19-12-2019, 11:29 AM
She wore a light pink shirt which came down till half of her sumptuous globes. To hide her treasure troves she wrapped a dark blue stole around her neck. She was smelling jasmine. Combed her hair, totally on her right and folded neatly at her nape with a beautiful golden hair clip. No dots on her cream forehead. Two green crystal earring dangling from her succulent earlobes. Shining as when she nodded her head by looking at my half opened mouth and big eyes. Dark brown lipstick colour glued on her luscious lips.
She blushed at me on seeing my bulged out eyes ---“Why are you looking at me like that?”
I looked at her and said ---“Should we go or you want to kill me now?”
She nodded her head in dismay and smiled ---“Oh! No not again. Now come on take the keys and lock the doors.”
We walked on the roads of College Street, buying the forms and few books of exams. Paree was looking all around the place. Those dingy shops filled up with thousands and thousands of books. The sky was getting overcastted.
She asked me as how many shops would be there.
I joked at her “Baby there is some eight thousand six hundred and twenty two book shops here.”
She gave a queer look ---“How are you so sure? Have you counted?”
I looked at her---“Don’t you believe me. Then why don’t you count yourself.”
She started beating me playfully with her folding umbrella in the middle of the road.
---“You rascal, you make a mockery of me.”
I put my left arm around her shoulder and said ---“Oh! Great, how fool of you that you have believed me.”
She asked me ---“Finished buying the forms? Now what to do?”
I asked her ---“Want to goto coffee house?”
She giggled at me ---“Why? I am not so intellectual as Debi or Arindam.”
Oh! My gosh, rainy season had arrived at last in Kolkata and it started pouring in large drops.
We saw a tram coming from the BowBazar. Paree pointed out to the tram and asked me to jump into. Without even waiting for me she ran and jumped in second coach of the tram. I was surprised to see her act like that. So puerile and playful, I thought. On seeing her jump like that, the conductor also laughed at her. I had no other option to run and catch the tram.
Once inside, I slapped her playfully on her cheek and asked ---“Do you have any idea where this tram goes?”
She giggled ---“No, why should I worry about that when you are with me.”
I asked the conductor as where the tram was going? He answered that it was going till ShaymBazar.
While the tram was crossing HathiBagan, Paree saw something outside the window and yelled at me.
---“Come, come, come. Get down.”
I asked her “Why?”
She pointed to a movie poster outside ---“See, “Hotath Bristi (Sudden Rain)” is being screened at Darpan Cinema. Let us watch this.”
---“Oh! No not at least Bengali cinema, Paree.”
She pulled my hand and asked the conductor to stop the tram.
---“Come, Na. Please, please, please. If watch this movie with me then I promise that I will accompany with you to Nandan for English movie. What you said the name was?”
---“Schindler’s List”
She giggled---“Ok, whatever list be it I will watch that, till you are with me.”
So at last, by the help of rain god and my puerile EVE made me to watch the Bengali movie “Hotath Bristi” which was a remake of a Tamil movie, which I don’t know the name. The movie was a romantic one and very beautiful.
When we came out, it was getting dark outside. The rain god showed no mercy on us and poured his vengeance on Kolkata streets like anything. That small folding umbrella was not enough for both of us to keep ourselves away from getting drenched. The lower parts of her long skirt was totally drenched and glued on her curvaceous calves and legs. I felt that we had to board a taxi so as to reach the house and keep Paree away from the hungry eyes of the cunning hyenas looking at her. I asked her to cover herself with the stole.
When we reached home, we found dad already returned. Dad asked us as where we went. Paree saved my back and told dad that we went to College Street to buy forms and we got late as we met Debi there. She winked at me before she went in her room.
______________________________
I came down after changing my dresses. Mom already arrived.
Paree was sneezing continuously. “Achoo.. Achoo…”
Mom asked me as what has happened. Paree said to mom that we went to College Street to buy forms and we go drenched. She covered herself in a shawl. Mom touched her forehead to feel her temperature and then looked at me with her burning eyes.
---“For you idiot, she has got fever.”
Dad spoke from his room ---“This idiot took her to the college street when he knew that it was going to rain.”
I said ---“We took umbrella”
Mom, in her fuming voice ---“Why you took her along with you?”
Paree was taken aback by her ChotoMa’s behavior as both of them were showering their abuses on me.
She wanted to say something, but I signed her not to say anything.
She looked at me painfully, her eyes were red. I sensed that she was having temperature.
Mom asked her to retire to her room and asked me to get an appointment from a doctor.
Paree was having high fever. Doctor prescribed some medicines, he told that it was a mild cold fever nothing to worry about. But mom was worried. Those lines on her forehead told me everything, that she was worried for Paree.
