For earlier parts, click here:
Part I
Part II
Part III
Part IV
Part V
Her mother's observations worked on Barkha's mind. What concerned her more was, whether Amrita too had noticed her aversion to discussing Sumesh and how she had interpreted it. That night when Amrita and she prepared for bed, she brought up the topic of Sumesh. "He seems quite popular at work. Even the girls in my office titter when he is around..." She smiled.
Amrita smiled back and said, "Only you seem resistant to his charm."
Barkha chuckled in relief at Amrita's this interpretation of her apparent disinterest in discussing Sumesh. "Well..." she left it hanging.
Amrita turned to her sister with a probing look and asked, "What kind of a person are you looking for di?" She couldn't fathom why anyone would say no to Sumesh.
Barkha leaned back against the wall thoughtfully. She had to think hard, for Sumesh's face filled her mind. "A long nose, jutting chin, full lips, big eyes..." Amrita started laughing. "Wait! Let me draw him!" And she quickly brought out a paper and pencil. The two added details to fill out the caricature and laughed till they had tears in their eyes. Amrita impulsively hugged her sister and exclaimed, "You don't hate Sumesh, do you, Barru di? You don't like it if I talk about him at all!"
"Don't be silly!" Barkha hastened to correct her sister. "I have just been preoccupied," she added lamely, knowing that she will have to set this right.
"Sumesh also feels that you have a "pathological" dislike for him," Amrita added softly, with air quotes. Barkha felt disturbed. Yes, she had been cutting him off, more to protect herself than to hurt him. But he will be her brother-in-law soon, husband of her beloved sister. She had better learn to accept him.
Armed with this thought, she faced the prospect of meeting him the next morning in her office with Prateek - who continued to flirt with her and irritating Sumesh no end. She herself remained innure to the advances, but in her efforts to holding her feelings for Sumesh under check, she had tilted towards Prateek. Today, she would have to establish a balanced, friendly approach without revealing anything.
To her surprise, Sumesh came alone, with an expression that suggested he found this meeting as much an ordeal as she did. They were meeting to review some updates. For some reason, they had taken to personal meetings and feedback sessions instead of the usual practice of doing it on mail. She smiled. Sumesh looked behind to see if it was meant for someone else. "Did the sun rise in the west?" he asked with a raised eyebrow when he realised that Barkha was smiling at him!
Barkha felt embarrassed and pretended she had not heard him. "Isn't Prateek coming?"
Sumesh rolled his eyes. "I should have guessed... Prateek had to go with the MD for another meeting."
Barkha was quite flustered and didn't know how to correct this wrong impression. Her office boy Abhinav lingered and she asked for two cups of coffee. "Ask Mrudula to join us," she instructed. Mrudula, who was working on the content for Sumesh's project, was hearing impaired but made up for what she couldn't hear through voracious reading. With Barkha's mentoring and some professional coaching, her writing skills had sharpened, making her a very good writer of not only web content but corporate blogs as well.
Mrudula walked in with her laptop and was just about to close the door when a man prevented it and shouted an abuse at her. Mrudula's face lost colour as she turned to face him and shouted furiously, "Get out! Not now!"
Barkha was also up and headed for the door. "What's happening? Why is he here?" she demanded.
Noticing Barkha next to her, Mrudula hung her head and uttered a bleak, "Ma'am." The man roared and hurled more abuses. Barkha's jaws tightened and she said firmly, "Get out." Shocked, Sumesh got up instinctively and edged the ladies behind to face the man. The man, stout and drunk, glanced at him and leered.
Barkha said quietly, "I will call the police. Don't mess with her and don't disturb us at work."
The man shook his fist and said, "I know the kind of work you do and why you employ these helpless girls..." He eyed Sumesh.
Barkha's cheeks turned crimson. She crossed her arms and said angrily, "Mind your tongue!" The man took a step forward menacingly. Sumesh stopped the man with a hand on his chest. The man retaliated by trying to push him. But Sumesh seemed to have anticipated this and grasped the man's hand tightly, twisting it behind his back. Barkha hurriedly intervened and exclaimed. "Don't, Sumesh, don't get involved in this mess! Abhinav!"
Abhinav stepped forward as Sumesh let go, sceptical at what this lean boy could achieve. The man, underestimating this new adversary, trying to knock him with a punch. But Abhinav blithely stepped aside, making the man hit the wall and shout in pain. But meanwhile, Abhinav put his hand around the man's shoulders in a friendly way. The man tried to wriggle out but Abhinav smoothly guided him out, speaking to him in soft tones. No doubt, with threats that he meant to carry out for the words police and dada fell out of his mouth like the knives that would pin the man down.
Mrudula was seated and crying. Barkha went to her and comforted her. "Wash your face and join us in a few minutes, when you are feeling better... Or, if Sumesh is in a hurry, I can note the feedback," she said accompanying her words with sign language.
