The Sanity Trap

The Beginning:
All 3 of them – Mayuri, Eleena and Sanjukta were in the washroom. Mayuri and Eleena were talking about their marital blues while Sanjukta came in. But she did not join them though she was also another married candidate. Mayuri looked at her from the corner of her eyes. She was splashing her face with water in the wash room basin. She went away without talking to either of them. Mayuri was curious – why did not she join them just like others? Did she not have any such marital issues? Since Mayuri was not acquainted with her so she could not take the initiative of inviting her to join with them.

The trap is self laid:
Mayuri was having a hard time at her house front. She was not able to cope with her in laws; her in laws lived with her since she had had her son. They looked after her son while she and her husband both worked at the office. Now that her in laws were quite attached to their grandson and also to the comfort of her flat, they did not have any intention to leave what so ever. Mayuri always found things being done in a way she did not approve of despite asking them several times. She ran into a fight almost every day or the other.
Eleena was older to her by 10 years in terms of married life, so she sought her advice. In fact she shared her bottled up anger with any one she found friendly and evidently, married. It was almost a regular washroom affair for her. But it was only Eleena who just said the right words to Mayuri – “you ought to be more thoughtful towards your in laws because they are ‘old’ and old people do not change, do not listen, do not mean what they say, do not remember what they promise.”
It was something that no one had told her before – everyone else had bitched along with her whenever she complained of her in laws. She was thankful to Eleena – she now had more solutions to her problems and knew how to deal with her in laws. She herself had to be active instead of asking them to do anything.
It was at this point of conversation whenSanjukta had come to the washroom. Mayuri did not want her house hold stories to be public, she asked Eleena to hush up.
After Sanjukta went away – Eleena said she need not worry about Sanjukta – “Do not worry – she is not of the type to gossip about your in laws. Did not you see her nose – it had a darkened streak on the tip, her husband had hit her on the nose. She too has a troubled life of her own”.
That immediately made Mayuri sympathetic towards her.

New Friend:
“So Sanjukta is my college senior? I had never noticed her – “ – Mayuri exclaimed to Partha, who besides being her colleague was also her college mate and sat right beside her cubicle.
“I should get myself introduced to her”, she thought to herself after she got the information from Partha.
She went up to Sanjukta – “Hi, so you are from the Modern College too?”
“Yes, how do you know?”
“I am from the same college. I passed in 2004.”
“Ok, I was in the 2002 batch; did you stay in the hostel?”
“Yes – but I never noticed you …….. Somehow “– Mayuri smiled apologetically.
“It is possible – I was close to Payel and others of your batch. They know me so well.”
“Oh I see.”
Mayuri returned back to her seat. She was quite happy to have found Sanjukta so friendly.
Coincidentally, Mayuri got assigned to the same project Sanjukta was working. Mayuri had a testing assignment in the project while Sanjukta was the development lead for the project. Mayuri was allocated from the next day itself.

The project experience:
They were in a teleconference with the client. It was a requirement gathering session. The client was describing the requirement and every one was taking notes. Sanjukta had not arrived office yet. This meeting was scheduled to occur almost every day and has been started quite some time before Mayuri had even joined the project.
“So Sanjukta is supposed to know about the meeting and she is the lead – then why is she late”, thought Mayuri.
Some half an hour had passed by – when the huffing and puffing 5 ft 8 inch stature of Sanjukta rushed to their teleconference with her laptop. Everybody looked from their notes once and went back to their notes. But she did not start taking down the requirements.
“May be it’s because she came in the mid of the conference and will take from the team members”, thought Mayuri. But what seemed out of place was her silence – she not only did not take any notes, but she also did not have any questions to ask.
“Well – that too may be because she was late – she does not want to make odd questions”, thought Mayuri again.
But on the days that followed - Sanjukta being late was a regular affair – something that surprised Mayuri very much - “How can the lead be so irresponsible?”
It was not only about being late – She yawned while the teleconference continued. And the yawn had a peculiar noise along with it – which Mayuri was sure that the client could hear over the phone too.
When at night, she told her husband all about Sanjukta and how she behaved, her husband told her - “See, you said that her husband beats her. Those have a troubled a personal life, cannot concentrate on the work life either. May be that is why she has lost all interest in work and behaves in that manner”.
That answered all questions of Mayuri.

The conversations begin:
Soon Sanjukta was removed from the project while Mayuri still worked. Sanjukta had been assigned to some other project where she herself had to interact with the client. Mayuri sometimes saw her working in her cubicle – but she sat in as if she was half lying. She also walked sloppily.
One day she messaged Mayuri on the office chat network – “Are you busy?”
“No, tell me.”
“Do you want to have some tea?”
“OK. “
And they went to the Tea Corner. They each took a cup of tea and sat on the verandah sills.
Mayuri started the conversation – “Where do you stay?”
“I stay at Narayanganj.”
“It is so far from here, why did you buy a flat so far from office?”
Sanjukta looked crossed - “What do you mean far from office? We liked the flat so we bought it.”
Mayuri could not understand why she got crossed.
“It takes a long time to reach office – is not it?”
“Not much, 40 minutes.”
“Ok”
“Where does your husband work?”
“He works at Indian Office.”
“OK, so you both share the flat’s EMI?”
“No no, not at all, I bought the flat. And I pay the EMI.”
“Oh. You pay the EMI all by yourself?”
“Yes, my husband even did not approve of buying the flat. He did not believe that I can even buy a flat. He never wanted me to buy the flat. Whenever there were any obstructions he would become happy that the flat after all cannot be bought.”
Mayuri thought to herself - “Is that why she got crossed as I also asked why she bought the flat so far”.
“Why did your husband behave so?”
“Because he is insane”
“You live with some insane person?” Mayuri was puzzled.
“Oh Yes, It has been 6 years now.”
“Why do not you give him divorce then?”
“I have been trying to – but he is not signing the papers.”
“Why do not you go to the police then?”
“I do not want everyone to know about it. More over if it is taken to the police then the court cases will take years to resolve this.”
“Oh, I am so sorry to hear about all this. It must be hard for you then to stay and bear so much wrath of an insane person.”
“Yes, you are right. He beats me every day or the other. That day he hit me on the nose.”
Mayuri did not divulge the fact that Eleena had already told her about it.
“Then what are you going to do? You cannot go on like this.”
“Let s see, there is a chance, me and my lawyer had made him sign the papers that if he did not give me divorce then the court will be in my favor.”
“Oh great – when is that deadline?”
“It’s in May end”.
“Thank God, you do not have a baby yet. Or else it would have been a messy affair.”
Mayuri returned back to her work. Her mind full of revolutionary thoughts and that the fact that her friend is going to win a battle of 6 years made her feel elated.

Friendship grows:
Their tea breaks were becoming more and more regular and longer affair. Sanjukta used to pour all her heart out to Mayuri. Mayuri desperate to provide her any help, any solution would give her unconditional company.
“So your husband – does he know that the divorce date is arriving ?”
“Yes he knows – but I am pretending as if I am not going to take the legal step at all. That is why he is not harming me anymore.”
“OK. What is your lawyer saying? Is everything going to be OK?”
“Yes – this time no escape.”
Mayuri was not so much aware of the legal hassles and all – she thought “when the lawyer says it’s going to be OK, fingers crossed it should be so.” “What if your husband does not move away from your flat?”
Sanjukta was suddenly angry, as if the very thought of it brought kindled her inside pains – “He has to, it is going to be a legal order from the court. The police can take action if he refuses to budge.”
“Oh, ok. Actually – I am not so conversant with the laws you see”, Mayuri was apologetic, “Once you are divorced – you are going to stay alone”
“No issues – I had stayed alone for two and half years. He worked outside.”
“Oh, is it? Then you will have no problem I guess.”
“Not at all …”
“You have to have a to do list, you know. Because you have to brush up your skills, you have to lose weight; your hair needs a good do … I will make a one for you”
“Oh yes, that will be great.”
Mayuri smiled broadly – she had so many plans on her to do list – gym, books, movies, short trips, self study, blah blah blah - that her dear friend Sanjukta will be busy enough to forget the post divorce blues.

More conversations:
In one of their usual tea break long walks – Sanjukta was speaking about how it all started.
“We met in college. He was so meek then. So humble. Listened to each and every word of mine. We dated for 4 years. After another 2 years we got married. So almost 12 years are wasted now.”
Mayuri was curious - “How did he change?”
“He did not have any job initially. He used to spend all his day with his mother at home during those jobless days.”
Mayuri was not sure whether she hinted any bad affair or something between the mother and son, she replied safely - “Spending with mother? How funny that such a grown up man would like to spend time with his mother instead of looking for job.”
“Yes, his mother pampered him. His mother is also insane and is under medication.”
“Oh my god, is it hereditary then?”
“Yes, it is. We got married then. He would do all the household chores for me. He was like a pet then. After he got the job outside – he changed.”
“Ok, then he changed right after marriage?”
“Not exactly – for two years it was a happy marriage. Then his attitude started deteriorating.”
“It’s so unfortunate to marry someone you love and he turns out to be such a mean man.”
“Yes. He had many affairs when he was working outside.”
“Did not you try to shift where he worked?”
“I tried but it was a bitter experience. I had to come back”.
“Then why did he suddenly come back to you?”
“He got a job here, so he came back. And he got a chance to take his revenge on me.”
“Revenge? Why does he want to take revenge?”
Sanjukta was cross again - “He is not rational – I told you. He pours his entire wrath on me. That is what his intention is. That is why he came back. He gathers some wicked pleasure from it.”
“so now here his affairs are stopped? No I guess.”
“No, his own elder brothers wife is the current toy now.”
Mayuri did not say anything else. She was sad for her friend.

