A Restless night --- 1
Raj drove through the night. Kranti slowly opened her eyes. She rubbed her eyes and stifled a yawn. She was really tired. She sat in her seat, her head bent and lost in thought. What should she do now?
"Please drop me at the gurudwara. It's quite close by."
"Why do you want to go there?"
Kranti looked at him but didn't answer. She didn't have the energy to tackle Raj right now.
"Well?" he continued.
"A friend of mine lives there. I shall stay with her tonight."
"Will you disturb her at this time of the night? Are you crazy?"
"I shall explain to her ….. and her parents are very kind."
"I'm sure they are. Look, you stay at Nanima's house tonight. In the morning we shall go to see your uncle. Then you decide what you want to do. Of course you could continue to stay at the haveli."
"What?" She looked at him as if he had taken leave of his senses. "Live at the haveli? Why would I?"
"Anyway let's talk about that later. Let's go to the haveli."
"No. I shall go and stay with Kamal. She won't mind. Tomorrow I shall join Nishi and live with the other ladies in our group."
"And where is that?"
"Somewhere ….." She gave him a haughty look. "You don't need to know anything more."
"After saving you and now trying to help your uncle……you still don't trust me," he shook his head in wonder. "Okay stay wherever you want to, show me the way to get there."
She looked at him and then at the road. "I think you need to turn back the car. I can't make out in the darkness."
"I am not going on a wild goose chase in the middle of the night."
"I am not going to stay at the haveli."
Raj screeched the car to a halt. "I am at the end of my patience. You want to go to your friend's? Then be my guest and go ….. I am not going to stop you. Be at the court at 9 o'clock sharp. Goodnight."
He was staring ahead with his jaws clenched, not sparing her even a glance. Kranti knew she was beaten and she knew it would be difficult to find her way to the gurdwara. But she had made her bed and so she would have to lie on it.
Raj sensed her hesitation. She was undecided and was not making a move to alight. He grabbed the opportunity and started the car.
"Raj ….." Kranti protested rather weakly. She fell silent as Raj drove deftly through the darkness. They reached the haveli once again.
The gurkha opened the gates and Hiralal came running to the car.
"Hiralal………Kranti wishes to stay in the stables. Please see that there is plenty of hay for her to make her bed. She doesn't want to stay at the haveli."
The old help was astonished. "At the stable?"
Dai-ma came down the steps. "Raj …… it's late, come on in Kranti."
"Bibiji," said Hiralal, "let me take your bag."
Kranti could have managed but that would have been rude so she gave her bag to the man.
"Yes Hiralal, see to it that you settle her comfortably with the horses," Raj said.
"Horses?" asked Dai-ma quite puzzled. "Who's going to be in the stable?"
"Kranti," said Raj loping his way up the stairs. "She doesn't have to stay here at the haveli. It's her choice."
"Oh just stop it Raj….. how can you talk like this to the poor girl!" admonished Dai-ma. Raj stopped on the steps and turned. Dai-ma was between him and Kranti, and she had her back to him.
"C'mon Kranti don't pay attention to him."
"Dai-ma," started Kranti but her voice caught.
She could see Raj looking at her over the old lady's head. He raised his eyebrow mockingly and she dropped her gaze. Her face slowly turned pink with embarrassment. Damn him, she thought….damn damn damn. Dai-ma passed him up the steps.
When Kranti neared, he muttered, "are you cursing me? But you also seem to blushing. How strange!"
Now he was laughing at her? Well let him, she wasn't going to rise to his bait. She gave him a baleful look and moved up the stairs. Raj looked after her. He felt relieved that she had listened to Dai-ma. It was only he that she opposed….. and that she did rather rigorously most of the time. The next hurdle was to get some food into Kranti. He hoped Dai-ma would do the necessary cajoling and make her eat.
He went through the big ornate door. He went to the first floor and turned towards his grandmother's room. He gently opened the door. A servant lady was sleeping on the chatai and Nani-ma was peacefully sleeping on the bed. He softly closed the door not wanting to disturb her.
