ചേതസ്സ് സത്യമേവ ജയതേ നാനൃതം
The river of night has merged with the ocean of lights. The moon bloomed and I heard the melody of its intoxicating fragrances spilled deep in me. I took my cigar, lit it. its presence was heavenly in my breaths… and smokes rolled like hearts along the moonlit paths.
“Oh General, the light was mine!!”
Did I hear a voice?
“Well, what now?”
From the grove came the call. I saw fragrant petals loving the black earth. The yard was beautiful. “Music, music.”
“Let me hold the cigar for you.”
“Let me.”
“Let’s go !!”
“Hey, this smell turns me on.” She smiled cool, staying near.
I gazed at the lake. It was not flowing. It stayed calm.
Silence sealed their lips. Her eyes shone bright, the cigar smell still in her heart.
“Come on, the moon is to fade now, we have a long journey”, the General said.
“One more cigar, will you?”
“Yes, if you desire.”
The air was cool and limpid. She felt the tobacco clinging her lips, a phantasmal thread to her dreams.
“Am waiting you, dear”
She heard the General. He was near the windows.
“Oh General.” She moved to the windows, with no cussing. She felt the dusk in her, mounting her sighs. Cool was the lake spread, mist kissing the petals floating. He finished the cigar, a smile in lips. His fingers slipped the vodka glass in the table. “I love to be in a moonlit shore”, she whispered. A kind word, he took her fingers, knelt on the floor and said:”Yes, my lady”.
“One more cigar, General.” He saw her crystal lips turning red.
Her silken hair brushed his face. His voice jingled, a sigh in him.
“I’ve got to change; can you open the locker room?” She didn’t hear him, her eyes still searching his bare shoulders, hidden. Was there a promise with them or did he cajole her heart? Out in the dark, it was the moon in despair to meet them on shore. With a bang the locker room opened. She took for him a grey coat.
In the dark, near the lake stood a maple tree. It’s branches kissed the lake long hours. It had been witness to many lover’s whispers in winter and summer nights. Dusk vanished slow; mist covered the oaken bench near the tree. It was musical, an awaited cold moment, yet hearts heating the deserted loneliness. From the valleys heard an accordion and guitar kissing; in it’s deluge grew love, the sweetest of life on earth.
Somewhere in the dark, a cannon blew. Winds whistled along. She heard it first, her sighs reflecting in eyes.”General, the voice !!”Her whispers flooded him with rage. The war has begun. Windows ached the touches now. Candles blew hard to melt down. It was cold outside, fear striped their hearts. She bent down, looking in his eyes, the moon waiting to caress them.
“One more cigar, General.”
He saw her crystal lips turning red.
Dust covered the streets. Screaming horns of vehicles pierced every ears. Firing sounds echoed. Some dead, few escaped. A swishing sound cut through the air. It was her moan, her first for ages. She drew close to the General. Her eyes witnessed a world never seen. In the distant horizon, a war for life, and in her a life of love. The music never ended. Valleys flooded in dust covering the moon. But it shone, for her, in her.
Abandoned bedrooms, and guns firing it’s loudest desires, unending turmoil of war a never wished smile in her. She was a woman, a never explored, broken, scattered dream. Even in the rage of the frontiers, her smiles were not let down. The General woke up from ecstasy, his coat lying in a distant, it’s colors turned black, yet his heart smelled fragrances of a wish, choking his dusty moods in the twilight.
A long time later, opened her bare eyes. It felt the ecstasy, a dream, a love. In the distant, she heard the waves roaring. She looked back. Where is the lake? It vanished!!
Swept away in the turmoil of the war, he advanced his reflections in a sleepy arrest in eyes, the Lion had slept. The town was surrounded; engine sounds blew the sky deep. His eyes flashed many visions. Country!! And where is he now? Ashes of lust, dreams. Fingers searched another cigar. It’s smoke left a choice of dream. The streets were burning, cold to it’s bright screams.
“I have to go, my love.”He whispered.
She closed her eyes. “I didn’t know it was so, the war.” Did he hear her moans?
Blood burst from her wounds in heart, after ages. She felt the lone days. Moments crossed her heart as bullets. The streets were burning in dark, lights drew the giant smoke in sky, but it vanished in the mist. Cold and dreaded, ached a heart for touches. Her eyes searched the barren deserts of life, her bare shoulders shouted it’s smell of cigars near. She pulled her frozen socks up. It hurt her, but it was a sacred feel. And now, where will she go? Fright rolled sluggishly, crossing her heart, she crawled to the wall, her shadows wild and heavy. Her moments were stressed now, yet she dreamed a cigar burning it’s ashes, driving her heart to its sacred aches, a wish, a fulfillment of life.
“Oh General, when will you come back if you leave me now?”
Her voice felt a swaddle, her throat dry as desert. Fingers pointed to the moon again, it’s warmth driving to the desired shores. It seemed a silhouette in her, when she pressed her smiles in his bare chest. The sound of war has changed him, her musicals lost or vanished in his eyes. He stayed silent, waiting another wave to take him off the shores to any land, that he never dreamed. Time chose the path. The edge of choice drew the painting in his dark heart. Did he wait the colors? It was rains now. Cool and soft, then it poured like a sword, cutting his heart in two, drenching his words in blood red. He gave no answers to her. It seemed cool, a night.
Somewhere in the farthest mountains, winds blew the horn, a dream rose, a cloud drifted. She woke up, looking at the pale blue sky. Her hair fell tight in her temple, and there were sweat drops holding it together. The night has now vanished. Colors drew the freedom. The lake stayed calm. Frozen dreams lay near the maple tree. It’s branches still loving the water drops in lake.
“Wake-up, my lady!!” She heard a voice.
A long time later, opened her bare eyes. It felt the ecstasy, a dream, a love. In the distant, she heard the waves roaring. She looked back. Where is the lake? It vanished!!
“Oh No !!” The lake was not here.
The maple tree was not here.
The oaken bench was not here.
She didn’t believe. It was music again. Love of a dream playing its tunes. She looked back again, and ran to nowhere. Lands were growing rich, deeper in hearts. It grew the tree, the bench, the touch.
The war ended in the mist. Screams shattered to loneliness. She bent down, looked into his eyes. But he was missing. The grey coat lay near the lake, drenched in dew. What did happen? Was it a dream? The vodka glass slipped to the lake’s depth from her fingers. It was white, then green. Symphony of the dawn played it’s tunes. Her body and soul arched like the tree branch, a heavy sigh echoing the walls of love. Now she knew, the General was her dream. Nightingales flew in the sky, a song to sing a tale to dream. Their voices echoed, and a cannon blew in the distant valley. It was real. The war had begun. Something turned her in a second; there was a burning cigar still left on the bench. It was smiling, the smell touched her. She looked in the still lake, and walked the steps down, to it’s deep, feeling the frozen ecstasy.