A twist:
That night when Mayuri and her husband were discussing about Sanjukta – they both felt sorry for her. They wished if anyone could give her true love.
The next day Mayuri asked her friend –
“Do you have any one else in your life? Someone that you can look forward to after you are divorced?”
“Not exactly. There was a guy in my previous company who waited for my nod to marriage but I was not sure about myself. He got married ultimately.”
“Ok. You have lost so many years. You could have freed yourself long long ago.”
“Yes, that is true. I was always hoping that things would be alright some day.”
“Now what – do not you have any one in your mind?”
“There were many people who had wanted to take advantage of me – after they learned about my troubled married life. They wanted to sleep with me. That is why I do not want everyone to know about the divorce. None of them interested in marriage of course. Except one. People in our society do not look upon the divorced women with dignity. They are always gossip mongers.”
Sanjukta was beautiful – she was quite tall, fair, once upon a time she was thin too. So a man getting attracted was not a surprise for Mayuri.
“Except one – you said? Who is that?”
“Oh, I cannot divulge you the name. But there is some one – who is ready to do anything for me – any time.”
“Then what is the problem? Why do not you go and live with him? Your papers are already signed – only your husband’s is pending.”
“I cannot. Because, I do not know. Though he can do anything for me – whether he can take the step of marriage too.”
“Why do not you ask him directly?”
“I cannot. There is no way to ask him or to approach him.”
“Why? You do not have his number or his mail id?”
“Because if any one sees my mail id or my number on his mobile – it will harm him.”
Mayuri was not able to understand what Sanjukta is trying to say.
“Harm him – how?”
“I will tell you more some other day”.
They walked back to their cubicles.
Mayuri was not much interested in knowing who it was and why did she hide his identity. What troubled her – is the confusion over the matter. They were no more teens in love – which had so much troubles in expressing, conveying love for each other. They were adults – married – and Sanjukta was in her thirties now – quite a grown up for these hushy things.

The twist thickens:
“Actually I am afraid you know. Once smitten – I am afraid of being betrayed once again” – Sanjukta sighed.
“But you have to clear this cloud is not it? You cannot go on expecting like this for ever.”
“Yes you are right. But I am not sure whether he can take the step of taking my responsibility”
“That is what I am saying – You have to ask him directly”
“What if he says – you are not yet divorced – why are you approaching me?”
“Your court deadline date is approaching. Only a week left, why do not you tell him that you will after that?”
“Ok, then let’s wait for the divorce to be over.”
Mayuri thought for a second. “OK”, she said, “and is he married?”
“Yes. Married for the second time.”
“Married for the second time? Are you sure you are after the right guy?” Mayuri was now worried for her friend.
“I know people say that he is unpredictable, loud, moody, etc. Whatever it is – I like him.”
“OK, maybe it is eccentricity which drove his first wife away and the second one is unhappy too. “
“May be.”
“Two marriages already - is that why he is afraid to take the next step of third marriage?”
“May be”
“But we have to ask him, we cannot rely on presumptions.”
“Yes, but you see the divorce is not through yet, let me first be clean from my side.”
Mayuri was again silent. It was not her way of dealing things. She was completely straight forward and did not rest unless every requirement was transparent clear to her.
“OK.” She said, “And does he have a child?”
“Yes, I have seen him bring his son to the Children’s Day program in the office.”
“Well – may be that is another reason, too”
“May be”
They went back to their cubicles. From the other end Eleena and Kasturi were having an evening walk. They took the other way instead of coming their way. Mayuri did not like the way today their conversation took place – it had too many “May Be”s.

The Shock:
Mayuri was having her morning tea break at the office tea corner.
Sanjukta came running to Mayuri – “The lawyer is saying that the paper that my husband had signed that day – means nothing. He still has to appear before the court and sign the divorce papers.”
Mayuri looked at her – she could not fathom how this could be possible after all these days when just 3 days are left before the deadline date.
“Well – now? At this point – your lawyer is saying this rubbish? How can he?
Sanjukta was fuming like anything – “I was always suspicious of this old dog. I never wanted my case to be handled by him. It was my father – all through my father – he was always saying that he will do fine. That lawyer is his friend.”
“But … now? What will happen now? Will you husband be ready to appear before the court and give you divorce?”
“Never.. Never – see how he had beat me yesterday”
Sanjukta showed her bruised arm.
Mayuri was taken aback – “Oh my god, how malicious.” She felt helpless.
She was all the time thinking of a victory of good over evil and it made her feel strong. It kind of made her feel the women empowerment.
Now all hopes gone, she did not know what to say. Moreover she was also not acquainted with the legal tits and bits.
“Then you should at least appear before the court alone.”
“What is the use?” Sanjukta hissed under her breath, her nostrils flaring in anger, “Mutual divorce always needs both the consenting partners to appear before the court. Why should I go to the court if he does not?”
“Was there no clause in that paper that he signed – like – if he did not appear in the court – the court will go in your favor or something?”Mayuri remembered Sanjukta had said such a thing to exist in that paper.
“No – Nothing. That old haggard was just after the money. Bloody dog. He took the money just to delay things – so that he can take more money later on.”
Mayuri was trying to think fast – to find a solution. But it seemed to be a dead end to all the dreams of a happy life ahead for Sanjukta.

Another angle:
Mayuri and Sanjukta were loitering in the parking areas of the office. The deadline was over. And the divorce was not through.
“At least she can stay away from him, as an alternative”, Mayuri thought.
“Why do not you shift to someplace else? That way you do not have to stay in the same flat. And you will be safe from his wrath.”
Sanjukta seemed to think something. She replied – “No why should I. It is my flat, I will not leave it.”
“It will always be your flat – you bought it – you pay the EMI. You just have to lock the flat – inform the guards that no one should enter your flat. That is it”
Sanjukta was a bit agitated - “What are you saying? He can break the lock and enter. And the guard will not say anything once he tells him to shut up as he is my husband he can always enter the flat.”
“But, no. you are going to inform the security guards about it specifically.”
“How can I. I cannot let everyone know about it. People will make more fun of this scandal”
“But tell me something. Do not you feel afraid when he is with you? He is insane – he can harm you.”
“Yes, but there are so many night security guards all over the place that I am sure he will take any extreme step. ”
“That is fine then. But – how do you feel staying with him – someone you hate so much.”
“I am accustomed you can say. It has been years now.”
Mayuri was suspicious about one thing – “did they stay in the same room then? Did they make love as well?”
It was a question that she was not able to ask Sanjukta directly – she was her senior after all.
She said indirectly - “But – you can opt to stay in separate rooms. You can threat him if he makes fuss of it that you will call the night guards.”
“Oh, no – he will then harm me more if I stay in separate rooms.”
“But how do not you feel suffocated? You are in love with someone else after all!”
“Yes, what do you think I enjoy sleeping with him? Of course I feel bad.”
“Then why do not you ask your mom or some friend to come over and stay with you. That way you can sleep in another room with your mom.”
“I have tried asking my mom to come over. But when my mom comes – he is so nice with her that she instead of listening to my woes – takes his side. And friends are mostly busy with their own lives. They cannot come over.”
Mayuri was not convinced. It was again not clear to her – how can someone sleep with someone she hates and while being in love with someone else. It was hard to digest for her. She concluded Sanjukta as someone very poor willed and weak character who cannot decide. Once she concluded that – she felt that – no matter how good how logical her advices were – Sanjukta will not listen to them. She decided that she will not comment any more – she will be a mere listener now.

Sun signs :
For the last couple of months Mayuri had been spending almost more than hour a day just talking to Sanjukta. Sometimes it was she who called and sometimes Mayuri too took the initiative as a matter of courtesy. But now that she had concluded it was not a fruit full session, she did not take the initiative.
Sanjukta messaged her as usual – “Wanna go for a stroll?”
Mayuri took some more time to respond – “Yes, let’s go.”
She could not be curt.
“So when are you going to approach that man of yours? The divorce did not happen. Wont you inform him that?”
“Actually he is one of the directors here. It is quire hard to reach him. He is such a public figure.”
“One of the directors?” Mayuri was taken aback, “he must be above 40, around 50 then?”
“Oh yes, he is quite older to me.”
“Are you sure he is right for you. Whatever you said – is not a single positive thing about him. He is eccentric, he is loud, he cannot keep secrets, he is twice married, and he is old ……”
“I know …..Do you think I might be wrong?”
“I do not know, some things which are right for some are wrong for others. Sometimes the obvious also is not true. So I cannot really say.”
“And ….how did you interact with him, he is quite senior to you.”
“He was my senior manager at some point of time. I used to approach him whenever required. And he would listen to me like no one else for hours. He would help me like no one else. I know he loves me and can do anything for me. But I do not know whether he can take my responsibility. It is really hard for him, his designation in this company, me being so junior to him. It is like a scandal you know.”
“Ok, it is tough, but you got to ask him clearly about his feelings. We cannot assume things and live life on assumptions.”
“hmmmm……….the sun signs are not in the right position now.”
Mayuri was surprised - “Sun signs? Where from the sun signs came?”
“I believe in sun signs a lot. I have always been guided the by the forecasts made by the sun signs.”
Mayuri was not at all a believer of sun signs. She always believed right doing and being rewarded. It had nothing to with the stars. But she did not want to hurt Sanjukta such negative thoughts, “Some people are blind about stars and their positions” she thought.
“So what does it say? When is the right time?”
“It is in the next month. “
“Why do not you consult an astrologer then, whether you will be united your lover.”
“I did – they said if I can have the divorce then I will be united – otherwise all my life I will be torn between him and my husband.”
Mayuri was aghast, she thought to herself – “these astrologers – they say the obvious things – and blind people pay them for saying the obvious.”
“So what do you want to do now? What will be your next step? After all you will not be able to stay with the husband of yours all your life is not it?”“I am not sure. Even his stars are going to change location in a couple of years, after which he will change.”
Mayuri was blank. What was she saying? Change? A bad man is always a bad man.
“But a bad man never changes. And moreover are you going to tolerate his blows for two more years?”
It was so absurd – that even asking the question felt a useless one.
“You do not know about stars. Stars are very powerful things. It can influence a man’s behavior. After all he was not like this from the beginning I told you. For the first two years we were a happy married life.”
Mayuri was excited – not really angry - “But you are in love with someone else – do you think once your husband’s stars get fixed, you will get over him?”
“I do not know. May be the astrologer was right saying that all my life – I will be torn between my husband and the one I love.”
Mayuri could not continue anymore. She excused herself to get back to her work. All these months – Sanjukta was after divorce from her husband, and she is saying that she can adjust two more years to be with her ‘changed’ husband.
Is she sane?

