Late pigeons - страница 5

But it is precise that if I do not see you, I have no pleasure in my life, and it seems meaningless. If you consent to meet I will find you. Otabek.”

The next day he went to bazaar and bought two loaves of bread from Raykhona, and attached the letter under the basket secretly. Raykhona in her turn took the letter in her hands as if she was tidying the basket cloth… Otabek left to Tashkent from Samarkand on the fast train…

5

Raykhona’s heart was beating strongly with excitement and she opened the letter in a secluded place, and read it over and over. But she knows only the name of Otabek. She was shy to show the letter to her friends or talk to anybody about him. She didn’t say a word to her mother. Intuitively she consented to meet him again, and she knew that she was waiting for him to come…

After about ten days Otabek again came to Samarkand with tourists. The guests visited sightseeing places the whole day. Tonight, when the guests came to hotel Otabek went to bread stall. Raykhona was just starting home after having sold all her bread. He accompanied her.

“Did you take the letter?” – Otabek asked.

“I did.” – Raykhona replied sharply. Then she whispered: “Why do you put the letter in the basket before everyone, you could ask me aside and give it to my hands?”

“If you haven’t showed the letter to them yourself, then nobody saw it, I am sure.” – Otabek said and continued: “After all, this letter belongs to us. You don’t need to report to anybody…”

“OK, then. What happened, happened. I have to go.” – Raykhona let him realize that the dating ended. Where could Otabek know from that this was only caprice of the girl.

“Please, don’t go! We haven’t talked about anything yet.”

“What should we talk about?” – Raykhona stopped. “You don’t know me, and I don’t know you. What shall we talk about?”

“That’s why I am saying we have to have a talk.” – Otabek got encouraged. “Let’s us get acquainted with each other, let our parents get in touch, and if our stars converge … then…”

“Look at you!” – Raykhona couldn’t stop laughing: “You are really expert in solving problems, I see.”

Thus they got on well with each other day by day. The two desperately waiting hearts’ wishes prevailed over everything. Otabek got to know that Raykhona was also the only child in the family, that she studies as third year student in the university, that after studies she helps her neighborhood bread bakers to sell their bread in the bazaar. The next day they met near the monument of Timur the Great. Raykhona came directly to the agreed place after her lessons.

They went to a café located in the university boulevard to have some ice-cream. The Otabek accompanied Raykhona till the beginning of makhalla located not far from the Registan Square and the girl stopped him just there and said:

“I will go myself from here. You needn’t see me to home. As you know neighborhood, friends and enemies…”

“Ooops, do you have negative heroes of Abdulla Kodiriy in your makhalla? We are not credulous, as you know we are from special forces of colonel Yusufbek Yalangtush of Tashkent. I will not surrender so easily.” – Otabek said.

“You are a talkative guy! But do not lie, or you will stay with Zaynab…” – Zaynab departed with laughter.

6

Otabek shivered for a while after jokes of Raykhona because tragic life of Kumushbibi and Otabek was memorized by him as he had read the book for several times. He decided not pay attention and he thought past days are different from the modern times. These unfavorable days will not come back.