Chapter 77

70. Farewell And Solitude

‘Didi, are you leaving?’ Buta had finally arrived, right on time when she could bid him farewell.

‘Yes, Buta. I am.’ Radha complained of something pricking her feet so she bent to check her strappy sandals for any pebbles. There was none so she dusted the feet of the girl and made her wear the shoes.

Radha was busy cooing to Matilda through the holes of the basket that she hugged tightly. An uncertain Matilda was mewling back her fears.

‘But...when will you return?’ He whispered. If he had known she was leaving, he would have spent more time with Vaibhav Uncle. He had rushed back thinking he had stayed away too long, upsetting Nishit Bhaiyya.

‘Most probably, we will not.’ She straightened and smiled at him. One of the straps of her bag slipped from her shoulder and she pushed it up. ‘So you need not have come.’

‘Huh?’ He flushed and looked away. ‘So you are leaving this place forever? To where?’

‘To a better place. I am hoping for a forever. Let’s see.’ She was going to carry her bag but he beat her at it and helped them put it in the taxi that was waiting outside the gate. The wan afternoon light fell over the bonnet of the vehicle.

Kirti pulled the passenger and nudged Radha to get in as she held the basket for her. When Radha was comfortably seated, Kiti passed the cat to her.

Turning away, she met Buta, the gangly teen in loose clothes with a thin green line for a mustache.  ‘Thank you, Buta. You have no idea what you have done for us. I didn't think you’d be coming back that’s why I did not prepare any gift for you. And I don’t think any gift would be able to do justice.’

‘Arre Didi...’ he blushed again, too conscious of himself.

‘Study well, okay?’ She patted his head.

She was getting inside the taxi when he asked, ‘Let’s keep in touch, Didi?’

‘Or let’s not and see if destiny brings  us together again?’ She suggested, glancing at the house. Ammaji was peeping from a window grill. ‘Take care, Buta.’

XxxX

‘Lily, I am going to prepare Poha. Do you want to eat?’ Kirti, Radha, and Matilda had moved into the terrace house with Lily. Lily could afford only one of the rooms and the other one was vacant and locked. When it didn’t work with any of the other houses - some were too closely placed to the roads or too far away from Radha’s school while some were exorbitantly rented - Lily had proposed renting the room next to hers.

Kirti had been elated, but it had taken a lot of effort on Lily’s part to persuade Shiny Wadia. In the end, the woman had relented.

‘No need. I have eggs. I will boil them,’ Lily replied, sitting on the floor and coloring her toenails. She had proposed to Kirti to move in because she wanted to see if she could cooperate and cope with sharing space with others. She had reached out to her brother after a fight with her parents. He instead of taking her side had accused her of being emotionally lacking and unable to be a part of society. He had called her a loner! She wanted to check if she really was uncooperative and cold.

It was a little difficult, especially with a cat and a kid around who did not know boundaries.

‘Uhm okay,’ Kirti retreated to the common kitchenette. Lily was a private person and Kirti had no intentions of invading her privacy. There was an unwritten rule to not get involved in each others’ matters. Anyway, Matilda and Radha with their shenanigans were enough to drive Lily up the walls.

Tossing colorful vegetables in the pan, Kirti stirred them while revising the current affairs.

She was on a two-week leave from work. Her preliminary tests were around the corner and she wanted to fully focus on her studies. If her Prelims went well, she was going to resign and fully devote her time to prepare.

It was a good decision to move out particularly at this time since she was away from all sorts of tension and toxicity and could concentrate on bettering herself.

When the Poha was ready to serve, Lily came to fetch a glass of water. The fruity smell of the solvent accompanied her. ‘Do you want some?’ Kirti asked again. ‘I have made enough.’

‘No,’ Lily replied, her eyes not even lingering on the dish.

‘Okay. I will be in my room,’ Kirti said and left.

In her room, she stretched her arm to open the windows widely and went back to sit on the floor, the books all spread before her.

Sitting on the bed always put her to sleep.

Once she had finished her food, she looked at the clock. It was still nine in the morning.

Radha’s dispersal time was half-past twelve. She could start a mock test. In between the test, her brother called her but she dismissed his call. They had argued over their mother. She had figured out he had been approached by their mother first or else why would he keep harping on scenarios of their mother being alive.

She didn’t want to talk and waste time over such pointless discussions and continued with her test.

Some time in between, Lily left for work, the soft click of the door signaling her exit.

[MEMBERSONLY]

[NOCOPY]