Mother

The twosome:

It was an early winter morning; the sunlight was yet to show up. But there were people out on the street already. Though too little in number but there were...

Mahesh opened the main door of his small flat and came out. He was a tall, fair a little plump guy. His wife Uma was as pretty as a painting. Tall, slim, brown eyed, her hair hung below her knees, it covered her whole back and a lot of her arms and chest when it was open, so she had to keep it in a tight bun most of the times. Mahesh loved playing with it when they were together.

Their union was the most blessed union in the world... that’s what their friends, neighbours and relatives said. Two persons deeply loving each other for twenty years. Mahesh was twenty and Uma was barely fifteen years old when they married.

Every one present in that marriage said that God Shiva has come down to marry his Parvati. May be God wanted to deprive them of something, to save that blessed union from evil eyes...

Twenty years after their marriage they both know that they will never be blessed by a child of their own. Mahesh had some serious physical problems.

It did not change Uma’s love for him an inch. She knew all the while that she was blessed to have him in her life. Whenever her friends used to share their agonies of being beaten up by their drunkard husbands or their other amorous affairs she used to count her blessings and her love for her husband used to swell even more.

“You will be coming back for lunch?” she softly asked him. “Please do, I will prepare poori and gajar ka halwa for you.” She said, as if she was trying to lure a child. Her love for her husband was a purest blending of all types of love.

“I will certainly try to come; you know I can’t eat unless you serve me with those lotus hands of yours…” Mahesh answered equally softly, none of them wanted the neighbours to hear their parting words, every one teased them for their undying love.

He started to climb down the stairs after soaking her with his gaze full of deep love. She closed the front door and started her chores one by one.

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The surprise:

Mahesh reached his parked taxi within five minutes. The sky has started to fade into grey. Birds were waking up one by one.

He dusted the taxi and opened the front door. He was about to turn on the ignition key after performing the puja when he heard something in the backseat. It was mewling of a kitten. He switched on the light and saw that he has left the window open last night.

“Oh God!!!!” he muttered as he descended and opened the back door to shoo the cat away.

He saw a small baby lying on the backseat, a beautiful girl dressed in neat and costly clothes. There was a gold chain in her neck and a letter requesting to keep the chain and leave the child to some decent orphanage.

He scooped up the child, locked the taxi carefully and rushed back home.

They contacted the local police station showed them every thing and requested them to let them have the girl. The girl was handed over to them officially. They adopted her and named her Esha.


Twenty five years have passed by. Esha was a young girl now. Studying in university, pursuing doctorate in Economics.

The weather was lovely that evening, Durgapuja was round the corner. The weather was pleasant; the sky was full of white, dazzling clouds. She came out of university and started to walk towards her home. It was hardly fifteen minute from her campus.

She was lost in her own world of young dreams when she heard the screeching of the car’s brake. She lifted her startled eyes and saw a car standing still a few metres away from her and the driver of the car following it cursing his heads off.

She saw a lady looking out at her from the window of the passenger seat, staring would have been the correct word. She ignored her and went her way.


She reached her home and turned to check the traffic before crossing the road, just then she noted a car stopping near her. The same lady came out of the car and approached her with a slight hesitation.

“Do you live here?” she asked.

Esha did not feel any alarm because the lady was too sophisticated and motherly looking to be menacing in any sense. So she simply nodded.

“Are you looking for some one?” she asked politely.

“No, you look like someone I know. You have a very strong resemblance with him.” The lady said. “Would you mind telling me your father’s name?”

The lady handed her over her visiting card, which said she was the wife of one of the biggest industrialist of a nearby town.

Esha told her father’s name and bade goodbye to the lady. She turned to see before entering her flat, and as she has assumed the lady was standing and watching her.

She said everything to her parents and handed them over the card.


The parents:

Next evening when she returned from her college she saw that her father’s taxi was standing outside.

She was happy and worried. She took two stairs at a time and rang the bell a little breathless.

She was very childish even at this age; she hugged Mahesh and sat down beside him. “Are you okay baba? Ma I am famished, give me something to eat.”

Then she noticed an eerie, uncomfortable silence. Her parents were sitting there silently and were visibly upset, almost morose.

“What’s wrong?” she asked.

“The lady you met last evening is your true mother.” Uma said softly.

“You are my real mother; you mean to say she is my biological mother.” Esha said. “From where has she appeared now after these years?”

