“Piyali!” It was dark already. Mukundo had found her pacing in her backyard.

“Mukundo Babu. You are drenched!”

“Unexpected rains on the way. I was riding the bike.”

“You should have changed first.”

“I had to see you first… Piyali… The news… It’s so shocking…”

“I’m shocked, for sure. But you shouldn’t be. You had already guessed that he wasn’t here to escape the city life or anything else he said.”

“I didn’t expect much from him. But Pratibha should have known better to let you be hurt in all this.”

“Why would I be hurt? Mukundo Babu. I only informed you. Because they begged me to. Now I am out of this. You figure it out with Seema Mashi and Pishima. They were confident that you can make them both understand…”

“You don’t care?”

“I do… I guess. I hope they are able to marry with everyone’s consent.”

“You don’t care for Pronab?”

“Care for… What? Oh my God! Is that why you were so… No. No. No. Mukundo Babu. I? Why would I? He is a just a guest.”

“You don’t… Oh Lord. What have I done? I must go and change,” he suddenly seemed to remember that he was drenched.

“Yes. You should.”

“And Pratibha has created a nightmare for all of us. That boy’s family will be furious.”

“Yes. They will be.”

“I must talk to everyone quickly, then!”

“Yes. You should.”

“Right. Bye Piyali!”

“Bye Mukundo Babu!”

She was left confused. Why would he think that she was in love with Pronab Babu?

—

He was back early in the morning. She had just gotten up and was taking a stroll in her garden, when he approached.

“The multi-party meeting went on till late, I believe. You are up early,” she remarked with a smile.

“I couldn’t sleep at all.”

“The biological clock must have gone off…”

“No! No… I was thinking… About things… About people…”

“They spring surprises, yes. Pishima would have been difficult.”

“Yeah. Initially she was. But it all worked out. Everybody saw that they were trying to decide the fate of two independent adults. And they couldn’t exactly stop them from doing what they wanted to do. So, it was better to agree to what they wanted.”

She chuckled, “Wise. As always! But why did you think I had anything to do with Pronab Babu?”

“I… Well… you were quite friendly with him..”

“So?”

“And that was the reason your Pishima had brought him here.”

“Huh?”

“I mean, she was hoping to get the two of your married.”

“Oh!” she was silent for a moment. “How do you know?”

“She had told me, when we had met in Kolkata.”

“She had not told me anything. I don’t think she said anything to Baba either.”

“I think she was waiting for the two of you to fall in love.”

“Hmm… But rest assured,” she smiled, “I am not hurt. He was deceptive for sure. Saying not a word about why he was really here. But he never misled me.”

“He is a lucky bastard!”

“Mukundo Babu!” she was surprised to hear him use such a word.

“He is, Piyali! He managed to use me to get what he wanted. And I… I can’t get what I want… I can’t even talk to you about it…”

She averted her eyes, as they filled with tears. One the one hand, she did not want to hear him express his love for Saina. On the other hand, it broke her heart to think that he didn’t think of her a friend enough to open his heart to him.

He mistook her silence to mean that she didn’t want him to talk. “Piyali…” he whispered in a sinking, hurt voice, and started retreating.

“No. Please Mukundo Babu,” she suddenly panicked, thinking she would lose him forever, if she did not speak, “Don’t leave like that. Why can’t you speak to me? I know I behaved abominably before you left. But I am still your friend, am I not? I have too many faults… But I listen to you… I do. I will improve. I have always tried. All these years of being friends… I promise I will never ever again… Oh God! I am not a child anymore, Mukundo Babu. Allow me some dignity. Don’t make me beg… Talk to me. Please… You can marry whosoever you want… And I will respect your decision… I will respect her… But you can’t cast aside my friendship… You must talk to me… Allow me some dignity…” she lost track of what she was thinking and speaking as she broke into miserable sobs. But Mukundo had heard what he needed to hear. He came close and gathered her in his arms stopping her from sinking to floor.

“Oh God! No. No you are not a child anymore, Piyali. You must tell me, then, what you called abominable behavior… was it jealousy? Tell me Piyali, please…”

“Allow me some dignity…” she mumbled as she hid her face in his chest.

“I must know, Piyali,” his voice trembled, “Because I was incredibly jealous of Pronab, when I thought he was intended for you…”

She stiffened for a moment on hearing that. As the meaning sunk in, the strength seemed to come back to her body. She looked up at him. Her eyes were red from crying, her lips were quivering, but the color had returned to her cheeks. Soon, she started smiling.

“You were jealous?” he asked again, smiling.

“Yes,” she whispered.

“I’m sorry, for everything…”

“I assure you, you will pay… for everything…”

“Gladly!”

He bowed his head to kiss her, but she turned away. He grew awkward. Was he getting carried away?

“I haven’t brushed my teeth yet,” she said sheepishly, as a blush crept up on her cheeks.

He threw his head back and laughed heartily. Then he ruffled her hair and planted a kiss on her forehead. “Silly girl,” he grinned.

“Will you be able to sleep now?” she asked as they walked in the garden hand-in-hand.

“I doubt. I am afraid that this is a dream…”

“I hope not!”

“Don’t worry. If it is indeed a dream, then it is presenting such pleasant possibilities that… when I wake up, I will confess everything without putting you through so much torture.”

“How is it possible, Mukundo Babu? How could you love me? This silly, immature, nonsensical girl…”

“If you ask ‘why’, I am sure I can give you a thousand reasons. If you ask ‘when’, I can tell you when I realized… But if you as ‘how’, Piyali… I don’t know how to answer that. How does it happen? Do you know?”

She shook her head.

Their reverie was interrupted by her Pishima calling her. He let go of her hands. When she looked disappointed, he assured her, “For a while, Piyali, it must remain a secret. Let people get over Pratibha’s drama before we give them another reason to be excited.”

She chuckled and nodded.

“Will you have breakfast with us?” she asked.

“I’m afraid, I have spent too much time in matchmaking recently. I need to get some work done. I will come at tea time as usual?”

She was disappointed. It would mean separation of several hours. And right now, she did not want to do anything except to talk to him. But she had not yet gotten into the skin of demanding lover. She agreed, as she usually did with him.

He took her hand in his, and pressed it intimately. Then with a smile that betrayed his own longing, he took his leave.

—

To be continued