Part 18 ~ Day
8
note : in my story, Sohum is an Engineer who works at a farm, not a farmer. that's why he is getting in touch with businessmen and stuff.
In the morning, Sohum wakes up alone in his
room, he feels weird. He doesn't know what it is but there is a deafening silence
all around. He hasn't been alone at home for so long that he forgot what it was
like. He gets ready to go at the keth but he feels really not in the mood. Taking
his breakfast alone cuts down his appetite, not having anyone to tell good
morning too, hanging alone in the house feels totally foreign to him and he
doesn't like it one bit. He thinks about rajji and imagines her being around.
This puts a smile on his face.
"Sohum...? SOHUM!?"
Sohum gets back from his lala-land. He looks
who called for him : it's cuggi.
Sohum : "what is it cuggi? I didn't hear you
enter."
Cuggi : "yaar what is going on ? you were
looking weird, staring into emptiness with a smile plastered on your face."
Sohum is embarrassed because he must have
looked stupid. "Shut up cuggi ! tell me why you came so early instead of
talking nonsense!"
Cuggi : "oh right, this morning started badly :
there is problem at the keth, some pipes got damaged, we have to fix the
situation quick, come on hurry, we have to go at the keth right now!"
Sohum and cuggi leave the house right then and
in the precipitation, he forgets his phone at home.
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At Rajji's house, everyone is waiting for Sohum
to come and pick up rajji. Rajji phones Sohum to tell him that he can come and
pick her up. No one is picking up the phone. Rajji tries again a few minutes
later but still nothing, she is getting worried. Binder tells her to phone on
the landline but still no one picks up.
Rajji decides to wait but she keeps looking at
her phone and towards the door but no one is coming. Nirvail is getting nervous
too because he doesn't like Sohum's careless attitude. After some time, the frustration
he was trying to fight back overweighs everything else and he says "was this
his plan? To let you here?"
beejee scolds him and tell him to calm down
right now. She says "let's not hope for the worst yet ! maybe something
happened to him".
Rajji says that he came home safe last night
because he had texted her before sleeping.
Sarab say "let's wait some more. There is
nothing urgent anyway".
After lunch sarab says at nirvail "let's go, we will
go and leave rajji back at her house and see if everything is okay with sohum".
----------------------
Off they go. They come at sohum's house. No one
is there. Rajji goes to look in the room but no one is here. Then she notices
sohum's phone on the night stand. She comes out of the room and shows the phone
at her father. She says he must have forgotten it this morning before going
out.
Nirvail says "but where did he get lost when he
knew that he had to come and get you?!"
rajji says "dad, calm down please. maybe he had
an emergency"
sarab says "Yes, maybe he's at the keth. Looks
up in his phone rajji, there must be cuggi phone's number."
Rajji looks up the phone number and gives the
phone at her father, he calls.
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Sohum and cuggi have repaired the emergency. Cuggi
says he's going to go get a glass of water to drink but his phone rings. The ID
shows sohum's number. Cuggi is very confused and answers "hello?"
Sarab : "hello cuggi? It's sarab. Sorry for
calling on your phone but Sohum forgot his phone at home, can you pass me Sohum ?"
cuggi says "No problem uncle jee, he is with me,
I'll give it to him"
cuggi tells sohum that sarab in on the phone. Sohum
is confused. On the phone sarab explains the situation, telling him that they
were a bit worried. Sohum apologizes and says that he'll come home right now. Once
he hangs up, cuggi can see that Sohum is very angry at himself for once again
forgetting about rajji. He says bye and runs home.
Once Sohum reaches home, he apologizes to sarab
and nirvail. He thanks them for bringing back rajji. Nirvail seems angry but
sarab doesn't let him create a scene and they go, leaving Rajji and Sohum alone.
Sohum Rajji, I'm sorry, there was an emergency
at the keth and cuggi..." he notices that Rajji is avoiding his eyes (she is turned
sideways, looking at the floor). Sohum stops talking and puts his hand on her
shoulder. Rajji looks at sohum and tears up.
Sohum is confused "Rajji...? kiya hua? Why are
you crying?"
Rajji looks a bit panicked and says "you were
not answering your phone, you weren't answering home then you weren't home. I
got worried something might have happened to you." Sohum stares at her in
surprise, then starts laughing at the situation.
Rajji didn't expect him to laugh. She is
getting angry "is this funny to you sohum?" and she hits him with her little
fists. Without hesitating he takes her in his arms. "here I was worried of
coming home because I thought you might scold me for being late. But look at
you, all worried for me!" He laughs
again.
