“No grade drop in Econometrics. Did you hear that, Pari?” Catherine was excited.

“Really? That’s great!”

“Of course. Especially for you. Now Sudhanshu does not stand a chance.”

“I am not competing with anybody, Cathy.”

“No? Why are you doing the independent study with him then?”

“What does that have to do with Sudhanshu?”

“Not Sudhanshu. But no grade drop in Econometrics? Why would Subrato Sen do that?”

“How do I know? Oh God! You are crazy Cathy. No, I haven’t talk to him about the grade drop at all. The study was Dr. Gupta’s idea. You really are crazy.”

“That cute face, and soft voice can make anyone go crazy.”

“If independent study helps with that, you can do that too.”

“I won’t spoil my chances. He has high standards. Independent study will reveal my limitations too quickly,” Cathy grinned, “You enjoy it.”

“Shut up!”

—

Paridhi had taken up independent study in the next trimester as suggested by Dr. Gupta and Subrato and was in Subrato’s office to discuss the first steps of her project. Suddenly her mobile rang. She looked at the name on the screen and disconnected the call to return to the conversation. But the phone kept ringing again and again.

“Why don’t you take the call and we can discuss after that?” he noticed that the call was from her mother and suggested helpfully.

“No,” she switched off the phone and said decisively, “Let’s continue. You were saying we could find records in the state library. But we would need someone who known Arabic and Persian, right?”

“Why is you relationship with your mother so strained?”

“Excuse me?” Paridhi was shocked.

“Her calls always seem to trouble you.”

“I have no idea where that came from,” she replied with practiced toughness, “I am just trying to focus on work right now. Can we?”

“Right. Let’s continue,” he replied dryly and did not apologize with his presumption. He knew he was right.

But after their discussion ended, he decided to clear the air, “Listen. Paridhi. I didn’t mean to be intrusive earlier. It’s just…”

“And I didn’t mean to be rude. We all have to live with shortcomings. Sometimes our own, sometimes of the people around us. I don’t want to go around complaining.”

“I will keep that in mind for future.”

“Thanks.”

—

He kept up his promise and did not ask her about it again. He wasn’t taking any courses for her this trimester. So, they only met twice a week to discuss the progress on the project and the next steps to be taken.

She looked particularly distracted that day.

“Network was down in the hostel. I could not mail you some of the translated notes I had taken. Here they are in this USB drive.”

Subrato plugged the USB drive in, “It has a bunch of classical compositions. I doubt it has anything to do with economic policies of Nawabs of Oudh!”

“What… Oh… I brought the wrong… Let me check… I think I forgot… Do you have some time… I will go back and bring the right one…”

“Relax. Is it in your mailbox? You can access from here and download them.”

“It should be. I had sent it to the Maulana Wani for final confirmation.”

“Log in, then,” he turned his laptop over to her. Despite three attempts she could not log in.

“What happened?” he asked when he saw her looking frustrated.

“I can’t seem to remember my password.”

“You have it saved on your computer?”

“No. It’s… It makes no sense… I’m sorry. I am wasting your time. Can I come some other time?”

“Paridhi,” he said very softly, but surely, “You can come any time you want. And you can also share what is bugging you.”

She let out a loud sigh and looked at him with blank expressions.

“If you want,” he added hesitatingly wondering if he again crossed the line with her.

“We don’t always want the right things, do we?”

“I can’t imagine you wanting anything so sinister that you are so restless about it. But if it just about wanting to share your problems with friends – no. I don’t think there can be anything wrong with it.”

“I want to keep my mother happy. But…”

“But?”

“My mother and my grand-mother – they never wanted me to leave home. Staying in a hostel – away from the family. It was all just too modern for them. So, I had done my engineering also from a college in Allahabad only. But I fought with them to come here. Studying here – doing an MBA was my childhood dream. I didn’t know what would I do after this. But I just had to… And they had extracted a thousand promises from me that I won’t do anything that would bring shame on the family. And I haven’t… It’s making no sense to you, is it?” she suddenly asked.

“I am not an American. Why would it make no sense to me? Go ahead. Please!”

“Cathy could never understand. Nobody could. Cathy thinks I would be financially independent after MBA. Why should I care what they want? But how can I not care? She is my mother. She has brought me up.”

Subrato held back his thoughts on the issue and prodded her further, “What is the problem?”

“Everyday is a problem. They want me to get married at the earliest. Whatever time I had left with me after my summer internship, I have spent either getting lectures about how to behave myself to catch a good prospect or in meeting prospective in-laws and husbands. I begged them to wait for me to finish my MBA at least. But they are not willing to listen. They keep sending people to meet me here. And then pass on the feedback about everything from how my room was not clean, to how I was not dressed conservatively enough, how I came across as too modern etc. etc. Sometimes I manage to make my mother understand. But my grandmother starts blaming her for letting her daughter slip away and she loses it and takes out all her frustration on me. So, whenever she calls me I am told that I have slipped away from her hands, I don’t care about her or the family, what did she do wrong in bringing me up, why can’t I learn to be a bit more docile, why am I following the footsteps of my brother…” she suddenly stopped when she mentioned her brother.

“Your brother?”

“No. No brother. I don’t have a brother.”

“Paridhi?”

“He ran away. A few years ago. With a girl from lower cast. Untouchable actually. So now, finding a match for me is difficult if the prospects know about this black mark on the family. So, until I get married, I am the only child. I have no brother. And… nobody here knows either. In case people ask around… So…”

“Don’t worry. Your secrets are safe with me. But…”

“But?”

“Nothing.”

“Now, don’t leave me in a limbo. I have spoken too much anyway. At least I should know what you think about it.”

“Let it be. I don’t want to add to your worries.”

“Please. Speak up.”

“You are too young for marriage to be your first priority. What will happen to your career? Is that a concern in this entire process at all?”

“No. It’s not a concern at all. And… I don’t know what to do.”

“I’m sure some solution will turn up. But as a first step try to improve you mood,” Subrato smiled, “Do something to cheer yourself up.”

“Yeah. I guess so,” Paridhi forced a smile on herself, “I should leave now. I will send you the notes by e-mail and…”

“I have a better idea.”

“Yes?”

“Why don’t you take me to a place in the city where I can get good kebabs and hopefully rest of the dinner too?”

“Dinner?”

“Yes. If you don’t mind.”

“Okay… Yeah… Sure…” Paridhi still looked unsure, but agreed.

“Let’s go then. My car got delivered yesterday. So, we don’t have to depend on the autos and taxis this time. Do you want to change before leaving?”

“No. I am good.”

“So, where do we get great kebabs? Preferably not on the roadside.”

Paridhi smiled, “There is a restaurant in Hazratganj. It comes close, but at a much higher price.”

“Don’t worry. Dinner is on me. Let’s go.”

—

To be continued