by Nandita Rani
The next morning, as she was getting ready for school, her father complained of a chest pain. Her sisters had already left by then. Maitri immediately took him to the doctor. The doctor suggested some tests, prescribing some medications for immediate pain-relief. They returned after getting the tests done. The test results were due the following week.
Maitri’s father lay down on his bed after taking the pain-killer. Her mother made them tea and brought it to his room.
“Should I get you two chapatis, ji? You have not eaten anything since morning.” Her mother sounded worried and continued, “Maitri, what did the doctor say?”
“Ma, don’t worry, everything is fine. Get some biscuits for now. He can have them with tea.” Maitri assured her mother.
“Papa, how are you feeling now?” She sat by her father’s feet and began to press them gently.
Her father just nodded signalling that he was fine.
“Why do you think so much baba? We are doing fine. You don’t need to worry anymore. Minal and Nishu are such a help ever since they started working. Soni will soon finish her tenth. Siddharth is doing good too. What is it that’s troubling you?” Maitri asked, keeping her hand over her father’s.
Her father raised himself and sat with his back to the bed’s backrest. Maitri placed a pillow behind him to cushion his back. He tiredly spoke, “Maitri, the guilt of me not being a good father does not let me sleep."
He continued, “I have burdened my girls with all the responsibilities. All your friends are getting married and leaving you behind in life. I am sure they ask you about your plans too. What excuse do you make, beta? You must have run out of them by now.”
Maitri stood up to sit by his side; she held his hands and squeezed them, shaking her head.
Her father spoke with tears welling up in his eyes, “I could not fulfill my responsibilities and this thought kills me every day. I have failed as a father and that is the biggest failure one can face. Every day when I see your faces, I find them ridden with complaints. You might not mean it but I see it written on your faces.
“Do you know why I took to kitchen?” He continued blinking away his tears.
“Not because I like to cook or help your mother but because I want to hide somewhere when you all are getting ready for a tough day ahead. I believe that my face reminds you of your hardships. Sometimes I wonder how did I become capable of causing trouble in so many lives?”
He joined his hands and said breaking down, “I am sorry. I apologize to all of you for all that you go through because of me.” His voice croaked when he spoke.
Maitri grabbed her father’s hands and fighting back her tears, said, “Papa, please don’t even think so. We do not have any complaints; we don’t curse you for anything. You have been an honest employee all your life; if this is the price one pays for honesty, so be it. It is not your fault, baba. What could have you done? Why do you hold yourself responsible? God puts us through testing times to strengthen our trust in Him.
“Don’t you feel proud of yourself for making us capable adults, for making us independent individuals? We are through the bad times, baba. We are almost through them.” Maitri said, wiping away tears from her father’s face.
Maitri’s mother stood near the room’s door, looking down at her feet with a packet of biscuits in a tray. She could not dare to enter the room on hearing the conversation. She returned to the kitchen. She covered her mouth with the end of her saree to avoid letting her cries escape her throat. She had never seen her husband like that.
Maitri came out of the room sobbing and dashed into hers.
Maitri’s family was one of those families who was conservative about showing physical affection. However, there was no dearth of emotional connect. They stood beside each other through thick and thin. Maitri very well knew that it was the emotional turmoil which was the cause behind her father’s deteriorating health. In fact, the whole house knew, the only thing they did not know was the cure for it.
It was one of the most quiet days in the Verma household.
Chapter 4: Maitri in a soup
Maitri’s worries exponentially grew on imagining how her father would react to the turbulence she had caused. She switched on her mobile with her heart pounding vigorously.
No new messages.
17 missed calls from Piyush.
Her heart sank. She glanced at the clock, it was late but Maitri wanted to clear the mess she had created. She dialed Piyush's number and waited anxiously for him to answer the call.
“Hello”
“Hello...Maitri here...”
“I know, your name showed on the screen.”
“I am sorry I did this but I now want to end all of this.”
