Relay

"Rafique, please understand. We serve pure vegetarian food in 'Krishna' restaurant. Your appearance... ... ..
...our customers don't feel comfortable walking in when they see a Muslim attendant.. hope you understand... "

Rafique was seething with anger as he maneuvered his bike through the crowded lane, cycling furiously. He almost threw the bicycle in the alley next to the staircase and rushed upstairs. How would he feed his family now? He entered his kholi to find Ayesha adjusting the cushions on the diwan. Her dupatta wasn't covering her head. In a fit of rage, he slapped her tight across the face. "Begairat!".

***

Her face still smarting, Ayesha peeled the skin off the potatoes and dropped them in boiling water. She didn't even realize that tears were welling up in her eyes. Sarika's arrival diverted her attention.

Sarika looked glad and content. She had a notebook and pencil in her hands. Ayesha's eyes widened. In a quick movement, she snatched the notebook away with one hand, and pulled Sarika's ear with the other.
"How many times have I told you not to touch your brother's things?"
"Ammi, I want to go to school too"
"I will send you to school! ..." shrieked Ayesha as she forced Sarika's right palm in the pan filled with boiling water.

***

"Come play with us Sarika"
"No I am not in the mood", Sarika sat on the stairs nursing her bandaged palm, as her friends played with clay dolls in the aisle. She could see Amruta limping in the distance. A wicked smile appeared on her face as she got up and hopped towards Amruta.

Amruta saw her and stopped in her track. Her eyes were fearful. Sarika pinched her on her arm.
"Don't" shouted Amruta.
"Why? What will you do otherwise? Run after me and hit me?" Sarika's laugh was maniacal.

***

"Why do you go out to play with that Sarika, baby?"
"I don't mummy, she comes to me and hits me" Amruta was inconsolable.

She finally felt better after her mom gave her a chocolate bar. As she limped into her room, Amruta found her grandfather sleeping on the cot. She hated sharing her room with this old man, who irritated her with his stories. Even her mom and dad didn't like him and were waiting for the day when he would die and leave them alone.

Balaji woke up and looked at her polio-ridden granddaughter with extreme sadness.
"Come to me, beta"
Amruta made a contorted face and sat down to play with her dolls, ignoring her grandfather's call.

***

Balaji Rao was proud of the way he had raised his sons. Even though he was a man of little means, he had ensured that both his sons studied in English medium schools. And what a gem Shrikant had turned out to be. He worked in a reputed bank, had a beautiful wife and a lovely daughter. Only if polio hadn't affected poor Sarika. Balaji let out a sigh.

Neelesh entered the room with hesitant steps.
"Papa, do you want anything from the market?"
"Yes, get me some poison, will you? Better to die than have a son like you"

As Neelesh left, Balaji gritted his teeth. What sins of his previous birth had made him sire a gay son?

***

Neelesh sat on the ledge, staring blankly at the waves breaking at the rocks. It wasn't his fault.

"Neelesh, you are sitting here! We have been looking everywhere!"
Neelesh turned and saw Ashok and Kalpesh running towards him.
"What happened?"
"You forgot? Today is our rally!"

How could Neelesh have forgotten! These asshole Biharis needed to be taught a lesson. They'd come and defiled their precious city, made it dirty with their filthy ways and worse, undercut them to take up their jobs.

But things would change soon. Rana Saheb had taken up arms against these infidels. Only today morning, his party people had bashed the owner of 'Krishna' restaurant in a North Indian locality, for refusing to put-up a signboard in Marathi.

***

Five years

They stood there, together
Like strangers,
Who knew each other too well.

Feeling claustrophobic, in the open park
He finally let go,
Letting the silence tear his heart apart.

He looked back, after they bid goodbye
polite and curt,
This wasn't meant to end. Not like this, anyway.


****

It had been just five years. No. It had been five fucking years. And it felt like they had met each other for the first time.

****

'So, you will call me, right? I don't have money to call you in London', he chuckled.
'No, I won't, fucker' .... he rolled his eyes, snatching the cigarette from his hands, and laughing madly. 'Stop talking like a kid, it's just London'.
'I am gonna miss you man'
'Abbe saale, internet hai na'....

****

Idiot in the Box

Read first part of the story here

Chapter Three


Raj was busy working on his computer and Ms. Reva was typing something furiously on hers. She kept throwing nasty glances at Raj of which the latter was totally unaware. He, however, occasionally looked at her lovingly and seemed deeply satisfied about something. He was actually thinking what a wonderful couple he and Reva would make. Not that he thought it was anyway possible now, but he wanted (he himself did not know why) to look at every perspective of this otherwise great idea. So, when almost everybody else had left the office and Ms. Reva too got up from her seat and was preparing to depart, Raj got up hastily, picked up his coat and briefcase and darted through the door to join Ms. Reva.

“So… leaving, Reva?”
“Yeah, I guess it’s about time…” she looked at her gold-plated wrist-watch and replied nonchalantly. Raj began escorting her along the aisle. Ms. Reva smiled and continued to walk. When they reached the elevator, Raj finally asked what he had so long wanted to ask: “Hmm… Reva… D’you… Do you watch serials?”
“What???”
“Television soap operas... Those cozy, mushy, delectable (and outrightly stupid and bugging) serials they show everyday on TV?” It was clear that he was trying hard to hide his strong hatred for the serials, as he spoke.
And, finally, to his satisfaction, Ms. Reva replied in the negative.

