A Fantasy

The back-waters of Kerala; a boat rowing down the waters, cutting the reflection of the coconut trees in-halves, the long leaves bowing to acknowledge our presence. Dried leaves, yellow and dead, shed and rest on the still water. The water looks dark and unfathomable under the shades. You sit on a wooden plank opposite to me, your hand splashing the water. Water straining through your fingers, strands of weed and algae stick to them, you don’t bother. Ripples escape your fingers and follow the larger ones created by the boat. Your eyes follow those ripples until they slowly die down into nothing but a flinch of the stillness that the water has wore. I watch you.
Then you lean to one side of the boat, the boat wobbles a bit. You lean back and slide closer to the side. You clutch the wooden plank harder and lean again. This time your hair cascades down and covers your face from me. I get restless for a moment; a dark veil covering your face. The pleats of your saree uncurl, I see fine folds appear on your slender waist, I flinch. You bend further and extend your hands; you reach out for something in the water. The boat wobbles even more, I am worried. I am scared that you will fall, a fear grips me and I try to stand up. I lose my hold the first time but then spread my feet apart and stand. My eyes on you I slowly walk towards you. From behind that skein of hair you say, “Wait”. I stop and look at you with surprise. You reach out and grab something. I see long stems and white petals, water-lilies.
Then you lift your face, the dappled sunlight making it difficult for me to trace the emotions on your face. But you still look beautiful. You move your hands behind your back, hiding something from me. You smile at me, raise your brows and let love dawn on your eyes. You wink and ask, “Scared?”
“Yes.”, I say.
You don’t hide them further. You read the question in my eyes and you show me what are in your hands, a bunch of water lilies. You lift your hands, your bangles clink and flow down your wrist like a stream. Your silver bindi catches the sunlight and throws a glint at me. You wait for me to take those flowers from your hands. I stand there and smile at you. A love unfelt drowns me.
Few wild ducks paddle through, a frog waits on a Lotus leaf to leap into the water, the boat creaks with every pull of the roe, few children stop playing and wave at us. You lie in my arms. You have closed your eyes. I feel the warmth of your breath on me. Your hands lie on my chest; they smell of lilies. Your bangles prick at my chest. I can hear our hearts beat -yours first and mine follows. I put my arms around you and look at the pale moon that shows itself in daylight, on back waters of Kerala.

Theme of the month for Sep 2009

A Fantasy

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