Chapter 7: Perfect harmony.
Winter knocked on the door and covered the city with her harsh charms. Days turned to weeks. That small act of insanity hurled our cohesion into void space. Titli used to come to class as usual. Whenever I tried to look at her, she used to turn her face and talk to someone else. I observed the pain of severance was burning deep in her heart. I knew we had chosen the right path. Her pains against me would be a boon for both of us in turn. At least the breakup wont hurt our lives and hurl us in abyss of doom.
In the meantime, Debadideb informed me that once I complete my course, I would get some job at his place. I was happy to know that my days were numbered to face Titli’s tearful eyes.
Weeks turned to months and a new year dawned. The distance between us widened but no one around us was aware, as most of the fellow students knew nothing of our previous cohesion. Every evening I used to return in my bike and she used to take taxi to return home after class. Cold wintery nights brought painful reminiscences flooding in my mind. Sometimes I dreamt of my beloved mother cuddling me in her lap, sometimes I dreamt of my beloved grandma and her soothing palm on my head. All my loved ones standing around my bed anxiously waiting for me to sleep but the cruelty of fate did not allowed me to sleep peacefully.
The winter gave way for the autumn to step in. The winds were getting warmer day by day and the humidity in the air of Kolkata was rising again. Cool breeze kept the climate cool during the nighttime. Along with the humid warm air, there was evident fragrance of a void. We never exchanged a single word for about hundred days.
That Saturday noon we had an extra class in the centre. That day I was not on bike for some reason. After the classes were over, I stood at the bus-stand waiting for my bus to arrive. I noticed that Titli was standing at the bus-stand along with her friends. I was unable to understand why on that day she was waiting for the bus, she always take taxi. I kept on smoking my cigarette. She gave few glances at me with the corner of her eyes. She knew very well that I was watching her intently. Her face was red due to the hot sun overhead and few strands of her snaky locks were dangling on her cheek.
A bus arrived which was less crowded. Her friends went away and she was still standing. Rich girl, I laughed at her, always has to board taxi. She gave a piercing glance at me and then stepped forward to cross the road. A speeding bike came from the opposite direction and braked just before hitting her. She was taken by surprise and sprained her left ankle.
Suddenly my grandma whispered in my ears, “Adi, why are you standing here? How can you watch your love crying in pain in front of you? You are the apple of my eye, Adi. Go and win her heart, win her father’s heart. Take one step at a time, you have my blessing.” Her invisible hands pushed me.
I ran towards her and put my arms behind her before she could fall down. She was frightened as who held her, she looked at my face, a flash of anger sparked through. The rider got down from the bike and expressed his remorse for being rash. I shouted at him for driving so rashly.
Titli was unable to stand properly, yet she pushed me away. I looked at her burning eyes; her gaze was piercing my soul to the core. She was almost in tears due to her pain. I kneeled down at her feet and gently massaged her ankle to ease her pain.
She hissed at me, “Don’t dare to touch me. I don’t want your help, leave me alone.” She kicked me to free her ankle but I held her calf tightly and massaged her ankle gently to ease her pain. She shouted at me, “Leave me alone. I don’t need your help; I can take a taxi and go home.”
I left her ankle and stood up. She tried to walk but limped badly due to the pain. I put my hand on the small of her back and supported her. She looked back at me as I touched her. Her eyes were about to spill the beads of pearl.
I was having an intense pain in my soul after noticing the glistening eyes. “Titli, you are not able to stand properly, how come you will go home.” I asked her in a very calm voice. I waved at a taxi to stop. I looked at her and asked whether she would be able to walk or not.
She gave me a stern gaze and tried to limp towards the taxi. I shook my head, silly girl. I took her on my lap and carried her to the taxi. She resisted at first but my strong arms around her, restrained her from doing so.
Once inside, she looked at me with her tearful eyes. Those depicted a painful tale. I took her left leg on my lap and gently massaged her ankle. She tried to resist at first but I held her calf tightly. I asked myself as what was happening with me. I was losing myself to her.
I looked at her with hazy gaze and asked, “Feeling some respite, now?”
