Forsaken - Chapter 16

Chapter 16
Ajit could not sleep. He was in a state of euphoria. For long, he had listened to his friends boasting of their escapades with girls, how they fell in love and how it would be to have a girl friend. The term for making a girl friend was valakkal (pure translation is bending) or Tuning. He wasn’t interested in the tuning, or pretended that way. In fact he was afraid of asking any girl. Plus the fear of his father. But now, I have a girl friend. He wanted to shout to the world. “I too am in love.”

He remembered how the soft, warm body of Nisha snuggled against his, how her hands were clutching his back. It felt wonderful. He has become a man. A man with a mission. Till now, his life was aimless. He was living under the perennial fear of his father, letting the days pass by, nothing to live for in particular. Now he had found his niche. He was sure that this was not a passing fancy of adolescence. As Nisha said, the love was ingrained in the heart since their childhood. It came out at the first opportune moment, which was dormant for all these years.
He heard somebody opening the door, and a light entered the room. He pretended to be fast asleep. Then he heard Johny uncle’s voice.

“Ok guys. I’ll sleep here with the boy. Raju is in the next room. You guys go down and one room is arranged there. Adjust wherever you find space. Okay?”

They all murmured in assent. Ajit sensed a body eased into the bed. Then not having enough space, Johny tapped on the boy’s shoulder.

“Monay, Move over a little.”

As if in sleep, he moved towards the side. Johny lied down and the next moment started snoring.

The overnight torrential rain had washed away all the leaves from the front yard. The laborers had arrived to erect the pandal, a flat roof made out of tarpaulin, where all the guests would sit down for lunch after the wedding. It was surprising to see Johny Uncle milling around with them and giving instructions despite the boisterous late night celebration. Raju uncle was nowhere to be seen. Ajit woke up earlier than usual, despite not being able to sleep properly.

His heart was aching to see Nisha but she was nowhere to be seen.

He wandered around aimlessly. Johny was coming from the back yard, carrying a bunch of coir and a shovel. He playfully patted the boy’s head with the coir.

“Kochappa, where is Raju Uncle?”

Johny stopped abruptly. Then sporting a mischievous smile, he asked him,

“Do you want to see Raju or Nisha?” the Nisha was given ample emphasis.

Ajit flushed. He wondered how he had found out.

“I just asked since I haven’t seen them,” he tried to defend his question.

‘I know I know. Monay, we all passed through this age, okay?” He gave the boy another impish, sizing-up look and moved ahead.

Then he stopped abruptly. “Nisha and Susan are down there in kitchen. If that’s what you want to know.”

Ajit was relieved. He feared that they had gone for some social visit since their relatives were staying not far from there. He kicked himself for not checking the kitchen.

He watched Johny. He was busy with the men who were digging the ground to erect posts.

Making sure that Johny was not watching, Ajit discreetly moved away from there, as if just loitering. Once he was in the hall, he moved towards the kitchen. The power was restored in the morning and he could hear the water pump motor outside. As it was yesterday, the kitchen bustled with activity. In the midst, he saw Nisha was sitting on a low stool which was no more than half a feet from the ground, known as Kurandi, close to her mother, who was sitting on another Kurandi and busy slicing chicken. As he entered the kitchen, she raised her head and their eyes locked. He saw a flash of excitement. Just for a moment. Then she lowered her head and whispered into her mother’s ear.

“How many times do I have to tell you Nisha?” Susan raised her voice in anger.

“What is it Susan? Why you are scolding the poor girl?” enquired Ammachi, who was sitting close to the other exit to the back yard and was peeling garlic. As per the custom, close relatives assemble a day or two before a wedding and helped in the preparation of things. The men were supposed to help in erecting the pandal, arranging the seating and tables and the night before, oversee the cooking of the big meal the next day.

“She keeps asking me when we are going to Ranny. I have told her already that it will be in the afternoon,” Susan wiped her face with the forearm.

That is when Ammachi saw Ajit.

“Monay, where were you yesterday? Johny told me you were sleeping upstairs. I could not climb all those stairs, so I slept here downstairs.” She was talking as she peeled garlic.

“I was upstairs, with Kochappa,” he answered, while walking towards her.

“Are you hungry? Do you want something? Coffee, tea?” It was Gracy aunty.

“No, nothing, I just came to see things,” he answered.

“Then go out. When it is time for breakfast, we will call you. Okay?” Gracy told him half-mockingly. There were all sorts of things on the floor. Not an inch of space.

He heard a giggle. It was Nisha.

“Then why you are letting her sit here? She doesn’t do anything too” Ajit retorted pointing to Nisha.

“Correct. Why are you sitting here, eating my head?” It was Susan who was clearly fed up with Nisha’s pestering about going to Ranny.

Ammachi Intervened. “Ok. Both of you go and check if Raju has woken up. If he has not, wake him up.”

Nisha made faces at her mother as she was getting up. She was feeling very shy in the presence of Ajit. She had trouble sleeping last night after the intimacy with Ajit and was clearly embarrassed.

Ajit made a winning laugh. That further provoked her.

She stuck out her tongue and made a scornful action. Then she stormed out of the kitchen. Ajit followed her.

“Nisha, I was searching for you all around since morning,” he whispered, as he came close to her.

She smiled. A cute, dimpled smile. He was walking along with her to the first floor.

“Nisha, please say something,” his voice was bordering on annoyance.

“Aji, I am little embarrassed” Finally she spoke.

“Why? Because of last night?”

She just nodded. Her cheeks turned rosy once again.

Ajit heaved a sigh. He was worried that she was having second thoughts on her declaration of love.

“Nisha, we are meeting after long eight years and we are in love. You can’t just go like this, not talking,” he remarked.

They were upstairs. As they walked towards the room, she stopped in the middle of a stride.

“Aji, I am little worried. If anyone comes to know about yesterday, Amma will kill me”

“Who will tell her? Me?” His face told her that he is hurt.

“No. I am not saying that you will tell anyone, but just in case if they come to know…” , the words trailed off.

“If you act this way, then they will definitely guess that something must have happened. Act normally, I mean the way we were yesterday.”

“I’ll try. Listen, we may go to Ranny this afternoon. Can you come with us?” She put her hand on the door knob.

“On what pretext? How can I come with you?” He could not find a reason to go back to Ranny, that too with Raju and family. Everyone would be curious.

“I’ll find a way, but make yourself available. Okay?” With that she opened the door.
They found Raju lying on his bed, snoring in his drunken stupor. She came to his bedside and shook him by the shoulder.

“Ache, Ache. Wake up. It’s eight ‘o clock”

It took another round of shaking and calling out before Raju opened his eyes. He smiled at his daughter, got out of the bed, marched towards the bathroom.