She starts to laugh too. "well, I told you I'm
such a good wife!"
he looks at her, suddenly realizing he is hugging her. He takes her by the shoulder and steps back. He says "well then if you're such a
nice wife, would you please make me something to eat, I haven't eaten this
morning since I rushed out home." (he doesn't tell her he didn't eat because he
didn't feel like eating alone)
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As they sit to eat, rajji asks "but what
happened at the keth? You seem to be under a lot of pressure lately."
Sohum
explains the keth situation : some reputed NRI businessmen have been impressed
by his work at the keth and his innovative idea and they have proposed him a
partnership with them, it'll lead him to have a job in Canada.
Rajji is shocked. "But does that mean... you'll
have to leave for Canada?"
Sohum feels suddenly uncomfortable; he knows
that this conjuncture is not something that will make Rajji happy. He says "...
Yeah I think so". He notices rajji worried expression "But nothing is
definitive yet. I want to talk to veer jee about it before taking any decision
so it's not like it's a done deal. "
The phones rings and Sohum gets up to answer.
It's angad, his saying that they'll be back tomorrow. Sohum hangs up the phone
and tells the news to rajji.
She gets up too and say "Well, I should clean
up the house a bit."
Sohum looks around "But Rajji... the house seems perfectly
cleaned up to me."
Rajji says jokingly. "Arey Sohum jee you don't
understand this type of thing. We, women, see things that you men don't."
Sohum laughs, he says "well then, if you need
anything, just call me."
"you watch me, I can do it all be myself.
Don't you remember that Buwha jee said I was a well rounded bahu to this house?
" Rajji smiles proudly and condescendingly and gets out the living room as he
sits to read the papers.
Rajji puts order the kitchen, does the laundry,
swifts off the dust and then she goes outside with a bucket to take water so
she can clean the floor. Unfortunately she doesn't succeed in turning on the
tap. She puts her hands on her hips and says out loud "how am I supposed to
clean the floors if I don't have water. I don't have those big muscles men
have!"
Sohum is in the doorway he says with a condescending smile "Hey well
rounded bahu, do you need a hand?" Rajji turns around surprised. Sohum get closer
and gets down to turn on the tap. Suddenly a water jet hits rajji from the pipe . She gasps
and looks angrily at sohum who is laughing out loud. (he didn't throw the water at her, it just happened)
Rajji "You find this funny?" she says as she
takes some straw sitting nearby and throws it at sohum. His mouths fall open
when he sees the reprisal. So he turns the tap on again. Rajji rushes to it and
try to gather some water in her hand to wet sohum (at this point they are both
laughing), he throws some straw at her too (it falls on her hair) and she
continues to gather water to wet him so he gets close and gets hold of her
hand. Somehow they both start to be quiet (they are standing infront if each
other, soaked and covered with straw, sohum holding both of rajji's hands of his at chest
level). They eye lock for a moment.
Rajji is uncomfortable, she tries to look down
but he brings up her face and then picks a few straw sticks from her hair. Her
hands are on his chest. Then she says "...Sohum..." (as in what are we doing') and
sohum snaps out of the moment and takes a step back. He feels confused and
weird. He says "I shouldn't disturb you, you still have a lot of work left. I'm
going to the bazaar.", he brushes of the straw of his hair and clothes and leaves on his bike.
Rajji stands alone, she doesn't
exactly realize what just happen but she puts a hand on her heart and says
"Easy Heart, we can't afford to fall in love."
------------------------------------
When sohum comes back in the evening, the house is very tidy (the sheets of
the couch have been changed, there are decorations added up) He goes in the kitchen but rajji isn't there. He goes into the room
calling "Raj-..." he stops when he sees that she is sleeping on the bed. He gets
out of the room and seems to be thinking.
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Later on, he comes back and sits by rajji's side who is still sleeping. He
is hesitant at first (she looks so cute when she is sleeping, he doesn't want to wake her up) but decides to wake her up. She wakes up a bit
disorientated . She sits up straight and asks what time it is. He says "It's 8pm already".
She is worried because she hasn't made dinner yet.
Getting up, he says "There
is no need to worry" she looks at him confused. He tilts his head as in "follow
me". He holds out the bedroom door open for her. As she comes into the living
room, Rajji sees that he has put candles and flowers on the table.
She turns
around and says "...Sohum...?"
he says "I thought my well rounded wife deserved to
rest after all the work she has done today. So I made you dinner." He comes in
front of her, takes her hand and brings her to the couch. Rajji admires all the
food and dishes. They both sit.
"Sohum? You made this all?"
"Yes. I did it
myself. I can be a well rounded pati too!"
He gives her a coy smile and
they both laugh as they sit to eat.
Edited by rajji-cutest - 9 years ago
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