Two
Mostaq Shakil
Sohana lives in a tiny but classy apartment at the Rue de Lille, just few minutes walking distance from the Paris-Sorbonne University where Sohana attends Arts and Archaeology Department. Rue de Lille is a superb place to live, the morning walk to the university by the river has been a motivation to wake up in the morning. Sohana can’t wait to get out and see the engaged foot path by the river towards her campus.
Sohana, approaching towards 30, can easily be the dream girl of most men. She is smart, tall, slim and her personality is inviting. Her figure ratio from the head to toe are all well calculated by her creature. Her face is tad bit smaller but long reddish hair makes it even more attractive. Sohana’s charm is in her smile, it keeps her fresh, a shy wisdom teeth makes are smile heart throbbing. Her personality and sense of fashion made her a noticeable person in the class. Her talent on Art may at time be limited but she is all for exceling herself at the Sorbonne since she moved to Paris couple of years ago.
Sohana had sleep disorder last night but this morning needed to wake up for a 9:00 AM class. She would not miss the charismatic Bruno Batalia’s lecture who teaches oriental art class. Bruno in his early 50, natural shaped but madly character teacher who has a unique ability to explain things that everyone understands in the class. Sohana never misses his class.
‘Good Morning Sohana Segal, we have been missing you here’ Bruno says as Sohana enters in the class 15 minutes late.
‘Today we are talking about the history of oriental art’
‘the art that derived from Buddhism with one key driver, that is inspiration’ Bruno explains.
Bruno has an Italian accent; his parents are from Milan, Italy. The commanding voice with such accent makes it even more interesting to absorb his lecture.
The class continues for 12o minutes. Sohana has a break for an hour before getting into the workshop in the afternoon. Sohana passes the hallway infront of Bruno’s office, for a few second her heart bit goes up. Sohana has been seeing Bruno for about the last six months in discreet. This started after her so called break-up with Meer.
Sohana can’t understand or define her relationship with Bruno. At times she thinks of it special, at time it is sexual, at times terms it not being able to resist the charisma of Franck.
Sohana possesses friendly personality but also perceived as someone who knows how to get what she wants by treating people well, but also has an ever-so-slightly intimidating edge – just the right amount to keep people from messing with her. She thinks of herself as a serious person in intimate relationship, never had those short term valet parking with guys that most of her friends often do. Yes, Sohana often look for answer in herself what drove the attraction to Bruno. It could be timing, loneliness in Paris and Bruno being such an insightful person who understands her thoughts. Bruno has eyes that can look deep inside of her, he inspires her. But that does not give her mind a satisfied answer. She enjoys the time she spends with Bruno, quality times but Sohana doesn’t clearly see a future in this relationship. Ever since she broke up with Meer, she was heartbroken but it was hard to stay away from Meer when she returns to Greenfield. Sohana also does not know at what point her relationship with Meer started to derail, at one point she never thought it would come to this way someday. Now she has a mix of guilt, anger, compassion for Meer. Her respect for Bruno is there but she often feels guilty after encountering Bruno or when she visits Greenfield. It is this loop and situation is not improving…
At the university café Sohana goes for a light lunch. An Asian salad and a Mocha- short today. Most of the days of the week Sohana would have lunch with her friend Leila but today is Wednesday, this is the day of the week she prefers to seat by herself alone just to take the lunch time for her own mental space. Flash comes then, last week meeting with Meer when she visited Greenfield.
Sohana was lying on the shoulder for Meer. This is her most favorite posture after every physical counter with Meer. Meer was playing with Sohana’s hair. Meer touches Sohana’s chin softly, a very close eye contact now.
‘ Sohana, can I ask you a question’
‘yes’
‘We both know that we are trying to get away from each other. I know why I can’t. but I still don’t know why you are not getting away from me’
‘I don’t have an answer for you. The fact is, I actually don’t know. May be completely disconnecting is too hard on ourselves?”
‘yes I agree on that but this can’t continue forever, right?’
‘Meer, ‘forever’ is an word of infinity to me. I don’t usually think about anything forever, so I won’t know if we shall last. Probably either you would stop or I shall stop someday’
‘It’s a sad image. It already is’
‘But we are still here, spending a non-committal night, is it not what you wanted? No commitment is what you asked for…Why call it a sad then’
As Meer pondered, there is no answer to that, Sohana realized.
‘we discussed it many times, there is no point to make our short time stressful. You and I both know where we are’
When the word ‘where’ was uttered, Sohana fumbled in her heart. ‘Where we are’ actually only apply to Sohana. She is the one who moved to Paris, she is the one who is having an undefined affair with a professor. Meer has had no change in her life style although Sohana doesn’t know if he is seeing anyone. She has never asked this but often wonder.
As Meer pondered, there is no answer to that, Sohana realized.
‘we discussed it many times, there is no point to make our short time stressful. You and I both know where we are’
When the word ‘where’ was uttered, Sohana fumbled in her heart. ‘Where we are’ actually only apply to Sohana. She is the one who moved to Paris, she is the one who is having an undefined affair with a professor. Meer has had no change in her life style although Sohana doesn’t know if he is seeing anyone. She has never asked this but often wonder.
To be continued…
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