Nothing

“You are pretty easygoing Robert, right?”

“May be, I don’t care Betsy.”

“I know that. What next?”

“Shall we go to beach?”

“Lot of people will be there. You don’t look at me. I see and doubt that you are seeing some other girls having their bath in blue waters.”

“Blue? You naughty, you are my only girl. Why I have to see some other girl?”

“I am a girl, so it is natural.”

“Is it so?”

“ you boys always look the girls to see who is up.”

“Come, you are my girl. Come into my warm enclose.”

Robert hugged Betsy tightly. Betsy hugged Robert with still more tightness. They forgot that somebody may see them. They don’t bother, when they want to be closer, they do like this. They went to a bar. The special room is comfortable. They ordered the drink. All of a sudden the doors of opposite room are open by another bearer. We saw young man and woman busy in love.

“Stupid! We are not drinking. Don’t see?” The man shouted with discomfort and anger.

Our doors are closed. Betsy looked down as if her hands are touching the ground and the warmth makes her melt.

“Is it the bearer’s mistake?” Robert questioned as reasoning.

“No. They need it. So it is not their mistake.” Betsy said.

“You look like their personal lawyer. You may be a lawyer in the court, but not here.”

“If I were in police department, I could have arrest!”

“Them?’

“No. You, for seeing the crime and not responding legally.”

“Just for what you have seen in the opposite room.”

“You are too much advancing honey. They may be married couple!”

“If married, the place is their bed room, not this public place to creep like that.”

“You are pretty hot now!” He took her in a fraction of a second in to his hug.

“Sorry sir!”

The bearer just opened and closed the door as if nobody can see them.

“If the girl in the opposite room were in police department, she could have arrested us.”

“You want to say that we did what they did, right?”

“Betsy. Don’t get irritated. All this is just very natural. It’s usual honey.”

Now she is at ease. Drinks are before them. They had the drinks that they love better with snacks. She is in his lap, almost like she is in bed room. She knew that the privacy is not disturbed in this bar. He had her cling to him with fervor. Her warm touch is working in his body.

Is it right to say? Betsy is in Robert’s hug with burning warmth. Robert paid the tip of hundred bucks also. Bearer has gone long back. It was time to leave. She stood up from the bar.

“Shall we go?” Robert said.

“Shall we go?” Betsy repeated.

She slowly stood with the help of Robert’s hand.

She is walking and he is following. Sometimes he is walking and she is following.

She is best example of complacency, a feeling of smug or uncritical satisfaction with oneself or a feeling of quiet pleasure or security, often while unaware of some defect.

“What did you say?”

“Nothing” Betsy said.

After few minutes Betsy asked him, “What did you say?”

“Nothing” Robert said

The sun is coming down. Cool air is touching them.

“Do you like to visit the park? There is some more time for sunset?”

Betsy likes sunset very much. Robert is in the park with Betsy many times. Betsy said yes. Robert purchased some food and drinks. He took a cabbie. It left them near the historic old Park in the city. The Park attendant came to them with a blanket.

“I will spread the blanket in the shade under that banyan tree Sir.” The attendant said.

“Thanks William” Robert said.

Long back Robert purchased two blankets and gave to the attendant. It is a usual thing that whenever Robert comes with Betsy there, he will spread the blanket in the shade under that tree. It will be usually before sunset and he never disturb them until they stand up and ready to go. After they go, he takes the blanket and some food and drinks left. It is the system coming from few years.

There are few pairs of lovers scattered here and there and nobody is caring others there. Everybody is busy in their own activity. Except one pair.

The old man behind the jasmine bush is busy speaking to a young woman before him.

“I see them regularly. They sit there and the blanket is spread by the attendant. He behaves like he is the servant of that man. Nobody involves in this.” He said.

“You mean to say that she is also like me flirting with that guy?”

“I don’t know.” The old man said.

“Don’t try to know. They look like wife and husband.” The young woman said.

“You may be right. He doesn’t look old like me and she is younger than you too.” He deducted.

“You dirty mind.” She slapped on his left cheek with disgust.

“Somebody slapped. Did you hear?” Betsy asked.

“No. I don’t mind. A public park is a good patience here and see much like a dumb and blind witness”

“Yeah, you are right.” Betsy smiled.

They are drinking and eating sandwiches. They are looking at the sunset.

“It’s over! “ She cried with immense joy, “It’s over!”

