IF YOU SAY A DAY A NIGHT, I WILL SAY A DAY A NIGHT. IF YOU SAY A MORNING AN EVENING, I WILL SAY A MORNING AN EVENING.

A long story.

Story (Introduction).

That was peak of rainy season.There was water,water everywhere.Even the railway platform was flooded.With incessant rain,electric lamps were so hazy that a couple glow - worms in a glass bottle would have provided more illumination.Time was midnight. He was travelling from a city down south to a city up north.The train had halted in a city in between.He was looking vacantly to the dark platform with no thought in particular watching the shadowy figures running here and there,yelling at each other,all drenched, when she,sliding the door open,entered inside the coupe.He threw a cursory glance at her and looked away.Something struck his mind as an electric shock.He looked back again.She was completely drenched.Water was not dripping,rather pouring from her body. He said,"You are completely drenched.You will catch cold."

The lady looked at him.

She was perplexed.

How it is that he is here?

So, he still remembers, I catch a cold when I get drenched.

Pulling out a towel from his bag, he offered,"Dry yourself immediately."Before she could offer thanks, he ran to the platform and brought two cups of coffee. 

So he still remembers, I need coffee to stay away from cold.

''Take it hot,otherwise, you will start sneezing.''

" Oh, he still remembers that."

''I know, you do not carry a blanket on a journey.You say, that makes your luggage bulky.'' He pulled out a blanket from his suitcase and wrapped that around her.

" My God, that also he remembers, I do not carry a blanket."

" Cover your body and go to sleep, otherwise you will get a fever."

He also remembers that, when I get cold, I get a fever.

''Yes I will go to sleep.Where is your flute ?''

" I have forgotten the tunes.''

"What about your dance recitals?"

"I have forgotten the steps.''

She looked at him,"You are a big man.Why are you travelling by rail ?"

He looked at her, replied in a voice as if that was from a very very distant past, "You know.Have you forgotten?Anyway, why are you travelling by rail in a weather like this?''

Her eyes were already moist. In a choked voice she replied, "If you have not forgotten, how can I ?"

She looked at the blanket, looked at his face, turned her face away lest he sees her tears. 

He looked at the blanket, looked at her face, turned his face away lest she sees his tears. 

They did not utter a single word thereafter.

Each looked at the dark overcast sky, showers of rain, darkness often ruptured by flashes of lightening, tranquillity ruptured after each lightening by the following thunder.

Memories of another train journey, a journey travelled together, ages ago came surging through their minds.

A journey that had tied them together.

Story. (ages ago - of union and separation)

They boarded the train at midnight.

They were two groups of university students from different universities; each group consisting 30 students with an equal number of boys and girls; going to New Delhi to participate in the annual youth festival and to compete with each other and with other university students on several cultural events.

They were travelling by rail road in the same carriage.The carriage was over crowded as any railway bogie be in India.

That was a mid summer night, of course, with no escape from the pushing, dashing, abusing,elbowing,kicking, yelling of the passenger, with fans dead asleep and with the lone electric bulb flickering off and on as and when it desires, there was hardly any scope to see dreams.But dreams they did saw, two pairs of eyes and the corresponding two hearts, converted that dream into reality in years latter.

Each group had its leader.The leader of one group was a tall,slim,beautiful smart girl whose presence could be compared with that of lightening and the leader of the other group was a boy as handsome and stoic as the Himalayas. Both were toppers of their respective universities in their respective disciplines - the girl in psychology and the boy in physics. Besides studies both were also outstanding in their respective passions,the girl in dancing and the boy in playing flute.The girl would be competing in dance programme and the boy in instrumental music.They had another similarity.Both of them had lost their mothers at their birth.

Her father; a leading and prominent advocate of the town; did not marry again lest the step mother ill-treats the baby.Being a lawyer, he was very logical.''I can not transfer my misfortune to my girl.That is not ethical.'' The girl grew up getting all the love and care of her father.She was brilliant at her studies.She learnt Odissi form of dancing;a form of classical dancing in India;and in due course of time became an exponent in it,bringing laurels to her institutions and to the utter happiness and satisfaction of her father. 

