by Arnab Ray
Sudheer had come home. They had transported him in a special emergency vehicle. Then he had to be carried up to his bedroom, swathed in bandages as he was, held up by six people, and put down on a bed specially imported from the US. He would stay there for a while but, as Nimmi kept saying to one and all, he had come home. She was the host of the party, walking around proudly, aglow with motherhood, more happy than Arjun had ever seen her. The whole mansion was full of people, relatives from every side of the family, friends and business partners, outnumbered only by the balloons, some spelling out ‘Welcome home’ and some with the line ‘We love you Sudheer’ and some just dancing around in the breeze. Arjun had walked about shaking hands, thanking guest and was looking to slip away into a quiet corner when Preeti caught him by his arm.
‘What’s the matter with you?’
‘Me?’
‘Yes, God has given our son a second life, we are going to have a
grandchild soon, we are a family again, and there you are, walking about with that expression on your face. What’s the matter?’ ‘Nothing. Why do you think there is something the matter?’
‘It’s Riti, isn’t it? You are missing her today.’
Arjun stayed quiet, looking out of the large French window.
‘She has made her choice,’ Preeti said firmly.
Arjun looked down at his shoes, shook his head, and took a sip of wine.
‘Yes, she has. As have Sudheer and Mohan. They have all made their choices.’
‘For once, I approve. I very much approve.’ Preeti looked across the hall, her eyes finding Mohan and his companion, a girl in a black cocktail dress. Arjun had never seen her before, but someone said she was one of India’s top models. Preeti leaned towards Arjun and whispered, ‘He’s never brought a girlfriend of his to a family event.’ She giggled. ‘I think he is serious about her. She is so beautiful. Don’t you think so?’
‘There is something I want to tell you before I tell the boys.’
‘What’s that?’
‘I have decided to split the business between them. Sudheer will get what he wants, Mohan will get his share, and they will have what they’ve always wanted. Independence.’
Preeti’s eyes twinkled. ‘Seriously?’
‘Yes,’ he said. ‘The whole business has become too big for me. And the boys are old enough to move into the real world by themselves.’
‘I want to tell them this! I want to see the expressions on their faces.’ Preeti could barely control her excitement. ‘You don’t know how much Sudheer has wanted this. You have no idea.’
‘I think I do,’ Arjun said slowly.
‘So you will be at home more frequently now?’
‘I guess.’
‘I am so happy. We all worry about your health, you know. You are growing old and yet you do not want to slow down.’
Arjun smiled, and then someone called out her name and Preeti hurried away, and the moment he knew she could not see him any more, the smile on Arjun’s face slowly vanished.
He looked out of the window again. He thought of Lahore and his brothers, their faces now blurred in his memory; of Bangali, driving and singing; of Arijit repairing transistors in his oversized shorts; of Sudheer and Mohan playing cricket with him and Sudheer hitting a ball so hard that it broke the glass of a secondfloor window; of Preeti bringing him halwa in her father’s garage; of Riti walking with him in Central Park; and of Nayantara, and the ever-shining stars in her eyes.
All of these memories, like old ticket stubs in a dusty trunk.
Wiping his eyes with his sleeve, Arjun looked down at the wine.
All he saw was his own shadow, black reflected on shimmering red.
Table of Contents
Part One
1
2
3
4
5
Part Two
6
7
8
9
10
Part Three
11
12
13
14
