CHALLENGE

Romance is adventure. We often quickly respond. I have a tendency not only to see the best in a girl, but to assume that the girl is emotionally capable of reaching her highest potential. I have fallen in love more times than I count, rather than with the girl herself, and I have hung on to the relationship for a long time (sometimes far too long) waiting for the girl to ascend to her own advanced platform. Many times in romance I have been a victim of my own optimistic thinking. Adventure needs proper understanding of the eyes you read in synchronisation of her mind.

I was in Delhi for some time. I see the girl often in Karol Bagh area. One day I saw her near Ghaffar Market. What we do not is the time when we are ready for adventure. Whenever I see her, I feel like metro train is running in my heart. She also looks towards me and answers with her eyes that she is observing me.

I was then twenty five. I was married and a daughter. I came to Delhi on some project to start my business unit and I will be there for another few months or one year. I was eating in hotels and staying in a home I bought for my personal stay. In leisure time, I am wandering on the roads seeing the city.

Only to see her, I frequently go to that market area. I saw her as flash when I looked the moving traffic. I walked like running in the side as she has gone. She was near Monga looking some salwar suits. I went there and I was also looking salwar suits with her as a customer. If someone sees me, he will think that I have come with her. I was so close standing with her. When I went so closer to her she saw me and just smiled that I only can see. I too smiled.

She is walking towards the road. My heart was beating with extreme speed. I also walked closely. She appeared like she is waiting leisurely with me talking something. But she is not talking with me, neither me too. I waited her to talk to me. My waiting was fruitful. She stopped at a wall leaning to it and started looking at me with full observation. Her face looked like asking me what I want to tell her.  I also went too close to her as if asking her to speak something.

“So what you think is to let me say something, right?” Her looks are matured and her tone is intimate.

“I saw many times, you look known.” She said.

“I cannot stop but look at you. I come to this area daily to look at you.” I said.

She smiled for a while.

“I know that. I am Salma.”

“I am Raju. I think I love you.”

Salma looked at me for a while.

“I don’t know much about love. We poor people think much to live.”

I did not answer. I simply looked at her and she too looked at me for a while. People are coming and going and nobody bothered about looking at us.

“We live nearby. Do you like to come home? I live with my mother only.”

“What about your father?”

“He is no more. We lost him in war. I will tell my mother that you are my friend. Come with me.”

“I very much love to come to your home. Today I come with you up to your home talking with you something. I am thirsty of talking with you salma” I said.

We started towards her home. Nobody is looking at us. We walked while talking and talked while we are walking. At some distance, she stopped showing me her old house. That house is what his father left for them.

“Come in Raju.” Salma said.

“I will come on this Sunday. Not now. You go Salma.” I said.

She again smiled like a pure diamond and went in to the house. I came back to my house.
*****

I was in the fire of thoughts. I know that I am walking in fire. But forgetting Salma was not possible. I cannot explain. The entry of Salma in my life appears like a certain thing.

I could not tell Salma or her mother that I am married. I felt like I am cheating them. Whenever Salma’s mother looks at me, I feel as if she is asking me that am I cheating her daughter or I really loving her. I am true in loving Salma, but my only weakness is that I am married and I had been taken for some other women.

Women cannot tolerate cheating husband and they will not accept to share the husband with some other woman.

Finally, one day she is in my flat, I said to Salma that I was married. Salma was very strong woman with strange character.

“Raju, I know this long back. You are married and this reason is making you sleepless. You want me unconditionally, or without any restrictions. My position is also just like you. We respect the traditions and rules that are created and made by us. At present, I am unable to see anything that will stop us Raju.”

Salma’s voice is very clear and her full cooperation made me united with Salma. Actually, I did not marry Salma traditionally, but she is more than my married wife. Salma looked like she is the real spirit of my heart. She is more a part of my business also. My Delhi office knows that she is my wife.

She is my real power and my Delhi office is completely under Salma’s control. I stay most of the days in a month in Delhi and my stay in Bangalore is very less. Gayatri is my wife and head office in Bangalore is under her control.

“Is it true?” One day Gayatri asked me.

“What?” I asked her.

“The manager in Delhi office, Salama, is your wife. This is what people are saying. If she is your wife, what I am for you?” Gayatri asked me in cool tone.

“I married you Gayatri, don’t you know what you are for me?”

“But people are not accepting. I want her removed from Delhi office and also removed from your heart.”

What Gayatri said is not digestible for me.  I said that forget about Delhi office and Salma. I admitted that Salma is also in my life like her and I have daughter from Salma as one here from her.

Gayatri’s face is red with anger.

The other day, Gayatri’s brother came from Bombay. He tried to console his sister, but it was not possible. He asked me if I am ready for divorce or to leave Salma. I am ready to leave everything for Salma. If Salma knows all this, she will leave me and vanish from my life. So I managed everything as a secret.

Gayatri was happy for I accepted to leave everything, the total business in her name and then she will forget me and Salma.

I left everything for Gayatri. I came to Salama and said that her father lost life in the real war, bust her husband lost property in family war.

I convinced her and we started our simple living peacefully from a new end. Salma mother learned everything and she said, “People in boundaries have secured life and out of boundaries, life is like a challenge.

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