But the boy had a different fate.His father,being a marginal farmer,had to marry so that the step mother would take care of the boy and would relieve him of household chores. That was also a positive thinking,but,that went haywire when the step mother started ill-treating the little boy.The father had to bear the burnt of his decision,but,there was no escape from the mental torture that he was subjected to finding the agony of the boy. But the boy wrote his own story.He was outstanding from day one.When I say outstanding,he was genuinely outstanding,be it in studies,be it in extracurricular activities.He got scholarships and taking up sundry jobs,managed his studies.He learnt flute from a beggar who used to play flute while begging and became an exponent of the art in due course of time.As I have already told you earlier,if the girl was as lively as lightening,the boy as stoic as the Himalayas.Since they became important persons in latter days,I am not going to disclose their identities now,rather,to maintain confidentiality,let us know them as 'the girl' and 'the boy'. 

As soon as the train ran,the girl made a dash to the seat where the boy was sitting and pulling out the student who was sitting in front of the boy,sat down there and opened up," I am 'The girl',the leader of the other group.We are going New Delhi to compete with each other,and with others.My forte is dance,Odissi dance,I will compete in that category.But I can not dance here,see the compartment is jam-packed,no stage,no music(giggle).I can not show you my art.But,you can certainly play flute,where it is?'' She zipped open his bag,pulled a flute out and handed over to him.''Now play some melodious tunes.Let me measure your talent first before you enter the competition."The boy was amused,but did not say anything,with a quick glance at her face,ignoring the din in the compartment,ignoring the pair of eyes focused on them,started playing the instrument,initially with some popular Hindi film tunes,slowly extending his range to Indian classical tunes.Not satisfied with the performance,the girl demanded,''No western popular,no western classical,how are you going to compete with such a narrow range ?'' The boy again started,initially with ' Gone with the wind, just like a leaf that has blown away' from the American classic movie 'Gone with the wind' then one by one,from great hits of American movies.He was not half way through when he found she had dozed off leaning on the window pane with a sense of satisfaction on her face.That was a moonlit night.The train was passing through a forest.The dancing of light and shade on her face showing her contentment filled in the boy's heart such a joy which he had never experienced before.

The train started with a jerk.The girl opens her eyes with that jerk, finding the boy, not on the seat looked outside through the window.That was early morning.The boy was running after the train with a cup of tea in his hand.Somehow he got up the train, reached his seat breathlessly, handed over the cup to the girl ."This is coffee.The vendors sell only tea here.I got it prepared at the tea stall and brought it for you. "

She threw a glance and a smile that was more mysterious than that of Vanci's master piece, Mona Lisa, and said," How did you know I prefer coffee to tea in morning? Anyway, why did you risk your life for a coffee for me? If you had fallen ?"

The boy did not reply.In fact, he had no answer.He looked away at the rising sun and the red sky vacantly.The girl also pondered over her question for a satisfying answer. 

Still,

That was not love at first sight.

That was not hate at first sight.

That was not ignore at first sight.

That was not indifference at first sight.

Then what that was?

This ''What that was?" took so many twists and turns,negotiated so may hurdles, experienced so many ups and downs,that,a forest stream originating form a gorge/ravine, flowing down breathless, listless,to meet its destination; ocean; would have felt shy comparing its travel with the story I am going to narrate.

They joined the youth festival, participated in their respective events.The girl danced very well and own the trophy, fair and square.However, that was not the case with the boy.The Portuguese boy from Goa gave him a top challenge with his Spanish guitar. The competition went up to six rounds.The judges being judges, always partial under the guise of impartiality declared both of them joint winners where as in the last round of Western classical music the boy beat the Portuguese boy fair and square as per the opinion of the audience and expert.

They returned by different trains on different dates, joined their respective universities, finished their respective post graduate courses and joined as lecturers in different colleges approximately 500 km away from each other.They had no contact after that train journey.In those days of no mobiles, no internet, letter was only means of communication.They preferred ignoring each rather than to keep in contact through a letter. However, after a lapse of five years, both of them were transferred to a college which was about 300 km away from their town.

There they met after six years.

There they talked,smiled,walked hand in hand on hilly roads,enjoying a jungle stream here and a jungle flower there,enjoying flocks of Siberian bird flying over the distant mountain one day and enjoying the cool morning breeze and warmth of each others presence the other day,-- while searching the answer for the two questions she had asked on that morning, six years ago, -''How did you know I prefer coffee to tea in the morning? Why did you risk your life ?''

He got the answer from his heart, she got the answer from her heart, both got the answer from each other's eyes, none had another opinion, unknown to themselves fell in love and have a unanimous opinion, decided to be man and wife. As a remembrance to their first journey, they decided to travel 'ordinary' either by rail or by road whenever the opportunity arrives and also he would play the flute to her at the beginning and end of a day's work.

