Mish' Fiction

Dearest Piyali,

Please, please, please tell me that you have opened this letter and not thrown it away in disgust just by looking at the sender’s name. I have been an idiot, obviously. I hope that by now Mukundo Babu has spoken to you, and you have consented. If not, either he, or you are a fool. Read this letter and go talk to him immediately.

You must forget my last letter. You know how I had gone on and on about what he was to me. What was plain before all our eyes, and what I had missed was, what you are to him, Piyali. You mean the world to him.

“Ah! I was right, Piyali. This girl does have good sense. See how sensibly she writes.”

“Just read…”

There is a lot I had gotten wrong, which I could explain… But I think the best I can do is try and reproduce what happened after your call about Pratibha and Pronab. (I don’t know either of them. But I think they are not as villainous as Mukundo Babu made them to be in the aftermath of your call.)

“Scoundrel!” was the first word he spoke as he disconnected the call. Now, I have to say it is such a charming word. You can hardly feel that the speaker means to be angry. But the intensity of his anger was unmistakable. I almost shuddered and felt for the guy at whom it was directed. “I will give my life for you, Saina,” he said next, taking my breath away, I admit, but I was prepared for the anti-climax, “Because you had once saved her from harm. Even at the cost of your own wounds resurfacing. If I can give my life for someone who saved her, do you think it unfair that I should want to take the life of someone who harms her?”

He stopped as he felt her eyes on him. “Yes. I had said that. And I am not ashamed,” he admitted with a straight face.

“What has happened?” I had to ask. “That idiot her Pishima has brought home. Pronab. He has been leading her on all this time. And now it turns out that he was in Haldia for some other girl altogether. And Pratibha! How could she be a part of this abominable scheme? I would kill them both.”

He stopped here.

“You said that too?”

“I did!” His face was tense.

“Jealousy may not make you murderous. Love does.”

He relaxed immediately on seeing her teasing smile.

“Piyali is in love with… Pronab?” I asked. I have to admit that I was almost on the verge of laughing. I remembered you mentioning your Pishima and his nephew. And there was no way I could believe that you were in love with this Pronab or whosoever. But I dared not laugh. He might have spared Pratibha or Pronab. But he would definitely have killed me, if I had laughed. However, I did dare ask him something. “You love her, don’t you?” His face paled. But he did not deny it. “Then take my advice. Before doing anything else, talk to her. Don’t go on a murder spree.” I had hoped he would laugh. But all my wit could only produce a small smile on his face. “I must leave immediately,” he said. And I did not try to stop him even for formality’s sake.

Piyali. If you are not in love with him, make yourself do it. You can’t regret. I envy you. But trust me, I am heartily ashamed of my last letter. Do me a favor, my friend, burn both these letters and do not exclude me from your wedding invitation. Talk to me as soon as you can. I am too ashamed to call you first. And yes – please don’t tell Mukundo Babu about all this. And if you must feel a need of absolute honesty with him at some point of time, ask him to be so good as to pretend before me that he doesn’t know about any of this.

“Oh, thank God!” he exclaimed, “That she wants me to pretend that I haven’t read these letters. Because honestly, I don’t know how I should have behaved after reading them.”

Piyali giggled.

“So, you believed her first letter? And that’s why you were really jealous, when I came to you in the morning?” he suddenly grew serious.

She nodded gravely.

“So, you had imagined me connected with every possible young woman,” he chuckled, “But not yourself.”

“You can laugh at me. But… you did praise both of them. You kept saying about Saina that she was more mature of the two of us.”

“Yes. And I still stand by it. Could you have written a letter like this?” he indicated towards the second letter.

She shook her head.

“See? But Piyali. I don’t fall in love with a girl the moment I praise something about her.”

“It takes years of correcting and bullying and scaring her?” she raised her eyebrows.

“Well… I can’t deny that. I guess it does…” he smiled.

“Then I don’t have too many rivals.”

“None!”

“Correct me then, if I am being naughty,” she said, buried her head in his chest and planted a kiss there.

He pulled her back. “I think that deserves a punishment and not a correction. But tell me something. Does it need to wait until the wedding?”

“No. I might grow naughtier by then.”

“Very well then.” Her lips were the first to be punished. But nothing else was to be spared either!

– The End –

Mukundo didn’t know what to expect from Mr. Banerjee, but he was not prepared for the calmness, rather resignation, with which he took the news.

“She is yours, Mukundo. You have brought her up. You do not need my permission.”

“Kaku! I… hope… you approve. It is important to me… and to her.”