The climax:
Mayuri was on her way to the snacks corner of the office. Sanjukta came soon. She must have seen her getting up from the cubicle and followed her, thought Mayuri.
“Ok, having snacks Mayuri?”
“Yes, Will you have anything?”
“No, my husband packs me such a heavy lunch for me that I do not get hungry in the evenings.”
Mayuri was speechless. She looked at her for a couple of seconds - “Your husband packs a lunch for you?”
“Yes, rice, dal and fish. He cooks in the morning before leaving for office.”
Mayuri was not sure – she was hearing right.
“But why does he do so? He beats you so much.”
“I do not know. May be from an attachment for staying together for so long.”
“But why would he take so much pain for you to make you a lunch for you?”
“I said – it might be he has some feelings. But I do not bear any thing for him.” Sanjukta was hard and determined.
Mayuri took her burger and they took a chair at the dining table.
Sanjukta brought her mobile out, “see the sms, I get them twice daily. I am sure these are from the man I love.”
Mayuri looked at the sms. It had an unknown number format which was not a mobile number. It looked more like service numbers. The sms read “You are like the morning flower for me; you make me happy when I smell you. You make my day. I love you.”
“Then he is confessing that he loves you. Why do not you approach now? You guys are delaying things for nothing. After all see – you need a family and you are in your thirties now.”
“Hmmm….. “
Mayuri had no intention to comment any more – she was tired of this elastic conversation which went round and round the same topic without any fruitful result.
“Any way …. Nice mobile”.
“Oh, yes my husband bought this for me – when the previous one got old.”
Mayuri was silent.
Sanjukta again spoke – “You know something – I had once gone to the director’s room. Some two months ago.”
Mayuri was excited again – “Then?”
“The moment I entered he said – look for another friend. He is like that only. He comments abruptly and people mind so much that they cannot say the rest of their mind”
“Then?”
“I too got angry immediately – I made up things about the appraisal. “
“Then?”
“He said – well what do you expect from me?”
“Waoh – so he said that. That means you have to say what are your plans and how can he help to achieve that. You have got what you wanted.”
Sanjukta thought for a moment, “I think you are right. He meant that.”
Mayuri had finished her snacks. Both of them got up and left for their cubicles.
That night when Mayuri was telling her husband – the stories of Sanjukta, both discussed the same thing. How can she not love a man who cooks for her, buys her gifts, which is so contradictory what she said till now. Mayuri asked to her husband that she how she can get rid of her. Sanjukta was burning so much of her time, her efforts, her brains, her patience and mostly because she was not at all rational.

It was a Sanity Trap:
It was the very next week end. Mayuri had stopped asking anything Sanjukta – be it her husband, or her old lover, or their stars.
She had a call in the afternoon. Generally she did not entertain her phone calls when she was home. Because her one year old son did not let her talk over the phone – he would grab the phone and thrust it against his ears.
The phone call was from Sanjukta.
“Hello”
“Hi Mayuri, sorry I had called you to say something important…”
“Oh yes, tell me.”
“I am pregnant.”
One second of cold silence. “Well – how many months?”
“13 weeks”
“What do you want to do? Keep the baby?”
“I Donot have time. The doctor said it cannot be aborted.”
“What will the man you love say?”
“I do not know. He gets angry so easily. He will outburst like anything”.
“Well then – it is your decision. Think carefully. The baby is not responsible for anything. It should not face the consequences sowed by you.”Mayuri said angrily.
“Ok, bye”
Mayuri’s husband was listening to the conversation.
“What happened now”, he asked.
“She is now pregnant.”
“How many months?”
“3 “
“It is now July.”
“Yes.”
“Do you mean she conceived in May?”
Mayuri suddenly conscious of what her husband was trying to point out – “Yes, right, the very month she was about to be divorced!”

The end:
Monday – when she reached office, Sanjukta was waiting for her.
She asked Mayuri to come immediately to the tea corner.
Mayuri – put her bag down in the cubicle and went to the tea corner.
They both took a tea and sat on the verandah sill.
Sanjukta broke the silence – “It was his plan – all through. He made me pregnant intentionally.”
Mayuri – “what were you doing all these 3 months? Why did not you check earlier. I knew I was pregnant only when it was 5 days.”
“I just forgot. More over there were irregularities in my cycle earlier also.”
“I just cannot take it any more Sanjukta. You do not love your husband, but he cooks for you. He helps you when ever required. He buys you gift. Your husband beats you – still you do not complain to the police, while all the laws are at your side if you complain. You are in love with someone else, whom you are not approaching, you are not sure of anything, and the worst part is you are sleeping with your husband. And now you are saying you are pregnant and you conceived the same month you were going to have a divorce?”
Sanjukta had gone red in the face. Her nostrils flared. She was almost stammering out of anger – “How can you say this to me? You whom I thought a good friend. How can you be so irrational? So illogical?”
She was hissing in between her teeth. Her eyes seemed to shower flickers on her.
“Let’s get up. You are insulting me.”
Though Mayuri said that – she did not wait for her to get up. She directly went back to her cubicle.
Sanjukta messaged her on the office chat network – “You should learn how to speak”
Mayuri instantly messaged back “Please look for another friend”.

Conclusion:
She now knew the whole story of Sanjukta was a reverse one. She remembered those days with Sanjukta in the same project. She failed to accomplish anything. She was always late. She yawned like a boar. Mayuri could easily understand that Sanjukta was a failure at home as well; she could not cook or clean. So it was her husband who did that for her. It was her husband who wanted divorce, not Sanjukta. That is why Sanjukta did not appear before the court. Sanjukta had trapped her husband by sleeping with him intentionally so that she might get pregnant and escape the divorce. And that man – the director is just a victim of her insanity. Somehow the man might have entertained Sanjukta since he was also once divorced and took her seriously. And by the time he too realized, Sanjukta was all for him. When she saw that she was not going to get him, she spread the rumors that he was deeply in love with him but not sure whether he could take the step of marriage or not. And those bruises were self inflicted – she must have hurt herself when she had those fits of anger of hers and attacked her husband.
It was Sanjukta who was insane, not her husband.
After some days, Mayuri saw Sanjukta’s husband driving her to office in a new car. He must have bought for her since she had to travel to the office from so far in this second trimester of hers. She also saw Sanjukta savoring an extra bowl of fruits packed by her husband for her.

What makes a Home?

Baba & Mamoni:
It was around 7 PM. Mayuri was on the way back to her flat from her office. She had joined office recently after a long maternity leave spanning for about 6 months.
Mayuri was approaching the lift of her flat. It was a new flat – she and Suhan had bought in 2007 after her marriage in 2006. Though it was them who were were initially looking for a 3 bed room flat near to their offices, but fortunately or unfortunately it was her father in law who had ultimately found the right one for them.
Everything was perfect about the flat - the location, the south east facing, the spacious rooms and it was not directly on the main road which meant the dust of the road will not reach their apartment - all of which Mayuri had immensely approved of. Suhan was not so particular like Mayuri – he only liked the Swimming Pool adjacent to it and the pond in front of it.

Mayuri called her father in law ‘Baba’. Her Baba would come from Kalinagar everyday to supervise their flat – a return journey of 4 hours. It was not because Suhan was not interested in all these material things which he was not, but it was because Baba already had planned everything by himself. He had called a friend of his who was supposed to be an ‘informal’ architect sort of guy. And his friend planned out every corner of the flat for them – the bed rooms should face the south, the dining should face the east, and the kitchen to face the north and so on. Though Mayuri and Suhaan were present on that occasion but it was just a formal nod from them. Even the colors were chosen primarily by Baba. Again, fortunately or unfortunately – out of all the 12 flats in the apartment – theirs had the best design and the shades.
Baba did not trust anyone else with any activities. Mayuri and Suhaan had shifted to the flat in May 2009. They had hosted a party for the home coming ceremony. Better to say it was hosted by her father in law again. Mayuri and Suhan just had to pay the expense - that is all.
And then she had her son Arohaan in November 2009. Before she had Arohaan, she was very worried about who would look after the baby once the maternity leave was over and she had to join the office. Also that she might need someone after the caesarian till she recovered fully. Suhaan was dead against her well thought wishes and tried innumerable times to convince her that a nurse will do and more over he was there for her. Fortunately or unfortunately again, Mayuri was not convinced.
Mayuri had requested her in laws over and over, to come and stay with them once they had the baby. So, they had ultimately agreed and arranged to come and stay with them.

