08-01-2019, 01:25 PM
Chapter 4. Limping Stallion. (#1)
The flight took off from the New Delhi airport in the dead of night. After Ambarish came to know the truth of his sister’s beckon, he lost his senses for few moments. Yet he smiled at his fate, he had full faith on his sister, Ambalika who brought him up not like a brother but as her flesh and blood, as her eldest son. He would go to any length to bring smile to his sister’s lips. His sister sacrificed a lot to keep him safe, to bring him to a position. All his life she guarded him with her love and affection. He smiled on the mere thought that what Deep and Diya was doing when they told him about the sprained elbow. His sister always pestered him to get married and eveytime he used to laugh at her and denied her requests by saying that he does not like any third person in her family that could jeopardise their well-pruned Eden. However, Ambalika never got tired to pester him.
While he was studying at AIIMS, there were several advances from several girls. Getting a bed partner was easy while he was studying. Most of his male friends boasted of spending nights with some nurse some day or some female batch-mates. Whenever he used to goto any party, girls used to ogle at him due to his tall athletic frame. He never felt uncomfortable with girls around him, he maintained a healthy relation with all his female batch-mates and colleagues. Several of his batch mates entangled themselves to those alluring advances, few of them got married to their choices and some married the person chosen by their family. By the completion of MS, maximum of his batch mates had a companion and most of them enjoyed their carnal company. He thwarted all those carnal desires and studied hard to fulfil his sister’s dreams. However, love was not his cup of tea or some one-night stand. He used to give a sleek smile to all of them who teased him as a meek goat. He was happy with what he was a free bachelor and a free soul. Only bond he had with his family. His best friend, Dr. Indrajeet Sharma, had several girlfriends during MS and had intercourse with all of them. After completion of MS, Dr. Indrajeet got a job in RML Hospital in Delhi. He fell in love with a beautiful girl named Shalini Ragunathan, who was doing B.Sc from JNU. They got married a couple of years after Indrajeet got a job in RML hospital much against their parent’s wish. Shalini worked as a collegeteacher in a reputed college. They were very close to Ambarish.
However, a time came in Dr. Ambarish Sanyal’s life when his heart felt attraction for someone. Few minutes ago, he deleted all those pictures still those memoirs flooded infront of his eyes. A year back, it was early spring. Out of the clear blue sky, the rain clouds gathered all of a sudden that evening. That evening, all three went to a restaurant in Gurgaon to celebrate Shalini’s birthday. While returning from the party, the grey clouds rumbled overhead and it started drizzling. He got drenched in the cold drizzle. He entered the apartment; his flat was on the first floor. He saw a drenched girl trying to unlock the door of the ground floor. The drenched dress glued to her body showing every contours of her curvaceous frame. He recognised the girl. Few months back, two girls rented the ground floor and she was one of them. He does not like unwanted conversation with strangers so he walked past the girl leaving her there struggling with the lock. Upon hearing the footsteps, the girl glanced at him over her shoulder. Their eyes met as he stood at the landing to take a step further upwards. He returned a courteous smile at her and then walked away.
He entered his spacious two bedroom flat. It was odd for a bachelor to have such huge flat. However, he rented that due to his family. The rent was very reasonable as the owner of the flat was and old acquaintance of Niladri. His family used to visit him very often especially the kids, on every vacation and even on long weekend. Diya and Deep were so naughty that they used to book airticket using Niladri’s credit card and used to inform their mom at the last minute. She helplessly abides their request. Once they enter Rishu’s domain, they knew that no one in the world could touch them.
He entered the master bedroom. A huge picture of his family adorned the wall on the head side of the bed. He looked at the picture, smiling Ambalika with Niladri by her side, Deep and Diya infront of them and behind all of them, stood tall Ambarish hugging everyone like an eagle with its unfurled wings. He never sleeps in that room, that room was sacred for him kept away for his family. He went inside his room adjacent to the master bedroom, to change his dress. The hour was very late and he was very tired. He changed and prepared to goto bed after sending a response to Diya’s sms.