Uma repeated the story told to her by Kaushalya, Esha’s biological mother. Esha was abandoned because she was a girl child.

Kaushalya was initially told that she was still born but later, years later her husband told her the truth.

They have shifted to USA just after abandoning Esha, they had another son, who is living in USA right now. They have returned because they were missing India.

Kaushalya saw Esha accidentally last evening; she is a replica of her brother Kaushik. The locality is also the same so she took her chance. They want her back to them.

“Okay, story finished, but I am still hungry ma.” Esha said. “When Kaushalya aunty comes next time tell her that if she wants to meet me she will have to come here.” Esha got up to change her dress.

Nightmare in suburbia

He was an ex police officer. Still had extremely good connection with cops and local powerful people.

He used his years in police to collect heads. They were his boys and girls. Who have fallen in his vicious clutches due to no fault of theirs. The social pariahs, who have committed the social sin of loving someone of same gender and that too with proof. Proof collected carefully by the monster. So he could use them like puppets. The best type of puppets, who have no where to run.

Story 1:

Tamanna was scared; her soft beautiful face was flushed.

Sohail gently held her hand. “Don’t be scared jaanu. We will reach Kolkata and hide in my parent’s home.”

His parents showed him the door. Good that Tamanna did not have to face that insult. She was waiting in the taxi to be escorted by her mother in law. But Sohail came back sad and distraught.

He rented a small flat. A week passed away like dream. They decorated every inch of that flat.

“Jaan, I don’t know how to tell this to you, but would you mind joining my office? The expenses are too high for me to meet alone. I never thought my parents will shut their door on me.” Sohail asked her timidly.

“Why not? It’s my duty to help you. Is not it? She smiled sweetly.

“My boss is looking for a secretary. He will pay ten thousand to the girl. I believe that will be a great help for us.”

“Let’s see him tomorrow and see if he appoints me.”

He did. He was a very generous man. He helped them in getting a better flat, even arranged for a loan. Quite a hefty amount of loan which he arranged to deduct from their salary.



It was well past midnight. Sohail has left to deposit the money in bank, so they could buy things later.

Tamanna was pacing in the balcony, worried to death. Slowly night turned into dawn but Sohail did not showed up.

She contacted her neighbours, who contacted the police and searched the hospitals but he was nowhere.

She could not contact her family; there was no one there but her step mother and sisters. Sohail has saved her from their clutches. She has been serving them as slave since her father passed away fifteen years ago.

There was no question of contacting them. Then she thought about Mr. Sisodia, Sohail’s boss.

“Pack your things and come here. Stay with us and we will try to locate Sohail.” Mr. Sisodia said, “My car will pick you up in half an hour.”

His car came with his manager. He paid the flat’s rent and cleared the dues.

He took her to Mr. Sisodia’s bungalow. It was situated in outskirts of Kolkata.

She felt uneasy when she noticed that there was no woman visible. No sign of any family was there.

“My family lives in Ballygunge Place. I have made arrangements of your staying here.”

“You can stay and work from here if you want, that will not be required though, till you clear my dues. The loan which you took from me. All the papers were signed by you and it amounts to five lakh.”

All of a sudden he transformed into a wolf right in front of her eyes.

Years later when Tamanna looked back at that day, the darkest day of her life she realized, a smart girl would have become suspicious when Mr. Jain cleared the dues in such a hurry.




Story 2:

“Mom, dad I am leaving for that trip I told you. Do I have a budget for expenditure?” Jeevesh asked.

“Jeev, I can earn thousands time more in a day than you can spend in a month.” His father retorted, “Now go and enjoy yourself boy, don’t forget that you are the only son of a millionaire.”

“I will be back after twenty days. Will be calling you in between.” He waved at them and sped away in his car.

His car crossed the borders of Kolkata and headed for a small village. He was planning a big surprise for his parents. He was about to come back with a bride.

He met her on orkut. She is a beauty queen. Studies in Kolkata. She belongs to a hand to mouth family. But that does not matter to him. And he hopes his parents will too accept Lata. He has arranged his own marriage, though with the help of his in-laws. He has financed for every thing. Tonight is his wedding night.

His car entered the dusty road of the village. After a few turns he reached Lata’s house.

The house was deserted. It did not appear that there was any body in that house. He searched every room but they were locked.

He tried to knock the door of the next hut but it too was deserted. He walked a little bit and located another hut. A woman came out after hearing him. “Nobody lives in that hut.” She answered.

