Authors: Joya Victoria
After the sherbet was served and the servant had made his silent departure, Derek went and knelt beside Miranda on one knee. He looked up at her, full of tenderness and love. He took both her hands in his and held them.
“Don’t worry, Mira,” he said, kissing the top her hands, one at a time.
Miranda could feel the love she had for him surging up again! She shifted in her chair.
He freed her hands and held her down by her knees, looking up at her tenderly all the while. Slowly he lowered his head and buried his head in her lap. There was no talk. She could see the top of his head. Without thinking, she started to slowly stroke his head. Time stood still for them. They did not know how long they were like this. He suddenly looked up and caught her gazing at him tenderly. He took her face in his hands and kissed her. She did not resist him. She couldn’t and did not want to. That kiss was so full of tenderness, love, and passion. He pulled her up slowly from the chair she was sitting in.
“Come,” he said in a very small voice, “let me take you home.”
He had plans to say a lot more, but he simply could not bring himself to say anything.
What did he want to tell her anyway? About Hannah, about Rukmini? He was fearful and anxious. He did not know where to start, and the right moment seemed to pass as fleetingly as it had appeared.
His life had become so complicated, and he wanted desperately to protect this innocent girl from the web of his past actions. He was confused and bewildered. He was falling in love with her, but he knew that he had gone about it the wrong way. He wanted to come clean, but he hesitated. Time was passing, and soon she would be off, back to England. What was he to do?
They did not talk very much on the way back; both were occupied with their own thoughts. Dolly was eagerly waiting for her, and she beamed when she saw Miranda alighting from Derek’s vehicle with Derek behind. He came in for a drink and some work talk with Tom.
They all settled down after exchanging pleasantries. It was a cozy feeling and gave the impression of a happy family having a drink together, as if Derek was a part of that intimate family circle. Derek felt it; in fact, they all felt it, so much so that even Tom who hardly ever said anything felt quite sentimental.
Looking at Miranda, Tom said, “MY girl,” in a very affectionate way, “I am so happy that you have come to visit us!”
Miranda looked at her uncle who was now busy offering Derek another drink, and Aunt Dolly, good old Aunt Dolly, was asking him to stay over for supper. She was fussing over him so much!
He wanted to be there, and he was happy being asked to stay for dinner. He wanted to be near her, and she wanted him to stay! She did not want him to go.
Her eyes had that pleading look. She looked up at him once and saw he was looking at her.
He agreed to stay for dinner. They were all very chatty during the meal, but it was all over too soon and Derek soon wished them goodnight and was off.
The heat that night was very oppressive as it was the start of the monsoon and any day now they were expecting the torrential rains to start. Derek usually disappeared to England during that time of year.
The next morning what Miranda woke up to was beyond anything she had ever seen or dreamed of. The rains had started !It was the monsoon! Uncle Tom was at breakfast that morning. He looked unusually chirpy. What was up?
“It is the monsoon, my girl,” he said with a grin. It was infectious; Miranda felt like running out into the torrential monsoon rain. The monsoon madness! They heard the pealing noise of the telephone above the thunder and lightning. Aunt Dolly beat Uncle to it.
Miranda and her uncle could only hear Dolly’s side of conversation. Other than “really” and “oh dear!” everything else was pure conjecture by Tom and Miranda. Apparently the person on the other end was speaking very fast and had a lot to say! Both uncle and niece exchanged glances and pretended not to eavesdrop, though their curiosity was aroused.
Miranda pretended to stir her coffee, and Uncle Tom was extremely busy lighting his pipe, as if the task of filling his pipe and lighting it needed an awful amount of dexterity and tact!
The conversation was over at last. Both eagerly looked at Dolly.
Uncle raised his eyebrows. “What was all that about?” he asked, looking quizzically at Dolly. She smiled a very knowing smile and glanced at Miranda.
“Oh, Tom, Derek is staying back this monsoon,” she declared with aplomb, as if a major victory had been achieved in world affairs, as if Derek’s staying during monsoon was something extremely strange. But as to who the mysterious caller was, Dolly did not bother to enlighten them. She was mum.