“Mukundo,” he smiled, “If somebody else had come to me with the proposal, I’d have sent him to you to get the permission. Where am I supposed to send you? I am happy. Trust me.”

Mukundo was surprised into silence. Mr. Banerjee himself broke it after a while. “You would be surprised at this. Yes – it is true. All these years, I did not even notice how my daughter had grown up. Didi gave me a piece of her mind in this visit.”

“She did?” Mukundo was surprised.

“Yes. She managed to find me alone, when Pihu was not there. And then she was not to be stopped. A lot of things she said did not worry me. Because she does not know as well as I do, how well and how responsibly you have cared for Pihu. But I could no longer ignore that I have been a rotten father.”

“Kaku!”

“No. Let me speak, Mukundo. I can’t change how I feel. Yes – it scares me if she as much as steps out of the house. But don’t worry about me any longer. Marry her and take her away. I have kept her confined here all her life. I saw her travel books the other day… Take her away, Mukundo.”

“I’m not taking her away unless you also come with us, Kaku. But yes – I did want to persuade you to let her travel with me. She will be safe.”

“I’m sure.”

“And Kaku. Can I request something?”

“Tell me, Mukundo.”

“You should not go on this guilt ride, when she is around. She will not like it.”

The old man smiled. “God bless you, my son. I am lucky have both of you. Her mother and your parents have left me the treasure of the world.”

Piyali ran away from her hiding place behind the curtains, lest her sobs were heard by the two most important men in her life. She would go to Mukundo only after she had her emotions under control.

—

“Although I am not in favor of big weddings, we must invite Pronab to ours.”

“Really? Why? You don’t like him.”

“That was when I saw him as an intruder, who was plundering the garden I had raised so painstakingly.”

“Come on…”

“That’s true, Piyali. That’s how painful it felt. But I am thankful to him. If he hadn’t made me jealous, I may never have realized what I really wanted.”

“And my torture would have continued indefinitely…” she added.

“Your torture… Because of Pratibha?”

“Well… It’s complicated…”

“When did it start?”

“You won’t like the answer.”

“That is no reason to hide it.”

She took a deep breath. “Probably when I was fifteen.”

“What?”

“Don’t be so alarmed. It isn’t as bad as it sounds. It was just… a hopeless girlish sort of attraction. I was disappointed when I realized that the only reason you had taken me to Kolkata was because you could sweet talk me into studying for board exams. You only thought of me as a ward, a responsibility, nothing else.”

“Sweet talk? You have used that word elsewhere.”

“Yes. I have. In a similar context.”

“So you were disappointed? What were you expecting exactly?”

“I don’t know. When you had gifted that boot to me… I thought you liked me in that skirt.”

“All right! Let me tell you that I always thought of you as much more than a ward. You were the purpose of my life, Piyali. And yes – I did like you in that skirt. I am going to buy you lots of such dresses when we travel. But at that point of time, I had nothing like this in mind.”

She laughed, “I know. And it was for good. I got my head straightened after that. The reason I was distracted was not Saina. It was you. So… Yeah – you did well.”

“And then?” he held her hands and started playing with her fingers unconsciously.

“And then? Well I put it past me. Not attraction, but expectations. And things were fine. Once in a while I would pray to God that you should remain single. Else you won’t come to us, and we won’t remain as good friends. And then I heard about Pratibha Di.”

“And jealousy raised its ugly head?” he gave her an amused look.

“It was more of disappointment that you didn’t tell me or Baba,” she said, “She was better than me. I could hardly compete. You had devoted so much of your life to me and Baba. It didn’t seem right that I should continue to expect so. I just… I… was very disappointed that we weren’t important enough for you. That you would not tell us…” the sadness she had felt then, reflected on her face as she recalled those times.

“Oh Piyali…”

“I know,” she looked up at him and smiled, “How mistaken I was. But anyway  – that wasn’t so much of jealousy. I felt so inadequate that… Jealousy came after you had clarified about that and left for Kolkata. With Saina…”

“Saina?” This startled Mukundo.

“Ouch!” Piyali suddenly realized that she had spoken what she hadn’t intended to… “I shouldn’t have told you.”

“Well – you have now. And you should have, anyway. Tell me now. Where does Saina come into picture?”

“I received a couriered letter from her right after you had left,” she confessed and fished out the letter for him from her drawer.

He finished reading the letter in one go and his face was pale when he looked up. “What have I done? Have you spoken to her? Is she all right? The next time I met her…”

“I know what you are worried about. Don’t. There was another letter I received soon after you came back and… I have written to her and spoken to her since then.” She handed him another letter. This one he read at leisure, aloud, and even kept commenting on the content now and then.

