Hidden beneath woolen coat

As far as the shadow of a five year old fig tree can stretch, the plot of earth smiles as it gets coated with shading leaves. The pathetic nature sobs to its fading exquisiteness. 

“She is only two weeks old to my heart and sight, but I feel like we have been together for millenniums”, Chogyel smiles as he stitch an old woolen jacket. He stitches it with perfection under the dim illumination of kerosene lamp, as he is in his early twenties.

Serthi is hidden behind the range of mountains called Ani Auni Phu, which is three full tiring days walk from the nearest farm road. It is beyond the reach of modernity still yearning for the era of new dawn. 

“chogyel, what are you doing? “ “Nothing grandpa, I am just done with stitching my torn coat” and he continues “I have arranged bed for you, go and sleep granpa”. “o.kay” he nods as he puts his rosary on the wooden box, and crawls towards his bed at snail’s pace. “Chhag tshello,mongshe nyenpa la mathong,zangpo thong” chants in his lowest tone and lay down.

In the hope that closed eyes could see more ways.

As the natural alarm goes cock-a-doodle-doo…the schedule for the day unfolds. He murmurs, “It is hard on one’s life to enjoy the placidness of the morning zephyr without mother for the chores”, he realizes the vitality of mother and downpour upon the dahlia grown over his mother’s graveyard.

“Hey! Dechen, It’s time we breakfast come on”, he listens to the calling voice and knows that it was her mother. “I know she would never think of a guy like me who finds hard time to stand on my own feet” he frowns and remarks “but why an imbecile should go for such a damsel when I am convinced that I can’t get her anyway”. He talks to nobody, but to his own warm heart that listens and shares his joy and sorrow every second of his miserable life.

“Cho-gy-el umm…..” he stammers and couldn’t do with the sentence. “What’s the matter grandpa, speak out take it easy”. “Don’t you think it’s high time you look for a faithful and caring life partner? Because I am too weak to help you in doing all the works”, the eyes cloaked amidst grey eyebrow look tensed. He takes a long relieving sigh and replies, “Thank you for your concern, but don’t worry I will manage somehow as long as misfortune does not befall on me” sounds bit irony.

Upon recurring appeal of grandpa and nightmares of deceased mother, he made up his mind to do as their wills. He ensures to make a proposal of marriage to an enchanting damsel Dechen who is 21 and a well known music tutor by profession. On his way to temple one calm morning, he comes across her, “Good morning Dechen, how do you do?” he greets her with chocking tone. “Ah! I’m doing well, where you are going at an unearthly hour?” replies in her heart touching voice. “Tomorrow is birth anniversary of Guru Rinpoche, so I’m sent by grandpa to help monks prepare the ritual cakes”, she grins in tenderness and says, “That sounds great, anyway bye for now I got to go”.

The whole day he recalled the precious morning having met with her. He decides to write her and it reads:

“Hi Dechen,

Albeit you are only three weeks old to my heart and sight, but I wonder how fast and powerful you are to capture my only heart. If I were the butter, I would’ve melted by the rays of your beauty. And I’m pretty sure you can make out what I’m trying to convince you when I say such thing. I’m gonna keep my fingers cross and count my heart beats and wait eagerly for your words”.

Chogyel had been fond of her for many months now, but couldn’t confess his feelings until recently. By the time he proposed her, she was already a better half of Chencho, a gentle man from an economically sound background. But then, he was unaware of their marriage until one morning he received a shocking white enveloped chit which reads:

“Chogyel,

I’m so sorry. You’re too late and remember `early bird catches the worm’ don’t you agree”.

He tore the letter into pieces and burnt it repenting himself for his stupidity. Heart filled with remorse stares at the oven until those papers turn into black carbon, learns from it never to delay works. “Oh! Let bygones be bygones, I won’t commit the same blunder hereafter” he speaks to himself softly as he hides his letter beneath woolen coat. “it breaks your heart to see the one you love is happy with someone else, but it’s more painful to know that the one you love is unhappy with you”, he writes this the final note of his mother in his dairy and pours the rain of agony reading all those old stories written in the dairy.