Just then, the doorbell rang. He was at his wits end as who could come in that rainy night. He opened the door and was surprised to see the girl of the ground floor standing before him.
She gave him a helpless smile and said, “I am very sorry to disturb you at this point of night. I have lost the key of my flat. Can you please help me?”
>He queried her after ushering her in, “How did you lost the key? Where is your room mate?”
She entered his flat and looked around. She kept her bag, wiped her face with dupatta and answered, “My friend is on leave and so was I. I returned today and my friend will return after few days. I might have dropped my purse somewhere while returning from station. Can you please help me opening the door?”
He looked at the helpless girl from head to toe. She was curvaceous and of wheatish complexion. The most beautiful part of her round face was her eyes they were very expressive and talkative.
He gave a courteous smile and said, “You are drenched, why don’t you change your dress and be comfortable? Let me check for the hammer.”
She stood there fidgeting with her fingers. He sensed the tension of her mind, two strangers standing under a roof at late hour. Everyone was aware that women are not safe in the city and she was in dilemma whether to go inside the bathroom or not. The main door was open and she was looking at the open door.
She spoke in a soft tone, “No, I am ok. Please if you could help, then I would be grateful.”
He smiled at her and said, “No need to worry. I can understand your dilemma. You can feel safe.”
A sweet soft smile bloomed on her dark red lips. She asked the direction of the bathroom. He handed her a fresh towel and showed her the bathroom. She opened her bag to take out her dress and then she entered the bathroom. He looked at her stride as she walked into the bathroom.
He took a deep breath and smiled at himself, never in his life he dreamt of having a girl alone in his bathroom with drenched dress and there she was, a stranger. He searched for hammer but he could not find that, then it dawned that when Deep came over last time he misplaced the hammer. He stood with a helpless look on his face scratching his head and thinking as what could be done. She came out and looked at his helpless face.
He smiled and said, “I am sorry, my naughty nephew misplaced the hammer.”
He understood that the girl was not comfortable she was in dilemma; sheer anxiety was all over her face. She stiffened and the colour of her face was lost. The sheer anxiety clearly showed on her face. She continuously looked at the open door, probably she was thinking of getting outside the flat.
He persuaded the girl by saying, “Don’t worry. Do you know someone I mean any friends or relatives here so that I can drop you there?”
She tried to brush away her anxiety, “My relatives stay in Noida but it will be very difficult to go there in this rainy night.”
He asked her, “Have you had your dinner?”
She said, “No, basically the train was late. I thought that I would cook something after returning to flat. Alas everything is in mess.”
He gave a courteous smile and said, “Please be comfortable. Let me see what I have in kitchen.”
She opposed vehemently, “No no no... no need to worry about me, I am fine. I am only worried about the night. Tomorrow morning I will find a keymaker and break the lock.”
He hesitated to ask her to stay in his flat. She also sensed his hesitation and sat on the sofa. She looked around the flat and asked, “You live alone in this huge flat?”
He answered, “Yes I live alone. Basically my family visits me often so I rented this flat.” He paused for a little and asked, “Want to have some coffee?”
She nodded and said that she would like to make the coffee. She then went inside the kitchen to prepare two cups of coffee. He closed the door and wore a shirt. The girl handed a cup to him and sat on the couch. They started talking and they came to know about eachother. He told her about his job and nothing more than that. The girl was talkative; she eased the suffocating ambience of the room very easily. Her name was Chandrika Pasupathy she lived in Coimbatore. Her friend, Jaya also hails from Coimbatore. They worked in an online publishing house. She kept on talking about herself and her jobs, most of her words went past his ears. He kept on nodding and looking at the clock. It was three o’clock and he had morning duty at six at trauma centre. His schedule was always busy and tiresome. Every day he had to perform several operations and had to go for rounds with the new interns in tow.
He said to her, “Let me check once more if I can find something to break your lock.”
She giggled and asked, “Feeling bore?”
He said in a calm voice, “Not that, I have morning duty and I have to go at six.”
“Oh sorry to keep you wake.”
