II

[The Publisher came to know, some hidden piece of information. But, he was not sure about that. May be, he was unaware of that. A lot of things have been going on, in his head. His mind started juggling with each and every fact. But, still there was a feeling of recognition in his mind. As if, he had already recognised the character.

On the other hand, Jeff took the jar from the table and started directly drinking water from it. He wanted to ask for a glass. But, thought that it’ll distort the rhythm.]

In the morning, Jeff’s ears heard the announcement that, the train had reached at Sanglon railway station. He instantly woke up, wore his shoes, took his luggage and jumped out of the train.

Now, Jeff’s feet were in the territory of love. He went to a hotel near Anamika’s hospital and booked it for three days. He kept his luggage in the room, took bath and went to the hospital. He reached there on time while she came late. His heart was beating quite fast, which wanted its beating frequency to match with her. He was waiting from the past one hour. At last she came. Her billowing hair, brown eyes, beautiful red coloured shirt, needed something new that day. He wanted to be that new thing. He was standing in the corner.

“You are late today.” said Jeff, who was standing at a distance behind her.

She turned back and the feeble tension, which was visible on her face, got converted into a smile along with an expression of shock. She ran towards him and hugged him tightly. His arms were also waiting to cuddle her. Tipsiness of love was so intense that, both of them had forgotten about everything else in the world. She kissed him, even his lips reacted to her action.

“Wait here, today I am taking a leave from hospital.” said Anamika, while going inside.

He wanted to stop her, but was a little bit selfish that day. After some time, she came out of the hospital and held his hand. It was for the first time that, someone held his hand through the bond of love. He was very happy and she was happy too. Both went for the breakfast together.

“Why haven’t you told me earlier?” asked Anamika, while pulling his cheeks.

“Because, I wanted to give, life to my surprise.” replied Jeff

Both were into each other’s company so much, that, they had forgotten about the time. The wrist watch, on her wrist, was showing half past five. She looked at her watch and said:

“I am late and my parents would be waiting for me.”

Both had already spent seven hours together and wanted to spend more time. But it was not possible, as her parents did not know about them. After having a last goodbye kiss, they went to their respective homes.

He came back to his hotel, was in some deep thoughts. He wanted the night to pass quickly, so that, he could meet her, the next morning. On the other hand, he was the only character in her thoughts, thinking him to be the perfect partner a girl could get. Both spent the night talking on phone with each other.

Time passed on, the same cycle of meeting and parting was followed by them everyday. Her parents were unaware of their love game. On Sundays, she used to sneak out of her house, in order to meet him. He did not apply for a job. He knew, he was in Sanglon for a limited period of time. Moreover, he wanted a different life for both of them. A life, which would be away from the fake I/T environment. Staying there for complete one year, he had seen people’s mind changing as if ,they were part of a software itself. He had seen I/T professionals, sobbing for one day, due to their break up with their loved ones. The next day, they were seen to be happy in somebody else’s arms. He wanted to take her out of that vicious cycle.

She wanted him to work in Sanglon. May be she knew that, the base of our society lies in the fact: the consumers must work in order to consume. In our society, there is no place for an unemployed lover. He was trapped in this cycle of consume and work.

He knew, in order to marry her, he had to earn. So, he decided to go back to his hometown and look for a job there. He left the city in the same way, as he had arrived in it. Though it was very difficult for both of them, but in order to stay together for a longer span of period, shorter stays had to be compromised. The same train, which had brought him to the city, took him back to his hometown.

As, they had spent one year together, he was sure that her parents would agree now. To get a job, he tried in each and every government department. But, he could not get a job. Jeff and Anamika used to talk on the phone. He was not working. So, telling her parents about him was quite difficult for her. She had already turned twenty-nine in the starting of the year. Beyond this age, it was hard to find a suitable partner for her. So, her family started searching a dream boy, for their dream girl.

One day she gave him a call and said:

“I am being married to a diamond merchant.” said Anamika

“You are joking.” replied Jeff

“I am serious.” said Anamika

He was shocked. All his future dreams were broken into tiny pieces. He wanted to stop it, but thought it is good for her. Because, he never wanted to become a hurdle in between her happiness.

The last words of Anamika started to haunt him:

“I wasted my three years with you.” said Anamika

At last, she left him. In order to kill even a single expectation, he changed his phone-number and even deleted his account from all the social networking websites.

It is said that, the youth usually take the support of something, to get rid of other things. In his case, alcohol played the role of a supportive thing. He had become an alcoholic.

After three months, he realised that instead of facing the situation, he had been consuming alcohol, as a means to run away from it. He knew: the weak and fool blame others; whereas, strong and wise blame themselves. He accepted the truth.

But something was burning inside him, and it lighted up his quest of knowing. He wanted to identify it, but was unsuccessful. May be, it was love. May be, it was jealousy. May be, it was hatred. But whatever it was, it never wanted him to kneel down. It made him to stand up again, and to come out of the deep trench.

After several months, he came into the reality again. The word Anamika which meant ‘nameless identity’, became nameless in his memory too.

III

[Both, Jeff and the Publisher, are looking at each other. As if , both had recognised each other. But it seems that, there are still doubts in both the minds. The story is becoming complex.

Earlier, the Publisher thought that, he came to know about some of the hidden information. Now, he is not even having a single clue.