“Betsy, look at me. What is over?” He put his hands on both sides of her face and asked her.

“Sunset, see that, It’s over! It’s over!”

“No, no. Look there, the red light is not gone completely.”

Time is passing on. They are drinking and eating and eating and drinking. The shadow had overtaken the spaces between the trees. She could see vaguely at him as if they laid on the blanket like the scattered food. The food makes them see at it and they take and eat, but they are no more food for each other.

It was so dark that he could have been anyone. He is not seen as she also. Betsy is looking at him eagerly. He is as usual. But he can see her and her feelings, though he is not a psychology guy.

Betsy began an intensive study of the mind and body few years ago when she embarked upon a regular meditation practice and the study of psychology. She thinks that if she is not wrong, he is around her in his mind. She is naked doll before him. Nobody knows what he thinks. But as psychology guy, she can peep in to his mind.

She stood and slowly looked turning her head towards him. She is going behind the tree trunk. It is dark there. The darkness is just like the lights are off in the bed room. Only bed is not there, or else it’s a perfect bed room.

She waited. She waited and waited. She had the hot breath behind her neck. Her hands are on the ground. His hands covered her waist. Little warmth is found. All of a sudden, she felt that he is not responding.

“Do you need help?” she whispered.

There is no answer. In the darkness, she saw him flat on the blanket few yards back as if he is looking at the sky to invite the moon who is not yet arrived.

Is it just what she thought a feel? Why he is not like yesterday. Every day, a change is found in him as if it is inevitable.

She stood and dusted herself free of earth and rushed towards him.

“Tell me you get it,” she cried.

“Please tell me you get it.” She shook her head into his chest.

He did not answer. He is trying to understand what she is talking about.

“I’m scared to death, I want to die. Do you know that?” she said.

“What happened?” he asked.

She did not answer. He could not feel what the fact is.

“What went wrong? Tell me Bet!”

“What are we doing here? Why did we come here?”

“What else could we have done? We did a lot,” he said. “Why are you so upset?”

“Should I not do this thing I did?” she asked.

He is yet in total darkness. “What thing you are speaking about, Bet?” he asked.

“Or should I have to do the thing that I don’t do?”

“What thing are you talking about?” he asked

“Do you know what I’ve always wanted to do in the Park?”

He was idle. He is just picking at the label on his bottle of beer.

“What’s that?” he asked.

“Lean in,” she said. “I have to whisper it in your ears.”

He heard in the shadow of the Park, he hugged her without answer.

“Are you in the mood for dinner?” He asked her.

“Sure,” she said.

“Say yes or no?”

“I said sure.”

“Should we go china town? Or some other restaurant nearby”

“Either way…”

“Are you hurt?”

“It doesn’t matter”

They took cabbie to china town. She came out the cab. He is paying the fare. Few young guys, who are half drunk, came out of the restaurant towards the road and they looked all of a sudden towards her as if they are a flash of something she is dreaming. For a while she thought she is not a part of Robert and she came with those guys. She is walking towards them like in a dream.

Robert shut the door, and the cabbie drove off. He took her hand and led in to restaurant.

“Do you have a taste for anything in particular?” he asked.

“No.”

“You’re not fully open. Locked somewhere?”

“Do I have to be locked? It’s dinner, who cares.”

She is not in a mood to answer. But he continued in his mood.

“It should be a place you always want to go. It looks good to me. What do you think?”

“It’s fine.”

“It’s just fine? It should be more than that.”

“Why so? Is it anything special?”

“Not that, I mean to say that if we’re going to drop a hundred bucks tip here, it should be like that.”

“Shut up. Get in,” she opened the door and walked inside.

He just followed her as if she is master now and he is her servant.

They had good food. He paid the bill with tip and followed her. They came out.

She feels like go home and sleep. He feels like make her more happy.

“Shall we go to a movie?”

“Are you sure you want to do this?” she asked him.

“I told you. I do anything for you. So it is for you.”

“I know, but why? “

“It’s what you want to do. So I do what you do.” he said looking in to her eyes.

“But it was never that big a deal to me.” She said.

“I know and yet I feel you like this,” he said.

“OK. I love you. It doesn’t matter,definitely it doesn’t matter ” she said.

They took a cabbie to see a movie as he thinks that she likes it. She followed him as she thinks that whatever he does, it doesn’t matter.

Definitely not.

__END__