Love Heals Hearts

“You love only once, live once, and die once,” read the last line of the novel. Closing the book, Mayank wondered, “Does true love really happens only once? And what if we lose that one chance? Are we doomed to suffer eternally? Does life never gives us a second chance?” Mayank sighed; the novel which he had been reading since the beginning of his Sikkim trip had raised so many unanswered questions in his mind. It would be preposterous to call it Mayank’s Sikkim trip, for Mayank had hardly played any role in the planning or the execution of the trip. In fact, Mayank had initially declined the offer of his friend, Ayush to accompany him on his Sikkim trip. But ultimately Ayush had prevailed upon Mayank to join him on this trip, and successfully dragged him out of his Mumbai apartment to let him breath in the fresh, pristine Himalayan air.

Though it may seem that Mayank is a morose, fun-averse person but this is not his innate personality. In fact, even a few years ago Mayank had been a jolly and gregarious fellow whose company was cherished by all. But life hardly follows any fixed trajectory, and circumstances changed so drastically in such a short period that Mayank’s safe and secure life and been thrown into the most violent and chaotic whirlwind of tragedy. Sheetal, the love of his life, the only girl he has ever loved, the girl whom he had proposed to marry after dating her for eight years betrayed him when she died in a road accident nearly two years ago. Sheetal’s death had devastated Mayank’s life. Mayank couldn’t accept the sudden death of his girlfriend, and consequently had refused to move on in life. Though Mayank had excelled in his professional life, but his personal life had been ruined by that accident.

Mayank works as a surgeon in one of the most renowned hospitals of Mumbai. Since Sheetal’s death he had completely immersed himself in work, and as a result his professional growth had been terrific in the last two years. He is the most sought after doctor in India as well as in abroad with an impeccable service record. At the young age of 30, he had won many accolades for his excellent contribution in the field of medicine. He had clearly made a name for himself, as every senior doctor and renowned hospital wanted to work with him. His professional success coupled with his tall physique and handsome features made him hugely popular among young ladies. He was deemed the most eligible bachelor; and the young, beautiful, elite ladies would have given anything to date him. However, Mayank remained aloof from their romantic advances; no matter how beautiful, successful or talented a woman might be they failed in their attempts to draw his attention. Mayank couldn’t get over the memories of Sheetal, and all these marriage proposals disgusted him. He sincerely believed that he was incapable of loving anyone else, and thus accepted his doomed fate of living eternally with the memories of Sheetal.

Though Mayank had been a travel freak and loved to explore new places, yet since the last two years he had not gone on any holiday. Sheetal’s death had also killed Mayank’s soul, he has become incorrigibly sullen, unsocial and he never indulges himself in any entertainment or any activity which he previously loved. However Ayush’s persistent nagging had forced him to consent to this trip. They had landed in Gangtok last morning and had stayed back the whole day to explore the hilly town. Nevertheless, Ayush’s itinerary was different from a conventional tourist’s itinerary in that they won’t be visiting the popular tourist sites rather they would be spending five days in a lesser-known, isolated hamlet of Lachung in north Sikkim. They had hired a car this morning, and presently were on their way to Lachung which is five hours drive from Gangtok. Throughout the journey Mayank was engrossed in the novel and had hardly spoken a word. But his reticence had not in the least dampened Ayush’s enthusiasm, who was busy capturing in his camera the heavenly beauty of the Himalayas. By noon they reached Lachung. There were no hotels in this village but Ayush had already booked a room in the only guesthouse of the village, thereby ensuring their comfortable accommodation. After having lunch Ayush went out to explore the place while Mayank retired to their room.

