Titles: A pleasant 'love-story' has no 'story'. (Chelvani) 'Love, is every man's personal scandal.' * * * 'Being in love' shows the true nature of a person, as he should really be in life. The feelings we experience in 'being in love' represent our normal or ideal state.' * * * Chekhov, the world-famous Russian novelist who wrote so lovingly about 'love', had an unfinished love story of his own. Usually love stories have romance, sex, a bit of fun…but Anton Chekhov and Lydia's love story had none of that. Ishq was lonely like the invisible scent of incense. Lydia, 4 years younger than Chekhov, also wrote under the pseudonym 'Flora'. Chekhov was his favorite author, as Chekhov was famous as a storyteller-playwright from an early age. Little by little, Lydia becomes obsessed with Chekhov the writer as well as 'Chekhov the man'. Lydia longed to meet Chekhov, but could not because the two were married. The two lived in different cities and Lydia was a mother of 3 children each. But in 1889, at the age of 24, Lydia met for the first time in the city of Petersburg during a performance of one of Chekhov's plays with the help of her sister Nadia. After almost 3 years, the two met for the second time. Due to family responsibilities, jealous husband, Lydia may or may not have had a relationship with Chekhov! There is a romance between the two, but in that romance there is female suffering. Sadness is like the sound of a broken violin. Both meet, break up, remember each other…that's it! In this love story, pain is more special than whale, pain is more special than sports. It is said that Lydia-Chekhov met each other only 8 times during their 10-year relationship. These unfulfilled love affairs were the focal point of Chekhov's writing. In Chekhov's play 'The Sea-Girl', the heroine utters a dialogue, 'When you need my life, you come and take me.' This phrase was engraved by Lydia on a watch chain pendant 52 and given to Chekhov as a gift. Interval: You talk about love, we will make love… (Suresh Dalal) Lydia has written about her relationship with Chekhov in a book called 'Chekhov: In My Life', like a heartfelt document! The book also contains romantic correspondence between the two. As Lydia was the narrator, there are also discussions in the letters about 'what is essential' and 'what is not essential' in a story. Chekhov used to squeeze the memories of his writing-life into letters. There is a heartwarming story in that book. Chekhov once calls Lydia and asks her to come and meet him in Moscow. Lydia goes but the hotel and room number given by Chekhov, no one is there! Lydia returns numb. One of his minds says that Chekhov would not do this, but it is a fact that it happened! 3-4 days later Lydia receives a message from Chekhov: 'On the night you came to see me, I coughed profusely and had blood coming out of my mouth, so I had to leave the hotel immediately.' Lydia then goes to the hospital to visit Chekhov, who is suffering from TB. It is forbidden to meet there, but Lydia was allowed to meet only for 3 minutes when she pleaded a lot. Lydia brings flowers to Chekhov but the nurse says, 'Chekhov is not feeling well. Not sleeping since night. There is more blood in the sputum. Flowers should not be taken to such a patient.' Finally Lydia is allowed to carry the flowers. Chekhov, taking the flowers with his hands, hides his face in them, and then says, 'These are my favorite roses, how beautiful!' The nurse said, 'Don't keep the flowers in the room. The doctor will come.' Chekhov says, 'I am also a doctor by profession, she has to be kept here, soaked in water… until…' then Chekhov, holding Lydia's hand, says, 'You came too late.' 'Lady where? Told me not to come before 2 o'clock!' But now it is almost 7 minutes past 2 o'clock! How long have I been waiting for you?' said Chekhov with sinking eyes. A lover found even 7 minutes of waiting too much! Then Chekhov gently asked, 'Lydia, are you going back tonight?' 'Yes' Lydia said wetly. Finally, Lydia bids farewell to Chekhov. Then Lydia and Chekhov met only through letters. More talk about short stories in letters. However, those words were useful. Somewhere from those things, romance flashes like lightning. Chekhov often hides the secret of love, perhaps – they want to keep the secret? Or 'this love is so sacred that its sanctity remains intact only if we do not reveal it' – as Chekhov believed? What strength would bind the lovers who met only 8 times? How will the two hearts of Chananama be swinging? How politely are two minds meeting miles away only through letters? Is this what the world calls spiritual, idealistic, platonic love? Could a love story be hidden, preserved and ended in silence in 2 closed envelopes and 4 closed lips?
End-titles Adam: Won't you forget me? Eve: What, 'Azam?'
Image Credit: (Divya-Bhaskar): Images/graphics belong to (Divya-Bhaskar).
