02-01-2019, 01:12 PM
Kajol
The evening before yesterday’s, they had Mr. Rao at home conveying Ramesh’s selection for Singapore; and the evening after tomorrow’s, he would be actually leaving, Kajol mused. She threw her mind back to that night or rather to what remembered of it through the buzz of the wine that had flowed. There had been much laughter and Mr. Rao’s effusive praise for Ramesh and in extension for her as well. When he had left around 10 pm , it was too late for cooking, and Ramesh was so buoyed up; that he had attempted to lift her up and swirl her around – the way they show it in the movies – but actually caused both of them to fall down. And then both of them had laughed and laughed …
After munching over some leftovers from the fridge, he had wrestled with her on the floor – attempting to do a Shakti Kapoor style bang – and she had laughed more and tumbled him down and climbed over him … dared him as to who was to get bangd by whom … and had rolled away laughing … the copious wine showing it effect … neither having the strength to carry on any longer – even to climb on to their bed.
She had woken up with a terrible hangover. ‘God! I must go easy on wine’, she uttered to herself as she held tried to press her temples with both hands. The blanket had slithered away, ‘oh, so he must have been up before … and covered me up’, she thought as she clenched her eyes to shut off the dull pain that seemed to cover all her head.
She saw Ramesh approaching with two mugs of coffee. Wordlessly, she took a sip from her cup. “Sphattt’, she winced and looked at first at the black coffee … something she always hated … and then looked up at him … “What have you given me?”
Ramesh was smiling. He loved to see her in this condition – those rare moments of finding one’s wife in a helpless state. “Drink up baby”, he said solicitously … patting her gently “unless you want to keep on suffering for the rest of the day…”.
She looked at him with murder in her eyes and finished the cup in one go, “Tccccchhha!”
“What time is it?’, she asked.
“Oh! A quarter to eight”, he replied and gently pushed her back to the floor, “Don’t you worry about me, just try to sleep off a bit more … I will have my breakfast outside.”
As she curled back under the blanket, she heard him already on the phone, speaking to his colleagues, his voice very confident and with a new found authority. All of a sudden, he had developed a sense of urgency. As she drifted back to sleep, she heard his receding footsteps and the faint click of the front door closing. …
Late in the day, she had woken, feeling much better this time and started on her daily chores. Much later, after she had completed her lunch etc., she thought about him and though knowing that he would be very busy couldn’t help herself ringing him up …
He had taken her call but was continuing to speak with others, possibly his colleagues and she heard his voice frantic and filled with urgency. Then he was on, “Hello Kajo, yes?”
“Did you have your break…”
But he had already intercepted her. “Yes, I had my breakfast and lunch here, don’t your worry, see you when I return.”
The line had gone cold. She couldn’t remember when it was the last time that he had cut her off in the middle of a call.
She let out a deep sigh! Then she headed back towards the bedroom. ‘Better to start a revision on her dissertation paper …’, she consoled herself. After all, she had now several hours at hand for undisturbed study.
Ramesh had called in sometimes during the evening with a brusque one liner that he would be delayed considerably and that she should not wait for him for dinner. She had said ok and then gone back to her books. By eight, he had not returned and she thought better of calling him again. Dragging herself to the kitchen, she had prepared a simple roti and sabzi. Then she was back in her study table.
When he returned sometime around ten; he looked bushed. Wordlessly, she took off his office bag and removed his shoes away. After freshening up, both of them had dinner, speaking little. Then he had headed towards the bedroom. Kajol joined him a little later after cleaning up planning to give him a head massage. But, he was already fast asleep, mouth slightly open, a soft snore emanating … She adjusted his pillow, drew the blanket over, switched off the lights and again went back to her study desk.
* * *
This morning, her alarm rang at five. She got up and so did he. They had tea together and he had straightaway opened his laptop and was immersed in it. After a couple of hours, he had shut it, got up and placed some calls to his boys. Just before heading for the bath, he had paused and turned towards her.
“Kajo”, he had that sheepish smile on, “Sorry yaar, you know how it is … it’s my big chance – you know.”
She had squeezed his arm and turned him towards the bathroom door. “I know, I know. Come out quickly. I don’t want you to go out without a proper breakfast.” And then she had pushed him into the bathroom.
After he had his tummy full of toast and omelet, they discovered that they still had ten fifteen minutes to spare and so moved over to the sofa for tea.
