Cheloor Blog: The Desert Rose - Chapter

The irony

Menon tried to sleep. But he was not comfortable. At 6-30 AM, Abdulla, the nathur, came running to his tent.

He said “sir, there is a wireless message from Jasbir Singh, your Foreman”. Jasbir had already returned to Ghusseli after their meeting at Jebel Ali. Menon rushed to the wireless station.

What Jasbir told him, stunned Menon. He was speechless and he sat on a chair and could not balance him. He left a note for Ibrahim with the nathur and got ready.

He drove his car at 160 km which he had never done before. At the Aweer roundabout he went straight and reached the Al-Ain roundabout. Then he turned left and sped across to Ghusseli. He straightaway to villa No: 28 which was designated for Baqer Ali. As he reached the villa, he could see a crowd outside and two police cars and an ambulance.

He rushed in and met Baqer’s younger brother, Mubarak Ali.

“It was at 5-00 A.M. My brother died. It seems to be a heart attack.” He tried to suppress his tears.

“They had shifted from the hut only yesterday noon time. He could not stay one day in his own villa” Mubarak sighed.

“We are going to shift his body to Dubai where we will complete all formalities and bury him"

The news knocked out Menon. He had lost a friend, a good human being. he went inside and paid his respects.

He could hear the wailing of womenfolk. He could recognize Gauri’s voice.

“Baqer Baba, why did you leave us? I loved you like my father and you, too, treated me like your daughter. I can’t believe this has happened.”

I got out. Mubarak spoke to me.

“Now, as her sponsor is no more, Gauri’s visa will be cancelled and she will be sent back to India. Or we can make her a visit visa and she can fly to Bahrain and come back on another maid visa. I will sponsor her”

Gauri heard this and she came out and said.

“No, I want to go to my parents in India. I do not want to come back”

Mubarak said”Fine, as you wish. We will make arrangements within a week. You can come to Dubai and stay with my family till you leave"

Baqer Ali’s physical remains were buried that evening. He had become history and slipped into oblivion in no time. That is the irony of fate.

It was a Friday that Gauri was to fly to Bombay in the night. The visa cancellation formalities were already completed. Menon went to the airport to see her off. He accompanied her till the immigration counter.

Her eyes were filled. She said “Engineer, why did we meet at all? The pain in my heart is twofold. One is the sudden demise of Baqer Baba and the second one is my departure from Dubai. I won’t be able to meet you any more in this life. I will have to live with your face and thoughts in my daily dreams. You know one thing, Engineer?” She stopped with a question and then continued.

“I had fallen in love with you the first day I met you. I knew that it was a wild dream to love you which would have never come true. The days when you were around in Ghusseli were the happiest moments in my life.” She sobbed.

“Anyway one cannot yearn for the impossible. I wish you all the best in your life”'. She burst out.

Menon was speechless. His heart grew heavier with every word uttered by Gauri. He cursed himself to have caused such agony to an innocent girl.

The immigration stamp was put on her passport, to depart from the country.

Gauri did not look back. She walked along and disappeared into the crowd.

*******The Narration ends********