January 2017, Newtown Kolkata
I was at my happiest point in existence. I was with a man who cherished me above all others. For me, it was like a lovely fairy tale. Although we were unable to regularly meet, we used to talk on the phone every day and exchange recollections. But he used to make time for me every weekend. Leisure that was exclusively for me.
He loved to play with my hair and kiss my forehead when I would perch on his thighs and hug him. He enjoyed kissing my fingertips, biting my neck, and pinching my waist. I enjoyed biting him and rubbing my cheeks over his.
When we met, on a Sunday, he gave me a black silk sari. He urged me to wear it to Captain Manish’s anniversary party. He had a friend and comrade in Captain Manish. Vikrant thus requested that I attend his party.
I had on a black silk sari. I didn’t particularly enjoy wearing saris, but he gave it to me anyway. How then can I refuse it? I was unable to comprehend what I saw when I looked in the mirror. I appeared to be quite lovely. Vikrant’s face flashed on my phone screen as I was just taking a look at myself in the mirror. I answered the phone.
‘Its time, please, I’m waiting,’ he beckoned. Outside, he was holding out for me. However, I wished to capture some images of mine. ‘Please, could you step up,’ I asked.
‘Why? It’s too late now. You know, we have to buy a present,’
he retorted.
I pleaded, ‘Please come, no, please.’
‘Okay, baba. Hold on, I’ll come,’ he retorted.
He checked the buzzer. I let the door open. He appeared more attractive than ever. He matched my sari with a three-piece black jacket. He recently began to develop a beard after I told him he looked hot with one. He was looking as scorching as the sun, as I previously stated. Between them, his infant pink lips glistened. He smelled wonderful, as usual.
I believe he also used gel to fix his well-groomed hair which was not as smooth as I had assumed. Because of their brief length, they gave the impression of being silky. When I discovered that his hair is similar to that of Sri Lankan bowler Lasith Malinga, or more accurately, like sheep, he showed me some pictures of his early life. Whatever, it suits him. His blue irises had a Venus-like radiance.
When he saw me, his eyes grew wider than normal. Also opened was his lips. I understood the reason. ‘What happened,’ I enquired of him.
He regained awareness and said, ‘Aaa...’ He entered, shut the door, and gave me a bear embrace.
‘What are you doing, Vikrant?’ I questioned, a playful smile curving my lips. He released me.
144 In the Arms of a Soldier
‘Love,’ he answered with a mischievous glint in his eyes, making my heart flutter.
I chuckled softly, my laughter echoing in the peaceful garden.
‘I didn’t summon you here to make out.’
His lips curled into a boyish grin, and he quirked an eyebrow.
‘So why did you summon me here?’
I hesitated for a moment, gathering my courage before I spoke, ‘Please snap my photos.’
Vikrant’s expression shifted, a hint of surprise in his eyes.
‘Well, but...’
I interrupted him with a teasing tone, ‘But what?’
A sly smile tugged at the corners of his lips, and he said, ‘I want one smooch per picture.’
I feigned annoyance, but my eyes sparkled with delight.
‘Vikrant...’
He continued with a playful grin, ‘Offer... closes... soon.’
I had no choice but to say, ‘All right, I’ll do that.’ He captured my 13 images and received my 13 kisses as payment. My lipstick caused his cheeks turn red. I instructed him to clean it. He reacted to my command by saying, ‘Certainly, ma’am.’
We were moving forward. It was after 8pm I asked curiously,
‘Hey Vikrant, tell me something about captain Manish.’
‘Captain Manish is my closest friend,’ he said. ‘Together, we joined PARA SF and carried out numerous dangerous operations.
The previous year, he wed Sagrika.’
‘All right,’
‘But do you know what?’
‘What?’ I questioned.
‘He had a crush on a woman named Priyanka. He promised her that he would marry her when he finished the mission and returned. They used to discuss every detail of their days during daily video calls. They also made plans for the future.
‘She abruptly ceased calling him though. The connection was lost entirely. He was unable to comprehend why she had experienced what she had. So, after finishing the task, he made the decision to meet her. But the task took too much time. He learned that Priyanka had wed someone else when he came back.’
‘Ohh... so sad,’ I exclaimed.
‘Yes, at that point he was really shattered.’ In an instant, all his aspirations faded away. He is content now, ‘And I believe Sagrika is the right partner for him.’
In front of the gift store, Vikrant came to a stop. Our offering had to be accepted. Vikrant had a call as soon as we walked into the store, so he left and instructed me to choose a lovely gift.
However, I was baffled. There were numerous present options. I therefore requested the shopkeeper to demonstrate a gift to give a married couple. He displayed a Radha Krishna Idol Showpiece with Diya for Puja and Household Decor in a Peacock Design.
The exquisite handcrafted antique Lord Krishna Radha idol with gold plating on the sturdy metal stand was fashioned entirely of metal. Standing elegantly on the arch are Radha and Krishna. It was nicely finished and had a lovely pattern on the carving. The idol was golden polished, giving it a seductive ancient appearance.
I really enjoyed it. Vikrant liked it too. So we bought it.
As soon as we got back on our way, I began daydreaming about the day that Vikrant and I would mark our first anniversary, followed by our tenth, twenty-fifth, and then our one hundredth.
