MPbGD Part 46 posted on pg 150 on 16/1/12 - Page 9

Hey:)

hey dear

really sorry for late comment ...updates are amazing armaan and riddhima relation is gr 8 and ridz feel graceful in this story...

vaiting for next part

update soon

love

sania

Part 4

Both uncle and niece got up and went into his study, the middle room of the house. Sitting on his table he called her to take the chair opposite him. "mama, I know you think we should cut off all ties with him for the way he behaved 19 years ago." She began in a soft voice. "But honestly, I can't do it. If I could I wouldn't be carrying this bond around my neck for so many years. I thought out of sight was out of mind. I thought my heart had forgotten him after all this time, but I have to admit it hasn't. It pains my heart to see him in so much discomfort. I want to take care of him and ease his pain if I can."

Then in a very sad tone she said, "You know, Karuna is no more." Her uncle looked up at her questioningly. "She died in the accident which left him injured. He loved her so much. I can imagine how much he must be hurting." Seeing her eyes brimming with tears, he said "I can understand how you feel dear. I can imagine how happy I would have been if my Tulasi was to come and stand before me today. But don't expect me to forget how you lived each day of these 19 years and forgive him. My blood boils every time I think how selfish he was. He just walked out leaving you helpless, without any guilt, for no fault of yours. And didn't even turn back to see if you were dead or alive. Maybe now is the payback time for him."

"Mama please don't say that. Actually I came to tell you that he wanted to buy some gadgets and asked me to go with him. Instead I spoke to Prakash and asked if he could help him. He said tomorrow being Saturday, he would be free in the afternoon. I've asked Muthu to come and pick him around 2 o'clock."

Balu mama could see that his niece was trying to keep her distance from Armaan trying not to show her weakness to him, though she wanted to do everything to help him. He smiled and said "My only advice is don't let him take undue advantage of your good nature again." Taking his leave she went back to her house.

She changed into a cotton saree and started with her evening cooking with her saree tucked up and her hair knotted above her head. (She usually cooked in the evening and took it the next day in the lunch box as well.) At the same time she kept looking at her cell wondering why he hadn't called as yet, when she heard a tap on her door. Thinking it must the lady who came to pick her sarees for ironing, she carried the load and opened the door to see him standing, leaning against his stick. She looked behind him looking for Rajesh but he wasn't there with him.

She moved back when she heard his "can I come in?" and nodded. Dumping her saree bundle in the corner she asked "You climbed upstairs alone?" He had taken a seat on one of the plastic chairs. Seeing her in that state reminded him of the bygone days. She had changed a lot in many ways, but in some hadn't changed a bit. In reply to her question, he said with a smile, "I'm not all that helpless you know. I hope you didn't mind my dropping in like this, uninvited?" "That's ok," she mumbled pulling her saree down properly and asked "but where is Rajesh? Why didn't he help you?"

A: Actually I felt sorry for that lad. He's been indoors the whole day long with a handicapped man. So I gave him the evening off and asked him to go and watch a movie. But sitting by myself, I got bored. So I decided instead of phoning you, I would come and talk to you. I hope I'm not disturbing you.

R: No it's ok. Would you like some coffee or something?

"No, no it's too late for coffee. You go on with your work while we talk." He said dragging the chair towards the kitchen. "I think you are making onion 'vathakolambu' (type of sambhar without dal). It's smelling great," he said sniffing. She smiled remembering his weakness for south Indian food, while Karuna preferred cooking different varieties, following receipe books to the dot. When they were in Chennai, whenever she made some special south Indian dish she would make it a point to send some for him. Most of the times she would prepare it especially for him, but wouldn't admit it even to herself.

As she continued with her cooking she said "I spoke to my son-in-law and he agreed to go shopping with you tomorrow afternoon." Again hearing the word son-in-law from her aroused his curiosity but he didn't ask her anything. "Being Saturday he said he would be free by 3 pm. I'll ask Muthu, a rickshaw driver known to me, to come and pick you around 2 pm. He'll wait till your work is over and bring you back. He may charge around Rs. 350 to 400. Will that be ok?

A: Ya, ya no problem. By the way, I spoke to the gas company manager. He said with some extra deposit, he could give me the connection by Monday. Thanks a lot. I think he was so cooperative only because I mentioned your name.

R: No, no nothing like that. He's a nice and helpful person anyway. He's always ready to help the school. He has a sumo van which he lets the school use free of cost when we have to go to the town for some purchase. Even during the annual day function, he'll either sponsor the children's costume or snacks etc.

A: he has a lot of respect for you.

She was always uncomfortable accepting compliments, not that he had ever complimented her about anyting before. Putting the seasoning for the rasam, she looked towards the clock and asked "What time do you usually have dinner? Would you like to have dinner here? That is if you are still fond of vathakolambu."