“I know babu, the hut on the bank of the pond. No one lives there.” She repeated impatiently.

She even accompanied him to confirm her words.

“This hut is empty for years. I will go now. I have to cook.” She left him bewildered.



“You want to say that you handed over Lakhs of rupees to strangers?” the Police Officer simply gawked at him.

“Do you have any photo of the girl?” he asked. Still looking at him with a deep amusement.


“No.” he gulped. “We have met just two months ago and we thought there was no need of keeping a photo before we were going to marry.” Jeevesh said.

The Police Officer felt pity at the embarrassed boy sitting on the chair. Sweating profusely. He was hardly as old as his own son.

“Do you think you will be able to drive back home on your own?” he asked. “Don’t hope for any thing at all but I will try.”

“Go home now young man.” He said kindly.



Sohail and Lata were sitting in front of Mr. Sisodia. Collecting the details of their next assignment. Hoping in their heart that soon Mr. Sisodia will release them after making enough amount of money out of them.

Their liberty was completely dependent on Mr. Sisodia’s mercy. A flicker of disobedience from their end or annoyance from his end will result in their living death.

Snowy

I


“Stand still on the pavement, let me pay the fare. Don’t go any where.” His mother said.

Rick was standing there but his eyes were roaming all around him. Suddenly it falls in him. A tiny puppy, black and white. He was also watching him, wagging his tail happily.

He went to him and looked at his mother. She was busy paying the driver. He patted the puppy and fished out a biscuit from his bag. He instantly ate it up and started to lick his boots. Rick looked for another biscuit but there were none.

By then his mother has finished, “Don’t play with street dogs baba, they have germs.” She said. “They sleep on the dirty roads or other places; there is no one to clean them up so they become infested with all type of germs.”

“Don’t forget to wash your hand properly after reaching home.” Tanisha was not very fussy but careful.

“Okay ma.” Rick said, he turned his head, the puppy was following him. He looked back once more after reaching the gate of the Housing. The small puppy looked sadly at him when he realized that he can’t follow him and sat down outside the gate.

“Ma, he is hungry.” Rick looked at his mother pleadingly.

“Okay, take some rice and milk outside the housing complex and feed him.” She said.

It became a daily routine thereafter. The tiny puppy following him to and fro auto rickshaw stop. Waiting patiently for little food outside the gate.


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II

“Tanu, I have been transferred to our Murshidabad office.” Ritwik said. “We will have to shift there within next July.”

“Don’t worry about packing I will contact packers. All you will have to do is supervise.”

“We will get a small bungalow of our own, with a small garden outside it. It will be a great relief after spending so much time in these stuffed match boxes.”

Rik was listening intently to the discussion his parents were having. “Ma, will I have to leave Snowy here?”

“Sorry baba but yes. We can’t take him there with us.” She said.

He went away after eating his dinner. A few minutes later Tanisha saw that he was silently standing in the balcony. She softly went there and saw Snowy standing near the Housing Gate. Wagging his tale at him.

She retreated to the kitchen, heavy hearted. She went to the balcony again, Rick was still standing there. “Go to bed babu. You will have to go to school tomorrow.”

Rick silently obeyed her. She tucked him in and went to watch the news with Ritwik.

When she came to check him before sleeping she saw that his cheeks were stained with tear.

“Can we buy a puppy for Rick?” she asked.

“Why? All of a sudden?” Ritwik did not know about snowy.

She told him Snowy’s story.

“Let’s take him with us. We will get him examined by vet.” Ritwik said. “We will be traveling in the truck along with the goods so we can always take Snowy with us. Cant we?”


She hugged him tightly and smiled.

Touch of love

I

 

“Wake up you lazy brat!” he felt the sting of the cane upon his body. He jumped out of the bed in horror.

 

“Wear the clothes and come with me. If this house also sends you back I will kill you with my bare hands.” Mr. Yadav growled. He was a dark, short, fat man with cruel eyes and strong hands. Hands he used to thrash the small and big boys of the state run orphanage.

 

He collected a large amount of money from different sources but it just vanished. He never kept boys with him for more than five years. After that he used to give them away to people of distant places, in lieu of money. They used to get a slave for few years and he a little bit of extra money.

 

Deepak has been given away a couple of times but he ran away from those homes whenever he was mistreated too much. Police has rescued him from the street a few times and have warned Mr. Yadav. This time Mr. Yadav has arranged a house hundreds of miles away.

