The coffee mug nestled in his palms. There was nothing left in it. And it had been that way for the past two hours. The last drop had been licked of an hour earlier. There had been no offer of a refill.They had been talking and both didnt want to stop. There was comfort in the sound of talk. The pauses had been the problem.
Ratna glanced at his watch. It was almost dawn. He went over what they had talked about and realized that there had been nothing. It was all small talk. Gap-fillers. Movies, shopping, politics etc etc. but he didnt even know what movie she had watched last, where she went shopping. Nothing. She was friendly but a closed person. She still remained what she was, the first time he had met her, an enigma.
Ratna smiled as he continued to listen to her talk about the latest scandal and what she felt should be done to the dirty politicos and officials involved. He thought about that moment, about him being there, at her house, at that time, with her. There was absolutely not a single thread of logic or general possibility that this was happening, that this could be real. A week ago...a day ago if anyone had told him such a thing might happen, he would have laughed it off. But being here, in that place and that situation it was all he could do to stop from pinching himself.
Yet he had no clue as to why he was there.
"Uhh...Malini? " ,he interrupted her.
"..they probably would have got a sha...yes, Ratna?"
"What happened...Why this call suddenly...anything wrong? anything i can help with"
She looked at him blankly, looking hesitant.
"If its something too personal ..." he prolonged.
" hmmm I think you deserve to know that. In fact I am surprised that you didnt ask earlier."
She paused, took a deep breath, as to prepare herself.
"I havent been totally honest with you. I am not yet divorced. I mean, i dont know if I told you I was separated or divorced. I am still married. At least on paper and as far as the society is concerned. It was a love marriage. We met, fell in love, roamed around, and settled down. Both parents sides were fine with it and there was no hassles, atleast from that side. Things started off well. Both of us were new to the city, earning well and generally life was good."
Ratna eased and stretched a bit on the sofa. He continued to look at her keenly, captured by her recital.
" Then things started going sour. He started coming home late. Calls never got returned. There was a visible gap developing between us. No outings. No movies. No eating outside. I dont know what happened. He started to withdraw from me. I was confused. Wondered whether there was something wrong with me. I changed myself. I didn't know what to do or what to change but I wanted the early days back. But that never happened."
His cell vibrated in his trousers. He ignored it.
"Then I met one of my friends who was working in the same office as him. She told me rather hesitantly about Raghu and one of his colleagues and how the whole office was buzzing about them going around. I didnt know what to say. I didnt think it to be true or read into it too much. I didnt want to accept such baseless rumors too. But sometimes these things take root and refuse to budge. I too changed over time. I withdrew from him. Slowly but steadily."
He adjusted himself on the sofa, looking at her intensely.
"Things came to a boil and one fine day there was a big shouting match. Words were uttered which couldnt be repeated or repealed. At the end of it all, both of us just sat still, all our angst and frustrations out in the open, left with nothing to talk. He just got up and walked away. A week later I find some of his stuff gone from the house.That was 8 months ago."
His cell once again vibrated. He shifted slightly to allow it to go into some dark recess in his pockets.
"Yesterday night he came back. We talked about some thing or the other and kept hunting for topics to talk. Finally we were both exhausted. We had both run out of things to talk. Then he told me. He wants a divorce. He is going to marry someone else. What was there is now confirmed. It has been finalized. The end to it all."
She paused, took a sip from the glass of water before her and placed it back on the table.
"I was shocked, although I knew it at some inner level that there was no comeback or revival. I accepted. I told him to get it ready. I wasnt going to contest anything. He started to talk about support and all. I didnt want anything. I just wanted it to end. The turmoil to end. He left around seven in the night. I found myself sitting in the dark. I didnt want to be alone. I just wanted to tell all this to somebody. I just didnt want to be sitting alone.."
"No problem, malini...i am sorry to hear...but isnt there anything that can be done...I know, you would have tried if there was anything...just wondering if there was something left to do" Ratna interjected.
"No ...there is nothing that can be done now. It is done. "
His cell vibrated. He took it out. He glanced back at her sitting there on the sofa.
" I need to take this. Give me five minutes." Saying that he stepped out of the house.
"Hello.."
"Hello...how long should i keep trying your number. What? were you sleeping. Dont you remember. I am coming back today. I have just crossed Chenglepet... I should be in Kathipara in another hour...you are coming to pick me up, right?" a female voice shouted out of his mobile.
"Yes da...I shall come and pick you up..."
"Hmmm Mom and dad are coming home next week. To finalize on the wedding hall and the invitations. They told me just yesterday. Your parents will be free, right? to go with them"
"Yes they will be. Listen. I will talk to you in some time.okay? line is not clear now."
"Okay bye then...see you soon."
Ratna kept the phone back in his pockets and glanced back at the gate he had just walked out of
Ratna glanced at his watch. It was almost dawn. He went over what they had talked about and realized that there had been nothing. It was all small talk. Gap-fillers. Movies, shopping, politics etc etc. but he didnt even know what movie she had watched last, where she went shopping. Nothing. She was friendly but a closed person. She still remained what she was, the first time he had met her, an enigma.
