Маратхи
HE REMEMBERED ANU, RIGHT FROM THE BASE OF HIS HEART. NOW HE WAS APPROACHING A STEP FURTHER EVERYDAY ON THE PATH OF GETTING WELL. VERY SOON HE WILL NOT BE NEEDING ANU, AND HE KNEW THAT. BUT IT WAS SOMETHING BEYOND HIS NEED. HE REALISED THAT IT WAS NOT HER TOUCH THAT HE WAS CRAVING FOR. IT WAS BEYOND ANY LONGING. IT WAS A BEAUTIFUL PICTURE. IN IT, THERE WAS HIS ROOM UPSTAIRS, THE CEILING, THE WALLS, WINDOW, THE TERRACE NEXT DOOR, THE LADY ON THE TERRACE, HER DAILY EXERCISE, HER BABY, THE LIVELY TREES, AND ANU… HER TIMELY ROUTINE VISIT FOR HIS THERAPY, THE DIALOGUES WHICH NEVER OCCURRED. THIS PICTURE WAS DRAWN NOT BY THE KARTIK WITHIN HIM BUT SOMEONE ELSE WITHIN HIM. HE NEEDED EVERYTHING TO BE IN THE PROPER PLACE PRECISELY. HE NEEDED EVERYTHING AS IT WAS EVEN THOUGH THERE WAS NO TRUE BONDING IN THEM....त्याला अनूची तीव्र अशी आठवण आली. तो लवकरच पूर्ण बरा होत होता आणि आता तिची तशी गरज राहणार नव्हती. पण तिची ही आठवण त्या गरजेपलीकडचीच होती हे त्याला आतून लख्ख समजले. तिची आठवण तिच्या त्याला वाटणाऱ्या स्पर्शाच्या ओढीचीही नव्हती. त्याही पलीकडली होती. त्याची वरची खोली, छत, भिंती , खिडकी, बाजूची गच्ची, ती बाई, तिचा व्यायाम, ते मूल, ती सळसळणारी झाडे आणि अनू, तिची चार वाजताची येण्याची वेळ, तिचा नि त्याचा घडलेला, न घडलेला संवाद हे सगळे एकच चित्र होते. त्याच्यातल्या कार्तिक नसलेल्या दुसऱ्या कोणीतरी ते काढले होते. त्याला गरज होती ती या सगळ्यांच्या एकत्रित असण्याची. भले त्या एकमेकांत काही अनुबंध न का असेना!
