Well, Anjukhuri said
she had not spoken to Partha’s father about this unconfirmed romance
saga. Partha’s father Amiya uncle is a solemn man. Anjukhuri hopes
to settle the issue before his father becomes furious.
Yes, one cannot ignore that fact Uncle Amiya’s affluence has encouraged
a few wedding proposals for this eligible bachelor who may be
unemployed or unoccupied. Uncle Amiya’s reputation is definitely
at stake when it comes to a romantic or matrimonial alliance with
Partha. So Mitu finally wraps her salwar and kamij she was sleeping
in with a bright red churny, neatly combs her hair, and leaves
her room to meet Anjukhuri. Since she would be taking her lunch
at Anjukhuri’s place, Mitu comes to the hostel cook to inform
him of this. And there she is- Samridhi. She greets Mitu with
a cold, damp gesture. The girl, wonders Mitu for a moment, can
be mistaken for a princess and definitely the hell won’t break
down if Partha picks her up. Mitu is yet to see the two coming
together. Mitu decides she would assure Anjukhuri that her son
is not attached to this girl, she should not worry. Mitu reaches
for the tea kettle on the table, removes the paper lid and pours
her tea.
- ‘Krishna Thakur, no meal for me today. I will be out.’- Mitu
tells the cook and gulps tea.
- ‘Madam, your visitor.’-The gatekeeper comes to Mitu, turns back
and Mitu follows him to the gate.
Mitu was expecting
Abhinav- a colleague, a journalist whom she meets six days a week
at work and on Sunday morning he would come alone. Unspoken words
within him sprinkle in the pair of eyes. Mitu is warm to this
candid, simple youngman, but prefers keeping on mum to his feeling.
Mitu believes they are of the same age group, he is slim and average
looking, and Mitu doesn’t see a future to the relation.
-‘Good morning.’
-‘Morning, hope I don’t disturb you.’
Perpetually apologetic is Abhinav.
- ‘Never, you are most welcome.’
- ‘Shall we go to the movie?’
- ‘Nice idea but, you know, there is another meeting.’- Mitu regrets
her Anjukhuri appointment. She tries to find a way out.
- All right Abhinav, we can surely go to movie but on the way
I must drop in at Anjukhuri.
Abhinav nods with pleasure. That is his limit, his perimeter of
a date- a movie, a cup of coffee, or an evening walk. He has never
learnt to cross his limit.
‘Come on, let us freshen up with a cup of tea.’-
Mitu leads Abhinav across the road to a wayside tea stall--a makeshift
site surrounded by bamboo frame and a bend down shutter. Mitu and
Abhinav find their way to a bench in the interior. The boy there
swiftly offers them singaras. He is sure of their taste. The tea
stall is doing brisk business, most visitors come to the hostel
on a Sunday- guardians, parents, friends and boyfriends- and they
step in at this wayside tea stall. After all, it is a Sunday- time
for the beauty conscious to rub a face pack or dabble with henna,
a few come together to discuss some earthly problems. Mitu rues
the independent and careerist tag for the working women who flee
home to earn their family’s money. Corporate receptionist Kaveri
is there- she drapes herself in the trendy outfit and weeps at midnight
for her cancer suffering brother. College teacher Mitali stays in
this hostel, she was married, and her husband’s extra-marital affair
dumps her here as a divorcee.
-‘What is wrong Mitu, you are lost in thoughts?’
Abhinav asks Mitu with a singara in his hand.
- ‘You said you will be visiting some people on the way'