She looked at me with tearful eyes and slapped hard across my face. My cheek burnt, probably I needed that. She sobbed, “Don’t try to show your attitude to me?” She mocked me, “Feeling some respite now? I am no one to you so why do you care for me?”
“I am sorry, I don’t know, Titli.” My voice was choked.
She shouted at me, “Why don’t you go away from my life? Why don’t you let me sleep peacefully?”
I mumbled my apology to her, “I am sorry Titli, please forgive me for what happened.”
She slapped on my other cheek. “Forgive you after ruining my life? No, never.” She kept on pouring ire vehemently, “You don’t know what I had gone through. I won’t forgive you in my life time.”
“Ok don’t forgive me, but don’t shed those pearls please?” I tried to touch her cheek.
She bit her lower lips to control her tears as the pearl drops trickled down her cheeks. Her voice choked, “Forgive an idiot like you is my fate. My dad is going to kill me now.”
She looked outside the window. On the curve of her cheek, I observed large droplets of tears trickle continuously. I kept on massaging her ankle gently for quiet sometime. I was unable to stand before her snivelled eyes. After sometime, I said to her, “Parineeta called me few days after your birthday.”
She wiped her tears and looked at me, “I told her to call you.”
“Why? What happened at your house? Your dad told you something?” I asked her.
She gently nodded her head, “I was very upset on that day. After everyone left, I locked myself in my room. My father figured out something and he warned me. I had a fight with him telling him that he was making things up in his wild imagination. My mom intervened and pacified my dad. She then asked me the reason of my depression. I told her that I was upset because my best friend was not there.”
I smiled at her, “So did you cried that day?”
She snapped at me, “I will slap you hard. Did you cried? No, I did not, why should I cry for a coward idiot like you?” We both laughed.
I looked deeply in her eyes, “So we are good friends.” My hand was still on her ankle, I pinched her calf gently “How are you feeling now, fine?”
She blushed purple and brought her gaze down, her ears turned red, “Will you stop touching my ankle like that, Adi?”
Hearing my name again on those sweet lips, felt as honey to me. I said, “Ok, I won’t touch you but don’t be mad at me like that.” The hard ice started melting between us.
She touched my cheek and asked, “Did I hurt you very much?” I pressed her palm on my cheek and kissed her fingers gently.
She muttered, “You are a very hard nut to crack, Adi. I feel sometimes that you are a total stranger to me and I do not know who you are, I don’t know why you have come in my life?”
I said to her, “So you don’t know me? Shall I get down from the taxi then?”
She slapped playfully on my hand, “Don’t tease me. I am truly speaking that you are a very hazy character.”
I nodded my head, “Ok, so you want to know about me. I am five feet eight inches tall, few days short of turning twenty-seven and I live in a two room flat at Dumdum. I do a job at camac street and all my student life I spent in hostels. Most important thing is that, you have the faith upon me to keep your leg on my lap till now.”
She laughed heartily; her pearly teeth sparkled through those rose petals, “Very effective description. I will consider your application.”
We reached near her place. I asked her whether she would be able to walk to her house or not.
She barked at me, “What do you think of yourself? You carried me without my consent to the taxi and then never left my leg. Now you are asking me whether you can go from here or not? I am unable to walk.”
“Titli, think again.” I said in a calm voice.
She said, “Don’t worry Adi, dad is not at home only my mother is. Come on.”
She kept her arm on my shoulder as I helped her inside the house. A maidservant came running on seeing her in that condition. Titli was limping with my arm around her waist. The maid stood there perplexed for some time and then called for Titli’s mother.
I looked around the drawing room; it seemed that everything was bloating. I helped Titli to sit on the sofa. I wondered how come she was so friendly with a person like me.
Her mother entered and was frightened to see her with sprained ankle. She gave me an anxious look. I waved at her and assured her that nothing much has happened. I bowed down to touch her feet.
She smiled and placed her hand on my head. She asked “You must be Budhaditya, right?” I nodded at her.
She was an elegant lady, yet her nature and the smile she wore was very much motherly and down to the earth. I was then able to understand as what made Titli so different from others.
Her mother sat beside her and asked me, “How did this happen?” Titli told her the whole story as how the bike rushed how she sprained her ankle and how I brought her home.
