chapter 32

She was sitting quietly gazing at the sky blue water calm and still …

I was observing her expressions to gauze the hidden untold stories in her mind …

She sensed I was staring at her and she raised her eyebrows indicating what …

I said … nothing … by nodding my head …

She again turned towards water and now she was sitting keeping her chin on the knees raised …

I was unable to believe , she is mother of young daughter , she herself looked a girl till date … I should control my thought process … if a doubt emerges in her mind about me … she will be hurt … to change the topic … I suggested … would you like to have a cup of special ginger tea here …

She nodded … yes …

The vendor was very happy with customers like us … she immediately served her special ginger tea in glass …

While sipping the tea … she exclaimed … I know you are hurt … I am taking time to disclose my heart …

It’s your choice … Sanyogita … and what’s the hurry… we have ample time …I said

Is it so… she asked …

Yes … I said grinning …

How come you are so sure …she said smiling …

I am quite sure … about us … I said purposely … this time …

Yes … she added … I am also sure about our understanding level and compatibility … that’s why , after so many years gap when I saw you in the mall … and above all you ignore me … I followed you which is completely against my nature … you know it very well …

I agree madam … I said laughing …

You won’t believe a thing , she said …

I asked what … (my mind was whispering … be ready for shock treatment …)

I did B.Ed.… she revelated

What … I shouted … you were against this as per my knowledge …

Yes… but baba forced me to do after my failure to crack UPSC … she said smiling …

Oh!... then no problem …I replied …

Sumangal  convinced him and Baba forced me … she explained …

Why did  he behaved like that … I questioned …

He did B.Ed and he got the job in one of the reputed schools in Dehradun … so he easily changed my father’s mind …

Then Ok , I said …

What Ok… I have told you, she uttered , I wished to go in administrative services … and If I become a teacher , I will be very bad one …

I think , you mentioned , you are in Pune for some teaching job … I said laughing …

Oh! How could I forget that … she exclaimed …

No … that bad teacher … why you are putting life of your students at stake … I said winking my eyes …

Though I didn’t like teaching … I have been teacher all these years … Sameep … and God’s promise … I haven’t spoiled life of a single child …

Sanyogtia , you are giving me shocks one after another …

She just smiled … I was working with him in his school …

Now I understand , there your love story began … I said in a teasing voice …

Shut up you … she shouted … It was just an adjustment …

Who falls in love for an adjustment … I replied …

I don’t know till date whether he loved me or not … after living with him so many years … giving birth to his daughter … but I am sure from my side it was just adjustment … I never had any that kind of feelings for him …

Then why did you marry him at all … whether all remaining boys were invisible to you dear at that time … I yelled …

May be … you can say so … time … my dear friend … time … persuaded you take some decisions … my father was in great shock after my consistent failures … he had great hopes from me … my two elder brothers , they did graduation somehow … one got the job in place of my father after his death and another one is working in electricity board as clerk … my mother couldn’t bear the shock of father’s demise and her health deteriorated and within a year she left us … tears rolling down her eyes … Sanyogita was speaking a heavy voice …

I silently patted on her back …

Baba was detected with cancer … Sameep … my brothers were not settled yet and myself a huge zero … my thought process gave up … I was drowned … I couldn’t do anything for his treatment … Sameep … she burst … he did everything for me, my studies instead of his petite railway salary  … I could not fulfil his expectations … what his , even mine , I could not … Sameep you did… what you had decided … I am proud of you … your parents must be very happy for you … right …she said …

I said , yes and nodded …

Sameep my parents didn’t see even marriage of any one of us … my brothers and me also … they left us too early … they saw nothing … and I gave them only pain …

It’s ok , don’t trouble yourself now … we can’t change the past … but now if you are good … now … they must be observing you from somewhere , I am sure … and they will be happy … and now you are with me … it’s my duty to look after you … so don’t worry about anything now … just relax …

Now you have spoken a lot … do you want anything … I mean tea or some lemonade etc.

No she denied … my head is aching … I think I need rest , we must go back …

Ok… I said and we got up from the place …

Mayank was waiting for us … he opened the door of car and welcomed us with a smile …

She said … Mayank you waited patiently for us almost whole day , thank for that …

It’s my pleasure mam … Mayank replied …

Dr. Archana Pandit