He moved towards his room but before that asked Hiralal if he could let his mother know he was here. His mother would be worried. He hoped the damned phone lines were working. They had an extraordinary talent of breaking down when you needed them the most.
Kranti went to the room she had been occupying earlier. Her bag was kept near the door. She picked up the sling bag and kept it on the table. What was in the bag, were all the possessions she had. Two sets of clothes, some odds and ends and two files. Her shoulders drooped and her spirits sagged. She went to the bathroom and took a hot water bath. She washed her hair. The long tresses darkened in the water and shone. She emerged with her hair tied up in the towel. She moved to the window and removed the towel to lightly rub her hair dry. Her movements were slow and almost tired. She looked out at the night. She felt so empty and alone. Here she was in this stranger's house because she had nowhere to go. How pathetic he must think she was! A silly woman who thought she had a mission in life. He thought she had misplaced her priorities. Drat him. She sighed. She dropped her hands into her lap. Her head felt heavy and her body felt like it weighed a ton. She got up to go to bed when there was a knock on the door.
"Kranti?" It was Dai-ma. "Come and have something to eat."
Kranti opened the door. She looked at the kind lady standing on the threshold.
"No, Dai-ma, I'm not hungry."
"Not hungry?" Dai-ma looked surprised. "You look hungry and tired. Come, I too have to eat…..so let's eat together on the terrace."
Kranti had no desire to eat but she didn't know how to refuse Dai-ma. Dai-ma took her hand and led her to the terrace. A table for two had been set. There were just two three bowls of food.
"The food is simple but nourishing. Daal, chawal and subzi. At the end you can have some warm elaichi milk. It will give you a good sleep."
Kranti stared at the food in her plate and felt queasy. She longed to push it away. Dai-ma silently mixed the daal into the rice and picked up a spoonful to carry it to Kranti's lips. Kranti opened her mouth automatically. She chewed on the soft hot rice and swallowed. It felt so good. The warm food perked her up a bit.
"See what some good home-cooked food can do?" opined Dai-ma.
Kranti took the spoon from Dai-ma's hand and began to eat herself. She gave a small smile to the older woman who nodded her understanding.
"What is your favourite food, Kranti?"
"Kheer and puri."
"It is Pammi's favourite too. Of course she has a sweet tooth and likes all kinds of sweets. I remember once, when she was pregnant with Raj, the doctor had asked her to keep away from sweets. Oh what a difficult time we had hiding sweets from her!" Dai-ma laughed softly at the memory. "It's no wonder that Raj is not exactly fond of sweets. Poor fellow couldn't get anything sweet while he was in his mother's womb. Although he is a lot like Pammi, this trait is almost absent".
Kranti was surprised.
"Whatever good eating habits he had soon changed when he went to England. All phika khana, no fried food and no sugar either. These angrez have totally spoilt him."
Kranti genuinely smiled. At least there was someone who agreed with her……who disapproved.
"Good evening ladies……. Are you discussing me behind my back? Tsk tsk…..not you Dai-ma……surely not?"
Kranti slowly put her empty plate down. She didn't need to turn in her seat to know to know who the intruder was. She bit her lip and leaned forward to start clearing up. She stacked everything on the tray.
"Leave it." Raj told her.
"Yes leave it Kranti …. The girl will come and take everything away."
"It's okay Dai-ma, I have done this before. Work is not new to me."
A pair of hands came forward and took the tray out of her hands. She didn't look up. She knew from the hands that it was Raj. A girl scurried up and vanished with the plates. Dai-ma followed her.
"Oh Dai-ma ! Please ……."
"You wait a moment, I shall send up the milk. Make sure you drink it. I will turn in now. Goodnight to both of you.
"Good night Dai-ma."
"Good night and thank you." Kranti added.
Raj went to his favourite seat near the far end. He raised his feet on a footstool and reclined into a comfortable position.
Kranti stood stiffly and quietly at the other side.
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Kumkum Bhagya
Anupamaa