—

To be continued

Piyali was glad that her guests had decided to leave the same evening and it had nothing to do with the troubles her Pishima caused her father. She was just glad to have the house to herself, and her thoughts of Mukundo Babu; when he was not around, that is.

When he was around, they would usually lock themselves up in her room, or find a corner in the backyard or garden, and have endless conversations.

“I don’t think you can be serious about me…”

“Still? Why?”

“I don’t work still.”

“You eat so little, I can feed you without grudging it,” he laughed.

“But I want to work.”

“Since you don’t want to work with me, it will take some time to find you a job.”

“That was when… I want to work with you.”

“Why didn’t you want so earlier?”

“I was afraid you will find even more faults with me, find me stupid or lazy, and start disliking me…”

His smile vanished on hearing this. He continued playing with her hand though as he apologized. “I am sorry.”

“Stop saying sorry all the time. What for?”

“I have been horrible as a lover, Piyali. Always finding faults in your, making you miserable…”

“At every stage of my life,” she uttered every word slowly and emphatically, “You have been exactly what I needed, Mukundo Babu. A twenty-year-old woman can enjoy the attentions of a doting lover, but a nine-year-old girl, who had lost even her surrogate parents, needed a strong guardian, who could be critical…”

“Piyali!”

“I can never forget that day, Mukundo Babu. I had seen Kaka’s body, before you remembered to send me off. I was trying to find some comfort with Kaki, but she had gone silent… Baba was close to having a nervous breakdown. Binoy Da was barely able to manage him… You were the one, who had to take care of everything… The cremations, the rituals, and you had kept me in tow as soon as his body was gone. Comforting me, assuring me… That you were there, and everything will be all right. And since then… The safest place for me in the world is by your side. And every time someone praised me for good behavior, I have thanked you. Every time I saw a friend struggling with an exam paper that I aced, I have thanked you. Every time I realize that I alive, and well, and normal, I have thanked you, Mukundo Babu. If you hadn’t been the strong hand guiding me all through… I wouldn’t have survived to have a lover… So, don’t complain to about having been a tough guardian. What would I have been without that?”

“You are very generous, Piyali. Your guardianship had happened as an accident to me. I wasn’t prepared for it. I knew nothing about it. But I hung onto it for my life. Because apart from that, I had lost my purpose in life. You know about that already… Caring for you was the only part that made my life meaningful. And I overdid it many a times. I criticized a bit too much, pushed you too hard, held back praises too often… But you say it has been all right?”

“Are you proud of me today, Mukundo Babu? Of what I have become?”

“Extremely!”

“Then, it has been all right, hasn’t it been?”

He smiled and kissed her forehead.

“If you were so good as an unprepared guardian, I already envy our children, for whom you would be prepared.”

He arched his eyebrows and she blushed crimson on realizing what she had said. He laughed at her predicament.

—

“We were friends since you were a baby, Piyali. You have always been special for me. But especially last eleven years, I have lived for no reason other than to take care of you. I did not realize when I grew so possessive. I cannot figure out when you grew into this beautiful woman who could evoke such jealousy in me that it scared me.”

“Jealousy…” she laughed softly, “You were crazy, Mukundo Babu. Even if I did fall in love with someone, I would not have taken a single step forward without your approval. Didn’t you know that?”

“Oh Piyali! You might be the most intelligent woman in the world. But even if you become the wisest, you cannot know what jealousy does to a man.”

“I can know. I was jealous too.”

“Yeah. You were a little whiny when you were jealous,” he grinned, then mimicked her, “Why wouldn’t you tell us if you wanted to marry Pratibha Di.”

“Come on!”

“A man can become murderous in jealousy.”

“Not you,” she laughed, “You were also just whiny.” She also tried to mimic him, “I don’t like this guy. Something about him is not honest. He has definitely not come here to escape city life. I can tell you he is getting bored here and would like to make a run for his life…”

She was not a good mimic and herself broke into a laughter at her poor attempt.

He looked at her as if hypnotized. Then he suddenly said, “Right now I don’t care if you have halitosis.” And he attacked her lips before she could prepare herself for it. Soon, she was out of breath and he had to let go.

“Are you okay?” he asked softly.

She nodded, still panting, while a shy smile played on her lips.

“I must talk to Kaku.”

Why suddenly? She wondered. Although she did not ask him, it had to be done sooner or later, she did look at him quizzically.

He understood her unasked questions. “There are limits… I don’t want to cross unless I have his blessings for this relationship.”

She gasped, and Mukundo could not suppress a crooked smile on noticing that.

“What was that word?” she suddenly asked.

