SPRING
– Madhurima Mridha
There was pain in the pleasure she received. She could not comprehend, what exactly he meant. It was spring, the season of colours. The long silence continued…. she could not take it anymore, the silence burdened her fragile heart. “Do you really don’t want her?” she asked. “Yes” he replied. The sound of his voice sounded so unknown in her ears. This was not the man she married 4yrs back; this was a degraded man with a crippled thought. “No, not this time.” I will not get rid of her. I love her and she will come”, this time the pleading tone in her voice has vanished, it was rather assertive. She was determined. “Okay then, if that is your final decision you are going to bear it alone. I will have no connection with you and she should never have my name.” he shouted. “She will not need your name” she answered in a calm and composed way. He stormed out leaving her in a traumatized state. After he was gone she picked herself up from the floor, moved towards the toys and the cot he had brought when he first came to know about the child. She recollected everything was fine, until yesterday after they visited the doctor.
“Here take this” he handed out a file. “Sign it and leave it on the desk” She knew what it was. She turned to the last page and gazed at it for a while. She thought that whatever she is going to do is not wrong. Yes it is true that after this moment she will have no one. Not even her parents. Yet she will not sacrifice the life of the child just because they are not sure whether the child will be normal or not. She signed and sat there looking at the small kids playing with colours. All of them had their faces smeared with a variety of colours. Last spring during the month of holi her life was full with all the colours of life. She felt the happiest, she was brimming with joy. She could still hear the laughter of her husband as he covered her face with ‘abir.’
The loud laughter of the children broke her trance. He entered the room. “So when are you leaving?” not a slightest bit of compassion in his voice. “Today evening, I need to pack my bags.” “Where will you go?” he asked. “Don’t know” she answered. Suddenly the sternness upon his face changed into concern. “Why are you concerned? We are no longer”. He stopped her in the middle. “I know we are not. I asked just like that. I am not interested.” He left.
Spring brought with it the colours of life for her, colours that faded, that change from warm vibrant ones to grey. Evening arrived and so did the time of separation. She was at the doorway and he in the balcony. Her eyes searched for him and his eyes were reluctant to see her. She finally reached the cab waiting to pick her up. She went and he broke down. “Everything is over. She is gone” The thin line grew thicker as he saw the cab vanish in the distant horizon among the flying colours. The only word that came out from his mouth was “Spring!!!. She is gone, Spring is gone “he murmured.
