A Tender Embrace - Emile Munier, circa 1887
As I was sipping my hot chocolate latter in the canteen, I drew lines acorss the glass panels, drenched in dew drops. London rains were a discomfort to most. Yet, I loved how the rains were healing and bringing a fresh awakening to calm my soul, when I was so lost.
Many miles awary from my homeland, I missed my home, the smell of the soil, the food and mostly my mom. A recreation by a student of 'A Tender Embrace' by Emile Munier hung on the wall with a large well decorated wooden frame. I wonder why it had been here in the canteen with the dim sunlights highlighting the young girl's face. The painting reminded me achingly of my mom. Romantic love has a charm but maternal love has an unparalleled beauty, something that is nurturing and calming the soul of all it's anxieties. I guess, that's why someone has chosen it to decorate this place. I cherished this painting a lot.
All that nostagia was interrupted by Suraj, the Professor and Architecture Desigh Chair, who taught design and arhitecture as a multi-disciplinary subject for final year graduates, who dashed onto his chair opposite to me. Suraj is a nice, cheerful Gujrati London lad, who had a good tact for business and money. Art, I'm not so sure... But, he had this meticulousness and discipline, like that of a diamond craftsman. Something I did observe when he delivered some session on sculpture, but was hard for me to emulate. Anyways, like his name, he brought me to cheerful spirits even on London's cloudy days.
He has the charm of a rainbow, a silvery lining to a heavy cloudy day.
"Why so, dull, RamaLakshmi? Are you missing youre mom, again?
"Yeah...." I respond, trying to convey a rehearsed happiness, though my heart, felt a deep hollowness.
"That's fine, Lavender..... its ok, I'm here for you isnt it"
Its very odd that he called me Lavender. I almost melt at such kind of endearments. I did'nt know if he just said that to lift my spirits up or did he try to mean something.
Yeah, I always wore a shade of lavender and sometime a chanel version of butterscotch, just to feel a little better. In any case, I tried to keep the conversation short, as I didnt want him thinking I'm the maiden in distress wanting some attention or to be rescued.
In a further 10 minutes, my silence was too awkward. Suraj patted my back and proceeded onto the set of other professors who sat across diagnally across the table. There was Rida, a tall, quite sliggishly candid professor who was much more talkative and extremely candid than I was and then Chen, with a subtlety like a princess of precision and some other extremely accomplished professors who I hardly knew.
I longed to be a part of them, but I felt too awkward at the moment to socialise. I had tried before, and everyone was too bothered by my awkward silences. So I mostly sit alone.
I was relieved when Suraj left. The sun came back with a warm sunlight. and an hour had easily passed.
No comments:
Post a Comment