“Oh, thank God! I hated calling you Krystal. But what… what did you say your name is?”

“Karishma Gupta,” she looked at him curiously, “What happened?”

“Nothing,” he smiled faintly, “For a moment it sounded familiar.” On seeing her look alarmed, he assured her, “Don’t worry. I don’t think we have met otherwise. Karishma. Good to call you by a real name.” He beamed.

“I hadn’t realized it would make you so happy… At least you look happy…”

“I am happy. I hate these fake names. But have to live with them sometimes…” his voice trailed unexplainably.

“You could just have asked.”

“You were very careful and did not like revealing anything about yourself. And it was a good practice. So, I didn’t want to intrude.”

She smiled guiltily, “I also lied about what I do. I am not studying. As in – I have finished my masters.”

“Hmm… And then?”

“I took up a job as a teacher.”

“Why did you lie about that?”

“It was just… I couldn’t reconcile myself to me as a teacher by the day and as an… What would someone like me be expected to teach the kids? Teaching as a job increased my conflict manifold.”

“If you had a job, and you were so conflicted about it, why then…”

“Teaching doesn’t earn me enough.” She told him about her family’s situation.

“But you are comfortable now, right?”

“Hmm,” she nodded thoughtfully, her eyes downcast, “My family is comfortable now.”

“You are not?” he understood her intent.

She started crying. He held her, but let her cry for a while. “Calm down,” he said after a while, “Why are you so agitated? Just talk to me. What do you want?”

“I just want to earn an honest living. And I want to earn enough so that my family gets what they need. I know that it takes time to grow, but that’s what I don’t have. I don’t have time. My parents are suffering now. My brother needs to study now.”

“Is that all?”

“It’s not trivial.”

“No. It’s not trivial, Karishma. But the good thing is that you know exactly what you want. Here is what we will do. Once we get back to Mumbai, we will take stock of your financial situation and your career choices and work it out. Does that sound good?”

She wiped her tears and nodded.

“That’s great. Now, will you wash you face and figure out why they haven’t brought breakfast yet? I am famished.”

She smiled slightly, “Sorry. I’m spoiling your vacation.”

“No. You are not. So long as you get them to bring the breakfast.”

The bell rung. Breakfast had come!

—

They strolled down the scenic mountain road.

“I just love mountains,” he said.

“I think I am falling in love with them too.”

“What’s his name, Karishma?”

“Whose?”

“Your boyfriend’s?”

“Ex-boyfriend. Akash.”

“Akash. Right. You should try and talk to him. He had looked genuinely hurt. He, obviously, still had feelings for you.”

“It wouldn’t work out, Mr. Sen.”

“Why not? If he knows…”

“It’s not about us. Even otherwise.”

“Why not?”

“In college, he was the rich man’s son. I was the good student. We had a shot at being equal. Now, he is still a rich man’s son. And a hot-shot investment banker. I am a nobody, struggling to make ends meet…”

“If he loves you, he would support you.”

“What if I don’t love him?”

“You don’t?”

“We had broken up because he had to go to the US. For his MBA. I lost the connect. I didn’t feel anything after he came back and we tried to hang out. Life, anyway, had felt very different in college.”

“Hmm…”

“Were you serious about it, when you said you would help me?” she looked at him with a childlike anticipation and fear.

“Why do you think I was not serious? Why would I say it otherwise?”

“I had started crying. What option did you have?” she looked away embarrassed.

He laughed, “You are one of your kind, Karishma. You analyze yourself too much, don’t you?”

“Well…”

“Good that you are into reading then. It keeps you from tearing apart yourself and other living beings. You can keep analyzing fictional characters.”

“Yeah. You said you have read all of Manthan’s books too?”

“Yeah. Sort of.”

“Sort of?”

“I think I can talk about those intelligently enough.”

She laughed. “I really like how witty his writing is. And all the books he has written are different. He experiments with forms and none of his experiments disappoint.”

“You sound like a true fan.”

“I am. I am a big fan! There is only one aspect of his writing that I don’t like.”

“What?”

“His portrayal of women.”

“Really?” he was surprised, “I thought his female characters are modern and forward. Why would you have a problem with that?”

“Modern and forward is fine. But they don’t show any signs of… strength or intellect.”

“How so?”

“There is this girl, who is so antagonistic to her father, because she had caught him cheating on her mother. After growing up, she falls hard for a married man and insists that he leave his wife and daughter to be with her. And the irony of the situation is just not evident to her. It falls to the lot of that married lover to think of that.”

“Hmm…”

“Or this actress who gives up her career for marriage; then realizes that she had married the wrong man. But instead of walking out, and trying to rebuild her career, she chooses to find consolation in cheating and then acting the loving, cooperating wife. It is so difficult to garner any respect for her.”

“Interesting. Never thought of it that way.”

“Although who am I to judge their respectability?” she laughed self-deprecatingly.

Siddhartha appeared not to have heard her though. He was lost in thoughts. She noticed that, but did not immediately disturb him. They continued walking in silence.

—

“What? No… Are you sure? … Right. Yes. I am coming… I am taking the next flight back…” Siddhartha’s jaws were set tight when he got off the phone.

“What happened?” Karishma could sense the tension.

“Monika… my wife… died.”

Wife? Right! He couldn’t possibly be unmarried. But why did it not come up till now? And died?

“I… I am sorry,” the expression came to her automatically, “What happened?”

“I don’t know yet. I will have to leave immediately.”

“Yeah. I will pack up.”

“No. Don’t leave with me. Leave tomorrow as planned. I will have the arrangements made for your travel.”

She nodded. She wasn’t the only one who needed to be careful. She left his room, when he did not say anything further and started packing up.

Bittu called up soon after. The news was all over. She updated him on their plan.

“Will you be fine? You don’t really have to wait just because he says so. You are alone there.”

“I’m all right, Bittu. Don’t worry about me. If I come back early, I will have to explain at my home too.”

“All right. But call me if there is a problem.”

“Will do.”

—

To be continued