STORY-LETTER

UNOPENED ENVELOPE “Papa, a love letter for you”. That was Usha, my teenage daughter, childishly truculent. She gave me an envelope. The address was correct, but the post was Dhanbad, where I worked as a teacher in Central school. That was some fifty years ago, when I was unmarried. “Throw it away.” “No Papa. May I open it?” Without my consent, she opened it and read aloud. “Sir, You may not remember me. I was your student, long ago. I am sending my photo, for you to recollect my name. As soon as you get it, please reply. Love. Anonymous” There is some address. “Oh! Papa, she is a beauty! Why didn’t you open it?” “Some foolish girl like you; how many love letters have sent?” She ran away with it. We were moving from place to place, after my retirement, as we did not own a house. Now, on the point of saying good bye to this house, we were throwing away all unwanted papers and accumulated plastic vessels etc. Somehow this letter cropped up, after a half century. We were going to Delhi, where Usha got admission in a college. She is not a serious student, yet we wanted to help her, as she is our only child. She showed some improvement and by grace of God, passed B.A. with better marks and joined M.A. I had several friends in Delhi and a number of marriages to attend. On one occasion, when we were enjoying drinks, Usha came and told me to follow her. I wondered what my wife needed, to disturb me. It was an elderly lady and suddenly I recollected the envelope. “My name is Anamika. You taught me mathematics.” “Glad to meet you. Your family?” “I am a widow. My only son is in Denmark. Your daughter is a wonderful girl. From that old photograph she recognized me. I like to adopt her.” Thereafter, she used to go to my “girl friend” very often. The latter took her as a companion for sight seeing or for cinema. My wife was sick for a long time. The doctors could not find anything wrong. Now she caught typhoid and needed complete rest. Anamika came and stayed with us, to help us. ANAMIKA There was some improvement in the condition of my wife. Usha completed her M.A. She was busy trying, at least for a part time job. I was finding the going tough with my pension. Suddenly, there was great to do, with the news that the boy was coming from Denmark. One day, during our walk together, I questioned Anamika: “If you liked me so much, why did you not meet me in the college?” “I was shy and didn’t mention it even to my close friends. You had a good reputation as a teacher. I regretted I did not take mathematics.” “You did not forget your first love?” I had an unhappy marriage, arranged by my parents. There was no meeting point between us. HE WAS EGOISTIC, ARROGANT AND PETTY. I hated him heartily. All the while, your noble face remained in my heart as a distant star.” “Do you write poems?” “I paint.” “What happened to your husband?” “He drank too much. His liver became the victim.” We had reached the bank of the river. We sat in the grass. I placed my hand on hers. “I am sorry.” “I am not. It was a good riddance.” When her son came, we all went to the airport to receive him. He asked, pointing towards Usha: “Your daughter?” It seem, they had contacted through e:mail and liked each other. When they were married and gone to Denmark, Anamika invited us to be their permanent guests. “You are paying rent. HERE I AM ALONE.”