Although there was a lot of anticipation, those ideas were surprisingly comforting. I grinned as I turned to face Vikrant. He became aware of it.
‘What happened?’ he enquired.
‘Nothing,’ I answered.
He responded, ‘Okay,’
‘Vikrant, I love you.’
He added, ‘I love you too, Prano.’
146 In the Arms of a Soldier I innocently pleaded with her, ‘Please never leave me.’
‘Never’, he replied. We arrived at the gathering location, which was a hall. I held of Vikrant’s arm, and we went inside. We appeared to be a married pair. There were numerous additional Army commanders and their families in attendance.
I asked with hopeful eyes, ‘Does an army man have permission to reside with their family?’
‘It varies, though. We can have our families reside with us at Army headquarters if we are stationed in civil areas like this.
However, if we are stationed in a border area, we do not have permission for it,’ he said.
‘You are late, Mr. Vikrant,’ someone said, pointing at us.
‘Ohh so sorry you know this ladies,’ Vikrant said. Both of them chuckled.
‘What do you mean by women?’, I asked. They were quiet for a moment and then laughed again.
‘Ok, meet him, he is Captain Manish.’ He was a tall, attractive man (not more than Vikrant).
‘Good to meet you,’ he greeted me. ‘Mrs. Shergil.’
I blushed.
Mrs. Shergil... Pranali Vikrant Shergil. Whoa.
Vikrant ruined my mood by saying, ‘No, we’re not married yet,’ and you know why.
I said, ‘I want to meet Sagrika Ma’am.’
‘Of course. But, she doesn’t appreciate hearing mam words from a woman her age, though,’ Manish added.
‘Okay,’ I said with a grin.
He named her ‘Sagrika.’ Looking at her face, I was genuinely shocked and perplexed. Her burnt half-face was visible. I was completely perplexed. Why was her face burnt? Why is the incident behind her face burnt? There were numerous inquiries,
but only Vikrant had the knowledge to respond. I chose to ask him this question on the way home because it wasn’t the appropriate time to do so.
We gave Manish and Sagrika their gift after they had cut the cake. The party started. As everyone else was dancing, my boyfriend was having a romantic moment. He kept putting his hands on my waist. I have no idea what transpired to with that evening. To dance, Manish and Sagrika invited us.
‘May I have the honour of dancing with you, my lady?’ Vikrant requested while kneeling down. Quietly, I stretched out my hand.
He seized it and drew me in his direction. My body bumped up against his powerful one. My lips were trembling a little, and his gaze were following every inch of my body. He brought my body close to his and his hands firmly clasped my hands as the music changed to a very slow, calming tone. We were twirling. He drew my body further closer by putting his arms around my waist. On my face, I felt his warm breath.
…
The party finally ended, and we were heading back to our house. I decided now was the perfect opportunity to explain my confusion.
‘What happened to Sagrika’s face, Vikrant?’ I questioned.
‘Manish and Sagrika were classmates, and Manish was Sagrika’s first love. But here’s the twist: Manish had his heart set on Priyanka. Sagrika didn’t know that at first, so she tried really hard to get close to Manish. She even wrote a love letter to confess her feelings, but Manish told her that he liked Priyanka.
‘This made Sagrika pretty sad, but she still cared about Manish a lot. When Priyanka left him, Sagrika was the one who understood him the best. Manish realized that Sagrika was the only person who could love him so deeply. So, he eventually asked her to be with him, and she said yes. But life had other plans, and Manish had to go far away for some reason. However, true love doesn’t care about distance. They managed to stay in touch, even though
148 In the Arms of a Soldier there were several network issues where Manish was. He tried his best to let Sagrika know he was fine.
‘But then, something strange happened. Sagrika suddenly stopped calling him and didn’t reply to his messages. Manish was worried and didn’t understand why she was acting like this. We all realized that there was a big misunderstanding going on. I told Manish to find Sagrika and talk to her. That way, everything would become clear. Love can be tricky, but it’s worth figuring out.
‘Manish arrived at Sagrika’s home after returning to his village. A person unlocked the door. She was Sagrika with half face burned. Manish was simultaneously delighted and surprised.
Sagrika cried as she hurried into her bedroom. Sagrika’s mother confronted him and related the incident to him. Her face was burned when a petrol tank accident occurred in her kitchen.
“So why is she not talking to me?” he questioned.
“Because she feels that you shouldn’t be marrying a lady with burns on her face. She really cares about you. She was questioned about wanting to get married. You are the only individual she loves,” she told him.
‘It made all his ambiguity apparent. He grinned slightly before entering the bedroom. At the corner, Sagrika was weeping. Will you marry me? Manish asked her with his palm gently resting over her burned face. Sagrika collapsed and gave Manish a tight hug. “Sagrika, I love your hearts. And if you value someone’s spirit, appearances are irrelevant. Sagrika, will you marry me?”
Manish enquired.
“Sure,” Sagrika affirmed while crying. And today is their first anniversary. They were married in a temple on the same day.’
‘All right,’ I retorted.
He left me at my house. This is the epitome of true affection, isn’t it? Manish is accurate. When you love a person’s soul, appearances don’t count.
