A World Apart

Zia heard the car honking from below. She peeped out and saw a white Maruti parked downstairs, a little away from the gate. This was him. It was still early, only 7 am. Hopefully, not many people would have come downstairs except for the uncles who needed their morning tea for their pressure building rituals. 

She decided to avoid the risk and took the side stairs that lead straight into the tiny garden. Picking up her bag, she took one look in the mirror. Black top, black sweater, light blue jeans, boots, hair open, all good. The dachshund barked at her, but she ignored it. Quickly opening the back door of the car, she got in. Manu smiled at her nervously. She smiled, flushed with excitement. He came close to hug her, but she stopped him. 

"Wait, let's get out of here first. "

The car passed through the main gate decorated with orange flowers. Three uncles and two aunts sat under the red shamiyana tent, sipping tea and eating Marie biscuits. 

Zia ducked down and covered her face. After two minutes, they were far away from the house. She looked up and hugged Manu. He took her by the arms and kissed her hard on her mouth. 

A voice came from the front seat. 

"Oh ho, so much impatient, you two. Hot blooded and desperate. "

Manu laughed and completed the introductions. The car belonged to his friend Gulu and his fiancee, Reema. He was a typical Punjabi boy, fair, good looking. She was also typical in a sense of how women looked around here. Reddish, brown hair, maroon lipstick, chunky sunglasses, pretty and pleasant face. 

"I like your pendant," said Reema, turning behind. 

Zia smiled and touched it with her hand. 

"Thank you. It is a gift from Manu. And I like your sunglasses."

"You do? I got them from Delhi. Dolce and Gabbana. '

Zia smiled. She was excited, her heart was racing as Manu held her hand. His palm was sweaty. He seemed equally nervous. She touched his cheek with her other hand. 

" You've lost weight, baby."

"Nah, nothing like that. Just been working out."

He rolled up his sweatshirt to show his biceps. She touched it and felt the hardened lump. 

"Wow! That's quite something." He blushed, two dimples appearing as he smiled. She looked at him from top to toe. Green sweatshirt, dark blue jeans, sports shoes. He had really been working out. The last time she had met him, he was lankier, but now he looked heftier, and combined with his height, it was a good thing he did too. 

"You're checking me out? I could pick you up, you know."

She laughed and put her head on his shoulder. He still smelt the same, like home. A soft, gentle smell of love and lust, brandy and chocolate, salt and lemons... 

He started playing with her hair and neck. His fingers were rough and calloused. She felt she would faint. 

Gulu asked, "So, do your relatives know that you're going to be out the whole day? That you're not even going to be in Jalandhar? "

"No, only my parents. I'd rather my relatives never come to know. It would be quite a scandal. Wait, are we getting out of town? "

Reema turned around and said, "Yeah, there's this very nice resort two hours from here. We could go there and spend time. Have lunch there, and then we will see what to do. Unless you have something specific in mind? "

"No, nothing like that. As long as Manu and I are together, it doesn't matter. If possible, I would love to see a real village. "

Gulu laughed and teased his friend. 

"Mister Manmeet! The big city girl has fallen for you big time!"

Manu played along and told Gulu, 

"I'm lucky she has. But it's not like I'm some small town boy. We are both equally progressive, well read and have similar liberated thoughts. "

"I agree, " said Zia. "Manu's way of thinking is way ahead of his time. We discuss so many things in our letters, recommend music and books to each other. It's funny how we were destined to be in each other's lives. "

Reema proudly proclaimed, "I never read, except for magazines and accountancy textbooks. "

Zia did not want to appear different or judgemental. "It's okay Reema. Reading's overrated anyways. Life is to be lived in the fullest way possible, not just read about. "

Manu pulled her closer and she got up and sat in his lap. He kissed her slowly this time, for the next five minutes. It was sheer torture, the electricity surging through her body. He was the first man she had ever been with. But she did not want to hold back. They were in love and doing nothing wrong. 

