The Face from my Dream

The Face from my Dream
A Short Story by G.S.Vasukumar



Rohan woke up from his sleep, took his sketching pad and sketched an image from his dream. It was of a young woman waiting at some railway station. Next morning, he showed the sketch to his grandpa, Avinash.

‘It’s a beautiful sketch! Also the face looks somewhat familiar to me.’ His grandpa said, looking at the sketch, ‘I wonder why she came in your dream last night? There should be some reason to it!’

‘I really don’t know? But I have a strong feeling that she is someone…somewhere made for me. Some of my dreams have come true before too and it has really surprised me,’ Rohan said, ‘but I’m not sure about this one. I haven’t even heard about this railway station...’

‘Lovedale is a railway station which is 5 kms away from the famous hill station Ooty,’ His grandfather said, looking at the sketch closely, and then keeping it down on the table before him.

‘Have you been there?’ Rohan asked, quite surprised.

‘Yes, long time back during my college days, I think,’ His grandpa replied, with a sigh, ‘ I went to Ooty to meet someone for the first time in my life…come with me…’ He added standing up, and walking to his room. Rohan followed him. He opened his cupboard and took out a small old bag, opened it, and it contained many letters which were serially numbered. He carefully handed it to his grandson.

‘So, Anitha is your pen friend!’ Rohan said, going through some of the letters.

‘Yes! These letters were precious to me then and even now.’ His grandpa said.

‘Are you still in touch with her?’

‘No, I haven’t communicated with her after she got married. It has been a long time now. Maybe, she has a grandson or granddaughter of your age by now.’ He said, ‘Now, coming back to your dream…was she getting down the train in Lovedale?’

‘She got into the train at Lovedale,’ Rohan said.

‘Do you recollect anything else from your dream?’

‘Yes, I had seen a huge garden with lots of decorated colourful flowers. People came in huge numbers into this garden to see these flowers…’

‘It should be the botanical garden in Ooty where flower show is held every year in the month of May! Now, search in the internet for the dates of flower show this year…’

‘It is on 24th-26th May this year…a few days to go.’ Rohan said, looking at him.

‘Now, book two tickets in the Mettupalayam – Ooty MG Passenger Hill Train on 24th, 25th and 26th May..’ His grandpa said.

‘Why book for three days?’

‘Well, we don’t know on which day she is going to board the train to Ooty, right? So..’

‘Alright.’

***

Rohan took the flight from Bangalore to Coimbatore along with his grandfather. Then they reached Mettupalayam by taxi. Then they traveled in the Mettupalayam – Ooty train on 24th May. However, she didn’t board the train at the Lovedale railway station.

Then they both checked in the Blue Bird Hotel that day in Ooty. They both loved their room in this hotel and also the service provided to them. They came to know that the hotel was for sale.

‘Grandpa, what do you think about buying this hotel?’ Rohan asked him,
‘We both can take care of it. I love this place, by the way. If we find this girl then everything would fall into the place, what you think?’

‘You don’t want to go back to your parents in America?’

‘No, they can come and see me when they feel like seeing me. I would like to live in my country. Remember, I came to India to be with you!’

‘Yes, my boy, I know that! Your father had almost forgotten that I even exist!’ His grandpa said, ‘I think that it is a good idea. You can concentrate your leisure time in writing. While I would get to do something in my life once again….do you think your father would agree to it?’

‘Leave that to me, grandpa!’ Rohan said, ‘I will take care of it!’

Rohan went and spoke with the hotel owner. He told him that he would be interested in buying that hotel and enquired about the price he was expecting. Later, that evening he spoke to his parents about the deal. He mailed them some of the snaps of the hotel.

‘Are you sure you want to do this, Rohan? Aren’t you coming back to America?’ His father asked him in the video chat.

‘I would be fine here, dad! I would like to stay with grandpa. You guys can come here when you feel like seeing me.’

‘Fine, then. I would transfer the money to your grandfather’s account tomorrow.’

‘Thanks a lot, dad!’

***

Rohan’s father transferred funds to his father’s SB account. They both paid the money to the owner of that hotel the following morning, before leaving to Mettupalayam. That day too they didn’t find her.

‘I’m not sure if my dream would come true or not?’ Rohan said.

‘Don’t lose your heart, my boy. We still have one more day to go,’ His grandpa said, patting on his shoulder.