Ratna smiled as he continued to listen to her talk about the latest scandal and what she felt should be done to the dirty politicos and officials involved. He thought about that moment, about him being there, at her house, at that time, with her. There was absolutely not a single thread of logic or general possibility that this was happening, that this could be real. A week ago...a day ago if anyone had told him such a thing might happen, he would have laughed it off. But being here, in that place and that situation it was all he could do to stop from pinching himself.
Yet he had no clue as to why he was there.
"Uhh...Malini? " ,he interrupted her.
"..they probably would have got a sha...yes, Ratna?"
"What happened...Why this call suddenly...anything wrong? anything i can help with"
She looked at him blankly, looking hesitant.
"If its something too personal ..." he prolonged.
" hmmm I think you deserve to know that. In fact I am surprised that you didnt ask earlier."
She paused, took a deep breath, as to prepare herself.
"I havent been totally honest with you. I am not yet divorced. I mean, i dont know if I told you I was separated or divorced. I am still married. At least on paper and as far as the society is concerned. It was a love marriage. We met, fell in love, roamed around, and settled down. Both parents sides were fine with it and there was no hassles, atleast from that side. Things started off well. Both of us were new to the city, earning well and generally life was good."
Ratna eased and stretched a bit on the sofa. He continued to look at her keenly, captured by her recital.
" Then things started going sour. He started coming home late. Calls never got returned. There was a visible gap developing between us. No outings. No movies. No eating outside. I dont know what happened. He started to withdraw from me. I was confused. Wondered whether there was something wrong with me. I changed myself. I didn't know what to do or what to change but I wanted the early days back. But that never happened."
His cell vibrated in his trousers. He ignored it.
"Then I met one of my friends who was working in the same office as him. She told me rather hesitantly about Raghu and one of his colleagues and how the whole office was buzzing about them going around. I didnt know what to say. I didnt think it to be true or read into it too much. I didnt want to accept such baseless rumors too. But sometimes these things take root and refuse to budge. I too changed over time. I withdrew from him. Slowly but steadily."
He adjusted himself on the sofa, looking at her intensely.
"Things came to a boil and one fine day there was a big shouting match. Words were uttered which couldnt be repeated or repealed. At the end of it all, both of us just sat still, all our angst and frustrations out in the open, left with nothing to talk. He just got up and walked away. A week later I find some of his stuff gone from the house.That was 8 months ago."
His cell once again vibrated. He shifted slightly to allow it to go into some dark recess in his pockets.
"Yesterday night he came back. We talked about some thing or the other and kept hunting for topics to talk. Finally we were both exhausted. We had both run out of things to talk. Then he told me. He wants a divorce. He is going to marry someone else. What was there is now confirmed. It has been finalized. The end to it all."
She paused, took a sip from the glass of water before her and placed it back on the table.
"I was shocked, although I knew it at some inner level that there was no comeback or revival. I accepted. I told him to get it ready. I wasnt going to contest anything. He started to talk about support and all. I didnt want anything. I just wanted it to end. The turmoil to end. He left around seven in the night. I found myself sitting in the dark. I didnt want to be alone. I just wanted to tell all this to somebody. I just didnt want to be sitting alone.."
"No problem, malini...i am sorry to hear...but isnt there anything that can be done...I know, you would have tried if there was anything...just wondering if there was something left to do" Ratna interjected.
"No ...there is nothing that can be done now. It is done. "
His cell vibrated. He took it out. He glanced back at her sitting there on the sofa.
" I need to take this. Give me five minutes." Saying that he stepped out of the house.
"Hello.."
"Hello...how long should i keep trying your number. What? were you sleeping. Dont you remember. I am coming back today. I have just crossed Chenglepet... I should be in Kathipara in another hour...you are coming to pick me up, right?" a female voice shouted out of his mobile.
"Yes da...I shall come and pick you up..."
"Hmmm Mom and dad are coming home next week. To finalize on the wedding hall and the invitations. They told me just yesterday. Your parents will be free, right? to go with them"
"Yes they will be. Listen. I will talk to you in some time.okay? line is not clear now."
"Okay bye then...see you soon."
Ratna kept the phone back in his pockets and glanced back at the gate he had just walked out of
4 comments:
"The End" if i know you. May be u plan to continue, may be u plan to end it. I liked it.
yup..you are right viji...ending it here...leaving it to the readers to think how they want this to go forward
Manoj, I liked this a lot. it had all the elements of a thriller.. in fact I was checking your blog frequently for the next parts to come.. Nice one, Manoj.
Thanks kavitha...actually there were two different routes i could have taken this forward. Ultimately was confused as to which would be good so decided to end it as a cliff-hanger on the relationship factor...maybe when i write this again as a novel, i will take the thriller route..
anyway my next one is a thriller...watch out for it
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