Anindita's Escapade Part 2 : An Afternoon Seeking Closure

Anindita put a tentative foot forward avoiding the rug. It looked expensive. As did everything else that the living room housed, the curios on the glass shelf, the bonsai plants in the exquisite pots, the books, the sun light streaming in through the silk curtains… the air. There was a subtle classiness to the place she instantly identified with. She turned and looked at Kabir again. He was lightly leaning against the wooden book shelf, his eyes on her. “Well?” he threw at her with a tentative smile. He was enjoying this.

“Well.. it’s beautiful” she conceded. Of the ten odd years that they had known each other Kabir had never asked for her opinion on anything. Nothing that mattered anyway. At least that’s how she remembered it. Not that he was asking it now either. He just wanted her to say it out loud. Accept it. Accept defeat.

‘So was the game still on then? He is married now Ani, back off. It had started with a harmless game back then. You ought to know better by now’, she admonished herself. Out loud she asked, “So where is the lady?”

“Shubha went out to run an errand. She will be in, in a bit”, Kabir told her with a lazy air.

‘Oh’ a sudden panic took grip on Anindita. She was alone in the house with him. Hadn’t she exorcised this very same reverie out of her head. Took her a year, actually more. She grabbed a magazine from the nearby table without even seeing what it was. She regretted the move instantly.  Generally, her phone came to her rescue in such awkward situations, why didn’t she just do that, she wondered.

‘Water?’ he was clearly enjoying himself.  ‘or something colder?’

The smirk on his handsome face made her seethe from inside. “You don’t want to do this, Kabir. Believe me.”  

“Offer cold beverage? Why I thought that’s customary..” he adopted a look of slight fake hurt. Gawd! How she had missed this. Him.

Before a snap reply could fly out of her mouth, the door bell rang. Instead of heading towards the door he started off in the opposite direction with “Could you get that please, should be Shubha. I will go get that water.”

She started to protest and then changed her mind. She took a deep breath and braced herself for what she knew was going to be hard. “Sure” she shot back managing to sound confident.  Anindita turned the door knob, opened the door but didn’t give way. She stood there, blocking the threshold looking directly into the soft smiling eyes of the invader. “Shubha? Hi.. I am Anindita. I am a ..”

‘Hi..I know of course.. been waiting to..’ but before these sentences could finish they were hugging. Anindita had initiated it. Shubha looked much warmer in person than she had seemed in the one picture that Anindita had seen of her. Surprisingly, Anindita did not feel overwhelming hatred or guilt. She was genuinely pleased to meet Shubha finally.

Then Anindita realized that Shubha was carrying some heavy polybags and ventured to take a few off her. She came back in and Shubha closed the door behind them. ‘Where’s Ka.. ?’

But he was already there holding an open beer can. ‘I thought it was going to be water.. for me.’ Anindita inquired. ‘Well, man proposes..’ said Kabir taking another gulp.

‘Oh so now I am God?’ smiled Anindita and realized he had made a double edged pun. She held her tongue.

Shubha took the bags back and set them all down on the dining table. “So how do you like the place? We have just finished decorating.” She announced. This triggered something in Kabir, he walk over to Shubha, put an arm around her and looked back at Anindita. She saw the complete picture now, a happy couple in their beautiful home.. a beautiful life. This was a dream, her dream.

She smiled and said, “I was just telling your husband what a beautiful home you have. Exquisitely done. And if I might add, a beautiful simple wife as well.”

“Simple?” smiled Shubha.

“She means it as a compliment”, said Kabir.

“I do”, she added quickly. “The best compliment there is. Simplicity is a virtue, I most admire.”

“Well, thank you.. I guess”, laughed Shubha.  “Let me wash up a little and get us some drinks”. With that she walked into one of the rooms.

Kabir walked over towards her and sat down on one of the couches. “Your wife really is pretty”, Anindita confessed. “I know.”, said Kabir ending that thread of conversation with finality in his tone. “How’s work? How long is this holiday, is it?”

“Well, of sorts. I am here on business but not much. Work is okay. Actually, that’s not fair. Work’s really good. I love it”, finished Anindita.

 “That’s great. Good to know that, that affair has not ended yet” said Kabir.

“True love never ends, my friend. It only grows stronger with time”, said Anindita taking the bait. “How’s your work? Any affairs there?” Anindita had her own puns.

  Kabir’s smile faded, he leaned in. “No Ani, I have only loved once. Everything else is a product or by product of life’s many needs and asks. And I intend to live it, the best way I can.”

Anindita regretted taking the bait. She had not expected an honest answer. “A straight answer out of you.. marriage has changed you, Kabir.”

Kabir sat back again, smiling. “A straight answer? Funny you should mention it. In any case, you have heard what you wanted to hear. It isn’t necessarily what I have said.”