“You have become so busy, all of a sudden.”, she said, running her hand over his hair. Her eyes had the misty look.
“Yes, yes”, he said almost guiltily, “will be like that, I suppose, till I get on the flight.”
She brushed away a stray strand. “Did you see the saree that Lekhaji sent for me?” “Wait”, she said and brought the packet and opened it, “See”, she held it out, “How silly of her! If I step out in something like that, then …”
“There will be a traffic jam”, Ramesh intercepted her and started laughing hard, and choked, coughing violently …
“It’s a joke for you, isn’t it?”, she shouted, eyes flashing. “Then I will dance with Mr. Rao in this saree”, her lower lips were quivering.
Ramesh placed a placating hand on her thighs. “It’s okay baba. It’s a saree after all, why so serious”, he drew her closer in a hug, “and you know, we can’t be any less grateful to both sir and madam. So just wear it before them, …, sometime, … , they would love it, … , and they would love it … and that’s that!” He kissed her forehead.
She sat quietly and her breath rose and fell as she evaluated what he had said. Then she remembered what she had to say.
“I have to go to the university today, guide has called, … , in fact, soon after you leave. But I will be back by evening. Give me a call if you are to arrive early.”
Hanging back his head, Ramesh rolled up his eyes and let out a deep sigh. “Kajo, … , no way darling, … , I think it will be like this, … , till the project is completed.” He looked at his watch and got up suddenly. “I got to go now. I will see you at night.”
With that he had packed his laptop in his bag and made his way out. …
After Ramesh had departed, Kajol sat in sofa and threw her mind to the email she had received from Prof Bharadwaj yesterday. He had informed her curtly that he had gone through the paper she had left for him to assess during her last visit and that he was surprised how her standard had plunged so low. She was to meet him today at ten for a whole re-write.
She sighed deeply. It was true. She had prepared it very hastily, without the usual due diligence. And her mind had been clouded with the episode with the Raos, with the Goddess …
With a jolt she recollected the last time Bharadwaj had seen her. She palmed her eyes, as the memory of him looking at her ass impaled came back to sting. How was she to face him today! Her heart started beating hard.
The evening before yesterday’s, they had Mr. Rao at home conveying Ramesh’s selection for Singapore; and the evening after tomorrow’s, he would be actually leaving, Kajol mused. She threw her mind back to that night or rather to what remembered of it through the buzz of the wine that had flowed. There had been much laughter and Mr. Rao’s effusive praise for Ramesh and in extension for her as well. When he had left around 10 pm , it was too late for cooking, and Ramesh was so buoyed up; that he had attempted to lift her up and swirl her around – the way they show it in the movies – but actually caused both of them to fall down. And then both of them had laughed and laughed …
After munching over some leftovers from the fridge, he had wrestled with her on the floor – attempting to do a Shakti Kapoor style bang – and she had laughed more and tumbled him down and climbed over him … dared him as to who was to get bangd by whom … and had rolled away laughing … the copious wine showing it effect … neither having the strength to carry on any longer – even to climb on to their bed.
She had woken up with a terrible hangover. ‘God! I must go easy on wine’, she uttered to herself as she held tried to press her temples with both hands. The blanket had slithered away, ‘oh, so he must have been up before … and covered me up’, she thought as she clenched her eyes to shut off the dull pain that seemed to cover all her head.
She saw Ramesh approaching with two mugs of coffee. Wordlessly, she took a sip from her cup. “Sphattt’, she winced and looked at first at the black coffee … something she always hated … and then looked up at him … “What have you given me?”
Ramesh was smiling. He loved to see her in this condition – those rare moments of finding one’s wife in a helpless state. “Drink up baby”, he said solicitously … patting her gently “unless you want to keep on suffering for the rest of the day…”.
She looked at him with murder in her eyes and finished the cup in one go, “Tccccchhha!”
“What time is it?’, she asked.
“Oh! A quarter to eight”, he replied and gently pushed her back to the floor, “Don’t you worry about me, just try to sleep off a bit more … I will have my breakfast outside.”