“What word?”

“What you had said – that you don’t care if I had…”

“Halitosis?”

“What is that?”

“Bad breath,” he grinned.

“Mukundo Babu!” she pretended to hit him.

“What this shows is that you need to read more. More than just travelogues and picture books.”

“All right!”

“Sorry!” he smiled sheepishly.

—

To be continued

“Piyali!” It was dark already. Mukundo had found her pacing in her backyard.

“Mukundo Babu. You are drenched!”

“Unexpected rains on the way. I was riding the bike.”

“You should have changed first.”

“I had to see you first… Piyali… The news… It’s so shocking…”

“I’m shocked, for sure. But you shouldn’t be. You had already guessed that he wasn’t here to escape the city life or anything else he said.”

“I didn’t expect much from him. But Pratibha should have known better to let you be hurt in all this.”

“Why would I be hurt? Mukundo Babu. I only informed you. Because they begged me to. Now I am out of this. You figure it out with Seema Mashi and Pishima. They were confident that you can make them both understand…”

“You don’t care?”

“I do… I guess. I hope they are able to marry with everyone’s consent.”

“You don’t care for Pronab?”

“Care for… What? Oh my God! Is that why you were so… No. No. No. Mukundo Babu. I? Why would I? He is a just a guest.”

“You don’t… Oh Lord. What have I done? I must go and change,” he suddenly seemed to remember that he was drenched.

“Yes. You should.”

“And Pratibha has created a nightmare for all of us. That boy’s family will be furious.”

“Yes. They will be.”

“I must talk to everyone quickly, then!”

“Yes. You should.”

“Right. Bye Piyali!”

“Bye Mukundo Babu!”

She was left confused. Why would he think that she was in love with Pronab Babu?

—

He was back early in the morning. She had just gotten up and was taking a stroll in her garden, when he approached.

“The multi-party meeting went on till late, I believe. You are up early,” she remarked with a smile.

“I couldn’t sleep at all.”

“The biological clock must have gone off…”

“No! No… I was thinking… About things… About people…”

“They spring surprises, yes. Pishima would have been difficult.”

“Yeah. Initially she was. But it all worked out. Everybody saw that they were trying to decide the fate of two independent adults. And they couldn’t exactly stop them from doing what they wanted to do. So, it was better to agree to what they wanted.”

She chuckled, “Wise. As always! But why did you think I had anything to do with Pronab Babu?”

“I… Well… you were quite friendly with him..”

“So?”

“And that was the reason your Pishima had brought him here.”

“Huh?”

“I mean, she was hoping to get the two of your married.”

“Oh!” she was silent for a moment. “How do you know?”

“She had told me, when we had met in Kolkata.”

“She had not told me anything. I don’t think she said anything to Baba either.”

“I think she was waiting for the two of you to fall in love.”

“Hmm… But rest assured,” she smiled, “I am not hurt. He was deceptive for sure. Saying not a word about why he was really here. But he never misled me.”

“He is a lucky bastard!”

“Mukundo Babu!” she was surprised to hear him use such a word.

“He is, Piyali! He managed to use me to get what he wanted. And I… I can’t get what I want… I can’t even talk to you about it…”

She averted her eyes, as they filled with tears. One the one hand, she did not want to hear him express his love for Saina. On the other hand, it broke her heart to think that he didn’t think of her a friend enough to open his heart to him.

He mistook her silence to mean that she didn’t want him to talk. “Piyali…” he whispered in a sinking, hurt voice, and started retreating.

“No. Please Mukundo Babu,” she suddenly panicked, thinking she would lose him forever, if she did not speak, “Don’t leave like that. Why can’t you speak to me? I know I behaved abominably before you left. But I am still your friend, am I not? I have too many faults… But I listen to you… I do. I will improve. I have always tried. All these years of being friends… I promise I will never ever again… Oh God! I am not a child anymore, Mukundo Babu. Allow me some dignity. Don’t make me beg… Talk to me. Please… You can marry whosoever you want… And I will respect your decision… I will respect her… But you can’t cast aside my friendship… You must talk to me… Allow me some dignity…” she lost track of what she was thinking and speaking as she broke into miserable sobs. But Mukundo had heard what he needed to hear. He came close and gathered her in his arms stopping her from sinking to floor.

“Oh God! No. No you are not a child anymore, Piyali. You must tell me, then, what you called abominable behavior… was it jealousy? Tell me Piyali, please…”

“Allow me some dignity…” she mumbled as she hid her face in his chest.

