Big Crossbow – Leonardo da Vinci
Life has a way of throwing curveballs at you. Sometimes, you think you have it all planned out but just about when, it is all going to fall into place – you take on a completely unexpected path and the course of your life changes.
For Sita, it was not her unplanned pregnancy – it was her scholarship to study art, which changed it all. She had known for three days, when the letter arrived with details of her scholarship – she knew she was carrying her husband’s legacy in her womb. But at that moment, her dreams and desires took over, her passion for art overpowered her mundane life and she made a decision.
As looked out of the window on her flight, she saw Paris slowly go further and further away from her. She thought of her short and uneventful trip to study art, how she had disappointed herself by not following through one of her biggest dream and how her life might have been different had she been unattached. …
Previous day, Paris, France
“Stop behaving like me, Mademoiselle. It is us French who are the snobs, not the warm Indians”. Sita, did not even have to turn, she knew from the way the hair in the back of her neck stood up, that it was Anthone’ and he was so close to her, she was turning a deep red.
“I am sorry, I did not recognize you. How have you been, I haven’t seen you around for a while” she said
“Yes, today was my jury – I was the last one to give it infact, I will be the last one in my class to become an architect” he said smiling but I am all yours now.
“All mine? I don’t want you” she said unable to feign her surprise that Anthone’ was actually a student, studying to be something more respectable than a vagabond. “Besides, are you not too old to be a student?”
“We are all students for life, mademoiselle” he said with a smirk, “Now, would you like to buy a struggling artist a cup of coffee?”
Sita replied a little too quickly “ Actually, no I would not but thanks for showing me the paintings the other day”. And, she added on an afterthought “ I am going back home to India tomorrow morning, was definitely interesting meeting you” she said with finality… as she walked off.
If only… Sita thought. If only she had the courage to walk off from Anthone’ yesterday. If only, along with the burdan of her husband’s child she was not carrying the guilt of the touch of another man. If only, she was going back home … as planned.
To be continued ….
Musings of a Pygmy Hippo 