Mrudula nodded and said bravely, "I will wash and come back." She glanced at Sumesh shyly and went out. Barkha apologised. "I am sorry. If you are getting late, we can start. I will let her know what the corrections are."
"Does that happen often?" Sumesh asked, waving his hand towards the door.
"More often than I would like, unfortunately," Barkha replied with a sigh. "Not just with Mrudula. Fathers, brothers, husbands - especially from the economically challenged... The more upward mobile don't bring their aggression here, but it happens within closed doors. I see the telltale signs, but though I encourage them to come away, many just go back in the hope that things will improve..."
Sumesh seemed overwhelmed. "I am sorry, I didn't think you dealt with so much! This man and his threats...?"
"Oh well, he is drunk. Once he sobers up, he will grovel... Till now, it has only been empty threats. Abhinav is enough..."
Sumesh looked at her as if she were a puzzle. "And is everyone as harmless?"
Barkha laughed. "Harmless! I have been lucky so far. It takes its toll - on work, on... well... It disturbs the mind and getting back to work becomes difficult. That's why I don't normally call clients here. The day can turn topsy turvy in a second..."
Sumesh did a mock salute. "Hats off! I am surprised that your parents don't worry."
"Don't tell them about this, please. I don't. What they don't know can't hurt them..." Her look turned soft with plea that moved him strangely. "Please... They will worry and expect me to shut the place. More than me, these girls need the work and they are capable of much more!"
Sumesh frowned. "But you endanger yourself unnecessarily. It's foolish of you to neglect the threat! It is better to inform your parents and also probably close this," he blurted.
Barkha glared at him. "When I need your suggestion, I will ask you. But right now, just some cooperation will be welcome!" she said with quiet vehemence.
He glared back and was about to retort when Mrudula knocked and entered just then, looking puffy eyed but refreshed. They finished in another half an hour. Mrudula again apologised for the scene in the morning and rushed out.
Sumesh and Barkha had maintained a polite demeanour in Mrudula's presence. But now Sumesh got up angrily and said, "I cannot pretend as if nothing happened this morning. That man was planning to assault you. If I had not been here today..."
"I may have got hurt, but the entire office would have risen to protect me. Don't imagine yourself to be a hero and please keep out of my life!" she said, all her frustration and suppressed disappointment finding vent in that one statement.
Stunned, Sumesh stared at her in silence. She buried her face in her hands, regretting the fiasco for her sister's sake. Oh, what plans she had made and how she had achieved the exact opposite before even half the day had passed!
She looked up to apologise, but he had left, leaving a vacuum behind.
Continued
Part I
Part II
Part III
Part IV
Part V
Her mother's observations worked on Barkha's mind. What concerned her more was, whether Amrita too had noticed her aversion to discussing Sumesh and how she had interpreted it. That night when Amrita and she prepared for bed, she brought up the topic of Sumesh. "He seems quite popular at work. Even the girls in my office titter when he is around..." She smiled.
Amrita smiled back and said, "Only you seem resistant to his charm."
Barkha chuckled in relief at Amrita's this interpretation of her apparent disinterest in discussing Sumesh. "Well..." she left it hanging.
Amrita turned to her sister with a probing look and asked, "What kind of a person are you looking for di?" She couldn't fathom why anyone would say no to Sumesh.
Barkha leaned back against the wall thoughtfully. She had to think hard, for Sumesh's face filled her mind. "A long nose, jutting chin, full lips, big eyes..." Amrita started laughing. "Wait! Let me draw him!" And she quickly brought out a paper and pencil. The two added details to fill out the caricature and laughed till they had tears in their eyes. Amrita impulsively hugged her sister and exclaimed, "You don't hate Sumesh, do you, Barru di? You don't like it if I talk about him at all!"
"Don't be silly!" Barkha hastened to correct her sister. "I have just been preoccupied," she added lamely, knowing that she will have to set this right.
"Sumesh also feels that you have a "pathological" dislike for him," Amrita added softly, with air quotes. Barkha felt disturbed. Yes, she had been cutting him off, more to protect herself than to hurt him. But he will be her brother-in-law soon, husband of her beloved sister. She had better learn to accept him.
Armed with this thought, she faced the prospect of meeting him the next morning in her office with Prateek - who continued to flirt with her and irritating Sumesh no end. She herself remained innure to the advances, but in her efforts to holding her feelings for Sumesh under check, she had tilted towards Prateek. Today, she would have to establish a balanced, friendly approach without revealing anything.
To her surprise, Sumesh came alone, with an expression that suggested he found this meeting as much an ordeal as she did. They were meeting to review some updates. For some reason, they had taken to personal meetings and feedback sessions instead of the usual practice of doing it on mail. She smiled. Sumesh looked behind to see if it was meant for someone else. "Did the sun rise in the west?" he asked with a raised eyebrow when he realised that Barkha was smiling at him!
Barkha felt embarrassed and pretended she had not heard him. "Isn't Prateek coming?"
Sumesh rolled his eyes. "I should have guessed... Prateek had to go with the MD for another meeting."
