‘Seen Countenance’
Chapter Three: The Meeting

Shubho was gazing at the railway tracks when he heard someone calling out his name. Shubho was so much engrossed in his own thoughts that he could not recognize that some one was indeed calling him; moreover it had been two years since he left Bhopal, his Native, and it had been two years since he heard some one calling him by the name ‘Shubho’. When he heard the shout “Shubho!” for the third time, he turned around to find a lady with a familiar face smiling at him. “ I know this lady very closely, but what is so different in her that stops me from recognizing her?” thought Shubho.
It did not take Shubho too long to recognize Surekha, After all he knew her since childhood. But he did take sometime, since he had always seen her in a Jeans and a T-Shirt. After Surekha got married she has made herself used to Sari. She loved wearing Cotton Saris with Red, Blue or Green borders. She was like a typical Indian Married Lady, in Sari White and red bangles long flowing hair and a red bindi on her forehead. Her big dark eyes complimented her fair complexion. She did not put too much makeup, but she was pretty so she never had to, She carried a black color ladies handbag made of leather and a Novel in her hand. She never wore too much of Jewelry but she loved diamonds, so she loved wearing a diamond nose stud, and a pair of diamond earrings. Her wedding ring was of gold and apart from the red and whit bangles that were made of Conch and lac (Shankha and Rulee) She wore golden Kadhas (Balas in Bengali).
Shubho was amazed to see her, so different from the last time he met her, but what an elegant change in the girl, of course she is a woman now. “ I saw you crossing the tracks when I was on the over bridge” said Surekha “it took me ten minutes to search you”, “By the way, How are you?” questioned Surekha realizing that it was part of an etiquette to ask that first. Shubho replied” I am fine, how about you?” replied Shubho casually with a slurry voice. “How come you have put down?” Asked Surekha as she Shubho as a tall, Fair, well built and a handsome Youth back in Bhopal two years ago. Shubho is now tall and fair but had lost all his built, the boy who always stood straight, now had a hunch. His dark circles and gloomy eyes indicated that he was into some kind of hallucination, or may be he had not slept since days. Shubho with his slurry voice and gloomy eyes pretended to be alright and tried his level best to stand straight.
“What is wrong with you Shubho? You don’t seem to be ok.” Asked Surekha. Shubho was not in a position to answer that so he gave her a gloomy stare and turned his eyes towards her feet. Without answering her he said after noticing the Bindi on her forehead “So how is your married life?” “It is Fun” replied Surekha.