The Victorean Headstone

“Hey! Where are we going? Why are we entering this place?”

“Umm, because…. This is a place where none would come looking for us, at least for the time being.”

The sign board above read- ‘St. Claire’s Cemetery’. 

Anne and Viraj walked in hand in hand. They had decided to spent this night at a place of Anne’s choice.

Anne met Viraj when they began their medical school. They had to work hard day and night to reach where they are today. Its this hard work which also helped them find each other.

Having spent all those times studying human anatomy with cadavers, graveyard doesn’t scare them like before. When one’s in medical school, along with many other things, one develops sound respect for living and dead alike.

But Anne, don’t you think it’s somewhat late to be here?

Sure, it is. But, also the best time to be here.

Noticing Viraj’s apprehensive eyes, Anne asks- “What is it, Viraj? Are you scared?” She says this with a cheeky smile.

Although, Viraj was slightly scared, he instantly gathers himself and says- “Why, aren’t you?” He says this with a questioning glance.

“No, absolutely not.” Saying this, Anne shrugs her shoulders. “I don’t fear a single soul.”

“Well then, that makes sense, since, all you would find here, at this hour, would just be that.”

Anne was trying to ponder upon what Viraj had said. Seeing Anne all perplexed, Viraj tries to hide his smile.

It suddenly strikes Anne what Viraj had said. She smiles and playfully punches his left bicep and embraces him. Viraj’s muscular arms encloses Anne, engulfing her in an aura filled with prudence, sanguinity. She always felt secured in his arms.

Both of them are bold, courageous and adventurous. Both are smart and excel academically. But, amongst them, Anne is more of a book-smart person and Viraj is the street-smart one.

They haven’t proclaimed their love for each other. Factually, they haven’t even realized it themselves. All they know is, they are best of friends for each other and they feel warm and buoyant in presence of one another.

“But you didn’t tell me yet, why we are here?”

“I want to show you something.”

Viraj looks at her with ardent eyes, expecting her to say something more. Anne, on the other hand, simply glances here and there, trying to find the way.

Viraj sees that waiting for further explanation now is fruitless. So, he decides to trust her plan.

“As you say, your highness.”

The cemetery had a single lit bulb at its gate, and that’s that. They had flashlights with them but it wasn’t necessary. The bright white moon was approaching to its full form. So, the surroundings could be easily seen.

“There it is”, Anne exclaims.

She sorts of pulls Viraj with her.

When they stop, Viraj finds a huge, elegant but worn-down headstone in front of him.

The headstone read- 

Ms. Carrie Anne Ainsworth,

Born- 2nd January, 1872, Death- 23rd August, 1978.

“….. In the days to come, your name

Shall be as music that ascends

When honour turns a heart from shame…

O heart of hearts!..... O friend of friends!”

-Siegfried Sassoon.

Although being a medical student, Viraj harbours an admiration for architecture as well. Anne knows about it.

When Anne brought him here, he spent the initial few moments admiring the beautiful intricate architecture of the headstone.

‘Even though it is evident of its long existence, it still hasn’t lost its charm'. Viraj thinks to himself.

Anne grabs his arm lovingly and looks at him with expectant eyes. “Isn’t it lovely, Viraj?”

He holds her hand and looks at her with a warm smile on his face. Then utters softly, - “it is.”

Anne utters gleefully, “I knew it!!” She jumps a little.

They sit down at some distance, leaning on a tree and staring at the gleaming headstone.

They sit in absolute silence for a while, a silence which replenishes the emptiness one gathers in a life of complete hustle-bustle. The emptiness of one’s soul.

After sitting for a while staring at the beauty of the stone, Viraj, being his usual inquisitive self, asks- “how do you know about this place?”

Anne replies, “I know about this place because my great grandmother had been buried here.” After a slight pause, Anne looks at him says, “I am her namesake. This grave belongs to her.”

Viraj quietens for a few moments. Anne continues.

 “We used to address her as ‘Granny Aine’. I remember my mother and grandmother, telling me tons of stories about her. Smiling, “I would listen to them being all ears.” Anne sorts of immerses herself in her childhood memories. She chuckles a little reminiscing about old times. She continues, “ and even curl up in the thrill of the stories.

Sometimes, my grandmother and my mom would sit knitting together. I always accompanied them. They made me dresses. I remember having a purple one till few years back. It was my favourite.

Most of the stories were about how Granny Aine would deal with life and it's essence. She was kind of, the kind, valiant hero I came to know about. No other fairy tale or super hero stories would interest me as much as her stories did.

Stories about how they escaped the clutches of the Nazis.

As legend has it, Granny Aine even fought in a combatant role during first world war.

I never met her. But, I always felt her close to my heart.

 My grandmother was aged, but, old age could not grasp her. She was always prepared with her witty answers. We would talk together for long hours. Now when I look back, it seems like she had been emptying her enormity of wisdom, bit by bit, upon me- All of what she gathered through her entire life, her intellectual treasure, family details.

 She became my best friend. I was a little, shy, timid girl. There were times I would be bullied at school”

Viraj turns to her, being concerned.

Anne fails to notice his unspoken concern. She continues- “When I would get back from school, I would rush back to her to speak about everything that happened in school that day. Years passed by.

Gradually, senility was getting to her. She lost her mobility. This meant, I couldn’t move around in parks with her anymore. I would be upset, but granny always used to while away my sadness with her pithy and bright talks. I could laugh all day when I was with her.

She taught me to look at life with Granny Aine's eyes. I feel that’s how I gained courage, to face life.

She taught me to live, all through her bunch of little stories.”

Anne stops. She sits there with a beaming face.

Viraj holds her hand and presses it extremely gently. He wants her to know that she can count on him. Always.

A few moments pass by.

Viraj- “where’s she now?”

Anne isn’t speaking anymore. It’s dawn now.

As the first rays of sun begin to show up, Anne points at another stone at some distance towards her left.

Viraj looks at where she had pointed. There lied another headstone- made of same material as the earlier one.

He hadn't noticed it at all.

“That’s granny’s.”

Though the headstone was newer in comparison to the other headstone, it had some diverse, aesthetically placed Victorian architecture.

Anne stands up on her feet, walks to the grave and kneels down in front of it. Viraj follows suit.

They offer their prayers silently. Anne takes out to flower bouquets from her bag and places them in the respective graves.

“Shall we leave now, sir!?” Anne says this with a smile, turning to Viraj.

Anne looks much more peaceful and happy now. She has a new-found radiance in her face.

They came out through the same gate they entered last night.

Anne- “So Dr. Viraj, what do you think?”

Viraj- “you know, I liked knowing deeper about you!”

Anne( blushing)- “ hmm! So when are you introducing me to the “deeper” you?”

Viraj- “sometimes soon maybe. But one thing's for sure- It isn’t going to be in some cemetery.”

Anne laughs at this.

Viraj-“goodness Anne, why doesn’t it scare you?" He hints at the graveyard they left behind.

Anne questions, "were you scared?"

"You ask me if I was 'scared'?

I almost psyched myself, in case, you would resurrect as your late great grandmother! The 'namesake' part was such a relief!"

Anne laughs heartily and says- “what better way to celebrate halloween than this?”

Viraj- “that’s true!”

The night spent together had brought them closer. They leave with a feeling of gratitude and mutual loyalty.