 

They were coming to pick him up. A car stopped outside a few hours later.

 

A very serious looking man entered the office. “Mr. Yadav? I am Dr. Banerjee.”

 

“Is he the boy? He looks malnourished.”

 

“What’s your name?” he smiled at Deepak.

 

“Tell him your name beta. He is a very mischievous boy. You can call him a rogue.” Mr. Yadav said sweetly.

 

“That’s ok. I don’t expect him to be an angel.” The man said. “My wife and mother will handle him perfectly. He is just a small child. How old is he? Seven?”

 

“No sir, he just looks small, he is ten years old.” Mr. Yadav was preparing the form for adoption. “Don’t go by that innocent face sir. You will regret.”

 

Another hour later Dr. Banerjee opened the door to his car for Deepak. He climbed inside stiffly.

 

“Are you hungry?” he asked. “They were passing by some sweet shops.”

 

He shook his head so vehemently that he laughed out loudly and stopped the car. He took Deepak inside and ordered some food for him. He watched him devouring them hungrily.

 

He bought and handed him over a few packets of chips and chocolates for the journey. They won’t reach Kolkata before afternoon.

 

 

 

 

II

 

They reached a small house situated just outside Kolkata. Dr. Banerjee has opened a chamber just outside Kolkata. He earned enough for a luxurious life. Having enough property from ancestors he did not have to worry much about future.

 

Two women and a small girl came out one by one when they heard the car entering the driveway.

 

“This is the boy ma.” Dr. Banerjee smiled at one of them.

 

“He is too skinny and dirty.” The lady said. All her hairs were white like the sari she was wearing.

 

Deepak went toward them and touched their feet one by one. They all blessed him.

 

“Come baba. What’s your name?” the elderly lady asked.

 

“Deepak.” He said.

 

“Wow! You can talk.” Dr. Banerjee laughed. “I have asked him this question atleast five times since I first saw him. He just kept mum.”

 

“Call me dida, her ma, her didi and him baba.” The lady instructed him before taking him to the toilet. She showed him the ropes and left him a set of fresh clothes.

 

When he came out they were waiting for him in the dining table. He was placed in the room beside dida. They went to the market in the evening to get necessary things for him.

 

He was really surprised. He pinched himself a few times to confirm if he was dreaming but he was not. He was fully awake.

 

Soon evening turned into night and he went to bed after dinner. Scared that he will wake up in the orphanage in the morning. With the stinging taste of Mr. Yadav’s cane on his body.

 

 

“Deep, are you sleeping?” he heard a soft voice and felt a soft touch on his forehead.

 

He woke up confused. He was lying in a small bed; a small beautiful girl was standing beside the bed.

 

Then he recalled everything. “No didi.”

 

“Then brush your teeth and come with me. I will pick flowers and you will have to hold them, then we will decorate the rooms, ok?” Hema said.

 

Soon the little ones were in the garden. One picking up flowers the other holding them in his hands.

 

Together they brought them to the verandah. Hema has already placed a few water filled vases there. She got busy with them. She soon decorated the first one and handed it over to Deepak. “Go and put it in the drawing room table. The one in the middle of the room.” She ordered. She was happy to get a helping hand.

 

Deepak meekly obeyed her. He started for the drawing with the vase then slipped fell and the vase was shattered to pieces.

 

The crash brought both Janaki and her mother in law there in a second. Janaki saw the small boy shivering like a leaf sobbing.

 

She soon reached him and started to inspect him for scratches. There were none. Her heart felt the reason behind the tears and softly hugged the frightened child to her heart.

 

“Don’t cry baba. Its alright.” She wiped his eyes.

 

The maid cleaned up the mess. Deepak rejoined Hema. Then onward he was cautious while walking.

 

 

 

 

III

 

Soon his life transformed into a beautiful dream. Dr. Banerjee enrolled him in a local school first then in a very good school. Finally he left to study MBBS in Delhi on scholarship.

 

He got his first offer there and got settled there. Dr. Banerjee stayed in Kolkata but they were constantly in touch.

 

Within a year of getting his job he came back to Kolkata to wed Hema off to Jiten. A young man settled in South Africa. They were a family of businessmen. Jiten appeared to be a very nice boy. He was very kind to Hema who was slightly autistic.

 

“Deep, baba you should get married now.” Dr. Banerjee told him. He was visiting Delhi.

 

“I was thinking about shifting to South Africa with your ma.” He said. His mother has passed away a couple of years ago.