“Never mind let me see how to break the lock.”
He went downstairs with the girl in tow. He went out on the road and picked up a stone to break the lock. After few blows, the lock was broken. She expressed heartfelt gratitude to him and promised to give him a treat. After that day, whenever they met they used to exchange few words out of courtesy.
The next Sunday, he had off. He was busy in video conference on his laptop with one of his colleague in New Zealand. Just then, the doorbell rang. He thought that his sister or the kids might have come as they used to drop without any notice. He opened the door and was surprised to see the two girls standing at the door.
Chandrika smiled and introduced her friend. He was bewildered as they entered the flat with much ease, especially Chandrika. She said that she had prepared some breakfast and wanted Ambarish to have that.
Chandrika asked, “Have you finished your breakfast?”
He answered, “No not yet. I am waiting for the maid to come.”
She opened the container in her hand and asked, “I have prepared some uttapam. Do you like uttapam?”
He smiled, “Anything is ok with me.”
Chandrika went into kitchen to prepare the coffee. Then they sat on the dining table for the breakfast. She was a bubbly girl and her voice was echoing all over the flat. Jaya was a girl of few words; she smiled to see the vibrancy on Chandrika’s face. He listened all her babbles most of which again went past his ears.
Generally, on off days, Ambarish used to lie down on sofa watching television for the whole day or video conferencing with Deep and Diya or with some friends or dropping at Indrajeet’s house. It became a daily routine on every weekend and most evenings for Chandrika to drop in his flat. Most of the time she was alone as Jaya used to go out with her boyfriend. She understood that the person infront of her was very much suave and courteous. He never tried to misbehave with her or take advantage on any situation. Gradually their friendship thickened with time.
On one such Sunday morning after breakfast, Chandrika requested Ambarish to take her out. He politely denied her request saying that he was comfortable in his nest only. However, Chandrika insisted to pull out Ambarish out of his den, out of his monotonous routine. He also thought that that would be a change in his monotonous schedule. Jaya called her boyfriend, Carthikeyan and he arrived after sometime. Then they went to India Gate. Chandrika sat on his pillion and held his shoulder for balance. During his career, he has touched several women but all were subjects then. It was the first time someone touched his heart. They sat there for several hours. While walking at times their fingers brushed against eachother. He steal glances of her round sweet face, she understood that he was looking at her with the corner of his eyes.
The sun went down the Rashtrapati Bhavan, all four of them stood watching the flames of Amar Jawan Jyoti. Chandrika stood close to him, their upper arm brushed against eachother. The sky was clear and autumn was around the corner. The pleasant breeze drenched two souls. He looked at her face, which was close to his forearm. Chandrika softly brushed her cheeks on his forearm and looked up to his face. Their eyes met to say something but they could not mutter anything to eachother. She looked down as his deep eyes were piercing her heart. He touched her shoulder and she felt to melt in his arms.
Chandrika requested in a low tone, “Can we go home?”
He looked into her eyes and asked, “Why what happened?”
“Nothing.” She stammered and asked Jaya whether she want to retire. Jaya said that they would like to go for a movie. Carthikeyan requested Ambarish for the movie. He looked at Chandrika’s face to know her intention but she politely denied their request saying that she was not feeling well. Ambarish and Chandrika returned to the flat.
Ambarish asked her, “What happened to you? Why you became so quiet all of a sudden?”
Chandrika fidgeted with her fingers and smiled at him, “Nothing, I was not feeling well that is why I asked to return home.”
He looked into her eyes and fathomed that a string has passed through their heart and bound them in an invisible bond. Yet he asked her, “I can tell when a person is not well only by looking at their face. You are perfectly well.”
She took a step towards him and looked up. His warm breath flooded on her face and her eyelids fluttered a bit. She whispered in a deep voice, “If you are so well in fathoming a person then tell me as what happened to me.”
He looked deeply into her deep black eyes and broke into laughter, “I think you are down with fever.”
She became agitated and slapped playfully on his broad chest, “You naughty boy, I will kill you.”
