He smiled remembering the words. The words are true, but again, there was something untrue. If the wife earned much more than the husband and if that wife was influencing like Urmila; then the husband passed through oppression, that only Shekhar knew. Did he ever show anyone uprooting his heart how much pain was suppressed there? This was an unbearable exudation! Without blood, but still the essence was always bloody. "Shekhar..." He was strolling at the Metro station. The station was quite empty. He turned to hear a familiar voice. Seeing his colleague, he stopped.
"I heard the news..." Shekhar nodded.
"Don't worry, Urmila Bhabhi is there nah! Everything will be alright." The boy was repeating all those lines from which he was escaping. He smiled slightly. Then after a pause, he said
"Self-earning is something very vital, a whole day of sitting in the house in an idle way is not my cup of tea..."
"Arre...you are a person of active habits, and you can totally focus on your theatre career." He heaved a sigh. An overwhelming emptiness gradually occupied his heart. The train had arrived and with a tired glance he got on.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"You are looking so pretty..."
Chhavi heard those lines while getting into the hall. She was wearing a raw-pink sleeveless salwar suit with a silver border and an orange-pink combined dupatta which was hanging loosely from her shoulder. Hearing the statement, she smiled and her perfect matching kundan earrings glittered in that enchanting ambience. The place was well decorated, soothing lights and music were accompanying the magical essence of that periphery. Priya and Tushar were standing on the podium, which was decorated with flowers, with their friends encircling them. She came up on the stage.
"Why are you so late?" Shruti asked.
Chhavi handed the gift packet to Priya and then turning to her, she replied.
"Traffic-jam...Pune's roads are becoming worse day by day..." She shook her head. "By the way, wishing you both a happy wedded life..."
They all proceeded to a side as some relatives were there to congratulate them. Malvika and Shruti were constantly discussing about the wedding apparel, decoration. Chhavi was feeling monotonous. Her eyes were searching for someone, but in this dim atmosphere that was rather impossible. But she felt so restless thinking about him,
"Hello...what are you thinking? Are you all right?" She was startled to hear Shruti's sudden voice.
"Nothing..." She tried to smile and restrained herself.
"Where are the other people?" Shruti frowned at her,
"Who are you looking for?"
Chhavi didn't find any suitable answer quickly.
"I was asking about our friends group..."
She said and at that moment her phone started vibrating under her palm. Such a relief!
"One second..."
She came to the corridor with quick steps. The phone was from a Vodafone dealer; that same whining about postpaid-prepaid plans. She disconnected the call and came back but didn't see anybody there.
"How long...?" She turned at once, Viraf was standing there beside her. He was looking handsome in a white kurta with a navy blue waistcoat.
"I came a long time ago..." She replied with a gentle smile.
An acute feeling of happiness was pouring through her heart gradually.
"You are looking..." He paused, then after a bit of thinking, he replied, "Pretty... this colour suits you well..."
The way he said it, Chhavi couldn't control her smile.
"Thank you."
"Oh, I have a gift for you..." She frowned.
"Gift...suddenly...why?" She asked him in one breath, with a questioning look, but as usual he didn't respond; just brought out a small packet from his jeans pocket.
"I can't accept this...without any reason..." But before she could complete, Viraf's voice said,
"But I don't have any reason..."
She looked into his eyes at once, and suddenly she felt an uneasy stillness. In that bluish hall, he looked like a mirage...like a dream and that feeling brought her a fear...a fear of losing herself, losing everything which were happening in front of her, along with a suppress loneliness, which was hidden for so long, a sharp twinge. Having everything in life, but still an inner void...she was unaware about...and today after meeting him, it seemed like that void was filling in a way she never thought about. She was sliding down into his eyes, "Eye- contact is a dangerous, dangerous thing, but lovely. God so lovely" She thought and without saying anything she kept her eyes down.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
It was quite late when she stepped out from the auto in front of her complex. Some thoughts were running through her head still now. How eager she was to meet him, their conversation, the moments when their eyes met, the intensity of his eyes...everything was so strange yet so amazing. She stopped in front of their main door and while pressing the bell she wore a fake grin on her face. Urmila opened the door. Without saying anything, she came straight to the drawing room and sat on the couch with a thud. Urmila too sat down. The as usual mega serial was going on, but instead of watching the show, she looked at Chhavi,
"What happened? Why are you gazing at me like this?"