The music played on, they talked, laughed, made out. The scenery outside had changed. They were passing fields of sugarcane, wheat and mustard. There were rows and rows of yellow flowers on both sides of the road. Farmers working in the fields with their cattle and stacks of hay everywhere made for a pretty sight. 

They finally reached the resort. They first had tea with snacks and sat at the restaurant table talking. Gulu was pulling Manu's leg again. 

"Do you know Zia, all this man ever does is talk about you! It's as if he's possessed. What spell have you put on him? My old friend has turned into a full blown romantic all thanks to you. Manu, will now be renamed Majnu! "

Reema shushed him and turned to Zia. 

"When are you guys getting married? "

Zia looked at Manu who shrugged. 

"Reema, we are still young. Just 20. Besides, we are getting to know each other. This whole long distance thing has not been easy. "

"And bloody expensive, " added Manu. "I have to borrow money from people just to call her. Besides, she's just started working. And I still haven't even found a job. But yes, it's tough being away from each other. When I can't hold her and see her, it just creates so many misunderstandings. We fight like crazy too. "

Gulu said solemnly, "I feel you are both very similar, that's why the complications. But then because you are similar, you understand each other better. And the attraction is double then too. Reema and I are opposites. She is the mature one, I'm like a child. "

After their meal, Reema and Gulu went off to take a walk outside. Zia sat down with Manu near the swimming pool. The sun was beating down on them. She took off her sweater. 

"It's quite warm now, " she said. 

"Wait till 4 pm. You'll get to see how Punjab is in December. "

She held his hand again. They spent the next hour talking and cuddling. They talked about everything without any censorship. Gulu was right. They did have a lot in common. 

"Do you feel we are really that similar? "

"I don't know Zia. I feel you have lived a very sheltered life. Sometimes I do feel you are rigid and stubborn. You see things only as you want to see them. You live in your own little bubble, untainted by the ways of the world. I have always noticed this about you, a certain purity, an incomprehensible space that belongs only to you. Do you know what my cousin said when I showed her your photo? "

"What did she say? "

"She said, you are like a shadow. That no matter how hard I try, I will never be able to catch you. I think she may be right. But that's what made me fall for you. This part of you that I can never fully understand."

Zia held his arm, lifted his open hand and kissed it. "I don't think I'm a shadow. We all have parts of us that cannot be explained. As for the sheltered part, maybe my life has not been as tough as yours. But life evens out. Maybe all my hardships are yet to come. "

"I hope not, my darling. I would always love to protect you. And I really hope I never cause you any pain. I would never forgive myself if I do. "

"You won't. You will only bring me happiness. Do you really think we will get married someday? "

"I'm sure of it. I cannot imagine living a life with you not in it. I'd rather die. "

"Sshhhhh... "

The winter sun fell on their faces as they lay down next to each other on the pool chairs, holding hands. Gulu and Reema came back and they had a long, heavy lunch together. 

After that, it was time to head back. Zia thought it was too early. 

"It's only 2 in the afternoon guys! I really want to see a real village. "

Manu explained, "It will take us two hours to drop you first. Then we will head back home, and that will take another three hours, given the weekend traffic. You do know, it starts getting foggy here in the evenings, right? It's not easy for Gulu to drive in the fog. "

Gulu came up with a plan. "We will stop at a village just to make you happy, okay?  Half an hour there and then we proceed to drop you first. "

Zia was thrilled to see a real village. She had only seen the ones on TV. They parked their car near a field. Reema and Gulu walked nearby. Manu took hold of Zia's hand and dragged her to see a buffalo. Zia touched its hairy hide to see it shudder and shake its skin. 

They passed a water tank used to store water for irrigation. Zia dipped her fingers in the cold water and made patterns on the surface. Soon Manu's fingers joined hers under the water and they played with each other's fingers, lightly teasing, passionately caressing and crudely pulling. Zia was happy. This was one of the best days of her life. 

They lay down on a stack of hay near the field. He pulled her close and kissed her again, slowly biting her neck. It was bliss to feel the ticklish hay underneath them. Manu suddenly got up with a start. 