He held her by her shoulder and said, “I have heard of a south Indian dish, Ilia Meen. If you kill me now then I won’t be able to savour the taste of Ilia Meen.”
She was surprised to hear the name of that dish so she asked, “How do you know about that dish?”
“If you promise to prepare that then I will tell you.”
“You mean today?”
“If possible yes. It is only six o’clock now, we can goto fish market and buy fish.”
She jumped with joy as if she received as what she asked for. The gloomy situation weathered off between them. Both of them knew that they were deeply in love. They bought hilsha fish and she prepared the fish for him. While they were taking food, his sister called him. He requested Chandrika to keep quite as he spoke with his sister. Until then he did not spoke to his sister about Chandrika.
After that day, they started to go out whenever they found time. Quiet few times when they were together he received calls from his sister or from the kids. Everytime he asked Chandrika to keep silent when he spoke over the phone.
One such evening Chandrika and Ambarish was sipping coffee in his flat when Ambalika called. As usual, Ambarish requested Chandrika to keep quiet.
After they spoke, Chandrika asked him, “Why do you ask me to keep silent when your sister calls?”
He answered, “I have not told her anything about us.”
“Why? What is the secret in this?”
He smiled, “Nothing as such.”
“Then tell your sister about ourselves, be clear about us.”
He persuaded “In proper time I will tell her everything.”
“Are you afraid of your sister? As far as I know as what you have said that, she is everything to you. I think she should also understand as what you want.”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean your sister always keeps tab as what you are doing, where are you going. It is more like that a chain is tied to your ankle and she is controlling you.”
His frame stiffened upon hearing her words. His ears became red; he felt that someone shattered thousand chains near him. His eyes burnt all of a sudden, yet he kept his temperament cool, “No Chandrika, she does not keep tab on me, it is her concern and love for me that make her call everytime. It is something you will not understand. It is better you leave me alone, please.”
She understood from the blazing look in his eyes that she has poked a hornet’s nest. She apologised profusely and went away. For few weeks there was chill on both the front neither of them spoke of anything. They only exchanged courteous smile when they met.
Continued....
The flight took off from the New Delhi airport in the dead of night. After Ambarish came to know the truth of his sister’s beckon, he lost his senses for few moments. Yet he smiled at his fate, he had full faith on his sister, Ambalika who brought him up not like a brother but as her flesh and blood, as her eldest son. He would go to any length to bring smile to his sister’s lips. His sister sacrificed a lot to keep him safe, to bring him to a position. All his life she guarded him with her love and affection. He smiled on the mere thought that what Deep and Diya was doing when they told him about the sprained elbow. His sister always pestered him to get married and eveytime he used to laugh at her and denied her requests by saying that he does not like any third person in her family that could jeopardise their well-pruned Eden. However, Ambalika never got tired to pester him.
While he was studying at AIIMS, there were several advances from several girls. Getting a bed partner was easy while he was studying. Most of his male friends boasted of spending nights with some nurse some day or some female batch-mates. Whenever he used to goto any party, girls used to ogle at him due to his tall athletic frame. He never felt uncomfortable with girls around him, he maintained a healthy relation with all his female batch-mates and colleagues. Several of his batch mates entangled themselves to those alluring advances, few of them got married to their choices and some married the person chosen by their family. By the completion of MS, maximum of his batch mates had a companion and most of them enjoyed their carnal company. He thwarted all those carnal desires and studied hard to fulfil his sister’s dreams. However, love was not his cup of tea or some one-night stand. He used to give a sleek smile to all of them who teased him as a meek goat. He was happy with what he was a free bachelor and a free soul. Only bond he had with his family. His best friend, Dr. Indrajeet Sharma, had several girlfriends during MS and had intercourse with all of them. After completion of MS, Dr. Indrajeet got a job in RML Hospital in Delhi. He fell in love with a beautiful girl named Shalini Ragunathan, who was doing B.Sc from JNU. They got married a couple of years after Indrajeet got a job in RML hospital much against their parent’s wish. Shalini worked as a collegeteacher in a reputed college. They were very close to Ambarish.