“I must know, Piyali,” his voice trembled, “Because I was incredibly jealous of Pronab, when I thought he was intended for you…”

She stiffened for a moment on hearing that. As the meaning sunk in, the strength seemed to come back to her body. She looked up at him. Her eyes were red from crying, her lips were quivering, but the color had returned to her cheeks. Soon, she started smiling.

“You were jealous?” he asked again, smiling.

“Yes,” she whispered.

“I’m sorry, for everything…”

“I assure you, you will pay… for everything…”

“Gladly!”

He bowed his head to kiss her, but she turned away. He grew awkward. Was he getting carried away?

“I haven’t brushed my teeth yet,” she said sheepishly, as a blush crept up on her cheeks.

He threw his head back and laughed heartily. Then he ruffled her hair and planted a kiss on her forehead. “Silly girl,” he grinned.

“Will you be able to sleep now?” she asked as they walked in the garden hand-in-hand.

“I doubt. I am afraid that this is a dream…”

“I hope not!”

“Don’t worry. If it is indeed a dream, then it is presenting such pleasant possibilities that… when I wake up, I will confess everything without putting you through so much torture.”

“How is it possible, Mukundo Babu? How could you love me? This silly, immature, nonsensical girl…”

“If you ask ‘why’, I am sure I can give you a thousand reasons. If you ask ‘when’, I can tell you when I realized… But if you as ‘how’, Piyali… I don’t know how to answer that. How does it happen? Do you know?”

She shook her head.

Their reverie was interrupted by her Pishima calling her. He let go of her hands. When she looked disappointed, he assured her, “For a while, Piyali, it must remain a secret. Let people get over Pratibha’s drama before we give them another reason to be excited.”

She chuckled and nodded.

“Will you have breakfast with us?” she asked.

“I’m afraid, I have spent too much time in matchmaking recently. I need to get some work done. I will come at tea time as usual?”

She was disappointed. It would mean separation of several hours. And right now, she did not want to do anything except to talk to him. But she had not yet gotten into the skin of demanding lover. She agreed, as she usually did with him.

He took her hand in his, and pressed it intimately. Then with a smile that betrayed his own longing, he took his leave.

—

To be continued

Dearest Piyali,

I know you would be surprised at receiving a courier from me. Why wouldn’t I send you a letter on Mukundo Babu’s next visit, as we usually do, you must wonder. What can I say? It’s not like that I do not trust him with our letters. He is too well-behaved and old-world-gentlemanly to do something like opening our letters. Still, I could not send this letter with him. What if…

…

Piyali was barely sensible of even her limbs by the time she finished the letter. Mukundo Babu and Saina? In love? At least that is what she seemed to think. How their meetings had grown friendlier month after month, when he visited her to give her Piyali’s letters and gifts and take the same from her for Piyali. Didn’t Piyali wonder how foolish and tiresome the job must be for him to do, amidst all his work? But he did it, month after month. Couldn’t he have just asked them to send letters via post? He didn’t. He was such an excellent judge of people’s characters and so good at understanding her problems. He advised and helped her like a true friend. He listened to her silliest stories.

I must sound mad, Piyali. The reason I am writing to you is to know if I am indeed mad and dreaming of the moon. You know him, don’t you? Did you ever get a hint of what he thinks about me? Could you find out? You would have my life-long gratitude. Until I hear from you, I will hold my tongue and try to behave myself normally. But you must tell me what you think and put my head straight – one way or the other.

Couldn’t people leave Mukundo Babu alone? First this mess with Pratibha and the entire neighborhood. Now with her best friend?

But try as she might, she could not ignore what Saina had written. There was indeed no better judge of characters than him. And he understood people and helped them like a true friend. He definitely listened to all of Saina’s silly stories, and listened them well. Because he conveyed them to her very well. She had gotten all of that right.

But had he grown so fond of her that…. Definitely he had remarked all those years ago that he was mistaken about her and that she was a fine girl. She remembered that he often referred to her as the mature one between the two friends. He definitely carried out this silly monthly assignment… And Saina was no fool. She was a city girl, who knew her way about the world…

Was it all true then? Is that why he was so vexed with her? That she could not see where his real interest lied and linked her with Pratibha? Oh Lord! What was to become of her life? And Mukundo Babu’s?

If all this was true, then what would she do? Be a nice friend to both Mukundo Babu and Saina, and encourage them?

—

“Is there a good coffee shop in this town, Piyali?” Pronab came to her next morning looking agitated.

“There is a coffee shop. I don’t know if it is good or not.”

“Let’s go there. At three today.”

“What for?”

“To have coffee.”

“We can have coffee at home.” Piyali was not exactly feeling up to an outing. Even minimal interaction with people at home was a lot of exertion for her.