I told mom that she need not worry as it was only a fever due to the rain and cold, she would be alright.
I saw, Paree was on her bed, trembling badly. I let out a deep exhale as what wrong I had done?
At night, I slept in the guest room and mom slept with Paree. She writhed in fever for the whole night and I was unable to sleep in the next room. I writhed in some other pain in my heart. I was unable to touch her and say anything to her.
At about morning three o’clock her painful whines stopped. For the whole night neither mom nor I could sleep. At one end, her ChotoMa’s anxiety and on other end, a sensation of guilt kept both of us awake the whole night.
In the morning, mom told me that Paree was feeling well so she was going to her college.
After mom and dad left for their work place, I entered Paree’s room. She was still asleep. I went to bed and sat beside her. The blanket covered her from neck to toe. I looked at her face, cute as a baby, sleeping peacefully. I gently grazed my palm on her forehead and combed her hair. With the back of my fingers I gently rubbed her cheeks. In one nights fever, she had shrunk. The rosy cheeks were no more shining, pale yellow skin instead. Although she had no temperature, but that one night fever has taken away her strength.
I looked at her face for a quiet long time. I forgot to take my breakfast.
Mom told me that I should give her medicines in regular interval.
I was about to get up from her side to fetch some milk and bread so that I could feed her and then give her the medicine. I felt a tug on my wrist, her soft thin fingers clasped my wrist and I looked over my shoulder.
Her soft smiling face and those pair of lotus buds gave a feverish look at me.
She whispered in a low voice ---“Please, don’t go.”
I looked in those lotus buds and said to her ---“Let me get something to eat, then your medicine and then I will be with you for whole day. Today I don’t have any work to do.”
I mashed the bread along with milk and put that in a bowl and on other hand there was a big bowl of warm water to wipe her face. She already sat on the bed, leaning on the headrest with few pillows behind her back and the blanket pulled till her bosom.
I sat beside her and asked her that she needs to freshen up first and then take food. She gave a pleading look “No”.
I scolded her ---“Don’t give that look and just do what I say.”
I soaked a towel and wiped her face. Gradually that paleness disappeared and those lotus buds were pinkish again.
“Feeling ok?” I asked her.
She gently nodded her head “Yes”. I brought the spoon full of mashed bread and milk near her lips. Her lips quivered.
I yelled at her “Eat this. No words.” She looked at me and obeyed me as a small child.
I wiped her face after breakfast and asked her to take medicine. She asked me that she wants to goto restroom. I helped her to the restroom.
______________________________
She blushed at me on seeing my bulged out eyes ---“Why are you looking at me like that?”
I looked at her and said ---“Should we go or you want to kill me now?”
She nodded her head in dismay and smiled ---“Oh! No not again. Now come on take the keys and lock the doors.”
We walked on the roads of College Street, buying the forms and few books of exams. Paree was looking all around the place. Those dingy shops filled up with thousands and thousands of books. The sky was getting overcastted.
She asked me as how many shops would be there.
I joked at her “Baby there is some eight thousand six hundred and twenty two book shops here.”
She gave a queer look ---“How are you so sure? Have you counted?”
I looked at her---“Don’t you believe me. Then why don’t you count yourself.”
She started beating me playfully with her folding umbrella in the middle of the road.
---“You rascal, you make a mockery of me.”
I put my left arm around her shoulder and said ---“Oh! Great, how fool of you that you have believed me.”
She asked me ---“Finished buying the forms? Now what to do?”
I asked her ---“Want to goto coffee house?”
She giggled at me ---“Why? I am not so intellectual as Debi or Arindam.”
Oh! My gosh, rainy season had arrived at last in Kolkata and it started pouring in large drops.
We saw a tram coming from the BowBazar. Paree pointed out to the tram and asked me to jump into. Without even waiting for me she ran and jumped in second coach of the tram. I was surprised to see her act like that. So puerile and playful, I thought. On seeing her jump like that, the conductor also laughed at her. I had no other option to run and catch the tram.
Once inside, I slapped her playfully on her cheek and asked ---“Do you have any idea where this tram goes?”
She giggled ---“No, why should I worry about that when you are with me.”
I asked the conductor as where the tram was going? He answered that it was going till ShaymBazar.
While the tram was crossing HathiBagan, Paree saw something outside the window and yelled at me.
---“Come, come, come. Get down.”
I asked her “Why?”
She pointed to a movie poster outside ---“See, “Hotath Bristi (Sudden Rain)” is being screened at Darpan Cinema. Let us watch this.”
---“Oh! No not at least Bengali cinema, Paree.”