However, a time came in Dr. Ambarish Sanyal’s life when his heart felt attraction for someone. Few minutes ago, he deleted all those pictures still those memoirs flooded infront of his eyes. A year back, it was early spring. Out of the clear blue sky, the rain clouds gathered all of a sudden that evening. That evening, all three went to a restaurant in Gurgaon to celebrate Shalini’s birthday. While returning from the party, the grey clouds rumbled overhead and it started drizzling. He got drenched in the cold drizzle. He entered the apartment; his flat was on the first floor. He saw a drenched girl trying to unlock the door of the ground floor. The drenched dress glued to her body showing every contours of her curvaceous frame. He recognised the girl. Few months back, two girls rented the ground floor and she was one of them. He does not like unwanted conversation with strangers so he walked past the girl leaving her there struggling with the lock. Upon hearing the footsteps, the girl glanced at him over her shoulder. Their eyes met as he stood at the landing to take a step further upwards. He returned a courteous smile at her and then walked away.
He entered his spacious two bedroom flat. It was odd for a bachelor to have such huge flat. However, he rented that due to his family. The rent was very reasonable as the owner of the flat was and old acquaintance of Niladri. His family used to visit him very often especially the kids, on every vacation and even on long weekend. Diya and Deep were so naughty that they used to book airticket using Niladri’s credit card and used to inform their mom at the last minute. She helplessly abides their request. Once they enter Rishu’s domain, they knew that no one in the world could touch them.
He entered the master bedroom. A huge picture of his family adorned the wall on the head side of the bed. He looked at the picture, smiling Ambalika with Niladri by her side, Deep and Diya infront of them and behind all of them, stood tall Ambarish hugging everyone like an eagle with its unfurled wings. He never sleeps in that room, that room was sacred for him kept away for his family. He went inside his room adjacent to the master bedroom, to change his dress. The hour was very late and he was very tired. He changed and prepared to goto bed after sending a response to Diya’s sms.
Just then, the doorbell rang. He was at his wits end as who could come in that rainy night. He opened the door and was surprised to see the girl of the ground floor standing before him.
She gave him a helpless smile and said, “I am very sorry to disturb you at this point of night. I have lost the key of my flat. Can you please help me?”
>He queried her after ushering her in, “How did you lost the key? Where is your room mate?”
She entered his flat and looked around. She kept her bag, wiped her face with dupatta and answered, “My friend is on leave and so was I. I returned today and my friend will return after few days. I might have dropped my purse somewhere while returning from station. Can you please help me opening the door?”
He looked at the helpless girl from head to toe. She was curvaceous and of wheatish complexion. The most beautiful part of her round face was her eyes they were very expressive and talkative.
He gave a courteous smile and said, “You are drenched, why don’t you change your dress and be comfortable? Let me check for the hammer.”
She stood there fidgeting with her fingers. He sensed the tension of her mind, two strangers standing under a roof at late hour. Everyone was aware that women are not safe in the city and she was in dilemma whether to go inside the bathroom or not. The main door was open and she was looking at the open door.
She spoke in a soft tone, “No, I am ok. Please if you could help, then I would be grateful.”
He smiled at her and said, “No need to worry. I can understand your dilemma. You can feel safe.”
A sweet soft smile bloomed on her dark red lips. She asked the direction of the bathroom. He handed her a fresh towel and showed her the bathroom. She opened her bag to take out her dress and then she entered the bathroom. He looked at her stride as she walked into the bathroom.
He took a deep breath and smiled at himself, never in his life he dreamt of having a girl alone in his bathroom with drenched dress and there she was, a stranger. He searched for hammer but he could not find that, then it dawned that when Deep came over last time he misplaced the hammer. He stood with a helpless look on his face scratching his head and thinking as what could be done. She came out and looked at his helpless face.
He smiled and said, “I am sorry, my naughty nephew misplaced the hammer.”
He understood that the girl was not comfortable she was in dilemma; sheer anxiety was all over her face. She stiffened and the colour of her face was lost. The sheer anxiety clearly showed on her face. She continuously looked at the open door, probably she was thinking of getting outside the flat.
