Piyali was frantic. Mrs. Thakur’s condition was deteriorating. The nurse on duty had called the doctor, but Mukundo was away in Kolkata. She had tried calling the numbers of his business associates, but could find him nowhere. He had either left their places, or had not yet come there. Finally she started calling even at the places she wasn’t expecting him to be there. He would visit Saina only the next day, but she called there anyway. He was there!

“You must come back immediately, Mukundo Babu,”she broke down on phone, “Kaki is unwell.”

He thought about Piyali more than his mother as he rode back to Haldia. For about three years after Mrs. Banerjee’s death, Mrs. Thakur had indeed played the role of a mother to Piyali. But for long time now, she had lost her bearings. Still, Piyali was attached to her. She spent time with her, read to her, even gave all the neighborhood news to her, none of which the old woman responded to. But Piyali was content to be there for her. Poor girl. Was it her lot to attend to sick parents all her life? How grieved she had sounded on phone! Mukundo knew that his mother’s health was deteriorating. And he was reconciled to the idea that she would die soon. To his mind, it would relieve her of her misery. But Piyali was definitely going to feel the loss.

She was going to finish her graduation this year. She would be twenty. She could ride his motorcycle like a pro. She loved going out. And yet – the only time she had stepped out of Haldia was a short trip they had taken to Kolkata to get the shots for flu.

Could he not give her a better and brighter life than she had?

—

“There she is. Where were you, Piyali?” Binoy had already brought tea for Mukundo and Mr. Banerjee, when Piyali walked in.

“I was at Seem Mashi’s. Pratibha Di has come from Delhi. She has finished her post-graduation and is to spend the holidays here.”

“Hmm… Yeah. I know. I had visited them before going to Kolkata.”

“You had?” she looked at him curiously, but he did not notice her expressions.

“Why don’t you ask Binoy to bring your tea as well.”

“Yeah. I will. First, I will change.”

She addressed him next when her father had left for his walk. “Mukundo Babu. Is it true what people say about you…”

“What people say about anyone is hardly ever true. But what do they say about me?”

“That you didn’t marry till now because of Kaki. Because any girl would have found it difficult to cope with her illness. But now that she is not there…”

“That’s absurd, Piyali. If a girl could not cope with my mother’s illness, that too the kind that hardly ever came in anyone’s way, what was the guarantee that she could cope with me. No. That is not the reason at all.”

“You are not averse to marrying, then?”

“No. I guess…”

“Why aren’t you married yet?”

“Umm… I could never remember all the dresses my girlfriends owned. So, it never proceeded to the extent where I could propose marriage,” he laughed.

“That can’t be true. You remember my dresses all right.”

“Yeah. I probably am more scared of you, than of any of my girlfriends.”

“You are not being serious,” she was annoyed.

“How can I be? You are being absurd in your questions. What’s wrong with you? You are getting bored. Get a job.”

“Who will give me a job?”

“I have offered you one.”

“I won’t work under you. You will…”

“What?”

“You will bully me…”

“Silly girl! By the way, I have some news for you. I haven’t told Kaku yet. I met your Pishima.”

“She is coming?”

“Yes. With a nephew of hers.”

“Pronab Babu?”

“You know him? I guess yes – that was the name she told me.”

“I know of him. She constantly talks about him. He is a professor or something in Delhi University.”

“Yeah. Assistant Professor, I presume. Recently appointed.”

“Wonder why would she bring him too?”

“Piyali!”

“What?”

“I know between your Baba and Pishima, life becomes difficult for you. But she is an old woman with no children of her own. You would be nice to her, won’t you?”

“You don’t trust me at all, do you? This isn’t the first time she is coming here.”

“On the contrary,” he said sincerely, “I trust you too much. Else I won’t be asking this of you.”

“You know how to sweet talk me into doing what you want me to do. I understand it. But I will take it.”

“What’s wrong with you?”

“Since when did you start needing help is identifying what all is wrong with me…”

“Piyali…”

They were interrupted by Mr. Banerjee coming back from his walk.

“I must leave,” a cross Mukundo announced, “I have to meet Seema.”

Piyali was cross too. He could have as well said that he had to meet Pratibha. Rumors were rife ever since Pratibha had come. Many people had noticed that Mukundo was often seen at Seema’s place. Everybody knew that he was fond of Pratibha. And many people had all but decided that a matrimonial announcement was to be made anytime. “Now that his mother is not there, not only is he free, but also lonely,” they declared. Piyali had long gotten over her adolescent fantasies about him, but the idea of him marrying had left her distraught. He was still her best friend and companion. If he married… he won’t be dropping in on them whenever he wished. She won’t be able to hang around him as he read in his library. Now even Kaki was not there that she could go to his home on the pretext of visiting her.

And to top that, he didn’t think he should share his plans with her, or Baba. They didn’t matter even that much to him!

—

To be continued