Barkha was quite flustered and didn't know how to correct this wrong impression. Her office boy Abhinav lingered and she asked for two cups of coffee. "Ask Mrudula to join us," she instructed. Mrudula, who was working on the content for Sumesh's project, was hearing impaired but made up for what she couldn't hear through voracious reading. With Barkha's mentoring and some professional coaching, her writing skills had sharpened, making her a very good writer of not only web content but corporate blogs as well.
Mrudula walked in with her laptop and was just about to close the door when a man prevented it and shouted an abuse at her. Mrudula's face lost colour as she turned to face him and shouted furiously, "Get out! Not now!"
Barkha was also up and headed for the door. "What's happening? Why is he here?" she demanded.
Noticing Barkha next to her, Mrudula hung her head and uttered a bleak, "Ma'am." The man roared and hurled more abuses. Barkha's jaws tightened and she said firmly, "Get out." Shocked, Sumesh got up instinctively and edged the ladies behind to face the man. The man, stout and drunk, glanced at him and leered.
Barkha said quietly, "I will call the police. Don't mess with her and don't disturb us at work."
The man shook his fist and said, "I know the kind of work you do and why you employ these helpless girls..." He eyed Sumesh.
Barkha's cheeks turned crimson. She crossed her arms and said angrily, "Mind your tongue!" The man took a step forward menacingly. Sumesh stopped the man with a hand on his chest. The man retaliated by trying to push him. But Sumesh seemed to have anticipated this and grasped the man's hand tightly, twisting it behind his back. Barkha hurriedly intervened and exclaimed. "Don't, Sumesh, don't get involved in this mess! Abhinav!"
Abhinav stepped forward as Sumesh let go, sceptical at what this lean boy could achieve. The man, underestimating this new adversary, trying to knock him with a punch. But Abhinav blithely stepped aside, making the man hit the wall and shout in pain. But meanwhile, Abhinav put his hand around the man's shoulders in a friendly way. The man tried to wriggle out but Abhinav smoothly guided him out, speaking to him in soft tones. No doubt, with threats that he meant to carry out for the words police and dada fell out of his mouth like the knives that would pin the man down.
Mrudula was seated and crying. Barkha went to her and comforted her. "Wash your face and join us in a few minutes, when you are feeling better... Or, if Sumesh is in a hurry, I can note the feedback," she said accompanying her words with sign language.
Mrudula nodded and said bravely, "I will wash and come back." She glanced at Sumesh shyly and went out. Barkha apologised. "I am sorry. If you are getting late, we can start. I will let her know what the corrections are."
"Does that happen often?" Sumesh asked, waving his hand towards the door.
"More often than I would like, unfortunately," Barkha replied with a sigh. "Not just with Mrudula. Fathers, brothers, husbands - especially from the economically challenged... The more upward mobile don't bring their aggression here, but it happens within closed doors. I see the telltale signs, but though I encourage them to come away, many just go back in the hope that things will improve..."
Sumesh seemed overwhelmed. "I am sorry, I didn't think you dealt with so much! This man and his threats...?"
"Oh well, he is drunk. Once he sobers up, he will grovel... Till now, it has only been empty threats. Abhinav is enough..."
Sumesh looked at her as if she were a puzzle. "And is everyone as harmless?"
Barkha laughed. "Harmless! I have been lucky so far. It takes its toll - on work, on... well... It disturbs the mind and getting back to work becomes difficult. That's why I don't normally call clients here. The day can turn topsy turvy in a second..."
Sumesh did a mock salute. "Hats off! I am surprised that your parents don't worry."
"Don't tell them about this, please. I don't. What they don't know can't hurt them..." Her look turned soft with plea that moved him strangely. "Please... They will worry and expect me to shut the place. More than me, these girls need the work and they are capable of much more!"
Sumesh frowned. "But you endanger yourself unnecessarily. It's foolish of you to neglect the threat! It is better to inform your parents and also probably close this," he blurted.
Barkha glared at him. "When I need your suggestion, I will ask you. But right now, just some cooperation will be welcome!" she said with quiet vehemence.
He glared back and was about to retort when Mrudula knocked and entered just then, looking puffy eyed but refreshed. They finished in another half an hour. Mrudula again apologised for the scene in the morning and rushed out.
Sumesh and Barkha had maintained a polite demeanour in Mrudula's presence. But now Sumesh got up angrily and said, "I cannot pretend as if nothing happened this morning. That man was planning to assault you. If I had not been here today..."
"I may have got hurt, but the entire office would have risen to protect me. Don't imagine yourself to be a hero and please keep out of my life!" she said, all her frustration and suppressed disappointment finding vent in that one statement.
Stunned, Sumesh stared at her in silence. She buried her face in her hands, regretting the fiasco for her sister's sake. Oh, what plans she had made and how she had achieved the exact opposite before even half the day had passed!
She looked up to apologise, but he had left, leaving a vacuum behind.
Continued
No comments:
Post a Comment