Kalinagar was their ancestral home and Suhaan’s grand paternal grandmother who was almost 80 and one of her aunts who was also in her mid fifties were left to live alone in the entire house. Baba and Mamoni made it a point to visit their house once a fortnight. Baba and Mamoni had come to stay with Mayuri and Suhaan since then.

Tamali:
Mayuri knocked on the door. Baba opened the door for her. Suhaan had not come yet from the office. Mayuri tried not to look at them. But she turned around to gave a look and she saw what she had been seeing for some time now after she returned from the office. Tamali – the maid and her in laws were sitting together on the large black sofa in the living room and watching TV serials. “Disgusting”, uttered Mayuri under her breath, “how could they allow her sit on the same sofa they are sitting to watch serials, why is not she looking after Arohaan?”

Tamali was supposed to look after Arohaan and do the household activities as well. She was a maid for 24X7 hours and she was ‘found’ by Mamoni’s spinster sister. Mamoni’s sister ran a phone booth where the maid used to come and complain about her then owners and weep about it. Coincidentally at the same time Mayuri was looking for a maid for her house and to look after Arohaan as a helping hand to her in laws. And this led to the arrival of Tamali - a fragile lady with dirk circles in her eyes, rustic accent and dirty clothes.
The first thing that Mayuri noticed about Tamali is that she was not agile. She was in fact slower than a tortoise. She worked like a novice, handling things so awkwardly that Mayuri immediately knew that she was not the right person. It took more than an hour for her to scrub the floors. She stood at the verandah watching the men at work blankly when sent to string the clothes. She could not peel the potatoes well. Mayuri was not a culinary expert but she has grown up seeing her mother and grandmother work in the kitchen. Tamali’s work was far from a decent work. She slept in the afternoons with her sari almost up to her knees and did not get up unless she was called for getting up. She confessed that she could not cook. Mayuri did not believe that a village woman, mother of three daughters, grandmother of another few grand children could not cook. Mayuri told her coldly, “you will have to learn cooking then. If you do not learn to cook, then Mamoni has to do the cooking. Then who will feed my son, bathe him and so on?”
As if Mayuri had scolded a child, Tamali had tears in her eyes. Seeing her tears, Mamoni instantly covered up for her -” You do not have to worry about Arohaan. We will all look after him. You can go to office without any tension”.
The conversation ended there. Mayuri was feeling helpless. The situation was a mess. Mamoni was no faster than Tamali. She also cooked slowly and was not a smart worker. One day it was 3 pm in the afternoon and she was not done with cooking yet. Tamali was just helping her in the same slow manner not able to fasten things.
Tamali had another element in her character which was visible to Mayuri very clearly. She knew how to 'please'[read bribe] Baba and Mamoni and win over them. She would address them as mother and father of hers, ask them several times a day whether they would like to have another cup of coffee or tea, tell them sad stories from her brutal marriage where she had to toil like a slave, and pampered them with such innocence that they could not think any evil of her.
“People, who cannot survive based on their skills, have to find an alternative to compete with those who do. And Tamali had found her own way. She was using her hidden brains to cover her inabilities and achieve her goals of having to work less.” seethed Mayuri.

Arohaan was sleeping in their bed room not visible from the living room. Mayuri changed into her sari. She had been wearing sari now as her in laws had come, otherwise she would have preferred a Capri and a t shirt at home. She was seething with anger, “what is she for? Cannot Mamoni ask her to prepare me some snacks?”
Suhaan came home to find Mayuri demure. After a long day at office he did not like to see his wife in a foul mood. It spoilt his mood too even before exchanging any words with her. They had a quarrel over nothing that night.
The home no more felt homely.

Rice Eating Ceremony:
Arohaan was 8 months now. Baba and Mamoni talked about the rice eating ceremony almost every day. They in fact had decided everything – it is just that they loved planning it over and over again. Suhaan was grudging every night to Mayuri – “Why do not they understand? It has been a tough year for us. The flat was furnished, there were expenses for the delivery and we are not in a smooth economic position to feed some 100 odd people.”
Mayuri was indignant, “Why do not you say anything to them? All they do is – let us know their final plans and we have to abide by them?”
“You have not known them the way I do. It is not worth telling them anything. Their plans will not hinge even a bit.”
“But you can try – you do not even communicate with them”
“I have tried all my life and I know Baba has the last word in the family. He was the sole owner of the family of 14. Even grand pa had lost his job long before, during the wars. Baba with his single salary had supported his two brothers education, had married off his six sisters. He had paid for the education of us two brothers. And he is accustomed being the ruler.”
“But, he is our son too. Should not we have any say in his rice eating ceremony?”
“OK, let’s ask Mamoni if she can convince anything to Baba.”
Mamoni was the one who used to wait patiently for the right moment to divulge things to Baba. Baba was a high tempered person and a total suspicion freak. When Baba was told about the financial condition, he reluctantly cut down some guests from the list of 120 to some 80 odd guests whom neither Mayuri nor Suhaan knew. They were all Baba’s ‘Brother cum friends” as Baba would introduce each of them. Initially Mayuri would get puzzled - “How can everyone be a brother cum friend?” Later she knew Baba was lying in front of them just to please them. “No wonder they like Tamali,” Mayuri thought to herself.
“They are only after the gifts and the gold ornaments that they will get from the guests.” - exclaimed Suhaan.
“What are you saying?” – Mayuri could not believe her ears.
“Yes, they are not bothered at all about us. All they care is the gain from the ceremony”
“Disgusting” Mayuri was full of indignation and hatred for her in laws.

The ceremony was held in Kalinagar – the obvious choice of Baba. On the day of the ceremony, all her relatives had poured in. One after the other they were blessing the child with a small gold ring. Her mother in law was putting aside each ring and counting them all over again. These made Mayrui loose all her patience.
“Why are so greedy Mamoni?”
“Greedy? What do you mean by greedy?”
“Why are chanting gold like this?”
“Why? The house is full of people. Do not I have to count and keep them properly?”
“This is too much, you people are so mean. We did not approve of this ceremony. You people even did not ask whether we had any issues or not. I will not go to the ceremony house, neither will Suhaan.”
Mayuri was trembling with anger. The outburst was an outcome of the conversation which Mayuri had with Suhaan the day before. But Suhaan oblivious of such complicated thoughts could not fathom the reason behind the outburst. He felt insulted in front of his own aunts and uncles and nephews and nieces, after all everybody saw that his wife was not in terms with his mother. It had now become public.

“Let s go the ceremony, people are waiting for us.” Suhaan told to Mayuri. “What are you saying?”
“What I am saying is that do not create a scene in front of all these people. And you have insulted my mother as well”.
Mayuri did not say further. Even Suhaan was against her now, who himself had complained about all the expense incurred for so many days. She somehow draped herself in the sari that she had brought to wear for the occasion. And they quietly left for the ceremony house.
It was a sultry May noon. Baby Arohaan soon got agitated amongst all the people and the heat. Mayuri was relieved to get back to the house with him. But Suhaan did not stay back after the lunch. He left for their own apartment leaving all of them behind at Kalinagar.
It was an unwanted and unhappy ceremony with no friends and colleagues from Mayuri or Suhaan’s side.

Tamali Betrays:
The altercations were increasing regarding Tamali’s poor performance. Mayuri repeatedly told her Mamoni – “I cannot keep Tamali. She is of no use. And she lies, to get away with less work.” Mamoni used to turn a deaf ear to all her pleas. This was one of the most irritating characteristics that Mayuri hated about her. “Why cannot she say something rational – either yes or no.”, Mayuri would think with utter disgust. But this was the way Mamoni had all her life dealt with when something did not happen her way – and adamantly stuck to her own whims – till the opponent at last gave up whining to her.
Frustrated, Mayuri one day called Tamali to talk to her directly – “See, either you work properly or you leave, I will find another maid for our house. “
“No, didi. I will work hard. I will work as you say.”
“Then you have to do the cooking while my mother in law will take care of the baby. She cannot both manage the baby and the house hold work at the same time.”
“I will didi.”
“In that case – as per your words I am not looking for any maid then.”
“No, didi – I will do.”
Mayuri noticed that her mother in law was upset and immediately called Tamali after she left for office. Even at the office – she was not happy. Her mind always hovered around what was happening at the home. She looked forward to some of her good friends and were married to share her owes. They echoed back with their own frustrations and that comforted her that she was not the sole victim. It gave her immense satisfaction when she bitched about her in laws and got a positive response. That lightened her heart.

Even Suhaan was not her confidante, after all they were his parents and he after a certain time would himself turn hostile towards Mayuri - “I was dead against when you said to bring them to our house after the baby arrives, do you remember? Now why are you telling me all these? I knew all the time that this will happen oneday. I have known them all my life – no independence, no space for us”.