The boy did not have to take permission from any, his father and step mother already dead; quarrelling with each other; leaving the only step sister under his care and the girl telephoned her 'black coat old owl'; father;(black coat for his profession' uniform and old owl for his whole night studies and writing briefs) informed him her decision. 'The black coat old owl' was hesitant for a moment, for he had arranged her marriage with a judge, but relented ultimately.

They were man and wife next week.

Next few years passed event less except that they had a son in two years and completed their Ph.D in their respective fields.

Then came big opportunities for both of them, opportunity that any teacher would grab. 

She got a post-doctoral research fellowship for 3 years in an American University and he got an opportunity to expand his research work on cosmology under a world renowned; noble laureate;physicist-philosopher at Oxford.

They were separated after eight years of togetherness.Their son stayed with his grand father and studied in an English Medium School.

The girl returned after completing her thesis in 3 years, but the boy stayed on.When he returned after ten years, he was a changed man.He remained so much immersed in his research work, on a new model about the existence of universes inside black holes, that, he would not even find time to talk with his wife for days together leave aside playing the flute to her.Everybody, other than his close associates thought him senile and mad. Yes, his talk and action appeared incoherent most often.He would not even recognise his son at times.For him, his research was of paramount importance, not his family. 

The wife lost all patience with him and he lost all interest in her.The communication between the husband and wife collapsed.Both of them decided to part ways.They filed a divorce petition.

The courtroom drama that followed was seen to be believed.The melodrama reached its climax when her father arguing on her behalf charged him to be a lunatic, mad.She objected vehemently to her father.When his advocate charged her that she was obstinate and negligent towards her husband, he objected vehemently.The judge was perplexed.That showed, despite of all odds, they had a love for each other.However, tears rolling down their eyes, both of them begged for a divorce.The divorce was awarded.

It is said that the entire courtroom cried that day including the judge.

They parted ways with sad smiles on their lips.

He left for Oxford within few weeks.

Story (repentance and reunion). 

Tearing the darkness, the train was speeding towards its destination.Tearing the darkness of their sorrows a ray of hope for a reunion started throbbing in their hearts.The boy realised his mistake, wanted forgiveness, the girl realised her mistake, wanted forgiveness.She realised, she should have shown more patience, been more accommodative as he was deep into a path-breaking research that would open a new frontier in cosmology.He realised that despite the burden of his research he should have given time to his wife and son.Living like strangers under one roof must have tortured her a lot.Both realised, they should have avoided the communication gap that crept in. 

Both were repentant.Both wanted to stitch the relation once more and start life afresh. 

That was early morning.The rain had stopped.The sky had cleared.The train stopped at its last halt.

They travelled to the city to participate seminars on the same day, of course at different venues.

Both of them got down with their baggage.He lifted his and her's as he used to do before.''Why I am weak or what?I have been carrying it since last fifteen years.Can not I carry it today ?"

He handed her the baggage.His eyes were sad.They walk down to the taxi stand, each repenting, each afraid of losing the other, each willing to break the ice, each willing to beg forgiveness, each willing to reconcile, each willing to start life afresh, but with conceit preventing they could not utter a single word.

At the taxi stand, the boy said: "We will take a taxi, I will drop you at your hotel, then go to mine."

"Why, I can not drop you first?Let us take a taxi and go to your hotel first."

The boy obeyed.

In the taxi, they sat together - each willing to hold the hand of the other as they used to do in earlier times, but the conceit prevented again.

They arrived at his hotel, went to the reception counter.The reception girl checked the computer, looked inquisitively at the girl and said,"Should I book a room for you, Madam?"

She retorted back,''What, when you stay in a hotel with your husband, you take separate rooms?''

The receptionist was reduced to tears.

All others were stunned.

The boy said, "We both will stay, make necessary corrections."

As soon as she opened the door, she flung herself on the bed flat."I am so tired.Last night I could not sleep.You know what I was thinking.I know you were thinking the same.Anyway, I know you more than anybody else.Right ?"

He only smiled and asked, "When is your seminar? When should we start?I shall drop you there and go to mine.''

''What seminar? Which seminar?Who is going to attend? Let me tell the old parrot beak (Vice Chancellor) to send somebody.I am not attending.''She contacted the old parrot beak and told.

"Then you accept my resignation.I am sending it through a message right away.Anyway, when you meet your wife after fifteen years, do you attend seminars?''

Smilingly she told ''Of course, I will attend your seminar.Any problem, if I attend? You need at least one person to clap after you finish your damn talk.(giggle).Let me see how intelligent you physicists are.''

Both of them attended.

He was the last speaker.He talked for two hours.

