kotha shunbo bole gelam kothaye,
dekha mele na….mele na…
aaj phire eshe nijer deshe, shei je shuni,
shuni tahar bani, apon bani
amar praner manush acche prane”
‘I wondered here and there to hear the words of wisdom but ultimately I find it near me… beside me… inside me… and in my closet.’