 

“I feel a little worried about Hema, all alone there. I know Jiten is a very good boy but you know a mother’s heart.”

 

“Jiten was asking us again and again to shift there.” Dr. Banerjee said. “What do you say?”

 

“Baba, don’t worry about me. I will be alright. But don’t hurry for my marriage right now. Give me five years. Then fix a match for me, I will marry her.” He said.

 

Dr. Banerjee sold off his property in India; a thing which Deepak advised him against but he did not listened.

 

“There are hardly any chances of our returning here.” He said. He left a hefty amount in Deepak’s name simply rubbishing his vehement opposition.

 

He bade them goodbye from Dumdum airport, crying like a child. A decision he later regretted bitterly.

 

They maintained a regular contact for the first year then simply disappeared. Vanished without a trace.

 

Deepak tried every thing but they have simply vanished. It appeared as if the foreign land has swallowed them alive.

 

Deepak married after a few years, his wife Smita was a very loving lady. They were blessed with a daughter soon. They named her Hema.

 

Twenty years have passed by. Deepak was now a well settled doctor in Delhi. He had two nursing homes in Delhi. One was completely charitable the other one was run to bear the expenses of both and his own.

 

“Dr. Banerjee. There is a serious injury case. A woman, she seems to be in coma.” The receptionist informed her as he was entering the charitable nursing home – Janakisadan.

 

He headed straight for the ICU.

 

 

 

 

IV

 

He stopped short before entering. There were two elderly persons sitting there, huddled to each other.

 

He stood there staring at them. “Dr. Banerjee?” he asked. One of them shot up his head and stared at him.

 

He bowed down and touched their feet. “Sister, take them to my home and give Smita this note.”

 

He quickly scribbled something to a note. But they both refused to budge. “Please first check our daughter.”

 

“Ok, sister take them to my room and give them whatever they need and tea.” He entered the room.

 

Fortunately the woman was only in shock. She was badly bruised and unconscious.

 

He took the necessary steps and left her to the care of a sister. “She is my sibling. Take very good care of her.”

 

He entered his room. It was a small suite type system. He has to often spend days here at a stretch so he has made likewise arrangements.

 

They were sitting side by side on the sofa with a surprised expression on their face.

 

“How is Hema?” Janaki asked.

 

“She is alright ma. Only bruises. We will go home when she comes to senses.”

 

“Deep. You have not forgotten us?” Dr. Banerjee asked him. He has already seen their photo on the table so they have guessed who he was.

 

“Where have you all disappeared?” he was almost in tears. “I searched you like a lunatic.”

 

 

 

 

V

 

“Life has changed into a nightmare after we shifted to South Africa.”

 

“When we reached there we saw that Hema has lost her vision in an accident, Jiten has not informed that too us.”

 

“He grabbed all our money and kept us under house arrest. We could not do any thing due to Hema.”

 

“He vanished after a month and we came to know that his family has already disowned him.”

 

“We spent all these years trying to arrange for the money to return to India.”

 

“He has grabbed all our papers so all I could do was do menial works and that too at dirt’s rate.”

“Your ma had to stay at home to look after Hema. We managed to come to India five years ago but have lost your address.”

 

“I tried to get my medical degree’s copy but failed. The bribe demanded was too much.”

 

“We came to Delhi hoping that we will stumble into you by some miracle. That miracle did happen.”

 

 

“Dr. Banerjee, patient has come to her senses.” They all rushed toward her room.

 

She was sitting on her bed. Trying to understand what has happened.

 

Janaki sat down beside her and softly picked up her hand in her hand. Hema recognized the touch and hugged her.

 

“Let’s leave for home now.” Deepak smiled.

 

 

The car pulled into the driveway of a small house. A young woman and a very small child were waiting in the verandah.

 

“Smita, ma, baba and hemadi.” Deepak smiled happily.

 

“Dadu, dida and pishimoni.” Smita told her daughter before bending down to touch their feet.

 

Glossary:

Dadu = grandfather, dida = grandmother, pishimoni = auntie

Eyes

I

 

Tilak was coming out of his cubicle when he heard Chandan call him. “Will you come here for a while?”

 

“Will you please read what is written in the sms?” he asked when he entered his cubicle.

 

Chandan was one of the most meritorious employees of their company. He was a magician when it came to composition of background scores of the ads that their company created but just like all the geniuses, nature has balanced his fortune with a misfortune. He could see things alright when they were far but could not see things that were close, or things which were hard to read, like smses on a cell-phone.

