22 years had passed since Vishnu had first seen the brilliant planets on the white curtain of the projector. he did not remember what his reaction to their sight had been. he liked to think he had been fascinated. he liked to believe that it was the kind of fascination he felt these days, trying to design a telescope that could penetrate into the planets' atmospheric veils and convey information many times that which was presently supplied by terrestrial ones.
the phone rang. vishnu got up slowly, a bit frustrated. he had been struggling all day to get some work done, but something or the other had popped up, demanding his attention and diverting his mind.
' where have you been all day?' came Ahmed's voice from the other end.
' nowhere, i took the day off to work on my telescope. it's so hard to focus on things at office, you'd think a scientist would be allowed to work on what he wanted to research and follow. but even here, in my lab, i can't get anything done. something or the other just pops up out of nowhere.'
'maybe you should get a wife', replied Ahmed, mischief frolicking in his tone.
'ha! right! you mean husband?' jeered Vishnu.
'haha, depends on what role you choose to perform!'
'shut it, moron! tell me, what's up?'
'i heard you were working on that telescope, so i got my boss to get me an assignment in Delhi. the dart hit the bulls-eye! i'm coming to the NPL!'
'what! that's awesome Ahmed!'
'I know! Miriam is coming too!'
'Great! come and stay at my place! it's close to the lab, and you don't have to worry about space, i have a guest bedroom. Bono will be so happy to meet you people!'
'great! let's do that. mail me your address, we'll make for it as soon as i get my letter.'
they put the phones down after saying affectionate goodbyes. Talking to Ahmed had always been a good release of stress for Vishnu. He had been the first to know when Vishnu came out as gay. and Ahmed had been all sporty about it. no awkwardness, unlike with the rest of his friends. the episode had brought the best friends even closer.
he made himself a cup of coffee, and went out into the balcony. the switched off the lights, lay down on the mattress and stared with longing and adoration at the sky. the stars gently came into view as his eyes dilated to adjust to the darkness. he could identify so many more constellations and stars than when the babu had first visited their village, now that he had studied astrophysics and got himself a job in the most prestigious research institution in the nation. his fascination with the stars had grown with time. every new thing he learnt about them, their mass and spectrum, their distance, their deaths, it all made him ecstatic. he longed to know more. he was like a thirsty man, weary of treading the desert, who had come across the most beautiful fountain of the clearest, coolest and most delicious water. he wanted to drink more and more, and never stop.
it felt like his mind had been switched off. Bono came, licked his palm and placed her snout on it. Vishnu gave an affectionate pat on her nuzzle, and she laid down beside him, looking in the direction of the lights from the market. Vishnu ran the back of his hand on her fur for a while, then stopped, his hand resting on her head.
it was evenings like this when he felt most pleased with life. having Bono for company had livened him up. he had been heartbroken, devastated by the demise of his mother one winter morning, 3 years ago. his mother had been his world. and losing her felt like being damned to a life of no warmth. he had wailed every night for months. he had wished he could have taken her to Rameswaram, like she was always asking him. he wished he had done it for her mother, and not let his ego clash with what he now guiltily considered a duty he had towards her. he wished he could have gathered his strength at the right time and told her about how he did not like girls, but boys instead. he wished he hadn't assumed that the response would be of harsh denouncement or painful parting. he prayed he could find her once more, in whatever state one achieved after death, and tell her all he wanted to tell her, to say all that had been left unsaid. but he was confronted by another voice in his head. whom was he praying to? there WAS NO GOD! he had studied science, he had to keep his temper scientific, he had to keep himself rational. he was a scientist! he bowed to nothing and no-one, except to mighty Science! how could an all-powerful deity allow his mother to die all so suddenly? how could an all powerful deity allow him to suffer so in loneliness?
His friend Ruchi had saw his troubled state of mind. she had brought him a Labrador pup on his next birthday. she had known Vishnu would like it. and he had taken an instant liking to it. he had spent his 27th birthday fussing and fretting over the little puppy's needs. the puppy filled the hole in his heart, and he no longer cried, or spent his days brooding over the existence of the divine.
but today! even with Bono right next to him, he felt lonely. why? Bono had been all the company he had ever asked of life. she understood him, and didn't mind what he felt about women or about God! today, he longed for someone who minded about what he felt. the stars, whose sight made him feel humble and insignificant, looked as if they were illuminating his loneliness. he struggled with his mind. he struggled with his emotions, after three years! he had tried dating, both with men and women. and no one seemed to fit in the jigsaw of his life.
'maybe i must build my jigsaw about that person! maybe that's what has kept me from finding the person for me! am i being too narrow in my approach? am i being realistic in what i ask of my partner?'
he stopped his train of thought violently.
'NO! i will NOT compromise! i will not settle for less than what i deserve!'
but everyone his age had been married, some of them now had kids. Ahmed was married, wasn't he? how did he find someone for himself, but not Vishnu?
he interjected himself again. Ahmed had had an arranged marriage. but nevertheless, his thoughts continued, Ahmed had settled down. it had been 5 years of his marriage, and Miriam was a fine lady.
he came out of his anguished thoughts as Bono wagged her tail, patting Vishnu's leg. the scent of jasmine had crept through the air, and it seemed to envelop him. he woke up from his trance. his coffee had turned cold. his hunger slowly came at him, and he realised it was already 10 pm. there was no time to cook anything. the maid had probably fed Bono, for she was asleep, snoring lightly. he dialed for pizza, which came in early, because they lived so close to the market. he settled down to yet another solitary dinner by the TV, and when Bono arrived, having smelled the pizza, he gave her a slice, which she chewed with interest, while he looked on at her with affection.
the phone rang. vishnu got up slowly, a bit frustrated. he had been struggling all day to get some work done, but something or the other had popped up, demanding his attention and diverting his mind.
