The Tenant

The Goddess from heaven....

Aami went to sleep and woke up at 6 am from the chirping sounds of birds.The first thing she checked is whether the tenant is still under the banyan tree, she smiles looking at the tree as nobody was there. She was surprised with her own behaviour for bothering a person whom she met just a couple of hours back .

She went down to the kitchen and had coffee and poured another cup for grandpa who was reading the newspaper sitting in his bamboo chair in the varenda.

Aami : Good morning grandpa...

Grandpa : oh.. You woke up early....

Aami gave coffee to grandpa and sat on the half wall of the varenda.

Grandpa : how is your studies child, did I disturb you by calling here

Aami : Not at all grandpa, it's my pleasure to assist you.... my studies are going smooth, by next year Aami will be an Associate of Company Secretary (raising her collars, smiling) ..

Aami's grandpa is a renowned specialist in Ayurvedic treatment , he has an innate capability in curing illness especially skin diseases, he had cured illness which even well known dermatologist couldn't do. Aami from her 11 years of age assisted her grandpa as she had keen interest in Ayurveda and also she heritted and was blessed with the innate talent of her grandpa. However she just likes to do it as a service and hence didn't took it as a profession.

Grandpa : Aami.. Are you still in grudge with your parents,child don't hurt them anymore. You know how much they have sacrificed for you.

Aami : Yes I know grandpa but how come they compel me to follow their profession, I too have my own dreams and ambition. There is no golden rule that doctor's children should also become a doctor. My profession is also not that bad. Let them put there dream to their other kids, Iam not their only daughter, let my siblings fulfill their dream.

Grandpa : (chuckles) Dear so you know that you have siblings, do you know know how much they are fond of you. And you, doesn't even bothers to go and meet them..

Aami : I wanted to grandpa, but mother will start complaining and advising too, and it will end up in quarell between us.

Aamis parents are allopathy doctors and they want her to follow the same profession , but she opted ACS (Associate of Company Secretary) as her profession. She has twin siblings, younger sister Aavni and brother Aagney. They are 10 years younger to her.

About Aami, her real name is Anamika . Her friends calls her Aami later her relatives and parents also started calling the same name. She was very mischievous and stubborn from her childhood and is until now.

She is a bold, easy going and always an active girl with high spirit. She is as delightful and beautiful like a butterfly , pleases wherever she goes.

As someone has said " A girl should be like a butterfly, pretty to see, hard to catch" so is Aami, pretty to eyes but hard to understand....

While Aami and her grandpa was chatting a maid from the outhouse informed grandpa that the patient staying in outhouse is not having his medicine.

Grandpa : Oh... Iam coming...

Aami : Is he like this grandpa always stubborn...

Grandpa : No child, someday he has mood swings.... I will tell you about him later..

Aami : Grandpa... Allow me to check him..

Grandpa : oh... So you are into this....

Aami : (thoughtfully shrugged ) almost... May be....

She went to the outhouse and saw the man in his thirties siting in a chair beside the window, his valet was trying to feed him the decoction but he knocks it down angrily...

Aami : Good morning... tenant

Man slightly turns aside in response to the sound and frowns....

Aami : don't you have the manners to wish me back... (smiles)

Tenant : who are you....

Aami : Goddess...... Goddess from heaven...... (giggles)

Tenant : Get lost.....

Aami : sorry.. Not now.....

Aami went near the man and took another portion of decoction and gently squeezed his cheeks and fed him. She asked the valet to pass on the facial cream and to bring him breakfast. The valet gave the ointment and exited. Aami gently applied the cream over his face and while applying she talks to him ...

Aami : Iam Anamika Varma, and those whom I likes calls me Aami, you can also call me"Aami"(giggles) . Iam here on a vacation... Who are you sir, where are you from..

Tenant : Iam... eh.. FFu.... Iam Bence... Iam from China (in rough tone)

Aami : Nice to meet you sir ... So how long have you been here....

Bence : For past six months....

(His valet arrives with the breakfast... )

Aami : Aah... Here is your breakfast, Anyway nice talking with you Sir...

Bence : Iam Bence...

Aami smiles... "hmm, ... See you Bence"

Unknowingly Bence's mind flashed the event of their first meeting, he could still feel how she touched his face with her soft palm and rubbed her cheeks on to him.He didn't know the reason but only knows that he actually wanted to know more about the peraon beside him.

He began to have his breakfast without any appetite and Aami seeing this comes back to him .

Aami : Bence, do you like to accompany me for a walk....

Bence : "hmm....."

He tries to get up from the chair and fumbled for his walking stick anxiously

Aami : Bence, I think you don't need the stick as Iam with you. Come I will hold you....

Bence as if his pride been hurt replies in cold tone " I myself can walk, I don't need your help"

Aami : "'" "(smiles)

Bence walks down slowly using his stick and Aami follows him. On reaching downstairs she holds his arm and directs him to their medicinal garden that resembles a forest densed with all medicinal herbs and trees. They sits on the huge aerial roots.of the tree near the bank of a small river.....

Aami : Bence, if you don't mind may I know what happened with you...

Bence remains silent and Aami doesn't compels him. She stares at his face expecting him to open up.After sometime to break the silence..

Aami : Your facial cream has been dried up, let me get some water and wipe it.

She gets up and walks to the nearby well to draw water . Bence gets tensed as he is alone and he couldn't feel her presence nearby. He patted on the ground as he fumbled for his walking stick.He couldn't find it out so he stood up and walks but fells down hitting on the root of the tree.

Aami panics and comes running to him. She supports him and makes him to sit on the root.

Aami : Why did you get up..don't you know that you are .... (bence interrupts)

Bence : (coldly) Yes Iam blind, so what.... Havent you fallen down even once though you are not blind.....

Aami : (blank tone) Bence... I.... I have fell down not once but many times (giggles)... From trees while plucking flowers and fruits, even from bed while sleeping..... (laughs)

Bence : (smiles) I thought you left me alone...

Aami : (holding his face) Bence how can I leave you alone, trust me I won't let you be alone..... I just went to take water from this well..

She uses water collected in leaves from the last night's rain to wet her hand and gently wipes off his dried facial cream. While wiping she wraps her hands around his shoulders. Aami feels that she had seen Bence somewhere but his wringled face and the beard takes back her thought...

She was so close to him that he could feel her warm breath all over his face. He don't know why the emotions and feelings which was long suppressed by him for past nine years got released without waiting for his permission.

He gets melted in her soft voice and only with a pounding heart he could feel her gentle touch , her caring and compassion. He had been here for past six months he had never felt secured and being cared like that before.

He was blind for past one year and never wished to do the treatment to get back his sight. He aways wished to keep him in darkness even when he had vision as he was heart broken, he was once abandoned forever by somebody who was close to his heart.

However now he was desperate to get back that lost vision only to see the compassionate girl beside him.. Yes only to have a glimpse of this Goddess... The Goddess from heaven......