Mish' Fiction

“Did he say something, Pronab? Why is he so upset? Why is he drinking non-stop?”

“Sit down, Piyali.”

“Pronab. Is something the matter?”

“You have often worried about your Baba, haven’t you? Who would look after him after you leave? And you have…”

“Mukundo Babu…”

“Yes. He would. He would look after your Baba. But what about Mukundo Babu himself, Piyali?”

“What do you mean? Is there something wrong…”

“Your Baba doesn’t even realize how much he is going to miss you. But Mukundo Babu does. He is already missing you…”

Tears ran down her cheeks. “He is suffering because of me…”

“Piyali. My relationships didn’t work out in past, because I wanted a magic in them. I saw it in you. But I was mistaken slightly. It wasn’t with me Piyali. It was with him.”

That alarmed her. “What are you talking about, Pronab? I accept that Mukundo Babu is… he is the most important person in my life. And would continue to be so. But there is nothing…”

“Nothing even remotely romantic or sexual about your relationship. I know. And yet – he has this all-consuming need for you. What you have… It would be a pity to destroy it for another romantic or sexual relationship.”

Piyali had an uncomprehending, stupefied look on her face.

Pronab had to continue explaining, “Let me guess what you are thinking. You think I have changed my mind and am now playing all these tricks with you to absolve myself of the responsibility. No. Piyali. I have not changed my mind. I am only giving you and him a chance to change your minds. And if you decide not to, I promise that the rest of our lives would go on like we never had this conversation. I do love you, and I will support in whatever you decide to do. For now, I think you should deal with him yourself.”

—

“Pishima. Have you seen, Mukundo Babu?”

“He was complaining of headache. I think he has gone home. Must be tired with all these preparations. Where are you going…”

But Piyali ran out without bothering to reply.

—

“You aren’t exactly her brother, are you?” Pronab’s words would not stop haunting him.

“She is learning to speak better every day. Soon, she wouldn’t tire of calling you by name – Mukundo Dada…” Debangi had remarked all those years ago.

“Why should she call me Dada?”

“What else would she call you?”

“Why? I have a name.”

“But you are elder to her… That would be disrespectful…”

“I am not her brother. She won’t call me Dada.”

“Oh! This is our little rebellious American,” his mother had interjected, “Let it go, Debangi. And who knows…”

But Debangi wasn’t going to let go either. Finally a compromise had been reached. She would call him Mukundo Babu.  It was respectful enough.

This wasn’t the day or situation in his mind when he had childishly fought about what Piyali would call him. But was it providence? What was his mother hinting at with her interrupted “Who knows…”

“Mukundo Babu!” Startled out of his thoughts, he spilled some of the drink from the glass he had again filled up for himself.

“Piyali. What are you doing here? You should be getting ready…”

“After all the love and care and protection you have given me for so long, this was the best I could give you? This pain… This desolation… These drinks…”

“What is your favorite color, Piyali?”

“Pink. Don’t you know?”

“And your favorite sweet dish?”

“The ice cream you make…”

“Have you had a boyfriend?”

“When I was in fourth standard…”

“The one with a running nose?”

“Shut up! Don’t insult him… He is a police officer now.”

“I should be scared, then. Is there anything about you that I don’t know, Piyali?”

“Nothing.”

“Yes. Now I even know what romantic tomfoolery you enjoy. And how beautiful a bride, and how lovely a wife you will make… But it’s too late…”

“Nobody will ever be more important than you in my life, Mukundo Babu. Wherever I am…”

“No. At least on that count your fiancé is right. That is not possible. And that will not be right for you or for him. He will be the most important person for you from now on. And that’s how it should be…”

“Why should it be like that?” Pronab’s voice rang in the library. He was standing at the door.

Piyali and Mukundo stared at him embarrassed. For how long he had been there?

“I am sorry, I could not help listening,” he explained, “Kakima sent me here to find you, Piyali. Why should it be like that? Things can change. We aren’t even engaged yet.”

“I appreciate your spirit of self-sacrifice, Pronab,” Mukundo spoke, “But please don’t do anything rash. It will only result in misery and scandal.”