He persuaded the girl by saying, “Don’t worry. Do you know someone I mean any friends or relatives here so that I can drop you there?”
She tried to brush away her anxiety, “My relatives stay in Noida but it will be very difficult to go there in this rainy night.”
He asked her, “Have you had your dinner?”
She said, “No, basically the train was late. I thought that I would cook something after returning to flat. Alas everything is in mess.”
He gave a courteous smile and said, “Please be comfortable. Let me see what I have in kitchen.”
She opposed vehemently, “No no no... no need to worry about me, I am fine. I am only worried about the night. Tomorrow morning I will find a keymaker and break the lock.”
He hesitated to ask her to stay in his flat. She also sensed his hesitation and sat on the sofa. She looked around the flat and asked, “You live alone in this huge flat?”
He answered, “Yes I live alone. Basically my family visits me often so I rented this flat.” He paused for a little and asked, “Want to have some coffee?”
She nodded and said that she would like to make the coffee. She then went inside the kitchen to prepare two cups of coffee. He closed the door and wore a shirt. The girl handed a cup to him and sat on the couch. They started talking and they came to know about eachother. He told her about his job and nothing more than that. The girl was talkative; she eased the suffocating ambience of the room very easily. Her name was Chandrika Pasupathy she lived in Coimbatore. Her friend, Jaya also hails from Coimbatore. They worked in an online publishing house. She kept on talking about herself and her jobs, most of her words went past his ears. He kept on nodding and looking at the clock. It was three o’clock and he had morning duty at six at trauma centre. His schedule was always busy and tiresome. Every day he had to perform several operations and had to go for rounds with the new interns in tow.
He said to her, “Let me check once more if I can find something to break your lock.”
She giggled and asked, “Feeling bore?”
He said in a calm voice, “Not that, I have morning duty and I have to go at six.”
“Oh sorry to keep you wake.”
“Never mind let me see how to break the lock.”
He went downstairs with the girl in tow. He went out on the road and picked up a stone to break the lock. After few blows, the lock was broken. She expressed heartfelt gratitude to him and promised to give him a treat. After that day, whenever they met they used to exchange few words out of courtesy.
The next Sunday, he had off. He was busy in video conference on his laptop with one of his colleague in New Zealand. Just then, the doorbell rang. He thought that his sister or the kids might have come as they used to drop without any notice. He opened the door and was surprised to see the two girls standing at the door.
Chandrika smiled and introduced her friend. He was bewildered as they entered the flat with much ease, especially Chandrika. She said that she had prepared some breakfast and wanted Ambarish to have that.
Chandrika asked, “Have you finished your breakfast?”
He answered, “No not yet. I am waiting for the maid to come.”
She opened the container in her hand and asked, “I have prepared some uttapam. Do you like uttapam?”
He smiled, “Anything is ok with me.”
Chandrika went into kitchen to prepare the coffee. Then they sat on the dining table for the breakfast. She was a bubbly girl and her voice was echoing all over the flat. Jaya was a girl of few words; she smiled to see the vibrancy on Chandrika’s face. He listened all her babbles most of which again went past his ears.
Generally, on off days, Ambarish used to lie down on sofa watching television for the whole day or video conferencing with Deep and Diya or with some friends or dropping at Indrajeet’s house. It became a daily routine on every weekend and most evenings for Chandrika to drop in his flat. Most of the time she was alone as Jaya used to go out with her boyfriend. She understood that the person infront of her was very much suave and courteous. He never tried to misbehave with her or take advantage on any situation. Gradually their friendship thickened with time.
On one such Sunday morning after breakfast, Chandrika requested Ambarish to take her out. He politely denied her request saying that he was comfortable in his nest only. However, Chandrika insisted to pull out Ambarish out of his den, out of his monotonous routine. He also thought that that would be a change in his monotonous schedule. Jaya called her boyfriend, Carthikeyan and he arrived after sometime. Then they went to India Gate. Chandrika sat on his pillion and held his shoulder for balance. During his career, he has touched several women but all were subjects then. It was the first time someone touched his heart. They sat there for several hours. While walking at times their fingers brushed against eachother. He steal glances of her round sweet face, she understood that he was looking at her with the corner of his eyes.