Returning back home from office was now a tough task for her. That home no more seemed to belong to her. She delayed her going back home as much as possible. And after she returned there would be no friendly conversations. She would shut the door of her bedroom and play with her son.
One day her Mamoni informed her that – her neighbor had approached Tamali to bring her a maid from her village. Tamali had agreed to bring one. “Why do you allow her to talk to the neighbors? You must not be so lenient with her.”, Mayuri retorted back.
During the Holi, Tamali asked to leave for her village for five days. Before she left for her village, Mamoni came to Mayuri and said – “Tamali was suggesting that she bring one more maid with her who can act as an ayah for Arohaan and she will also stay for the rest of the household chores. And in that case we can leave too.”
Mayuri was stunned; her head was spinning. Not because her in laws were threatening to leave. She was too tired of dealing them to even bother if they left for good.
Unable to stay calm, she just managed to say – “What are you saying? I do not even want to keep Tamali and you are saying that she is going to bring another maid from her village? And what will they together do? Look after my son or kidnap him? We do not even now where she lives. “
Saying them, Mayuri could not wait to hear her response; she returned to her room and sat abruptly on the floor. “How can she even say this – after knowing very well that I did not approve of Tamali in the first place? Why is she such a deaf ear to everything I say? Is she blind too?” – Mayuri just kept on saying it to herself. Suhaan was still asleep. She sat there on the floor dumb and stoned for another ten minutes before she could bring herself to get ready for the office.

One temporary maid was appointed in Tamali’s absence. But Tamali did not return after five days as she had said, she kept on delaying citing different excuses like – she was still searching for the maid their neighbor had asked, the trains were not plying, there was a flood, etc. In her last phone conversation she said that – she could not find the maid that the neighbor wanted – they had called her several times all these days – and she was going to work in their house after she came back. After twelve days Tamali returned and with teary eyes hugged Arohaan several times, and took her luggage to their neighbor’s house.
Mayuri had to pay the salary of those days she was absent as well as that of the temporary maid’s. She stopped interacting with the neighbors completely who had stealthily dealt with Tamali instead even asking them whether they would have any issues about it – it was a very mean act from their side. As for Tamali – she went on to keep in touch with her mother in law regularly – something Mayuri was helpless about.

For several days they could not find any suitable maid – as Tamali had left without any prior notice. Even then Mayuri was happy for two things – first that she had got rid of Tamali after all, and that Tamali had to toil from 5 AM in the morning to 2 PM in the night in her new owner’s house.

Arohaan’s meal:
Arohaan was one year old now. Doctor has advised to introduce meat, egg and fish to him. Mayuri had told the same to her Mamoni. “Arohaan should now have more solid proteins. Please ask the maid to cook meat for him – like a stew you know.” she would say one day. Mamoni would trail off saying – “let’s see … “. This was another of her patent phrases for meaning to say – "No". Another day she would request – “Why do not you cook fish for him today?”. Every day it had the same answer. One day she demanded – “Why are you not giving him meat or fish or even egg?”
“He does not like the smell. He cannot eat all these now.”
“Have you even tried giving him?”
“What will happen if he vomits? It’s too soon to start all these.”
Mayuri was aghast – her son had never vomited till now since his birth. He did not have this trait at all. She had heard from Suhaan – which Suhaan used to vomit a lot when he was small. Even later on when he grew up he had the trait. Mayuri was not sure whether it was from Suhaan’s experience that Mamoni panicked or it was a denial to listen to her words.
One day she had prepared chicken stew for her brother and his wife. There were some extra left. She had asked Mamoni – “Please have some stew. Or you can ask the maid as well, she said she would like to have some while she cooked it yesterday.” Later she had learned from her cooking maid that it was thrown directly to the dustbin. She was very angry but she did not say anything. Mamoni also had a habit to ignore the fresh fruits till they became stale and gave away to the sweeper to eat. “I have to do something myself”, thought Mayuri.
On a Sunday, she cooked an egg curry herself and fed her son. Arohaan did not fuss about it. He ate it normally. She went to her Mamoni – “Mamoni – There are enough egg curry for Arohaan to have tomorrow as well. “
She said – “OK.”
The next day after Mayuri returned, she looked for the curry in the fridge. She could not find the egg curry. She asked –“Mamoni, where is the egg curry? It’s time to feed Arohaan his dinner now.”
“Oh that one. That smelled so bad – Arohaan would not eat at all in the noon. Me and your Baba - he tried so much. Then we had to change the entire meal for Arohaan, and then he ate the lunch.”
Mayuri was dumb founded. She slowly went back to her room. She did not even try to know what was there for Arohaan in the dinner. Every night it was she who fed Arohaan after she came back from office. That day she did not budge from her room.
Mamoni took the hint and got up to feed her grandson. But be it either because Arohaan was accustomed dinner being fed by his mother or because he wanted to teach his grand mom a lesson – his grand mom could not make eat somehow. She tried several times and then gave up after an hour of trying.
Mayuri asked Suhaan to prepare some milk for Arohaan. Arohaan had the milk and slept off soon after that.
From the next day onwards, Mamoni very reluctantly started to introduce fish to her grandson’s meal.

Arohaan’s head is shaved:
It was a ritual to shave the head of a child after he turns one and half years of age. It was something that Suhaan and Arohaan had been listening to since Arohaan was born. Both were dead against it. They feared that Arohaan might be hurt and moreover it was a forceful action on a child and he will cry like anything.
But though they did not approve of the ritual but they did not know how to prevent it. The very thought made them gloomy. In fact every one said how they both have lost weight and asked the reason. They could not say that they did not feel the appetite now days after they came back from office to have dinner.
The day after Arohaan turned one and half, Mayuri was preparing herself to go to the office. Arohaan was suffering from flue for a couple of days. He had a running nose and a moderate higb temperature. Mamoni asked her to call the doctor.
She rang up the doctor and asked about the medicines. Mamoni asked her to ask whether he can take a bath. She asked the same on the phone. It was at that point when Baba called from the other room – “why should he take a bath? His head will be shaved today. He has to take a bath.”
Mamoni looked alarmed. She was trying to hide this fact from Mayuri for so long and Baba had let the cat out from the bag.
On the other hand Mayuri stopped where she was. She was trembling with anger – “What do you mean that his head will be shaved? Why did not you inform us? We are the parents, I bore him. Do you think you will not repay for doing such wrong things? No matter how much you pray, you will have to pay for all you do.” She ran to her room. Suhaan was asleep. She cried – “Suhaan – did you know about this?” Suhaan got up from the bed – and he said – “No I did not know”. She rushed back to her mother in law – “Arohaan is my son. Suhaan is his father – even he does not know about it. And how can you think of doing this today? When you know he is not well?” Mayuri did not want to spend another second in the house, she left for the lift. From the corridor she heard her Baba saying to Mamoni – “I told you, I told you. Let’s leave – now see how insulted you are. I told you long back – let s leave.”He was clapping his hands sarcastically.
Mayuri met Suhaan at the office; they worked in the same office. She had found a day care from the website and asked Suhaan whether he was ready to admit Arohaan to a day care. Suhaan did not mind and they went to talk to the day care during their lunch break. They even bought the admission form for Arohaan.
In the evening when Mayuri returned – to her relief – Arohaan’s head was not shaved that day. And the in laws too had not left. Suhaan broke the news to his mom that they were going to admit Arohaan in a day care.
“Please do not say such things. We have been looking after him since his birth. Now you are saying that you are going to admit him to the day care? No no, we will stay till he is 2 years old. After that do as you like.”
Suhaan did not say anything further.
Arohaan had recovered from the flu. Mamoni unceremoniously announced that the next day his head will be shaved off.
Mayuri used to come to the office early and leave early. Suhaan would come late and leave late. They met at the lunch time. The next day when Suhaan arrived to office, he was in tears. Mayuri looked at him sympathetically; she knew Suhaan was a peace loving guy who would not tolerate the cries of a baby.
“Mayuri – he cried so much, he cried so much. You won’t believe – I have never heard him cry like that. As if someone was …..” he trailed off”… someone was thrashing him. Oh my god. Even now my heart is pounding. “
Mayuri knew all this time what Suhaan was saying, long before he had said those words.
Suhaan again said – “After crying so much, he just fell asleep immediately.”
She did not reply to Suhaan. Both spent an uneasy day at the office. That day when she returned home, she cuddled her son tightly who now had a polished bald head.
Later after the dinner, she could not help noticing a change in the expression of Baba. Baba was already dark complexioned but his face now seemed not only dark but just black. As if some black shadow had fallen on his face. “Hmmm….You will repent for it”, she clenched her fist in anger after retiring to her room.