***  

Reva wanted to leave early today. But as usual, the pile of work on her desk held her back. When she had finally finished most of it, and was feeling totally exhausted, she got up and filed away all the loose papers. She came out of her cabin and found Mr. Roy coming out of his, smiling at her.

“So… leaving, Reva?” asked Mr. Roy in his peevish voice.
What a dumb question to ask. She wanted to ward him off. She looked at her gold-plated-wrist-watch in the way of expressing extreme annoyance, and replied, “Yeah, I guess it’s about time…”
But emotion had, perhaps, blinded Mr. Roy and he unwaveringly started walking alongside her. Reva didn’t know what to say and she merely forced a horrible smile. When they reached the elevator, Mr. Roy suddenly asked, “Hmm… Sandhya… D’you… Do you watch serials?”
Why would you want to know? “What???”
“Television soap operas... Those cozy, mushy, delectable serials they show everyday on TV?”
Reva loved them. But it was something about the way Mr. Roy had shot the question that she didn’t want to give an affirmative answer.
“No… I hate them.” She added that ‘hate’ part just out of hope that Mr. Roy would be seriously offended and would leave her alone. But to her dismay, Mr. Roy seemed delighted to hear this.
“Hmmm… then what are your interests? Perhaps sports!!!” Mr. Roy was trying to hide his excitement without success.
Reva was too exhausted to keep track of all the lies she had been telling. “Yes” seemed the simplest and shortest reply.

***


Little Tina was having a wonderful time. All day she had been talking to her ‘Barbie’ doll in a language which only she and her ‘bestest’ friend understood. She had talked about how inane grown-ups are, how lovely she’d look when she’d grow up, how interested the baby-next-door was in her when they had met in the park last week - he had literally jumped out of his pram to smile at her.

Suddenly, Nisha came over to her cradle. “Why are you laughing so much? Do you know we may not watch the serials any more?”
Stupid girl. I care in the least. Tina giggled.
This annoyed Nisha a lot. She looked over her shoulder. Sandhya was busy in meticulously putting on nail-gloss. She reached for Tina’s thighs and pinched her. Tina began to wail in pain.
Sandhya dashed to the scene, clearly annoyed at being disturbed while she was busy with her make-up. “What happened? Nisha, what did you do to her?”
She pinched me. Tina began to cry louder than ever.
“Nothing, Mama. She must’ve hurt herself.”
Liar!!! Mama, take me up in arms. Tina let out a particularly high-pitched shriek.
Sandhya seemed to be in a dilemma. She wanted to tend to Tina but that would surely spoil her half-an-hour worth of effort of putting on the nail-polish. “Mama’s here, baby, don’t cry” she almost sang those words, “good baby, mama’s nails are wet…”
Tina tried once more, and then gave Sandhya up as bad job. She shut up on her own and began fiddling with her Barbie.

***

The elevator was gliding down unusually slow. Reva was getting impatient. Mr. Roy continued with his badgering.

Reva had a feeling that if Mr. Roy didn’t stop within the next minute, she’d have no other way than slamming her hand-bag against his face. But all she did was smile and smile.

Finally, they got out on the ground floor. “Should I drop you off, Reva?” asked Mr. Roy rather politely, still jumping on the balls of his feet.
“No, thanks; I guess I’ll get a cab.”
“Oh come on, Reva; you need not be this formal. We are friends, after all.”
Yes, Lecher. “But you really need not take all the trouble, Sir.”

Ten minutes later, Reva was seated on the front seat of Mr. Roy’s car, with a rather serious expression on her face. Mr. Roy was merrily steering the car, feeling excited and conscious at the same time. When they finally reached Reva’s Apartments, Mr. Roy gallantly got out of the car and opened the door for her to get out.

“So...”
“So?”
“Ah, well... bye then.”
Reva understood only too well what Mr. Roy wanted, but she would rather kiss a donkey than invite this lecher to her home.
“Sir, I would have invited you for a cup of coffee but my boyfriend is probably back by now. He doesn’t like visitors. I hope you understand.”
“Your boyfriend??”
“Yeah, he moved in only last month.”
“You never told me, Reva” spluttered Mr. Roy, and upon discovering the questioning expression on Reva’s face, added “I mean I didn’t know.” Raj was totally distressed. Reva had a live-in boyfriend. He got into the car and began driving back home.

Reva was walking up the driveway, smiling to herself. The idea had struck her while she was seated in Mr. Roy’s car. She had no boyfriend.

***


Chapter Four

Raj parked the car in the garage, rebuked the Durban without any reason and climbed up the stairs like a zombie. No sooner had he rung the door-bell than Sandhya opened the door, dressed in a cute pink dress and carrying a lavish smile. This was a bit surprising, for usually he had to stand for at least ten minutes before the door opened up, and surely Sandhya has never been this happy to find him back.