As she curled back under the blanket, she heard him already on the phone, speaking to his colleagues, his voice very confident and with a new found authority. All of a sudden, he had developed a sense of urgency. As she drifted back to sleep, she heard his receding footsteps and the faint click of the front door closing. …
Late in the day, she had woken, feeling much better this time and started on her daily chores. Much later, after she had completed her lunch etc., she thought about him and though knowing that he would be very busy couldn’t help herself ringing him up …
He had taken her call but was continuing to speak with others, possibly his colleagues and she heard his voice frantic and filled with urgency. Then he was on, “Hello Kajo, yes?”
“Did you have your break…”
But he had already intercepted her. “Yes, I had my breakfast and lunch here, don’t your worry, see you when I return.”
The line had gone cold. She couldn’t remember when it was the last time that he had cut her off in the middle of a call.
She let out a deep sigh! Then she headed back towards the bedroom. ‘Better to start a revision on her dissertation paper …’, she consoled herself. After all, she had now several hours at hand for undisturbed study.
Ramesh had called in sometimes during the evening with a brusque one liner that he would be delayed considerably and that she should not wait for him for dinner. She had said ok and then gone back to her books. By eight, he had not returned and she thought better of calling him again. Dragging herself to the kitchen, she had prepared a simple roti and sabzi. Then she was back in her study table.
When he returned sometime around ten; he looked bushed. Wordlessly, she took off his office bag and removed his shoes away. After freshening up, both of them had dinner, speaking little. Then he had headed towards the bedroom. Kajol joined him a little later after cleaning up planning to give him a head massage. But, he was already fast asleep, mouth slightly open, a soft snore emanating … She adjusted his pillow, drew the blanket over, switched off the lights and again went back to her study desk.
* * *
This morning, her alarm rang at five. She got up and so did he. They had tea together and he had straightaway opened his laptop and was immersed in it. After a couple of hours, he had shut it, got up and placed some calls to his boys. Just before heading for the bath, he had paused and turned towards her.
“Kajo”, he had that sheepish smile on, “Sorry yaar, you know how it is … it’s my big chance – you know.”
She had squeezed his arm and turned him towards the bathroom door. “I know, I know. Come out quickly. I don’t want you to go out without a proper breakfast.” And then she had pushed him into the bathroom.
After he had his tummy full of toast and omelet, they discovered that they still had ten fifteen minutes to spare and so moved over to the sofa for tea.
“You have become so busy, all of a sudden.”, she said, running her hand over his hair. Her eyes had the misty look.
“Yes, yes”, he said almost guiltily, “will be like that, I suppose, till I get on the flight.”
She brushed away a stray strand. “Did you see the saree that Lekhaji sent for me?” “Wait”, she said and brought the packet and opened it, “See”, she held it out, “How silly of her! If I step out in something like that, then …”
“There will be a traffic jam”, Ramesh intercepted her and started laughing hard, and choked, coughing violently …
“It’s a joke for you, isn’t it?”, she shouted, eyes flashing. “Then I will dance with Mr. Rao in this saree”, her lower lips were quivering.
Ramesh placed a placating hand on her thighs. “It’s okay baba. It’s a saree after all, why so serious”, he drew her closer in a hug, “and you know, we can’t be any less grateful to both sir and madam. So just wear it before them, …, sometime, … , they would love it, … , and they would love it … and that’s that!” He kissed her forehead.
She sat quietly and her breath rose and fell as she evaluated what he had said. Then she remembered what she had to say.
“I have to go to the university today, guide has called, … , in fact, soon after you leave. But I will be back by evening. Give me a call if you are to arrive early.”
Hanging back his head, Ramesh rolled up his eyes and let out a deep sigh. “Kajo, … , no way darling, … , I think it will be like this, … , till the project is completed.” He looked at his watch and got up suddenly. “I got to go now. I will see you at night.”
With that he had packed his laptop in his bag and made his way out. …
After Ramesh had departed, Kajol sat in sofa and threw her mind to the email she had received from Prof Bharadwaj yesterday. He had informed her curtly that he had gone through the paper she had left for him to assess during her last visit and that he was surprised how her standard had plunged so low. She was to meet him today at ten for a whole re-write.
She sighed deeply. It was true. She had prepared it very hastily, without the usual due diligence. And her mind had been clouded with the episode with the Raos, with the Goddess …
With a jolt she recollected the last time Bharadwaj had seen her. She palmed her eyes, as the memory of him looking at her ass impaled came back to sting. How was she to face him today! Her heart started beating hard.
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