Silent Love Part : 9

Silent Love Part : 9

It was a weekend and Dev was eagerly waiting to take the ladies for outing, demand of Pari after he received his new job.  It was dew for months now , got delayed for one or the other reason, and today everything came online. Padma gave permission for Radhika too. He was the happiest when he thought of her presence near him. The bubbling inside never vanished to his doubtful thoughts.  He was  looking at the watch and impatiently checking at the gate.

"Dev, go and check there only beta, Nalini might not be knowing, and"

Maheswari told Dev

"ok, mom"

He walked over to Padma's house, and he could hear the thal from a distance and it became more clearer as he entered into the front room. He could hear the rhythmic beats on a wooden surface , along with its definite vocal thal, which he is familiar with Pari’s classes. Radhika was moving her eyes,  hands, and her body in relation to  Nalini’s vocal instructions , and directions with  the left free hand. Radhika was moving with the beat. Her smile suddenly got  disappeared as she saw Dev coming in.

"SssMILE'

Nalini reminded without changing the focus on Radhika, soon the smile appeared back on her face, and she went with the rhythm.

"shringaaar" Nalini reminded the change of expression…

It didn't come that easily as her eyes were falling on to him.

Nalini paused on her action, and : Radhika, what happened?

Radhika also paused looking at the teacher with little fear of not following her guru’s direction.

Nalini: um,  you know that this is the segment where Sakundala is waiting for Raja Dushyand, and she is happy as she knew he is going to come soon,  and once she see him in front of her eyes she is communicating her love to him. So  the change of expression should be clearly shown in your act, the love , the happiness, then the shyness, and ultimately the audience should feel the presence of Dushynth next to Sakunthala,  it is painful for sahkuntala to be away from her love even for this short span, and finally he is here, so the expression should reflect the shringar rasa."um,  now do it again"

Radhika nodded her head in agreement and stood in position to start again. Dev stood without shaking from there, looking at Radhika.  While Radhika secured her duppatta knot on her side, and waited for the teacher to  begin.

Thi tha theyy.........

As Nalini started the vocal with the wooden beats on the small stool, Radhika's face showed a smile, the happiness, and as it continued, her lashes flickered, and her lips shivered, and her eyes cornered looking at Dev's face. Slowly her cheeks started blushing, but keeping the same context she continued. Dev stood there forgetting the world around. For a minute he thought it is her revelation of love for him, she was waiting  and now he is here, and as a lover of his mind’s inner calls, he stood there watching his love….

"Hi Dev, when you came?'

Dev jerked and looked at Padma's smiling face. His heart stopped for a moment and with concern he looked at Radhika, as if she caught them in red hand..  but surprised to see her continuing with same context, smiling and looking at her hand with movement and then again looking at him with expressions of love, and Padma standing next to him. Dev's throat went dry.

"she will be finishing soon, is it getting late?'

Dev was able to nod his head in disagreement , but then forced himself saying "no auntie, " but then comprehending back : ha actually the movie starts at 3PM, so.

"so you are going for movie too, Pari didn't say anything"

"she only put that demand "

"oh ok, i think Radhika is almost done, it s new piece she is learning, so only taking time"

“It s ok auntie, I can wait”, saying that he walked near to the sofa, one more time looking at Radhika’s face.

he cornered his eyes to the hall to get glimpse of her, and in between she showed her face of different expressions. He loved those glances..  he looked at the watch again..

He felt the relief when he heard Nalini saying: so practice well ok, and what happened today that you got distracted very easily.

Padma: they are planning to go out and Dev is already here

Nalini as she was keeping her things in bag: um, no wonder

Padma:where did Pari disappeared, saw her going backyard answering her cell phone, let me look……

Padma went out, while Radhika went along with Nalini teacher to the door. Dev just looked at her getting up from the sofa, and passed a small smile. Radhika also gave a corner smile seeing his respect for Nalini teacher.

As teacher left Dev with a happy smile: Radhika, get ready fast, we are getting late

“Do I really need to come?’

He got surprised hearing her question: what?

