“I… I didn’t remember it. I’m not sure when I bought it–” Paritosh replied, not meeting her eyes.

“In Lonavala.”

“Excuse me?”

“It was on the mannequin in that shop where you had stopped to buy Ms. Banerjee her dress.”

Paritosh found himself tongue-tied. He remembered it very well. He had intended to gift it to Rupali someday. But what was he to tell Maya which wouldn’t upset her?

“Do you love me, Paritosh?”

“Maya! What–”

“Just answer me.”

“You have been my greatest support, Maya–”

“But an imposition all the same.”

“That’s not true. Have I made you feel like you are imposing? If so, I will correct it.”

“Why did you even propose to me, Paritosh?”

“It was the right thing to do, Maya and–”

“Right thing to do!” she snorted.

He hesitated, realizing that he had been honest, but not right.

“I can’t blame you, Paritosh,” she spoke after a moment of silence, “I have known. I have always known. But love can be desperate. I have loved you for so long that I grew desperate to believe in its reciprocity. But that is not how it works, does it? Just because your relationship with Amrit didn’t work out and just because she hurt you in the most unimaginably horrible way possible, it didn’t mean that my love will be reciprocated.”

“I haven’t cheated on you, Maya,” Paritosh said desperately and, as he immediately realized, ineffectually.

“I know that. It wouldn’t have been the ‘right thing to do’. No, you haven’t take her or any other woman to bed since you have been in a relationship with me. But I think you should give her your long-cherished gift. She is quite moon-eyed around you, in case you have not noticed.”

Paritosh slid on the bed and buried his face in his hands.

Maya patted his shoulder and said in a tired voice, “I must pack my things now. Good bye.”

—

“Mamma not home… Mamma not home…” Meenal said while fiddling with her toys.

“Yes, Meenu. It’s Saturday. She will come on Monday. But Papa is home, isn’t he?”

“Meenu loves Papa.”

“Papa also loves Meenu.”

“Mamma loves Papa.”

“Does she, Meenu?” Paritosh smiled amusedly at her daughter. Could she know Rupali’s mind? He ached to know it himself.

“Meenu loves Mamma,” Meenal continued to announce in her flat, droning voice.

“That she does,” Paritosh said and sighed, “We will go out, shall we, Meenu?”

“Go out… Go to park…”

“Shall we go to a cricket match, Meenu?”

“Cricket match.”

“Let’s go.”

—

Rupali had invited Mihir for the match. They were to go to a movie after that. The small rented stadium was sparsely populated. Perhaps only the family members of the players were there. So when Paritosh entered with Meenal in the tow, Rupali noticed them immediately. She was by herself because Mihir and Soumitra had stepped out to get some cold drinks and snacks. She got up and hastened to meet them.

“Dr. Khanna?”

He looked flustered for a moment, then gathered himself, “Hi Rupali!”

“I didn’t think you were so interested in local cricket,” she smiled nervously.

“I had come this way for some shopping,” he lied, “I thought I would stop by.”

“Mamma… Mamma…” Meenal drew attention to herself.

“Hi Meenu,” Rupali bent to talk to her, “How are you, sweetheart?”

“How are you, sweetheart?” Meenal responded mechanically. Rupali smiled.

As she stood up she saw Mihir and Soumitra coming back. She grew nervous. Mihir knew nothing about Paritosh and her other job. And she did not want to tell him.

“Didi. Dr. Khanna?” Soumitra was surprised, “Hello Sir.”

“Hello Soumitra. Hello…” he looked at Mihir.

“That’s Mihir,” Rupali introduced reluctantly, “And Mihir, this is Dr. Khanna. Prof. Paritosh Khanna. He teaches at the university.”

“Hello Dr. Khanna.”

“Hello Mihir. You are Rupali’s friend, I believe.”

“Boyfriend,” Mihir corrected quickly.

Rupali made a feeble attempt at a smile and prayed furiously that Meenal didn’t feel the need to address her just then.

Paritosh sensed the same danger and acted immediately, “Nice to meet you all. I am getting late. So I will take your leave. Bye, Ms. Banerjee.”

Rupali could barely acknowledge his goodbye. She wondered if Meenal understood the situation and that’s why she followed her father silently.

“That girl was strange,” Mihir whispered to her as they made their way back to their seats.

“Not strange. She is autistic,” Rupali replied dryly.

“Whatever! She looked strange.”

Rupali stayed silent.

Her outward calmness belied the storm brewing in her head. Why had Paritosh suddenly turned up at the cricket match? He must have remembered that she would be here. Did he want to talk to her? About what? Why did he leave once Mihir appeared on the scene? He, obviously, knew that her brothers would be there. Their presence wouldn’t have been unexpected.

And what had come upon Mihir? Why did he have to declare that he was her boyfriend?

She asked him that when they came out of the movie hall. The film had been boring and hardly worth talking about.

“Well, I had to,” he replied, “I didn’t like the way he was looking at you.”

“What way?”

“Like he would jump on you the moment you were alone.”

“Oh for God’s sake, Mihir.”

“Why, he is your uncle or something? How do you know him?”

“An acquaintance, that’s it. And you are my boyfriend, eh?”

“I’m not?” he stopped short and stared at her.

“Well, we never talked about it. And you are leaving in a few weeks.”

“Yes. And I intend to talk about it now. I want to meet your parents.”

Rupali inhaled sharply.

“What? Rupali?”

“Our paths are different, Mihir. We had some fun times. But…”

“Fun times?”

“I need to go home now. It’s quite late.”

“Wait a minute. What is it? Is there someone else? Dr. Khanna?”

Rupali got irritated. “Dr. Khanna knows me too well to be in love with me or to want to marry me. And you – Mihir – know me too little.”

“What kind of a woman you are, Rupali? You have slept with me.”

“So?” she glared at him.

“And you don’t think we should get married?”

“No,” she retorted, “I’m sorry if it offends your sensibilities. But I need to go now.” She strode off to the nearest bus-stop, aware that Mihir was too dumbfounded to follow her.

She had been unfair to him, she rued on the bus home. Most women would be happy to be with a man who didn’t take sexual relationships lightly. Mihir wanted to marry her, he had decided so before they ever slept together. There was some gratification to be derived from that. That didn’t stop her from feeling annoyed that he would take it for granted. Still she would have handled it more sensitively had he not irritated her by announcing himself to be her boyfriend in front of Dr. Khanna. What was Dr. Khanna doing in that cricket match anyway? And in what way did he look at her that Mihir should get so possessive? Had she missed something? Ugh! She should stop letting her mind wander. There was Maya waiting for Dr. Khanna at home.

—

To be continued