Paradise - GOODBYE

PARADISE 

[I will omit dirty erotic parts in the following excerpts from the story PARADISE by Khushwant Singh, which I have just read again, a second time, with fuller understanding this time. - G]

... what I did after I grew out of my teens were wasted years. I am now thirty, still single and American - at least that is what my passport says. The wasted years are behind me. And I am where I should have been in the formative years of my life - India. (p. 1)

'You are Margaret Bloom from New York,' he said. 'I want to know why you came here and if you are getting what you expected to get.'

I told him everything - that I was fed up of the life I'd been leading, the excesses and indulgence. (p. 25)

Near lunchtime somebody knocked on my door and shouted, 'Margaret behen, are you OK? It is time for the midday meal.'

'I am fine,' I replied, shaking off my grogginess. 'I'll be out in a jiffy.'

I knew it wouldn't be long before our conduct reached Swamiji's ears. He was known to be a strict disciplinarian who did not tolerate any breach of the ashram's rules. I was not sure how much he would be told but I was guilty on all counts: I had smoked ganja, kissed a man's p., drunk half a bottle of gin and indulged in lesb. s. He was not likely to accept any excuses and would almost certainly order me to leave. My days in the earthly paradise were numbered. (p. 40)

The day of reckoning was not long in coming. One morning a few days later, the receptionist came to my room and told me that Swamiji would like to speak to me that afternoon at four sharp. I knew this was it. I reported to Swamiji's sanctum fully expecting the sentence of expulsion. I touched his feet and sat down on the floor beside his bed. He put his hand on my head and blessed me. 'Margaret, did you get what you were looking for?' he asked gently. (p. 40-41)

'I did, Swamiji. I have been very happy here. I know I have sinned and deserve to be punished.'

'Sin is a very strong word. Don't use it against yourself...' (p. 41)

I wondered whether this was what Adam and Eve felt when they were thrown out of Paradise. (p. 43)

Khushwant Singh: PARADISE AND OTHER STORIES, Penguin Books 

* * * 

GOODBYE 

            Someday 

       Shabaz Rahman

Someday for sure....

U will come to me for cure....

Now u r being mean....

But when you will really need me, I will be 

nowhere to be seen....

Time will change....

And I promise I will act strange....

Because u had been long out of range....

And all I got is ignorance....

I will be saying a big GOODBYE....

And will never come back no matter how 

much you try.

(The Sentinel, Sunday, melange, page 5, November 17, 2019)

Kishalay Sinha [G]