Chhavi too was becoming slightly surprised seeing her mother. She took a water bottle from the centre table.
"What is this? I have so many beautiful sarees...so many ornaments in the closet...and you are wearing this?"
Urmila made a gesture with her hand.
Chhavi was drinking water, she put the bottle on the table and said,
"Ma...listen...everybody praised me...and you know that I don't like gold..." Urmila stared at her.
"I'm not everybody... I'll appreciate only those matters which will be best for you...no compromise."
"Ufff...now what is a compromise here? Watch your show...the break is over..." She smirked.
"Yes...what else can I do..." Her voice raised, "How will I pass my spare time?"
"Why? Read books, listen to songs, why serials?"
"My life is already in a sinking boat with someone's habit of reading..."
She swayed her head. Chhavi stood up.
"Topic change please"
"I knew it...whenever I say anything about your father you will say 'please change the topic'"
Chhavi took her purse and went to her room. Outside her mother was still grumbling.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Shekhar felt the same tension while entering into the room. In quite a normal voice he asked,
"Has she come back?"
"Hmm...She is inside, in her room." The shadow of the couch trembled slightly.
Shekhar came to her room The room was dark, he saw her standing in front of the window.
"Chhavi..." He turned on the lights. "What are you doing? Like this, in this dark? Is everything alright?"
"Yes, Papa, I was just... feeling the... darkness..." She said sluggishly and came forth. She sat on the bed.
"Leave it..." And at the next moment she spread her dupatta,
"How am I looking?"
Shekhar noticed that something unusual effulgence was there on her face, which was very prominent after her many attempts to hide it.
"What? Say nah!" She asked again impatiently.
"Marvellous...perfect..." He sat, "When modern girls wear Indian outfit they always look quite different..."
She smiled.
"Thank you... Viraf was saying the same!"
"Who is he?"
"Ummm...a mad boy...Tushar's friend...artisan of smell..."
Shekhar saw her face had suddenly started gleaming.
"Artisan of smell...what is that?" He frowned.
"He makes perfumes and owns a factory... M.Sc in chemistry, he worked in a laboratory earlier...but then he left that..." She opened her bag,
"See...he gifted me this."
"Suddenly..." Shekhar took the vial from her hand, unremarkable features. The liquid inside the vial was a little more yellow. The name was not bad; 'Dew drop'. He smelled it.
"The smell is quite loud, " He gave it back to her.
"Hmm...actually they sell it in the rural belt and he gifted it...how could I refuse..." Chhavi put the vial on the dressing table.
"Where are they going for their honeymoon?"
"Lolegaon."
"And where do you both want to go?"
"Parth wants to go to Europe, I can manage with any place...lets see."
She smiled.
At that moment, Urmila's shadow was seen on the door.
"Chhavi, try to make your limit of wish a little more extended...The dinner is ready...come to eat...tomorrow I have office." She left.
The happiness which had gradually started to congeal, was gone already. He was leaving, but came back again and suddenly placed two fingers in front of her.
"Pick any one!"
Chhavi asked surprised, "Why?"
"Pick first..."
She picked one, Shekhar smiled widely,
"You saved me."
"Why?"
"I don't have to tell your mother...They gave me the notice of golden-handshake...After 3 months I will be unemployed."
Chhavi's face became pale at once.
"What?" A sound of sighing came out from her throat.
"You mean...you will not go to the office?"
"Shhh...why are you shouting? We have decided nah, that your mother is not going to know today..."
He got out of the bed. Chhavi looked at him in a confused way. Shekhar turned his face away. It's best not to show his tears to his daughter.
To Be Continued...
CID
