They climbed up the hill and found a shade to rest under. The lunch could wait. People formed different groups, some gossiping, some playing games. One large group was formed immediately for playing cricket. They found an area that was flat and large enough. Mou sat down with a group for playing cards. Cards didn’t interest Karishma. She picked up a book and wandered off.
“Still working on the project?” her secluded spot was discovered by him.
“Prof. Sen,” she smiled at him and got up. “Not working. It is fun to read in the natural surroundings. But yes – since I am reading the book, I’d as well use it in the project.”
“I won’t disturb you, then,” he said and made to go away.
“No. Please. Stay,” she said and felt awkward at her eagerness.
He pretended not to notice any awkwardness and sat down. She did likewise.
“So, where are you from?” he started the conversation, “You stay in the hostel, right?”
“Yeah. My family is in Kolkata.”
“Who all?”
“Oh. Lots of people,” she chuckled, “My parents. My younger brother and sister. I have one each. My grandparents, two of my uncles and their families.”
“That’s grand. Must be fun.”
“It’s a zoo, jungle, I don’t know what! But yes – it’s fun. How about you?”
“I have no family left. I had lost my family to an accident in childhood. I was saved somehow and was brought up by an elderly maternal uncle. He was quit old and died soon after I started working.”
“I’m sorry.”
“It’s okay. It has always been like that for me. I don’t remember life being any other way.”
“But that solves the mystery,” she said playfully.
“What mystery?”
“Why you are not married. There is no one to coax you.”
He laughed at that, but Karishma was able to discern a pain in it. His laughter was not of amusement, but an attempt at hiding something. The mystery was not solved, then.
“I like that explanation,” he said.
“You should get married though,” she persisted despite being unsure about the appropriateness of the topic.
“Why?”
“For one, you’d make a cool Dad. Not wanting chaperoning for your kids.”
“I hope you are not planning on opening a marriage bureau. You’d do a very bad job of convincing people to get married.”
She grinned. But before she could reply, she heard Mou calling her name.
“Karishma. Lunch time. Where are you?”
“Here. Coming.”
Mou followed the voice and came there. She looked embarrassed to find Siddhartha there. “Sir! Good morning, Sir,” she greeted him awkwardly. He nodded in acknowledgement and got up.
“Shall we go for lunch?” he looked at Karishma. She nodded and they walked off.
—
Mou accosted her after lunch.
“What was going on?”
“What?”
“Hum-tum ek kamre mein band ho…” Mou sang meaningfully and whistled.
“Mou!”
“Fine. At least tell me what you talked about.”
“It’s sad, Mou. He is all alone in the world. No family.”
“Hmm… The way you are going, it won’t be the case for long.”
“Excuse me?”
“You seem all set to make him a family.”
“Mou!”
“No. I am not shutting up this time. What are you doing? A fool can see that you are falling in love.”
“Mou. That’s a forbidden territory for me. My family would be… you know very well.”
“I know very well. It is you who seems to have forgotten.”
“I’m in no danger, Mou. Even if I fall for him, I am sure he would not think of it as any more than a school-girlish crush for a teacher. Besides, it isn’t happening. I am not going to let it happened.”
As she wandered around again, she noticed that a group of school children had also come up the hill. Probably it was a picnic day for them too. Their carefree manners and games brought a smile to her face. And then she noticed the one whose company she was trying to avoid after lunch. Siddhartha Sen had joined the group of children and was playing with them. He was laughing and enjoying their tiresome games. She gazed for a minute; then deliberately turned away. She started walking around the hills alone.
—
“This is going to be a storm. Pack up everyone. Quick. Come on. Get in the buses,” Mrs. D’Souza and student volunteers got busy is trying to get everyone in the buses.
“We have to make sure nobody is left behind. Let’s do a count in every bus before leaving,” Siddhartha suggested and everyone agreed. He was unable to locate Karishma anywhere. Where was she? And of course, there could be others missing.
“Four people are missing.”
“Who all?”
“George is not there.”
“Sahil.”
“Karishma is not there, Ma’am,” Siddhartha heard Mou’s voice, “And her cellphone is left behind in her bag.”
“Vikrant is also not there.”
“Can’t reach any of their phones.”
“George, Sahil and Vikrant had gone to fetch the cricket stuff,” someone recalled.
“I will go and check for them,” a student volunteered, “Give me extra umbrellas.”
“Who has last seen Karishma?”
Nobody could recall seeing her after lunch. Siddhartha hoped that someone else would volunteer the information. But when nobody did, he had to speak. “I had seen someone walk northwards. It must have been her.”
The other three students and the one who had gone to look for them were back by then. Some other students volunteered to look for Karishma accompanied by Siddhartha. They looked around quite far and shouted her name. But had no success.
“I think she has wandered too far, Mrs. D’Sourza,” Siddhartha consulted the other faculty guide, a young lecturer in Philosophy department “There is no point keeping all of them here and making them anxious. I will look for her. You take them back on the buses. Send a car form the hotel and…”
“But how can you do it alone, Prof. Sen?”
“Don’t worry. I am trekker. But if we aren’t back by midnight, inform the police.”
“She is trekker too,” Mou said, her teeth chattering, from cold as well as anxiety for her friend.
“Then she would be all right,” he assured Mou in a gentle voice, “Just stuck somewhere because of the storm.”
“Can I stay with you?”
“No. That won’t help. By myself, I can search a much wider area. You go back to the hotel and don’t worry. I will find her.”
The confidence in his voice assured Mou, though he himself was sick with worry. What had possessed her to wander away like that?
—
To be continued
2 thoughts on “Being Anna (Part 4)”
Wow!
Awesome story!
And Karishma lost??!!!
Damsel in distress.. ….will prince charming rescue her? 😉
Thanks Dia. And what choice does the price have except to rescue her? 😛