TRAVESTY OF LOVE!

My name is Arup Bose. I am a school teacher. I teach chemistry up to secondary level. I am grateful to my students who reciprocate my love towards them with equal fervor. Sometimes, I take out time for my own and travel to mountainous regions of Himalayas which attracts me most. The bounty of nature endows to us is sheer amazing for me to take notice of. My students also wait for my brief hiatus and wait for me till my return to listen my experience I share with them, regarding my odyssey. I am in this profession for the last ten years. After completion of my graduation, suddenly my father expired. I was on that time struggling barely to live by giving private tuition, dropping the effort of pursuing higher studies and after trying a lot to get a school teacher's job, at last I got my coveted job. Since then I am happy with my profession.

However, being a bachelor and living with my widow mother, I am having ample opportunity to satiate my fancy of visiting various places of historical interests as well sea shore, forests and mountainous regions, where I enjoy the beauty nature offers to us. Besides, the places of pilgrimage also draw my attraction, as I wonder how dedicated people are in terms of expressing their religious fervor and despite plenty of hurdles how their faith drives them only for their mental satisfaction. While travelling, I always enjoy the opportunity to interact with people from various culture and creed and thus my fancy of travelling bring bliss to me. Thus, I truly enjoy the land of diversity with a unique essence of unity where I am living.

This year, I have decided to visit Kedarnath, a holy place for the Hindu religion, in the lap of Great Himalaya. It is a beautiful shrine and the great Himalayas endow her unique bounty to soothe onlookers with amazing natural beauty. Himalaya always beckons me for the grandeur she offers. Lofty Mountain with its pristine essence always induces me to explore.

This time, I directly went to Rishikesh, a lovely place at the foot hill of the great mountain. The serene vicinity is so soothing that it filled ones heart with an unspeakable pleasure. At the evening when darkness is gradually engulfing, the sound of bell ringing from temples producing a mellifluous sound which anybody will love to hear. I boarded in a hotel and getting ready for catching for the next morning bus to reach my destination, Kedaranath.

I boarded at the wee hour of the very morning. The bus will be departing at 6 A.M. But I reached pretty early in the bus terminus, feeling too excited for the forthcoming journey through the hazardous way where in every twist there is possibility of meeting death, a stranger, so thrilling to confront!

After boarding the bus, I acquire a seat next to a young woman of her early twenties. When I interacted with her, she told that she is pursuing her doctoral studies on people’s passion and emotions, how they are obsessed with religious doctrine and what trigger them to go for pilgrimage despite facing numerous troubles. I felt curious about her subject of study as well her bent of mind that in such a tender age, how she is allured to make a stride in such utterly complicated and intriguing issue! Most importantly, I felt more interested to her as she talks in the same tongue of mine. I felt too relaxed that my co-passenger can talk in the same language with whom I can comfortably travel for such a long journey without feeling boar. After the bus started to move, we two completely engrossed in talking in our own language and comfortably enjoying our journey. She is such a jovial girl that within a short span of time I became familiar with her. She freely expressed her emotional traits and I felt that I may know her for a long time. She enquired whether I am married and when I told her that I am a bachelor, she expressed her amazement that how come I am still unmarried. I suddenly felt how a free electron shares with the electron of other atomic configuration to make a co-valence, resulting to make a healthy bonding! As if the fate of the concern electron is destined to make a sensible valence and in human it too makes an intriguing balance!

I began to develop a strong fervor for her owing to her warm company. During this short span of time I suddenly felt that we are made for each other. She appears the only lady for whom I can sacrifice anything!

I eventually told her that after reaching the holy shrine, I will be marrying her and make her my life companion. She acknowledged my proposal too and told that I am the only person who appeared to be lovable to her as I never tried to touch her indecently under any pretext and expressed my caring attitude towards her. I am deeply impressed by her open expression of love for me.

After hours long journey, our bus stopped in a road side restaurant for the passengers refreshments. We talked for our subsequent progress and how we will finally tie our knot perpetually. We had our food and once more we boarded the bus for heading our immediate destination. When the bus eventually moving in the higher altitude the temperature is decreasing rapidly, triggering all passengers to close their window. But, surprisingly, my dear lady refrained from closing the window. I told her why she is not desirous to close the window; she expressed her strong dislike and forced me to keep the window open. She is enjoying the cool temperature which is annoying to our rest co-passengers. They all are speaking in different language, unlike us, but I could evidently envisage their indignation towards us. They lodged complain to the police personal who is accompanying us in the bus. The officer came to me and requests me to close the window. I tried to convince him that my friend is not feeling comfortable, but with no avail. He told me to close it immediately as rest all passengers are feeling distress. I told her that the police personal strongly recommending us to close the window and if we ignore him, we have to face unpleasant consequence. But, she is behaving stubborn and encouraging me to have a sip of water from her bottle to remain warm. I took a sip and found it is mixed with strong wine! I then realized why she is suddenly behaving in an anomalous manner. I could understand it is the effect of liquor. So ignoring her resistance I closed the window. While closing the window my hand come contact with her breast. She suddenly reacted like a wild beast, alleging me to take the advantage of the situation and touched her private parts of her body! I am utterly amazed to take notice of her abrupt change of mind! I could not believe that she can all of a sudden behave so wildly with me! My dream all of a sudden turns into a nightmare!

She started to intimidate me with a dire consequence, unless I immediately descend from the bus. She told me that she will be forced to complain to the police personal, accusing me with the charge of molestation and as far the present standing statute of the land is concern, nobody can protect me from a severe humiliation and I will be incarcerated for few days inevitably in the police custody. I felt utterly flummoxed. I am entirely at a loss!

Subsequently I asked the driver to stop the bus as I need to get down immediately to retrieve important documents which i have left in my hotel mistakenly and I need to go back to my place of living at my earliest. The bus sopped in a deserted place where the temperature is extremely cool. I thought of getting a vehicle to proceed towards my destination. But, on contrary, I am too feeling ashamed to be meeting with her once more in the concern place and thinking how I would avoid her.

Moment I am getting down from the bus, I took notice that the concern girl is staring at me from the window and her eyes are expressing sorrow for the ordeal I am facing! I am now thinking that she must be repenting for her unnecessary rude attitude towards me. I am now sitting idle and the beautiful face of her still engulfing my mind!

Suddenly I heard a loud noise. After few moments, I took notice of plenty of military vehicles are running madly towards the direction of the bus which left me. When I inquired one of the vehicles, the driver told me there is a blast in a nearby petrol pump and that also from a passenger bus, where a passenger was carrying a bomb, responsible for such disaster.

After few minutes, police came near me and arrested me, as one of the survivors of the bus told that he noticed my affinity with the girl who is responsible of carrying bomb in her bag. I discovered myself in utter bizarre state as I have been questioned by the police personnel about her where about and how long I know her. They tried to involve me with the conspiracy of mass killings and terrorist network. Fortunately, one of my friend appeared as a senior police official and out of his sincere effort I finally released, but with a condition of appearing to the police station whenever required for the sake of investigation.

Finally I returned to my house where my widow mother is anxiously waiting for me. Eventually I joined my service and when this time my beloved students asked me about my experience of travelling, I failed to share my ordeal, as it clouded me too with utter despondence!