Mayank was taking a nap when Ayush barged into the room and jerked Mayank out of his sleep. “Bro, its 4:30 p.m. Perfect time to have tea. This village has only one teashop. Get ready, we are going there,” chirped an enthused Ayush. “We can have tea in the room as well. Order at the guesthouse kitchen, they will make us some,” said Mayank supressing a yawn. Ayush countered this excuse by saying, “Bro, we don’t get to drink piping hot tea amidst the majestic Himalayas everyday. Don’t tell me you want to miss this surreal experience. Come on now, no more excuses, get ready quickly; we might even witness the sunset if the sky happens to be clear.”

Reluctantly Mayank got out of the bed. He had been a morose travel-partner throughout the trip, and it seemed unfair to deny his friend this simple request. Within a few minutes they were outside the guesthouse. The ambience seemed like a scene straight out of a fairy tale. Lachung was a small pristine village in the lap of the majestic Himalayas. The sun was about to set and the sky and the mountains had splashed with a crimson hue. Mayank was awestruck with the beauty of it; he had never seen anything remotely as stunning as this. The teashop was quite far from the guesthouse. After walking for nearly twenty minutes they reached the small, thatched shop. By now the sun was setting behind the mountains and fortunately the sky was clear. Ayush wanted to capture the sunset in his camera, so Mayank strolled alone to the teashop to order two cups of tea. As he went into the teashop he witnessed a beauty outstripping the beauty of the resplendent sunset. Behind the counter stood a girl whose beauty could easily surpass the beauty of the angels.

Mayank stood stupefied in the resplendent glow of the girl. It seemed to Mayank that all the words of all the languages put together would fall short of expressing her beauty. He didn’t realize how long he stood gazing her when his trance was broken by her soft voice, “May I help you with anything, sir?” “T-tea,” stammered Mayank, “T-two cups.” The girl laughed a dazzling laugh, “Sure sir, please have a seat.” The mere presence of a young tea-seller made the award-winning surgeon weak in his knees. He staggered before ensconcing himself on the bench. His tongue refused to utter any word while his eyes refused to leave the face of the girl as she prepared the tea. By the time she brought the tea-cups to the table, Ayush had entered the shop. Unlike his dumbstruck friend, he instantly started a conversation with the girl. While Mayank sat with his entire essence focussed on the girl and oblivious to the world around him. He had no idea how long they have been sitting in the teashop, but when he was jerked out of his stupor by Ayush it was almost dark outside. Before leaving the shop, Mayank turned back once and the girl flashed a dazzling smile which soothed the turmoil within Mayank’s heart. Thankfully Ayush didn’t take notice of Mayank’s stupefaction, which he mistook for his usual sullenness.

The next evening they again went to the teashop, however this time Mayank performed better than his last visit. Though he mostly kept quiet while Ayush chattered incessantly, yet the girl’s eyes were locked on Mayank’s. Losing themselves into each other’s eyes, they obliterated the world around them. Unknown to them, an invisible bond bound them together. Though their mouths hardly uttered a word, yet their eyes spoke a million to each other. Everything seemed incomprehensible to Mayank, it seemed as if his sharp, rational mind had taken a break and wouldn’t aid him in taking cognisance of the situation. He tried noting down his thoughts in his diary; however words not only failed him but also seemed absolutely meaningless. For the first time since two years, he could smile naturally, effortlessly.

Ayush was pleasantly surprised to see the favourable change in Mayank’s disposition. Initially, he erroneously associated this with the scenic beauty of their ambience. However it took Ayush almost four days to realise the origin of Mayank’s jolliness. On the fourth night Ayush ventured to tease his friend, “The tea is extra sweet here, isn’t it? The tea-seller as well,” Ayush winked. Mayank couldn’t help smiling. Ayush was sincerely pleased to see his friend in a jolly mood after such a long time. His smile further encouraged Ayush, “I wonder what spell she casts on you that you sit there dumbstruck, too mesmerised to utter a word. I suppose you don’t even know her name.” Mayank nodded implying a no. “Well, she is Sheetal Lepcha,” replied Ayush. The name ‘Sheetal’ struck like a gong in Mayank’s ears; his countenance changed instantly, a frown appeared dispelling the smile which had been lingering on his lips since the last few days. Taking no notice of his friend’s changed countenance Ayush continued, “The most eligible bachelorettes of Mumbai have been proposing you since two years, but look at the travesty of fate. The most successful doctor of India loses his heart to a tea-seller. I think you are fated to fall in love only with Sheetals.” Mayank was livid, it took him a moment to gulp down his anger before he could reply. “You are crossing your limit, Ayush. How dare you fancy that I have fallen in love with that tea-seller? I have and will always love only Sheetal, my Sheetal. Don’t ever dare to mention that tea-seller to me again. Clear?” Without waiting for an answer Mayank went to his bed.

