She had been tired. She had not been able to catch up on her sleep over the weekend. She could not get enough last night either. Sugata’s band had gotten their first break. They were performing at a club. Having already missed on his cricket match, she didn’t want to disappoint him again. After leaving Paritosh’ house and before starting her night shift at the pharmacy, she had gone to the club to see the performance. This was the time when she usually slept for about three hours.

So, when Meenal slept in the afternoon, she found it difficult to keep herself awake. She hadn’t been planning on sleeping, but had set the alarm just in case… She did end up falling asleep. As luck would have it, Paritosh returned too early, in the afternoon itself for some reason.  And although Meenal wasn’t affected, he went berserk.

Now the job was gone. There was no point in mourning it. She might as well listen to the needs of her body and get a good sleep. That’s what she did when she reached home.

But fate wasn’t going to be kind to her. Hardly two hours had passed, when the bell rung. Sugata and Soumitra couldn’t be back yet. They went to tuition or to play straight after the school and came back only by seven in the evening. Then too, they used their own keys to get in, so as to not disturb a sleeping Rupali.

—

She was taken aback to see Paritosh with Meenal at the door and did not hide her surprise. She was too sleepy to exercise much control over her reactions.

“Mamma… Mamma…” Meenal rocked and held her hand. Rupali stood there looking dumbfounded.

Paritosh noticed her red eyes and realized he had woken her up from deep sleep. He flushed in embarrassment and rubbed his forehead. “I… I don’t know what to explain. She, herself, is explanation enough. She hasn’t stopped asking for you since you left. I’m sorry for how I behaved. It was… I was being a jerk.  Please don’t punish her for that…”

Rupali was still looking from Paritosh to Meenal and back, and was not awake enough to make up her mind. “You are too surprised and sleepy,” Paritosh realized her condition and said, “If she comes in with you, could you please take her. You can sleep. Just let her be around. For one hour. After five she would be fine. I can wait in the car.”

“Okay,” she mumbled and made to go in. Meenal willingly followed her. Then she suddenly realized the absurdity of him waiting in the car. “Wait. Dr. Khanna,” she called him back, “Please come in and wait inside. Why should you wait in the car? I am so sleepy, I am behaving like an idiot.”

For the first time, she saw him smile. An embarrassed, but genuine smile. “It’s okay,” he said and came in. It was a one-bedroom house, with a small hall, part of which was converted to a kitchen. Two cots were lying in the hall. Books and some other usual teenage possessions were fitted in two old steel cupboards and on a simple wooden table.  There was one wooden chair and no other furniture in the hall. One corner had a mattress lying on the floor. Clothes were heaped up on the mattress; most likely the unwashed ones, waiting for the weekend. Gathered up for two weeks? He wondered, because he had taken up her weekend as well.

Rupali didn’t notice his close scrutiny. “Shall I get your some tea or coffee, Sir?” she asked.

“No. I am fine. Please go ahead and sleep.”

It must be her sleepy state of mind that Rupali picked Meenal up without any warning. Paritosh got worried. He was about to stop her, but realized that Meenal wasn’t protesting. He wordlessly watched them disappear in the bedroom. He wasn’t quite able to figure out how he felt. He slumped on the chair and started fiddling with his phone.

—

“Mamma… Mamma…” Paritosh heard Meenal’s soft voice coming from the bedroom. It was five. She was probably waking Rupali up. Should he go in and bring her away? But how could he enter the bedroom? Before he could resolve his dilemma, Rupali came out with Meenal walking by her toes and holding her hand.

“She woke you up,” Paritosh said apologetically.

“That’s fine. I was planning to wake up anyway. I will sleep at my usual time now.”

“You hadn’t had enough sleep last night?”

“No.”

“Why? Were you unwell?”

“No,” she replied and paused for a moment. He would want to know the reason. He didn’t know about her night-job. Should she tell him? What was there to lose now? At worst, he won’t reverse his decision of firing her. She might as well tell him. “I do the night-shift at a 24-hours pharmacy. I usually sleep between six to nine in the evening. But last night, my brother’s band was performing. For the first time. So, I had to go. I had already missed the cricket match last Saturday.”

“You work two jobs?” he was surprised.

She nodded.

“To support your brother?”

“To take care of them,” she didn’t like the word ‘support’. That sounded like an unwanted responsibility.

“Them? How many brothers do you have?” Paritosh had seen only Soumitra and had assumed that he was the only one.

“Two. They are twins.”

“Your parents?”

“They are dead.”

“I’m sorry.”

“It has been six years.”

“Oh!” He hadn’t realized the extent of her responsibilities. When she had said that she had taken care of her brothers, he had assumed that she would have helped her mother. “I didn’t realize your parents… Did you have no relatives you could stay with?”

“Both my grandparents were dead by then. My mother was the only child and my father didn’t have good relationship with his brothers.”

Paritosh looked away uncomfortably. He shouldn’t have behaved that way with her earlier. Rupali decided to change the topic to put him out of misery. “I will make some tea.”

“No! I have already troubled you too much today…”

“I’m going to make some for myself anyway, Sir. Please…”

“Okay.”

“Meenal would need her biscuits. I am afraid I don’t have that brand at home…”

“Oh! I am carrying those. I will get them from the car. Meenu. Come with me,” he took her with him so that Rupali could go to the kitchen.

“You will come tomorrow, I hope,” Paritosh said hesitatingly as he sipped tea after feeding biscuits to Meenal.

“I do need the job, Dr. Khanna,” Rupali replied in a low voice, “And I do like her. Very much.”

“Thanks. I had over-reacted today,” he was relieved.

“I shouldn’t have slept. It won’t happen again.”

“Just let me know if you do need rest. I will try to come early.”

This concern and cooperation was in stark contrast to his behavior of just a few hours earlier. It was confusing for Rupali. “It’s fine, Sir. I will manage,” she said.

“Didi!” Soumitra entered excitedly just then, “I won the debate competition and…” He hesitated and fell silent as he saw Paritosh there.

“Hello Soumitra,” Paritosh greeted him, “And congratulations.”

“Thanks Dr. Khanna. Didi. This is for you,” he handed her an envelope.

“What is this?”

“The prize. They had cash prizes.”

“You keep it, Soumitra…”

“No. This is for you. Sugata has gone to play cricket,” he changed the topic, “I have to study for a mock test tomorrow. I will be in the room.”

“Eat something first.”

“I will take some snacks from kitchen. Don’t worry.”

“He sometimes sells off whatever he gets as the prize to bring the cash home,” Rupali murmured after Soumitra had taken his snacks and books into the only bedroom the house had, “He has grown beyond his age.”

“So have you,” Paritosh could not help appreciating. Then quickly changed the topic, “I will leave now. Hope to see you tomorrow. You should catch up on your sleep.”

“Yes Sir.”

—

To be continued