A: Of course I'd love to have vathakolambu but Rajesh has already cooked for the night. All that will get wasted. It's ok I'll go home and eat.

"Put that in the fridge. You can eat it tomorrow. Have your favourite vathakolambu now. I'll roast some pappad." She suggested. "That seems too good to refuse," he said with a laugh, "but do you have enough for both of us?" "I usually cook a little extra for the next day, so that's not a problem," she said placing a plate on the small dining table in the kitchen and asked him to come over as she started serving.

"Where's your plate?" he asked going over to the table. "I'll eat after serving you" she replied. But he insisted that she join him. Then realizing that his right hand was on the sling she asked "How will you eat?"

A: You'll have to mix the rice and kolambu for me. Then I'll be able to eat with a spoon, with my left hand.

She did likewise and placed the food before him. He didn't start but waited till she had served herself and begun eating. She felt very awkward sitting and eating along with him. Never had she done so before. Suddenly he started hiccupping loudly. She got up at once and held a glass of water to his mouth with her left hand saying "I'm sorry, I had added a few pieces of green chillies. When I mixed the rice I failed to notice it. I know you start hiccupping the minute you bite a green chilly. Sorry." After sipping the water thirstily he said "It's ok" but still held his mouth open. She quickly washed her hand, went to the shelf, got out a bottle of honey and offered a spoon of it to him. He looked relieved after smacking some of it.

R: Leave that aside. I've made rasam also. I'll mix some rasam rice for you.

A: No no, this is awesome. It's been very long since I've tasted such vathakolambu. Just mix a little ghee with this. It will be ok.

She did as he wanted and passed on the plate to him. He tasted a spoonful of it and declared "Hey, this is really amazing. You must taste it" extending a spoonful of the rice towards her mouth. She hesitated for just a moment, but then thought why not? She had the right to eat his joota didn't she?

It brought to mind the one earlier occasion when he had fed her. They were in Chennai then. Usually she purchased vegetables from a vendor near their house, but then Karuna was pregnant with Karan. She wanted to have 'avial', for which all the vegetables were not available in that shop. So in the evening Riddhima had gone to the vegetable market to fetch vegetables and all of a sudden it had started raining very heavily. She was drenched from head to toe. The market was quite a distance from their house. As she couldn't walk in the rain with two heavy bags, she had waited for the bus. But even after waiting for half an hour she couldn't get one. So finally she had to walk all the way home in the pouring rain.

It was half past eight when she reached home. Armaan and Karuna would return from the clinic anytime now. So she thought she would put the rice in the cooker and then change. She had volunteered to cook for them, as Karuna used to feel terribly hungry on coming home and longed for some hot food. For a few days, Armaan had taken her to a restaurant on their way back home and got her whatever she wanted to eat. But hotel food didn't always agree with her and she would often throw up. Hearing her throw up one late night, Riddhima, had enquired and had immediately volunteered to cook for them every day. Anyway she was sitting at home doing nothing.

She din't mingle much with the neighbours because they would definitely question her about her relationship with the Mallik couple. She let people make their own assumptions. Some people had asked her if she was their relative (a poor one they must have thought) while others asked her if she was their maid, but she didn't reply to any of them. She let them think whatever they pleased. She knew some might also give their relation a wrong name but she wasn't bothered.

That rainy night she had started with body pain, followed by high temperature and shivering. She had just one blanket with her, so she took out some sarees to use as blankets but the shivering continued all through the night. The next morning when Armaan came to pick up the breakfast for himself and Karuna, she wouldn't open the door. After two three attempts at banging, he had peeped in through the window and saw her in the heap on the bed. He had rushed to call Karuna.

Then both of them had managed to put long a stick through the window and opened the latch from inside. As Karuna was pregnant they had decided it would be better that she remained away from Riddhima. So she had gone to the clinic while Armaan had taken care of Riddhima.

All that Riddhima remembered was her athaan waking her up saying that a doctor had come to check her. The doctor asked her a few questions to which she merely nodded or shook her head. When both of them left she had again gone to bed. After some time her athaan came and woke her up and asked to have some idli which he had bought from a nearby restaurant. So that he could give her the medicines which he had bought as per the doctor's prescription after she had had some food.

She tried to pick up a piece though she didn't feel like eating at all, just because she could never refuse her athaan anything. But her hands were trembling so much she couldn't even do that. So he had held her against himself, her back leaning on him and fed her one idli. That was one of the happiest moment of her life. Her bodyache and cold seemed to have vanished as she engulfed against his warm body. She had thanked the fever for having brought her athaan close to her. That incident brought a smile to her face even today.