“You are back, darling. How was your day?” Sandhya made way for him to get inside.
Flustered at this sudden change in Sandhya’s attitude, Raj almost fumbled into the sitting-room. “Yeah, OK.”
Raj looked around for a reason that could explain the weirdness of the situation and caught sight of Nisha lurking in a corner, looking thoroughly anxious and apprehensive.
“Hey Nisha, my baby, come to papa” he called out to her and to his amazement, Nisha, instead of running into his arms, looked at Sandhya, as if asking for approval. He could sense Sandhya giving a short nod. Nisha glided towards him, still not her natural self. This all was driving Raj crazy. He wanted an explanation. And then, he remembered!! All the events of the morning came, flashing, to his mind and his teeth gritted themselves in anger.
Okay, let’s play it your way then…


He turned round to Sandhya, and almost imitating her peevishly cheerful tone, said, “Darling, do you mind making me a cup of coffee? By the way, they are showing the re-telecast of some cricket match today. I can’t possibly afford to miss it.” Raj was sure that had it been any other day, Sandhya would have straightaway refused to make him a cup of coffee. But she smiled in an indulgent sort of way and went towards the kitchen, followed by an evidently shocked Nisha.

Raj settled on the couch and switched on the TV. (A news reader’s face flickered on the screen)… click… (Two dancers were bumping their bottoms against each other’s)… click… (One of those talent-hunt contests)… click… wait a second, the sports channel was supposed to be somewhere here. He went through all the channels once again.
It had to be Sandhya. She must’ve changed all the settings. He began re-setting the channels, while assuring himself that vengeance would be his very soon.

“Coffee is ready, darling” Sandhya entered the room carrying two coffee mugs and her now fading smile “How’s your cricket-match progressing?” she looked at the TV screen and smiled, “Oh, actually, I had to change the setup because of Nisha… she was insisting on watching some stupid wrestling match. Of course, I couldn’t allow her to watch those. So I put a lock on all the sports channels.” Nisha, who too had followed her mother into the room, nodded vigorously like a poorly trained actor.
“Oh really… what's the key?”
“Oops… I forgot” Sandhya faked an expression of extreme remorse, “I’m sorry, darling.”
“No wonder.” Raj could easily re-set all the channels. The only thing was that had Sandhya given him the code, it would have been much faster. “Sandhya, if you think that with all this drama, you’d be watching your stupid serials then drop it. I’ll make sure that you keep your word.”
“Not that I expected anything else from an insensitive person like you, Raj” Sandhya suddenly turned emotional. For the second time that day, Raj admired how quickly Sandhya could change her expressions. Sandhya rubbed her invisible tears on her sleeve and rushed towards the bedroom, Nisha again following her. Normally, Raj would have gone after her to console her, but not today. He continued with fine-tuning the channel.

About two minutes later, Sandhya again entered the drawing-room, looking perfectly normal, as if nothing had happened a few minutes back. She came and sat on the couch next to Raj and suddenly began to sob or rather pretend to sob.
“Raj, oh Raj, why do we do this to each other? I love you, Raj? But I don’t know what gets into me. Please, Raj, forgive me, Raj.” She edged closer to him and put her arms around him. Raj was totally taken aback.
Sandhya started whispering, and apparently forgetting to sob, “Oh, Raj, tell me you have forgiven me.”
"Hmm... "
"Thank you! You know Nisha is also upset about the serial thing. Let's watch it together today, shall we?"
“Sandhya, I must say you have talent.”
Sandhya moved back her head and looked at him.
“But, sadly, none of your tactics are gonna work today, for I’ve realized what sort of a scheming woman you are.”
Sandhya could not take this. She pushed Raj away from the couch, seized the remote-controller and hurled it straight at Raj. Raj ducked just in time, and the gadget crashed right into the TV screen smashing it to smithereens.

The crashing noise brought Nisha into the room. She looked at the smashed TV and raised her hands to her mouth, apparently shocked. Sandhya, too forgot that she was angry at Raj and merely looked in horror at what she had done.

Raj decided that it wasn’t safe anymore for him to stay in the room. He quietly sneaked out of the room, leaving a distraught Sandhya and a distressed Nisha behind in the room.

The helluva noise had woken Tina up. She was whimpering in her cradle. Raj walked up to her and asked lovingly, “What is it, darling?”
One can’t even sleep in peace in this place. Tina let out a last moan, rolled over and fell asleep again.

***

Idiot out of the Box

Chapter One

Nothing at all was unusual about that Saturday. Raj parked his car and climbed the stairs to his second-floor office. He entered his cubicle to find a smiling Ms. Reva waiting for him.


“Mrs. Roy has already called twice, Sir”, she informed, with the sort of sparkle in her eyes that Raj always found so absorbing. She was again wearing the same navy blue skirt Raj had so often admired.
“Thank You Reva. I’ll talk to her. By the way, looking gorgeous today.”
Reva went out without a word. By now she was quite at home with the way married men often behaved. Raj settled on the armchair and started dialing home. He knew what was in store for him.

***




That morning he and Sandhya had had one of their routine squabbles.

Little Tina was wailing loudly in her pram, Kushal was creating a ruckus with his toy gun and Nisha was into one of her tantrums for a reason known to nobody. Amidst all this, Sandhya somehow managed to sit before the TV all engrossed in her favorite serial.

Raj walked over to Tina’s perambulator and immediately flinched. With a wistful look at Sandhya, he started changing Tina’s nappy. He was no master in this art & Tina cried all the more louder.

“Shh…” Sandhya murmured, trying her best not to miss anything of the serial she adored beyond description. She was watching the re-telecast of some soap, the fact of her having watched it the previous night notwithstanding.

