“It was her,” Paritosh told Maya over dinner, “The assignment was hers.”

Maya couldn’t help feeling vexed when Paritosh obsessed over Rupali, but she had also realized that expressing that vexation did no good to their relationship. So she tried to play it cool.

“Interesting,” she replied, “What did she say about it?”

“There is no mystery about that really. Her parents died. She had to take care of her brothers. She had to drop out.”

“Poor thing.”

Paritosh was about to tell her his plans for Rupali, but some instinct made him stop. He also noticed the Maya was pushing her fork around, but hardly eating anything.

“Are you all right, Maya?”

“Yes. Just not hungry,” she dropped the fork in her plate and leaned back.

“I’m also done. Shall we step out on verandah for a while before going to bed?” he asked.

She agreed and they stepped out.

He held her hands, “Maya. These two years have been the strangest time of my life. The situations such that I just didn’t know how to react to them. And you have been by my side through all this. Through the periods when I have been at my worst behavior–”

“Paritosh!”

“Maya – I may improve over time. I may not be as irritable. I may become more caring, but there are things in life that will not change. You may feel trapped forever–”

“Are you breaking up with me, Paritosh?” her voice cracked.

“No! God, no. I am… I am asking if I should ask you for more or would you rather I stay quiet? Because I just can’t be sure that I can give you what you deserve–”

“Paritosh, I love you. I have loved you for much longer than these two years. You must have known. Don’t stay quiet, for God’s sake. Don’t. I will do anything for an acknowledgement from you–”

“Will you marry me, Maya?”

“Yes!” she threw his arms around his neck.

—

Paritosh sat up quietly so as not to disturb Maya who was sleeping next to him. After glancing at the baby monitor and finding Meenal asleep, he fixed his eyes on Maya. The room was dark except for the street light filtering through the gaps in the window curtain. But he could make out her silhouette and her heaving chest as she breathed. She had stayed back several times earlier, but it was the first time that it portended a permanent arrangement. ‘I have done the right thing,’ he told himself once again. It was true that she had stood by him. It was also true that she had loved him for many years now, even though he had never responded to her feelings earlier and had, in fact, gone ahead and married Amrit. It was also true that even now what he felt towards her was more gratitude than love or passion. But perhaps mutual gratitude and respect was better for relationships than love and passion. Where had the love and passion he shared with Amrit left him? Quite in a lurch! ‘I have done the right thing,’ he assured himself yet another time, but instead of going back to sleep, he got out of bed. He wasn’t feeling sleepy. He stepped out of the room and tip-toed into Meenal’s. The seven-year-old assignment was lying on the side table. He ran his hands over it and then noiselessly slipped it into the drawer of the table. He would see to it that Rupali studied further.

—

Maya left early in the morning as she usually did. She had this strange sense of discretion, which mandated that she was not to be in the house in the morning when any of the house-help arrived. So there was nothing to stop Paritosh from discussing his proposal with Rupali. He tried to bring it up several times, but was either interrupted or lost heart. He concluded that he was in a hurry to reach the university and hence was unable to do it. He would do it in the evening.

He left early from work to avoid bringing Maya with him. He would make an excuse later. When he entered the house using his own key, it looked like Rupali was preparing Meenal for something.

“Dr. Khanna!” she looked flustered, “You came early.”

“Yeah. I didn’t have any more classes. Did I disturb something here?”

Rupali knelt before Meenal and whispered, “Papa is here, Meenu.”

Then she stood aside.

Puzzled, Paritosh went to the child and knelt before her to talk to her, “How was Meenu’s day?”

“Meenu loves Papa… Meenu loves Papa,” the child rocked, her face still expressionless and her words conveying everything her face couldn’t.

Paritosh was stunned and speechless for a long time. When he spoke, his voice croaked, “Papa loves Meenu too. More than anything.”

Meenal walked to Rupali and stood beside her holding her hands. Paritosh stood up and turned towards them. His eyes were brimming over.

“Thank you, Rupali. I can’t… She has never used that word before. She has never called me Papa. To hear it for the first time and in such a beautiful way… Excuse me!” he ran into his bedroom. Rupali knew he was on the verge of crying. She led Meenal away and commended her for doing well.

He came to Meenal’s room a little later with two cups of tea.

“Thank you,” she accepted the cup he offered her. He seated himself on a chair and gazed fondly at his daughter who was trying her hands at using the building blocks.

“There is something I wanted to talk to you about,” he started the conversation at last.

“Yes Sir?”

“Meenal’s counsellor should be back next week.”

“Yes Sir,” Rupali replied and felt her heart sinking. It seemed to be going in ominous direction.

“I don’t know the exact amount, but I think I pay the clinic much more than they pay you–”

“Are you firing me?” she blurted.

“What? God, no! What’s wrong with women in my life? I try to propose to Maya and she thinks I am breaking up with her–”

“You are getting married?”

“Yes. I’m getting married. Is that even a surprise? But coming back to us, I am not firing you. I am trying to come up with a plan.”

“Plan for?”

“How much do you earn from your night job? If you were to leave the clinic and work directly for me and I pay you what I pay them, perhaps you would earn enough and don’t worry – it won’t be any extra burden on me either. And then you could perhaps find time to continue your studies. There are open universities. You could study at home and just write exams–” he had said it all in one breath for the fear of being interrupted again.

—

To be continued