The sun went down the Rashtrapati Bhavan, all four of them stood watching the flames of Amar Jawan Jyoti. Chandrika stood close to him, their upper arm brushed against eachother. The sky was clear and autumn was around the corner. The pleasant breeze drenched two souls. He looked at her face, which was close to his forearm. Chandrika softly brushed her cheeks on his forearm and looked up to his face. Their eyes met to say something but they could not mutter anything to eachother. She looked down as his deep eyes were piercing her heart. He touched her shoulder and she felt to melt in his arms.
Chandrika requested in a low tone, “Can we go home?”
He looked into her eyes and asked, “Why what happened?”
“Nothing.” She stammered and asked Jaya whether she want to retire. Jaya said that they would like to go for a movie. Carthikeyan requested Ambarish for the movie. He looked at Chandrika’s face to know her intention but she politely denied their request saying that she was not feeling well. Ambarish and Chandrika returned to the flat.
Ambarish asked her, “What happened to you? Why you became so quiet all of a sudden?”
Chandrika fidgeted with her fingers and smiled at him, “Nothing, I was not feeling well that is why I asked to return home.”
He looked into her eyes and fathomed that a string has passed through their heart and bound them in an invisible bond. Yet he asked her, “I can tell when a person is not well only by looking at their face. You are perfectly well.”
She took a step towards him and looked up. His warm breath flooded on her face and her eyelids fluttered a bit. She whispered in a deep voice, “If you are so well in fathoming a person then tell me as what happened to me.”
He looked deeply into her deep black eyes and broke into laughter, “I think you are down with fever.”
She became agitated and slapped playfully on his broad chest, “You naughty boy, I will kill you.”
He held her by her shoulder and said, “I have heard of a south Indian dish, Ilia Meen. If you kill me now then I won’t be able to savour the taste of Ilia Meen.”
She was surprised to hear the name of that dish so she asked, “How do you know about that dish?”
“If you promise to prepare that then I will tell you.”
“You mean today?”
“If possible yes. It is only six o’clock now, we can goto fish market and buy fish.”
She jumped with joy as if she received as what she asked for. The gloomy situation weathered off between them. Both of them knew that they were deeply in love. They bought hilsha fish and she prepared the fish for him. While they were taking food, his sister called him. He requested Chandrika to keep quite as he spoke with his sister. Until then he did not spoke to his sister about Chandrika.
After that day, they started to go out whenever they found time. Quiet few times when they were together he received calls from his sister or from the kids. Everytime he asked Chandrika to keep silent when he spoke over the phone.
One such evening Chandrika and Ambarish was sipping coffee in his flat when Ambalika called. As usual, Ambarish requested Chandrika to keep quiet.
After they spoke, Chandrika asked him, “Why do you ask me to keep silent when your sister calls?”
He answered, “I have not told her anything about us.”
“Why? What is the secret in this?”
He smiled, “Nothing as such.”
“Then tell your sister about ourselves, be clear about us.”
He persuaded “In proper time I will tell her everything.”
“Are you afraid of your sister? As far as I know as what you have said that, she is everything to you. I think she should also understand as what you want.”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean your sister always keeps tab as what you are doing, where are you going. It is more like that a chain is tied to your ankle and she is controlling you.”
His frame stiffened upon hearing her words. His ears became red; he felt that someone shattered thousand chains near him. His eyes burnt all of a sudden, yet he kept his temperament cool, “No Chandrika, she does not keep tab on me, it is her concern and love for me that make her call everytime. It is something you will not understand. It is better you leave me alone, please.”
She understood from the blazing look in his eyes that she has poked a hornet’s nest. She apologised profusely and went away. For few weeks there was chill on both the front neither of them spoke of anything. They only exchanged courteous smile when they met.
Continued....
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