My Name is Tamra!

Chapter 7

Tamra looked around her and pinched her cheeks. Because she was walking on the deserted streets of Dantla. She felt pain. "Ok! I am awake, not in a dream. But I was sleeping in the room, when and why I came out even my knowledge? Was I given a kind of drug to lure me out of the house?" this thought made her shiver. She looked around her, except for a street dog no one was to be seen. All houses were closed and locked.

Thinking she might have developed sleep walking due to depression, she turned towards the house. But within the burnt house, she saw some movements. A flash of light made Tamra see Kamal, Priya's elder brother inside the house. Her interest in that house was roused once again. "If he can go, I can also go!" She now stepped towards the burnt house.

The moment she entered the house, she felt a suffocating smell of burnt charcoal and human bodies. Startled she turned back, but Kamal's hands grabbed her tightly. Getting all sorts of fear, Tamra shrieked. "Let me go! You beast! If you don't let my hands go, I will yell and wake everybody."

"Aru! It's me Birju! Don't you remember?" asked Kamal in a very affectionate voice. But it looked as if he was not in his senses. His eyes were completely white, no sign of Pupa. Tamra's body shivered not due to the cold, surprisingly the house was warm. Somehow Tamra felt, Kamal would not harm her. Gaining confidence, Tamra stopped yelling. "Please leave my hands Kamal, I want to go out!" said Tamra. "I am not Kamal, I am Birju! How can you forget me?" asked Kamal in a queer voice.

Again, Tamra felt a tinge of fear. "bu…bu…but your sister told me your name is Kamal!" replied Tamra with fear. "Sister? Who? Kanak?" asked Kamal in a very normal way, as if having a chitchat with a friend. "Look here, I don't know any Kanak or Birju. I just want to go home. That's all! Please leave me alone!" said Tamra with irritation.

There was a sudden gush of hot wind. Tamra felt as if she was caught between hot pans. She felt a very familiar fragrance, but could not recognize what it was. The feeling was very comforting and welcoming. But suddenly she noticed, there was a whirl wind near her, in the eye part, a pair of human eyes were staring at her. She thought she recognized the eyes. Her lips moved "Tamra?" then suddenly a full smoke like figure appeared before her. A very beautiful young lady wearing white saree adorned with Jewels appeared, her stomach showed that, she was an expecting mother.

"Tamra! Have you come back?" asked Tamra with quiring lips. Now Birju was feeling frantic. " Arunika! What Am I seeing? Can't understand!" cried Kamal. "Birju! Calm down. You have to know many things! Take this Tamra and go to Trikala. She will tell you all about me and Suraj. But remember, never tell anyone about the happenings here. If you tell, of course no one will believe, but if the word spreads, I may not like!" said the smoke figure with a threating finger. Tamra could not believe her eyes, she was talking to a smoke figure, probably a ghost. She wanted to scream, but her own voice betrayed her. Sweat emerged from her body. She realized; the place was extremely hot for a winter night at desert.

"Hey Younger Tamra! You are my friend Arunika, you were in love with Birju, but he was mad after me. Don't you remember?" said the smoke like figure. Everything was in a blur for Tamra. She knew perfectly well; her name was Tamra. Then how could she be Arunika, in love this Birju she had never known? But her lips only shivered no voice came out. The smoke figure continued.

"You have come back Arunika! You have come back from death. That's the power of your soul. So has Birju, He has also come back. It's my duty to see you united. But before that, I have many unfinished works!" at this the figure's eye glowed red. This is madness. I am hallucinating. This can't be true, Tamra said to herself. Now to her horror she realized that she was standing close to that smoke figure. "Are you afraid of your friend Aru? I am Tamra! Your best friend! Don't you remember!" the figure said in an affectionate voice.

Now Tamra was sure that some portal to an alternate universe had opened up and she was seeing her older version. Or she had time travelled. But even though she assumed these things, there was a lump in her throat as if she was seeing someone lost in the past, dear to her then. Her eyes were pouring tears. "See! Your soul has recognized me, Aru! But your brain is in denial! Allow your brain to access the soul!" said the smoke figure. Tamra looked at Kamal sitting at the end of the room. He was unconscious. But his lips were blabbering something.

Tamra wanted to cry out loud and run away. But neither was possible. The smoke figure came nearer and nearer, Tamra closed her eyes and was getting ready was a painful death in the hands of whatever it was. Instead, she felt a warm not exactly warm, hot finger pressed her forehead. Next second, she too became unconscious.

Tamra opened her eyes, found herself in a village with a few houses scattered here and there. She was standing in the burnt house but the house was intact. She realized that, she was 17 years old and was looking very young and innocent. Still not understanding, she looked around her. A very beautiful girl of her own age was running towards her with her flowing lehenga spluttering around. "Aru! Look! I have got more flowers than Birju!" yelled that girl. Now realization dawned on her. The girl who came running was Tamra, and she herself was Arunika. It was like 2 persons in a single body. No longer feeling afraid, Arunika decided to play along. As soon as she opened her mouth, she forgot she was Tamra.

