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-Hi Mitu.’ – arrives Anwesha with a kitbag on her back. Back from a morning swimming session, she thumps the bag on a wooden bench, pulls out a bottle and pours down half the bottle water through her thirsty throat. -‘Hey Montu there, give me singara.’ Anwesha is sporty, informal and cheerful. But is not she another housewife in the making, ponders Mitu. Definitely Mitu won’t like to see a prospective world winner, as is Anwesha with her bold steps and go-ahead prowess, to bury her promises in a pile of sari, lipstick and ornaments. But that is the inevitable; Mitu can see a whole lot of women’s ambition eaten up by man.

- ‘Let us move.’

Abhinav pays the bill, stops Mitu from taking out her money, and exchanges a few words with the shopkeeper. Mitu admires Abhinava’s empathy for people. He lights a cigarette, Mitu steps away, Abhinav asks- ‘You don’t like it?’

-‘I don’t want to be a passive smoker.’

-‘Oh that is this.’ Abhinav throws away the cigarette and says, –‘Come with me ’

Abhinav kicks the scooter and wants to know which way they would be going now.

-‘To Jyotinagar, Anjukhuri lives there.’

Mitu puts her arms around Abhinav’s shoulder. Abhinav releases the clutch and suddenly Mitu shouts- ‘Hey wait, wait.’

A few metres away from them Mitu observes the rear of a white luxury car, Samridhi is alongside to get in, and Mitu remembers the car number- one of Anjukhuri’s car bears this number. The man in the driving seat- curly hair and broad shoulder—surely resembles Partha. The car speeds away.

-‘Abhinava, please follow that white car.’

-‘But why?’

-‘I will tell you later. Please Abhinav, be quick…’

Mitu impatiently rakes Abhinav’s shoulders. Abhinav, without knowing anything, steers his scooter in the car’s direction to stalk. Mitu is excited at the prospect of discovering the rendezvous of these secret lovers. She feels like leading some sensational mission.

-‘But whose car is that?’-a curious Abhinav asks at last. Mitu has other things in mind.

-‘Not now, I will tell you everything, later.’

The car overtakes Abhinav and Mitu, but they catch up in minute at a traffic signal. Mitu is anxious to find out Partha and Samridhi’s secret meeting place. But is Partha aware that Samridhi goes out with numerous men? Mitu smiles silently at this thought of Samridhi toying with Partha.

The car takes the Paltan Bazar road. A busy and crowded road this is. Two-three-four wheelers, rickshaw-thela, pedestrians on run and a deafening squeal, unclean roads after a shower last night, uneven surface and the sparkling car noses into a tapered dirty by-lane. Mitu whispers to Abhinava as the car slows down. Yes, the car halts in front of an unknown hotel. Mitu tries to hide in Abhinav’s back. Disembarks Samridhi, runs her fingers across hairline. Mitu is on tenterhooks. The driving seat door leaves the car’s body. Mitu holds her breath, a shining shoe touches earth. Mitu recognizes the driver…. yes, it is true…..it is Amiya uncle.