In the Quest of Love:Encore-Second part(to be continued)
4-THE AFTERNOON TEA PARTY EPISODE
Her father decided to arrange for a French afternoon tea party after a long time. Angelique got consent from him to invite Chakraborty Saheb as well.
She spoke to him about the new visitor and how he was keen to know more about their culture. Monsieur Andre, a Frenchman by heart gave his approval to invite him. He wanted to see the young lad, as well as give him an opportunity to dig deeper into French culture.
Angelique was delighted. She tried to conceal her romantic feelings as far as possible, but Monsieur was a French family man. He could read Angelique far better than she could ever hide. He was interested to meet the young man and know him from closer quarters with his experience.
Outwardly he also did not betray his keenness for the encounter. He acted casual and normal.
It was Angelique’s responsibility to write the letters and make arrangements for sending to the guests. Monsieur Andre had already drafted the format of the letters with time and care.
She was now dealing with Chakraborty Saheb’s invitation letter. She was alone. She kissed the letter .
Suddenly she started writing a letter to him. She noted whatever was coming to her spontaneously. At the end she blushed. It was her first love letter. She kissed the letter as if she was kissing him.
She had become oblivious of time and her surroundings.
The sound of approaching footsteps alarmed and alerted her. She swiftly concealed the letter and pretended as if she was solely focused on the invitation procedure.
Marie came in.
Angelique breathed a sigh of relief. Thank God Marie had not caught her unaware and seen the signs of her growing secret love.
They became absorbed in a hearty conversation about the party arrangements and plans.
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Rajatshubhro was glancing through the pages of a book. Savouring a cup of tea, he went out for a walk along the Ganges.
His thoughts were preoccupied with Angelique. He wanted to meet her, but was hesitant of how to approach.
He was sometimes trying to imagine how will Angelique look in a saree and Indian jewellery………….how he would look in Western men’s attire…………………
There was a church nearby…………………maybe Angelique went there……………….What is she doing? What is she thinking?
Is she thinking about him? If so, then thinking what?
He sat on the one of the stairs of a ghat and sunk into reverie.
Marie was out on an errand and to deliver few invitation letters, including that of Chakraborty Saheb. On her way, she suddenly spotted Chakraborty Saheb sitting on the bank of the Ganges.
She went up to him.
“Chakraborty Saheb!’’
The spell of thoughtful silence was broken.
Rajatshubhro turned back and was delighted to see Marie.
“Oh! It is you Madam Marie! How do you do? How is Angelique Madam?’’
Marie: “We are all very well. You have been invited to our afternoon tea party to be hosted by Monsieur Andre, Mademoiselle Angelique’s father. I was on the way to your house to deliver the invitation, then suddenly I saw you. Please graciously accept the invitation and grace the occasion with your presence.’
Rajatshubhro was delighted. It seemed God had heard his prayers and paved for him a wonderful way to meet dear Angelique.
He was thrilled.
He opened the invitation letter. The letter was written in French and there was a heartwarming Bengali translation also.
The warmth of the letter was an ice-breaker. Seven days were left.
Rajatshubhro :“ It will be a pleasure for me to attend the occasion- my first ever tea party experience by such an honourable French host! Well, is there any dress code?’’
Marie:“ Nothing as such- you can come in your Bengali attire as well.’’
Rajatshubhro: “Thanks. But I will wear something special…….’’
Then he asked Marie to describe to him what happened in a French afternoon tea party. Marie gave him a detailed outline, taught him to say Mademoiselle. She said “Au-revoir.’’
When Rajatshubhro looked at her with questioning eyes, she explained,“Au revoir means goodbye with a hope to see again.’’
For a long time Rajatshubhro had not felt so happy.
He walked back with a leap in his step humming a beautiful Tagore romantic tune. Everything seemed so joyous around him.
The invitation letter seemed to be his most prized possession. He vowed to himself that he would preserve it with utmost care throughout his life.
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Marie had described the above letter delivery to Angelique in details. Few minutes ago she had left Angelique’s room. The party arrangements in the mansion were in full swing.
The party was to be arranged in the big garden in the backyard and in the elegant drawing room.
The garden was well maintained throughout the year, but now special preparations were being taken to enhance the beauty of the garden.
Angelique found it a pleasure to observe the proceedings as everybody had an extra air of enthusiasm. Not a single grim face was to be seen.
The garden tables, kettles, cups, plates, 2-3 tiered servers, napkins, gold rings binding the napkins, spoons, forks, knives now had that extra shine. Beautiful vases have been selected for the occasion.
Provisions have been made for getting fresh flowers, especially multi-colored roses on the special day. Angelique loved roses. Beautiful silk draperies, chiffons, laces, ribbons, satin bows, floral designs have been kept aside for decoration. Outfit and accessories have been finalized and kept aside. The chandeliers have been cleaned and polished. The delicate and most fragrant of French perfumes and scents have been selected.