On the other hand, Jeff is waiting for the Publisher, to interrupt him and tell him the truth. Disappointed Jeff, keeps on narrating the story. ]

The time, which Jeff used to spend on phone with Anamika, was now free. He was not able to spend time alone. He wanted to utilise the time. So, he thought about attending a meditation course. For that purpose, he went to a place in northern India, the monastery was located in the centre of Great Himalayas. Silence was the basis of this meditation course. Nobody was allowed to speak throughout the course. Silence taught him analysis, which was earlier absent in his mind. It was an intense meditation course, which gave him the fruit of inquisitiveness.

The concepts of impermanence, law of karma, mind study, ways of thinking, nirvana; changed his perspective towards life.

There in the monastery, he came across an old wise monk, who taught him some important phases of life.

HIS FIRST MEETING WITH OLD WISE MONK:

Day began, with the birds acting as a morning alarm, singing out of his window. He opened the window and the gorgeous sight was in front of his eyes. Birds were sitting on the different branches of a tree, with their heads towards the window of his room. He looked at the wall clock of his room. The time was 5:20 A.M. He knew he was late. He was in a hurry. As he moved, out of the dormitory towards the meditation hall. He saw an old monk, sitting in the direction of rising Sun. Monk looked at him. As Jeff, saw the monk bowing his head. He also bowed his head in response. Monk looked like an angel, as if waiting only to fill Jeff’s day with a lot of positivity. It seemed from the eyes of the monk that, they knew something about Jeff.

Throughout the day, Jeff felt energy of positivity encircling around him. During meditation, he was thinking about this monk, who had spiritual glow on his face. Every day, he used to ensure that, he sees the monk.

SECOND MEETING WITH THE OLD WISE MONK:

One day, after moving out of the meditation hall. He started wandering here and there in the monastery. All of a sudden, he saw a cluster of tall trees through which, even light could not penetrate. He moved further, saw colourful fags on the branches of a tree. On the branches, a gang of monkeys were playing. One monkey pushing the other, into a small stagnant source of water. The pool was constructed by the monastery administration, for the monkeys.

Jeff stepped ahead, saw an old rope tied between two trees. Slowly following the way, he understood that, the rope was tied with the sole purpose of drying the clothes. Next to the rope was a beautiful red coloured small hut.

“How can a person live in this small hut?” he asked himself

In front of the hut, a lamp was hung. The lamp looked like, that it was here from the past twenty-years. After sometime, someone lighted up the lamp and went inside the hut. He was not able to see the person who lit the lamp. Below the lamp, a wind chime was hung. He saw the wind chime, when the light of the lamp, fell on it. The wind chime became alive, when its composer that is air, started displacing it from its resting position. Behind the wind chime was a curtain, which served the purpose of a door. This delicate door was securing the person, whose shadow was visible on it.

After five-six minutes, someone came out of the hut. Jeff instantly hid himself behind the tree. He saw the same monk, with an everlasting smile on his face. The monk sat on a teak chair, which was placed outside his little but fully satisfied hut. Jeff’s feet made a sound, which the monk noticed.

“Come on!” said the monk, while smiling

As if, he knew that Jeff was hiding behind the tree. Slowly, stepping on the stones, Jeff reached the hut.

“Have a seat, young man.” said the monk, while giving him a chair to sit.

His inner world wanted to save this monk in his permanent memory. Calm and serene attitude of this monk was attracting him. He wanted to be a part of the monk’s spiritual glow. Jeff wanted to talk to the monk, but his voice was trapped in the game of silence. Both sat together for one hour, but silence was maintained by both the beings. When Jeff stood up and started walking towards his dormitory, the monk said:

“You’ll come back again.” said the monk

Jeff looked back, saw the monk playing with the wind chime. He thought the monk to be talking with himself.

Many days had passed and he was finding the meditation course to be fruitful. Now, only one day was left.

The last day of his meditation course, took a place in his permanent memories. It was an awesome experience.

After rigorous meditation, students came out of the meditation hall reciting the hymns. With the candles in their hands, students were walking very carefully. As if, a delicate soul was being handled by each one of them.

Everyone encircled around the stupa and placed their candles on it. Stupa was full of candles. The yellow flames of the candles looked like, live golden flowers dancing with the blowing wind. Each flame depicted human life. Some of the students started crying. While some like Jeff, were in a joyful state. Students were taught about the concepts of love and compassion. But the practical was being performed by the flames.

With the light of candles, even the shadows were clearly visible. Jeff was being attracted towards them. Ants had stopped their journey, in order to gain the spiritual pleasure. The leaves on the trees were stationary. It seemed that, the leaves were protecting the candles from being blown off.

But, Jeff wanted the candles to extinguish themselves. So that, he could travel along with them to the place, which was their true home. He knew, the next day, he had to leave from the heaven of silence. So, he sat outside the dormitory, was enjoying the fresh breeze, which the sea of silence created.

In the morning, he had his last meditation session. After coming out of the meditation centre, his sub-conscious mind tried to maintain silence. But, was overcome by his urge to speak. When he spoke after ten days, felt as if he had forgotten about his sound producing instrument called throat. With the passage of few hours, he became habitual again to his speaking abilities.

He reached his hometown after two days. But, he was a different individual, from the one who had gone for meditation, twelve days earlier.