Non-erotic The Scarface I Hated by Trambak

[Ramesh_Rocky]

She kept on looking through the window till they were no longer visible. She was tearful. She, who had never shed a drop for her husband or the son was crying for these boys and girls. Human relations were crazy, I thought.

As the train moved on towards our destination, Kiana's normal confidence started to dwindle. She became quiet and framed herself in the corner near the window. I tried to carry on a conversation but soon gave up. She was answering in monosyllables and looked tense. Suddenly, I was looking at an old woman stooped by age and anxiety, fearful of facing the world that she had left behind. We reached in the evening and for a moment I had a doubt that Kiana might run away and kept looking back checking on her. Luckily, she followed me and we reached the auto stand and then to home. It was clear that she was not familiar with the house as Imran had changed house after she had left.

I knocked and it was quickly opened by Sumitra. Evidently, she was waiting for my return. For a moment, she was taken aback by the presence of Kiana but she quickly recognized her and stood aside. I guided Kiana inside. She was all nerves and extremely tentative. Sumitra touched her feet but Kiana was lost in herself. I looked at Sumitra and she understood. She carried her meagre luggage in and went inside the kitchen.

I made her sit in the living room and said, "In my house, this is where I make my guests sit." A faint smile crossed her face and she looked up and then down again.

She finally gathered the courage to whisper, "Where is he?"

"He will come from the workshop at 7, still an hour to go." I said in a practical tone.

The wall of courage and strength was gradually weakening and the mother was looking for her child. She was on the verge of a breakdown. But, I needed to keep this courageous woman strong enough to face her son. I did not want Imran to find a weak broken woman. Because that would be incorrect and unjust.

So, I took her around the small house and introduced her to Sumitra. About her, I was not required to tell much and she understood. She looked at Sumitra with a peculiar gaze as if assessing her. For a fleeting moment, I thought that probably she was blaming Sumitra for her son's scar. I immediately forced that idea out of my mind because that was so simply ridiculous. Her gaze finally fell on her own picture on the table. She was again miserable.

"With no news about you, I was planning to put a dry flower garland on it. Ask Sumitra!" I chipped in with additional enthusiasm.

That broke the ice and she regained back her composure. She walked around the house and then came to the kitchen. The tea was ready but she stubbornly shook her head, like a child. I could be very stern with children when needed, and soon she was sipping her tea. I was acutely aware that despite her apparent normalcy, her ears were firmly turned towards the knock on the door. After tea, she took a wash and then I took her to the bedroom and made her sit. Her hair was all dishevelled and I gently combed them.

The knock on the door came and Kiana stiffened.

Comforting her, I went to open the door. Imran was standing in his trademark overhauls. His eyes lit up. Before he could embark on his pranks, I gently nodded towards the bedroom. He looked at me, confused. This time I directed him towards the room again. Unsure, he went.

I sat on the sofa, overcome with anxiety.

Seconds passed into minutes.

Chapter-15

Life had taught me a few things and one of them was to be able to reconcile with one's fate. I had long given up on my impulse to try and bend life as per my wishes. I had realised that it's only by rare providence that things go as we desire. Fate had its own mechanism to constantly surprise us and that is one lesson that I had learnt in the last few days. There were too many variables that made my life move at its own pace and direction. I had accepted it with humility.