Winter knocked on the door and covered the city with her harsh charms. Days turned to weeks. That small act of insanity hurled our cohesion into void space. Titli used to come to class as usual. Whenever I tried to look at her, she used to turn her face and talk to someone else. I observed the pain of severance was burning deep in her heart. I knew we had chosen the right path. Her pains against me would be a boon for both of us in turn. At least the breakup wont hurt our lives and hurl us in abyss of doom.
In the meantime, Debadideb informed me that once I complete my course, I would get some job at his place. I was happy to know that my days were numbered to face Titli’s tearful eyes.
Weeks turned to months and a new year dawned. The distance between us widened but no one around us was aware, as most of the fellow students knew nothing of our previous cohesion. Every evening I used to return in my bike and she used to take taxi to return home after class. Cold wintery nights brought painful reminiscences flooding in my mind. Sometimes I dreamt of my beloved mother cuddling me in her lap, sometimes I dreamt of my beloved grandma and her soothing palm on my head. All my loved ones standing around my bed anxiously waiting for me to sleep but the cruelty of fate did not allowed me to sleep peacefully.
The winter gave way for the autumn to step in. The winds were getting warmer day by day and the humidity in the air of Kolkata was rising again. Cool breeze kept the climate cool during the nighttime. Along with the humid warm air, there was evident fragrance of a void. We never exchanged a single word for about hundred days.
That Saturday noon we had an extra class in the centre. That day I was not on bike for some reason. After the classes were over, I stood at the bus-stand waiting for my bus to arrive. I noticed that Titli was standing at the bus-stand along with her friends. I was unable to understand why on that day she was waiting for the bus, she always take taxi. I kept on smoking my cigarette. She gave few glances at me with the corner of her eyes. She knew very well that I was watching her intently. Her face was red due to the hot sun overhead and few strands of her snaky locks were dangling on her cheek.
A bus arrived which was less crowded. Her friends went away and she was still standing. Rich girl, I laughed at her, always has to board taxi. She gave a piercing glance at me and then stepped forward to cross the road. A speeding bike came from the opposite direction and braked just before hitting her. She was taken by surprise and sprained her left ankle.
Suddenly my grandma whispered in my ears, “Adi, why are you standing here? How can you watch your love crying in pain in front of you? You are the apple of my eye, Adi. Go and win her heart, win her father’s heart. Take one step at a time, you have my blessing.” Her invisible hands pushed me.
I ran towards her and put my arms behind her before she could fall down. She was frightened as who held her, she looked at my face, a flash of anger sparked through. The rider got down from the bike and expressed his remorse for being rash. I shouted at him for driving so rashly.
Titli was unable to stand properly, yet she pushed me away. I looked at her burning eyes; her gaze was piercing my soul to the core. She was almost in tears due to her pain. I kneeled down at her feet and gently massaged her ankle to ease her pain.
She hissed at me, “Don’t dare to touch me. I don’t want your help, leave me alone.” She kicked me to free her ankle but I held her calf tightly and massaged her ankle gently to ease her pain. She shouted at me, “Leave me alone. I don’t need your help; I can take a taxi and go home.”
I left her ankle and stood up. She tried to walk but limped badly due to the pain. I put my hand on the small of her back and supported her. She looked back at me as I touched her. Her eyes were about to spill the beads of pearl.
I was having an intense pain in my soul after noticing the glistening eyes. “Titli, you are not able to stand properly, how come you will go home.” I asked her in a very calm voice. I waved at a taxi to stop. I looked at her and asked whether she would be able to walk or not.
She gave me a stern gaze and tried to limp towards the taxi. I shook my head, silly girl. I took her on my lap and carried her to the taxi. She resisted at first but my strong arms around her, restrained her from doing so.
Once inside, she looked at me with her tearful eyes. Those depicted a painful tale. I took her left leg on my lap and gently massaged her ankle. She tried to resist at first but I held her calf tightly. I asked myself as what was happening with me. I was losing myself to her.
I looked at her with hazy gaze and asked, “Feeling some respite, now?”