With mathematical calculations, computer generated graphics, he explained his findings so vividly that even she could grasp.She did not know yet, what a revolutionary thinker he was.His presentation was the best, opined the best brains of cosmology.When he finished, there was a long applause for him, a very long applause.While he was returning, getting down the steps, she got up; still clapping her hands; threw a mischievous glance at him and climbed up the dais, whispered something to the President of the seminar, a noble laureate, who with a twinkle in his eyes smiled and nodded.She proceeded to the microphone.

" Ladies and Gentleman, I am aware, I am talking to an audience - an assembly of great scientists.You are great by your own right in your chosen fields.I am a psychologist, a speck before you.I am aware of my position.But as an ordinary wife, I want to tease your research and conscience a bit.Kindly bear with me.The person who just presented his paper on " Possibilities of the existence of universes inside black holes" is my husband. Many thanks to you for organising this seminar in this city. But, not for this seminar, I would not have found him.I lost him fifteen years ago. I got him back a few hours earlier. 

This world is a big bazaar, you have heard it correct, a bazaar only.So many beautiful objects, I repeat objects, displayed inside glittering glass shelves, like, a good school, a good university, a good education, a good job, a good salary, reputations, awards, recognition, laurels etc. allure us. While running after them -- achieving one,expecting the other,striving for another,running nonstop,we loose the most precious jewels,the most valuable prizes,which are exclusively ours -- parents,spouses,children,society, nature,a cuckoo's song,a bee's hum,a butterfly's dance,the morning dew,a moonlit night and many more.Such things bring happiness,peace,tranquillity, fulfilment, contentment.

You search for the outer limit of the universe, other universes beyond this universe, what lies inside a black hole,you search the properties of a boson,you search for God particle, even God,but,while putting your heart and soul to it, you forget another of your responsibility,that, somebody, is waiting for you at your home - may be your old ailing mother waiting to give you a good night kiss before she swallows a sleeping pill, may be your wife waiting to have a cup of evening tea together on the lawn she had laboriously mowed that morning,may be your little daughter waiting to help her in her homework in drawing a sketch of a penguin,may be your neighbour waiting to gossip a little about the lady next door,may be your childhood friend waiting at the railway station to see you before he leaves,may be your dog waiting to enjoy a ride with you.If you stitch together those small pleasures, kind gestures and the pain and defeat that come along your way at times into a garland,that garland we call is LIFE.But we pass on that life without understanding it, without comprehending it and the saddest part is without enjoying it. Those little things, only those little things that you overlook bring happiness, contentment, and a sense of fulfilment.Nothing else.Nothing else matters in life.

You miss a life to gain an award!

 Is it worth?

 I do not want my husband to be an Einstein, a Hawking, for despite their greatness; they could not give happiness to their wives.Their celebrity halo only brought tears to their eyes, emptiness in their hearts. I, neither want my husband to be a Sir Humphry Davy type for he was reported a hen-packed husband.When the world applauds Livingstone, Columbus, Perry, Scot, Edition, Faraday, Marx, Dickens and so many; personalities that pushed, pulled and changed the direction of civilisation, consequently the history of mankind; where do you find their wives? Pushed to oblivion despite being wives of celebrities. Their pain and sacrifices ignored.Crushed to dust by history.Forgotten.

 If life is a journey, then happiness is the carriage on which to complete that journey and that carriage; happiness; runs on four-wheel - adjustments, compatibility, compromise and sacrifice.Are we not missing them running after the glittering articles that I mentioned earlier.''With moist eyes, a voice tottering with emotion she continued, ''I wanted my husband a normal human being, with no halo encircling his head, with no celebrity tag -- just a normal human being that you see on road, on bus stops and everywhere.''

If happiness is all that life longs for, where is the necessity to search it outside whereas it is well within your reach-- just a little compromise, just a little sacrifice, just a little understanding.

With tears rolling down her eyes,body trembling with surge of emotion,with a voice cracking at every syllable,she looked at the boy expectantly,slowly whispered,"I am shattered dear,shattered - missing you for 15 long years,walking alone for 15 long years, remembering you day and night for 15 long years,struggling alone for 15 long years , dragging life alone for 15 long years,lying your son that happy day would return for 15 long years, alone, alone and alone for 15 long years, my dear, I am tired,I am broken, I am beaten,exhausted,with no energies left,with no hope to clinch on,with no will to live, with no strength to put my next step,come on dear,hold me,embrace me,assure me,lead me from hopelessness to hopefulness,from unhappiness to happiness,from nothingness to fulfilment,lift me from death to life.'' With tears rolling down her eyes she paused a second,"play me the flute, dear, play me the flute, soothe my heart, I am waiting for it to happen for 15 long years.'' 

