Story : Fascination

~Suraj Shreewastav~

Mid June, 2000 AD, It was Birgunj, the southerner Terai city of Nepal. I was ready for my home. Bus departure time is 3:30 pm. I was waiting too long for holiday, so I was excited to reach my home almost immediately as possible. With some pleasurable bunches of feeling, I was moved for the Bus counter by 3:00 pm. I was booked a ticket for Gaur and enter up in the bus, where there is no any seat no. system in booking area, so just I was curved my eyes every where to find a favorable seat for me and found a seat no. 5 there in row ‘B’. I forwarded myself en route for the seat, whether I was stopped quickly.

Where I was chosen the seat i.e. accompanied by the seat no. 6 right next there and occupied by a lady. She was totally wrapped her face by the last part of the sari as twisted “Ghumto”; at this moment she was under cover of her yellowish sari and explored her weird appearance to all.

I was felt and drown into the feeling of romanticism quiet extremely first.

Wow! There is the young lady in the seat beside me, is this real…! On the spot, I was dreamed in a boy’s motion; a quixotic current completely scampered on my whole body. I was in hasty to cover seat touching her, but on the very moment I was stopped, statuette there that any people were seeing at me around and might they thought me a cheap one.

Just thoughts aroused, anyone eyed at me or not?

But what was came to my mind about the extra people, just forget it, it’s time to occupy the seat belonging near to her, because my cheap male feelings is strongly caught me on that instance.
On my second attempt to step forward to her, I was again stepped back in unknown fear, my body was cold now, because at this instantaneous moment I was realized; It is impossible that a young lady in the warp ‘Ghumto’ is traveling alone even in Terai, whether she looks like from the such community, i.e. Madhesi community, whether a single lady along with her ‘Ghumto’ is almost barred or rarely allowed to travel without any guardian or associates.

I was made a statement with an intuitive source that her care taker or associate is nearby and just down outside the bus because there is little more time to accurate departure of the bus. Exactly many more travelers among us was captured their seat by placing baggage, clothes pieces, handkerchief etc. and relaxing themselves outside the bus awaiting its departure. So her associate will come to the seat by the appropriate time of leaving.

Now my fantasy has wind away. All excitements of touching a beautiful lady on the way already vanished. My all anticipation of five hour long fancy is totally gone up as smokes over the head. Then I was suffering from condense of all hope of castle in the sky. Oh! I was in soreness, because I was already sacrificed the interest of that seat and goanna search another seat for me.

At a glance I was found seat in opposite row parallel to her, from the place I was completely eyed to her plainly. Now I am able to observe her full pose and body so again feel enjoyable. After all her weird enchant make me crazy to see her all time without blinking my eyes.

Oh! Are you feeling any inconvenience by me? Carefully I whispered to the person seated left to me, where there was a traveler already seated and activated his posture in some action.

After acknowledging him, I found; he is also eyeing at her, and it is the turn to watch his activities toward her. After a while I was trying to ignore him, I was concentrated to her… wow! Her eye balls are lightening through open space of her ‘Ghumto’. I found her uncomfortable though agony in her eyes, she was really feeling pathetic, I did assume it is due to itchy summer feel inside the crowded bus, or she was searching associate, whom she was waited for!

Beep… Beep… long scratching horn rung and warned the passengers to take their seat err leaving the bus, there were unstable moves of the crowd looked in hasty to occupy their seat all where and they were seated now.

Wherever I wish to reimburse peace and velvetiness there inside the bus and reinstate the inner stability. I was gazing at her again, but her eyes were still looking hopeless. No one associate was with her after that. She was focusing continuously outside the window. It was seem that she was ignoring the circumstances, where various eagles like me are available to see her with greedy eyes. I encompassed that her eyes were looking dehydrated without any anticipation. Wondering, she has had no any wish there.

I was producing special imageries for her, where I kept strong desire to see her in wholesale or completely. I wanna delve into the mystery of her eyes. I would like to drown into the depth of her eyes.

But she was lost in an extra world. There is no any change; I was noticing since the beginning. I would like to recognize her mysterious beauty. Her glamour inside the twisted ‘Ghumto’, she has had created. But her face warp was playing a villainous role in between my sight to her. There was an obstacle in my follow a line of investigating job.

On the self rummage around, I got search out a chance to discover her body part above the neck and just down the throat of the lady. It was happened due to lack of clothes there or result of my dirty eyes assault! Anyways, her warp left the exact place without cover it closely. At this moment she was started to manage her uncovered part carefully after showing distrustful experience at me.

She was turned sharply at me. She was in agony. I was totally fired. I felt, she was acknowledged my selfish and cheap intention very well. She has had turned back to window, she was ignored me totally.