 

He often asked for the help of his friends, who happily helped him because he was a wonderful person.

 

Tilak read him the message.

 

“Will you please answer it? I will tell you what to write.” Chandan requested again.

 

It seemed that the girl who has written the message truly loved Chandan. Tilak answered the sms.

 

He heard Chandan talking with the girl as he closed the door of the office behind him.

 

“Hey Tilak, I want to see Pausha, I want to know her more.”

 

“I think that’s a good idea. She seems to like you. Why don’t you take it a step further and see if you can end up together forever.” He laughed.

 

“I think you are right. May be we should meet. I like her very much. She is a very sweet girl.”

 

They were having their lunch together. On Chandan’s request Tilak texted the smses and fixed an appointment in a restaurant next Sunday.

 

 

 

II

 

 

“Tilak, I am scared. What if she refuses me? And calls off the friendship?”

 

“Don’t be scared buddy, she will like you, and you are a marvelous person.” Tilak smiled at him fondly.

 

It was Sunday morning. Tilak was still in his bed when his cell-phone rang. It was Chandan. “I am on my way to airport. My flight is at ten. I am leaving for two years to Singapore.”

 

“Will you do me a favour? Will you meet Pausha on my behalf? She will be coming here all the way from Raniganj just to meet me. Tell her that I am really sorry that I had to go away like this. I received the sms fifteen minutes back or else I would have called her up myself. She must be on her way to Kolkata so calling her now is useless and rude. I will pay you the bill buddy; just take my girlfriend to a date. Please!”

 

Tilak agreed because he knew that if none showed up in the restaurant that will mean end of Chandan’s friendship with Pausha, there are slim chances that she will take it sportingly.

 

He got up and left for the restaurant at the given time. Pausha was sitting in the table; it was love at first sight. He spent the whole day with her and left absolutely drowned in her love.

 

She really was like an autumn morning. Simple, calm and serene. An air of purity enveloping her whole being.

 

He hid the fact from her that he was not Chandan. Why heaven only knows. He told her that he has changed his phone number and email address and gave his phone number and email id to her.

 

He knew Chandan has left his phone in India. He was dead sure that he will forget her in two years.

 

Sometimes people lie just without any reason at all. May be he thought that it would be their first and last meeting. But then why did he give her his own number? Hoping she too will be smitten by him?

 

She did not contact him back and two years passed by. Though he tried his level best to befriend her she remained aloof.

 

Chandan returned to India as his boss. Tilak got a little scared that he will ask about her, and if he finds out the bluffs, the results will be extremely bad for him.

 

Well, he did, the first question he asked him when they met was about Pausha, how was the meeting and what type of person she was.

 

“She is married. She came with a small daughter.” Tilak blurted out.

 

“She can’t be married. She told me she is unmarried and she is not a liar.” Was Chandan’s firm answer. He brushed off all that Tilak said to convince him.

 

 

III

 

 

 

He has already replaced Pausha’s number with the number of his cousin sister. Who lived in Raniganj. He has told her every thing and begged her help. She was furious but promised that she will help him as much as possible.

 

He has gathered enough knowledge about Pausha pretending as Chandan, he shared them with his sister and requested her again and again to get rid him of Chandan as early as possible, or else she might get caught and that will mean his doom.

 

He has failed to gauge the depth of Chandan’s feelings for Pausha. He was one of those persons who loved very rare, and when they did they loved with their every thing.

 

“Tilak, Chandan is nagging me to meet him again and again.” It was Doyel, his cousin on phone. “He is ignoring all my attempts to brush him away. I can’t be cruel to him without any reasons… tell me what I will do!”

 

“He is convinced that I am not married, because he calls up at all hours and asks me to let him speak with my husband or daughter, now from where will I get a husband or daughter?” she added, “So I avoided his grilling without saying anything.”

 

“Give me little time sis, just little time, I will try to shake her off his head. Can you give me your phone for a few months?” he asked and she happily gave it to him because she was absolutely disgusted with the entire affair.

 

Tilak started to sms him as abusively as possible. Trying to shake him out of his obsession.  He could see that Chandan was shattering to pieces, his heart started to curse him.

 

So he tried to treat him with firm friendliness even that failed. He could see that he was deeply in love with her.

 

His mother complained to him that he is turning down all the marriage offers.