Vacation:
Baba now had become silent. He talked less. He even did not come out of his room when Mayuri and Suhaan were at home. Mamoni was gloomy and a little duller than before.
Silence fell over the entire house. An invisible curtain had come in between the two couples belonging to two separate generations. Mayuri was careful about her conversations if she made any. She knew they were just on the verge of breaking up with the in laws. One more outburst from her – and the son may lose contact with his parents forever. Something she never wanted to happen.
With so much of silence, Mayuri felt suffocated – “Let’s take a break Suhaan. Let’s go somewhere for a couple of days. “
She and Suhaan decided to go to North Bengal for just three days. They booked their tickets in advance.
Only one basic thing bothered Mayuri – “Every problem has a solution, does this problem have no solution?” she was not ready to accept defeat to circumstances.
She started doing an analysis – where it went wrong and how can it be corrected. Slowly, she came up with a few golden rules for herself which she read every morning.
Never argue or answer back – was her first rule. Ignore – was her second rule. Whatever they do – they do with the impression that it will be good [read gain] for us – so take no offense – was her third rule. Never lose your head, if you do just leave the place for that moment – was her fourth rule and so on.
She talked with Eleena who one of her seniors at office – who fortunately gave her the right advices – of dealing with old people. Old people cannot be dealt like normal adults. One cannot demand any ‘why’ from an old person. One has to just listen to it and accept it. They were a separate breed altogether – cranky – moody – impatient, etc. Overall – they were ‘old’ people. Her words helped Mayuri a lot. Eleena also told her one more thing – that grandparents loved their grand children more than their own sons or daughters.
Back at home, she stopped answering back when ever things were not as per her and there was not chance for any arguments. She ignored when they said any non sense and soon she saw they had forgotten all about it. She took up to buy the groceries herself instead of giving them money to buy – it avoided the grocery mismatches that happened. She stopped complaining about Arohaan’s meal – instead she said that on the weekends she will cook for Arohaan herself.
It was on the day before they were supposed to leave for North Bengal. Mamoni was complaining to Mayuri about the new ayah for Arohaan. She had appointed the ayah to relieve Baba of his knee pains which resulted from having to run after Arohaan all the time. Now, Mamoni was not happy with her. She in fact could not forget Tamali as every day they had a heart to heart talk through the window.
“This new ayah – Chandrani. She is not at all good.”
“Why - ?” Mayuri was irked.
“She is rude, she cannot be trusted.”
Since in her mind Mayuri knew Mamoni still thought of Tamali affectionately, she lost her head hearing that Chandrani cannot be trusted.
Thinking of Tamali, ignited her head instantly. She shouted on the top of her voice - “Who can be trusted? Tamali? The one who cheated on us? The one who lied continuously saying that there was flood, trains were not plying and blah blah blah? The one who left without any prior notice and we were left without any maid? Who can be trusted tell me? I had to pay for Tamali’s vacation as well as the temporary maid for 12 days and what did she do? She left as she came. Why could not she tell me earlier before she went for her vacation so that I did not have to pay for that period and look for someone new?”
Mayuri’s temper was beyond control – “and this Chandrani, what is wrong with her? She comes perfectly on time. She is never absent. She helps you in so many other activities. Which ayah will be ready to do all this for you, tell me? She does not touch a thing. She feeds Arohaan sincerely. What more do you want? Sweet words? Like Tamali’s. She was a charmer for god’s sake.”
Mamoni said something which Mayuri could not hear any more. Her ears had turned deaf out of anger and excitement.
She knew she was nailing the last nail in the coffin – but words once said – cannot be taken back. The harm was done. The only hope was that Baba was locked in his own room and might not have heard their conversation.
The next day, they left for North Bengal. It was a small trip. Mayuri was feeling bad to have lost her head. All the golden rules, all her efforts felt wasted by her one instance of lost temper. But since that evening, there was a strange lightness in her heart, as if some heavy thing was lifted from her heart after all these days.
She made a point to shop gifts for in laws.

Gifts:
Her in laws loved gifts. As Suhaan gave their gifts, they were as happy as they were on the rice eating ceremony of Arohaan, when they are accepting gifts one after another. There were smiles on their faces after long days.
Mayuri felt relieved. Something inside her told that Mamoni has not told Baba of the argument that they had on that day. That is how she had dealt with heated issues all her life – not sharing everything with Baba which might anger Baba. She definitely had one thing which Mayuri lacked like anything – which is tolerance.
As if some miracle or so, Mamoni did not complain about Chandrani anymore. In fact it seemed that they were starting to get along well.
One day, Mayuri had prepared a chicken hot and sour soup for Suhaan. There was left for one more person.
She insisted Mamoni – “Taste it Mamoni, Suhaan liked it.”
“No no. I do not like all these soups.” - She at first denied making a distasteful expression.
But then she took a sip and then slowly savored the entire the soup.
“It was nice you know, do make another day again.”
Mayuri smiled. Things got better between them.

Arohaan’s Second Birthday:
The second birthday of Arohaan was approaching.
“If Baba and Mamoni leaves after Arohaan’s second birth day – then we have to think about some alternative like the day care option.” one day Mayuri told to Suhaan.
“Leave? Are you crazy? They will never leave. That too now that you people seemed to have patched up. Why would they leave? They have their grandson here, so much comfort and no troubles. No expenses either. No, they will not leave. I know them very well. You can take my words for it.” Suhaan was grinning playfully.
Mayuri smiled back.
“So what about Arohaan’s play school admission if not day care? Soon he will be two.”
“Yes that we have to get him into a good playschool. “
“But, who will drop him to the play school and pick up from there?”
“We will drop him and go to the office, and Chandrani will pick him up.”
“Ok”
Later that night – Mayuri told Mamoni and Baba of their plans. Mamoni was unhappy that her grandson will be going to school and Baba was happy for the same reason.
“I will also go with Chandrani to pick up Arohaan. I cannot trust anybody with my grandson.” said Baba.
Mayuri smiled to herself for two reasons – one because Suhaan was right when he said that they will stay and another because Eleena was right when she told her they loved their grandson more than their son.

The Phone and the Keys


Case # 1.

There was a call on her mobile as soon as she dialled her husband’s number from the office land phone. Her mobile was inside her vanity bag and it vibrated noiselessly.

Her husband remains asleep when she leaves for the office by 8:30 in the morning. It’s after she reaches her office, rings him up, that he wakes up and gets ready for his office. Her phone acts like an alarm signal for him. So, that is the first thing she does after reaching her office.

But he was not picking up the phone, and on the other side the mobile went on vibrating. She kept the receiver back on its mantle, and opened the bag to receive the call on her mobile. But the call too got disconnected as soon as she opened the bag.
She redialled her husband’s number from the office land phone. He was not picking up the phone. And again there was a call on her mobile. After some time, she again kept the receiver back on its mantle and went to receive the call. But as soon as she went to receive the call, the call got disconnected.
‘Now that is ridiculous’, she thought.
She again dialled his number, and again there was a call on her mobile. And when she kept the phone, the call got disconnected.
‘What is it?’ She pondered.
After a moment’s pause, she smelt something fishy. She then checked the numbers on her mobile from where those three calls were made.

It was her office landline number.

‘How could this be possible?’, when she was dialling his number from the same office phone all the while?

Unless...

Suddenly it struck to her, that it her husband’s mobile that she was holding in her hand.

Actually, it was her husband’s idea to buy two same sets for both of them – a token of togetherness, one can say. And she had picked up her husband’s mobile phone thinking to be hers...

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Her husband was leaving early for the office. It was one of those rare occasions of course. He had some meeting with the client, and so he pleaded to let him use the bathroom first. She was in no hurry or even if she was, she would have let him go first. The reason mainly being the exceptionally rare occurrence of the event.

‘Did you take your set of keys?’ he was all ready to leave, when she reminded him to take his set of keys, in case he returned from the office before her.

‘Where are my keys?’ he looked back standing at the main door.

‘It must be in your trousers pocket, the one you wore yesterday’ that was the most probable place.

‘I don’t have time now to search the pockets. Leave it’, these trifle things did not matter to him, he would only because she insisted him to do.

‘Wait. Then take my set of keys. They are dangling from the locks.’ She knew that it was important that he has a set of keys with him, because in case he returned first from the office and did not have the keys with him, he would blame her in turn for not reminding him to take the keys.

He simply took the keys dangling off from the locks and left for the office.

Now, it did not matter much if he had taken her set of keys. The matter was that now she had to search for his set of keys in order to lock the door before leaving for her office. This was not an easy task as her husband was kind of a genius in misplacing things...

She was right. She searched for another half an hour for those set of keys. And ultimately she found them.

They were on the kitchen shelves.

‘Genius!’ she gave a big sigh and left for her office.

Case # 2.

She had just reached the office and sat before her computer, when there was a call in her mobile. Her mobile was as usual in her bag, and in a vibration mode. She opened her bag to find that some unknown person had called, and the person’s name though saved in the Phone Book, was unknown to her.

She picked up the phone, ‘Hello?’
There was a moment’s silence on the other side.
‘Well, I wanted to talk to Suman, is he there?’ it was a hesitant male voice.

Now,’ Why would somebody call on her mobile to ask for her husband?’ she thought.

‘Unless, Oh no … ‘, she observed carefully that she had again brought her husband’s mobile phone by mistake.

It was all because of the rush that she had in the morning. She was frantically searching for her mobile all over the house. She was already late for the office. And when at last she found the mobile, below a heap of garments on the bed, she did not check whether it was hers or her husband’s. She had picked up the mobile quickly, and dropping it into the bag she had left for the office in hurry.

So, now having done the blunder, she gave the caller her mobile number and asked the caller to call on her number since her husband will be now be presumably taking her mobile phone to office.

After a few seconds, there was another call. But this time again it was from the bag itself.

But she was already holding the mobile in her hand.

‘Then?’

She reached for the bag, opened it, and found that it was her mobile phone vibrating this time.

So the phone which she had been searching so much in the morning was in her bag after all.

But that also meant that she had brought both the phones today by mistake...

