He switched on the phone listlessly. There was a new message. Must be some alert from bank, or investment advisors, or some useless telemarketer. He went to the message-box to delete it, but was greeted by an unexpected sight. The message was from her! He held his breath as he opened it. What could she have to say? Even though they had each other’s mobile numbers since the very beginning, they hadn’t called or messaged at all. There hadn’t been a need.

“Thank you!” That was all the message said, but he was no longer annoyed with himself. It was sent soon after she had left, probably while she was in the bus to her student’s place.

“What for?” he typed and pressed ‘send’.

He looked at the clock. Will she respond now? What would she be doing at the moment? If she started her tuition at 8.30, she would still be there. She may not…

The phone beeped.

“For caring. And for everything. I will take care of my voice, I promise.”

“And of yourself too. Both are precious.” He replied. If he had stopped to think about what he was doing, he would have restrained himself. But he was too elated to listen to that little corner of his mind where some caution resided.

She sent a smiling-face emoticon in return.

He was restless and could not stay at home. After lunch, he went out and drove around the city pointlessly. He went to Garia haat and then to the place where he had dropped her. He didn’t know where exactly her house was. Then, on an impulse, he drove to her college. Some class had gotten over. Several students were coming out of the college gate. He hoped to see her among them. But she wasn’t there. It might not be her class. He drove back home, his mood slightly dampened, but by no means unhappy.

—

He spent a good fifteen minutes talking to her next morning before starting their practice. And realized that her day was packed. After the morning practice, she went to give tuition at 8.30; then rushed to college. She gave three more tuitions after college. The couple of hours she had in between she spent in the city library near college catching up on her studies. Sometimes she went to Sonali’s house, which was also nearby, and practised there. And when she didn’t feel like either studying or practising, they spent time in the park next to city library. She would reach home by eight, study a little, eat and then sleep by ten to be able to get up at four in the morning.

“Where do you eat?”

“Ma cooks for me at night itself. I carry the tiffin.”

“Breakfast as well as lunch?”

“And evening snacks,” she chuckled, “Going back home in between would waste too much of time.”

“Hmm…” There was no way he could ask her to find more time for himself. But he could find time for her!

—

“Hello!”

“Mukundo Babu!” Piyali sprang out of the chair she was sitting on. Was she dreaming? Had she started thinking so much about him that she was imagining him in the city library?

“Me indeed!”

She shook her head and smiled. She wasn’t hallucinating. He was indeed there.

“I was passing by,” he lied, “And figured you would be here.”

She stood silent smiling politely.

“Am I disturbing you?”

“No. No. Not at all. Sonali was not around today. So, I came here, even though I didn’t feel like studying at all.”

“Let’s go out then. It is difficult to talk here,” talking was not encouraged in the library and they were speaking in hushed voices.

“Okay,” she felt her heart thumping and tried to maintain outward calm.

They ran into Sonali on their way out of the library.

“Piyali, did you know…” she stopped in her tracks on realizing that her friend had company. She had seen his photographs in the papers and had also attended some of his stage performances. But it took her a moment to identify him so closely, in person.

Piyali gulped hard and introduced him. “Sonali. Mukundo Babu.”

“Yes. Of course,” Sonali laughed nervously, “Who doesn’t know him? Nomoshkaar, Mukundo Babu.”

“Nomoshkaar,” Mukundo replied with a politeness that surprised Piyali. He hadn’t been like that with her in their initial meetings.

“I… I just came to tell you that tomorrow college is off. There is a strike,” Sonali addressed her friend.

“Again?”

Sonali shrugged, “Anyway. I will get going… You are busy.”

“We were just going for some coffee,” Mukundo interjected, “Why don’t you join us?” Piyali looked at Mukundo questioningly. Were they? Going for coffee? But he was looking at Sonali.

“Thanks, Mukundo Babu. But I need to be at home. So, I will excuse myself. Bye.”

Piyali silently followed him and hesitated when they reached his car. The memory of her last encounter with the car was still fresh. Mukundo also recalled that and smiled. He unlocked the car with remote key and walked to the passenger door. “Let me do it for you,” he said and opened the door.

Piyali flushed, but smiled and got in. He closed it after her, walked to the other side, got in the car and they drove off to a nearby coffee shop. She asked him to order for her too. He ordered two cappuccinos and some French fries. While they waited for coffee, he asked her about the time and location of her next tuition.

“I will drop you,” he declared and she didn’t object. She didn’t feel like objecting to anything he said. She was experiencing the exhilaration of first love – without quite being consciously aware of it.

She almost choked on the first sip of coffee.

“What happened?”

“Nothing.”

“Come on.”

“This is… very bitter…”

“Strong,” he chuckled and corrected her.

“I have never had coffee like this earlier.”

“No? What kind of coffee have you had?”

Coffee was a luxury at home. The instant coffee’s bottle was kept in fridge to keep it from forming lumps and a little was poured in the milk when some special guests came.

“Much milkier… I think…” she tried to answer.

“Do you prefer tea? We can order one…”

“No… No. Let’s not waste it. I will put more sugar.”

“Excuse me,” he called the waiter, “Can we have some milk on the side?”

“Sure Sir.”

“Don’t put more sugar,” he said, “You need milk.”

“I mess up every time, don’t I?”

“What do you mean?”

“The car door. Now the coffee…”

“I’m sure I would fumble much worse if I had to give Maths tuitions to unwilling kids. Liking your coffee milkier is actually quite all right.”

She blushed and smiled. “I had never thought that you could so…”

“So?”

“So… easy going and.. approachable.”

“I see. Do I look like a monster or what?”

“You look all right. It’s the way you talked. Not a hint of smile. Always ready to criticize.”

“That isn’t going to change, Piyali. If a teacher isn’t critical…”

“I know. I am not complaining. Not at all.”

—

“Good morning,” since she didn’t have to go to college after tuition, she went to Sonali’s house. The feverish anticipation and excitement she carried with her all the time these days was making her restless. So, she sought out her friend’s company. But as soon as she reached there, it occurred to her that it was a bad idea. She couldn’t possibly talk to Sonali about it.

“Hello,” Sonali greeted her as she entered her bedroom, “What’s up?”

Piyali slumped on her bed and blurted, “Don’t say anything about it, Sonali.”

“Okay… I assume you are talking about last evening. I wasn’t going to say anything. Because I don’t think you will listen to me. But since you have brought it up yourself, you do realize that there is something to be said about.”

“I haven’t done anything,” Piyali pretended defiance.

“No? Why are you pleading me to stay silent then?”

“Sonali!”

“I am not saying anything. I do not know anyone who is more responsible than you are…”

“Don’t you often say that I am too uptight? That I should loosen up… Enjoy?”

“Sure! And if you have to enjoy, go flirt with someone in the college. There is no dearth of suitors for you. This isn’t loosening up, Piyali. This is disaster.”

—

To be continued