“H...Hello Piyush? Can you hear me?”
“Yes. I finally have begun to.”
“Koyel is like my younger sister. I don’t know why I did this. It was very stupid of me. I am ashamed of myself. Let us stop this now.”
“Maitri, please calm down first!” Piyush spoke.
“There is nothing wrong in what you did. I don’t hold you responsible for anything. This is but natural Maitri; a young girl attracted to a young man. Why do you feel so guilty about it?”
Maitri soaked in each word he spoke. His voice felt like drops of rain on a barren land. She pressed her eyes shut when he spoke. She did not want this conversation to ever end. She did not want that beautiful feeling to be so short-lived.
“Maitri, hello? Are you listening?” Piyush’s voice brought her out of her reverie.
She struggled for an answer.
“Hello Maitri, are you there?”, he repeated.
“Yes...I am listening.”. She paused for a while and then mouthed, “Piyush, can we meet somewhere away from school?”
And so, they decided to meet that Friday in a restaurant.
On her way to meet Piyush, Maitri blushed and thought of umpteen things that she would discuss with him. She prepared herself for a detailed confrontation. Maitri entered the restaurant with a thumping heart, looking for Piyush. Unable to spot him anywhere inside, she turned around to take out her mobile. As she scrolled through the names, she was gently greeted by someone from behind.
“Hi Princess!”
She almost dropped her mobile. Piyush caught hold of her falling phone and gave it back to her; their hands getting muddled in the mobile hand-off. Maitri blushed and looked down. His perfume drew her crazy.
They occupied a corner table in the restaurant. Maitri sat across from Piyush at the table, her eyes downcast. Piyush ordered for two grilled cheese sandwiches and two cups of filter coffee.
“Would you like anything else?”, he asked.
She slowly shook her head. She liked the kind of men who cared for a lady, pulled chairs for them, made a lady feel special: the gentleman kind.
She always wanted her man to possess those qualities. But living in constant dearth had developed a sense of inferiority complex in her. She felt awkward on getting attention from someone, more so when it came from a man. She had begun to believe that her wants and needs were the last things on the planet to be cared for, that she never deserved to feel special.
She slowly raised her eyes to check-out Piyush while he was still ordering the food. He looked dapper in his blue check-shirt and black jeans. It took her enormous effort to look away from him.
“The sandwiches here are awesome.” Piyush said casually, turning to her.
“Yeah? I don’t know. First time here.” Maitri forced a smile.
“So, tell me, you wanted to meet me, madam.” He said, raising his brow.
A subtle blush bloomed on her cheeks at that gesture of Piyush. She casted side glances looking for an answer.
“Well, I wanted to clarify my part. I apologize for all that happened and want to confess it in front of Koyel too.” Maitri looked down in apology. The guilt had engulfed her entirely.
“Look Maitri, we all are humans and there is nothi
ng to feel sorry about. You haven’t murdered anyone…”
“I have...” Maitri cut Piyush midway. “I have murdered my friend’s trust. How will she feel if she finds about me having sandwiches and coffee with you now?”
“Cheese grilled sandwiches.” Piyush corrected her.
Maitri smiled, admiring his sense of humour. She loved men with good sense of humour.
“We cannot tell Koyel. Think practically. She will be heart-broken beyond words if she finds out about us.” Piyush sounded serious this time.
His ‘us’ remark swept Maitri off her feet. She felt she was falling into a swoon. He considers himself and me as ‘us’? A smile formed on her lips at that thought.
“So what do we do?” Maitri asked, looking at him squarely in the eye. Their eyes met for the first time. Maitri felt the urge to keep looking at him. None of them blinked for a while, till their order arrived.
“Ah…Well, we will see. Let us first have this.” Piyush said, rubbing his hands in excitement.
“How did you come to know?” Maitri asked coyly, taking a careful sip of the piping hot coffee.
“It is not so difficult in today’s digital world.” was all that Piyush offered as an explanation.