"But why you need these flowers? Getting married, eh?" asked Arunika with a smile. "Leave it Aru! I have not yet met Mr. perfect. The day I meet him, I will think about marriage." Replied Tamra. When she smiled, her face looked really pretty. "Where is Birju?" as an answer to that, Birju came there with lesser flowers in his hands. He looked at Tamra with such loving eyes, Arunika felt a bit jealous. "This time also I have won Birju!" said Tamra clapping her hands. "I want you to win always Tamra! After all, we are friends since childhood. "But it was evident from his voice that, he was more than a friend to her.

"Hey Birju! I am your friend too! Remember?" Arunika playfully hit Birju's shoulder. "How can I forget you Aru? You are our bestie!" said Birju. "Ok! Ok! These are rare dessert flowers, when tourists come, we can sell them and make good money! Birju, you go near the big hotel and show case these flowers. Each should fetch at least 50 paisa! So total flowers 28, we must easily get 14 rupees. Divided between you two, 7 rupees each. Which is a fortune. You can get nice dress!" said Arunika calculating the flowers.

"A true business woman, aren't you? Because of you I earned money Aru! That was very helpful for the treatment of my mother. Thank you!" said Birju. "Why say, thank you to friend? Leave it. But this time I want you to open an account in the bank and put the money in it." Said Arunika waving a finger at him. "Oh! this is 1960 Aru! No thief will steal my money!" saying this Birju collected Tamra's flowers and arranged them in a beautiful way, set off to sell. Arunika was watching him till he disappeared from the eyes.

"Aru! You like him, don't you?" asked Tamra with concern. "Yes Tamra! You like him too! Why ask such a question?" said Arunika averting her eyes. Tamra came near her and made her see! "You perfectly understand what I mean Aru! I have known you since we are 3 years old! You love him, say it Aru! Birju is really a nice person Aru! He will keep you happy!" said Tamra. Arunika walked away from her with a heavy sigh. "What's your problem? You people belong to same caste, your fathers are great friends, it's natural to love him. Why are you behaving like this?" yelled Tamra irritated.

"You are a fool, Tamra! You think you are very intelligent, but you can't recognize true love when it is showered on you! Try to think and understand! Don't waste your time on searching for one Mr. Perfect, who is never going to come! I am a very practical girl Tamra, but you are too passionate! Your spite, your love is extreme. If you love a person, you love them extremely, and if you spite them, God save them from your vengeance. Only Birju can handle you, Tamra!" Said Arunika looking straight at Tamra's eyes.

Tamra came near Arunika and violently shook her shoulder. "Do you mean to say, Birju is in love with me? And I don't recognize it? How dare you? Birju is always my friend! You are jealous that I may get a very rich man from the city, and you will be doomed here. That's why you advise me to marry Birju! You cunning devil! Our friendship means nothing to you?" screamed Tamra. Arunika came near her and looked with pity. "This…this anger, is going to destroy you Tamra! For a moment you should have thought before speaking! I love you as my sister, you know that! How can I be jealous of you? Think again Tamra, you know I love Birju, If I am wicked and selfish, I should have never advised to you get married to him. Others too have self-respect and dignity Tamra! I am deeply wounded by your words!" with these words Arunika turned around and went inside her house. Tamra stood there thinking. She knew she had lost a very good friend. But she was not sorry, because she was sure, Arunika was jealous of her. "My Man will come, and he will take me to heavens, I will live a very happy and luxurious life. Then you come apologizing to me!" yelled Tamra.

Next few days passed without any incident. Arunika never spoke to Tamra, and she avoided even Birju. It was told that, her parents asked her consent about marrying Birju but she refused. This piece of news infuriated Tamra further. Birju could not understand what happened between his 2 best friends, some small misunderstanding, as days go, they will reconcile he thought. But even after a month Arunika still avoided Birju and Tamra. Her parents were looking for a suitable groom for her in the nearby villages.

Tamra missed Arunika, but her pride did not yield to go and apologize. Birju had also gone to nearby village where men were working on a huge construction site. He got a job there and came back only on Sundays. Life was moving very slowly for Tamra and her widowed mother. Neighbors asked when she was planning to marry her daughter off. Tamra's mother Keera was worried beyond words. She was working hard to earn food, marrying a girl was a huge issue. Tamra told her not to worry as a perfect gentleman would come and fall for her.

Birju had collected some money, and had plans of buying a new house in the village. He really worked hard, learnt math and English, so he was promoted as a supervisor. Now he was earning Rs.100 per month. In the year 1961, with 50 rupees a family of 3 can eat and have good cloths comfortably. Arunika felt very proud of Birju, but also very depressed as he was in love with Tamra. Sometimes she made her mind to tell her love to Birju, but her pride prevented her from doing that. Biju was certain, of getting a yes from Tamra, so he proceeded further saving money for the wedding.

When three souls were in their own world of dream and misery, Tamra at last met her dream man. He came to the village as a worker, but his tall claims, his way of well-mannered behavior, his English everything attracted Tamra. He said, if he could get the right person, he would be a milliner in a few years. Tamra's heart fell for him. She felt extremely attracted towards him and wanted to marry him badly. Little did she know, she was attracted towards her doom. Yes! The man she was attracted to was none other than Suraj Rathore.