Chapter 11
Sugni watched as the Furniture from Vickram's room was being hauled off to the store room. "Haai Sita maiya, what is she up to?" Sugni wondered. Every one in the house knew this would not end well, but no one had the power to say anything.
Maa Thakur came to the kitchen for lunch, she said she was not feeling well. She looked tired.
"Maa Thakur..I was going to bring it up for you!" Sugni said.
"It's ok Sugni…I am not one to lay in bed all day…but I am so tired these days. I just wanted to stretch the legs." She said
"You know I think you need some beet juice …it will make you feel better…I will make some!" Sugni said
"Thanks…Um Sugni when you are done here..would you prepare one of the guest rooms for Vickram please…he will be staying in it for a few days. Reva is busy overseeing the workers."
"Yes maa Thakur" Sugni said , relived to know at least Vickram approved of this. Maa Thakur seemed ok with it.
After lunch Sugni went upstairs where she saw the suitcases laying in the corridor . Reva was nowhere in sight. Sugni thought about asking Maa Thakur about what room to use, but she did not want to disturb her rest. She decided to ask Reva Malkin. She found Reva lying on her bed in her room reading a magazine.
Sugni tapped on the door.
"Yes?" Reva said looking at her.
"Ma'am…Maa Thakur asked me to prepare a guest room for Takur Mallick… which one should I use?" She asked.
Reva sighed tiredly…."Any one I don't care…the one down the hall to the right." She said
"Umm Ok" Sugni said. She has to fight to keep a look of disgust out of her face. So little concern over him.
"Oh and Sugni next time if Maa Thakur can't help you…don't come to me. Ok" She said dismissing Sugni, by going back to her magazine.
Sugni left , collected the suitcase and went to the room. She opened the suitecase and saw that all the clothes were dumped in the suitcase with out care,and wrinkled. Again Sugni was wondering how could Thakur Mallick get such a wife. "Haai Sita Miya, why did you do this to him." She said sadly.
Vickram was tired, he had a full day out. He had a meeting with some prospective buyers who were interested in his crops and he was hoping to strike a deal to supply them the produce they needed for there variouse products. All in all it was a productive day. He managed to keep his mind off of Sugni for a good part, though she popped into his head when he least expected it. As he began thinking what she would say or do in certain situations.
Walking up into the house he found it quite. He wondered if Sugni was in the kitchen? Shaking his head against the temptation to go check, he went up the stairs to his room instead. He opened the door and looked at a very empty room. Bare walls and floors the room was empty with the exception of a bucket of paint and a couple of brushes sitting in a corner. Hald of one wall looked like it got a fresh coat of a hideous dirt brown color he hated, what the hell was going on here? REVA!!!. Taking a deep breath to calm himself . Vickram walked towards his wife's room.
He found her on the bed , reading.
"Reva….what did you do to my room?" He asked.
"Sahib you home already?" She said smiling. "ohh I am redecorating it.!"
"Who told you to do this?" he asked
"What you mean who told me…you knew I was planning on redecorating…"
"Yes your room, some other room but not mine! Now what am I supposed to do…and where is my stuff?'
"In the guest room! " she said. :"Oh Vickram its for a few days you will love it! lighten up!" she said.
"Lighten up? Reva you start something like this with out even telling me you plan to start by displacing my room…and you expect me to lighten up …the lest you could have done was tell me about it!"
"ohh come on Vickram!" reva said getting off the bed. "Why are reacting this way…I told you naa…I few days in the guest room will not kill you!" She said. "I swear Vickram you never happy with anything I do around here…always finding something wrong with it!"
"Oh really , maybe because you do things with out thinking first! This had nothing to do with redecorating Reva and we both know that. You are just mad because I refuse to fire ramu kaka and decide to get back at me …isn't that right?" he said . he knew that would come back to hunt him … he just did not know how.!
"What!!!" She shouted. The argument began getting loud with both of their tempers raising, drawing the attention of the others in the house. Neeranjan came into the room. Maa Thakur came out of her room, and sugni who finished unpacking the clothes and was making up the bed came out to see what was going on.
"Vickram!" His mother said… "it's not that beta…Reva was really just trying to do her duty." Maa Thakur said. Vickram rolled his eyes at that.
