Debangi wasn’t surprised to see that Mukundo had brought Piyali back, when she was sent a message that Mukundo wanted to her to come over to his house. They were sitting in his bedroom, silently, both lost in their own thoughts.

“Kaki!” Mukundo stood up deferentially, when Debangi entered and apologized, “I am sorry for giving you the trouble. I should have come over, but there was something I wanted to show you.”

Piyali looked at him startled. What was he going to show to his mother? Not that chamber, she hoped. It was romantic, but would be extremely awkward to show to her mother.

Debangi looked as uncomfortable as the two of them. She had been non-committal when Mukundo had spoken to her. She had just said that she would talk to Piyali. She had also said that she didn’t intend to do it immediately, because she really wanted her to recover first. Mukundo had agreed to her. But when she had gone into her daughter’s room just to sit with her for a while, she had gotten a glimpse of the portrait she was making. It had made her unsure about postponing the talk. If she got too emotionally involved… And she had ended up speaking to her quite unprepared. She wondered if Mukundo would question her on her haste.

She was relieved when he didn’t get into that. But the conversation was not quite comfortable even otherwise.

“Kaki. You have apprehensions about us,” he shot a brief look at Piyali, who was sitting with her eyes downcast and her hand on her lap. “Why didn’t you tell me? What makes you think that Piyali won’t be happy…”

“It’s not her that I am worried about, Mukundo. But you. I am not that selfish about my daughter that I’d forget how you have been more than a son to me…”

“Worried about me, because I have rejected ‘better’ woman?” he interrupted remembering what Piyali had said. That must have come from Debangi.

“Well – yes…”

“Kaki. Have you wondered why I rejected all of them?”

Even Piyali looked up at this. But neither she, nor Debangi replied.

Mukundo continued, “I don’t like to talk about this, Kaki. I have never told anyone. Not even you or Piyali. But today…”

Mukundo was about fourteen-years old, when he had accidentally discovered the dark truth about his ostensibly upright father.  He had another family. A wife, children. Three of them. Mukundo was the only child from his mother. He had also realized, to his utter astonishment, that his mother knew. But she continued to pretend that everything was all right with her family life. That was more comfortable than confront a truth which could have no pleasant resolution.

His mother might have reconciled herself to a loveless, but outwardly perfect, family life, but at that tender age, Mukundo could not come to terms with it. He was devastated at the idea that his father was not true to them. Unable to talk to anyone at home, and not knowing how to deal with his emotions, he had ended up finding solace in the wrong kind of company.  It had started with drinking and smoking. Then but one hot summer day, he was going to try drugs, when five-year-old Piyali had run into him.

“Where are you going?”

“To my friends.”

“I am bored. Take me with you.”

“You can’t go there.”

“Why not?”

He had tried his best to divert her attention, but something had come upon her that day. She just wouldn’t let Mukundo leave without her. She cried, threw tantrums, and physically clung to him. Debangi remembered the incident. She had also tried to make Piyali understand. But nothing had worked that day. She had to have Mukundo Babu to play with her that day.

“She had saved me that day, Kaki,” Mukundo said presently, “And had given me a purpose. Not only did I not try drugs on that day, but I was also forced to think. Ma’s stoicism had made me believe that there were no real connections in the world. People didn’t expect anything from each other. There was no point of affections, of relationships. It was all just a farce. But that day I saw how much trust Piyali put in me. If someday she realized what kind of a wasted person I was on the way of becoming, how broken would she feel. For her sake, I resolved on being right and not wasting my life. She became my anchor in life. Her well-being became my only purpose. And I rejected all those ‘better woman’, Kaki, because my life was devoted to her. And irrespective of where she went with her life, I knew that I will not be true to any other woman I married. I didn’t want to be what Baba was. And if you don’t believe she has this effect on me, see this.” He opened a cupboard and they found it filled with empty whiskey bottles. “This is what those six months – when she away after her wedding – had done to me.  More than this actually. I emptied it from time to time, when no one was watching. Didn’t want anyone to know and worry.”

Debangi and Piyali stared at him in astonishment. “I know what other question you have in mind,” he continued, “If that was so, why didn’t I say anything earlier? Why did I let her get married, even defended her choice before you?  But somewhere in your heart you know the answer, Kaki. I stayed silent because it was an awkward proposition. She is much younger to me, and I have known her since her childhood. In your heart you know that your objection was not only because you thought it was not a good match, but also because it sounded weird. You had not expected this. I didn’t want to say something and lose her forever. So – yes. That’s why it took a misfortune to hit her for me to open my mouth.”

Piyali noticed that he didn’t blame her and her rejection at all. He didn’t want her to feel even an iota of guilt.

There wasn’t much left for Debangi to say after this. She was shocked to hear about his father though. “Aurbindo Da! It is so difficult to believe, Mukundo.”

“I know. But I am not defaming my father for the heck of it.”

“No… No… Of course not.” She was obviously disturbed. How impossible it was to know people, even when they were so close to you. Who could have thought that Aurbindo Thakur had a secret life? Who could be blamed for not understanding Ahwaan? But she was sure that she understood Mukundo. And she would go with his decision. That has to be right for both him and her daughter. If there was any social awkwardness, she would figure out how to deal with it.

“Go home, Piyali. I need to go to the university for a while. I will come in the evening.”

She was unwilling to go away from him just then. But she was too shy to say so. And if he had work to do…

—

To be continued