“Mukundo Babu…”

“No. Listen to me. We are all under a lot of emotional stress. And yes – I will suffer. But all of us know that you two will be happy together. You have also accepted it, haven’t you? Don’t let go of that certainty for a very uncertain alternative possibility that we have here. Me and Piyali, we are not lovers. And nobody might accept us as such. Who knows how Kaku or Pishima will react? Everyone will be unhappy…”

“And what does Piyali think? You don’t think you can make a one-sided decision for Piyali, do you, Mukundo Babu?”

Piyali stood bewildered, looking from one to the other.

“Piyali. Don’t feel guilty. And don’t let your guilt cloud your decision. It’s unfounded. You are not giving me pain. Or desolation… All these years, you have anchored my life; made it worth-living. You deserve your happiness, my love. And I will be very happy, if you are happy. Trust me.”

He was quite unaware of the unusual expression he had used for address her – ‘my love’. But Piyali, and Pronab, noticed.

“Listen to your heart, Piyali,” Pronab said.

“Don’t send me away, Mukundo Babu,” Piyali spoke after a long, uncomfortable pause, “We don’t have to create a scandal. We don’t have to be lovers. I will just not get married. It is as simple as that.”

“But Piyali. Pronab…”

“I’d like to wander some more, Mukundo Babu. In search of that magic. Who knows…”

“The engagement. Guests have been invited…”

“Leave that to me to get it postponed. Without a scandal… I promise… You two go to Kakima. And you would do well to use a chewing gum, Mukundo Babu. I can smell alcohol even from here. I am going home. Mom and Dad are furious that I am here since morning.”

—

To be continued

By the time Pronab and his parents had left, Piyali was exhausted and uncomfortable despite her initial enthusiasm to adorn herself to impress them. She tripped when she got up. Mukundo supported her and walked her to her room.

“Who had asked you to wear this monstrous dress? You look good enough in your salwar-kameez…”

“Well –for a change – it got a complement out of you, instead of complaint.”

“Piyali…” he softened immediately, “I…”

“I was joking, Mukundo Babu. Relax.” She sat down and squeezed a large teddy bear in her arms.

“Where did that come from?”

She blushed. “Pronab! He is mad, Mukundo Babu. He had it sent yesterday at midnight. To celebrate three-week anniversary of our first meeting. Can you imagine such tomfoolery?”

She had worded it ostensibly as a complaint. But she wasn’t complaining at all. It was her romantic dream come true. Since she was old enough keep awake till midnight, she had always wished Mukundo on his birthday at midnight. Either by barging into his home, or at least on phone. But he thought the practice childish and never returned the favor on her birthday. Wishes could wait until morning.

“Change into something comfortable,” he told her and came out of the room.

—

Their engagement was scheduled for after pujo.  The wedding would be in February. Pronab’s family was to stay in Kolkata for pujo. Piyali was on cloud nine.

“We must show Pronab all the Kolkata glory of pujo, Mukundo Babu. He has never seen it. And will probably never see it again.”

“How about you? You will never see it again, either.”

“I will. I will come for pujo, even if he doesn’t,” she was defiant.

Mukundo just smiled. “Where is your hero though?”

“He should be here any moment. There! Pronab!”

“What happened,” she asked him. He looked stressed out.

“It’s so crowded.”

“What is the fun of pujo, if the pandal is not crowded? Come. Have some…”

“Oh! Thakuma has brought home some five different kinds since yesterday. But I don’t like this, Piyali.”

“But it’s bhog..”

“I know. But I don’t like it….”

“No problem. Let me and Mukundo Babu finish it. Then we can walk around pandal…”

“I am suffocating here…”

“Take him out, Piyali,” Mukundo suggested, “He is not used to this.”

“Okay. Let’s go…”

“Umm… actually…” Pronab interjected, “Thakuma is expecting me at home soon. Some guests are coming. You stay here, Piyali. I will see you later.”

“Will you come in the evening? There are performances… Ours too…”

“Yes sweetheart. I will. Promise…” he said and leaned to kiss her, but she stepped back.

“Right…” he grinned, “Not here!”

She found it difficult to meet Mukundo’s eyes after that, even though he pretended that nothing had happened.