‘Hope so,’ Rohan said, smiling at his grandpa.

The following morning they boarded the train once again from Mettupalayam. Rohan’s heart started pumping fast when the train reached the Lovedale railway station. This time he saw her waiting for the train in the station just like the way he had seen her in his dream many days back. He glanced at his grandpa, who smiled at him as if telling him ‘Didn’t I say so!’ She boarded his compartment and Rohan stood up and gave her his seat.

She thanked him with a smile, before sitting down gracefully.

Rohan kept staring in her direction. She came to know that he was staring at her and smiled at him. He smiled back at her. She stood up and gave her seat to Rohan’s grandfather.They both started speaking with each other.

Occasionally, she turned and glanced at Rohan with a smile on her face. Rohan’s grandfather glanced in his direction and told her something. She was quite surprised hearing it. He gave her a cover which contained something. She thanked him and placed the cover in her handbag.

They got down at the Udagamandalam (Ooty) railway station and boarded the local bus which was heading towards the botanical garden to attend the 118th flower show. The last time Rohan saw her was when they entered the botanical garden. Then she was lost in the crowd.

‘Now, she’s gone! How do we find her in this crowd?’ Rohan asked his grandfather, disappointed.

‘Well, let her go. If your love is true then she will find you!’ He said, smiling at him.

‘By the way, what did you give her in that cover?’

‘Let that be a surprise for now.’ He said, still smiling.

***

Next day, the hotel was registered in his grandfather’s name and the keys were handed over to them. His grandfather retained the hotel staff. Rohan logged into his email account and was surprised to see an email from a female named Anushka. She said that she had read his stories the previous day and had become his fan.

‘So you got a new fan, eh?’ His grandfather asked him, glancing at his laptop screen.

‘So, you gave her my books in that cover, isn’t it?’ Rohan asked, turning and looking at his grandfather with a smiling face.

‘Yes, I had guessed that she might like reading and so carried your story books along with me. I came to know that she loved reading and so found the opportunity to spread a word about you! What does she say?’

‘She wants to meet me tomorrow afternoon.’

‘Good luck, my boy. Go and meet her!’

‘Aren’t you coming too?’

‘No, I would like to go and meet my friend tomorrow.’ He said.

‘Good luck to you too, grandpa.’

‘Thank you, my boy.’

***

Next day, Rohan’s grandfather went in search of Anitha’s address. He came to know that they had shifted that house long back. Then he remembered what Anushka had told him the other day in the train. He was shocked at the realization of this truth. He rushed to the old age home and finally met her. She had aged gracefully. He still remembered her youthful face which he had seen many years back.

‘Avi, nice that you came to see me after so many years,’ Anitha said, with tears in her eyes, ‘But sorry to meet you in this situation.’

‘Ani, I just don’t have words…I have come to take you with me...’ He said, wiping her tears with his fingers.

‘Where to?’ Anitha asked him.

‘Just come with me, my friend.’ He said.

‘Alright!’

***

Later that evening, when Rohan returned back to the hotel, his grandfather told him everything that happened.

‘So where is she now?’ Rohan asked him.

‘Come, I shall introduce her to you…’ He said, taking him along with him to room no.408. He knocked on the door gently and Anuskha opened the door, with a warm smile on her face.

‘Anushka, how come you here?’ Rohan asked, with a frown on his face.

‘It’s a long story…I’m her grandmother!’ Anitha said, coming from inside.
Rohan was shocked as both their faces resembled each other.

‘Thank you for bringing my grandmother back!’ Anushka said, looking at Rohan’s grandfather, 'After my grandfather's death, my father and mother had sent her away to the old age home..'

‘It was least I could do for my good friend.’ Rohan’s grandfather said, smiling at her.

‘Now, I know why Anushka came in my dream that night!’ Rohan said, smiling at them.

‘I came in your dream, is it?’ Anushka asked, with a puzzled look on her face.

Rohan’s grandfather explained them both what had happened and how they came looking for Anushka to this place. How they ended up buying this hotel.

Later, Rohan gave her the sketch.

‘Wow! It’s a wonderful sketch! Did you do it? Can I have it?’ Anushka asked, looking at it closely.

‘Yes, sure, you can have it!’ Rohan said, smiling at her.