“Ah! There is our Professor Sahab!” Vikram exclaimed when Siddhartha walked up the stage with his mother to meet him and Karishma for their reception. Siddhartha’s mother was supposed to be there for their wedding as Vikram was her old employer and benefactor’s son. But she had not been feeling well and hence had to contend with coming for reception.

“Congratulations Vikram, Karishma,” Siddhartha wished them formally and introduced his mother to Karishma.

Karishma, bent down to touch the old woman’s feet despite her protests. “Such a humble child. God bless you,” Mrs. Sen crooned.

“Your son’s find, Jhilmil Kaki,” Vikram grinned and then turned to Karishma, “I hear that all the kids in your household have Siddhartha to thank for passing their school exams. Did you also study under him?”

“Not for the school tuitions,” she replied without flinching, “But the university Maths.”

“Ah, right! How could I forget. You are a Maths student. That’s why my father wanted you in the family. Somebody has to be able to do the accounts right. And Siddhartha Babu here, the son my father always wanted but could not have, wouldn’t agree to be the family accountant.”

“That’s enough, Vikram,” Siddhartha said more harshly than he intended, although because Vikram was much younger to him, he didn’t hesitate in giving him a piece of mind once in a while. He was a carefree fellow who didn’t mind much. “You sound drunk.”

“Drunk on happiness, my friend. Now! When are you getting hitched? Kaki, why don’t you do something?”

“He is stubborn as a mule,” his mother replied, “I can’t throw a girl at him, can I?”

“I and Karishma will launch a joint venture now, Kaki. Don’t worry. What do you say, Karishma?”

“You should get married. I’m sure you will make some woman very happy,” Karishma addressed Siddhartha directly.

Siddhartha searched her face for a moment to see if there was any reproach or complain in her words. He could find none. She was sincere. He sighed and then plastered a smile on his face, “Let’s get through with one wedding first.”

—

“Karishma! Come in. How are you?”

She walked into his office, smiling, unlike the last time.

“You don’t visit here as often as you used to visit back home.”

“There are no kids to be tutored by me there. What brings you here?”

“You? I came to see you.”

His smile disappeared, “And you are again meeting a friend at the university, I suppose? Not me?”

She grinned, bashfully, but didn’t look contrite.

“You shouldn’t do that, Karishma,” he said gravely, “This isn’t right. You have a–”

“You don’t trust me to behave myself,” she interrupted, growing stiff and frowning.

“Be fair in your assignment of probability. Consider the possibility that I don’t trust myself. But–” he had blurted something he shouldn’t have and needed to change the topic,” It seems you are still angry with me. What is going on? How are things with Vikram? How is he?”

“He think Mathematics is all about doing the sums like in accounting book. Other than that he is fine, I guess,” she smiled, but it looked like a grimace. “I should leave,” she added immediately and made to stand up.

“No, wait! Karishma, please. I am sorry. I can’t seem to do things right by you ever. But the fact is, I am really happy to see you. Thank you for coming. Please stay a while.”

She didn’t look cheered up, but obliged him and kept her seat.

“Would you like to go out and get a coffee or something?” he asked, hoping the break the ice.

“We shouldn’t go out. Someone might see us.”

He nodded, “You stay here. I will get some from the staff room machine.”

She opened her mouth as if to protest, but then closed it without speaking. When he came back with the coffee he found her hunched over the table with her head buried in her hands.

“What is it, Karishma?” He was seriously worried now.

“Nothing,” she looked up, “Good you got coffee. I had a slight headache.” She took the cup from him eagerly.

“I think I am getting bored,” she said after a while.

“Why?”

“There is only so much housekeeping you can do. There isn’t much else to do. Vikram is also often away on business trips.”

“Perhaps you should consider joining the master’s program from the next term.”

“I asked. But they don’t think it’s a good idea.”

“And why not?”

She sighed. “They expect me to have a baby, and hence more responsibility, soon.”

Siddhartha did not know how to respond to that. He held his cup in both hands and came around to his seat.

“Karishma. What is it?”

She grinned now, “Nothing, really. I shouldn’t bore you with my silly sob stories. What about you? What have you been up to?”

So he told her some stories about work and from there they got into some academic and some political discussion. It was like their car rides back home. After about an hour, Karishma got up to leave.

“I really should leave now,” she said, “Thank you, for humoring me.”

“Don’t talk like that, Karishma. Please.”

“Drop by sometime, will you?”

“I will.”

—

Siddhartha ran into Karishma and her mother-in-law on his way out of the hospital.  He had brought his mother for some tests.

“Karishma, Auntie? What happened? Who is unwell?”

“Just a routine checkup,” Karishma replied hastily, “What about you? Kaki? Are you unwell?”

“She has been feeling weak lately. We have just given the blood samples for some test.”

“Hope it isn’t anything serious.”

“Hope not.”

They took each other’s leave, but after a few steps, Siddhartha looked back and found Karishma looking back at the same time. He thought she looked anxious. She thought the same about him!

—

To be continued