She placed both her gifts on the bed and stared at them alternatively. He got her a book about Kolkata. He arranged for them to take a trip to Kolkata, despite her father! He wanted her to wear that skirt. And he got her a pair of boots that would look good with it! Her shoes had not vanished in thin air. He had taken it with him, so that he could buy her boots in the right size!

She didn’t know if she wanted to kill Saina or hug her. She was the one who had first made her see him in that light. “Mukundo Babu. Eh? He is hot!” she had remarked.

“Hot?”

“Hot!”

“Come on, Saina. You can’t talk like that about Mukundo Babu.”

“Why not? He is not your brother. And even if he were your brother, he wouldn’t be mine,” she had giggled.

“He is not my brother, of course!”

“That makes things easier.”

Saina hadn’t mentioned it after that. But the conversation had sent her mind in an overdrive. She had started looking at him in a way that had never occurred to her before. As a man. As a handsome and attractive man. As a desirable man. She fantasized when she went to bed. She could hardly concentrate on her studies and imagined unspeakable things.

What he did today was not going to help her hopeless case!

—

She was enjoying everything about the city. Even the things Mukundo found annoying – the crowd, the heat, the traffic and the noise. She had gone berserk in the malls and showrooms. “So many designs at one place, Mukundo Babu. How does one even choose?”

She sat down exhausted in the lawns of Victoria Memorial and gazed at the colonial building. “I’m so happy today, Mukundo Babu. I can’t thank you enough,” her voice was thick with emotions, and her eyes dreamy, “I wish I could do something for you in return.”

“That you can do,” he smiled at her.

“How?” she fixed her eyes expectantly on him.

“Piyali…” he waited for a moment to collect his thoughts and words. She was no longer a child. Confronting her was not a good idea. He had to respect her feelings and thoughts, even if they were immature, if he was to get his point across to her. “It’s not that I think ill of your new friend. I know you enjoy her company. And that’s a great thing. To have a friend you really like. But you must understand that her goals in life and yours are different. You aren’t exactly planning on becoming a model, are you?”

“A model,” she laughed diffidently, “No way. I don’t fancy myself that beautiful.”

She was modest in that regard. She was extremely beautiful. But that was not the point he had to make just then. “Then you must focus on studies. Much more than she does. This is a crucial year for you. You are writing your board exams.”

Piyali could almost feel her fragile, teenage heart breaking into pieces. He might not be her brother. But he treated her as nothing other than a younger sister, a ward, who needed to be taken care of. Her studies! Yes – that was all he had in mind. That was why he was humoring her. Letting her wear the skirt. Buying her boots. Even bringing her to Kolkata. So that he could persuade her to study.

What else was she expecting? Of course she was being stupid to expect… And he wasn’t wrong anyway. She had been far too distracted recently.

“You are right. I am sorry. I promise that I will study well from now on. But you must know that just because Saina wears fashionable clothes, she isn’t a bad girl. My distraction had nothing to do with her.”

“Then?”

“Nothing I can’t deal with,” she replied.

“If there is something serious, I should know, Piyali.”

“Nothing serious. In fact, I am over it already. I won’t let you complain again.”

She looked so mature and determined as she spoke that Mukundo could not insist on her sharing her issue with him.

He sometimes felt frustrated that she was a girl. It made things so difficult for him. Taking care of a boy would have been so much easier. Or if she, at least, had a female guardian, there were things he could have ignored. But… She must have been about twelve at that time. For the first time, he was in a serious relationship, which had become intimate enough for him to talk about women’s issues like mensuration with his girlfriend. She had told him how some girls were caught unawares the first time they bled because nobody had told them. It could get quite embarrassing. The first thought he had had was of Piyali. She was twelve, and would soon have… Did she know? Who would have told her? If her father had thought even a bit and hired a female servant at least… Probably he should hire one in his house and use her to communicate with Piyali on such issues.

But at that point of time, he needed to ensure that she knew. So, he had made her sit at some distance from him in his library so that she felt safe and had started speaking.

“Piyali. This will be an unusual conversation. But I want you to not feel… unsafe… or guilty… You must trust me.”

“What is it?” she had clearly been alarmed.

“No. No. Nothing to be scared of. Just don’t feel… awkward. If you feel uncomfortable, walk out from here and we’d assume this conversation never happened.”

That had hardly been more assuring, but she had nodded and stayed put.

“Piyali. You… are growing up. On the verge of becoming a young woman… And there are changes… In your body – I am sure you are noticing them… They are nothing to be anxious about. They are natural. But in some things, some preparation… is required… For example… Do you know… about… menses?”

Her mouth had opened into an “O”, which she had immediately closed. Then hesitatingly, she had nodded.

He had felt partly foolish, and partly relieved. Probably he shouldn’t have brought this up. Probably they had a way of knowing…

“That’s great, then,” he had chuckled nervously, “Makes things easy. Run off now…”

She had stood up and retreated. But before he had as much as drawn an easy breath, she was back.

“Actually…” she had gulped hard, “I don’t know… My friends were talking at school and they mentioned it… I acted like I knew because I didn’t want to appear stupid… But… I don’t know…”

“Ah! Oh! Right… I see… Why don’t you sit back… No wait…” Since he had believed, even if for a short time, that he need not have this conversation, he was now finding it difficult to pick the thread again. “What I will do,” he thought quickly and suggested, “Is get you a book, or some other written material about it. You can keep it for reference. Is that fine?”

She had nodded and had turned on her heels immediately.

He had found a book explaining sexual changes in body for teenagers. It also had good information about sex, and warnings related to it. He had given her the book a few days later. He was prepared again while doing this. So, he had told her calmly and confidently, “If there is something you need to ask, you must come to me, okay?”

She had nodded. She had never come back to him and they had pretended that nothing of that sort had been discussed between them. He assumed she was doing fine.

Presently he looked at her face, her eyes still riveted to the gorgeous building, and allowed himself a faint smile. He almost felt proud, he couldn’t figure why.

—

To be continued