“I am not delusional, Kabir. I know you were talking about your love of, horticulture? adventure sports? amorous activities? I was being sarcastic. A concept lost on you, clearly.” Anindita made her move.

Kabir had thrown his head back and was laughing that deep throated laughter that made her spine tinkle. “Amorous activities? And what might these be? I am a simpleton, Madam. You misunderstand me.”

“Misunderstand? Well I don’t know about that but I do miss you. Talking to you would always have this.. umm.. distracting effect on me. For a person with slight OCD, that’s a welcome thing.” Anindita eased into her soft plush chair. She felt so comfortable sitting there in that house, in front of him. Who could have predicted such turn of events after what had transpired between them all those days ago.

“Then you should talk more, should nt you? It’s been what, a year, since we last exchanged words? Why the silence?” asked Kabir.

It’s not like you have been dying to talk to me, she thought. Out loud she said, “well I thought you would be busy, you know with, the marriage and the house and stuff” she gestured her hand slightly at the house in general.

“That’s true. It isn’t easy for a lone wanderer like me to settle into an arranged marriage. I mean the house and the upkeep etc.”

“Lone..”  Anindita had started to say something.    
    

The sound of Shubha approaching made them look her way. Shubha put down a loaded tray on the living room table between them. It had two beer cans, a glass of juice and some tidbits to munch on.  “So, how are you guys friends, how did you meet, tell me..” asked Shubha happily sitting down on the sofa.  She picked up a beer can and handed it out to Kabir. Then she held one up for Anindita.

“Oh I don’t.. I am a teetotaler, sorry.. I thought it was for you. I’ll have the juice if that’s okay” said Anindita.

 “Oh I don’t drink these either. Not with him in any case” said Shubha candidly.

“Still an oppressor of women, are we?” inquired Anindita.

“I am sure there are many other ways of finding equality and freedom besides drinking” quipped Kabir.

Anindita just smiled. They had had this discussion so many times, by now she knew better than going down that road. Besides, it wasn’t really her place anymore. It was Shubha’s battle now. She looked at Shubha and said, “Well if the man of the house will not permit our drinking and being merry what can we really do? Juice for us women folk”.

“Nevermind” said Shubha. “ I am not all that thirsty anyway. So tell me, how do you two know each other?”

“Through this common friend” remembered Anindita. “But then she sort of moved and drifted away. We also drifted but I think it was when Kabir had some problem with his Orkut account and messaged me about it..”

“Orkut? Wow! This is an old friendship then!” smiled Shubha.

“Yes, our friendship has outlived many social networks. What is it the kids do these days? Twitter?” asked Kabir.

“Kids? Twitter? You are 30 something. Quit trying to sound ancient.” replied Anindita. “Anyway, then we chatted sporadically here and there. Then got out of touch again when you guys got married.  Obviously, you got busy. “

“How come you didn’t make it to the wedding?” asked Shubha with a mouthful of the little sandwiches.

“Well, I wasn’t invited.” a devilish grin spread over Anindita’s face.

“You lie!” said Kabir. “The Goddess of Sloth here, was conveniently busy”.

“It was like a whole different city you guys were getting married in! I really couldn’t make it. Anyway, tell me about the wedding. How was it?” asked Anindita. Then she remembered she was in the middle of a narration herself. So she said, “oh and to finish my tale, I was here on business and we hadn’t met so I asked Kabir if we could meet up. And you two graciously called me over for lunch.”

“Yes well I have not met too many of Kabir’s friends. So when he said you wanted to meet I leaped at the offer” smiled Shubha with a clap of her hands. To signify the leap, thought Anindita.

“Well, I am not the sort of friend who could tell you a lot of embarrassing stories of his youth. You know, if that is what you were hoping for. Sorry” admitted Anindita with somewhat of a sorry face.  “But then again, you have married such a wise, well travelled man Shubha, I am sure stories aren’t hard to come by.” Anindita shot a sly look at Kabir.

“Wise men rarely gab about themselves, Child” smiled Kabir.

“  ..True, else the aura of wisdom is hard to retain” shot back Anindita.

Shubha threw her head back and laughed. “Nice! I am really enjoying this verbal jousting”

On Anindita’s repeated insistence, Shubha described the wedding days. Anindita kept picturing everything automatically in her head. ‘Stop it’ she thought to herself.  After a while, Shubha realized she ought to lay the food on the table. This time Anindita followed her to the kitchen to help her lay the table. Anindita had taken a liking to Shubha.

During lunch Anindita tried to keep the conversation going, “So how do you pass your time through the day, Shubha?”

“House work. This that. Taking care of Ma and Baba when they are here” replied Shubha.    

“Oh, where are they now?” inquired Anindita.

“Back in Kolkata, visiting relatives” offered Kabir.

“How about you, what do you do?” asked Shubha.

“Well a little bit of this and that. Mostly, I write for magazines and newspapers” smiled Anindita. “Your cooking is awesome, by the way”.