Maitri’s eyes darted from side to side. She settled for that explanation. She did not herself want to bring the embarrassing topic up again.
They finished the meal, intermittently talking about their lives. Maitri spoke about her family members but hid her father’s unceremonious exit from his job.
Piyush too fondly recollected his college memories and told Maitri how he met Koyel during his college days. He also told Maitri how Koyel was considered a prized possession in the college and being able to talk to her was like winning a lottery. He tried making his stance clear by also mentioning how making Koyel his girlfriend was more of an ego-issue than anything else.
After knowing his past efforts in college, Maitri playfully cross-questioned him if he was trustworthy as a friend, to which Piyush nodded with a smirk; a nod which was more of a ‘you decide’ in its nature than a ‘yes’.
Maitri enjoyed each moment with Piyush, and wanted the time to stop. But soon, it was time to leave.
They mutually decided to part ways separately; Piyush was to leave five minutes later than Maitri. Their first parting was more awkward than their first meeting. ‘When are we meeting again? Should I mention that I had a lovely time with him? Should I shake hands with him or will it be too formal? He paid the bill, now I need to make-up for this.’ Maitri’s mind fluttered with such thoughts. She forced a smile to calm her noisy mind down.
That night, in her room, Maitri kept fiddling with her mobile in anticipation of a message from Piyush. Her face glinted in the gentle stream of moonlight that entered through the window. Not being able to control her urge, she texted him, ‘I had a lovely time with you today, Piyush...’ She thought for a while, then removed the ‘with you Piyush’ part from it and pressed 'Send'.
She tapped her fingers impatiently on her mobile screen. It had been 20 minutes but there was no reply. Maitri texted again, ‘asleep already?’
No answer for yet another 30 minutes. The messages were successfully delivered and read but no answer came from the other side. Her heart sank. She began speculating umpteen possibilities which could have stopped Piyush from replying. Waiting for a reply, she fell into sleep.
She dreamt of herself and Piyush sitting in the same restaurant, hand in hand, holding each-other’s gaze. Piyush whispering sweet nothings into her ears and his warm breath rubbing against the nape of her neck. They were enjoying the cozy moment when suddenly someone taps on her shoulder. Maitri swivels around to find a furious Koyel ready to slap her. She moves her lips soundlessly.
“Maitri di…? Didi!!!!” Nishu shook her to wake her up.
She woke up disoriented. “What is the time?”, Maitri asked worriedly.
She was late for her school. The alarm did not ring.
“Di...Ma asked me to remind you to collect baba’s reports today.”
Maitri reached school an hour late. Her day was full of lectures. She did not get any time to connect with Piyush.
Koyel had taken an off that day. Her absence alerted Maitri more. It could have been a co-incidence but she sensed something amiss. She called Piyush in the lunch break- the ring went unanswered. She typed a message, ‘Why are you not responding?’
Delivered, read, no response.
Maitri felt the ground beneath her feet shaking. Her eyes stung with tears.
‘Please reply. My heart is sinking.’
Delivered, read, no response.
She thought for a while and then called Koyel. Her call wasn't picked.
Maitri was coming to terms with her worst nightmare.
Koyel knows. Shit! It was their plan. They trapped me. Shit, shit, shit!
“Maitri madam, Principal Ma’am is calling you.” The peon smiled, revealing his pan-stained teeth.
Shit! They told her too.
“Madam...Maitri madam?” The peon did not budge until she acknowledged his message.
What could be it? Why on earth is all of this happening to me? As if my life did not have enough problems already! Why…why did I do that?
She entered the Principal’s room with a thumping heart. Sometimes, she felt that she was too hard on her tiny blood-pumping organ.
Without raising her head, the Principal looked up from under her glasses that rested on her nose.
“Ma’am did you call me?”
“Yes Maitri, come in.”
“Good morning, Ma’am.”
The Principal nodded in reply. “Maitri, you have been taking a lot of leaves lately. Also, what I gather from my records, there has been many late marks too against your name. Is there an issue?”
