Euphoric Forays
The Godavari Express that Roopa boarded at Secunderabad that September evening seemed to have been powered by the pull of her passion. As it raced on the rails, the sound of its vibrations synchronized with the pounding of her heart beats but when the train came to a halt at Kazipet ending her two-hour long anxiety, it didn’t take long for Roopa to jump into the waiting arms of Raja Rao.
‘I was afraid,’ she said, hugging him, ‘about your train reaching in time.’
‘How did you think that I could have left that to chance?’ he said, patting her head. ‘I reached here yesterday.’
‘Oh, sorry,’ she said, not hiding her happiness.
‘What is it before that year-long waiting,’ he crooned into her ear.
As they reached the first class bogie, she pulled him towards the farthest entrance.
‘I’ve something to show you,’ she said
‘Can’t you wait till we get in?’ he winked at her.
‘It’s a special from the Indian Railways for us,’ she said, and read aloud from the passenger chart pasted over there.
MR. RAJA RAO
MRS. ROOPA RAO
‘You know how to feel love,’ he said pressing her shoulder, ‘and express it as well.’
‘I’m glad you appreciate it,’ she looked at him lovingly. ‘Don’t they make a bold statement in those bold letters?’
‘Either in small print,’ he said lovingly, ‘it makes no difference to our lovesick eyes.’
‘Of brave souls, that is.’
‘True,’ he said.
‘How are you dear?’ she asked him when they settled down in the coupe.
‘Don’t you worry, I’m in fine shape,’ he said winking at her and added. ‘How are things with you?’
‘Don’t you find me happy?’
‘How can I miss your radiance,’ he said taking her hand. ‘But what about your home work.’
‘He became homebody all again,’ she said in all smiles. ‘Well, with bottle for company, whatever, at last, I could make him feel at home in his home. Anyway, you’re going to meet him soon.’
‘I’m glad at the development,’ he said with an apparent satisfaction. ‘How I would like to befriend him.’
‘Why buy a headache?’ she smiled.
‘What could be worse than the heartache we’ve had,’ he said squeezing her hand. ‘Oh, how I shudder to think of those days.’
‘What about these days?’ resting on his shoulder she caressed his chest.
‘Don’t you see that my cup of joy is overflowing?’ he said reaching for her lips.
‘As I got the news of the new arrival,’ she said, ‘I felt as if I were her mother, since you are her father.’