“Mukundo Babu. Is it okay, if I dropped them home first and then we walked to the bookstore. I would also like to check some books out.”

“Yeah… Okay…”

Mukundo oserved Piyali with the girls. They were only slightly older than Sumedha. She was handling them so naturally as if she had a lifetime of experience with kids. His own guilt towards his daughter threatened to engulf him. To distract himself, he struck a conversation with her.

“Why were they crying? Who scolded them?”

“Oh that… We are organizing a charity event. Charu Didi – she lives nearby – is directing a dance of young children. She loses her patience easily…”

“Hmm… But you don’t?”

“Not with kids. Scaring and scolding is not going to help them learn.”

“True!”

“There! Will you wait for a minute? Their homes are at the end of this lane.”

“Yeah.”

—

Her book shopping could have waited. The real reason she had wanted to walk with him after dropping the girls was that she wanted to clear the air between them. She hadn’t realized earlier that her grand-father and Mukundo were so close. This closeness spelt danger for her… She couldn’t risk getting exposed before her grand-father.

But she couldn’t even open her mouth all the way to the bookstore. Now that the girls were not around, even his interest in conversation seemed to have disappeared. He was keeping his eyes to the road ahead of him and walking wordlessly.

They went in, did their book shopping and came out, without her acting on her intention of speaking to him. He even took her leave and they went their own ways. It was then that she finally found the courage and ran after him.

“Mukundo Babu!”

He stopped, puzzled as she stopped in front of him.

“What happened? Everything all right?”

“Yes. No. I am sorry.”

“Excuse me?”

“I am sorry. About the chewing gum…”

“Chewing gum?”

“You always knew it was me, didn’t you? Thank you for not telling, Dadu. You won’t tell him now, would you?”

He guffawed despite himself. She was apologizing for the five-year old mischief.

“It’s okay, Piyali. It wasn’t a big deal. I had no intention of telling Banerjee Babu. Not then. Not now. Just… don’t do it again, okay?”

She nodded like a chastised child.

“Go home, silly girl.”

She found herself gawking after him as he strode off. He had looked and sounded so different just now. In his melancholy, he looked old, tired and grumpy. But just now, he had sounded young, happy and carefree. A simple laugh could make so much of difference! Why didn’t he laugh more often? She would have to ask Maitrayee about this enigmatic relative of hers.

—

When Mukundo went to meet Mr. Banerjee the next day, he found Maitrayee also there, chatting away with Piyali.

“Boudi?”

“Why! You are so surprised, Mukundo? Did you forget that this is my Kaku’s place?”

“Of course not, Boudi. How are you?”

“I am fine, Mukundo, but my little niece here is in trouble.”

“Pishima!” Piyali flushed. Mukundo also looked awkward.

“She is organizing a charity event. And they don’t have even volunteer performers. The budget for paid performance is limited. Why don’t you help her out?”

“How can I help?” If it was the money, Maitrayee herself could have helped much better than Mukundo. Mukundo was still dependent on his father for the family money, while Maitrayee and her husband were independent.

“How? By performing, of course.”

“Me? Boudi, are you crazy?”

“Oh! Don’t try to fool me, Mukundo. I have known you in the days when you didn’t go around looking like a zombie. You must perform. And you must also help her train the kids who are performing. That Charu is useless with kids.”

“I don’t know about performing, Boudi. But I can try helping others prepare.”

“But Mukundo.”

“Pishima,” Piyali intervened, “You must not pester him. If he can help even with others, I’d be happy.” She turned to him, “If it won’t be too much of trouble, Mukundo Babu.”

“No. It won’t… be any trouble. When do you practice?”

“Mornings.”

“I can come after my jog…”

“Oh, not that early. More like at ten.”

“That’s convenient then.”

—

Helping her with the preparations invariably led to more conversations. He learned that she had finished her post-graduation and was joining a school as a teacher after summer vacations.

“Following your Dadu’s footsteps.”

“Sort of.”

“What will you teach?”

“English and Social Studies.”

“Good.”

“Those are not your subjects, but still you could probably give some tips for being a teacher.”

“Me?”

“You also used to teach before you went to US, right?”

“Yeah. Well…”

“Dadu says you were a very good teacher.”

“That is something only students can know.”

“Well, your students did well, didn’t they?”

“I would like to think so.”

“You are so diffident.”

“I am just aware that schools can teach you only so much.”

“Hmm… You should have been a philosopher, not a Physicist.”

He chuckled and she stared at him.

“What?” he grew conscious of her gaze.

“Nothing,” she shook her head and turned away from him on some pretext.

—

To be continued