' where have you been all day?' came Ahmed's voice from the other end.
' nowhere, i took the day off to work on my telescope. it's so hard to focus on things at office, you'd think a scientist would be allowed to work on what he wanted to research and follow. but even here, in my lab, i can't get anything done. something or the other just pops up out of nowhere.'
'maybe you should get a wife', replied Ahmed, mischief frolicking in his tone.
'ha! right! you mean husband?' jeered Vishnu.
'haha, depends on what role you choose to perform!'
'shut it, moron! tell me, what's up?'
'i heard you were working on that telescope, so i got my boss to get me an assignment in Delhi. the dart hit the bulls-eye! i'm coming to the NPL!'
'what! that's awesome Ahmed!'
'I know! Miriam is coming too!'
'Great! come and stay at my place! it's close to the lab, and you don't have to worry about space, i have a guest bedroom. Bono will be so happy to meet you people!'
'great! let's do that. mail me your address, we'll make for it as soon as i get my letter.'
they put the phones down after saying affectionate goodbyes. Talking to Ahmed had always been a good release of stress for Vishnu. He had been the first to know when Vishnu came out as gay. and Ahmed had been all sporty about it. no awkwardness, unlike with the rest of his friends. the episode had brought the best friends even closer.
he made himself a cup of coffee, and went out into the balcony. the switched off the lights, lay down on the mattress and stared with longing and adoration at the sky. the stars gently came into view as his eyes dilated to adjust to the darkness. he could identify so many more constellations and stars than when the babu had first visited their village, now that he had studied astrophysics and got himself a job in the most prestigious research institution in the nation. his fascination with the stars had grown with time. every new thing he learnt about them, their mass and spectrum, their distance, their deaths, it all made him ecstatic. he longed to know more. he was like a thirsty man, weary of treading the desert, who had come across the most beautiful fountain of the clearest, coolest and most delicious water. he wanted to drink more and more, and never stop.
it felt like his mind had been switched off. Bono came, licked his palm and placed her snout on it. Vishnu gave an affectionate pat on her nuzzle, and she laid down beside him, looking in the direction of the lights from the market. Vishnu ran the back of his hand on her fur for a while, then stopped, his hand resting on her head.
it was evenings like this when he felt most pleased with life. having Bono for company had livened him up. he had been heartbroken, devastated by the demise of his mother one winter morning, 3 years ago. his mother had been his world. and losing her felt like being damned to a life of no warmth. he had wailed every night for months. he had wished he could have taken her to Rameswaram, like she was always asking him. he wished he had done it for her mother, and not let his ego clash with what he now guiltily considered a duty he had towards her. he wished he could have gathered his strength at the right time and told her about how he did not like girls, but boys instead. he wished he hadn't assumed that the response would be of harsh denouncement or painful parting. he prayed he could find her once more, in whatever state one achieved after death, and tell her all he wanted to tell her, to say all that had been left unsaid. but he was confronted by another voice in his head. whom was he praying to? there WAS NO GOD! he had studied science, he had to keep his temper scientific, he had to keep himself rational. he was a scientist! he bowed to nothing and no-one, except to mighty Science! how could an all-powerful deity allow his mother to die all so suddenly? how could an all powerful deity allow him to suffer so in loneliness?
His friend Ruchi had saw his troubled state of mind. she had brought him a Labrador pup on his next birthday. she had known Vishnu would like it. and he had taken an instant liking to it. he had spent his 27th birthday fussing and fretting over the little puppy's needs. the puppy filled the hole in his heart, and he no longer cried, or spent his days brooding over the existence of the divine.
but today! even with Bono right next to him, he felt lonely. why? Bono had been all the company he had ever asked of life. she understood him, and didn't mind what he felt about women or about God! today, he longed for someone who minded about what he felt. the stars, whose sight made him feel humble and insignificant, looked as if they were illuminating his loneliness. he struggled with his mind. he struggled with his emotions, after three years! he had tried dating, both with men and women. and no one seemed to fit in the jigsaw of his life.
'maybe i must build my jigsaw about that person! maybe that's what has kept me from finding the person for me! am i being too narrow in my approach? am i being realistic in what i ask of my partner?'
he stopped his train of thought violently.
'NO! i will NOT compromise! i will not settle for less than what i deserve!'
but everyone his age had been married, some of them now had kids. Ahmed was married, wasn't he? how did he find someone for himself, but not Vishnu?
he interjected himself again. Ahmed had had an arranged marriage. but nevertheless, his thoughts continued, Ahmed had settled down. it had been 5 years of his marriage, and Miriam was a fine lady.
he came out of his anguished thoughts as Bono wagged her tail, patting Vishnu's leg. the scent of jasmine had crept through the air, and it seemed to envelop him. he woke up from his trance. his coffee had turned cold. his hunger slowly came at him, and he realised it was already 10 pm. there was no time to cook anything. the maid had probably fed Bono, for she was asleep, snoring lightly. he dialed for pizza, which came in early, because they lived so close to the market. he settled down to yet another solitary dinner by the TV, and when Bono arrived, having smelled the pizza, he gave her a slice, which she chewed with interest, while he looked on at her with affection.