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Soon after she reached the office, her husband called up. She was in fact expecting the phone. He was not able to find his set of keys. It did not surprise her. He demanded to be in a hurry and refused to search any further, sounding as if he would keep the door ajar and leave for the office.
She had no choice but to tell him to apply another lock on the gates, the one which was used for the Veranda grills though she did not have the spare keys for it. So she told him that she would collect the new keys from him from his office itself. He sounded convinced. She had planned this entire alternative just a while ago.

On the day before, when she had reached home, it was very late. She was not used to being late, as she came quite early every day long before her husband would arrive. And it was after a long time that she was late from office. She was very exhausted as well, and so she had a sound deep nights’ sleep. In the morning she no more remembered that she was late on the evening before, and that her set of keys was in her bag only as she did not have to open the locks. Instead she thought she had come at the usual time. So, like any other usual day, she had picked up the keys dangling from the locks thinking them to be hers. And then she left for her office.

It was only after she had gone some way, when suddenly like a dream she recollected that she was late on the evening before, and that she already had her set of keys in her bag, and it was her husband’s keys that she had so consciously picked up just a while ago in the morning.

In the evening, she had to go all the way to her husband’s office just to collect the keys first, and then she headed for the home.


Case # 3.

As usual she opened the bag to take out her mobile. She could not find her mobile which should have been in the bag.

Now a day she is more careful while picking up the mobile phone while leaving for office. So, the mobile phone which she had ignored by mistake in the morning thinking to be her husband’s, was actually hers.

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After a long tiring day at the office, she would slowly clamber up the stairs of her house, wondering why this clambering of stairs made her totally drained of all her remaining energies. Was it due to the gravitational pull, against which she had to put her efforts? That was more likely a reason because she did not stay at the first or even the second floor; she had to go all the way till the 3rd floor, upon reaching which each time she would feel like sitting there and there itself at her door steps.

Today also there was no exception to her daily routine. The only thing that went amiss once she had reached her floor was her set of keys.

She was the one to reach home first on most of the cases. So after unlocking the door, it would be her set of keys dangling from the locks. She would then consciously remember to take the keys off and put them back in her bag. Basically she did not need the keys again till the next evening when she would return from office. Because, in the morning also she was the first one to leave for office, and so her husband would lock the door with his set of keys when he would leave for office.

But she came from office late yesterday. So she did not have to open the door with her set of keys. And her husband was there to open the door for her.
So, ideally she should have had the keys in her bag only.

Something was not fitting into the place.

She went over the sequences again. Each day was almost the same. It was hard to remember such uneventful daily normal routine things. They get overlapped each time.

She started questioning herself. Did she come early as usual? No she was late. This means that she did not have to bring her set o keys out at all. Was her husband late? Yes, he was late too ... And, then, she remembered. Her husband too was late, and later than her, which meant she had to unlock the door first with her set of keys. And all the while she had thought that she was already late, so she did not have to use her set of keys, and they were safely in her bag.

Nothing could be done now. The harm was already done. She had forgotent to take the keys off the locks and put them back in her bag. She rang up her husband and he unapologetically said that he would not be able to leave before another hour. She could not be also angry on him, because it was plainly her fault. Her cooking maid arrived after some time and luckily she also waited along with her giving her some crude companion on the stairs.

That evening, she and her maid had to sit on the stairs for two and half hours, before her husband came to their rescue at last...

How Nitu got insulted

No matter when Nitu went to sleep, she had to wake up by 5:30 in the morning. And she was not spared from this routine on Sundays, not even on winter Sundays. It was all because her maid servant came around that time, whom she could not afford to loose at any cost, so she really had no choice. But waking 5:30 in the morning … was just pathetic for her. It was only her good spirits that she did not let all these 'earthly' matters bother her. She was someone who would get least perturbed for the most disturbing fact of the year may be. A peaceful soul I should say.

After explaining the tasks to her maid she quickly went to another round of sleep. She knew Sanku (her husband) would take care of the rest. Theirs was a one in a million relationship, where the husband acted as the ideal wife and the wife as you can imagine, acted as the reverse.

Her maid woke her up at around 10 am. "Boudi, get up now, you have been sleeping since morning, and look at your husband, he has been doing all your household chores since then."

Now, it does feel like an insult, to be woke up by one’s maid servant only to be told that her husband had done all which she was supposed to do as a wife, is not it? But as I told you, she could not help it. However, the jovial soul that she was, she was not perturbed.

So, she woke up. And found out that her husband had cleaned all the parts of the refrigerator, the aqua guard, had put aside the dirty bed sheets and clothing for washing, had arranged the almirah and all the rooms, had cleaned the toilets and he might have done many more chores which she could not figure out just waking up from her sleep.

After watching all that, an obvious tinge of guilt touched her. All was done and done with perfection, all while she was asleep. In fact for the rest of the day she had nothing else to do. Even then she searched in her mind if there was any trifle thing that she could contribute to. Nothing came to her mind. Standing and watching Sanku to do all the household chores seemed to be only thing left to do for her. But again it was so awkward, watching somebody toiling hard while doing nothing. So, she went to watch the television instead. But there also, she could not sit peacefully and watch the television. Something bugged in her mind.

So, she rose, went to her husband again to see what he was doing. He was still busy with scrubbing. Noticing his sweat, she then took the table fan from their bedroom and the chair to him, placed the fan upon the chair facing in his direction. At last having done something made her feel less guilty too.

The breakfast being already prepared by the maid, she made him two cups of tea and served him along with the breakfast. His hands were occupied, so she had to feed him the breakfast. It gave her a sense of relief, as if she did make up for all the effort he had put since morning. Immediately she forgot all her guilty feelings and was back to her jovial form again.

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The next Morning - a Monday morning, Nitu was on her way to the Baghajatin auto stand. She had tuned into the FM on her cell phone and had FM chords plugged into her ears. She was looking for an auto on the road itself if available before the auto stand. Seeing one she instantly shouted to the auto driver to stop by. She was just getting onto the auto, when suddenly she heard a hoard of shouts together and it seemed as if they were all aimed at her. The sound came from nearby, so took off the FM earphones to be clearer.

There were some school children in a Tata Sumo, all of whose heads were popping out of the window, they were all giggling, and waving their hands at her. She was puzzled to see all those kids calling after her because she knew none of them.

She thought there might be anything wrong with her dress or so, so she gave a quick look around her dress. Nothing seemed wrong. Even the driver of the Tata Sumo, not knowing what the matter was, had now pulled over by her side. All the people on the road and the shopkeepers were looking at her in curiosity now.

"What is the matter", she asked them. One of them - a girl, who looked as if to be their leader, asked her - "Didi, why do boys wear nail polish?". And it was their so sought after question.
She could not believe her ears. What a question! That to be asked by a bunch of kids, in the mid of the road to someone they did not know at all and in what a manner. Everyone on the road was watching her, and she stood there speechless in the mid of the road to be the victim of a bunch of mini hooligans. She wondered, why she out of all these people on the road, to be insulted in such a helpless manner. Even the auto that she had shouted to stop had moved on by now.

Irked by the silliness of the children she told their driver not to waste time after those mini hooligans and asked him move on. The equally irritated and confused driver started off and on his way he requested the same auto after which she had shouted, to stop for her.

The auto stopped and she finally got on the auto only to find another school kid with the same school uniform sitting inside the auto with his mom. The mom too had been watching the school kids’ antics till now, and so she asked her what was the matter. Nitu narrated her entire episode what had happened.

"Oh, and I thought you were the new teacher at their school, waiting for the Tata Sumo to get on to.” the mom replied."Oh, no, I work in a office," she clarified again, swearing in her mind that she would never be a teacher in a school where such a bunch of jungle kids studied. She then asked the auto driver to stop by the pink bus already waiting on the main road.The school kid who was sitted next to her, quiet till now, then remarked - "Is that your school bus?”

No, not again, Nitu fumed inside. "No, of course not. That is my office bus, and not a school bus", she got down of the auto coldly.

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It was Rosogolla's Astamangala in the same evening, and Rosogolla had come to her parents’ house eight days after her marriage, as the general Bengali custom is. Nitu had visited Rosogolla's place before on the day of Rosogolla's marriage itself but she had come then with Sanku with his bike. So she did not pay any attention either to the roads or to name of the places.

Now, that she was invited to Rosogolla's Astamangala ceremony and Sanku not being available she had to visit Rosogolla's place all by herself, she remembered only the ways and directions. So, she asked Sanku the name of the places where she has to get down and all. Sanku told her that at first she had to take an auto to 3A Bus stand and then take a rickshaw from 3A Bus stand to Rosogolla's place. It seemed easy enough to Nitu.

So, she went to the auto stand, asked an auto driver at the stand whether it plied till 3A Bus stand. The driver said that it plied till Behala 4 way crossing, after which she had to board another auto in order to reach 3A Bus stand.

The option of having to change an auto was not much fine with her and she boarded the auto sheepishly. On her way, one by one the passengers got down, till after some time she was the only passenger left in the auto. It put her in an uncomfortable state of mind. After driving some more distance, the auto came to a stop finally.

She breathed a sigh of relief as if she was out of some danger or something, and asked the driver happily, "So dada, this is the Behala 4 way crossing."."No, no this is the 3A Bus stand itself. Actually you looked so uncomfortable as if you were never on the roads before. So I drove you till 3A Bus stand instead of dropping you at Behala 4 way crossing.” the auto driver promptly replied back.

Now, that was enough of insult for an engineer to be told that she looked as if she were never on the roads."You need not have thought so much." she was caught and she was not at all happy for that, "Anyways, thanks.", "Do call somebody from your home immediately, or you might get lost in the city", the driver added and went off.