"Gulu's calling us. I can hear him. "

He pulled Zia and they ran towards the car. Four huge men in kurta pajamas and turbans stood near the car. Gulu was pleading to them. 

"I'm engaged to her. See our rings please. We were just walking here. "

One of the men came close to Manu and pointed at him. 

"What about this one? What was he doing with this girl? "

The shorter man spoke up. 

"I saw them in the hay. Doing all sorts of dirty things. "

Zia could not keep quiet. 

"We didn't do anything dirty. We are in love. "

The men sniggered. Manu pulled her behind. 

"Shut up Zia. Just shut up. "

She could not stand Manu being rude to her. 

"Why are you telling me to shut up? Tell them to shut up! Who are they to ask us anything? And I can't believe you are actually scared of them. "

Manu glared at her and whispered in her ear. 

"For fuck's sake, shut up please. Let the men handle this. "

Zia raised her voice. "Stop being so old fashioned. I'm not scared of them. We can inform the police if they harass us. Who do they think they are, threatening us like this? "

The men started laughing. The first guy spoke again. 

"This one's fiesty. Pity she's so thin. No flesh on her bones. Look boys, leave the dolls behind and get the hell out of here. "

Gulu pleaded to them. "We are sorry. Please forgive us. We will never come back here ever again. Just give us one chance please. "

Zia was confused and kept quiet even though her voice wanted to scream at the bastards and tell them that women are not cattle that they could herd around to command. 

She still could not understand what the men wanted and why Gulu and Manu were scared of them. If this was home, she would have shouted for help and ten people would have gathered to beat the hell out of these thugs. But here, there was no one around. This was not her home. 

Reema was scared and started crying. One of the other men went away and came back with a van. He opened the trunk of the van and displayed its contents for them to see. Knives, swords and guns lay there in rows, as if they would be picked only as per the situation demanded. 

Gulu looked at Manu and then looked at his Maruti car. Manu pushed Zia into the car. Reema ran inside too. Gulu started the car as the men tried to catch it from behind. Reema screamed and Zia covered her eyes as Gulu drove off from one field into another. 

Manu kept looking behind. The van had started following them. He yelled at Gulu. 

"Get on the highway. Just get on the highway! "

"I don't know where the highway is! "

They drove around into small village lanes, going round and round in circles. The van was finally nowhere to be seen. Then they saw a sign that pointed them towards the highway. 

Reema was crying and Zia was quiet. Manu was angry at her and did not speak. Gulu was the first one to break the silence. 

"Welcome to Punjab, Zia! "

Manu looked at her angrily. 

"Don't you have any brains? Couldn't you just shut up when I told you to? "

"How was I to know they had guns? ", she yelled back. 

"That's not the point. This is not your big city where you can rant your feminist bullshit. Do you seriously think you are so entitled that you can expect people to behave as you are used to? "

"I'm sorry I did not understand the situation. But I still can't believe something like this can happen in this day and age. Maybe they were just fooling around. Just trying to bully us. What would they get out of us anyway? We don't even have any money or jewellery. "

Gulu seemed flabbergasted. 

"They were going to rape you Zia. And my fiancee. And we would not be able to do anything to save you. You think I liked grovelling in front of them? "

Zia was quiet. So was Manu. When they were about to drop Zia, Manu held her tight and said, 

"I'm sorry you had to witness that. I know this world is very different from your world. I should not have blamed you. "

Zia started crying. "I know. It's no one's fault.. I know you just wanted to protect me. Manu, write to me, okay? "

"Okay, I will. I love you Zia. "

"I love you too. "

She stepped out of the car. The sun was setting and the whole bungalow was decorated with fairy lights. She could hear music coming from inside. The cocktail party would start at 8. She had to get ready for her cousin's wedding festivities. 

She went back to the room. Her brother was there, reading a book. 

"How was your date? We told everyone you had gone to Delhi for a job interview. "

Zia fell on the bed and started crying. 

" I don't know. I don't know how long Manu and I will last. We are so different. "

Her brother held her close and pacified her. 

"Only time will tell, Zia. Only time will tell. "

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