 

He felt like banging his head to the wall.  He truly liked Chandan and hated himself for slipping into this quagmire of endless lies. He was sinking deeper into it with every passing day. He could see no way out of it.

 

 

 

IV

 

Pausha was sitting in her room when her phone rang, it was Chandan. She was a little irked. He did not turned out the man she thought he was and have been trying to get rid of him since then but he just was not giving in.

 

“Pausha, I am coming to Raniganj, can you meet me for a while? It’s urgent.”

 

“When and where?”

 

The venue was fixed. Tilak met her, told her the whole story and begged her to save him and Chandan.

 

Pausha scolded him but forgave him.

 

Next day Tilak entered office, “Chandan, Pausha wants to meet you.”

 

“Where? How did you know her?” Chandan beamed.

 

“I gave her my number when we met.” Tilak said, she is coming to Kolkata tomorrow. Please don’t go to Singapore again. Tilak laughed hiding his pain and fear.

 

They met in the same restaurant. “Where is your daughter?” Tilak asked her naughtily.

 

“I am not married; she is my sister’s daughter. I brought her with me as a safety measure.” She laughed. “When you told me that you are not Chandan I was so mad at him that I deliberately lied to you and gave away the phone to my sister. She has been playing all these pranks with Chandan.”

 

“I am sorry. Really.” She smiled at Chandan. Tilak could feel their mutual attraction. He tried to slip out but was not allowed. They passed the day together happily. Pausha went back to Raniganj glowing like a jasmine in early morning. Leaving behind a ecstatic Chandan.

 

(END)

Fake pearls

I

 

“Do you really think you will be able to do it? Take her place?”

 

“Give me some time, I will try and win.” She said with confidence.

 

“Okay. Then lets start trying.” Her mother in law said. She was a rich woman, very rich and was habituated of having her ways. Her only son fell in love with a poor girl.

 

She had other plans. She wanted him to get married to her friend’s daughter, after an exchange of a hefty sum of dowry.

 

She chalked her plan. Hired some goons to scare the family of the girl off the marriage and got her son married to the girl of her choice.

 

These two girls were as different as day and light. That was perfectly fine for Mrs. Majumdar but not for her son. He simply rejected her as soulmate but fulfilled his duties as husband.

 

Shyama complained to her mother and mother in law. It was not acceptable to any young woman that her husband will reject her as soulmate.

 

A weird idea popped out of the twisted mind of the woman.

 

She contacted her goons again, they contacted the girl’s family,”We have a request for you. You can keep it or leave it, it’s up to you.”

 

“Our client’s son is refusing to accept his wife as soulmate because of your daughter.”

 

“She gave us an assignment to kill her but we will not do that, we will give you a fair deal. We will give you an address, you have to keep your daughter there, and we will tell you for how long. Our client’s daughter in law will try to learn her ways. To become like her, as much possible.”

 

“We guarantee her safety if you listen to us, nothing if you don’t.”

 

-------------------------------------------------------

 

II

 

Her parents have knocked every police station when she was threatened first time but they received only two things, by name lecture and sniggering.

 

The reputation and life of their daughter was intimately involved so they surrendered their weapons and let them had their way. The girl was sent to that house with her older brother.

 

Then the woman started her real game. She on one hand made the life of the girl insufferable, praying deep in her heart that she will commit suicide on the other hand her daughter in law tried to mimic her as much as she could.

 

Watching her through her window, using a binocular, and placing a small listening device in her room, listening to every thing that was uttered in that room.

 

One year passed, two years passed. Slowly the girl’s family started to lose their cool.

 

Whenever they asked about getting their daughter back, all they heard was “wait.”

 

Finally it got on their nerves and they contacted the man whose love’s price she was paying. He promised stealth and soon accidentally entered the room when his wife was snooping, he saw and heard both.

 

“Shyama, I can forgive you because you are from an unsophisticated, rustic background, so you don’t even realize how disgusting it is to snoop on a person. Not only that, it is illegal too.”

 

“What will I do with my own mother? She can’t give your excuses.”

 

“Listen, you will never be my soul-mate, you just don’t have those materials in you. If you are not happy with being my wife you can walk out any day.”

 

“I have collected enough proof of your and mother’s deeds, if she is not released from that house immediately I will send you both to jail.”

 

“If any thing accidental ever happens to her, you both will meet me in Court.”

 

“If you apologize to her and me I will take you with me to my new home. But you will have to snap all ties with your and rest of my family forever.”

 

He walked out of the room.