Nitu tried to brush off the comment, and head for the Rickshaw stand instead.

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Nitu was more confident about the Rickshaw part, since she knew the directions and ways from here.

She boarded a Rickshaw, confidence radiating from her face, and instructed the driver, "Let's go."

The driver looked at her and asked "Where?"

"You just keep moving, I will tell you the directions and ways", she confidently replied back.

"You do not know the name of the place?” the rickshaw driver was still not on his pedals.

"Of course, I know the place; I am telling you to drive straight, and then I will instruct you accordingly"; Nitu was now irritated by the whims of the Rickshaw driver.

"But the place must have some name", the rickshaw driver was not convinced."Will you go or shall I board another Rickshaw?” her day did not seem to favour her.

The Rickshaw puller finally started to go straight as per her instructions. After going some distance, the road went on to bifurcate into two directions. Nitu instructed him to go to right after giving a second's thought. It was getting dark and more difficult for her now to recognize the directions too. She was expecting to see a Kali Temple next, and now the Rickshaw driver was now driving for a long time. May be he was slow, at least slower than Sanku’s bike on which she had come earlier, so the timing might not be right, she thought to herself.

Not seeing the Kali Temple which she had expected to see by now, she was now not sure whether she was on the right track or not. She just waited and hoped that she was right on the track. Otherwise it would be the worst day that she ever came across.

After going some more distance, she saw the temple that she was waiting for so long, and out of spontaneity she gave a jump of joy at her seat itself. "That is it, you just have to go on the right now, and two houses more and I will reach my destination". Hearing her, the Rickshaw driver stopped to show her a sign board which stood just beside the Kali Temple. "Please remember the name of this place Madam. It is NabaPally James Log Sarani. So that from next time onwards, you can tell the Rickshaw driver at least the name of the place you want to go. OK Madam?"

She coldly bore the insult and said, "OK, I will remember, now please move on".
"Please do not mind madam, but it is not your fault also that you don't know the roads and all. My wife also is exactly like you. She does not know anything. She cannot even distinguish between 3A Bus stand and Behala 4 way crossing, she is so naive", the rickshaw driver went on talking.

Now being compared with a Rickshaw driver's wife was definitely not a complement for her, "I do mind", was her short reply. She felt like jumping off the Rickshaw and walking off the remaining distance. She might have even done so, if the distance would not have been a short one now.

Soon they reached Rosogolla's house, and she quickly paid the fare to him.
"It was nice to meet you Madam.’Hands up', Namaskar", the rickshaw driver went off back to his own track.

Perhaps he meant to Hand Shake.

Despite Differences ...

It was one of those rare scenes.

The bed sheets were clean and smoothly spread over the bed. The pillows all neatly piled one upon another at a decent corner of the bed. The quilts all folded and placed below the pillows. Everything just the way she did. And it was not a dream.

Returning from the office, entering the room, she had almost screamed, “Who did the BED?”

“”Me” was the short answer from her all smiling husband, almost proud of what he had done, having returned from the office early that day.

She stood there or some time.

She was impressed.

And, then she remembered how they had fought just a couple of days back.

She had a fetish for vegetables, while he was one whom one would call as a pure ‘non-vegetarian’.

Right from the moment she woke up in the morning, she would start thinking what to cook for him in the night. It was not for her self that she thought. It was her husband that made her worried.

He just could never understand, what was there to so much worry about, that too from the morning itself? Is cooking something to worry about? And worry about his meals? That is ridiculous, he would mutter to himself. One simple fish curry, and an omelette of double eggs, is just more than suffice for him. So? What is the big deal about it?

She was always at the end of her wits of what to cook for him. It was getting difficult for her to manage the daily cooking routine. How could one possible eat all egg, fish or meat and complete his lunch? No starters like fried vegetable? Yaak!!! ‘Gosh… This man does not have any taste at all’.

He loved fish curry alright. But, he always found that either the fish is not well cooked or the cooking maid did not fry them well, so how could he possibly eat them? And she just would not understand this simple thing of his. And she treated him as if it was his fault. But, he could not help it, is not it?. And those eggs, he did not want them so much boiled. When cooked in a curry, eggs ought to be half boiled, and kept within the warm water for some time. ‘Nobody has taste ….. #%#$%#% (neither his wife nor the cooking maid)’, he would conclude with disgust.

She could not make him taste her green delicacies. She would get annoyed, and then angry, really angry. After all, why cannot he taste some? It’s not something inedible. Is not it that something that human beings don’t eat? And now, if she had to buy vegetables solely for herself, she had to buy more than required, just because the shop keepers won’t sell so less an amount. And then, she had to do all the eating by her self which she really hated [to eat something alone without sharing the joy of it].

His in laws were another nightmare for him. He remembered how his mother in law (read monster in law) had once asked him to eat cooked lotus stems. As if they were edible vegetables. Who has ever heard of it? Yaaak!!!!!!! He had managed somehow to escape that time, by passing onto the material to his wife’s plate. Gosh……… One should have seen how she loved to devour them.

It was not that she did not like eggs, or fish or meat. But for her they were for special occasions and a part of the meal but not the entire meal. And she really could not do without something green on her plate. As she ate her green preparations she always felt sorry for her poor husband who missed so many delicious delicacies.

He loved to prepare the omlette in an utmost suave manner. He would take two eggs, beat them vociferously, and then spread them on the fuming sauce pan, till they swelled and a delicious smell brewed. He really took a genuine pride in doing that. And most of all he loved to prepare one such masterpiece of his dear wife. ‘Well, can really such a magnificent omlette be compared to a lotus stem preparation? Naa ….’ he always grinned inside with pure satisfaction.

She was happy that day, when besides mutton, he had also brought her a green, round, young gourd. It was like a gift for her. That was so thoughtful of him, she had mused. Some times, in happy moments of cooking, she would tease him by saying, that he rooted from the rich Jamindars of kolkata and that she came from the poor villages of Bangladesh, and so their tastes had to differ and that it could not be helped, it was destiny. And they would laugh over it for a long time.

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She loved her husband, and at the depth of her heart, she knows that he too loves her a lot. It was not an easy relationship since they both had to go through many hardships, before being able to tie the knot. So, the knot was all the more dear for them. After all those hardships which they went through, they could not think of giving it away so easily.
And, despite all those differences in their likings of food, they would eat from the same plate, at the end of the day.

[It was only occasionally, when the issue would take a larger shape that they would eat from separate plates. :-)]

Double Eggs' Omelette

The cooking maid was more worried than her. The cooking gas had exhausted and it was 9 PM of a winter night.

But, unlike her cooking maid, she took the news calmly. She decided to give her nerves some rest this time.

Then she looked at him, not so scornfully. He was working at his laptop, quite unprepared for this horrible news at this hour of night. And those looks - he knew what they meant. It was on Saturday itself that he had been already given the warning to book the gas and today was Wednesday. He really needed to be careful now before uttering anything from his auspicious mouth, he knew that. Or else, there could be an explosion without the cylinder bursting though.

"Honey, who would have received the Gas Man, say? Both of us leave the house at 9 in the morning, to return at 7 in the evening. Is not it?"

She did not even look up from the comics' strip that she was reading.

The cooking maid gave her husband's reply instead. The cooking maid had many options of course and she could help if it was a BHARAT Gas, but (unfortunately) it was a HP cylinder that they had. She advised them to get a Double Cylinder Connection which she had told them earlier also and that she had one at her home, too. And she asked them to arrange for a stove as of now. And then she recalled how she had repeatedly warned them for booking the Gas beforehand in order to avoid this kind of sudden troubles. She then announced that, nothing more could be done. She tucked in the half cooked vegetables into the refrigerator and left.

"Honey, what about a bonfire on the roof? We could fire some newspapers and do the rest of the cooking?" he muttered under his breath with so much of after thoughts.

There was no response.

He opened the refrigerator, and searched for something for some time.

"Honey, where is the Gas Book that I had kept in the refrigerator?"

Quite true. He had kept the Gas Book in a safe and cool place, which is inside the refrigerator itself. She did not know what to think of it when she saw it for the first time. She said normally, "I have kept it above the refrigerator."

He fiddled with the Gas book, for some time, and then left it on the bed, knowing nothing could be done now and went into the kitchen.

"Honey, we still have the rice and the dal already cooked. Only the curry needs to be warmed up a bit. And an omelette of double eggs will do a fine job. What do you think?"

It seemed that she needed some air to breathe out. She called up her mother in law, and her mom, and narrated for a long time the same incident to both of them. It made her feel a bit lighter.

He took two eggs from the refrigerator, a sauce pan and a spoon from the kitchen.

By the time she had finished her calls, she noticed that he was not around.

Suspecting something fishy, she went to the roof terrace.

There he was all smiling, sitting with a sauce pan in his hands, held over a small fire before him.

She was just speechless. She could not believe that he really did it, that he really meant of doing it - an omelette of double eggs, on the roof, by preparing a fire made of just newspapers.

"Honey, see the omelette is almost done, you will see that this one tastes far better than the one cooked on the gas. Can you just pass me some more of those papers please"?

She had no doubt that it would taste better. She passed him some more papers. The omelette was now done.

"Honey, you wont be angry, nah? I used the paper box, where those new glasses had been kept. Actually I required some hard papers for starting up the fire."

Well, she was not.