“Thanks” replied Shubha.  “That’s interesting! So you are a journalist?”

“Not everyone who writes in magazines and newspapers are journalists” said Kabir digging into his food.

“It’s just a column here, a piece there” explained Anindita. 

“It is nt JUST..” Kabir started to say when his cell phone chimed and he got up and left the table to take his call. “Chuck it” said Anindita. “So how are you liking the new place? Marriage agrees with you?”

“Oh it’s a nice place. We go out once in a while. I miss home though” shared Shubha.

Anindita smiled kindly. All of a sudden, Anindita could not find anything apt to say to her. She had always dreaded the life of a housewife in a foreign city. She remember why she had ended things with Kabir . Even after all those months of incessant talking after which they had finally confessed their feelings to each other. After 7 years of on and off conversations. It was amazing how much conversation had transpired between them only on chats. Shubha was still talking. Anindita willed herself to listen.

“..or is there a lucky man already?” asked Shubha.

“What? Oh no.. I am single in every which way. Have nt gotten around to it!” said Anindita. Her peripheral hearing told her she had been asked about her marriage.

“Yes, the lady is hard to tie down” said Kabir coming back to the table.

“..the devious woman with career interests. The new age vamp” finished Anindita.

“Ah! You have always had a thing for drama, I remember. And you are not very good at it either”, came Kabir’s crisp reply.

“You hurt my feelings, Kabir! I am excellent at drama” replied Anindita. ‘But let me not corrupt the good wife with my vacant ambitions’, Anindita wanted to say but held her tongue. 

 After finishing lunch, Kabir went back to the living room.  Shubha and Anindita went to the kitchen to make some coffee. Sounds of laughter travelled out of the kitchen. Kabir came and stood near the kitchen arch. “What’s funny?” he asked.

“Jealous?” asked Shubha. “I like your friend, I am high jacking her”.

“You are very kind, I really like you too!” said Anindita still giggling.

“That’s just great! I bring people together and then they start their own mutual admiration club and kick me out”,  complained Kabir.

“Relax! Coffee and I am out of here. You shall have this charming lady to yourself” said Anindita.

“What? Why?.. I was just getting to..” started Shubha

“Nonsense, I am booking us for dinner at this place we like. You are staying” dismissed Kabir.

“Yey!” said Shubha.

“Okay as much as I am enjoying this myself, I really have to get to this place. It’s an appointment I cannot ditch! Absolutely not!”, assured Anindita.

Kabir and Shubha presented many permutation of the plan over coffee but none were acceptable to Anindita for various reasons. Finally, they relented.

Anindita checked her mobile for time and a message that her cab was here. She had to make a move. She pulled out a small wrapped package from her hand bag. She had put off giving this so far in order to avoid the many protests she knew its contents would fetch. “I could not make it to the wedding. But I really wanted to give you this” said Anindita handing the package to Shubha.

There were the usual, “You shouldn’t have!” .. “What is this now?” etc.

“Nothing nothing.. just don’t open it now. I really have to go”, said Anindita standing up.

“I will walk her to the cab downstairs” informed Kabir.

After exchanging, ‘good bye’, ‘keep in touch’, ‘this was really nice’ et al Kabir and Anindita walked out of the apartment.

“So, what were you really doing here, Ani?” Kabir asked once the elevator door closed.

“Assuring myself that I took the right decision, that you are happy. Much more than you would ever be with me. She is perfect for you, isn’t she? Just what you wanted” finished Anindita.

Kabir’s expression was blank. There was no response. Anindita understood his anger but there was little she could do about it now.

The elevator doors opened. They stepped out and walked towards the waiting cab.

“Have a good life, Kabir. You deserve it. I wish nothing but happiness for the both of you” Anindita had turned to face Kabir right next to the cab. Kabir was still silent. “Oh come on! Quit picking fights with me and going into your silent rages. We are not 13 you know!” Anindita poked Kabir on the arm.Kabir caught her hand and held it. “You have a good life too, Ani” and with that he pulled her into a light embrace. This was the first time ever that she was in his embrace.

Anindita’s heart rate spiked instantly. She hugged him back, tighter. It took a year of his absence from her life for her to understand that she had actually fallen in love with him. In spite of him. That he wasn’t just another crush that would fade with time. Tears filled her eyes. She let go. “Okay bye”, she said hastily without looking him in the eye and she got in the cab.

As the cab pulled away Kabir stood  there looking at it till the very end. Anindita also kept looking back at him till the cab turned the corner. She was brought back to the present by her ringing mobile. True Caller told her it was Shubha calling. Shubha must have opened the gift. She knew Shubha would love it. The tear rolling down Anindita’s cheek touched the corner of her smile. She took a deep breath and rejected the call. Hopefully, now she would finally get that elusive closure.