Siddharth gave
an unsure smile. He liked the fragrance of her dupatta, the caress and the
blushing too.
Samedha heard
the announcement from the conductor, “Nehru place”. “Do you know Sid, Nehru Place
is the biggest computer hardware market in Delhi? We have to get down here.” Both were
alerted to get down from the bus.
A sudden gush
of people threw them out of the bus. Siddharth lost his balance and almost
crashed with the bus. “What was that?” he asked after regaining his composure.
“This is not
rare in Delhi Sid” She tried to comfort him. “Forget it. Let’s go” She added
extending her hand towards him.
Both of them
reached the temple and Siddharth realized during their long walk from the bus
stop to the temple cash counter, they were holding each other’s hand. A
conscious feeling crept into his mind, was it deliberate or just a casual act
from both of them? He did not want to release her hand. It felt so soft. He
carefully looked at her without her knowledge.
Oblivious of
the developments in Siddharth, Samedha was busy in devouring the beauty of the
place not bothering about her hand. He had to release her hand
reluctantly to take out his wallet to pay the entrance fees.
Both entered
into the Lotus temple premises. The temple was the testimony of modern art and
architecture. Siddharth wanted to touch them as a token of appreciation but she
pulled him back to debar him from touching.
“No touching,
Sid” she reprimanded a little. This act of her did not bring any disappointment
to him as the holding of hand was restored. The tight grip of her hand had
captivated him.
He looked at
her face and tried to memorize every contour of her face. The swinging strands
of her hair, those talkative, bright and beautiful eyes, perfectly shaped nose
and lovely lips. She appeared prettier than ever before. He wished to live his
life time with that feeling of fulfillment and joy.
“Time to move
and see some more…” she declared.
Both went past
a large hall and they couldn’t stop admiring the magnificent monument.
“You know Sid
this temple is about forty meters tall and surrounded by nine reflecting pools
due to which it appears as if the temple is floating like a Lotus flower in the
middle of the water. There are twenty seven freestanding "petals"
made of white marble. This complex edifice took ten years to get ready. As
Lotus is a symbol of peace, purity and love, this temple is open to people from
all religions. This is the testimony of India’s ageless art, borderless
culture and timeless values.” Samedha presented a piece of knowledge.”
“And thank you for bringing
me here. Apart from the bus ride, everything has been so lovely.” he said
gratefully.
“Sid,
do you know why did I get you here?”
“Hmmm...I
am not sure...”replied Sid. But the ambiance is just so mesmerizing.
“No
Idols to gaze at. No mantras to chant. No rituals to follow. But still people
can connect themselves to the Almighty. And that is because they sense his
presence in everything around here...in
the silence...in the end less white color of the walls...in these pillars. Their hearts reach to those vibes where no sense organ can. The Feel, Unseen and Untouched, made us to realize the presence of
divinity. This is supernatural, Sid. And some where our relationship stands
on the same feel. We have sensed each other before we met.”
This
left Siddharth spell bound. He looked deep into her eyes thinking of nothing and thinking of everything.
- to be continued ...
PS: I wanna thank Mr Santosh Kumar Patnaik, for sharing his experience about New Delhi and his immense help in editing these parts. This oomph factor is all yours my friend.