What was up?
“Oh dear.” Dolly took a sip of her coffee. She had extremely pressing jobs to perform. She was inviting Derek for dinner that night—again!
So he was staying, not going away! That was an achievement. She must ask the cook to come to discuss the dinner menu.
Miranda was completely at a loss. Why was her aunt so very happy? What concern was it of hers whether Derek stayed during monsoon or not? She turned toward her uncle who was now busy reading the paper.
“Uncle Tom,” she said, “what has monsoon got to do with Derek?”
He looked up from his paper. “Oh, Derek never stays here during the monsoon season,” he said. “I have known him a long time, and Derek hates, simply detests, the monsoon, the rains. I am surprised that this year he has decided to stay back. Wonder why?” He went back to reading his paper.
Miranda felt almost lighthearted. Was she the cause? Suddenly after the phone call her aunt seemed to get a spring in her step. Aunt Dolly was humming. Wonders would never cease.
She was on the phone again.
“Derek is coming for dinner,” she declared after she hung up. “I have just called him.”
No wonder she’d disappeared from the dining room. Crafty, very crafty. But Miranda had a funny feeling in the pit of her stomach that she could not understand. Derek was not going away this year, and Dolly was pleased as punch!
Miranda did not have to wait long to find out what Dolly had been up to. They had a visitor in the torrential rain. Mary, James’s wife, had come by to see Dolly and also to meet Miranda. James was apparently full of praise for Miranda, her nursing skills, and her way with the patients. It was pouring when Mary arrived.
The monsoon had started in earnest; this season was very important in that part of the world. The dark clouds enveloped the sky with lightning and thunder. So many poems had been written, so many paintings etched depicting the monsoon. It was a welcome respite after the oppressive heat, a ceaseless torrential downpour for days, as if the sins of the earth were being washed away.
Autumn would slowly saunter in after the monsoon had cleared away all the debris and filth. It was a period of cleansing. And the trees and the land would be waiting to welcome autumn, the cool autumn. In the East the seasons were well demarcated.
Miranda felt like running out and soaking in the rain. The monsoon madness had gripped her.
“Thank God it will be slightly cooler after this,” Mary said.
Mary was quite tiny with dark hair and brown eyes. Being fashionable was not her strong suit, but she was cute and fun-loving. She was
also a nurse, and she often helped James out in the clinic. They had met when James was doing his internship. After a whirlwind courtship they decided to tie the knot and here she was—and loving every minute of it. But that would not be for long, as James had decided to return to the UK and join the National Health Service, which was getting to be very popular. Britain needed doctors badly, so James had turned in his resignation and was leaving at the end of the year.
Mary was very chirpy and friendly, and her visit broke the monotony of the crazy torrential rain with very little to do and not many places to go to. Mary was apparently equally surprised at Derek’s decision.
“He always goes home for his birthday, doesn’t he?” Mary inquired, taking a sip of her steaming cup of coffee. “What will dear old mama say?” She smiled and looked directly at Miranda as if to say, “Are you the cause of this?”
Dinner that evening was full of jocularity. Dolly had asked James and his wife to join them, and, of course, Derek had already been roped in that morning. Derek arrived in his tailor-made brown khaki jacket and trousers, his uniform! He smelled and looked very expensive. Miranda was captivated. She also had a funny feeling that they all, every one of them, were trying their utmost to push Miranda and Derek together!
She felt Derek’s eyes watching her many times; a fleeting glance now and then was enough to pull at her heartstrings. After all, she was in love! And this was her first serious love affair—if one could call it an affair. Derek did not seem very keen on letting their romance be made public. Miranda was slightly upset at that, but as soon as Derek as much as looked at her with his smoldering eyes all was forgiven and forgotten.
She was seated next to Derek at dinner; it seemed very natural to sit next to him. Many a time she felt her knees touching his, and often their hands brushed each other’s as if by accident! Miranda could hardly eat; she was starry-eyed and only with difficulty could she manage to get through her soup and the rest of the meal!
