Adultery Fervor Regained by pinuram-Completed

[Ramesh_Rocky]

Chapter 6. Melting Ice. (#1)


The plane started to gain its takeoff speed on the runway. Jhinuk was very quiet all through the day. The farewell was very emotional for all the family members. Jhinuk sat beside the window, it was not her first time to Delhi however it was first time she was stepping out with some person whom she does not know at all. The person was her husband, Dr. Ambarish Sanyal. Her mind was blank like huge vacuum of outerspace. She looked outside the window as the plane crossed river Ganges. A query disturbed her, was she leaving her hometown forever? She was no more Miss Sanghamitra she was then Mrs. Sanghamitra Sanyal.

Rishu reclined on his seat and looked at her calm face. He felt to nudge her but restrained not to create unnecessary ripples on that calm beautiful face. Since last night there was no words exchanged between them. He kept his promise to give her all the time she needs to pacify her disturbed soul.

After two long hours, their flight landed at New Delhi terminal in the evening. While they were waiting for the luggage to arrive, Jhinuk stood very close to him, their arms brushed for the first time. She moved close to Rishu as the place was crowded, everyone waiting for their luggage to arrive. Once inside the taxi, they sat on two corners of the backseat. Jhinuk looked outside as the car moved towards CR Park. The sun went down long ago; the road was packed with cars. It took an hour to reach his house. With each step she took towards the locked house, her heart beat quickened. How would she live in that house with an unknown person?

Rishu unlocked the door and ushered her inside. She looked around the spacious two room flat. She was astonished to behold the house. It was beautifully decorated, quiet opposite for a bachelor’s room. She thought, so he was a composed and suave person. She looked at the sofa, the kitchen, the walls and the curtains. Everything showed signs of sophistication and his calm composed nature. The marble floor was so clean that one can see their reflection on it. Everything was present in that house, from led television to microwave to refrigerator.

Rishu looked at her face, which was agape to behold his house. He smiled at her and cleared his throat to say something to her. She looked at him to listen as what he wanted to say.

He pointed to the master bedroom and said to her, “That is master bedroom, you can sleep there.” She gave a quizzical look at him, he pointed to the other room and said, “I will sleep in my room.” He smiled at her and said, “Don’t worry; you can lock your room to be safe.”

She picked up her bags and quietly entered the room. He kept looking at her as he expected some answer from her however, there was none except a cold shoulder. He was very hurt by her behaviour but expressed nothing. He kept the rest of the luggage inside her room. His eyes fell on Jhinuk who was staring at the huge family picture of Rishu’s family.

He asked her, “Do you want to have anything?”

She shook her head, “No” and entered the washroom. He could not understand as what he should do. He retired to his room to change his dress. After changing dress, he entered the kitchen to cook dinner. He cooked dinner and knocked on Jhinuk’s door to call her for dinner. However, the lights of her room were turned off. He peeked inside and observed that she was already on bed under the blanket. He heard a soft sobbing sound emanating from the dark room.

Jhinuk was unable to come in terms that she was treated as puppet. Why her parents took a hasty decision to marry her off to a person whom she does not know? How would she live alone in that huge house? She wanted a happy life, but she was in an unknown place with an unknown person. She held her breath as she heard the knock on her door. She cowered in one corner and clasped the blanket with all her might. She started shivering in sheer fear.

Rishu stood there for few minutes and his hunger disappeared when he found no answer from her. He clenched his teeth and quietly retired his room. He cursed his fate; he should have tried at least once to…. No what was he thinking? He was a married person. He called his sister and informed that they safely arrived at their home and lied about dinner. He lied everything that they were spending night in the same room and Jhinuk happily shared his cupboard. His heart shattered into pieces while lying to his revered sister. He had to do that to save their relation else his sister would be heartbroken. His nose flared up and throat choked after he disconnected the phone. He slapped himself for each lie he said to his goddess. He lay down on his bed staring at the ceiling with blank eyes.

She felt respite as she heard the footstep fade away. She overheard Rishu’s lie. A solitary drop of tear tickled down her cheek. She shivered and howled out, but that painful scream was to her ears only. Her teardrop soaked the pillow and sounded like thousand cannons to her ears. In reality, the teardrop does not create any sound however on that quiet night the splashing of her tears sounded very loud. Does he really love her? How a person can fall in love in first sight? Yes, she also fell in love but it took time. She was fortunate to know Sitavro’s intention before marriage. She could not sleep the whole night. Her eyelids became heavy only at the morning.

Two lonely birds spent sleepless night in two rooms adjacent to eachother. Jhinuk pressed her face on the pillow to silence her sobs so that the sound does not create ripples in the chilled wind and Rishu spent staring at the ceiling thinking of his future as how to proceed with his life with the beautiful porcelain lifeless doll.

