“So, finally the discharge?” Rupali asked Chand with a smile.

“Yes, I guess it is a happy day.”

“Of course, it is. Are you unsure about it?”

“No Dr. Banerjee. Thanks a lot for everything.”

“What are you thanking me for?” Rupali chuckled nervously. “I take no responsibility whatsoever of your health,” she added with humour.

“For treating my daughters, first of all…”

“I was only doing my duty.”

“And for spending so much of time with me.”

“Well…” Rupali tried to shrug it off, “I was just filling in for Dr. Khanna.”

“Yes. And I wish you would continue doing that for him. Even if he doesn’t ask. Like in this case.”

“Excuse me?”

“Dr. Banerjee. You are not such a smooth liar,” Chand smiled, “Paritosh didn’t ask you to do this extra duty. But thanks a lot for doing that. It meant a lot to me.”

Rupali bit her lips and tried to change the subject, “I should get going. My break is over.”

“Rupali. Just couple of more minutes…”

“Yeah. Sure…” Rupali was uncomfortable, but she didn’t have an option.

“You know about us, right? Me and Paritosh.”

Rupali gulped and nodded.

“Not many people do…”

“I… I am sorry,” Rupali said awkwardly, “But it’s… the information safe with me.”

“No. No. That doesn’t matter. Not any longer. His silence was to keep my marriage safe. But it takes more than that to save a marriage. It doesn’t matter any longer if the entire world knows.”

Does she want to get back? Rupali wondered. But from what Paritosh had said, it didn’t look like an idea he welcomed. But it might just have been his self-defense. He might just…

“This might be the time to pick up from where you left…” Rupali suggested in an almost quivering voice, though she had a smile on her face.

“What? No. Oh my God!”

“I… I am sorry. I didn’t mean to offend…”

Chand laughed out loud at that, “I have been insensitive to him, Rupali. But no. I am not that selfish. He is too nice a person. If I were to ask for it, he’d not shirk my responsibility. But that won’t be fair. That won’t be right. The time is long gone. I have made my life pitiable. But I won’t be able to take his pity. That is not the reason I asked you if you knew about us.”

“Then?”

“The fact that you knew about us tells me that you are special… to him. He trusts you… With his deepest secrets.”

Rupali looked at her surprised. “You give me too much credit,” she said nervously.

“Too little probably. Definitely not too much. By the way, I wouldn’t have brought this up, if I hadn’t thought that he was special to you too. That was the reason you were filling in for him. Even when he didn’t ask you to.”

“What do you want to say?” Rupali sighed in resignation. People won’t leave her alone. But she probably deserved this for spending time with Chand. What was she thinking?

“I want to make a selfish request. Because I feel guilty about him, Rupali. He never moved on. Help him move on. It will make both of you happy. And me too, of course.”

Rupal’s lips twisted in a condescending smile, “Why can’t you get back to him?”

“Like I said Rupali, that time is long gone. My life is about my daughters now. How fair it would be saddle him with my responsibilities and the mess of my life?”

“And what makes you think that my life is not a mess? You have no clue how damaged I am. Probably he has this magical ability to attract messed up women like us to him. That’s why he is unable to move on. His bad luck. But as much as I wish, I am not the answer to his loneliness. He deserves better. Than both of us.”

“Rupali. You…”

“I really should get going Ma’am. Congratulations on getting well. And all the best for your daughters. They are wonderful kids. Take care. Good Bye.”

She turned around to leave, only to find Paritosh at the door. Holy cow! What all had he heard?

“What is going on ladies?” he asked cheerfully. A bit too cheerfully, Rupali thought. But it might be her flustered state of mind.

At least it meant he hadn’t heard anything.

“I just came to meet her once before she is discharged,” Rupali replied. Simultaneously, she look at Chand pleading silently to not talk to Paritosh about it. Chand nodded almost indiscernibly at her.

“I need to go. Bye Ma’am. Bye Dr. Khanna,” Rupali turned on her heels and left. Paritosh looked after her for a moment, then turned back to Chand with a smile.

—

“Free for some coffee?” Paritosh sent her an SMS just as she was leaving after her duty. It was odd. Somehow, she did not associate SMS communication with him.

She called him back, “Did you send an SMS?”

“It was my number, wasn’t it?” he sounded amused.

“Of course,” Rupali felt foolish about her question, “Are you in the office?”

Paritosh laughed out loud, “Your are asking me so many questions in reply to my one innocuous question. Yes. I am in the office. Now can I get my answer?”

“Uh… Yeah… Sure… I have nothing to do in particular.”

“Great then. Let’s meet in the parking lot.”

“What do you normally do in your free time, Rupali?” he asked as they drove to a cafe.

“I read…”

“Ah! And not play or listen to classical music like good Bengalis?”

Rupali chuckled, “No. I am half-punjabi, remember?”

“Of course.”

“Why do you ask? Are you into classical music?”

“Oh no. Not at all. Daar ji was a total business man. Nothing of that kind at home. About studies, however, he was as bad as a Bengali parent.”

Rupali smiled, “So, what do you do in your free time?”

“Haven’t done anything in many years now…”

“Why so? What did you used to do earlier?”

“I will show you sometime…” he smiled wistfully.

“Okay…” she was curious, but could not insist.

They reached the cafe and ordered their coffee. Then Paritosh asked her, “Would you like to watch a play this friday?”

She was awkward, “Do you like watching plays?”

“I do. But I prefer watching when I have company.”

“Hmm… If my company works, then sure…”

—

To be continued