Paritosh lingered around for a while when Rupali reached there the next day. Usually he set out immediately. Was he looking out for her or for Meenal, Rupali wondered. He made some small talk; asked about her job at the pharmacy.

“It’s quite mindless, but it pays,” she replied with a smile, “Thankfully not many people had any emergency last night. Not much business.”

He chuckled slightly at that. That was a first too! After the smile last evening… And he looked good when he did that. His features softened, his eyes smiled. It was difficult to fathom that this man could have just walked in yesterday and fired her ruthlessly. Was something the matter?

He came back early in the evening too. Half an hour earlier than usual. He had called up the cook on his way and asked her to come earlier. “She will make tea,” he informed her, “Have some before leaving.” He was really trying hard to make up for his behavior yesterday.

“I never got to ask,” she decided to face the issue head on over tea, “Why had you come back in the afternoon yesterday?” His face clouded. She figured she might have asked something she shouldn’t have. “You don’t have to answer,” she added in a small voice.

“No. That’s fine,” he gathered himself together, “You deserve an explanation, even if it is inadequate.” She looked up at him questioningly.  He continued, “It was Amrit’s, Meenal’s mother’s, death anniversary.”

“Ohh!” He must have been upset. “I… I am sorry.” But why was there no puja, no rituals that the occasion demanded? Did he not believe in them? But even non-believers didn’t usually skip some bare minimum rituals?

“We had been trying for a baby for a long time before Meenal was born. When she was about two-years old, her symptoms became difficult to ignore. Amrit was severely disappointed when the diagnosis came. She could never accept Meenal’s condition,” Paritosh went on talking, “People, especially relatives, are not always kind in their remarks. And Amrit could not ignore them. I tried my best, but… She couldn’t stand being taunted for giving birth to a retarded girl.”

“Meenal is not retarded,” Rupali could not help interrupting.

“No. She is not. But abandoning her wouldn’t be justified even if she were. Amrit committed suicide. She left her daughter. Social stigma became more important for her than her little girl. I will never be able to forgive her.”

That explained why he didn’t want to do anything in her memory. Rupali had nothing to say. She stayed silent.

“She had overdosed on sleeping pills. Doctor had prescribed them because of her depression. I would have thought it was an accident, but there was a suicide note too. When I came home that day, I found Meenal playing at her side. She looked asleep. But she was dead.”

Damn! That explained his reaction to her sleeping yesterday. “You were reminded of that when you saw me sleeping yesterday?” she asked.

He nodded. “It was unfair. But… I don’t know what had come upon me.”

“Try not to be so hard on yourself, Dr. Khanna. Life is not kind to us. If we also treated ourselves ruthlessly, we won’t survive.”

He looked at her appreciatively. “You’d survive it. You have learned life’s lessons well.” The smile that he gave after that affected her  – she felt a knot in the pit of her stomach, and a quickening of heartbeat.

“I need to leave now, Dr. Khanna. Take care.”

“You too. Bye!”

—

“Rupali,” at some point of time he had switched to calling her by her name instead of ‘Ms. Banerjee’. Rupali didn’t remember when that happened, but this felt more natural. “About tomorrow…” It was a Friday. The weekends were here again.

“I will come, Sir. No problem.” Sugata and Soumitra had accepted it, even if grudgingly. She had promised that she’d try to get a day off from Pharmacy.

“Your brothers… They don’t have school tomorrow, right?”

“No.”

“They could come with you. That way you’d get to spend time with them too. And they could bring their books or whatever they need, if they have to study or finish some other work.”

“That’s… That’s a very kind offer, Sir. But too many people may disturb Meenal and…”

“There is only one thing we do not lack here. Space,” he looked around sadly, “They can have one of the guest rooms to themselves. And there are the lawns, the swimming pool. At how many places would Meenu be at any time?”

“I… I will check with them…”

“If you want I can speak to them.”

She chucked slightly, “It’s okay, Sir. They won’t need a formal invitation if they want to come.”

“And don’t bother with cooking. I’ll have breakfast and lunch cooked here.”

“Sir…”

“Please. I insist.”

She nodded looking uncomfortable.

“And Rupali…”

“Yes Sir?”

He had remembered the heap of unwashed clothes. He thought of asking her to bring them over as well and they will get washed in the machine. But she already was already uncomfortable with him trying to make things easier. So, he decided against saying anything about it.

“Nothing. Just… Thanks for accommodating and do try to convince your brothers to come.”

“Yes Sir.”

—

“Why should we go there? We have our own home.” Sugata was at his rebellious best again. But Rupali had sensed that he was curious and wanted to come.

“Well. One reason is that he has a swimming pool at his house,” Soumitra said while suppressing a smile.

“Swimming pool?” That got him Sugata’s attention.

“How do you know about the swimming pool?” Rupali was surprised. She hadn’t noticed it herself. She didn’t know of its existence until he mentioned it to her that evening.

“They were cleaning it the day I had gone there. I just asked casually.”

“Fine. Both of you are coming. Make sure to pack your books though; not swimming dreams. I am not asking him for access to swimming pool. And no one is there to teach you.”

“I know how to swim,” Sugata protested loudly.

Soumitra looked at him skeptically with arched brows. “A little at least,” he added in a small voice drawing a chuckle from his brother and sister.

“Books! Remember to pack your books. Exams are barely a month away.”

—

“Who wants to go swimming?”

Meenal was taking a nap and Rupali was with her brothers in one of the guestrooms, when Paritosh walked in. He must have overheard them.

“No… Nobody Sir,” Rupali stammered. He had been too indulging recently and she didn’t want any more of it. It was uncomfortable. And they shouldn’t get used to it.

“Do either of you swim?” Paritosh ignored her and asked her brothers directly.

“I do…  A little,” Sugata replied despite Rupali’s earlier admonitions. He was eager to get his hands on a pool.

“How about you, Soumitra?”

“No. I have never been in a pool.”

“And even Sugata doesn’t know it too well, Dr. Khanna,” Rupali spoke again.

“Don’t be so afraid, Rupali. They are big boys. The pool is shallow. They can easily stand in it. They won’t drown, even if they try. Come, let’s go.”

Soumitra looked at Rupali for approval. But she was too confused to give him any signals. Sugata meanwhile jumped out of chair he was sitting in and got ready to go. Rupali did not have the heart to check his excitement at this point. She shrugged with a smile. They went off.

—

To be continued