The summer was about to shed her radiating heat. Every tree was reciting their heartfelt love poetries to all those leaves, which were seen clearly over the blushed faces of falling leaves. “Faster, Grandpa! I have to catch the falling Neem leaves,” cheered I, as if I was sprinting over an Olympic track. “You ready, sweetie?” asked my Grandpa equalizing with my enthusiastic motive.
He suddenly made a sharp drift just beneath the herd of Neem trees. The overjoyed leaves, drowned in a pool of love nectar drizzled over my head. My pocket was crowded with piles of crunchy dry leaves. “Gotcha! Mission accomplished, Captain. So, sweet of you Grandpa.” yelled I in delight.
“Aye! Aye! Commando! let’s flee back home sooner. Or else our Chief would get mad at us,” laughed him, which ringed repeatedly in my ears. “Ah! Yep, Queen! We’re coming! Cho, Cho!,” added I.
After few minutes, we both approached home. Contrary to our expectations, my Queen, that is my sweet, adorable Grandma, was musing a melody in Kitchen. Maybe this can be the reason for the utmost aroma and appetizing taste of her dishes. The song goes by:
“Oh, frying oil! Oh, frying oil!
Did you witness taste?
Nah, Nah, Nah!
Oh, rich spices! Oh, rich spices!
Did you witness taste?
Nah, Nah, Nah!….”
To surprise her, we both planned to sing the upcoming lyrics.
“Oh, sweet Aroma! Oh, sweet Aroma!
Did you witness taste?”, chirped her.
“Yep, Yep, Yep!
It’s right here, Darling!”, completed we, on the high-pitched chorus.
“My God! My heart got skipped for one second. You naughties! So, happy to see your return, that too on time. Great job, officers!”, praised Grandma.
Soon we finished our dinner. To enjoy those end-summer breezes, we moved upstairs for soothing star gazing. Every second spent so well as if I drank hundreds of sweetness at once. But a little sour tasted at the brink of my heart. As a child, you can easily guess out the reason for sudden gloom. “The school! Yeah, you’re right. They are opening from tomorrow after two months of summer holidays.”
My Queen, Grandma must have been a psychotherapist. She wittily spotted out my change of mood, even amidst the dim silvery shades of the moon. But she never spoke a word, instead, she poured out:
“Oh, My dearest star,
Who disturbs those,
Drooping lids!
Oh, My shinning geode,
Who ignores those,
Sleeping snores!
Let my diamond dream,
Let my diamond dream,
To be a gem!”
The mesmerizing tone hallucinated me. I could feel the eyelids getting heavier.
Wait, what! I could hear voices as if someone is shouting at the other end of a narrow tube. “Dear, Eterna! Wake up!”, shook my mom with a very low voice. Her eyes were reddened, tears running down her cheeks, face mirrored an unexpected agony. Humans are intelligent enough to understand their loved one’s feelings, with just a spark of their sight.
I ran down the stairs, skipping one and two to reach the drawing-room. Before my feet have touched the ground, my ears were pierced with a shrilling tone of melodic lullaby. Yeah! She’s crying. My Queen is paining in anguish. The scene stunned me. “One of the most brilliant, funny, and more than that my soul companion is no more. My Commando is no more. My King is no more. Memories started to flood through my brain, leaving me to fall into a deep well of sadness, from which I couldn’t swim and climb up.”
Intruding my thoughts, there heard a groaning cry. It shredded every heart that came there for the funeral. Even Shakespeare, R.K.Narayan, Tagore may stand zipped and tied off their mouths and hands to explore words that console that poorest soul drowning in the sea of sorrow.
I need to accept the truth that, my heart is slender enough to be attacked. The gross incident and sight made me faint at the place where I stood. There was again a scene. I’m not sure whether my brain is deluding me with what I am seeing and experiencing. However, let me see through what it shows.
“Dear diary,
Your friend again. I am writing on February 14, 2021. Today is Valentine’s Day. But to my surprise, here at my Grandpa’s home, it seems like a normal day. There are no special gifts, no special dishes, except Prayer! I’m a bit confused how could they be soul partners? Not only on this day, but it is also the same display on all the birthdays, anniversaries. I can still point out many couples who celebrate the special days at least with a simple card, chocolates or cakes. But this is so peculiar. They haven’t even wished each other!….”
“Captain! I can answer your million-dollar question. Ha ha!”, uttered a voice behind me. A comforting face, smiling at me and extending its hands to give a last beautiful hug. Maybe it also has known that it may not last for more time. I couldn’t speak as tears have already occupied my larynx. The cry has shown you whom I saw. “My Grandpa, My Commando.”
He said, “Love isn’t about wishing, gifting, or surprising, my sweetie. It’s forgiving, caring, adjusting your partner. It will make you both grow and excel in your life. Love is to be loved! Simple ;))” Before I gave my reply, it vanished. A chill spray of water droplets was sprinkled
on my face. I woke up as though something deeper was understood to me. I won’t believe that I just now got a dream, but a chance to meet my Grandpa and clear my wandering mind.
I couldn’t hear any other sobbing, but one. That’s the Queen’s. “Can my Lullaby strong enough to wake you up, Darling?” Apart from that, no other word has come out from the dried, pale, and tired lips. It lasted for more than two weeks. Her health was got so low, which put every one of us into agony. She couldn’t help herself to put herself out of his frequent memories.
There was even more sorrow lurking in the future which no one has expected. Just after the month of Grandpa’s death, my Grandma has died.
The love between Romeo and Juliet was not known deep to anyone but themselves, which made them die together! True love can’t be proved more like this. If in case, anyone among us has felt their love, the upcoming sorrow would have known to us. The soul partners were in love much more than we expected. Of course, sure, we aren’t a person to examine one’s, true love. So, my Commando’s words have come true. “Love is to be loved.” His Queen loved her Love!
Who knows? The leaves might be at their deathbed at the end of summer, which made the leaves fall. On seeing the pain experienced by their partner, the trees might have lost their lives.
Can Death really stop true soul lovers? :))
Love you, Grandpa and Grandma, <3