His father used to phone him every day, watching his every step. He didn’t want him to go to India as a tourist, but the first secretary wouldn’t offer India trip just to anyone – “No, I am obliged to send my son to India if the first secretary offers. I can’t object to him. I would let him go” – he said.

Yes, if it wasn’t for the first secretary he wouldn’t be able to travel to India….

***

…In Delhi they were placed in a “Holiday Inn” hotel which was assigned to a group. In the morning they were drove to “Taj -Mahal” with the buses. All around was greener than green and bluer than blue…

The guide was a girl – as if she was carved out of an ivory. She was like a Sirius* which was described and glorified in the classic Indian poetry. Her eyes resembled the eyes of the Goddess Varuna*. She could speak Russian very fluently with sweet Indian pronounciation. When she was opening her lips and speaking the student of the Law Department of Moscow State University named after Lomonosov , Masud Inbrahimzade thought she was singing a song. As if Masud was dreaming. A fear was emerging in his heart to wake up from this dream. He desired to live in this dream for all his life. But each dream has its ending. He didn’t have choice – it is called a love from the first sight. He didn’t know the reason why he similized this girl to a Goddess Varuna. The girl also did not stay indifferent to this tall guy….Maybe invisible spirits of Jahan Shah and Mumtaz Mahal, that were soaring above the Taj -Mahal palace blessed this love. Right there, in front of this love temple the girl told him her name:

–Kaushari.

–Masud.

India…The paradise on Earth….The country of contrasts. ..The stream of people of Delhi…Rosy city of Jaypur. The magnificent castle of Amber. Fascinating Agra. Romantic love city with five beautiful lakes one better than the other, “the Venice of India”– Udaypur. The old city of Jaysalmer, with narrow streets and charming palaces. The palace of Hava Mahal. The magnificent banks of Gang…Travelling to all these places accompanied by the girl with whom he fell in love at first sight made all these beauty become engraved in his mind forever.

As it is said in the Indian Vedas the life is itself like a dream. When they were separating the girl was moved to tears. Masud told her: – Wait for me, wait for me in any case – his voice broke.

Kaushari:

– 

I am “A mountain between two worlds.”*

I shall wait for you. Take, this is my mother’s gift for you.

– 

There is no need for it.

– 

It is

Surabkhi -

the girl smiled.

It seemed to Masud that only the girl who love comes from the heart can smile like this and he believed that she would wait for him.

***

* Sirius- a tree from the family of bamboo that blossoms white

* Varuna- the Goddess of water

* “A mountain between two worlds”-According to the belief of Indians the world is surrounded with mountains. These mountains are like the borders between the Earth and the unseen world of beyond. When the sun is inside the chains of mountain it lightens one side of the mountains, when it exits it lightens the other side of the mountains.

* Surabkhi- a mythical figure of a cow which is able to fulfill all the wishes

It would have been better if he didn’t study in Moscow at all. If he studied in his own city everything would be different. His diligent studies and afterwards diligent working brought disaster upon him… He was always appointed to the most difficult tasks and was never appreciated. Since that time there were those who envied him.

Unlike other students he didn’t have expensive fur coat or a fashionable cloak. He always wore shoes made at factory named after Volodarskiy, shirts made at Baku sewing factory or clothes made at Moscow “Proletarka” factory. But whatever he wore suited him well. Everybody thought he was wearing world’s most expensive clothes.