"Yes jeejaji….Sister was just so excited naa she forgot to tell you…right Reva..I am sure she is sorry about forgetting..but you know how she is!" Neeranjan said
"Ohh I know exactly how she is … and I want to hear no excuses for her behavior."
"No one is making excuses for me Vickram Singh!" Reva said 'See maa ji I try nto be nice ..and what do I get….this he blames me. All I wa trying to do then is save him money, why wasit it on some thing that no longer works , but he could not see that. And now trying to make his lefe better..but no I am the bad one. I am Sick of you !" She said pacing up and down …shaking her head.
"Sister …its' ok clam down I am sure he did nt mean it…Jeeja …tell her.." Neerajan said, knowing she was about to loose it.
'Tell her what…that it is ok… No Neeranjan this time it is not Ok… are you people hearing her??" He asked watching her.
"Vickram you know you can't blame…." His mother began.
"Stop it I do not want to hear it!" he said..no more excuses for her selfish behavior. "I am no longer buying that mad act! That is used to cover up everything she dose." he said
"Ahhh …Mad act … how dare you make fun of me" Reva said, taking hold of a vase on her dresser and hurling it in his direction. Vickram felt the impact of the china vase as it hit his head , shattering on the ground. He herd the screams of the his mother.
'Get out …get out…I want him out of my room now!!!!" She said. Neeranjan moved forward and held his sister. While MT. grasped Vickram's arm and began pulling him towards the door.
"Sugni is his room ready?" She asked.
"Yes…" She said, still in disbelief over what she just witnessed.
"Maa Thakur…please can you stay with her I need to call the doctor" Neeranjan called from behind.
Maa Thakur looked at Vickram who was stil holding is head, and back at the room.
"Go Maa…let him call the doctor." Vickram told her.
"Sugni take him to the room please!" Maa Thakur Said worriedly.
Sugni took Vickram's arem and began walking towards the guest room. She led him to the bed where she made him sit.
"Careful!" she said noticing that his head was bleeding. "Haai Sita maiya. … !" running to the drawer she pulled out rag that she tool it and placed it on his cut.
"Thkaur Mallick hold it…I'll be right back Ok!" She said running downstairs to the study she went to where he had the first aid box. Taking it she carried it back to the room. Vickram was sitting on the bed with his head held back.
Sitting next to him, She removed the soiled rag and began to clean it . "Sugni it's ok I can .."
"Shhh… Thakur Mallick you can't see on top of your head. I'll do it!" gently she cleaned the area.
Vickram winced at the stinging sensation. " Suuu Sorry." Sugni said wincing with him. Checking carfully to make sure he had no shards of the vase on his forhead, she was relived to see that it was not deep. Taking a bandage she placed it over the cut.
" Done!" She said.
"thank you Sugni.!" He said looking at her.
"It's ok…Thakur.."
"Vickram…" maa Thakur said she was standing at the door, as she came in.
"You got the doctor?" he asked
"She recommended a sedative for her, she had another emergency to attend to" Maa Thakur informed him. "She will be here first thing in the morning!"
"Sugni…" Maa Thakur said indicating she leave.
Gathering the soiled Rag and the medicine box Sugni made to leave. "Oh…going to the closet she removed his evening suite and rest it on the bed before leaving.
"How is your head?" maa Thakur asked as she looked at him.
"Fine maa." His head was the least of his problems.
"Vickram about the room. Son, I know you are mad but her her intentions were good behind it. She was just trying to impress you!"
"Maa Plese…stop it I know exactly what she was trying to do …and it was not impress me! Any ways. What's done is done… Tommorw it will be back to normal."
"Vickram no…let her complete it ." She sighed. "Vickram I am asking you, begging you one last time…Please just give her a chance. She is trying…but you are not making this easy for her..."
"Maa really right now I just want to shower and I am not in the mood for this …not right now!" Vickram said.
"Ok…Ok…I'll leave you." She said seeing this was not the time to discuss this with him. "You rest..I'll bring you dinner.!"
"Don't bother…you go rest…hmmm" He said curtly. Maa Thakur laft the room sadly. She looked back at her son, her heart feeling his pain. She was never much an expressive woman. But seeing Vickram this unhappy was becoming unbearable to her. He was like a ticking time bomb and she was afraid of what would happen when he finally explodes.
