Page 21 of A Kiss in Kashmir

Sharmila, putting away her brushes, opened her mouth to protest. But then the idea of spending the day alone with George made her grin. She enjoyed his running commentary on literally everything. She loved that he was so consumed by his love of everything Indian. She reckoned he knew more about India than her and Alina combined. He knew every corner of Srinagar and adored it. From the difficult political history to the majestic scenic beauty, from the roadside food vendors to the elaborate wazwan, he seemed to know and love it all equally. His childlike enthusiasm for Kashmir was pure joy. It was so easy to get caught up in his optimism and fun. He made her want to be here, to laugh, to marvel at all the natural gifts the universe had endowed upon this valley.

But within a few seconds, her well-practiced guilt-tripping set in. “Alina, please, why don’t you come? It’s foryourwedding, after all. Don’t you want to see where it might be?”

“Not today.”

Sharmila sighed. She knew not to pushtoohard. “All right, lovely, I will go look and take pictures. You have a beautiful day and tell Emilio I said hello. Remind him to send his measurements so we can get his outfit ready. I think he will look smashing in a sherwani. Those tunics these days are just as ornate as bridal lehengas.”

Alina gave her mother a thumbs-up from under the sheets.

Sharmila got dressed quickly. This time she chose a white salwar kameez, a long tunic with pants, and matched it with a warm, dark purple shawl. She noticed herself taking a few extra moments to make sure she looked good. As she brushed her hair, she chided herself.You are too old for this, woman. Stop it. Who knows, he may already have someone.

The breakfast was typical of those served in five-star hotels in India. Strawberries, papaya, apples, oranges, freshly baked breads, and loads of Western-style egg dishes. Sharmila opted for a cheese omelet and was about to sit down to eat when she noticed the police inspector she had spoken to the day before out in the hotel lobby. She placed her plate on the table and went out to meet him.

“Any news?” she asked, her eagerness showing clearly. “Anything at all?”

“I am so sorry, Madam. I did not want to give you this news on the telephone. I have tried but it seems there are no records. The court that hosted the files was vandalized a few years ago and there is no paperwork. I have spoken to some of the neighbors, but I am afraid that this may be a dead end.”

Sharmila thanked him for his time. In her heart of hearts, she held very little hope that she would be able to find what she was looking for. The inspector had been reluctant to even talk to her, but when he came to know that she was from a Jaipur royal family, he offered to do it as a favor. She had suggested money for his troubles, but he wouldn’t accept it. The man had integrity.

“I am so sorry, Madam. If something does come up, I will let you know. How much longer are you here?”

Another week or sowas her defeated response.

As he left, she saw George coming in. He was carrying a large, ornately embroidered golden silk bag.

“Good morning. Are we ready to head out? This is for Alina. She made quite an impression on Raahat. Raahat sent this over—it’s filled with Kashmiri red chilies, her homemade walnut chutney and several different proposed wedding menus. She thought Alina would like to discuss the possible menus with her fiancé.” George handed over the bag. He stopped for a moment, saw the look on Sharmila’s face, and added, “What’s wrong? You look upset. Where is Alina? Is everything okay?”

“No, it’s nothing. I’ll go drop this in the room. Alina isn’t joining us today. I don’t know, maybe this is all a mistake? I’m wondering if I should just cancel. I don’t know about the resort. I am just worried now…”

George smiled. “You really know how to worry. Is this also an art form that you are perfecting? Please don’t worry.” His voice was calming, and he paused as he considered their options. “Well, we can postpone Qayaam Gah until the young lady is ready, and I’ll take you somewhere else today. While you’re here, you should at least enjoy all that this city has to offer. We’ve barely scratched the surface of Srinagar.” He thought for a moment, then snapped his fingers. “I promised you Shankaracharya Temple, but we never made it there. How about now?”

His smile, his demeanor, and his offer all made Sharmila smile, and it took little more to convince her to go with him. She found herself hurrying back to the room to drop the bag and then get back to him.I am behaving like a hormonal teenager, she admitted.But oh, does it feel so good.

George realized that he had been giving her a running commentary on everything under the sun after they had left the hotel. She had been happy to listen and loved hearing his voice.

“I’m usually a man of few words, but when I’m with you, I find myself wanting to talk about everything. I do apologize if I have been talking nonstop.”

“Maybe we’re filling the gaps in our hearts with these stories, one garden, one monument, one sight at a time?” Sharmila said.

George nodded. “It is one of the reasons I love being here. When I go with Wajid on his tours, and I see people becoming happy as they learn about the valley and all its secrets, it’s what keeps me alive.”

“So, you’ve only shared public information with me. What are thesecretsof the valley, George?” Sharmila teased him.

“When the moment is right, I will tell you the secrets, too. Look there, see that place? That is the shop that sells groom’s clothes. Remind me to bring you all back here.”

The drive to the temple took less than twenty minutes.

George explained as he stopped the car, “Due to some new rules and regulations, we can’t park near the temple. So, I’m glad to see you wearing flats—it’s going to be a long walk. We’ll have to climb over 200 steps to get to the top.” He took a large backpack out of the rear seat.

As they began to walk towards the temple, George apologized that she would need to take a different way in, as the lines for men and women were separate. At the security gate they parted ways for a few moments.

As soon as they arrived at the base of the temple, Sharmila exclaimed, “I recognize this temple!”

George started laughing. “Is there anything that Vikramdidn’ttell you about? I’m trying my best to surprise you with something new on this trip.”

“Actually, if he did mention this temple, I don’t recall it. It’s been so many years. Since I didn’t make a painting of it, I’m guessing he didn’t tell me. I only recall this from an old Bollywood movie—a Rajesh Khanna movie, if I remember correctly. This is the main Shiv temple, right? Yes, the other day with you on Dal Lake—you pointed it out to us, do you remember?”

Before George could answer, an older couple stopped next to them and the gentleman said, “Yes, ‘Jai Shiv Shankar.’ The song lyrics and the praise to Lord Shiva always holds true.”

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