—

Pronab was thoroughly bored through their classical performance. But that made him acutely aware of how much they enjoyed performing together. It didn’t look like the rest of the world mattered. He might be a bad listener. But there others in audience who appreciated what they were singing and who had gone crazy applauding the performance. But even they didn’t seem to exist for Mukundo and Piyali.

When they sung a duet next, Pronab had to acknowledge that they deserved all the applause. It was a bliss hearing them sing together.

Gum hai kissi ke pyaar mein, ye dul subaha sham
Par tumhein likh nahin paun, main uska naam….

After the performance, the joined Pronab in the front row. Mukundo went again after a while for a solo song.

Chalo ek baar phir se ajnabi ban jayen hum dono…

Piyali tried to conceal it, but he could see tears in her eyes. “What happened?” he asked, concerned.

“Nothing,” she smiled to through her tears, “It’s his singing. Even if he sings the happiest song in the world, I am moved to tears. Don’t tell him though. It will be embarrassing.”

Towards the end of the program Piyali went on stage with a solo performance.

Ye galiyan, ye chaubara, yahan aana na dobara…

“What happened, Mukundo Babu?”

“Nothing. It just her singing. Don’t tell her, please. It will be embarrassing.”

And what was up with the choice of their songs? Those almost sounded like subtle messages to each other.

“An ice cream, Piyali?” Pronab asked as they were leaving the pandal.

“No. It isn’t good for my voice.”

“But you ate one at Mukundo Babu’s place…”

“Yeah. He started making ice cream at home because I could not give up my temptation. There he controls the ingredient and even temperature. Sometimes I only get a milk-shake instead of ice cream,” she chuckled, “But it tastes good.”

—

“Pronab!”

“What’s up, sweetheart? We are coming in the afternoon for the engagement. Couldn’t you wait?” he teased her on phone.

“You have to help me. I don’t know what’s up with Mukundo Babu. He is… He is behaving strangely. He is avoiding me. And he has been drinking since morning. Everybody is too busy with preparations to notice…”

“Arr… what can I do, Piyali? Why don’t you…”

“I… Pronab. I don’t know. Oh God! I am panicking… I can’t…”

“All right. Stop worrying. I will be there in twenty.”

—

“Do you love her?” Pronab found Mukundo on verandah around midmorning.

“Excuse me?” Mukundo was baffled.

“Do you love Piyali?”

“What kind of question is that, Pronab? Of course, I love her…”

“Nah! Not that… Do you fantasize about her? Have you thought about taking her to bed…”

“Have you gone mad?”

“It’s a very valid question. She is an attractive woman. And you two have been so close…”

“For God’s sake, Pronab. She is a baby!”

“Was… She was a baby. We all were, at some point of time…”

“Have you changed your mind? Is this your sick way of getting out of… By insinuating…”

“I am not insinuating. I was only asking. Let me guess. Here is how it is. All you want is that she remained close to you. Closer to you than to anyone else. And you don’t need to take her to bed for that. You don’t feel that need for her. But you do want to possess her. You have… all these years. And right now, probably the only regret you have is that she is going to go away. If only she had stayed in Kolkata… But here is what you have failed to take into account. As soon as she has a lover, or a husband, whether he is in Kolkata, or in Texas, he takes precedence over everyone else. You don’t remain the closest person to her. He becomes that…”

“I don’t know what you are implying. But if you hurt her, Pronab, I swear…”

“No. I won’t hurt her. If neither of you breaks down before the engagement ceremony, everything will go on as planned. She will have my love all our lives. Because I have never had anyone better than her. And am unlikely to have in future either. I will have her loyalty, devotion, unconditional acceptance and affection.”

“Then what is your problem?”

“Problem is not mine, really. I will have a good life. But what you have here – between the two of you – is magic. It is what I wanted in my life. I don’t think I can have it. You, on the other hand, have it. Even without being lovers. But if you won’t be her lover, someone else will be. And then… this magic will be lost forever. And you aren’t exactly her brother, are you?”

“You must be drunk, Pronab. Just go back and…”

“You are the one who has been drinking since morning, Mukundo Babu. Think it over.”