Maitri exhaled a sigh of relief. Thank god, it is not that.
Coming out of the room, Maitri decided to call Piyush again.
“Hello!” A female voice answered the call.
“Sorry, wrong number I guess…” Maitri was about to hang up when the voice interrupted,
“No, Maitri di.”
A lull ensued.
Maitri hung up in panic. It was Koyel on the line. The very next moment, her phone rang; she looked down at it as if she had been holding a ticking bomb in her hand. It was Koyel’s name flashing on the screen.
Should I take it or disconnect? I can take it but I don’t have any answers. It is better to disconnect. Maybe I should just let it ring. God! What do I do?
“Madam, your phone is ringing.” The peon said, giving his trademark smile.
She nodded. The phone had gotten disconnected by then. It began to ring again, this time in unison with the school’s bell; it was time to go home. Maitri rushed to a corner and allowed the phone to ring till it got disconnected. It was Piyush calling. She switched off her mobile before it could ring again.
Maitri played with her little finger’s ring as she waited for the doctor.
“Any kind of blockage in the heart blood vessels reduces blood flow and oxygen to the heart muscle which results in a chest pain known as Angina.”, the doctor spoke grimly.
Maitri held his gaze as he spoke.
“Let him continue taking aspirin, it will get better gradually. There is no need to worry. You need to keep a check on his cholesterol levels to prevent the reoccurrence of this pain.”
Maitri dragged her feet as she walked out of the hospital. She noticed people milling in and out of the place. A constant hum surrounded the halls of the hospital. The mix of the smell of medicines and disinfectant made her sick. She felt the urge to drink something. Her eyes roamed around the busy market as she walked out of the place, and spotted a sugarcane vendor. The 3-pm afternoon sun gently fell on her face as she walked up to the sugarcane stall. She frowned and covered her face, extending her right palm over her eyes. She asked the vendor for one glass of icy cold sugarcane juice.
Her gaze lingered on the juicer as
it crushed sugarcane-sticks between its narrow parting, producing mugs and mugs of sweet juice. She noticed how the vendor kept putting the same stick in the juicer till he was sure of the sticks having no more juice in them. Maitri could not help but compare herself with one of those sticks- dry, juiceless and beaten.
The doctor’s voice echoed in her ears as she walked aimlessly towards an autorickshaw and got into it. Maitri stuck her head out to feel the fresh breeze on her face. Tears welled up in her eyes when she thought about her father but she blinked them away. One teardrop fell on her mobile. She switched it on, and moved her thumb over it to wipe the screen clean. Suddenly, the mobile screen lit up and her thumb touched against Piyush’s picture. She picked it up.
“Hello...” Maitri spoke carelessly.
“Where have you been Maitri?” Piyush yelled.
“You told Koyel. Didn’t you?” She yelled back.
“What?” Piyush uttered surprisingly.
“Both of you had planned it together.”
“What are you talking about Maitri? Where are you?”, Piyush asked.
“Don’t change the subject. I spoke to Koyel. She knows.” Maitri tried speaking despite a great lump rising in her throat.
“Maitri, can you please explain what you mean and why was your mobile off?”
“Piyush you have not been answering my calls since last night.” Maitri mouthed his name for the very first time ever since they met.
Maitri broke into soft sobs that sounded more like hiccups. The rickshaw driver stole a quick glance in his rear view mirror, their eyes meeting each-other. Maitri looked away embarrassed by the eye-contact.
“Please stop crying.” Piyush insisted. “Can we meet right now? Where are you?”
“I had told you about stopping all this. Hadn’t I?” She tried speaking between sobs.
“Maitri, my friend’s father met with an accident, I was with him last night and that is why I could not take your calls.”
“You did not have time to revert back because you were going around with Koyel. She answered your phone when I called you in the afternoon. But well, I cannot really complain; she is your girlfriend. But what do you expect from me?”