“Piyali, please. I am getting bored at home.”

“I thought you had come to Haldia to escape the city.”

“What I came for… Please Piyali.”

He was her guest. Refusing him once was already out of line. Refusing him again would be rude. If Mukundo Babu knew, he would be disappointed in her again. She agreed to go.

“Pratibha Di!” There was a surprise waiting for her there, “What is going on? Pronab Babu?”

“You must help us, Pihu,” Pratibha spoke.

“Help us?”

“You are not so thick, Pihu. You can guess why Pronab is here.”

“Pronab? Oh my God! You two are a couple?”

Pratibha shrugged her shoulders and looked at her expectantly.

“What have you been doing then? Your family is planning your wedding. And Mukundo Babu is practically living in Kolkata these past few weeks to arrange…”

“Until Pronab told me about that, I had no idea how far they have gone… You must stop him, Pihu.”

“I? Him? You need to tell Seema Mashi, Di. What can I do?”

“I was bidding my time. The plan was to have him over a few times and hopefully impress them… But… He has been there only once. And no one is particularly impressed, or even aware.”

“Honestly, folks in Haldia are a difficult lot to impress. Even the wise man of your town, Mukundo Babu, seems to dislike me. I can’t fathom, why.”

“I can’t either,” Piyali mumbled, “But oh! It is such a mess. What do you want me to do?”

“Only Mukundo Babu can help us. And we can’t talk to him except through you.”

“Me? I am not his secretary.”

“You are the only one who can talk frankly to him. And he is the only one who can make Mashima understand.”

“And my Kakima too,” Pronab added.

“But you need to talk to your parents,” she reminded Pronab.

“Oh! The head of our household is Kakima. If she is convinced, others will follow.”

“I am too young to be of any direct help in all this, Pratibha Di… You know that. God! You guys are so sneaky….But I will try to find where he is and call him. Couldn’t you have said something before he left for Kolkata. Now I will have to call… oh my God… Saina!”

—

She had to work hard to explain to Saina that she couldn’t talk about her letter yet, that there was an emergency in Haldia, that it had nothing to do with anyone’s health, but that she must talk to Mukundo Babu as soon as he came there. Saina agreed.

“You haven’t been to talk to the groom’s family yet, have you?” she asked Mukundo with some trepidation when he called her from Saina’s home.

“Not yet. Why?”

“You must come back, Mukundo Babu.”

“What happened, Piyali?” he grew concerned, his soft voice not betraying even a trace of bitterness from previous day.

“This wedding can’t happen. Pratibha Di, and Pronab Babu…”

“What?”

“They love each other. They want to marry…”

“Oh my God! Piyali, are you… I am coming. It will ride as fast as I can… Don’t worry… Everything will be all right…”

Piyali looked at the phone quizzically after disconnecting. Why was he so worried? About her, particularly?

—

To be continued

Pronab turned out to be an unexpectedly pleasant visitor to Piyali. He was managing his aunt pretty well and kept any trouble out of Piyali’s father’s way. He had easy manners with which he could strike a conversation with anyone – from innocent children to hypochondriac adults. Bored as Piyali was with her joblessness, and vexed with Mukundo, she welcomed his presence in her house wholeheartedly. Even her Pishima was tolerable with him around.

Mukundo had just come in for the evening tea, when Pronab and his aunt came back from neighborhood visits.

“Who all did you visit, Pishima?” Mukundo asked her.

“Oh many people! So much changes between the visits. So many new daughter-in-laws, so many new babies, and so many daughters shipped off to their in-laws!”

“I also met someone I know from Delhi,” Pronab interjected.

“Really? Who?”

“Pratibha. Pratibha Mishra. She finished post-graduation from our university and will join as an assistant professor now. From student to colleague…”

“Ah! I dare say she made a very good student,” Mukundo said.

“I think so.”

“Well… She is nice. Might be a good Delhi student, but I am sure she doesn’t sing as well as our Pihu,” said her aunt.

“If your Pihu took her music half as seriously as Pratibha did, she would definitely sing much better than her, but she doesn’t,” Mukundo was not going to stop making a case for Pratibha.

“Mukundo is joking, of course, Didi,” Mr. Banerjee also joined the conversation, “He knows Pihu sings very well. He himself practices with her so often.”

“You don’t need to make an excuse for Mukundo Babu, Baba,” Piyali said dryly, “He speaks the truth. And I don’t even pretend to be as good as our city-educated Pratibh Di.”

“City education can make her English better, Piyali. We are talking about music. Delhi only has disadvantages as far as learning music is concerned.” Mukundo was relentless.