“I can’t be her lover. I have never given her what a lover should… Never pampered her… Never gave her a complement… Never…”

“Point is not what you didn’t do. Point is what you can do. From now on… And even about the past. If you looked at yourself form her eyes, you would be surprised… But to do any of that, you need to stop drinking…” Pronab said and walked out of the verandah.

Mukundo stared blankly at his glass. For a moment, it looked like he would throw it away. But he changed his mind and gulped the remaining content down in one go.

—

To be continued

It had been a year since their return from US. Mukundo had still not accepted his life in India. He missed his friends, his school, his sleepovers, his pancakes and baseball!  His parents had tried their best to make up for everything, taking him to best continental and American restaurants in the city, enrolling him in swimming classes, getting him video cassettes of his favorite movies and shows, but he had stayed cross with them. They expected him to get over his tantrums over time. But what really worried them that he had difficulty making new friends here. He was a fairly well-adjusted kid back in the US.

Mukundo remembered the fateful day when his mother had dragged him with her to their neighbor and long-time friends the Banerjees. Their daughter, Piyali, was three-months old. He had looked at the baby curiously as his mother had rocked her in her arms. Her eyes were already big then. Apart from them her little hands had drawn his attention. Curious, he had touched her hand, and to everyone amusement she had gripped one of his fingers. It must have been a coincidence that she had decided to exercise her hand at that moment, but Mukundo had found it quite hilarious. He had laughed heartily with others. He had come back the next day on his own.

“Would you like to hold her, Mukundo,” Debangi, her mother, ad asked him.

“She is so little. What if I hurt her?”

“You won’t. I will teach you exactly how to hold her… Come here…”

And he kept coming back. When she grew old enough to follow him, she went to him as often.

Apart from music, in which his father had started training him when he was much younger, Piyali became the anchor of his life.

—

“I haven’t slept the entire night,” Pronab declared when he entered her room. She had decided to meet him at her home instead of a public place today.

“Me neither.”

“So, what was Mukundo Babu’s verdict?”

“What are you talking about?”

“That was the reason for last night’s dinner, right? You needed his approval.”

She shrugged and smiled, silently accepting his speculation.

“So?” he continued walking towards her.

“You passed.”

“In his exam. And yours?”

“That is more difficult to answer.”

“Tell me, then, what should my answer to my parents be, when they ask me.”

“Listen to your heart.”

“Right now, it says that I should…” he drew her in his arms, “crush you in my arms.”

“Listen to it, what can I say?”

“Don’t stop me, then,” he bent down and planted a peck on her lips. Encouraged by her reaction, he sucked her lower lips, then attacked her mouth, tasting her to his heart’s content.

She was shaking by the time he pulled back. He tightened his grip further. “I was very skeptical when I had come here, Piyali. But impossible happened. Your charm was impossible to avoid. I fell in love.”

She rested her head on his chest.

“So, what was the ‘it’ that you saw in me?” she asked him later.

“What?”

“’I will know it, when I see it.’ What did you see?”

“You are fishing for complements?”

“I just want to know, because I want to live up to whatever you see in me…”

“Hmm… Let’s see… I think what bewitched me about you is that you are innocent, without being dumb. I see the hopes of a fairly-tale romance in your eyes. But you will forgive me if the fairy-tale doesn’t come true. Because you accept people with their faults.”

“We have barely known each other for three weeks. How could you have seen that in me?”

“Pardon me for saying this. But your father, for example, is by no means an ideal father. What I have heard from Kakima, and from what I have seen… You have to turn to others, Mukundo Babu, for example to help you in time of need…”

“Pronab, please…” she looked distressed.

“Yes. THAT. See – how you still love me. I hope to learn that from you. To accept people with their faults. My parents,. Myself. And hopefully, my wife – if she has any faults that is.”

“What do you know? I, of course, have many faults.”

“Like?”

“I am not at all disciplined. I would have failed all through if Mukundo Babu hadn’t made me follow a strict schedule for studies. I would keep postponing everything to the day of the exam. It is true with everything. Music practice, getting a job… He has literally made me do everything in time by being a tyrant.”

Pronab smiled, “I will learn to live with that. There is enough goodness to compensate for that one fault.”

“Nobody has given me complements at this rate before. I might as well be floating in sky right now…”

“How is that possible?”