As the French prefer fresh ingredients and give attention to every detail in cooking, the culinary department was trying to proceed in a very well-conceived way. The menu consisting of a lovely assortment of tea, wine, French classic dishes and desserts had been settled, and also the type and quantity of ingredients required keeping in mind the number and preferences of the guests.
Monsieur was a connoisseur of paintings and an art collector.
Some very fine painting masterpieces of occidental artists and some paintings of Monsieur himself and Angelique were selected to be displayed on the occasion.
He also had a tasteful collection of Bengal art. Bengal art was also to find a place of prominence and respect in the occasion.
The piano was finely polished. Angelique was practicing playing two special musical compositions for the occasion- a Rabindranath Tagore composition and a French mellifluous waltz.
She often envisioned herself dressed as a fairy on this day with her hands effortlessly moving making the notes ripple and creating soulful melody, with Chakraborty Saheb closely regarding her.
Monsieur Andre had decided to give parting gifts to all the guests. Gift items bore testimony to Monsieur’s exquisite choice and regard for his guests. The presentation of the gifts have been beautifully planned.
The proceedings were very smooth and everything was falling in place to create the perfect fairytale set- up.
Rajatshubhro was deciding what to take as a present for the occasion. A bouquet of flowers, an assortment of special sandesh- a special Bengali sweet delicacy were already in the list. He was wanting very much to give a saree to Angelique. She would look lovely in a saree. He was also wondering how he would present himself and which Tagore song he will sing on the occasion……………what song Angelique likes? If he only knew……………………………………..
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A Bengali lady Malatilata sometimes visited Angelique. She was pleasant and charming with very good proficiency in Bengali. Angelique was always keen to meet her as she updated her about the recent developments in Bengali culture, enriched her knowledge about the Bengali language and taught her some Tagore songs.
Angelique somehow desired to impress Chakraborty Saheb with her Bengali know-how. Only few days were left for the party. She was spending time with Malatilata enjoying each and every moment. After Malatilata left she started practicing in her own room how would she converse with Chakraborty Saheb, what will she say, how will she say.
She loved Bengali. The sweetness of the language, the expressive ability of different words appealed to her a lot. She felt that if she had to read Bengali literature, she must try to read the original version in Bengali. Even the best of translations can be no substitute for the charm of the language.
Chakraborty Saheb in the meantime had met Marie and had learned some French words and sentences. The pronunciation mattered a lot and he was also practicing in his off-time how he could impress the Monsieur, Angelique and other French guests with some of the French he had acquired.
Rajatshubhro of late had gone through certain difficult and trying circumstances in his life. Difficult people and their troublesome, annoying, irrational behaviour had in many ways made him grim and rough. But he was surprised with the unexpected turn of events right from the beginning of his visit to Chandannagore. He was so full of genuine joy after a long time.
Same with Angelique……..She was overwhelmed by the sudden tide of happiness dispelling all gloom.
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The afternoon tea party was a fantastic experience to be cherished throughout life.
Not a single guest was disappointed or irritated. Not a single guest annoyed or disappointed Monsieur and his dear daughter, but uplifted their spirits.
The Monsieur was very pleased with Chakraborty Saheb. He ensured in every possible way to make Rajatshubhro feel comfortable and at home. Rajatshubhro was very fascinated by the accounts of Versailles, developments in French art and science.
The paintings were very well appreciated. Some guests also decided to buy a few paintings of Angelique, the Monsieur and few Bengali painters at a very fair deal.
The Monsieur understood the struggle and limitations of infrastructure, facilities and motivation experienced by a fresh breed of Bengali painters who had taken interest in the art, modern thoughts and an eclectic amalgamation of Indian heritage and Western art. The Monsieur was always there to see so that their spirits were not dampened. He encouraged and supported them in every possible way he could. Angelique gave a detailed description of all the paintings to Rajatshubhro. He himself took a painting of Angelique-a landscape of the beautiful Ganges and the Strand, their first meeting place. How he wished to see Angelique painting!
Angelique’s performance was absolutely wonderful, followed by soulful rendition of a Tagore song and poem by Rajatshubhro. There was a lovely waltz dance performance by a French couple and enactment of short plays in French and Bengali.
Angelique invited Rajatshubhro to dance with her. He had never danced.
He joked, “Mademoiselle, I am honoured to dance with you, but admitting that I have not acquired any dancing skill yet, I am afraid to step on your delicate feet and hurt you. ’’
Angelique burst into laughter. “ Let me teach you some simple steps. Come on.’’
Inwardly she felt, “All this splendor of the party is momentary. Will I ever get a chance to dance with him like this again? ‘’
He learnt the steps and executed a few with Angelique.
