11-02-2020, 01:47 PM
On that Sunday, he took me out. I was in blue salwar suit. I dressed myself in total simplicity. Without any heavy makeup, I tied my hair in a soft bun. He was in a pair of blue denim and a white shirt.
We were sitting Aheli in Peerless Inn.
He asked me---“ChotoMa is your cousin sister, right?”
I nodded my head “Yes”
---“So why do you call her ChotoMa?”
---“She is like my mother.”
He nodded his head “Ok. I have to tell you something about me”
I looked at him and constricted my brows. I was skeptical as what was he going to divulge.
---“I drink a little and smoke also.”
“Ok” I nodded my head. “I think that is due to your work pressure.”
He smiled at me and said---“You understand everything.”
I smiled back at him.
---“Where would you like to go after our marriage? I have heard that you love hill station, so would where would like to go?”
I spoke softly---“No I don’t love hill-station. My head aches due to the serpentine narrow roads.”
I lied to him, I did not want to go to any hill-station, and the hills would remind me of my lost Unicorn.
“Ok then we will goto Andaman then” he smiled. “I was also thinking of going to Andaman for a long time.”
He paused a bit and then asked a question.
He asked---“Your ChotoMa has a son. Where is he? Is he going to attend your wedding?”
His query shook the root of my heart. I clenched my fist under the table so as the emotions do not overcome my smiling face.
I looked down to the plate and shook my head “I do not know.”
---“Ok. By the way what colour would you suggest for a car?”
I was surprised by his question. He looked in my face and asked me again.
I asked---“You are buying a new car?”
---“Yes I am. Maruti Baleno.”
I understood from the sly smile that the car was a dowry, given to him to buy my security. A thick stream of blood raced to my head. My nose flared up.
I said to myself “What all debt I have to bore on this small painful heart.”
I told him that I was not feeling well and I would like to return.
He obliged to my request and took me back.
After he left, ChotoMa and Babu called me in their room. There was file opened in front of him.
He showed me few papers and said---“These are some papers.”
He handed me a account book and said that---“It contains some bank balance in your name, which your mother deposited for you.”
He then handed me few fixed deposit papers and said---“Your property share has been sold of seven lakhs rupees. I have added more three lakhs and that make it a total of ten lakhs rupees.”
I sat on the bed and looked at those papers and then I asked to ChotoMa---“Are you giving a car in dowry?”
ChotoMa looked at me and asked---“Who told you?”
“Tell me the answer. Are you giving a car or not? Is that car is the price of my security?” My voice sounded very stern when I asked them.
Babu spoke in a persuading voice---“Paree, it is not a dowry. We had to gift you something special as we looked after you as our own. I thought that why not a car. Half of which he is going to take loan from his office.”
“What more burden of debt you all are going to put over my shoulder?” I spoke in a cold voice.
ChotoMa rubbed her palm on my head. I was very uncomfortable at that moment.
I yelled out at her---“Leave me. Do whatever you want, whatever you like. No need to consult me or ask me even.”
Few days after that, Himadri and Niladri came to our house. We all went to a Maruti Suzuki showroom in Park street. Himadri asked me as what colour would I prefer for my car. A Maruti Baleno was to be presented to Himadri. “Present or price for my security?”
I smiled and said---“I have no choice of colours. Whatever you feel better, you can have that.”
He hugged me gently by my shoulder and said---“Come on! Suchi. White or black? Black is better.”
Niladri said---“White is good, but the scratches will be easily noticed. Lets prefer the steel colour.”
He looked at me and said---“After all Boudi’s choice has to be preferred. What is your choice?”
I nodded my head like a timid girl and gave my acknowledgement for the black colour, so as not to hurt Himadri. His gaze was expressing that I should choose black, whatever be it in my mind.
##
We were sitting Aheli in Peerless Inn.
He asked me---“ChotoMa is your cousin sister, right?”
I nodded my head “Yes”
---“So why do you call her ChotoMa?”
---“She is like my mother.”
He nodded his head “Ok. I have to tell you something about me”
I looked at him and constricted my brows. I was skeptical as what was he going to divulge.
---“I drink a little and smoke also.”
“Ok” I nodded my head. “I think that is due to your work pressure.”
He smiled at me and said---“You understand everything.”
I smiled back at him.
---“Where would you like to go after our marriage? I have heard that you love hill station, so would where would like to go?”
I spoke softly---“No I don’t love hill-station. My head aches due to the serpentine narrow roads.”
I lied to him, I did not want to go to any hill-station, and the hills would remind me of my lost Unicorn.
“Ok then we will goto Andaman then” he smiled. “I was also thinking of going to Andaman for a long time.”
He paused a bit and then asked a question.
He asked---“Your ChotoMa has a son. Where is he? Is he going to attend your wedding?”
His query shook the root of my heart. I clenched my fist under the table so as the emotions do not overcome my smiling face.
I looked down to the plate and shook my head “I do not know.”
---“Ok. By the way what colour would you suggest for a car?”
I was surprised by his question. He looked in my face and asked me again.
I asked---“You are buying a new car?”
---“Yes I am. Maruti Baleno.”
I understood from the sly smile that the car was a dowry, given to him to buy my security. A thick stream of blood raced to my head. My nose flared up.
I said to myself “What all debt I have to bore on this small painful heart.”
I told him that I was not feeling well and I would like to return.
He obliged to my request and took me back.
After he left, ChotoMa and Babu called me in their room. There was file opened in front of him.
He showed me few papers and said---“These are some papers.”
He handed me a account book and said that---“It contains some bank balance in your name, which your mother deposited for you.”
He then handed me few fixed deposit papers and said---“Your property share has been sold of seven lakhs rupees. I have added more three lakhs and that make it a total of ten lakhs rupees.”
I sat on the bed and looked at those papers and then I asked to ChotoMa---“Are you giving a car in dowry?”
ChotoMa looked at me and asked---“Who told you?”
“Tell me the answer. Are you giving a car or not? Is that car is the price of my security?” My voice sounded very stern when I asked them.
Babu spoke in a persuading voice---“Paree, it is not a dowry. We had to gift you something special as we looked after you as our own. I thought that why not a car. Half of which he is going to take loan from his office.”
“What more burden of debt you all are going to put over my shoulder?” I spoke in a cold voice.
ChotoMa rubbed her palm on my head. I was very uncomfortable at that moment.
I yelled out at her---“Leave me. Do whatever you want, whatever you like. No need to consult me or ask me even.”
Few days after that, Himadri and Niladri came to our house. We all went to a Maruti Suzuki showroom in Park street. Himadri asked me as what colour would I prefer for my car. A Maruti Baleno was to be presented to Himadri. “Present or price for my security?”
I smiled and said---“I have no choice of colours. Whatever you feel better, you can have that.”
He hugged me gently by my shoulder and said---“Come on! Suchi. White or black? Black is better.”
Niladri said---“White is good, but the scratches will be easily noticed. Lets prefer the steel colour.”
He looked at me and said---“After all Boudi’s choice has to be preferred. What is your choice?”
I nodded my head like a timid girl and gave my acknowledgement for the black colour, so as not to hurt Himadri. His gaze was expressing that I should choose black, whatever be it in my mind.
##
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