“Why not?”

“Your Baba never praised you?”

“Oh! He is so blind in parental love that he sees no fault in me.”

“Mukundo Babu?”

She laughed out loud, “Can you imagine Mukundo Babu paying me complements? No way. He scolds me all the time. For good reason. But still… Do this… do that… Go home and sleep… Don’t eat ice cream, it will affect your voice… finish your homework first, then only can you go and play….”

“I can’t imagine him doing any of that… All I have seen in him is concern for you and your well-being…”

“That has always been there. But you are right. He has been strange recently. Sometimes too aloof. And other times too tender. So unlike him.”

Pronab opened his mouth to say something, but stopped and changed the topic. “Ready to meet my parents? They are coming tonight.”

—

“Piyali. Are you ready?” Mukundo knocked at her door. Pronab’s parents had come home.

“Mukundo Babu. Come in, please. I need your help.”

“What happened?” he came in hastily and stopped in his tracks as soon as he saw her. She was wearing a deep maroon, taant-silk saree, along with a heavy gold jhumka and necklace set. He worried for a moment that those thick bangles on each of her delicate hands might sprain her wrists. Her hair was already done in a loose, low pony tail and she was finishing her makeup with a simple red bindi. There couldn’t have been a more faithful representation of traditional Bengali beauty. How grown up and mature she looked. No wonder, she was getting married.

“Promila Kaki is too busy with guests, Mukundo Babu. I don’t who else to ask for help. The saree is so difficult to manage. I need a pin in my pleats. I am unable to put it myself. Can you? Please?”

He literally bit his tongue to stop himself from blurting out something inappropriate. He took the pin she chose and knelt to bunch together the pleats of her saree.  It took some effort, but finally he managed to set them straight.

“How do I look?” she was anxious.

“They might not wait for the wedding to take you with them,” he smiled and replied, “You already look like a bride. And the most beautiful one at that.”

She stared at him curiously.

“What?”

“Nothing… You have never given me complements like this before?”

“I haven’t?”

“No. Never.”

Yet another thing he hadn’t realized about her. That she had grown up to be a beautiful woman, who wanted her feminity and beauty acknowledged, appreciated…

Outwardly he just gave her a weak smile. “Come quickly. Everyone is waiting.”

People in the drawing room was as awestruck with her beauty as Mukundo had been. Mr. Banerjees eyes grew moist when he saw her.. He got up and gave her a quick side hug. Mukundo noticed appreciative smiles on her soon-to-be in-laws’ faces and the amorous glow in Pronab’s eyes.

The now familiar knot in his throat came back. He left the room, though he came back soon. In the hustle-bustle of seating Piyali and the introductions with Pronab’s parents, he felt that nobody noticed his brief absence.  Unknown to him, Pronab did though.

—

To be continued

“Nothing for you, Piyali?” Pronab asked as Mukundo brought two mugs of beer.

“I don’t drink, Pronab.”

“Have you forbidden her from drinking, Mukundo Babu?” he asked jocularly.

“No. But I didn’t realize when she grew up to be old enough to drink. So, I never offered…”

“Mukundo Babu!” Piyali’s cheeks grew red and hot while the two men laughed.

A while later, conversations turned to sports and Pronab was surprised when Mukundo started talking about Super Bowl.

“How do you know so much about it? Since when have you been following it?”

“Since childhood.”

“Wow. I didn’t know Indians…”

“If it helps, Mukundo Babu is a US citizen,” Piyali interjected.

“He is? Oh! How come?”

“My Baba was there. A faculty of performing arts at a school in New York. I was born there.”

“When did you come back?”

“I was about ten years old.”

“Interesting. You didn’t mind coming back to Kolkata.”

“I wasn’t happy initially, of course. But this city grows on you.”

“Wow! Do you still go there?”

“Umm… yeah…”

“Mukundo Babu travels all over the world.”

“That’s great. And what do you do otherwise? Professionally?”

“For bread and butter – there is the family property to look after. For my sanity, I teach music. At some schools and I also have some students who come here.”

“How do you manage to balance the two?”

“I keep my music lessons confined to the first half of the day.”

They talked on and conversations flew naturally. Piyali felts at ease.  It was close to midnight when they finally thought of having dessert.