“That’s not quite right, Mukundo Babu,” Pronab objected, “Some of the best-known names in the world of classical music reside in Delhi or Mumbai. The opportunities are so much better for them…”

“People who have to make money from music reside there, Pronab. Those who treat it as a labor of love – as their saadhana – they are to be found in every nook and corner of Bengal. You don’t need to go to Kolkata. I can find you tens of them in Haldia who would beat your city-bred musicians any day.”

“Leave it Pronab Babu. Mukundo Babu doesn’t have any high opinion of me. And I can live with that. I don’t need everybody’s approval.”

“But you do sing very well, Piyali.”

“I’m sure that approval will be more than enough for our Queen of Haldia,” Mukundo was being almost cruel. Piyali couldn’t figure out why. He had taken a dislike to Pronab for some reason. But why was he projecting that on her too? If he had to marry Pratibha, he could do so… Did he really need to make her feel so inadequate?

“Well… I think we can give Mukundo liberty to see everything about Pratibha is the best possible light,” she was surprised to hear her Pishima. Didn’t this mean that she had heard the rumors too?

Piyali waited with bated breath to see how the conversation would unfold now.

“What do you mean?” Mukundo asked cautiously and it infuriated Piyali. She could not be patient any longer. Must he go on pretending?

“The entire world knows what she means, Mukundo Babu,” she replied instead of her Pishima.

“Arr… I most definitely don’t,” Pronab looked flabbergasted.

“Nor do I,” Mukundo said and looked straight into Piyali’s eyes.

“I can’t believe you are doing this to us, Mukundo Babu. If you want to marry Pratibha Di, you know we would all be happy for you. You don’t need to hide it, or justify it, or…”

“What?” Mukundo and Pronab cried out together.

“Damn these rumor-mongers,” Mukundo forgot the company he was in and swore openly, “I had thought I had quelled them. Piyali. I am not marrying Pratibha. I can’t believe you would think I was so sneaky.”

Mortification suddenly claimed her entire being. What had come upon her? Why did she have to speak? Why could she not hold her tongue? She averted her eyes and stared blankly at the floor.

“Ah well! It’s all out in open now,” Pishima tried to make light of the situation, but nobody smiled or laughed.

“What I am doing about Pratibha,” Mukundo continued to explain, “Is help Seema get her married. After Seema’s father’s death, you all know, that there are no men in the family who can do all the running around. There is a proposal from Kolkata, which they like very much. And it is to facilitate that that I am going to their house and to Kolkata so often.”

“Anyway,” he stood up and continued without letting silence prevail for long, “I am going to Kolkata tomorrow morning too. Piyali. Do you have anything for Saina?”

She shook her head, but immediately changed her mind. “Umm… yes. I will bring it to you outside.”

“Good.”

—

“I… I am sorry… Mukundo Babu. I don’t know what had come upon me…” Piyali rushed to apologize once they were outside. She had nothing for Saina.

“I will not lie, Piyali. I am really disappointed in you. For multiple reasons. But… I hope… I hope this is not you. Under whatever influence you have become this… I hope you get over it.”

She was unable to meet his eyes, and words refused to leave her throat.

“I might be gone for a while. I have some work in Mumbai. I might leave from Kolkata itself.”

She stood rooted to her place, her eyes glued to the floor. He ran his hand over her head once, and left abruptly.

When she went back to the house, oblivious to the storm that had just raged her life, her father was getting ready for his evening walk.

“Has Mukundo left?” he asked casually.

“Yes Baba,” she replied and listlessly walked to the backyard.

“Phew! That became intense,” she was startled by Pronab. She smiled weakly at him as he sat down beside her on the stairs. “Piyali. I think… I can understand… some of the emotional upheaval…” He began and then grew silent. When she neither discouraged nor encouraged him, he spoke again, “I wonder if I should… ask you… for help… in resolving my own dilemma…” His voice was so emotion-laden that Piyali feared he was going to propose to her or something. That wasn’t something she could deal with at the moment. So, she was thankful that Binoy barged in just then. “Pihu Baby. There is a courier for you.”

“Courier?” she was surprised.

“Courier? Must be something important. I won’t disturb you, then,” Pronab said and retreated. She did not stop him, grateful to be left alone.

The courier was from Saina.

—

To be continued

Piyali was frantic. Mrs. Thakur’s condition was deteriorating. The nurse on duty had called the doctor, but Mukundo was away in Kolkata. She had tried calling the numbers of his business associates, but could find him nowhere. He had either left their places, or had not yet come there. Finally she started calling even at the places she wasn’t expecting him to be there. He would visit Saina only the next day, but she called there anyway. He was there!

