He was tuning his tanpura, when she walked in.

“How did you like him, Mukundo Babu?”

“This is the time for riyaaz, Piyali. Not the gossip,” he replied dryly, avoiding meeting her eyes.

“Sorry!” she mumbled and sat down before him, her spirits immediately taking a dive down.

He looked up at her after tanpura was ready, and immediately regretted having snubbed her. He kept the instrument aside and went to sit by her side.

“How did you like him, Piyali?”

She looked at him in surprise and seeing that he did intend to talk, smiled excitedly. Her eyes twinkled and grew almost moist with excitement.

“I was nervous… But he is easy-going… and so funny. Within minutes he had me laughing like a madwoman and that I forgot all my nervousness.”

“That’s a good sign.”

“It is, isn’t it?”

He smiled at her.

“He messaged me last night,” she spoke after a pause, “He said he really enjoyed the evening. He’d like to meet again today.”

“Okay?”

“I told him, I must ask Baba.”

“Good. Ask Kaku, then.”

“Oh Mukundo Babu! You know better. He will say yes to whatever you or Pishima say. And I don’t want to ask Pishima. She is just too convinced that it is meant to be… You are the only one with a cool head in this matter.”

Was he? He wasn’t so sure. He didn’t know how he felt about this affair. And he didn’t know the reason behind his confused feeling either? He was just too used to Piyali. And the possibility of her going away was unnerving him. He looked at her for a long moment. She wanted to go. If he asked her not to, she would obey him. But she would be unhappy. It would be a repetition of what had happened a few minutes ago when he had refused to talk to her about Pronab. And did he have a good reason to ask her to refuse? If they had to decide about getting married, they needed to know each other.

“Go. Just don’t fall in love too quickly.”

“Oh Mukundo Babu!”

“Are you calm enough for riyaaz now?”

“It will calm me down. Let’s start…”

—

“Piyali!” Mukundo called her at his usual time. Only when no reply came did he realize that she wouldn’t be at home. She would have gone with Pronab. He looked at the books lying on one of the library tables. He would better learn to do without her. It wasn’t that big a deal, after all. She did only what he told her to do. He could very well do it himself; so he decided and buried himself in his books.

“Pink really suits you,” Pronab told Piyali as they sipped their coffee.

“You mean I am not looking good today,” she pretended to take offense.

He laughed and she grinned. “Pink is my favorite color.”

“For good reason. But you are looking as lovely in green.”

“Thank you. So, tell me. Are you comfortable in Kolkata?”

“The city has its charms. And when you grow up with parents who swear by the city, you can’t really disown it.”

“I can imagine that.”

“What?”

“Your parents swearing by the city.”

“So, you are going to do the same to you kids,” he rolled his eyes.

She flushed.

“I mean…” he added, chuckling, “if… Anyway.  Tell me. What is it about the city that Bengalis in US can never stop talking about it, even if they would never come back…”

“Umm… that’s the kind of question Mukundo Babu will answer the best.”

“Why so?”

“He talks Philosophy the best.”

“He is also a philosopher? Like your Baba?”

“No. He is a classical singer.”

“So, you don’t talk philosophy?”

“Understanding him is more than enough philosophy for me. How about you?”

“Don’t know. I think I have been too busy living life to bother with philosophy. What use is it anyway?”

“Depends. For some people it is good fun talking about it. For others, it helps them guide their life’s decisions.”

“Is it you saying this, or Mukundo Babu?”

She was startled. She had never judged her thoughts that way. Were those hers? Or Mukundo Babu’s?

“I don’t always remember who said what to me,” she managed to reply gracefully, “It might have come from him. Or Baba. But I do believe in what I said.  Anyway. Leave philosophy. What sports are you into? Not cricket I presume.”

“No,” he chuckled again, “Although I am familiar. Indians even there are crazy about it. But I am more into baseball and soccer… football, I mean. Football is big in Kolkata too, right?”

“Oh yes! Big.”

“What about you? Are you into sports?”

“Not really. I am ‘familiar’ – as you put it – with cricket and football. But I much prefer music over sports.”

“Yes. Kakima mentioned that,” he referred to Piyali’s Pishima, “Did you learn from Mukundo Babu.”

“Both of us learned from the same Guru. But he is way ahead of me, of course. He helps me practice and improve.”

“Hmm… a trained classical singer, and dancer too?”

“In training. Always…”

“Indian modesty! It’s cute. Though I am afraid it won’t survive in the US.”

“You want to scare me away?” she grinned.

“No. Not at all,” he smiled almost dreamily. He asked suddenly after a pause, “Hey. Do you like movies?”

“Who doesn’t?”

“Let’s go for one, shall we? I know, I know,” he saw her hesitation, “You have you ask your Baba. Do that.”

“Thanks,” she smiled weakly.

“What do you want in a life partner?”

“Someone who would love me, understand me, and respect people who are important to me.”

“And who are the people important to you?”

“Most important? Baba and Mukundo Babu, of course.”

“Of course.”

“What do you want in your life partner?”

“Umm… I am not so articulate, I guess,” he laughed slightly, “But I will know it when I see it.”

—

“Mukundo Babu!” she found him in the library, reading a book.

He startled. He had stopped calling her these days. She was hardly around in the afternoons these days. “Piyali!” he felt a knot in his throat. He mentally chided himself for his over-reaction. She wasn’t married yet. She was still living just next door. Why was he reacting like he had seen her after ages? And as if he would never see her again?

“These books still need to be sorted out,” she pointed towards pile lying on a nearby table.

“Couldn’t finish by myself. But how come you are here today? Not meeting Pronab?”

“It’s not my duty to meet him every day,” she sounded embarrassed.

“Come. I wasn’t complaining. What’s going on?”

“Nothing worrying… I think… But I am very nervous.”

“Did he… say something?”Mukundo found himself as nervous as she was, if not more. Had he proposed? Had she accepted? Was she going away, already?

“No… I mean… he hasn’t proposed or anything,” her face went red as she said that, “But his parents are coming next week. They would want to know. I don’t know what he would say then. But more importantly…. I don’t know what I should say…”

“What makes you anxious? Do you suspect something wrong?”

“No. On the contrary…. I think I quite like him. He is nice… sensible… treats me well… respects Baba…”

“What is the problem then?”

“Problem is… It’s a big decision of life… That is the problem, Mukundo Babu. If we go ahead… I’d be leaving everything behind… For an unknown place… With just him to rely on…  And I don’t know if I am right in liking him. Who do I ask? I wish Ma or Kaki was alive… I…” he watched in stunned silence as she broke into tears, hiding her face in her hands.

Then he got his bearings and went to her. He knelt before her chair and broke her hand away from her face. He held them gently in his and said, “I’m sorry. I am so sorry, Piyali. You have been torturing yourself and I have been busy pitying myself. I am sorry. I won’t be selfish again. Tell me how can I help you?”

She forgot her problem for second. “Why are you saying that? You being selfish?”

“Forget it. Your problem first. Tell me. How do I help you?”

“Meet him, Mukundo Babu. Assure me that he is all right. That I can trust him.”

“And break his nose if he breaks your heart?”

She chuckled through her tears.  “No. Nothing of that sort,” she said, “He hasn’t promised me anything. So, there is no breaking of heart in question here. I just want to know if I would be right in saying yes myself.”

“All right. Invite him to dinner here. No Kaku. No Pishima. Just the three of us. Okay?”

She nodded gratefully.

“Good. Go wash your face, call him about the dinner, and then come here to help me sort some more books. Okay?”

She nodded again.

—

To be continued