The next day which was their last day in Lachung dawned bright and sunny, though it failed to brighten up the dampened spirit of both the friends. Mayank sat scowling with a novel in his lap, and Ayush dared not to disturb him. Leaving Mayank in the room Ayush went out with his camera. Throughout the day neither Mayank left the room, nor Ayush returned. By the time Ayush returned at night, Mayank had already slept and he deemed it prudent not to disturb him.

The next morning they hired a car to return to Gangtok. Throughout the journey existed a strained silence which threatened to splinter at the slightest nudge gashing their bond of friendship. They boarded their flight to Mumbai at the scheduled time, and it was only during their flight, sitting high above in the sky did Ayush risk to break the ice. Hesitatingly, he ventured, “I am glad Mayank that you came with me. And I am really sorry if I did hurt you, though I swear it was absolutely unintended.” The apology elicited no reaction from Mayank who kept staring out of the window. Yet Ayush continued, “She was upset yesterday when I told her that we will be leaving tomorrow. Though she didn’t ask anything about you, she gave me a note and requested me to give it to you.” Saying this Ayush thrust a small piece of paper in Mayank’s hands. Mayank crumpled the paper in his fist, and for once it appeared that he intended to throw it away. But after a while he smoothed out the paper and read. On the paper was scrawled in an untidy hand a single sentence in Hindi, “Aap bohot achhe insaan ho” (You are a very good human being.)

Mayank didn’t know what to make of this simple sentence. He kept gazing at the crumpled piece of paper; suddenly it has become immensely precious to him. In the thirty years of his existence he has been praised with many epithets like intelligent, handsome, diligent, successful, etc. but never had he been called a good human being. Nowadays, people hardly see each other as a fellow human being. You are judged for what you have achieved in life and not for what you are as a person. No one cares if you are a good or a bad person, if you are successful in life then the world shall bow down to you. Mayank knows that everyone likes him because he has achieved the zenith of success, and young ladies desire him because he is rich and good-looking. Maybe that is why he is repulsed by the attention they bestow on him. He wondered what made this poor, village girl call him a good person? There were a million things that she could have written, then why did she choose to write that she thinks Mayank is a good person? She hardly knows anything about him then how did she know that he is a good person? These and a thousand other questions kept churning in his mind, and before he knew they had landed in Mumbai and thrust into the daily grind of life.

Mayank soon immersed himself in his daily routine but he couldn’t shake off the pestering unanswered questions which he brought back from Lachung, no matter how hard he tried. Also, the unsolicited memories of Sheetal Lepcha refused to leave him alone. He believed that he could supress any unsolicited feelings by immersing himself absolutely in his work. But this time his conviction was proven wrong as the memories of the tea-seller refused to be dispelled. The memories of the living Sheetal haunted him more than the memories of the dead Sheetal. While his heart asserted vociferously that he loves Sheetal Lepcha, his mind refuted it with equal vehemence. His heart and mind were engaged in a vicious battle for almost eight months, when he, tired of this inner turmoil, finally yielded to his heart.

He took the decision to visit Lachung and confess his love and offer his heart to the angelic tea-seller. Accepting his own feelings had eased his inner turmoil. Also, this new love had invigorated his dampen spirit. After losing his first love he had believed that he could never find joy again but Sheetal Lepcha had triumphantly proved him wrong. He was extremely grateful to life for giving him this second chance to love and happiness.