Raj didn’t say anything. He had come to accept several things in course of nine years of his marriage, like he would have to admire the new hairstyles Sandhya would flaunt every now and then, however disgusting she might look; he would have to regard every matter related to his in-laws with utmost esteem & behave as if his own errands were of no consequence at all. But one thing in which he felt he closed a fair deal was control over the Television. Perhaps it was his bargaining-flair as a sales executive which came in handy. It was decided that every alternate weeks they would have supreme authority over the TV (However Sandhya somehow found a way of cajoling Raj into letting her watch her serials everyday nevertheless). He quietly went into the bedroom and started looking for his towel. But he couldn't find it anywhere.

“Sandhya, where’s my towel?” No Reply.
“Sandhya….?” No Reply still.
He stomped his way to the drawing room. By now, Nisha had seated herself beside her mom and was murmuring, “Mom, why don’t you wear a bindi like that?” Day by day she was growing more and more like Sandhya, thought Raj.
“Sandhya, my towel?”
“Oh Raj, look yourself no” Sandhya replied without the least stir.
“You have already seen that yesterday” Raj reminded.
“Oh no, I missed some parts of it” Sandhya replied, her eyes still glued to the idiot box.
“But… Look, I’m getting late; they show the same thing a hundred times over”
“Clearly, that’s not the case when you watch the repeated telecasts of your stupid cricket matches” Sandhya sounded a bit annoyed.
“Now, what does my cricket matches have to do with…?”
“Ok, fine, don’t let me watch my serials... as it is you’ve always got something against them,” Sandhya finally got up and marched into the bedroom, “You have just one motive in life – don’t let poor Sandhya see her favorite serials, as if that’s harming you in any way…” she went on with her tirade while apparently looking for the towel and actually bringing the whole house to shambles.
“Now, Sandhya, why do you say that? Don’t I let you watch…?”
“Yeah, that’s a great favor really… now what I am supposed to do – wait on you head and toe?” she flung his towel at him.
Raj opened his mouth to retort but was stopped short of saying anything by a bloodcurdling scream which came from the drawing room. They both rushed outside to find Nisha staring at the TV screen with a horrified look at her face.
“What happened???” Sandhya embraced Nisha.
“Mom… she… that hag… she’s conspiring to kill her daughter-in-law and the poor bahu has no idea of it”, Nisha narrated among sobs.

It took a while before realization dawned on Raj. He could make out that Nisha was talking of the ‘serial’ she had been watching, which must have ended with that ‘revelation’ about the mother-in-law’s character that had ‘shocked’ her so much.

Once Nisha was assured that the bahu was in perfect health and nothing would happen to her till she returned from her honeymoon, and she had gone out to play with her friends, Raj turned to Sandhya, fuming.
“Look what impact your serials have on our children”
“Raj, there’s nothing wrong with Nisha. She’ll get over this within minutes. She usually reacts to such stuff in a similar way…”
“What??? And still you continue to watch these? What sort of a mother…”
“I think I know my responsibility better than you…”
…and as usual it had continued for the next fifteen minutes, with both of them flinging accusations at each other and it had ended in the usual way with Sandhya flinging different objects (comprising of vases, table lamp, Kushal’s toys and other potentially harmful items) at Raj until one found its target.

But usually it actually ended with Sandhya calling Raj in the office over phone to say sorry.


***


Chapter Two

Tring… Tring…


Sandhya hastily put on the dressing-gown and rushed out to pick up the phone. She glanced at the caller-ID-display and smiled, “Oh Raj, I knew you’d call. I’m so sorry about what happened today. It was only after you went away that I realized that you had been right. I should not have…Raj?”
“Yeah, I’m here.”
“Are you still angry with me?”
“Angry? No, not at all (I forgot being that long back)”
“(Good, that makes it a lot easier) So, honey, say something sweet to me.”
“Sandhya, are you all right?”
“Of course, I am. Why?”
“Hey, I’m just asking like that. By the way, it seems you’d been thinking about me?”
Sandhya noted the flirtatious tone and smiled triumphantly, “Actually I was in the shower...”
Raj imagined her absentmindedly running her fingers through her wet hair as she usually did and felt a stir, “I have an idea. Why don’t we go out for lunch today? Then perhaps we could watch the new…”
“No, darling, actually today I’ve got to go shopping with Mrs. Mehta.”
“Oh.”
“And darling, you know I just seem to have run short of cash (And I was foolish enough to have picked up a fight today). Perhaps I could use your credit card…, mine is out of balance” she hastily added without waiting for a reply “I looked around but couldn’t find it anywhere.”
Raj suddenly realized where this conversation was leading to and felt strong repulsion for Sandhya. “Actually... I’m afraid...”
“Oh, I have to do only a bit of shopping. And I can’t afford not to go because Mrs. Mehta is an expert in swapping rumors. As it is, she’s always trying to…”
Raj could make neither head nor tail out of her blabbering. He just knew one thing – he was not falling for this one this time, “Sandhya, didn’t I tell you I have surrendered the card long back…”
“I’m quite sure you haven’t,” her tone suddenly changed “(This is not going to work, time for the trump card) Look, let’s make a deal.”
Raj could only admire the different facets of Sandhya’s personality. She changed colors faster than a chameleon, “What deal??”
“You tell me where the credit card is and I promise to pick up Kushal from school everyday, you won’t have to waste your precious time anymore…”
“…”
“…and I won’t go shopping for the next whole month…”
“…”
Sandhya was growing impatient, “…and I’d also bring you your towel in the bathroom whenever you forget to take it and…,” her nose screwed up, “…not mind when you leave your dirty underwear on the bathroom floor. Now tell me where the card is.”
“(In your dreams) I don’t think that is good enough.”
“What???” Sandhya yelled, “Okay, tell me what do you want?”
“You won’t be watching your serials for the next whole month.”
The thought itself of the dilemma Sandhya must be in gave Raj immense pleasure. Sandhya kept quiet. How could he do this to her? She wanted to shout at the top of her voice, curse him and abuse him, but this was not the time.
“Okay, I won’t watch the serials for the next month, happy? Now tell…”
“Look among my ‘dirty’ underwear in the cupboard. Good bye.”
“Bye” Sandhya said bitterly.