She looked at me with tearful eyes and slapped hard across my face. My cheek burnt, probably I needed that. She sobbed, “Don’t try to show your attitude to me?” She mocked me, “Feeling some respite now? I am no one to you so why do you care for me?”
“I am sorry, I don’t know, Titli.” My voice was choked.
She shouted at me, “Why don’t you go away from my life? Why don’t you let me sleep peacefully?”
I mumbled my apology to her, “I am sorry Titli, please forgive me for what happened.”
She slapped on my other cheek. “Forgive you after ruining my life? No, never.” She kept on pouring ire vehemently, “You don’t know what I had gone through. I won’t forgive you in my life time.”
“Ok don’t forgive me, but don’t shed those pearls please?” I tried to touch her cheek.
She bit her lower lips to control her tears as the pearl drops trickled down her cheeks. Her voice choked, “Forgive an idiot like you is my fate. My dad is going to kill me now.”
She looked outside the window. On the curve of her cheek, I observed large droplets of tears trickle continuously. I kept on massaging her ankle gently for quiet sometime. I was unable to stand before her snivelled eyes. After sometime, I said to her, “Parineeta called me few days after your birthday.”
She wiped her tears and looked at me, “I told her to call you.”
“Why? What happened at your house? Your dad told you something?” I asked her.
She gently nodded her head, “I was very upset on that day. After everyone left, I locked myself in my room. My father figured out something and he warned me. I had a fight with him telling him that he was making things up in his wild imagination. My mom intervened and pacified my dad. She then asked me the reason of my depression. I told her that I was upset because my best friend was not there.”
I smiled at her, “So did you cried that day?”
She snapped at me, “I will slap you hard. Did you cried? No, I did not, why should I cry for a coward idiot like you?” We both laughed.
I looked deeply in her eyes, “So we are good friends.” My hand was still on her ankle, I pinched her calf gently “How are you feeling now, fine?”
She blushed purple and brought her gaze down, her ears turned red, “Will you stop touching my ankle like that, Adi?”
Hearing my name again on those sweet lips, felt as honey to me. I said, “Ok, I won’t touch you but don’t be mad at me like that.” The hard ice started melting between us.
She touched my cheek and asked, “Did I hurt you very much?” I pressed her palm on my cheek and kissed her fingers gently.
She muttered, “You are a very hard nut to crack, Adi. I feel sometimes that you are a total stranger to me and I do not know who you are, I don’t know why you have come in my life?”
I said to her, “So you don’t know me? Shall I get down from the taxi then?”
She slapped playfully on my hand, “Don’t tease me. I am truly speaking that you are a very hazy character.”
I nodded my head, “Ok, so you want to know about me. I am five feet eight inches tall, few days short of turning twenty-seven and I live in a two room flat at Dumdum. I do a job at camac street and all my student life I spent in hostels. Most important thing is that, you have the faith upon me to keep your leg on my lap till now.”
She laughed heartily; her pearly teeth sparkled through those rose petals, “Very effective description. I will consider your application.”
We reached near her place. I asked her whether she would be able to walk to her house or not.
She barked at me, “What do you think of yourself? You carried me without my consent to the taxi and then never left my leg. Now you are asking me whether you can go from here or not? I am unable to walk.”
“Titli, think again.” I said in a calm voice.
She said, “Don’t worry Adi, dad is not at home only my mother is. Come on.”
She kept her arm on my shoulder as I helped her inside the house. A maidservant came running on seeing her in that condition. Titli was limping with my arm around her waist. The maid stood there perplexed for some time and then called for Titli’s mother.
I looked around the drawing room; it seemed that everything was bloating. I helped Titli to sit on the sofa. I wondered how come she was so friendly with a person like me.
Her mother entered and was frightened to see her with sprained ankle. She gave me an anxious look. I waved at her and assured her that nothing much has happened. I bowed down to touch her feet.
She smiled and placed her hand on my head. She asked “You must be Budhaditya, right?” I nodded at her.
She was an elegant lady, yet her nature and the smile she wore was very much motherly and down to the earth. I was then able to understand as what made Titli so different from others.
Her mother sat beside her and asked me, “How did this happen?” Titli told her the whole story as how the bike rushed how she sprained her ankle and how I brought her home.