“You must come back immediately, Mukundo Babu,”she broke down on phone, “Kaki is unwell.”

He thought about Piyali more than his mother as he rode back to Haldia. For about three years after Mrs. Banerjee’s death, Mrs. Thakur had indeed played the role of a mother to Piyali. But for long time now, she had lost her bearings. Still, Piyali was attached to her. She spent time with her, read to her, even gave all the neighborhood news to her, none of which the old woman responded to. But Piyali was content to be there for her. Poor girl. Was it her lot to attend to sick parents all her life? How grieved she had sounded on phone! Mukundo knew that his mother’s health was deteriorating. And he was reconciled to the idea that she would die soon. To his mind, it would relieve her of her misery. But Piyali was definitely going to feel the loss.

She was going to finish her graduation this year. She would be twenty. She could ride his motorcycle like a pro. She loved going out. And yet – the only time she had stepped out of Haldia was a short trip they had taken to Kolkata to get the shots for flu.

Could he not give her a better and brighter life than she had?

—

“There she is. Where were you, Piyali?” Binoy had already brought tea for Mukundo and Mr. Banerjee, when Piyali walked in.

“I was at Seem Mashi’s. Pratibha Di has come from Delhi. She has finished her post-graduation and is to spend the holidays here.”

“Hmm… Yeah. I know. I had visited them before going to Kolkata.”

“You had?” she looked at him curiously, but he did not notice her expressions.

“Why don’t you ask Binoy to bring your tea as well.”

“Yeah. I will. First, I will change.”

She addressed him next when her father had left for his walk. “Mukundo Babu. Is it true what people say about you…”

“What people say about anyone is hardly ever true. But what do they say about me?”

“That you didn’t marry till now because of Kaki. Because any girl would have found it difficult to cope with her illness. But now that she is not there…”

“That’s absurd, Piyali. If a girl could not cope with my mother’s illness, that too the kind that hardly ever came in anyone’s way, what was the guarantee that she could cope with me. No. That is not the reason at all.”

“You are not averse to marrying, then?”

“No. I guess…”

“Why aren’t you married yet?”

“Umm… I could never remember all the dresses my girlfriends owned. So, it never proceeded to the extent where I could propose marriage,” he laughed.

“That can’t be true. You remember my dresses all right.”

“Yeah. I probably am more scared of you, than of any of my girlfriends.”

“You are not being serious,” she was annoyed.

“How can I be? You are being absurd in your questions. What’s wrong with you? You are getting bored. Get a job.”

“Who will give me a job?”

“I have offered you one.”

“I won’t work under you. You will…”

“What?”

“You will bully me…”

“Silly girl! By the way, I have some news for you. I haven’t told Kaku yet. I met your Pishima.”

“She is coming?”

“Yes. With a nephew of hers.”

“Pronab Babu?”

“You know him? I guess yes – that was the name she told me.”

“I know of him. She constantly talks about him. He is a professor or something in Delhi University.”

“Yeah. Assistant Professor, I presume. Recently appointed.”

“Wonder why would she bring him too?”

“Piyali!”

“What?”

“I know between your Baba and Pishima, life becomes difficult for you. But she is an old woman with no children of her own. You would be nice to her, won’t you?”

“You don’t trust me at all, do you? This isn’t the first time she is coming here.”

“On the contrary,” he said sincerely, “I trust you too much. Else I won’t be asking this of you.”

“You know how to sweet talk me into doing what you want me to do. I understand it. But I will take it.”

“What’s wrong with you?”

“Since when did you start needing help is identifying what all is wrong with me…”

“Piyali…”

They were interrupted by Mr. Banerjee coming back from his walk.

“I must leave,” a cross Mukundo announced, “I have to meet Seema.”

Piyali was cross too. He could have as well said that he had to meet Pratibha. Rumors were rife ever since Pratibha had come. Many people had noticed that Mukundo was often seen at Seema’s place. Everybody knew that he was fond of Pratibha. And many people had all but decided that a matrimonial announcement was to be made anytime. “Now that his mother is not there, not only is he free, but also lonely,” they declared. Piyali had long gotten over her adolescent fantasies about him, but the idea of him marrying had left her distraught. He was still her best friend and companion. If he married… he won’t be dropping in on them whenever he wished. She won’t be able to hang around him as he read in his library. Now even Kaki was not there that she could go to his home on the pretext of visiting her.

And to top that, he didn’t think he should share his plans with her, or Baba. They didn’t matter even that much to him!

—

To be continued