Raj was jubilantly putting down the phone when something caught his eye and he almost slipped from his chair. In the cubicle directly across from his, Ms. Reva was bending over her knees to adjust her sandals. There was nothing remotely enticing about her posture other than the fact that the strap of her top had slipped off her shoulder. Raj looked hungrily as Reva regained her composure and stretched like a young bird trying to fly. Suddenly her eyes caught his; she stared for a moment and then smiled at him. He smiled back and looked away.


***

Reva wasn’t used to sitting in front of a computer. But now she had to as her job demanded it. Her eyes hurt if she stared at the screen continuously. But today she had just seated herself and her eyes began to itch. ‘I must visit an optician’ she told to herself. Something else was also bothering her – her new sandals. She bent over to adjust them only to find that her skirt had entangled itself with the clasp on the sandals. After five minutes of struggle, she finally freed her skirt. She felt exhausted as if had just gone through an ordeal. She yawned, and stretched and found Mr. Roy looking straight at her. He looked like a greedy dog salivating for a bone.
‘Bastard’ she muttered. And then gave him a smile.

***

Sandhya replaced the receiver and turned. Nisha was watching her thoughtfully. She asked, “Mama, won’t we be watching the serials any more?” She looked clearly pained at the probability of her missing out on her favorite serials.
“No, dear, who said so?” Sandhya consoled her.
“You just told Papa that…”
Sandhya interrupted her with an indolent wave of her hand, “Oh, don't worry about it.”
And Nisha watched as Sandhya hopped into the bathroom again, with an unmistakable smirk on her face and an old tune on her lips.

***

To be continued...

A Neighbours' Nightmare

Nothing else could have spoiled the mood any worse than it did. It was all we could expect from her when everything was going so well. We had just gotten into the party spirit when Simple, as clumsy as always, managed to get her dupatta entangled with the table-lamp which in turn fell on the table with the water-jars - thus spraying water all over the switch-board and off went the room into darkness. And although Mr. Raichand hastily called the electrician, with everyone stepping on each others’ toes, nudging each others’ arms and patting each others’ wives in the dark, the party was surely not in shape.

It was a party in celebration of the Raichands adding a Pomeranian to their already long list of pets. They took pride in the ownership of two of the most irritating cats, one smart-ass parrot and one Labrador which would stare at you with its sinister looking eyes wide open and the menacing canines bared. It was only last month when they organized a puja (followed by cocktail dinner) on the birthday of Chink, the Labrador. Everybody looked forward to the Raichands’ parties but this one turned into a nice little hullabaloo.

And of course the one to feel all the more worse was Simple. She kept making sighs of grief and remorse and when she apologized to Mrs. Raichand for the eighth time, the latter really meant when she said “It’s OKAY Simple”.

***********

It was typical of Simple. She managed to have an extraordinary number of accidents, always. She was the type of girl who would coax you into letting her do your chores and then spoil them for you. She would run madly across the road, almost causing a traffic hitch, to just say ‘Good Morning’ to you. She would ring you in the middle of night to apologize for a mistake she’d done weeks earlier. But there was something about her which restrained everyone’s ire at her irksome acts. Perhaps, it was the feeling of guilt which showed through her deep and immaculate apologies. Often a time she had broken into hysterical tears at being playing the spoilsport.

So in a way no one really resented her acts. Mrs. Raichand never complained, not even when Simple broke her favourite hibiscus pot nor when she sprayed tomato ketchup on her new sari. The hag next door, who barked at kids for storming into her lawn, never fussed when Simple broke her crockery. So everything moved smoothly, at least apparently, with Simple being ever so ham-fisted and the neighbours being ever so understanding.

But I guess I knew Simple a little too well. And, so I could see things which others couldn't. And I was shocked to know that Simple knew that I know too.

*********

We were sitting in the park that day when Simple pointed towards the road and announced mischievously, "Watch". It was Mrs. Raichand coming with a heavy packet in one hand and holding the chain of the Pomeranian with the other, the puppy trying its best to break loose. Apparently, she had taken her pet on a stroll and had shopped on the way. While I still tried to make out what Simple wanted me to look at, she darted briskly towards the duo. She was just one step from them when she stumbled, one gracious fall and Simple was lying in the lap of Mrs. Raichand, the latter slumped flat on the footpath. The peaches in the packet had sprawled on the path and the Pomeranian had dashed into the road swarming with vehicles.