Mary noticed it all and made a mental note to speak to Miranda later. Mary noticed how much in love Miranda was, and she wanted
to tell Miranda the whole story about Hannah and Derek. She felt it her duty to inform Miranda. She was a sweet and innocent girl, and she deserved to be told. She was so much in love. She should be told, and Mary would do it.
Apparently Miranda’s aunt was over the moon. Mary was the only responsible person, it seemed! Derek was a good catch there was no doubt about it but to go into it blind? No way.
6
THE DAY TURNED
out to be very warm and humid. The rumbling of thunder could be heard very distinctly. The sky was overcast. Any moment now the heavens would break again. Mary and John were going to visit some friends in a nearby town and asked Miranda to join them. She agreed readily. Her uncle and aunt were a bit reluctant, though.
“You are brave, driving in this weather,” Uncle Tom said with his perpetual pipe in hand.
“There are a few bridges on the way, mind you. And as you know, James, it is a bit risky.” But all his doubts and persuasion were brushed aside.
“Don’t worry, Tom. Your niece will be brought back in one piece.”
“Ah! The folly of youth!” He said
“youth is wasted on the young!” “Who was it who said that? So very apt!”
Uncle Tom could not for the world understand the young himself.
“George Bernard Shaw” James piped up.
Miranda, from the time she had arrived, did not have much of a chance to speak to anyone her own age, and the women whom Miranda thought she could at least have a tete-a-tete with seemed too interested in Derek. So Mary was a breath of fresh air, and maybe she could fill in the blanks for her. After all, she had initially decided to help James out in the clinic to find out a bit more about Derek and
the mysterious Hannah. But James, Miranda had found, was a very upright man and was not given to gossip about his old pal.
Donning a jaunty cap and jeans, Miranda was ready and waiting for the couple to pick her up. She was looking forward to the journey. At least it would give her a chance to talk to Mary and find out a few truths.
The journey was very pleasant, and apparently they were going to be visiting one of the most beautiful gardens in the area. The time in the car made Miranda very happy. It was hot, however. She could feel it inside the Land Rover. She would have loved to open the top and feel the breeze blowing on her face, but that was not to be with the rain and monsoon. Many of the roads were submerged in knee-deep water, but the bridges remained intact. At least they could drive over them.
“You know, Miranda,” James was saying, “if this place had been hilly we would not have been able to drive through it now. This area is well known for landslides. Your Uncle Tom would have been quite correct to warn us.” It was a statement that needed no answer.
After a quite considerable time James turned off the main road into a passable village path that was narrow and muddy. The most wonderful and breathtakingly beautiful scenery greeted them. Miranda was speechless. She had never seen such magnificent natural beauty. This surpassed even the most picturesque scenery of her uncle’s or Derek’s garden. There was a natural waterfall on one side of the slightly hilly road, and plants of all shapes and sizes covered the ground. She could see natural orchids hanging from a few trees.
She missed Derek awfully, but she tried telling herself that she was on a truth-finding mission. How wrong she was! As James drove in through the gates of this very magnificent one-story bungalow, who should be there to greet them, but Derek! He was standing on the porch and had come out as soon as he heard the sound of the engine. His tall, athletic figure was very visible in shorts. He looked absolutely fabulous. He looked very masculine in his handmade open-neck shirt and shorts. Miranda’s heart missed a beat. She was speechless. Had he known that they were coming? Who had told him? Wasn’t this supposed to be a secret?
Mary in her outspoken manner blurted out, “Why is he here, James?”
He hushed her up by saying under his breath, “He owns this bloody place, for heaven’s sake!” He then cleared his throat and added quickly, “He owns more than half the gardens around here!” And with that he brought the vehicle to a halt.
“Hi, Derek.” James was the first one out. Derek came forward and opened the door for Mary and turned toward Miranda.
“Hello, Mira,” he said, beaming. He came forward and gave her a peck on the cheek. She blushed; she could not say a word.
Mary saved the day. “Derek,” she said, “did you know we were coming?”
He laughed, throwing his head back, and decided not to answer her. His eyes were twinkling, and he was grinning from ear to ear.
“Wouldn’t you like to know,” he said most mischievously!