It had been over eight months since he last saw his enchantress, and therefore he couldn’t control his excitement when he finally reached Lachung. Without bothering to have his lunch at the guesthouse, he straightaway ran off to the teashop. When he reached the shop he was out of his breath. However, he got the shock of his life to see a middle-aged man behind the counter instead of his resplendent enchantress. Catching his breath he asked, “Do you know where is Sheetal Lepcha, the girl who used to sell tea in this shop a few months ago?” The man regarded Mayank for a while before replying, “Oh! You mean the daughter of Vikram Lepcha? She was married off two months ago in a faraway village. A few weeks after her marriage her father too left Lachung after selling this shop to me. They don’t have any other relatives here, so no one knows where exactly they are.” Mayank didn’t waste another moment in the shop as he headed off to the village to inquire about Sheetal Lepcha. For two days he doggedly enquired the whole locality but to no avail, as nobody knew Sheetal’s whereabouts. Dejected and defeated, Mayank returned to the drudgeries of life in Mumbai.

He had hopefully brought together the pieces of his once broken heart only to be shattered again. He once again immersed himself in his work and outperformed himself but he had lost all the joys and faith in life. Sullenness enshrouded him dispelling all the gaiety, love and laughter from his life. He never smiled and avoided socialising. His life had lost its meaning, and he led a purposeless existence drifting from moment to moment. The second betrayal of life had annihilated his soul. Yet in the professional front he had emerged as the brightest star. He dedicated himself absolutely to his work thereby contributing immensely in the field of medicine. He became an internationally acclaimed surgeon, getting work offers from around the world. And thus he lived his desolate life, shinning professionally while drowned personally.

Though he believed that he was doomed to lead such a forlorn existence to the end of his life, yet he couldn’t bear this stifling existence for another moment. He was restless, exasperated and desperate for respite. After suffering years of inner turmoil, he finally made up his mind to abandon such a desolate existence. Hence, at the prime age of 35, at the zenith of his career and success, he quit his job, sold his apartment and left Mumbai for good. Life in Mumbai exasperated him, and he believed that a quiet life in the lap of the Himalayas can bring peace to his tumultuous life. Thus, leaving behind his lucrative job and luxurious life in Mumbai, he settled in a small town of Sikkim and started working in a government primary hospital.

Though it was a lonely and isolated life, yet it helped him to make peace with his troubled past. It was a laidback life too, as all the critical cases were referred to the well-equipped hospitals of Gangtok. Hence, there was hardly any work-load on Mayank and he spent most of his time admiring the beauty of the majestic Himalayas. However, one day an unidentified patient was admitted to the hospital in a critical condition. The patient’s body was splattered with blood. It had lost a large quantity of blood and was in an urgent need of surgery. Mayank immediately performed a surgery which saved the patient’s life though it took a week to regain consciousness.

When Mayank finally identified the patient his heart leapt with joy, for it was Sheetal Lepcha. Mayank made sure that she received optimum medical-care for her quick recovery. A week later when she recovered her consciousness, she found Mayank sitting on a chair beside he bed. Even in her frail physical condition she retained her angelic beauty. She smiled feebly at him. Mayank asked, “Tell me all that I need to know.” Sheetal took a deep breath and replied, “I was married a few months after you visited Lachung. But my husband left me when I couldn’t give him any child even two years after our marriage. They called me a barren woman. After my husband left me I started working in a tea-plantation to sustain myself. A few days ago, a car ran me down and the accident led me to you.” Mayank’s eyes welled up and a tear drop rolled down his cheek. Sheetal wanly smiled and said, “Sir, you are a very good human being.” Mayank looked into her eyes, took her hand in his and solemnly asked, “Sheetal, will you spend the rest of your life with this good human being?”