Angelique was delighted.
“You did so well in your first attempt.’’
“Mademoiselle, I tried my best to make you happy.’’
Angelique blushed.
The food preparations were appreciated a lot. There were a wide variety of choices. Marie guided everybody, but there was no forcing. After the party, there was not much leftover, so well planned were the servings.
The compactness and timeliness in which the party was neatly conducted pleased Rajatshubhro a lot. It was altogether a different experience. The guests, a mix of French and Bengalis were very nice to interact with. They were very well dressed. Rajatshubhro had come in classic Bengali attire. There were few few Bengali guests dressed beautifully in the traditional way. He was more absorbed in noticing and admiring the dressing sense of the French men and ladies very much as never before he had the opportunity to observe them from close quarters. He was making a note of the material, design and colour shades of the outfits. Angelique’s light blue gown was the best and most artistic. Rajatshubhro had bought a blue saree for her. He was assured that Angelique will love it.
Marie had collected the gifts from the guests when they had entered and assembled all of them on the big centre table of the drawing room. Sometimes Rajatshubhro eyed the table and tried to think how Angelique will open his gift and react.
Time had come to leave.
Each and every guest were handed with a parting gift by Marie.
Rajatshubhro was very thrilled when his turn came. He wondered what was there inside.
He was holding Angelique’s painting and the parting gift very dearly. He could not say good-bye to Angelique, neither could Angelique say anything.
Rajatshubhro with a great effort left. After walking few steps he turned around. Angelique was standing. He waved at her. She also waved.
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5.THE AFTERMATH OF THE PARTY
The Monsieur knew that Angelique will feel bad if the decorations were removed immediately. Only the garden was emptied. The drawing room remained as it is.
Angelique was delighted that the drawing room would have the fairy tale look for another 2 days.
When she was comfortably alone, she opened Rajatshubhro’s gift. She just loved the saree.
She unfolded carefully, felt it, kissed it, gazed at this attire of marvel. She went in front of the mirror and put the saree on her. She saw in the reflection how stunning she looked.
She planned to call Malatilata one day to guide her about draping the saree. She thought how it would be if she surprises Rajatshubhro in her saree look. ………………………….when would it be………………………………………..
Angelique did not like talking or worrying about disturbing thoughts before going to sleep. She took time to listen to some relaxing music, make herself at one with the silence of nature, giving gratitude to whatever good she had experienced and clear her mind of disturbance and irritations. Sleeping soundly was an important daily ritual for her and she woke up every morning looking and feeling so beautiful!
She envisioned Rajatshubhro humming a tune to her and both of them sitting, locked in a warm embrace, feeling each other’s proximity in the depths of silence until the eyelids drooped with sleep………………………
Rajatshubhro carefully opened the parting gift.
There was a beautiful assortment of French essences that he loved the most. He applied some and the air became so softly fragrant. He hung Angelique’s painting in one corner of the room so that when he woke up in the morning, his eyes will first meet the painting.
As he slept, happy dream sequences with Angelique danced in his eyes………………………………..
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Malatilata had guided Angelique about the proper draping of a saree. She had seen the blue saree and had given her suggestions of the style of draping and suitable accessories. Angelique decided to assemble everything first including the accessories and then wear the saree. She did not want to make much delay.
But how to meet Chakraborty Saheb in a saree? That was the main problem.
Would it be possible? How can it be possible? She sunk into reverie.
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Rajatshubhro was constantly immersed in his thoughts on Angelique. Sometimes it did cross his mind-“What is the future of this relationship? Can I stay without her?’’
But the fresh breeze of the first flush of romance would come and replace the air heavy with serious thoughts.
What is Angelique doing?
In 1001 Arabian Nights there is a tale of a Princess Nourronihar and three princes who desired her. Nourronihar loved the three princes equally and could not decide whom to marry. The Sultan, the father of the three princes had a love for rare and unique items. He had ordered the three Princes to travel the world and bring the most rare and unique thing they could find. The Prince bringing the most unique item would marry Nourronihar.
The princes acquired 3 unique items with very special use though this did not settle the dispute-
A magic carpet that could transport you instantly to anywhere you imagined
An ivory tube with glass at both ends-one could see anyone he or she desired at that moment
An apple the smell of which healed anybody suffering from any kind of disease
These special items could have certainly been of good use to the couple.
Angelique after dressing up in a blue saree could have used the magic carpet to go to Chakraborty Saheb instantly without anybody noticing her.
Both could have used the ivory tube to see each other when they wished. Angelique after going to Chakraborty Saheb could have used the ivory tube to see the condition of her house and return also unnoticed.
If anybody had any kind of ailment, they could have also used the magic apple.