“Dilbert, Oh my God!!!!!!” yelled Mrs. Raichand in fright. The vehicles skidded to a halt, Dilbert gazed about in horror and Simple had already assumed an expression of utmost remorse. The lady fetched her pet quickly, didn’t look twice at the peaches and hurried home with Simple following her with tear-streaked cheeks and long explanations. However, she did turn and wink at me. 

Women!!!

*********

Love, Pain and Little Malice

Another shortie - had written this before college. I like reading it even now, though must confess there is hardly anything original or literary about this story. This was one of my first attempts at writing 'episodes', as I call them.

Prologue

Raina read the note again. On it was scribbled ‘I shall be back early’. “Idiot”, she muttered under her breath. She hated it when Priya went out without her. She hated it all the more when Priya went out with Raj.

Early that day Priya had annoyed Raina for no reason at all.

“You are not leaving me alone again!!! You know how I hate….” Raina had complained vehemently...
“Trust Raina to spoil her chum’s date. Don’t be a sissy, Ray. And I promise I’ll be back early. Now tell me how’z this?” she held her new silk top by herself
“Splendid (Absolutely ludicrous!!)”
“Should I couple it with the lace skirt?”
“Yeah, that’d be the right thing to do (Bet you couldn’t think of anything gaudier).”

Priya donned the dress quickly and stood in the posture of a mannequin displaying an outfit.
“How do I look???”
“Like a blue-eyed angel (with uncommonly long legs!!!)”



One


I am Raina. Priya calls me Ray. She is my best friend. Yes, she is. It's strange how we have absolutely nothing in common and yet we are best-friends. What if she annoys me a lot? What if she does everything that I hate? She is precious to me. She’s the only friend I have.

She says I’m sentimental. She thinks so because I cry at others’ pains, laugh when others do. But then why would I not feel my own pain, not realize my own happiness? Priya has to remind me, “Cheer up, it’s your birthday”.

She loves frolicking around with her silly friends and fussing over unimportant matters like what to wear, how to wear, what not to wear and how not to wear. She’s so full of puerile thoughts and confined energies, so it becomes more than obvious that she would disapprove of the coy and quiet nature of mine.

Can one envy her best friend? I do. I envy Priya on everything she has. She always scores above me. She gets everything she wants. And she’s so feminine in her looks. I wish I had blue eyes like her. She has all the qualities of a poet’s muse and as Raj always says, has the most beautiful legs in the world.

And talking of me, I hate my frizzy hair, my broken chin and convince myself as much I may against it I cannot possibly fail to notice the ugly marks on my face. Yes I am that way- ugly and distasteful. And of course Priya takes all the pain to remind me every now and then that I am no good. She loves pulling my not-so-beautiful-legs.

I had a perfect antipathy for boys. They are rowdy, self-willed and unruly. But that was until I met Raj. He’s the only guy I’ve met who sends my heart ringing. He too reciprocated my feelings, I thought he did. And I poured my passion out in a letter. But I never gave it to him. For I knew Priya loves him too.

So here too Priya scored. I love her, no mistaking that. But I also hate her, for being my best-friend.


Two


If you ever call a girl ‘sexy’ and she would look back at you thoroughly offended, you know she’s Raina. She typically hates what other girls love to do. What she loves is being snuggled up in the cozy comforts of her bed with a none-so-interesting book and criticizing everything that I do. I’m Priya by the way.
 She gets annoyed at the slightest and I love annoying her. I hide the novel she’s been so deeply immersed in only to return it back after she has brought the whole house to shambles looking for it. She hates loud music and I take particular care to put on a jazz record every time I find her complacent. More often than not I curse her and blame her for highly fictitious crimes and pillage her cupboard throwing all her precious books out of the window. And once I took her for an adult movie saying it was a cartoon film with the temptation of seeing her go to pieces in the hall but to no avail; she sat through the entire film with her eyes shut tightly (I couldn’t even coax her to open her eyes during the Interval!!!).

It’s not that she is completely innocent. She bores me to death by narrating the story of the latest novel she’s read. More so because her novels are hardly interesting and she tells a story rather badly. But she relishes the experience of reciting her stories to me as (she says) I am a very good listener. I let out occasional oohs, aahs & omigoshes and other sorts of murmurs which seem to have a perfect timing and they encourage her all the more. I must learn to keep shut.

The other day I was on one of my small ransacks of her cupboard when I laid my hands upon her ‘Diary’. Ray is among those fools who take all the pain to record their unimportant experiences in a diary. I was delighted!!!! I thought I would definitely find something in the diary to taunt Ray upon, some guilty secret of hers. I still remember how I flinched upon sighting a letter folded neatly between two pages with ‘Raj’ written somewhere in it. I was naturally curious to read through it. And it was pretty well that I did for as things turned out, it did matter much!!!!

Raj is the guy I’m madly in love with. You are the luckiest person on earth if you have a guy like Raj who loves you, adores you, cares for you……… but I would swap him for a friend like Ray ANYDAY :)

Epilogue


Raina simply stared lost for words.

Then all of a sudden Priya sprung to her feet and declared, trying to sound cheerful, “You know something? Daniel has asked me for dinner tonight. Yes, that cute-looking albino guy”, she continued without looking at Raina, “Now no need to make faces, I’ll return early, I promise. Tell me what to wear? How is the Blue-Dress?” she suddenly turned, smiling.
“Splendid!!” was all that Raina said in spite of herself… She would go away to Brazil where her dad had ready a list of suitable grooms, she thought.
Priya slipped into the dress and chortled, “How do I look?”
“Like a blue-eyed angel”, replied Raina, “with the most beautiful legs” she added as an afterthought.

