Soul Mate

It was the same everyday ,now for the last two months. Sushil silently dropped his axe on the ground and stood behind the Banyan tree.His gaze was fixed adoringly on the girl who was busy tending to her cattle ,bathing them in the flowing stream and then leaving them to graze after which she nestled herself under the big Ashoka tree. She opened her small cloth bag and took out some sheets of paper and a pen and settled down to write immersed in a world of her own.

Sushil was a silent spectator all these days. He would watch her face,changing colours ,such a wide range....he marvelled at the purity and sweetness of that face and would spend all those hours drowning himself in the magic of his new found love that sat in front of him ,oblivious to his presense.She would seem to spend hours writing something ...then she would go away with her herd to where she came from.

Today also was the same when suddenly something caught Sushil's eye.A snake slithered from somewhere ,towards the object of his silent love.Sushil jumped out and that scared the intruder away. The girl was startled and stood staring at Sushil.Conversation began and in no time the girl was aware of the love Sushil felt for her. Her name was Amrita.She lived in a near by village and unlike all the other girls of her age , she loved to read and write. She was self taught, enough to write poetry and short stories.She would finish all the household chores early in the morning and then would spend the day doing what she loved, writing.Sushil came from a different village. He was a wood cutter and looked after his parents and two sisters.

Soon things changed. Amrita would look forward to her forest trips. She would read out her poetry to Sushil. She would read out her stories to him . Sushil would sit in front of her with all his love and adoration in his eyes,all ears to what ever she said.He had not much to speak.Amrita kept waiting for the magical moment when Sushil would profess his love and pour out his heart in front of her . She kept waiting waiting and waiting. Sushil never spoke.

One day ,Amrita could not take it any more. She asked Sushil to be forthright and speak up. Sushil stood there ,helpless and silent. Next day Amrita found a note stuck to the bark of the Ashoka tree under which she sat everyday. The note was from Sushil and it said that he thought Amrita was too accomplished,too beautiful for him, so he disappeared.

Amrita was shocked. She could not understand this love. Was everyday of the past so many months, then was not love? She had given her heart and soul but apparently they were not accepted,they were lost somewhere ,they were rejected. She could make no sense of anything. She was shattered. She was rejected for being beautiful, accomplished? Were they not supposed to be desirable and sought after qualities in a person?

Amrita is lost in her thoughts. She looks carefully into the mirror. A wrinkled face,thick glasses and snow white hair...she managed to get back to her armchair with the help of her stick and sinking into it thought...would I be accepted now as your love , your friend , your soul mate....now that I am no more too beautiful or too accomplished?It still mattered.....