An excerpt from the story “Loabinfaru”
Alone in gifil, sitting on the rim of the well, Sanfa thought of Moosa. “If only he knew what was going through my mind. I saw the visitor only for a brief while. But he has already stolen my heart. What a handsome young man! His face was the picture of kindness. He also looked very intelligent. His eyes revealed that he was fun loving and full of life. He was a well-built man and he appeared to be full of energy. His uncle had said that he was a carpenter, a fisherman and a captain. Talented indeed. The girl who marries him must be very lucky. I wish he were mine! Even now I could imagine, how it would feel when he encircles his long arms round me and hold me tight. The endearing look that he would give me. And how I would look up and stare at his incredibly handsome face. It would be so fun to be with him. If only he would be mine,” Sanfa thought. But she knew that this was just wishful thinking. Moosa was here on a short visit. He would be gone within a few days, once his odi was repaired. He would disappear from her life. “But my heart is now aching for him. What can I do? Should I tell Moosa about how I feel for him? But my parents would be dead against the idea. They would be really angry.”
Sanfa thought, “I have never fallen in love before. My only romances have been in my dreams. I have had affairs only in my dreams. Sometimes I may repeatedly dream of the same person. But every time when I woke up he would be gone. When I am awake I have no attraction to any man. My heart was shut for love. But today, my heart has awakened to love. My heart opened and Moosa has entered. Let me also enter your heart, Moosa. Take me into the garden of your love. Let us dance together in this garden. I would write at the doorway of my heart in bold letters. No one but Moosa is permitted to enter through this doorway.”
Sanfa let out a deep sigh. She then said to herself, “What a fool am I! I have allowed my heart to rule over my mind. Moosa is a traveller. A brief visitor to this island. He is from the southernmost atoll of the Maldives. Once he is gone, I would not even see him. He is here only for the duration of the repair of his odi. When he returns to his island, there would be a girl waiting for him. Either his girl-friend or perhaps his wife. But yesterday, the way he looked at me, I know that he had some feelings for me. He could not keep it a secret. His face had given him away.”
As Sanfa looked up, she saw a koveli1 bird flying down and sit on a leaf of the papaya tree inside the gifili. The bird jumped from one leaf to another until she was sitting on the leaf next to a ripe fruit on the tree. Then the bird surveyed its surrounding before it let out its distinctive cuckooing call, two or three times. Sanfa was convinced that the bird was calling for its partner to join. She was right. Within no time, its partner came and joined. They started pecking the fruit. Sanfa silently watched the two koveli enjoying the papaya. She did not want to frighten them away. She thought, “If only the one I love also would come when I call. Love is a universal thing. Love is amongst birds, animals and other living creatures. In this world, you cannot have a full life without someone to share it with and you need love to help find your life partner. It is love which will help select that special person. Love is like a magnet. It is mutual love which will bring the person you love close to you. And it is mutual love which will keep people together.”
Finally, Sanfa got up from the rim of the well. She drew a dhaani of water from the well and washed her face. When she came out of the gifili, she was in a much better frame of mind.
1 Asian koel. A common bird found in the Maldives.