Soon

A short story I had written a while back - abusive language has been used, so please read no further if you think you may find it offensive

CHAPTER FOUR

 

The car bolted ahead at breakneck speed… his heart pounding in his head, he could still hear her pleading... crying… Oh, how he hated that bitch!!! He crushed the accelerator…

A rickshaw appeared on the road ahead, steadily growing from a minuscule dot to a larger mass… he doesn’t care, does he???...he rushed forward in a mad frenzy… the auto steered leftward just in time… He didn’t stop; perfectly aware that the auto must have stood there, the driver looking back at him in towering rage… he doesn’t give a damn…

There was something on the road ahead… a cat… he doesn’t care… he heard the bloodcurdling shriek as the cat was crushed under the wheels of his Corolla… he was crying now… I hate her, I hate that bitch… he felt no remorse, no guilt, no pain… are you happy, now???

The car screeched to a halt… tears were rolling down his cheeks… he wasn’t like this before… he had killed something… and he felt no remorse… You are beautiful, Adi … he clenched his teeth… he wasn’t human anymore…

And he threw himself forward, crashing through the windscreen onto the bonnet… fell on the road and lay there writhing in pain… are you happy, now???

 

CHAPTER TWO

 

“But you know I had nothing to do with this” Aditya was livid…

“I have my restrictions Aditya...” Mr. Bose replied curtly.

“Look, you know that I wasn’t involved in the project… I had told YOU everything… as soon as I came to know!!! ”

“You never informed the management, Aditya” said Mr. Bose coolly, “You should have done that. They think you are with the crooks.”

“I told YOU, for God’s sake…”

“My hands are tied… you know how it…”

“Don’t do this to me…” Aditya slammed his fist on the table and stood up. He looked at the man sitting on the other side of the table, so plainly unperturbed by what had happened, something which was going to ruin Aditya’s career.

“Look Aniket, I have always considered you to be my friend… I need your help” Aditya was trying hard to maintain his calm. “You can’t do this to me…”

Aniket didn’t reply for a few moments. He wasn’t looking Aditya in the eyes … But when he spoke, a lot of the stiffness had gone.

“Yes, we have always been friends, Aditya. And I have always liked you” He got up now but still looked away from Aditya, “You have been a good employee but if I may add, you have also been somewhat foolish.”

Aditya opened his mouth but said nothing. Aniket was moving around the table towards him. He looked into Aditya’s eyes now, “I know that you are in serious trouble. Your foolishness will not only cost you your job… it may cost you a lot more…”

Aniket was face-to-face with Aditya now…  

“I like you, Aditya,” Aniket placed his hand on Aditya’s shoulder and smiled, “And I want to help you… but you have to help me too” Aniket gripped his shoulder hard and placed his second hand on Aditya’s waist.

Aditya couldn’t understand what Aniket was saying but his shoulder was beginning to hurt. He instinctively wrenched his shoulder free and stared into the funny expression in Aniket’s eyes… “What can…?”

“You are beautiful, Adi … more beautiful than you know…” his hand was now sliding down Aditya’s waist…

Aditya shook himself free and moved away from Aniket.

“What do…???” he was incoherent with rage…  “You are crazy…”

Aniket gulped and said, “Aditya, I really want to help you… I’ll get you out of trouble in no time. Everything will be all right.”

“You…  you…” Aditya fumbled with words, shocked. Aniket had been his only ray of hope.

"No one would ever know,” Aniket seemed to return to his cold self now, “I understand that you have a wife and a kid… but what transpires between us…”

“Nothing transpires between us, you understand, nothing…”

“Aditya, you are not thinking with your mind now” Aniket warned coldly…

“Bastard, you…  …” Aditya found that he was now dumb with rage… he flew out of the cabin, not realizing that he was crying. Aniket had been his only ray of hope. He was, now, doomed.

 

CHAPTER ONE

 

“This is the second time in a month, Mr. Roy” the Principal spoke in a matter-of-fact manner, “Needless to say, we do not tolerate such behavior in our school.”

“I am extremely sorry, Mrs. Xavier,” Aditya replied genuinely, “I assure you that this would not happen again.”

Something about his pleading tone made Mrs. Xavier smile in an understanding sort of way.

“Mr. Roy, Nishant has always been one of our brighter students. Frankly, his deterioration has alarmed rather than surprise us. And, now, he has started attacking his classmates. I don’t know if I should say this, but such changes are often the consequences of… … domestic problems. I hope you understand”

“Yes, Mrs. Xavier” Aditya replied bitterly.

“Our counselor has given up. From what she could make out, Nishant is really disturbed about something.”

Aditya knew what it was. He had to do something about it, soon.

“Domestic problems are not something we can wish away, Mr. Roy. But we need to take care of our children’s future too. Whatever it is that Nishant is going through, it is taking a heavy toll on his performance in school, on his behavior, attitude, everything.”

Aditya gave a short nod. He was feeling ashamed of himself. His problems were ruining his kid’s future.

“Children get influenced easily, Mr. Roy. They do not have the ability to analyze – to judge what is right and what is wrong. At times, the child’s mind may get scarred beyond repair. As a well-wisher, I don’t want Nishant to head that way.”

