Inevitable (Variation) – Part 4
For years Rupali had been saving every rupee she could to be able to afford the best schools for Soumitra and Sugata after they finished class 10th. They were going to do so that year. Going to a good school in those two crucial years of +2 education was a gateway to a good college admission later. She didn’t want them missing out on that. Sugata, perhaps, wanted to make a career in sports or music. So, he may not care about a good college that much. But those were uncertain careers. So, he would need to be supported for longer. Rupali would support him for as long as he needed. Soumitra wanted to be an engineer. So, Rupali also wanted to be ready with the money it would take him to become one.
But for all her attempts at saving money, until she got this undeserved job and the windfall of an income that she had never felt confident of fulfilling those dreams. Now, she was saving every bit of extra income and the numbers had finally started looking good. And so, the thought of losing this job had started scaring her. The day Paritosh found a nanny who could take care of Meenal at a much lower salary, her days of comfortable earning would be over. Although he had already hired a proper, qualified counsellor who spent a few hours with Meenal every day and, despite the extra expense, did not seem to be looking out for Rupali’s replacement, Rupali could not stop feeling anxious. She practically held her breath for the half an hour she spent at the house in his presence every morning, before he left for the for the university. Should anything go wrong she would never be able to forgive herself on her brothers’ behalf. That destiny should offer her such a golden chance of securing their future and she should squander it away.
When he came back in the evenings, often accompanied by Maya, she took her leave at the earliest. Maya unnerved her even more than Paritosh did. She had never said anything to her. But perhaps the very fact that she hardly ever spoke to her, and responded to her greetings with a barely discernible nod, told Rupali that her employer’s ‘friend’ did not like her. Did she grudge Rupali her salary? Or was she unhappy that Meenal stayed with Rupali the entire day, but did not take to her at all? Either way, Maya he could hardly be faulted. But Rupali couldn’t leave the job just to make her happy. It was about money, of course. But it was also about the little girl who had come to depend on her.
Despite the nervousness Maya introduced, Rupali’s real concern continued to be Paritosh.
—
“Why are you in the kitchen?” Rupali jumped at the interruption and spilled most of the milk she was pouring in a glass for Meenal. It was only lukewarm and hence she wasn’t hurt, but Paritosh rushed in and put her hands under the tap.
“Are you fine?”
“Yes Sir,” she mumbled drawing her hands away, “It wasn’t hot. I’m sorry. I spilled it all.”
“It’s okay. I startled you. I didn’t mean to. Where is the aayah?”
There was a maid to do all the cooking and cleaning and Rupali’s only job was to stay with Meenal and make sure that she was fine.
“She is down with flu. She called to tell me that she won’t be able to come.”
“Oh! I’m sorry. You had to cook for Meenal, I suppose.”
“It’s nothing, Sir. She doesn’t have complicated needs,” she smiled, but Paritosh was still frowning. “You came back early today, Dr. Khanna?”
“Yes, yes,” he seemed to be startled out of his thoughts, “I didn’t have any more classes. So… Would you like to have a cup of tea?”
She assumed that he wanted a cup. “I will make some,” she offered.
“No. You take the milk for Meenal. I’ll make tea after changing. I will see you in the hall.”
She stared after him. Did he know how to make tea? The man who had three people in the employ just for a four-year-old girl? Who had enough money to pay a counsellor’s salary to a nanny?
But it wasn’t her place to question him. She heated some more milk for Meenal, fed the child and then went to the hall with her in the tow. He was already there, two cups of tea waiting on the coffee table.
“Thank you, Sir,” she said as she picked up a cup and sat on a chair across him. Meenal got busy with her toys.
They sipped the tea in silence for a long time. Then, all of a sudden, he asked, “Would you like to come for a vacation?”
“Excuse me, Sir?”
“I mean,” he shook his head, realizing that his question sounded inappropriate, “Maya and I wanted to go for a vacation. So Meenal will come with. If you could come along, it would help us a lot. I will make all the arrangements, of course. And–”
“Sir. That’s not possible for me. I can’t–”
“But why? It’s not like—Maya will be there. Meenal will be there. You will have a room with Meenal–”
“Sir. You are generous. But I can’t, really I can’t.”
“Very well,” he almost slammed the cup down and she noticed with a sinking heart that he was angry. He, then, got up and left without another word.
Rupali buried her head in her hands. So the dreaded moment had come. Someone who had taken up the job of a nanny would have come. But how could she? She had two younger brothers to take care of. How could she leave them alone and go on a vacation. Then there was her night job. She wasn’t sure she could tell Paritosh about that. What if he concluded that she wasn’t fully invested in Meenal because she was working another job too?
But he could also fire her because she refused to go with them. Well, she decided, if he did decide to fire her, she would tell him about her constraints. There would be nothing to lose. In the worst case he would stick to his decision of firing her. In the best case he would reconsider.
“Come, Meenu,” she addressed the child, “Let’s go and do some drawing.”
—
To be continued
