Ekansh:
I was relieved when Uncle Manish approached me before I left the garage. However, I had imagined a scenario worse than what happened, and I felt like someone had pulled the rug out from under my feet.
Tears flowed non-stop from Ruhi's eyes. I stared at her and placed her hand under the running tap water. She screamed in pain."Shh! Don't cry! I am here. Okay," I assured her. She nodded her head, but tears didn't stop flowing out. I wiped her tears and took her to her room. After I made her sit on the bed, I brought an ointment. Blowing air on her burned skin, I put the ointment on her hand.
Simultaneously, her mobile rang with a video call from Sajjan Dadaji.
She lifted the call and tears flew out of her eyes. She is charming and adorable.
"Meri ladoo Rani, why are you crying?" He got all tensed up. She showed him her burned hand. How did it happen? Weren't Ekansh with you?" he asked, and she nodded, still crying out. I sat beside her and gave a curt nod to him. "First, stop crying." She wiped her tears. "Good girl, now give the phone to Ekansh."
I took her mobile and moved to the balcony. "She is too childish, Ekansh. Please take care of her."
"Yes. Dadaji."
"I trust you, Ekansh. Just stay with her; she needs some pampering," he said and laughed.
I nodded and responded, "I will take care of her." He cut the call and I moved back to her room.
When I glanced at her, her eyes were glued to her hand. "Is it hurting so much?"
She nodded. Her eyes were red and swollen. "Why did you go to the kitchen? Uncle Manish is here to cook."
"I know. But I thought to cook something for you." She sounded raspy because of crying.
"For me?" I asked quite surprised.
"AP gusse mei the na, apko manane ke liye apki favourite dish bana rahe the. Butter chicken." She thought about me when I was angry and tried to appease me by making my favourite dish, butter chicken.
"You shouldn't have done that," I whispered as I stared at her. I had been planning to eat with Anthra, that to take away...well, if I insisted on Anthra, she would never cook for me. I feel sick of things now.
Ruhi rested her hand on a soft pillow and constantly stared at her hand. I had to do something to distract her attention from her hand.
"Do you feel hungry?" I asked. She nodded.
"But I messed up everything. What will we eat now?"
"Then we will go out," I said, grabbing her hand and pulling her. "Let's go!"
"But my clothes and my face... Maybe I look like a mess," she wondered, moving to her dressing table mirror and partly forgetting about her hand.
I laughed. "You are so beautiful, Ruhi. You don't need any makeup but..." I took a wet wipe and wiped her face. I took foundation and patted it over her cheeks and forehead. "Now, this will be enough."
She giggled and stared at her reflection in the mirror. "I am good to go, I assume!"
She looked happy as we strolled down the stairs and moved to the garage. I made her sit in the passenger seat and put on a seat belt. And I perceived her holding her breath when I leaned to fasten the seat belt. I chuckled inwardly.
"Wait. I will be back in two minutes." I informed her, before shutting the passenger-side door. I took my mobile and dialled Anthra's number.
I informed her that I had an emergency at the hospital. That's the only excuse I can use because she never questions me about that.
After I settled into the driver's seat, she asked with enthusiasm, "Where are we going?" "Well, it's a surprise," I said and pulled my car out of the garage."
But I never knew Ruhi was one big notorious girl. "Where are we going?" She asked the same question back to back until I parked the car at the curb.
I unfasten her seat belt after mine. I climbed down and walked around to help her out of the car. Her eyes wandered here and there, still wondering where we were.
"Let's go!" I pulled her along with me. Once we reached the entrance, she realised. "Delhi Street Food Palace." She squealed with enthusiasm.
I was relieved by her response, "Thank God you like this place."
"Ekansh, you have no idea how desperate I was to visit here, but I had no one to take me. So, I never visited."
Once again, my mind compared her with Anthra. She hated this place, while I loved to eat here so much. So, I usually visited with Harshit.
"Ekansh, I want to eat everything," she said as she pointed at all the stalls. "That. That. That. Everything!" I laughed at her childish behaviour.
"Yes, we will eat everything!" She moved closer to me and blushed.
"Isn't it too crowded?"
I nodded my head, agreeing with her. "It's quite common. but we are lucky, it's a weekday not a weekend."
On her demand, our first food court was a Pani puri. I made her sit at an empty table and went to place the order.
While eating she was uncomfortable with her injured-hand position. So, I silently grabbed it and placed it above my thigh. She cocked her head and stared surprised at me. "It's ok, Ruhi. Eat comfortably and forget that it's my lap." She bit her lip and nodded.
"Why didn't you visit here before?"
"I had no friends in my old Uni, and neither did I show any interest in making any."
She took one Pani puri in her mouth when I asked back, "And now in this uni, did you make friends with anyone?"