On that moment, I was trying to decentralize myself from her, but I was unable to do so. She has excellent weird attraction that captivates me strongly and didn’t allow ignoring her for the singlet split second. Absolutely her enchant was a mystery like ‘Bermuda triangle’. No one can linger their cognizant after seeing her figure. So again I was not capable to have power over my strong fancy feelings towards her. Actually she was fascinating me unknowingly. I was lost to dig her beauty, her err enchant as a mysterious mineral wale.

Now after long time regular eye at her, uh! I got success to watch her body part just above her cleavage barring with her curly pair of waved hair bunch, whether exactly two rectangular pieces packed with black colored clothes and worn by her as garland ‘mala’ . The circlet used garland by people and children to escape black magic or any witchcraft. Appropriately it is popular as ‘Jantar’ against the super natural power ‘Tuna-muna’. It is assumed that it saves people by the affect of negative power surrounding us as ghost; witchcraft etc. means it is protective cover in the sense.

Oh! Really it works like the protective piece because it creates strong barricade to observe her cleavage, I thought it was worked. My lengthy point in trial to see her in absolute sense is now thrashed. It covered her cleavage, which was opened due to unmanaged sari end ‘Ghumto’. Once I thought, yeah! Jantar was really worked as shielding cover. I want to see her cleavage; my male organs are revived at high, where Janter proved its power against my negative intense, if truth be told it was working there at safeguard. I am totally failed, trials were affect less.

On that instant, I was again starting daydreaming and reach to the conclusion that she was about 20 to 22 years old, in fact there was no any detail on it, and just mind’s eye termed me thinking so. I was ongoing my job persistently to see something more on her.

Oh! She was changed her posture now and managed her openly twisted ‘Ghumto’. On this second she was unknown that her warp is duly opened once further unconsciously by her. I was happy in that case, after all I got a chance to see her as I wish; I observe, analyze her. She was completely outside the bus in the same way as previously; and held in reserve her face naked at present.

Previously I was predicted her age and now I found it was accurate then because she is no excess old than 25 years.

She was neither so snowy milky white nor silk black, she was exactly golden fair ‘Gahungoro’ in facial appearance.

In detail there is one layer of milk cream over the golden brown and create twist as fair in her skin texture. I could observe her, she was look like sunflower. Her yellow colored sari gives yellowish petal look, whether inside sari, her complexion represents the presence of seeds surrounded by sunflower petal i.e. of golden brownish in color.

Her nose featured nearby Mongolians but neither so flat nor straight cut as Aryans ‘Brahmin-Chhetris’ ethnic group; it looks like Mt. Everest is sleeping in the earth, where it was crushed by its base making round.

Also her ornament in her nose boosted her beauty gloss. I didn’t know what this was exactly but represented ‘Bulaki’ era. Her eyes are not looking like doe but also not ‘Chimsey’, nearer to Pahadis. It was confirmed, she was from Tharu community, the native indigenous people of Madhesh.

Sensational leap was the extra grace to raise her gorgeousness; it was really natural without any modern cosmetics or adhesive. Her water-less but pink leaps are shorten in its breadth and thick in height and figured ideal as Peepal paate, a sacred tree’s leaf; only it seem lack of water there.

Her throat is straight and round cylindrical in shape, if I was not wrong than it was comparable as ideal as ‘Surahi’, a long necked clayey water pot, a beauty icon.
In these mental panoramas, in the way, there were in different stoppage bus made its halt, where some people checked out and some people checked in the bus and so on and continue its move for the aimed journey.

And it is the next stoppage, ‘Pathalaiya’. Where a passenger glimpses here and there in the bus for the vacant seat; and located himself to seat touching her, whom I was already focused since my entrance into the bus.

This instantly he created wall between her and my observation area. He was totally interrupted my observation procedural.

I was jealous that I was left the seat previously, and was obtained the same chance to stay there touching her, he got it.

I am murmuring and curse him by my depth. I was irritating and for my part bent myself straight to overlook him. But that is not possible to keep on myself straight for a while. I couldn’t do it! She has had the immense grip enchant, which couldn’t depart me without considering her. She has had the great power to connect any of the male as the holy and sacred mantras.

Again I was staring at her ignoring the dolt one there. I spotted her uncomfortable, which she was reacting by her posture. I was noticed, the nearby person bent down his head right on her shoulder as support getting way and slept there comfortably, or he is doing drama as slept one!

Actually he is relaxing himself as in her parterre arm. She is feeling anxious and ill at ease there. So she pushed his head forcibly time to time. But there is no any response; he was ongoing through his action replay all over again.

My anger was raising its level high and going to left its place. Her discomfort was clearly demonstrated by her agony in the face. Whether, his good sleep was not over like ‘Kumbhakarna’.

Consent to it as he is under hang over of narcotics. Her bold touch and body odor was as much as analogous to drug for him. Not only this much, it crossed limit when he started showing another dirty and his unhygienic character there, he was using the window of her side to spit his chewing tobacco in regular interval of time. This act crossed the limit of her sophistication and faced not needed male touch, which he has hard pressed very intentionally to her body parts during crossing to window throughout scarce and lethal breathing space.

