In Love With Freedom

The hard hitting rain drops had changed to a soft drizzle by then. The air in the cabin felt suffocating. She pulled out her jacket and tied her hair into a high ponytail.

Outside the weather had turned into a romantic poetry. Light drizzling, sunshine finding its way in between the parting clouds, a half rainbow and a flying seagull.

She stood gaping at the sky, wondering if it was a painting. She held the bars tight and stood on her toes to see below. Crystal clear blue water, rippling through the movement of her mini ship. She could see small fishes swimming back to their home or maybe to a new place just like her.

She held out her hands and smiled to the open nature welcoming it, embracing it in all its glory.

“This is life. Calm, serene and most importantly beautiful.”

A camera adorned her neck but somehow she did not want to take a click. She wanted the scenic beauty to create the most perfect photo on her retina whose snap shall always be a part of her memory. Surprisingly the weight of the camera did not seem as much of a burden as much once the only sign of her marriage, her mangalsutra, had felt.

She did not want to think about it. Not at least now. But the reasoning of her mind lost to the memories she had in her heart. She did not realize that it had been five years, five whooping years since she left home. The home which was never her own.

She was 21 when she got married to a man who claimed to have fallen in love with her the very moment he saw her for the first time. In a matter of merely a month they were husband and wife. The first month was a bliss, a sweet never ending honeymoon that abruptly came to a halt when during a heated conversation, he slapped her for the first time. She was outraged, shocked and to an extent scared but she preferred staying silent. Her first mistake. She assumed that maybe he got very angry and he won’t repeat his mistake. How wrong she was. In a month she knew that he was controlling and abusive. But still she thought she could make things work out. Her second mistake. She took him to various therapists but to the outside world he was near perfect, well behaved, very loving husband who made a great pair for her. Every now and then he beat her for things as absurd as talking to the neighbour. She suffered but never spoke a word to anyone about it. Her pride and her crushed self esteem did not allow her to do that. Ten years, the most beautiful ten years of her youth passed by in misery. She kept finding excuses to stay and he kept abusing her in different ways. Every love has its limits, hers had been stretched way too much. They did not have kids and he shamelessly called her barren without even getting himself checked once. She was not barren, she knew it but found it unnecessary to prove. There was anyway no one who would have listened. Staying weak for so many years, she became a volcano. A volcano that was ready to erupt.
And one fine evening it did.

He came home and found that the tea had no sugar. He threw the boiling tea at her. It scathed her arms but then stirred her soul. She got up and slapped him hard. She looked deep into his eyes and told him firmly that if he dared to touch her again she’ll call the police and get him behind the bars. The very next morning she packed her bags and left. She had earned enough in those ten years to have a decent saving. She left no note, no number, no address. For him she disappeared.

“Hey Meera would you have a cup of coffee?”, yelled her captain.

“No I am fine. Thank you.”

Since that day she pursued her love for photography. She did a short course and then started travelling, meeting people, going on excursions. Not even once did she feel tired. Or bored. Life had something new and better to offer every passing day. This journey was of them.

The salty breeze of the sea hit her nose. She inhaled deeply. She was happy and more than that she knew she was respected and adored by people around. It was difficult initially for her but then had she stayed she would have never known what life could offer. For the first time in years she was applying make up because she wanted to look beautiful and not hide bruises. She could sing to her heart’s contentment without someone telling her to shut up.

Suddenly she saw a dolphin far away in the sea, jumping out of water, diving back and moving forward as if she was dancing with joy. Her synchronised movements were like lyrics of a song, a beauty. She kept looking at it. The tiny rain drops on her face, the hazy mist, the aura of mystery and her never ending thoughts.

“Freedom gives us wings. Love that shackles away that freedom is not love. You can try very hard and fail but then staying in a position that makes you feel miserable is unfair. Sometimes you have to move out, experience life in you, bubble out joy, scream , yell, laugh, and cry but the tears should of joy. Those ten years were painful. But what followed were the most beautiful days of her life. She did not regret leaving that home. The only regret she had that it took ten years for her to make a decision, as simple as being happy, too late.”

She waved to the dolphin taking a snap.

She was smiling. She felt liberated and thankful for giving life another chance.