“Shanti Kaki has fallen asleep, I think,” Piyali said, “I will bring it. Ice cream, right?”

“Yes. You will have to leave it…”

“I know. At room temperature for ten minutes and then blend it before serving. Don’t worry.”

“So, why arranged marriage, Pronab?” Mukundo asked after Piyali was out of ear shot.

Pronab let out a sigh. “I’m surprised it hadn’t come up till now.”

“Piyali is intelligent. Her instincts are also right. But she hasn’t exactly seen the world. Someone has to ask! And please don’t tell me that it is because you are an Indian at heart.”

Pronab laughed, “No I won’t tell you that. But couple of disclaimers first. One – I haven’t decided on the arranged marriage yet…”

“I am aware of that,” Mukundo interjected impatiently. He wanted to get this over with before Piyali came back.

“Secondly, I realized only recently that nobody here knew my story. I don’t know whether Kakima didn’t know herself, or she knowingly kept it from people.”

“Never mind.”

“I was in a serious relationship until three months ago. My parents were against it…”

“She was a gori American?” he smiled.

“It wouldn’t have been a problem, if she were white. She was black. They couldn’t imagine holding black grandchildren!”

“And you gave up…”

“No. I fought with them. I told them that I would make my own decisions. I even moved in with her. Things sort of settled. When I visited my parents, they pretended that she didn’t exist. And we let it be at that… But…”

“But?”

“It turns out that it is easier to fight the external battles, or big crises, that threaten a relationship. What is difficult to put up with is the mundaneness of life. When all you have to fight with is each other. And you start annoying each other with where you keep your wet towel, what you like in dinner and whether or not you like to go to bars every night…”

“You broke up?”

“It had gotten ugly. I am only thankful we weren’t already married. Else it would have been tough.”

“Hmm… And you didn’t want to fight with your parents for another…”

“I wasn’t sure any longer if what I wanted from the relationship was practical. Probably my parents were right. That I hadn’t been sold into an impossible American dream. If you have to make compromises to keep a relationship anyway, I wondered if arranged marriages were not a better bet. At least you didn’t start with a dream of a soul-mate. You are prepared for those compromises. And I was being given a chance to know the girl before deciding…”

“Have you decided?”

“No. But I am aware that I will soon have to. But first, Piyali has to know about this. How do you think she would react?”

Mukundo had to think before replying. “I don’t know. It is strange. We are best of friends. She spends so much of her spare time with me. But I don’t know what she thinks about relationships, marriage… Whether she is mature enough to see in your story what I see? Or if she is too romantic about first love? I don’t know. I don’t know if she has had any relationships before… I never asked. She never told me.”

Pronab smiled. “Let me guess… You weren’t joking when you said that you didn’t realize when she grew up…”

“I wasn’t. Even if I was joking, it was only a half-joke. The idea of her getting married was so unexpected for me that I was thrown off the game. I didn’t realize until today that I needed to have this conversation with you. That too, before the two of you made up your mind… It’s just…” he stopped short on realizing that he had already spoken too much.

Pronab stared at him curiously for a while; then changed the subject. “I will tell her my story right away.”

“You don’t have to,” Mukundo shook his head and tried to get his bearings back, “I mean you don’t have to tell her before me… You can choose to…”

“Since I don’t know how she will react, I think it is better if it’s done when someone is around to support her, in case she takes it badly. Nobody better than you, Mukundo Babu.”

Mukundo nodded although he was terrified at the idea of having to console Piyali should she not take it well.

But she surprised him with her calm response. “Thank you for telling me, Pronab. I don’t know right now how I feel, or how I should react. Give me some time.”

“Of course!” Everyone was relieved.

“I should leave now. It’s past midnight,” Pronab finally said.

“How have you come?”

“A taxi is waiting for me.”

“Great. Have a good night then, Pronab.”

“Good night, Mukundo Babu. Good night, Piyali.”

—

“So?” Piyali looked at Mukundo expectantly after Pronab left.

“He is honest, and clear-headed, Piyali. He will never deliberately hurt you. He will not share your passion for classical music and dance, of course. But he would happily take you to the movies. Hollywood and Bollywood alike! So, beyond this, you have to listen to heart.”