She pulled my hand and asked the conductor to stop the tram.
---“Come, Na. Please, please, please. If watch this movie with me then I promise that I will accompany with you to Nandan for English movie. What you said the name was?”
---“Schindler’s List”
She giggled---“Ok, whatever list be it I will watch that, till you are with me.”
So at last, by the help of rain god and my puerile EVE made me to watch the Bengali movie “Hotath Bristi” which was a remake of a Tamil movie, which I don’t know the name. The movie was a romantic one and very beautiful.
When we came out, it was getting dark outside. The rain god showed no mercy on us and poured his vengeance on Kolkata streets like anything. That small folding umbrella was not enough for both of us to keep ourselves away from getting drenched. The lower parts of her long skirt was totally drenched and glued on her curvaceous calves and legs. I felt that we had to board a taxi so as to reach the house and keep Paree away from the hungry eyes of the cunning hyenas looking at her. I asked her to cover herself with the stole.
When we reached home, we found dad already returned. Dad asked us as where we went. Paree saved my back and told dad that we went to College Street to buy forms and we got late as we met Debi there. She winked at me before she went in her room.
______________________________
I came down after changing my dresses. Mom already arrived.
Paree was sneezing continuously. “Achoo.. Achoo…”
Mom asked me as what has happened. Paree said to mom that we went to College Street to buy forms and we go drenched. She covered herself in a shawl. Mom touched her forehead to feel her temperature and then looked at me with her burning eyes.
---“For you idiot, she has got fever.”
Dad spoke from his room ---“This idiot took her to the college street when he knew that it was going to rain.”
I said ---“We took umbrella”
Mom, in her fuming voice ---“Why you took her along with you?”
Paree was taken aback by her ChotoMa’s behavior as both of them were showering their abuses on me.
She wanted to say something, but I signed her not to say anything.
She looked at me painfully, her eyes were red. I sensed that she was having temperature.
Mom asked her to retire to her room and asked me to get an appointment from a doctor.
Paree was having high fever. Doctor prescribed some medicines, he told that it was a mild cold fever nothing to worry about. But mom was worried. Those lines on her forehead told me everything, that she was worried for Paree.
I told mom that she need not worry as it was only a fever due to the rain and cold, she would be alright.
I saw, Paree was on her bed, trembling badly. I let out a deep exhale as what wrong I had done?
At night, I slept in the guest room and mom slept with Paree. She writhed in fever for the whole night and I was unable to sleep in the next room. I writhed in some other pain in my heart. I was unable to touch her and say anything to her.
At about morning three o’clock her painful whines stopped. For the whole night neither mom nor I could sleep. At one end, her ChotoMa’s anxiety and on other end, a sensation of guilt kept both of us awake the whole night.
In the morning, mom told me that Paree was feeling well so she was going to her college.
After mom and dad left for their work place, I entered Paree’s room. She was still asleep. I went to bed and sat beside her. The blanket covered her from neck to toe. I looked at her face, cute as a baby, sleeping peacefully. I gently grazed my palm on her forehead and combed her hair. With the back of my fingers I gently rubbed her cheeks. In one nights fever, she had shrunk. The rosy cheeks were no more shining, pale yellow skin instead. Although she had no temperature, but that one night fever has taken away her strength.
I looked at her face for a quiet long time. I forgot to take my breakfast.
Mom told me that I should give her medicines in regular interval.
I was about to get up from her side to fetch some milk and bread so that I could feed her and then give her the medicine. I felt a tug on my wrist, her soft thin fingers clasped my wrist and I looked over my shoulder.
Her soft smiling face and those pair of lotus buds gave a feverish look at me.
She whispered in a low voice ---“Please, don’t go.”
I looked in those lotus buds and said to her ---“Let me get something to eat, then your medicine and then I will be with you for whole day. Today I don’t have any work to do.”
I mashed the bread along with milk and put that in a bowl and on other hand there was a big bowl of warm water to wipe her face. She already sat on the bed, leaning on the headrest with few pillows behind her back and the blanket pulled till her bosom.
I sat beside her and asked her that she needs to freshen up first and then take food. She gave a pleading look “No”.
I scolded her ---“Don’t give that look and just do what I say.”
I soaked a towel and wiped her face. Gradually that paleness disappeared and those lotus buds were pinkish again.
“Feeling ok?” I asked her.
She gently nodded her head “Yes”. I brought the spoon full of mashed bread and milk near her lips. Her lips quivered.
I yelled at her “Eat this. No words.” She looked at me and obeyed me as a small child.
I wiped her face after breakfast and asked her to take medicine. She asked me that she wants to goto restroom. I helped her to the restroom.
______________________________