BEAUTY OF INNOCENCE

"Why this…? Why are you crying like this…? Now you are well off with everything: a good marriage… a good husband… a lovely kid… what else…?" said he stroking her head gently.

"Why…? Tell me why…, please tell me why you didn't come in search of me on that day Hamu…?"

He understood that she was referring to the day she left the bungalow. He never expected such a question from her. Nandana Menike sensed Bernard taking a deep breath and releasing it slowly, without saying anything.

"I have lost a lot of things in my life Nanda…"

"I thought you would come looking for me that day… It's true that because of my anger, I left he bungalow. But still I wonder even the gods above know how much I suffered from that stubborn decision…" Without any hesitation, she converted her pent-up emotions into words.

Bernard consoled her putting a tap on her shoulder.

"Even today, I'm repenting of it Nanda… My habit of drinking deprived me of many a thing… that day Periyavar came to my room, and I jumped at him too. But he argued with me saying how innocent, how helpless you were at that time... Nanda… When I barely got back to my proper senses, I knew that you had left the bungalow. I was fully drunk and not in a position to get up and go out… finally, I ordered Periyavar to go in search of you…"

He noticed through her tearful eyes that she was waiting for the reason to know why Periyavar failed to come behind her.

"Ultimately, the only shadow I had; I lost him too: that innocent man sacrificed his life to the reservoir…"

She was shocked to hear his untimely tragic death. Bernard explained how he lost the most precious things in his life and how he afterwards went to Ulhitiya to see her.

"Even being late, I thought you would come to Ulhitiya to see me…" Her voice trembled when she disclosed her pent-up emotions.

"Since I got no proper information, I went on drinking like an insane… After about five months, again I went to Ulhitiya in search of you… Nanda…"

"Again you came back to Ulhitiya…?" She had not known of his visit and her eyes indicated that she did not believe that.

"Yes, on the way I met Kapilasena… He told me everything about you, who I hadn't been aware…"

Kapilasena elaborated Samantha's commitments, difficulties faced by him. And how Kapilasena did his best to join Samantha and Nandana Menike. After listening to Kapilasena, Bernard had decided to suppress all his feelings for the betterment of their future life. Bernard further told her that he had not intended to tell the reason of his visit to Kapilasena as it would create unnecessary problems.

"Then… why didn't you come to meet me…? The pain in her heart was expressive on her face as well.

"I did want to come and see your face Nanda… but again I thought that would hurt you further… That is why I didn't…"

She bit her lower lip being unable to bear up the pain. Tears started welling up in her eyes again.

"I know Nanda… I made a big mistake in my life…"

There was an apologetic look on his face.

"It's true that Samantha was the best friend I ever had… but the feeling I had about you… cannot be compared with Samantha on equal basis… It is not like that…"

His eyes dilated as he heard some unbelievable news. She again nodded her head in confirmation of what she said earlier.

"Can you remember the day you put that gold necklace around my neck… and gave me a warm kiss on my cheeks…?"

He shook his head as he could remember it.

"From that day onwards, I gradually came closer to you… I can't exactly tell you what kind of feeling it was… You should understand that I was brought up in an environment without a father… So, I couldn't understand the kind of love and affection of a father…"

"Did you love me Nanda…?"

Bernard Hamu's look penetrated through her body and soul. It was so sharp. She nodded her head in silence implying a positive response. She looked at him, but he glanced at the reservoir with a defeated expression avoiding her innocent eyes.

"When Sandra Hamu confirmed that she would not come back to you, I was determined not to desert you… but when you jumped at me that day, I have no words to tell you how I felt… I thought that I had nobody in my life and left the bungalow like a foolish girl… oh...! If I hadn't behaved that way…!" Without hiding anything she expressed everything.

"When I was in a world of nowhere so desperately… Samantha became the savior of my life… every day, every moment he stood for me… but my heart was with you…" Her lips shivered.

Her direct glance at that time was focused on Bernard. He couldn't believe the revelation of her pent-up emotions. He was in a state of agitation to see the transformation of a weak, immature lasso into a strong womanhood in front of him. He took something slowly from his pocket and for the second time, he put the gold necklace around her neck. She motionlessly remained silent with no objections.

"Samantha is a refined character with many good qualities. Last few weeks we met here on many occasions… As I see, there's none like him on this earth, who loves you that much…" With much care, he selected the most appropriate words.

"I know it Hamu… He doesn't like to hurt me even a bit… From the day we got married, he tries his best to keep me happy… Even if I happened to hurt him, he never treated me in that way…" she spoke well of him.

"Nanda… did you tell him of what happened between us…?" she understood what he meant.

She shook her head in negation. Bernard wiped out his face with his right hand heaving a sigh of consolation. Nandana Menike held his hand tightly.

"I feel like looking after you Hamu…" her pleading voice shook him.

"Forget about me Nanda… Your responsibility is to look after your kid and Samantha now… That's your obligation and priority…"

"I do it Hamu…" she promptly responded.

Bernard tried to bring a smile on to his face.

"I know what you have taken for breakfast… I'll prepare your meals and send them through Samantha…"

He remembered his breakfast. He realized that she had had a look at those unwashed plates and dishes and the left over on the table.

"As I knew you all would be coming here… I came here last evening from Rangala bungalow… Since nothing could be prepared here, I just went to the hotel at the junction and bought a loaf of bread and some curries… and had them. And in the evening going back to Rangala again…"

Putting a tap on Rover's head he said the last sentence in order to make Nanda relieve her distress.

"Nanda… now I am really feeling relaxed and delighted… I did want to meet you only once… That is to ask for your forgiveness for the serious offense I committed… You have a good married life now. I am extremely happy about it… Whatever we have in our mind, our destiny is written not to keep us together but to keep us apart…"

Her eyes brightened and again in a fraction of a second, filled with tears. Bernard wiped out the drop of tears rolling down her cheeks.

"Sandra deserted me in a world of distress and desperation… How helpless I have been throughout… How terrible it is for a man to bear up these entire one after the other…"

I want to ask you one more thing finally Nanda…

"What's that Hamu…?" she was about to sob.

"Even from a thought, never ever allow Samantha to feel that kind of pain Nanda…!"

She turned her tearful face down with a promise. Bernard slowly kissed her forehead with overflowing love and affection. With Rover's groan, Bernard turned his head and saw Samantha on his way stepping towards them. Bernard stroked her head with all blessings.

"Samantha it's a great pleasure that you have brought this child to the front of my eyes…"

Following his radiant voice, Nandana Menike turned her head. Samantha was close by them. While' holding her left hand tightly, from his right-hand Bernard hinted her not to get excited.

"I have been waiting to see my niece as well…" He quietly told Samantha of his eagerness to see their pretty daughter.

"Near future, let's take her here…" She whispered while moving towards Samantha from Bernard.

"I have to go to Rangala before three o'clock as I have to pay their daily wages. Let's go to the bungalow and speak…"