She smiled wholeheartedly. "Yes. Especially the ones, with whom I have clinical postings. Saniya, Rayan, Avinash and Manoj. Rayan is fun. He flirts with me openly..." I chocked on Pani puri. I coughed.
"Careful, Ekansh!" She voiced, concerned. I grabbed the water bottle and took a few sips. After I relaxed, I probed. "What does this Rayan flirts with you?"
Nodding her head she minced the Pani puri first and then replied, "That I look like a freshly ripped fruit."
What the heck?
"I am done with Pani puri, can we..." her eyes wandered to other food courts. Suddenly a bright smile took over her face. "Can we eat momos?" I nodded my head, moving over there along with her.
Rather than eating I was interested to know more about this Rayan.
"Doesn't this Rayan know that you are married?" She nodded her head while blowing air on the hot chicken momo. "So, did he stop flirting with you?"
She took the momo by smearing sauce on the corner of her lip. I wiped it immediately with a tissue. "No. But it increased. I told them that my husband have a girlfriend. And he decided if we separate he will have a chance with me."
Holy fuck! I have to take care of this Rayan guy.
I took a memo and blowing air on it, I probed, "Did he ask you for a date?"
"Yes. Last day, itself."
I fisted my hands, calming my nerves, "and did you decide to go then?"
She tilted her head towards me and gazed surprised, "I know you stated a rule that we will mind our businesses but my Dadu said to stay loyal with you. So, no. I declined his offer."
This loyal word will bang me one day.
But before I go further deep in my thoughts, Ruhi's words stopped me, "You don't need to feel guilty about anything. You already shared things with me." I just stared at her but her eyes were glued to the empty plate. "She is beautiful. You have quite a good selection." A smile pulled on her lips, which didn't reach to her eyes, though.
"How did you know about her?" I asked as I don't remember showing any of Anthra's pictures to her.
"I saw you having lunch together with her in the cafeteria. The way you both..." She took a pause. Is she hurt? "...were speaking and laughing. You looked like a pair. A perfect pair." She whispered the last line.
"Ruhiâ" I whispered. I was about to confront but she interrupted me again.
"Now, I want to have something in sweet." Her eyes fell on a food court, "what about lassi?" She stood up and continued her babble, "I don't think we will get a lassi better than our Punjab, what do you say?"
All I felt was pull her and hug her tight. Why the hell is she too mature?
Though she kept babbling about the lassi taste and how to make it better, I couldn't concentrate on any of her words.
She saw us together. And still, she was preparing my favourite dish to apologise to me. I should be one to apologise to her. So, that was the reason she didn't wait for me.
I don't deserve you, Ruhi. I don't deserve you. Our elders did the wrong thing by binding you with a shit man like me.
"Kya hogaya apko. Aise ghum sum se khade ho?"
"Suddenly you went mute. What happened to you?" She asked.
I shook my head. She left me with no words. What should I do or say to her?
"Agar app humare bare mei soch rahe hai toh ap na apna waqt barbad kar rahe ho. Humari zindagi bhut badi hai. Jaise Rayan na Kaha Hume lagtha hai koi na koi toh mil hi jayega."
"If you are thinking about me, then you are wasting your time. my life is very big. As Rayan said, I think I will find someone eventually."
I intertwined my fingers with her normal hand and said, "Lekin ap bahut Anokhi ho." (But you are so magnificent).
She stared at our hands for a long moment. "Can we go home?" Then she asked suddenly.
"What? Are you full already?"
"Yes. I think I had enough."
"You should taste kebabs, this spot is famous for it."
"Butâ" though she opposed it, I dragged her to the kebab food court.
"Ekansh...I will look like a five-month pregnant lady now."
"Aise kaise, humne toh kuch Kiya hi nahi apke sath,"
"How can that be possible, I hadn't done anything to you, yet," I joked and she blushed crimson red.
"Besharam!"
"Shameless man!" She scolded me and minced the kebab silently. But the way she said that word and blushed, I felt like my whole world had stopped.
I forced her to have Chola Batura after that. She scolded me nonstop and demanded, "Stop torturing me, Ekansh!" After we were done we walked slowly towards my car.
"I guess I need a walk," she muttered. I laughed but agreed with her. We steadily walked on the curb. It looked so peaceful and even silent.
"How's your hand, now?"
"Pain is still the same but thank you for bringing me here."
"You can consider this as our first date."
"No second," she corrected me. "Our first was an ice cream date."
"But, I enjoyed both of our dates. Your company is so fun."
She didn't say a word and walked in silence. Steadily the weather was changing too. It might rain at any moment. I opened my mouth to say that we should return home.
But her question floored me, "When are you divorcing me?" My jaw dropped and if I confess with true heart, I felt hurt by her question.