“actually I have few things to complete, and if we go out now,”

“no excuse Radhika, go out, and have fun,  and come”

Radhika turned her face to look at Padma who was coming with Pari

“but mom, I told you already that”

The smile from his face disappeared, and Padma said: what is this Radhika, all the time one or the other reasoning

Radhika looking at Pari: Pari, excuse me this time, I have few important works to finish

Pari: Radhika, I waited for you only,  let’s go out and chill yaar

Radhika: please Pari, also my two other friends are coming to discuss on our team assignment and all, so anyway I need to be here

Hearing this Dev: Pari, do you want to go or not?

Pari: I do Bro

“then come” saying that he looked at Padma and went out. Padma noticed the heaviness of his face. Pari followed him saying loud to Radhika: next time no excuse, ok

Radhika just smiled

Padma looked at Radhika, and met her winning smile and went in. Padma noted Dev waiting for Pari to come out, pulling his bike out

Padma went near the fence: Dev don’t feel bad beta, Radhika is sometimes like that. She always went out with me only, and may be don’t want to leave me alone, and”

“It’s ok auntie, but she should have told earlier na, we would have planned accordingly, or if you are free, we all can go out together…”

“next time beta”

“ok auntie”

Pari came in and they drove out. Padma just watched them as they were disappearing from her eyes. Padma went in and had big argument with Radhika

“mom, I don’t want to go, that is it, then why you should feel bad about it”

“Padma , what you think wherever you go , you can take me also”

“no, I didn’t say anything like that, I am not going , that’s it. Also mom, it is Pari’s wish to celebrate, what do I do being with them.”

“beta, still, Dev and Pari invited you happily only”

“Mom, that’s their decency, but we should look at our limit also na”

“what is this limit Radhika, I am not understanding that, I am noticing that you are becoming more and more reserved recently .., with this behavior you will be left alone here, no one will come to help you when you are in need”

“I  need only you mom”

“but for how long?, one day you need to leave me na”

Radhika walking to the kitchen: that is one day na, not now, so when that one day comes we will look at that time ok, now , do you want a tea, I am going to make one.

“Radhikaa, that’s not an excuse” calling her name Padma followed her daughter to the kitchen.

****

After that incident dev tried to keep a distance from Radhika, but his eyes cornered her actions, and seeing the arguments between the two he unknowingly smiled out too. Still he loved to watch her actions silently standing near the window, and played the music for their ears to hear. And in that mood she exchanged those loving glances, which he felt coming from within her unknowingly, but the words of Padma and the confused nature of Radhika, pulled him back into his own world…

It slowly started reflecting in his behavior too. He was losing his own mind, he tried to concentrate on his work, but at the end of the day he wished to run back home, to be near the window. The silent moments in that darkness carried his warm breaths, and his eyes tried to read her mind along with those letters in that diary.

*****************************************************888

Dadaji was getting impatient seeing silent attitude of Dev. He waited for the lonely time, and finally as the opportunity came

“what is this Dev, you look so moody now a days”

Dev just looked at his dadaji, continued his silence

“Dev”

He turned his face slowly and then walked near to his dadaji

“tell me beta, what is it? Never seen you like this , so”

“I am confused dadaji? That’s why?”

“what confusion?’

“if anyone is loving you, how will you know that?”

“aha aha, ha, so that is the problem, tell me clearly beta, don’t try to touch your nose tip taking a circle around the head”

Dev walking near dadaji and joining him on the swing: dadaji, I don’t know , how to tell you, I don’t know whether it is right, I can be wrong too, right?

“oh Dev, you are driving me crazy, can you please tell me clearly what it is?’

“nothing dadaji, I only will find out?’

Dadaji flared his hand out, and said “strange, so much respect, with dadaji dadaji, um, there is something surely wrong, but don’t want to tell me either, but want to know something too’

“I am feeling tired, goodnight pops”

“goodnight beta”

Dadaji watched as dev disappeared into his room, and took a deep sigh thinking about his sudden change. Whatever it is, I know you are talking about love, so you found your girl, but why so hesitation when we two were exchanging everything so freely, why it is difficult for you to communicate, maybe its tue love, where you want the definite response, and your girl is sliping away” he he he he he , um, that is very interesting, Oh Dev, just tell me beta, I will give you solutions, ha ha ha, after all your dadi is still with me, anyway, I won’t force you and you only will come and tell me about everything.

But that day Dev went back with a plan…  and his face was looking very serious and his eyes were on the road to reach his home…..