chapter 15

We were at the dining table… I was feeling fantastic … she was with me … We sat opposite to each other … She exclaimed , ‘You haven’t changed…’… ‘Me!’ , I asked surprisingly… ‘Who else is here … whom I know’, she said in an assertive tone with rounded eyes… ‘Hamm!’ , I replied … ‘Won’t you speak…’ she insisted … ‘Why not …’ , I will… I stated… ‘First we will finish our dinner…’… I muttered … She corrected me , ‘Not dinner … this is lunch…’… He was looking at her and trying to say something but she won’t listen… Mr. Sameep … it will be better for you and your family as well me if you will come out of this illusion … He went near her chair and murmured something in her ears but she said , ‘I will handle…’ , I heard … He just nodded … ‘Let’s concentrate on food …’, she instructed me … I like a child just started eating … I felt hungry as if I haven’t eaten well for so long… and every cuisine which was served in front of us … I felt it was delicious … I was full after eating two rotis with my favourite subji bhendi masala … then I realized , I haven’t paid any attention to Sanyogita or hasn’t enquired about her … I felt ashamed of myself … and I uttered … please have one more roti and sweet is also there your favourite , Gulabjamun … She looked at me … directly in my eyes … I felt her eyes expressed more than her words … They were full of doubts , queries … I sensed … I questioned … ‘what happened? … don’t think too much … you won’t be late … concentrate on your food … Sumangal and my mother are of the same opinion … they always say … while eating you should not think about anything else… food provides us nourishment …for our body and brain… so while eating … think only about food …’ She nodded in agreement but I observed , she wiped her eyes with tissue paper… Is subji too spicy for you? I asked concerningly … I asked him to bring chaaj for her … He returned with a glass of chaaj and handed it to her … ‘You?’, I read question mark on her face … I told him , ‘Bring one glass for me also… ‘ After she finished everything in her plate … I said … ‘Feeling ok?...’ She nodded with a smiling face … I felt better … for her … and said … don’t worry too much about your studies … you are very talented and sincere girl … so you will achieve your goal within no time… Again I read her eyes … as if they were saying , ‘Are you crazy?’ ‘Have I said anything wrong’, I confirmed … ‘No … ‘ , she said in a loud voice … ‘but now I must hurry … ‘ ‘Where ?’ I questioned … ‘Are you going to bus stop in the campus or that is outside … ‘ , I enquired … She replied , ‘I have brought my own car…’ I was baffled to listen what she said … and asked … ‘Your uncle is waiting for you outside …’ He intervened and said , ‘Sir , she meant to say … today her uncle’s driver has come to pick her … that’s why she could spend so much time …’ ‘Hamm! Now I got … Sanyogita … have safe journey … tomorrow morning … we will meet in the library … I have to ask you about the UPSC classes also … as I am new in Indore …’ She hurriedly said ‘Ok’ and left … I kept thinking , ‘Why today she was wearing saree with that big bun and how come her hair has become grey?’ I pinched myself  to verify the reality of the situation… but it was reality … I looked at him and was about to ask … He said , ‘Sir , I am happy for you, after so many days , you have eaten well… now have some sound sleep … which is the utmost priority for you now… ‘ ‘Who are you to decide my priorities?’ I asked irritatingly … ‘Sorry sir… I meant to say … please have some rest … you will feel better…’, he whispered I also felt giddy … so I said ‘Ok…’ He accompanied me to the bedroom… ‘This is not hostel…’, I said to him … ‘You are right sir , this is your own house ‘, he replied … ‘My house ?’, a big question mark arouse in front of me… I requested him , ‘Will you please clarify , what’s happening with me ?’ He answered , ‘Sure Sir , I will but after you take rest for some time…’ He again put a pill in my hand and handed a glass of water … I enquired , ‘What kind of pills are these…’ He just said , ‘Sir please have them , necessary for your well being…’ ‘What are you hiding from me … is there any problem … back at my village … are my parents in their good health… ‘ , I bombarded questions on him… He answered quietly , ‘Sir , everyone is good … if you will take medicine on time … you will also be ok and then I can tell you everything …’ ‘What happened to me?’ , I interrogated in a suspicious tone … ‘Nothing very serious …’, he replied … ‘But … I should take care of you… that is my duty…’ ‘Don’t hide anything from me… ‘, I said irritatingly … He replied in a calm manner , ‘Sir if you will take your pill and have some rest … I will tell you everything in the evening … that’s my promise’.. I gulped the pill and went towards the bed … Within a minute or two … I was asleep … he told me afterwards … He told me later , ‘On that day, I slept like a child after so many months or may be years … a sound sleep … ‘ Dr. Archana Pandit