Piyali blushed and chuckled. “Thank you, Mukundo Babu. Thank you so much.”

“Run along now. Go home and sleep. It’s too late. You will fall ill.”

“Oh, I won’t! But I will try to sleep anyway.”

Mukundo looked wistfully as she pranced away. She was a young woman in love. She will have to “try” to sleep, because it won’t come easily to her agitated, love-sick self. The object of her affection returned her feelings. They were yet to confess to each other, but if nothing unexpected happened, she would be married soon. And would fly away! He had been a myopic idiot to not foresee this day. But now he would have to get used to his life without her.

—

To be continued

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

“Piyali!” Mukundo shouted through the French window of his library. The rather low brick wall between their houses was not much of a barrier for this mode of comunication.

“Aashchhi…” came the irritated reply – I am coming.

Mukundo grinned unawares as he continued to sort through the books. She came running and complaining as expected.

“Can’t you give me time to even eat, Mukundo Babu? Must you start shouting? You know I come back only at three from work… Still…”

When she was younger, instead of work, she came back from school. Till a couple of months back, it was college. After finishing college, she was teaching at a dance school. Her complaint remained the same through these changes. And their effectiveness didn’t grow on Mukundo. He couldn’t help calling for her at the exact time he expected her to return.  Asking was his habit. Coming yet complaining was hers.

“What are you doing?” she demanded.

“It has been a long time. The books here need to be sorted. Help me.”

“Of course! Am I not your slave labor?” That was another habit of theirs. He liked having her by his side in anything he did. Maintaining his library, gardening, singing practice… She grumbled, but obliged him. And he knew better than to take her grumbling seriously. She didn’t mean it. She was as used to his demands as he was to her presence. How upset she got if he ever fell ill, or when he had to travel. She would wander around in his house, his library, his garden and tire Shanti – his housekeeper – out by asking every five minutes by when would he return or recover. Even though she knew the answer very well!

“It’s six-thirty. Kaku would be home. Shouldn’t we be going?”

After spending their afternoon together, they usually went to her house to have tea with her father – Debendra Banerjee. Piyali was the one to do time-keeping usually. So, Mukundo was surprised that she hadn’t noticed the time and was still lingering around.

“Umm… yeah…”

“What is it?”

“What should I ask him, Mukundo Babu?”

“Ask whom? Kaku?”

“Huh? No! I am talking about Pronab.”

“Who is Pronab?”

“Who is… What the hell… Didn’t Baba tell you his name?”

“Piyali! Will you please explain what you are going on and on about? What was Kaku supposed to tell me? And who is Pronab?”

“He forgot, as usual.” Piyali sighed and slumped on an easy chair.

“So, you can tell me. What is going on?”

“Pronab is some relative of Pishima’s. She talked to Baba about him. And I am supposed to meet him tomorrow.”

“For?”

She gave an annoyed grunt instead of replying. Was he deliberately acting dumb?

“Are… are you getting… married?” he was indeed caught unawares.

“Probably!” she was still annoyed. This time at her father, for omitting to talk about something so important with Mukundo.

“Oh!”

He looked perplexed. He didn’t know how to react to the situation.

“Baba must be back already. Let’s go.” she relieved him of the compulsion to react. She couldn’t get a meaningful answer from him for her questions then. So, it was better to abandon the conversation.

“Yeah… Okay…”

—

“Mukundo! I was waiting for you. You must come with me to meet Pronab tomorrow.”

“I had no idea…” he laughed nervously.

“You know me, Mukundo. Just slipped off my mind. If Didi hadn’t reminded me this morning…”

“Sometimes you really need to stop being the forgetful professor, Kaku,” Mukundo ostensibly joked, but Piyali could detect a hint of annoyance in his voice.

“Only if Debangi was around…”

“Kaku!”

“Yes… yes… Let’s have tea. Promila, we should also have some singhara today…”

“Baba… You can’t be so forgetful that you forget your diabetes.”

“Once in a while is okay, Shona…”

“I will send someone for it, then…”

Piyali sneaked out with that alibi and did not go back to drawing room, where Mukundo and her father sat talking. Mukundo joined her in the verandah after a while.