His eyelids became heavy but the alarm at wee hour woke him up. He had morning duty at trauma centre. He looked at his face in the mirror, which was red and extremely fatigued. He splashed water on his face to cool-off his tensions and dressed up. He thought to knock on her door however he felt no to. He picked his bag, his white apron and stethoscope and took a deep breath before starting for his hospital.

The continuous knocking sound on the door startled Jhinuk. She sat on the bed and waited for the other person to open the door. The sound continued and she felt an uncanny silence in the flat. She shivered in anxiety, was she alone in that huge flat? Her fear was right as she came out of her room and looked around. Rishu was not in his room, he was nowhere. Was she in a wrong place? Where had he gone? What was the time? She looked at her wrist watch it was eleven in the morning still there was no sun in the sky. It was foggy outside. She looked around and observed that the showcase had several pictures of his family. She felt respite that she was in right place and not in some dungeon. But where was Rishu? She tiptoed to the door and looked through the eyepiece to observe as who has come. She saw an aged woman standing at her door and knocking.

The woman asked, “Memsahib, open the door.”

She was anxious to know as who the person was so she cleared her throat and asked, “Who are you? What do you want?”

The woman answered, “I am the maid Memsahib, I have come for house cleaning.”

She felt respite and opened the door. The woman entered and looked at her from head to toe. She smiled at her and said, “Were you sleeping? Sorry to disturb you. Maaji gave a call yesterday that Doctor Shaab has arrived. Generally I come in evening only after Doctor Shaab arrives since you will be present so I came early.”

The maid vomited everything in one go. Jhinuk was unable to think as what to say to her. She was new in that domain. Her mother-in-law might have forgotten to inform that to her. What should she do now?

She asked the maid, “When do you usually come to clean the house?”

Without answering her question, the maid entered the kitchen and asked her, “Why the dinner is still here Memsahib? You did not have dinner last night?”

Jhinuk smiled at her, “After cooking we thought to go out so we went out for dinner.”

“Ok ok, so what should I cook for lunch?”

“No no, I will cook my lunch.”

“But Maaji asked me to cook lunch for you.”

“No need, I will cook myself. You clean the room that will be enough.”

Just then, she got call from Ambalika, she felt respite, who was she? Her mother-in-law or her sister-in-law? Here relation was thicker than blood.

She answered the phone, “Good morning Mamoni, how are you?”

Her mother-in-law asked her, “How are you dear? Have you slept well?”

Jhinuk, “Yes Mamoni, I am fine.”

Ambalika, “See, I forgot to tell you that I informed the maid to come early. If she comes, please keep an eye on her while she cleans the house. She is very talkative so don’t bother to listen to her words and ask her to sweep under the beds and the sofa.”

Jhinuk sat on the couch and answered, “Mamoni, the maid has already arrived.”

Ambalika, “Good then. So where is my son? Has he gone to OPD or Trauma centre?”

Jhinuk’s throat dried up, she had not spoken to him since the reception night. How could she know as where he has gone? She stammered and hankered for answer, “He went early in the morning.” After answering a lie she closed her eyes as she felt a hard slap across her cheek.

Ambalika, “Take care of yourself and don’t go outside until he returns. Delhi is very cold so wear heavy woollens even at home. Did he changed the switch of the geyser?”

Jhinuk was unaware as what happened to the geyser so she stammered, “Probably…”

Ambalika, “So that irresponsible fellah did not changed the switch. See Jhinuk, the geyser switch is broken so be cautious when you switch it on. Don’t forget to wear sandal while switching the geyser.”

Jhinuk, “Ok Mamoni.” Then she asked, “Mamoni where is Deep and Diya?”

Ambalika answered, “They have gone to college. I will give you a call when they return. By the way you can chat with them on Skype, right?”

Jhinuk scratched her head, how ignorant she was, “Yes Mamoni I will speak with them and will be able to see them also.”

Ambalika, “Now on, you have to take the reins of here and there. I am getting old Jhinuk.”

Jhinuk, “No Mamoni you are still young.”

Ambalika, “Naughty girl, take care I will give you a call once Deep and Diya returns from college. Probably Jhilik will be staying with us for few months as their exams are coming near. Diya and Jhilik want to do joint study.”

Jhinuk was astonished to know that. She was so sullen since two days that she felt not to speak with anyone, even with her best friend, her kid sister.

She exclaimed, “Really?”

Ambalika, “Yes. Ok, I have to go now, will call you later.”

Jhinuk stood up after disconnecting the phone. She looked at the maid who was busy sweeping. She instructed the maid to clean the house properly. She felt lonely after the maid was gone. She sat quietly for sometime and entered the kitchen. She looked around, she has not taken food since last night, her stomach was growling. She opened the refrigerator, took out eggs to boil and made a sandwich. She sat at the dining table to have her food and then her eye fell on a white paper lying on the table. Curiosity took over and she opened the folds of the paper. A letter addressed to her that read.