She could not even blame Reva for this because her illness was so volatile you never know when it would kick in. Oh god how did she solve this?? Sadly she walked back to her room for once feeling old and helpless. Her house was falling apart around her and she could not save it.
Sugni knocked and the door to the guest room. Opening it , she found him sitting up on the bed staring into space. She noticed his change of clothes.
"Dinner." She said placing a tray in front of him.
"Sugni..I am not hungry"
"I know but sleeping on an empty stomach gives you nightmares…and you know it' s irritating when you trying to sleep and your stomach is quarreling with your brain!" She said, quickly.
Vickram smiled at that. "Did every one else eat?" he asked. He knew his mother was not well,and when she was worried she lies to skip meals.
"Yes Maa Thakur got her dinner." She assured him. He nodded. Sugni moved around the room straightening up the room by hanging the towel he placed on the back of the chair and placing his clothes in the hamper. His eyes followed her around the room. It felt so natural looking at her.
"Ok ..you finish your dinner, Malick …I put two pain killers on your side table have them after you eat ok." She moved to leave the room. He did'nt want her to leave.
"Sugni….stay please..keep me company .?" He asked
"Ok." She said talking the chair in the corner she sat at the side of the bed.
"Thanks!" he said. Sugni looked at Vickram, not sure what to say. He looked so lost she had no idea how to make him feel better. Seeing that he had finished eating she removed the tray placing it once side.
"Thakur Mallick… are you feeling better?" She asked.
"I little…you did a good job with my head." He said touching the bandage.
"I am not talking about that…I mean I know you are upset…but if you want to talk…I am here." She said.
Vickram Sighed…he looked at her as she was looking at him. For once all he saw was concern, compassion a relief from the accusations and disreguard he was accosstomed to
"You think I over reacted Sugni?" he asked. "I mean I should be more understanding right?"
" no…I –I don't think you were wrong." She said.
"You every one will find excuses for her behavior…there is a difference when she is being ill and when she is being plain nasty …and after 8 years I think I know the difference. I put up with a lot form her …but this wow this takes the cake!" he said shaking his head.
"Was she always like that?" she asked.
"Well she was always high strung…but she would listen to me calm down. There were times when she would be irrational but that was occasionally …but I don't know she changed, now she is more meaner…more self-centered. Match made in heaven huh?" he said condensingly.
"How did you get married to some one like her? She's crazy! " Signi asked aloud. Realizing what she said. She clamped her hand over her mouth. She was still the thakurine…Sugni had no business being rude.
"Sorry!" She said.
"It's ok…yeah she is" he said . "well it was arranged . My father and her father were old friends then Maa saw her and thought she was perfect Long story short they wanted to marry her off…my mother made a promise and Vickram got reeled in to it. At first I was shocked…but somehow I resigned myself to it…she was not that bad when she was lucid, but then as time went by things just went down hill…" He said. Sugni listen as he told her about his marriage… how hard he tried… the good times which were few and far between and the bad. The toll it took on him mentally , physically yet he did it all with hardly a complaint, until now. It was really sad. She thought, he deserved much better than he got in a life partner.
Vickram laid his head back and sighed it felt good to unload to someone and not being judged.
"Thakur mallick…you really are a good man. And I will pray that Sita miya helps you." She said smiling.
"Thank you Sugni." They sat in silence. It was comfortable. Vickram had his eyes closed in a meditave state. Sugni realized it was getting late as she moved quietly to get up in case he had fallen asleep.
As she turned she flet Vickram hold her hand. Turning back she saw him staring at her. Sugni looked at him at his brown eyes that seemed so sad and lonely, she felt a strange sensation in her stomach, as her eyes seemed to lock with his. It was like a magnetic pull she could not look away even if she wanted to .
"Please don't go…stay" he said softly. For some strange reason she had an overwhelming urge to cry for some unexplainable pain . What was happening here, she thought blinking her eyes to stop her tears from spilling over.
Suddenly she did'nt want to leave him alone , or maybe she could not. But she also knew being in here was wrong.
"I can't …" She said softly.
Vickram closed his eyes, of course she couldn't.
"Why don't you come outside…some fresh air might be nice come with me!" She said, tugging his hand.
Vickram sat up as he followed her out the door. They were still holding hands. . .
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