CHAPTER TWENTY
The Hindi word for water is pani.
Why had he not met me earlier? In Kishore’s mind so much time had been already wasted. If we had met sooner we could already be in the process of really planning our future together. But, he knew it was a silly thing to think because it was fate that decided when it was time to meet his beloved. He believed meeting me was his karma and part of gods great plan in life for him.
His belief was more than praying to god. It was a strong faith. He had experienced extreme loneliness at times in his life and praying brought him peace of mind and was a great comfort. His religion was his faith, a companion when he felt alone.
The nights we didn’t meet, Kishore phoned me and we talked for hours not caring we would be tired at work the next day.
One night I asked him what he had eaten for dinner.
“Ohh, I warmed up some dahl I had made last night.”
“What!” I exclaimed, “Are you okay Kishore? Was something wrong with the dahl?”
“Huh, no Julie, why?”
“Because you just said you vomited up the dahl.”
“No,” Kishore chuckled, “I said I wwwarmed up the dahl…on the stove.”
Kishore’s accent was strong and although I understood him ninety percent of the time, I did occasionally find his pronunciation a bit confusing especially as his w’s sounded like v’s.
“I’ve been wondering,” I said moving onto my next question, “Which language do you think in?”
After he had time to think about it Kishore replied. “You know, Julie, I have just realised that I think in English.” English was now such a major part of his life that it had become natural for him to think in the language. Upon reflection he realised he even dreamed in English.
After our long love talk during which I was lying in bed, I eventually fell asleep with the phone pressed up against my ear. “Juuuuullllliiiieeee, wake up Julie jewel,” Kishore called down the phone.
“No,” I drowsily replied, “I am sleeping.” He didn’t mind, he was happy just to hear his darling breathing.
One weekend I suggested we choose a couples song and he asked the relevance in doing this. “Couples often have a song that is theirs,” I explained, he was still perplexed. “It’s what couples do, it’s a bonding thing so whenever they hear that song they know it’s their song.” Eventually I persuaded him it was a good idea. We both enjoyed songs from the ‘70’s especially the Carpenters, the Bee Gees, Abba and even Kamhal. We decided to pick one from that era. Kishore remembered Abba being played in India, after all the band was a world-wide phenomenon.
Kishore knew my favourite song was, 'How deep is your love' by the Bee Gees, he also liked this song but confessed he didn’t really understand the words. He enjoyed the melody of the brothers singing and the beat of the background music. After explaining the lyrics to him he decided it was an extremely tender and loving song that suited us as a couple. The verse we thought most apt was the chorus:
'How deep is your love
I really need to learn
Cause we’re living in a world of fools
Breaking us down
When they all should let us be
We belong to you and me'
The words were so appropriate it was as if the song had been written especially for us and for those who did not approve of our relationship. So it was agreed – this would be our song. Whenever it played on the radio we would excitedly exclaim, “Ohhh… it’s our song.” Stopping whatever we were doing we would take each other’s hands and gaze dreamily into one another’s eyes. One morning when I had just arrived at work I received a surprise phone call from Kishore.
“I was late for work today,” he confessed.
“Why?”
“I was listening to the radio on my way to work and our song started playing just as I was pulling into the car park at the office.”
“So?” I questioned.
“I couldn’t just leave,” he declared “Julie, it is our song, our song! I would feel like I was betraying us if I left half-way through our song!”
My heart melted as I wondered if any man could be more romantic.
*
Sally, my cousin had been rushed to hospital as her appendix had burst. I was close to Sally and visited her several times in the hospital. Since living in New Zealand Kishore didn’t know anyone who had been in hospital and was interested to know about the medical system.
All I could tell him was, “the nurse explained to Sally that she would have to spend a week in hospital.” I continued, “the nurse told her she would have to rest a lot when she got home” also, “the nurse said Sally would have to return in ten days to have her stitches out.”
He listened intently to me finally asking quizzically, “Julie, it is good to hear all about Sally but I have been wondering, who on earth is Denise?” It took me a few minutes to realise I had been saying the nurse so often, the words had merged into Denise denurse-denise.
This time it was Kishore’s turn to be confused with my accent.
The mall was crowded with busy Saturday shoppers - excited teenagers giggled with their friends while slurping milkshakes, babies being pushed in strollers stared wide-eyed in wonder at the bright lights and hungry people ate sandwiches and muffins while sitting at cafes that smelt of roasting coffee.
My dear fiancé was at times becoming bolder and sillier. His romantic side emerged after he became bored watching me browsing through racks of clothes.
Approaching from behind, he wrapped his arms around my waist, lent his chin on my shoulder and sung softly in my ear. I recognised the romantic Hindi song. He had sung it to me before. At first I swayed from side to side with him, enjoying the intimacy of his lips so close but as I moved about the shop he stayed right next to my ear and went right on singing. I tried to ignore him but his singing became progressively louder with people beginning to turn their heads to see where the sound was coming from.
With a pout, I gave Kishore a look that said please don’t, following with a ‘ssssshhhhhhhhhh.’ My disapproval only made him laugh which of course encouraged him to sing louder. I glared at him with another look this one said 'Stop it, you’re embarrassing me.’ But he kept right on singing. As he became louder and more vocal, I managed to dart away and disappear into another shop. He caught up with me, there was no escape, eventually I gave up being embarrassed and let him sing. After all they were only words of love.