Slowly he stood up from his seat, sobbing uncontrollably,coat already drenched with showers after showers of tears,climbed the steps with tottering steps,head down,walked to her, holding her in a tight embrace,kissing her head again and again,wiping her tears,adjusted the microphone and said ," What my wife said is my words in her mouth,yes,I made a blunder,I committed a crime that has no excuse,forgive me dear, forgive me, while searching what was there inside a black hole, I forgot to search what was there inside your heart.Forgive me.Yes, I will play flute,I have not played it for ages,I will play flute and stroke your hair till you fall asleep in night,I will play the flute and stroke your hair till you get up in morning,I will play the flute when spring arrives,I will play the flute when summer departs,I will play the flute for you till my life departs.'

Holding each other tightly, supporting each other, leaning over each other, her head on his shoulder, with flashes and flashes of tears rolling down their eyes, slowly they walked down the steps, to a standing ovation that appeared continued for eternity.

The President concluded the seminar in one dialogue,"Yes, what we find changes next moment, but what she told is eternal, the Truth''

As soon as they came out of the seminar, the first thing she did was to snatch his mobile and switched that off. Her mobile was in off mode already." Let us loose ourselves, let us loose ourselves till we find ourselves."

" Yes , of course, let us find a flute first."

When they checked out of the hotel next morning, she planted a kiss on the receptionist's cheek to her bewilderment. "Thanks daughter, thanks for asking the right question at the right moment.I am grateful."

All others were amused.

Epilogue.

It is five years since their reunion.

The boy has retired, of course, with a halo around his head; a scientific model regarding the existence/non-existence of something/nothing inside a black hole in his name; a lot of prizes, acclaims and laurels.He refused all assignments that came on his way, of course, all prestigious.He remains immersed in his study in his house.He most often goes to primary schools at remote villages and teach the tender minds the fundamentals of science,health,hygiene such as brush your teeth at least twice a day, cut your nails once a week, wear shoes, do not kill frogs, lizards, turtles, snakes, plant trees, obey your teachers and many more such things.He used to present small scientific instruments to the schools, conduct experiments, teach the little ones how light travel straight, how oxygen support combustion, how to find a direction, how a bean seed germinates and so on.If you ask, why, he would reply,"I am only trying to infuse scientific temperament into their young minds.They will push science to a new horizon when they grow up."

Morning coffee for both, he prepares. Flute, he plays to her.

I have told you, she resigned, that morning when she got back her husband.She has opened a clinic.She gives free counsel to those who seek a divorce.On the wall behind her chair hangs at the top, their marriage certificate, below that their divorce order and below that a photograph was taken on that day when both of them learning each other, assuring each other, wiping tears from each other's eyes were coming down the steps in search of a fresh dawn.She would tell them her story, would insist them to go on a long trip to a distant place with their children, if any, of course on a train in an ordinary class.When in a jam-packed compartment, the wife is shoved by some stranger standing next, the husband's blood would boil - he would give a counter shove to the stranger, if someone passes a dirty comment on his wife, he would protest.Tired and exhausted, if the husband would fall asleep on a railway platform, the wife would sit guard on him, wiping his face and stroking his hair affectionately.If the child falls down, both of them would be equally worried.That way hate and suspicion would vanish.She would say,'' Love is like a forest stream.It does not dry up.In a rough weather, it changes its course.A little bit of adjustment, a little bit of compromise, a little bit of sacrifice can change that course back." If a couple would hesitate, she would drag them upstairs to her husband's study. Slowly he would tell them his story and would give them a mantra, would ask them to recite that with him, The mantra, if translated into English would be roughly like,

" Oh, dear,

I love you,

What you see, that I see,

What you feel, that I feel, 

What you listen, that I listen,

Whatever you like, I will only talk that,

If you say a day, a night, 

 I will say a day, a night.

If you say a morning, an evening, 

 I will say a morning, an evening.

Selfless sacrifice is love,

and

love boundless is life.

I shall remember it day and night."

Her selfless endeavour has given many couples a new lease of life, saved many families from destruction.If you ask her, why, she would reply with a tone of sadness."That is my repentance."

They have been living happily while paying back to the society as much as they could do.

Today is their marriage anniversary.

How do I know it?

Of course, they are my parents.

Many happy returns of the day, bou (mother), many happy returns of the day nana (father).

May you live as long as North star shines on the northern horizon.

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