“Hello Sanghamitra,

I have morning duty at trauma centre. There are eggs in the refrigerator. Other things you can find in the kitchen. Don’t wait for me for lunch or the evening tea. Do whatever you please, but do not go out of the house. I will try to return early, but can’t say about emergencies and operations. Temperature is much lower than that of Kolkata so wear woollens even when you are at home. I will try to give a call but there is tower problem in AIIMS premises, even my phone might be unavailable if I am inside the OT. If you feel bored, then call anyone in Kolkata or watch movies on the television. There are lot of DVD’s in the lower cabinet of my table.

Take care, Ambarish.”

She folded the paper and kept it in her diary. She never asked his mobile number, whom she would call or what she would do if something happens to her. She took bathe and changed her dress. While sitting before the dressing table she looked at herself. She looked at the small container of vermillion inside her makeup box. Automatically her middle finger touched the vermillion and she applied on her forehead. She looked at her face and gave a sweet smile.

She threw a kiss to her reflection and said, “Good Morning Mrs. Sanghamitra Sanyal. How are you doing today?”

She felt the puerile foal to spring inside. She laughed and twirled inside the house. After some time she opened her laptop, but she did not have the internet connection. She felt handicapped without internet and felt anxiety creeping in her mind as how she would chat with Jhilik. She closed the laptop and sat in the drawing room looking at her mobile after every few minutes. She got calls from Kolkata and she gossiped with them. She fidgeted with her mobile expecting his call but that never came. Her empty soul longed to hear his deep calm voices but his call evaded her. With each passing hour, the empty house crammed over her. Again, a dark vacuum entrapped her soul. She again shrinks in her shell.

Rishu was very busy all the day. He joined hospital after eight days. He finished his last operation and looked at his mobile. There were several miss calls from his family, however the call he longed most was not in his miss call list. He felt sullen and retuned call to his sister. He felt that his sister was very happy to know that they were doing well within a short span of time. He was surprised to hear her contend voice. He looked at the dark night sky; he could see nothing as it was covered with heavy smog. It was a hard day at trauma centre and another hard night waiting for him in his house. Usually after returning to house, he prepares a cup of coffee and reclines on sofa to watch some movies. However, the time was different; there was another person in the house with whom he can’t even speak freely. He felt agitated and banged his fist in the air. He started his bike and roamed in the crowded streets of Delhi for an hour. He did not feel to return neither to goto Indrajeet’s place.

While driving aimlessly he received a call from his sister. She screamed over the phone, “You have not reached home yet? What are you doing?”

Rishu was astonished as how his sister came to know his whereabouts. Then it dawned that he gave a call after coming out of OT and then he said that he would return to the house. She might have informed Jhinuk and when even after an hour he was not at home, Jhinuk might have called his sister.

He stammered to answer, “Some emergency came up in the last minute so I had to stay back.” “Shit!” he slapped his head as a car honked beside him.

Ambalika was furious, “You have emergency in the middle of the road? It is nine o’clock. Where are you? How irresponsible you are to leave her alone in the house. Immediately reach home.”

Slowly he drove his bike towards his house and with each passing minute, his heart sank into abyss as if he was returning to a cell where he was put up with a mute porcelain doll. He reached his flat and was surprised to hear sound of music coming from his flat. He knocked the door and waited anxious moments outside. The seconds felt like hour. He heard her running footsteps towards the door.

Jhinuk opened the door with a soft courteous smile on her lips. He looked at her from head to toe, she was in a white jeans and a grey cardigan. She looked very beautiful and much lively than ever. She stood aside to usher him inside.

Jhinuk asked him softly, “Do you want to have your dinner now?”

After ages, he heard her voice. He looked at her face and answered, “Why haven’t you taken your dinner? It is ten o’clock.”

She reached out to take his bag and apron. However, he walked inside his room without bothering to wait for her answer. She felt dejected by his behaviour, a solitary teardrop welled in her eyes and was about to trickle down but she controlled that drop in penultimate moment. He changed his dresses and entered the kitchen only to find that Jhinuk was heating the fried rice she prepared. The aroma of the fried rice intensified his hunger.

He was taken aback by her change, so he complimented her, “The aroma is very good.”

She bit her lips and looked away to hid her bashful face. Her ears turned red with coy. She felt to melt and spill on the floor. He was very happy to see her coy face. He took a deep breadth and asked her to serve dinner. They sat opposite to each other.

He took a morsel and complimented, “The taste is awesome. Your culinary quality is very good.”

Jhinuk’s ears turned red, as she was unable to look at his eyes directly. Was the ice melting between them? The time will tell.

Continued.....