Yeah! This time she was reacted quickly and saw to at him sharply. Wow! Nice to see it, I was waited that she scold or slap him publicly now, I was excited for the situation that he will be knockout there.

She stands up there; I was also stood there in aggression to teach him the meaning of the lady respect. I was standing by and geared up there to slap him by catching his shirt neck piece. But on the instant, I was made to be seated on my place.

What’s going on yaar with me, murmured myself?

It was the first time, when the person left to me opened his vocal cord, he said something, and I was shocked now.

‘Ka bhelau? Kuchh -O- chahi?

It means what happen? Do you need something?

She was responded, or nodded ‘No’ showing her head move and showed interest to exchange the seat. Now she has had replaced the people to window side and twisted her warp firmly.

Oh! What is this? It’s surprising point in time for me. I was totally dump after hearing him, but again I am angry to him for his unwanted indulge to her, because there was the immense chance there to create relation of sympathy with her. I was almost prepared to charge the person nearer to her.

I believed, after raising voice to help her may create a nice bond in between me and her.

But everything remained in graphed plan only. The person nearby me interrupted in this new scene.

At this time I was primarily suspected him; he asked with dutiful voice to her, why?

Is he the associate of her? No, not at all, if he was, then why he was not located there with her!

On the spot, I couldn’t handle my curiosity.

I questioned him: “do you know her?”

He answered me: “she is my sister in-law ‘buhari, my younger brother’s spouse. My brother has just got working VISA for Saudi… Saudi Arabia. And he was left Nepal earlier month only.”

He asked continuously: “We are coming from a gynecologist; she is 15 weeks pregnant, so regular visit with doctor. There is no any specialist in our sub-urban area. As a result we are suffering from such panic travel.”

After hearing his answer I awaken, it was going to hammer my head as like roof ceiling collapsed at me surprisingly. Recently I felt myself guilty, embraced, and culprit in own eye. I can’t able to see on him directly. I was realized that I am so shameful.

How was he handled it since for about 3 hours? How was he tolerating me? When I was eyed regularly to his in-law ‘buhari’? He was trying to create mid bar in between her sister in-law and me, where I was seen him as my competitor to ruling her.

At this time I was reminded through mine own loathsome activities and feelings. I was accepted myself culprit for whole things which I was done err.

I was noticed that the person nearer to her started a new episode of drama yet again using her window as previously. Whether he was not at the exact seat as per before so he was starting to check out himself to each stoppage and come to the seat on departure begin. And constantly down and up outside and inside the bus is creating anxious to her.

But dolt, he was not feeling any hesitation to harm her. He was feeling relaxed doing so shameful. I was noticed her brother in law nearer to me could try to escape himself from the situation. He tried his better to avoid the dolt’s evil behavior by turn himself through window seeing outer scenes.

As much as possible, he has ignored the situation, but time to time caring eye at her to know the health condition of her. That shows he was worried for her. He could not able to safeguard his sister-in-law.

He has had right to throw all the garbage like us out from the bus, but penalized to tolerate us.

Where there was no any less seen in his unnatural drama and activities that might be oppress, couch, and make uneasy to her; his trend was in increasing ratio. Which I thought, couldn’t bear more?
I wanted to punch him with a solid Sunny Deol hand on his mouth. I wanted to teach him the definition of female honor and respect. I wanted to recall his mother and sister. But I was also unable to do so, myself not so pure and sacred.

On the same realm, I was also suffering from the same sin and mental error before. Myself impure one, how could I teach him the lesion of morale? If I did try then my own qualification was not matched and no so sound to do so. And I was stopped with pathetic feel.

Here, the person nearer to me just was waiting for his stoppage. To take in -law check out back to home as soon as possible. He was in hurry and showing his hastiness to reach his home safely. He wants recover his in -law from among the animals like us, and to protect her safely.

I as well felt so, I was really thought that myself too responsible for their emotional torture they faced and for mental stress.

I believed, they were thinking that never to ride again such evil carrying bus to travel anywhere, because sick and ill- mannered people like me also travels through it; this was the dangerous for female respect and honor.

Now it was the climax, the wait was over now, bus stopped, it was their stoppage. Person with me stood up quickly, carrying all the baggage, goods, and a polythene basket full of medicines, syrup, some apples, x- ray leaf, and prescription all and drop down from the bus, and just ready to rescue her sister in- law.

He uttered very sweetly: “Huh! dhire se utarihe!” Means just calm and check out easily. Even he couldn’t give his hand for her support, because he is elder brother in- law. Culturally there was restriction to touch younger brother’s spouse.

After evacuating herself from the bus, now the person seated with me stepped his feet forward to east from the Birendra sub highway and she is following her father like brother- in law with free feeling of relaxation. Both are free and vanished in dusty road making the afternoon dusky.

The- End.

(Source : Author sent the prose via ‘नयाँ रचना पठाउनुहोस्‘ form of this website.)