“Getting married… Wow!” he came to stand beside her.

“You are completely taken by surprise,” she continued looking out.

“By shock, more like it.”

“Why?”

“Why do you have to get married?”

“What kind of question is that?”

“Stupid kind, I suppose…”

She turned to look at him, expecting to see a smile at his own joke. But there was the same perplexed moroseness on his face as earlier. She looked away.

“I think the real question is not why I have to get married. Rather, why you never married…”

“Everyone knows that…”

“One betrayal… All those years ago…”

“Forget about that. I don’t even feel the need. But you will get married. And he is in the US. You will become a visitor to Kolkata. Yearly visitor if we are lucky. Otherwise…”

“I don’t know if I am getting married to him. Only if we both like each other… Only if…”

“Well…”

“Only if you also approve of him,” she added firmly despite his interruption.

“Hmm…”

“I don’t understand your reaction.”

“Me neither. Give me some time to digest this. We’ll talk tomorrow. Good night.”

—

“Didi will also be there. She is coming from Pronab’s grandmother’s place with him. She will come back with us though. We will take both our cars and leave mine with Pihu after lunch. She can take Pronab around in that. The three of us will come back in your car,” Mr. Banerjee explained the entire plan to Mukundo.

“What will you bet? This elaborate plan in Pishima’s,” Mukundo whispered in Piyali’s ear.

“Nothing,” she replied grinning, “I won’t bet anything. It is hers.”

Piyali’s Pishima, Mr. Banerjee’s elder sister, with her usual tact soon put everyone at ease over lunch. Pronab’s Bengali was labored and English was American. Not surprising. He had been born and brought up in US by the immigrant Bengali parents. But he was pleasant enough to talk to. There was an openness about him that Mukundo could not help liking despite his misgivings about the entire affair. He did wonder about why he would come to India for an arranged marriage. But this wasn’t the time or place to ask that.

Pronab was working towards a tenured position at University of Texas. But he also liked the idea of moving to Bay Area. It was the most happening place. He was in India on a long leave. His parents would join him later and would also like to meet all of them, should things progress… Mukundo noticed Piyali in her baby pink salwar-kameez. The color suited her so well. He almost wished she hadn’t worn that. Pronab was clearly as aware of her loveliness as Mukundo was. And how different her demeanor was today. The shy smile, those sidelong glances she threw at Pronab every once in a while, the soft, low voice in which she talked to him…

“How did you like him, Mukundo?” Mr. Banerjee asked him on their ride back. As planned, Piyali and Pronab had stayed back. He didn’t drive in India. Piyali would drop him to nearest taxi stand and then come back.

“He is quite likable. There isn’t much more you could know in one meeting.”

“Of course, of course, it will be Pihu’s decision.”

“Oh! I am sure she will like him,” Pishima butted in excitedly to Mukundo’s annoyance, “He might have been raised in America. But he is Indian at heart. His parents have made sure of that.”

Mukundo didn’t see the logic. Or even the meaning in that. What did being an Indian at heart mean? That he was willing to go for an arranged marriage? Or probably what he saw as a blind date being set-up by relatives instead of friends? Or was it that he celebrated his festivals and went to the temples? Could any of these have any bearing on Piyali’s future happiness? What would matter to Piyali in her married life? What were her dreams about her life partner? What romantic fantasies occupied her? He didn’t know! What was she talking about right now with Pronab? Was she telling him about her favorite color? Her favorite sweet dish? What was her favorite color? He liked pink the best on her. But did she like it too? He had learned to make ice-cream at home and often made it for her, so that she didn’t spoil her voice by eating those outside. But was that her favorite dessert? He had no fucking clue. By the time they reached home, he was so annoyed with himself that he didn’t want to spend another second in anyone’s company. He declined Mr. Banerjee’s invitation of joining them for tea and went straight to his home.

He walked into his library first. Many books still remained to be arranged. They hadn’t been able to finish the task yesterday. And now she wouldn’t have time to help him. He went to the garden and the thought that he would have to tend it on his own depressed him so much that he immediately scuttled out. He listlessly walked to his room and decided to sleep off his bad mood. He didn’t wake up even for dinner.

—

To be continued