Drabbles: 30. Episode XXXI- Return of the Jallad (Pg 95) [Note Pg 98] - Page 51

Paro frowned at the discreet clearing of throat for the third time in the space of ten minutes.

Among other people perhaps, this would have been completely unnoticeable. But when a man who was usually so silent that you could be fooled into thinking you were alone in a room, did it-- it made you stop and add some tulsi and honey into his cup of tea.

~~~

Rudra took one sip of his evening tea and grimaced. He stared in disbelief at the offending beverage in his hand, and then at the woman who had handed it to him.

"What happened to the tea today?"

"Nothing happened to it. I added tulsi and honey to it. For your throat."

"For my throat?"

"Ji. You've been clearing your throat constantly since you've come home. This will prevent your throat from becoming worse."

Rudra should ideally have rolled his eyes in disbelief. But he didn't. He looked at the cup in his hand with a distinctly guilty expression on his face.

Paro was now convinced that there was something wrong with her husband.

"Did you really think that I wouldn't find out about your sore throat if you didn't tell me?" She wore that look of indulgent condescension that was peculiar to women, particularly ones who had been with a man for a space of time.

Rudra looked like he wanted to say something, but then decided against it. He took large gulps of the scalding, over-sweet tea instead. And after the cup was empty, he stared regretfully at it.

A beaming Paro took the saucer from his hand. "Kya hua? Do you want more? Your throat feels better, doesn't it?"

It was the threat of more of that poisonously sweet and aromatic concoction that finally roused Rudra to speech.

"No. I don't want any more tea. I had something that I wanted to tell you." Without waiting to gauge her reaction, he ploughed on as one determined on a course of action. "The next time you want to go to a fair or...or...to the market in the next town, or anywhere that's a little far away, you don't have to wait for me. I mean, you still have to tell me, of course. But you don't have to wait for me to take you. You can ask the BSD driver assigned to me to drive you. It's not like he drives me anywhere. He may as well make himself useful."

Paro's stunned face and gaping mouth made Major Saab smirk with all the equanimity of married men who pride themselves on knowing how to please and surprise their women.

Paro took the saucer from his hands and walked out of the room without a word. A tiny furrow of confusion appeared between his brows. He must be imagining things. Why would she seem...displeased?