The Horizon - short story
“Lalitha is back in town...”
Mohan’s mother turned back and looked at him as if she was expecting his reaction to what she said, while her hand was stirring the content in the earthen pot, with a ladle and waiting for it to overflow a bit, as was the custom. It was Pongal festival.
Mohan was back in his native place for Pongal holidays. The entire town was in jubilant and festive mood. The whole town gathered together in the temple to celebrate the festival.
As soon as his mother uttered these words, he raised his head with a quizzical and curious look...
Lalitha was his childhood playmate. They have been eating and playing together. Now what was his mother going to tell him?
But then they parted ways when Lalitha’s parents decided to send her to Chennai to work as a helper to one of their rich relatives. Lalitha was hardly fifteen when she left the town.
So much had happened in his life and he used to remember her now and then. After all, she had been his beloved companion during his childhood days.
“Her husband ran away and she is back home. She has a one year old son now...” He came back to the real world when his mother continued to talk about Lalitha.
Mohan did not reply. His mother felt that a few more words from her mouth about Laitha would only spoil the festive mood, and stopped the conversation.
The festival was over and everyone returned back home.
It was almost dark when Mohan walked towards the river bank, to enjoy the stillness there. The beauty of the twilight horizon in crimson almost made him lose his senses.
His mind wandered to a few years back when he proposed to Lalitha. Subconsciously, he has been cherishing those moments and memories. Memories are like buds which bloom at the right time but they may also hiss like snakes and come out when not needed.
“Will you marry me?” His memories went back to those unpleasant moments of his life.
Her eyes were full of tears then.
“My mother is sending me to Chennai. I am leaving in a few days. God knows when we will meet again...”
Relationship is something both have to work on. She was not exactly his dream girl, but his instinct told him that he would have a blissful married life if he marries her.
That was the last he had heard of her. At that time, he felt that he would forget her in course of time and come to terms with the fact that she won’t come back.
It had been a constant struggle for Lalitha these last few years, to escape from all those unwanted happenings. There never seemed an end to her struggles.
Her mother sent her to work, because she thought that being the third daughter, it was not time for her to get married and she could as well earn for the family and keep the family going. But her hopes were shattered when Lalitha was sent back home on pretext that she stole a silver tumbler. Lalitha’s parents then got her married to a Rangan, fifteen years older than her. But to her utter disappointment, she was treated with contempt because of his complex that she was much younger to him and also because she was astonishingly beautiful.
And now she was back with a one year old child. Her husband left her for another woman. How did he have the heart to leave her? A ravishing beauty combined with intelligence. A tinge of sadness masked her beautiful face. How much he desired to unmask her face and make her look bright and cheerful.
He sat down there, engrossed in thoughts. Then, with dejection spread all over him, he started picking up the pebbles and threw them one by one into the water. All he could hear was the splashing sound of the pebbles. Then he turned around to watch the scenes spread around him. Suddenly he felt his hairs rising when he saw a woman approaching him. Was it Lalitha? The cotton saree and the well shaped figure, her beautiful face made him think it was Lalitha. As the figure walked past him, realization dawned on him that it was just an illusion.
There was turmoil raging inside him. Why not ask her to get a divorce and marry him? She must have killed her natural feelings and desires by now. Why not rekindle them and make her happy? He also felt that his mother would definitely not object to him marrying the woman he loved. This was the right hour to support her and offer her companionship when she badly needed it.
He got up with a clear mind, with a decision to talk to his parents and then ask her to marry him.
The sun was disappearing slowly and darkness silently crept in. He walked home thinking of Lalitha. For him, at that moment, the world ceased to be
Mohan’s mother turned back and looked at him as if she was expecting his reaction to what she said, while her hand was stirring the content in the earthen pot, with a ladle and waiting for it to overflow a bit, as was the custom. It was Pongal festival.
Mohan was back in his native place for Pongal holidays. The entire town was in jubilant and festive mood. The whole town gathered together in the temple to celebrate the festival.
As soon as his mother uttered these words, he raised his head with a quizzical and curious look...
Lalitha was his childhood playmate. They have been eating and playing together. Now what was his mother going to tell him?
But then they parted ways when Lalitha’s parents decided to send her to Chennai to work as a helper to one of their rich relatives. Lalitha was hardly fifteen when she left the town.
So much had happened in his life and he used to remember her now and then. After all, she had been his beloved companion during his childhood days.
“Her husband ran away and she is back home. She has a one year old son now...” He came back to the real world when his mother continued to talk about Lalitha.
Mohan did not reply. His mother felt that a few more words from her mouth about Laitha would only spoil the festive mood, and stopped the conversation.
The festival was over and everyone returned back home.
It was almost dark when Mohan walked towards the river bank, to enjoy the stillness there. The beauty of the twilight horizon in crimson almost made him lose his senses.
His mind wandered to a few years back when he proposed to Lalitha. Subconsciously, he has been cherishing those moments and memories. Memories are like buds which bloom at the right time but they may also hiss like snakes and come out when not needed.
“Will you marry me?” His memories went back to those unpleasant moments of his life.
Her eyes were full of tears then.
“My mother is sending me to Chennai. I am leaving in a few days. God knows when we will meet again...”
Relationship is something both have to work on. She was not exactly his dream girl, but his instinct told him that he would have a blissful married life if he marries her.
That was the last he had heard of her. At that time, he felt that he would forget her in course of time and come to terms with the fact that she won’t come back.
It had been a constant struggle for Lalitha these last few years, to escape from all those unwanted happenings. There never seemed an end to her struggles.
Her mother sent her to work, because she thought that being the third daughter, it was not time for her to get married and she could as well earn for the family and keep the family going. But her hopes were shattered when Lalitha was sent back home on pretext that she stole a silver tumbler. Lalitha’s parents then got her married to a Rangan, fifteen years older than her. But to her utter disappointment, she was treated with contempt because of his complex that she was much younger to him and also because she was astonishingly beautiful.
And now she was back with a one year old child. Her husband left her for another woman. How did he have the heart to leave her? A ravishing beauty combined with intelligence. A tinge of sadness masked her beautiful face. How much he desired to unmask her face and make her look bright and cheerful.
He sat down there, engrossed in thoughts. Then, with dejection spread all over him, he started picking up the pebbles and threw them one by one into the water. All he could hear was the splashing sound of the pebbles. Then he turned around to watch the scenes spread around him. Suddenly he felt his hairs rising when he saw a woman approaching him. Was it Lalitha? The cotton saree and the well shaped figure, her beautiful face made him think it was Lalitha. As the figure walked past him, realization dawned on him that it was just an illusion.
There was turmoil raging inside him. Why not ask her to get a divorce and marry him? She must have killed her natural feelings and desires by now. Why not rekindle them and make her happy? He also felt that his mother would definitely not object to him marrying the woman he loved. This was the right hour to support her and offer her companionship when she badly needed it.
He got up with a clear mind, with a decision to talk to his parents and then ask her to marry him.
The sun was disappearing slowly and darkness silently crept in. He walked home thinking of Lalitha. For him, at that moment, the world ceased to be
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