“I appreciate your concern, Mrs. Xavier. I’ll do the needful, I assure you. Thank you so much.”

Aditya came out feeling distraught. He will have to talk to her, to make her understand. It was about his son… her son… their son.

He got into his Corolla and drove towards his office.

  

CHAPTER THREE

Aditya was still shaking. He parked the car in the garage and rushed towards the elevator. He had to do something. They can’t do this to him. He was innocent, after all…

He had always thought Aniket to be his friend. That bastard… he spat in the aisle. The guard glared at him for a second and then looked away. He got into the elevator.

… he felt like banging his head against the elevator wall.

He got off on the second floor and entered his apartment, the door being ajar.

Nishant was playing with his toy-car in a corner of the living-room. He looked up at him and then returned to playing without as much as a reaction. Aditya remembered what the Principal had told him. He’ll have to take to Shreya.

He went into the bedroom. Shreya was looking out of the window. She must have seen him drive into the garage. Yet she pretended as if he was a non-entity. Aditya looked around. The bed-sheets were in shambles. He had been here again, Aditya gritted his teeth.

“Shreya,” he tried to sound normal, “I’d been to Nishant’s school today.”

“Did you go to our lawyer?” asked Shreya.

“Shreya, for heaven’s sake…”

Shreya looked at him. She appeared to be in a state of delirium. 

“He told me!!!! You don’t want to free me… do you? You want me to serve you for the rest of my life…” Shreya was shrieking now.

“You are my wife, goddamit…”

“Wife… hah… I’m a slave, Aditya… your slave… tending to your needs, your son’s needs…”

“Isn’t he your son too…?” Aditya felt veins in his temple throb madly.

“Son… something I never wanted… saddled with marriage and a son when I had ambitions. I sacrificed my career…”

“Haven’t I made you happy in the past six years, Shreya? And you give me this in return…”

“Happy…? No, you don’t make me happy, Aditya… Your son doesn’t make me happy… Pete makes me happy, Aditya. Pete makes me happy. He understands my needs, my feelings…”

“He is using you…Shreya. Why don’t you understand??” Aditya was now yelling too.

“The thought of going away makes me happy… to go away from you… your son…”

  

Aditya could hold it no more. He slapped Shreya hard across the face. She fell onto the bed, whining. Aditya saw Nishant in the doorway and felt a pang of guilt.

“Shreya,” Aditya was crying as he sat on the bed, “We need to think for our son… we are spoiling his… why don’t you understand??”

Shreya gripped him with both hands, tears rolling down her cheeks… “Free me Aditya, free me… I want to live a life… I love Pete and he loves me…”

“Don’t you love me???? Don’t you love Nishant????”

“No” Shreya shrieked. “I never loved you… I was a slave in this house… I want divorce, Aditya…”

“Shreya, you are mad…”  Aditya was trying hard again to control his anger, “Don’t you realize that our son needs you…?”

“I have been tending to all your needs for six years, Aditya… Give me what I want…” Shreya was pleading hard…

“You are out of your mind, Shreya…” Aditya’s heart was burning. He felt something was choking him up. Suddenly, he stood up.

“Did I ever ask you for anything? I’ve always been a slave in this house…”

“You cheated on me, you bitch!!!” Aditya roared. He pulled her up with both his hands, “You make it sound like you have suffered… but I am ready to forgive… for our son…”

“No… I want to be happy, Aditya. I want to be happy…” Shreya clung to his shirt…

Aditya whacked her hard across the face again and pushed her backwards. She collided with the table and crumbled onto the floor, sobbing hysterically…

“Are you happy, now…? If you meet that bastard once more, I’ll kill both of you… perhaps, that would make you happy…” He rushed out of the bedroom and found Nishant cowering in a corner of the living-room.

His heart skipped a beat, his mind numb with rage, “Nishant, come here. Come to papa…” He realized that his voice quivered, and his eyes were moist.

Nishant walked up to him hesitatingly, too afraid to disobey. Aditya took him up in arms and marched out of the apartment. He rang the doorbell of their neighbor Mrs. Pundit. The door opened…

“Disha, will you look after Nishant for a while?” Aditya blurted…

Disha nodded, a thousand questions swarming in her eyes.

“Thank you…” and Aditya flew down the stairs. His heart was throbbing wildly… He got into his car and drew out of the building, not knowing where he was going, not knowing what he would do, just knowing that he wanted to go away from here, as far away as possible…

 

CHAPTER FIVE

  

Shards of glass sunk into his skin, blood trickling down his face and sides, Aditya walked over to the spot where the cat lay on the road. The scene was menacing… 

Aditya felt sick in the stomach. He thought he was going to throw up…

He gingerly picked up what remained of the cat’s body… and swaggered to a side of the road… he placed the cat on the ground and covered it with mud, leaves and stones…

And then he sank into the ground, crying like a kid. He lay there for several minutes… the pain in his heart unbearable… the flood in his eyes unstoppable…

I’ll not let my son suffer… I’ll secure his future… He sat up with great difficulty… I don’t care what happens to her, I don’t care what happens to me, I care only about Nishant… He stood up… I’ll get out of trouble… and we’ll go away… away from this madness…

A passing car stopped where he stood. “Are you all right?” the lady driving the car asked apprehensively.

Aditya nodded and started walking towards his car… Everything would be all right, soon.