Chapter 10: Empress rules. (#5)
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She understood the reason, hugged me from behind and said, “Don’t worry Adi. I will take you to hills. Obviously you are going to pay the bills.” she laughed out heartily and all my pains were blown away.
“Where do you want to go?” I asked her, as I knew that all hills would be same for me as that would the first time. When I was very young, I remember my parents took me to Darjeeling, which is a very foggy memory in my brain.
She said to me in a pleading voice, “My maternal uncle is HOD of neurology in PGI Chandigarh so every time we visit them we land up some place in Himachal. I will not going to Himachal for our honeymoon. This is the fourth time my parents are taking us to Manali.” Suddenly her voice turned gloomy, “I won’t be able to meet with you for the whole summer vacation.” She held me tightly in her arms.
I assured her, “So what, your house is only fifteen minutes from mine. Anyway we will be in touch on the phone and I will think of something to meet.”
She requested me to buy her ice-cream. I obliged and stopped by a shop before her house. She entered the shop and I walked behind her.
She suddenly pushed me out and entered the shop alone. I was taken aback by her sudden behaviour however, I knew it by heart that my intelligent muse does not act foolish and there should be some reason behind that. She brought her hand behind her head and gestured me to walk away.
I stood outside the shop and lit a cigarette. With the corner of my eye, I kept a close watch on her as what she was doing. I observed she was talking to a young boy. I recognised the person, I saw him on the first day at the computer centre last monsoon and he was her brother, Aurnavo. My heart skipped few beats; we were just millimetres away from being caught.
I did not know whether she would return with me or she would go with her brother so I waited for her. I sat on the bike smoking a cigarette. Anxiety was killing me inside; I puffed the tobacco stick like a steam engine. After sometime I noticed that, she came out along with her brother. I was glancing at them stealthily so as not to create any unwanted attention. She looked at me for a moment like a stranger and continues to speak with her brother. After sometime, her brother rode on the bike, and went away. I took a deep breath, felt a huge rock been removed from my chest. She looked at the road until the bike disappeared behind the crowded vehicles and then came to me. Her face was red with anxiety and she laughed heartily.
She took my hand and placed it on her chest, “Feel my heartbeat, it is thumping so loud that it might leap out from my chest.” I gently caressed her exposed cleavage. She blushed, removed my hand, and scolded, “I have told you to feel my heart beat not to take out my heart.”
I asked her as where her brother was going. She laughed at me, answered that he was very naughty, and had several girlfriends. He was going to meet with someone.
I winked at her and said, “You just need to drop your hanky and I can put him in my pocket. What do you think?”
“No” she exclaimed, “He is a double agent to my father. He will tell everything to my dad.”
“Hmm...” I nodded my head, “I understand that he is just flirting with girls. When time will come for marrying he will obey his father.”
She laughed at me, “Come on, Adi, he is young now.”
I asked her, “Tell me one thing, since last few weeks I was observing that you were not speaking about Parineeta, why so?”
She gave me a curious look, “Why you are so interested of knowing about her? Is she dusky and sexier than me?”
I patted her cheeks, “No dear, I just wanted to know. The reason is, that day I noticed a much older person with her, Shantanu.”
She nodded her head, “Yes, her new found slave, she is just using him.” She said in a mocking tone, “I knew that she loves the stench of money, but like this I did not know. Shantanu is rich and working in a MNC at Saltlake. Parineeta is now basking in his money by giving herself to him, simple. She is now trying to outsmart me in every step. I don’t care much I only laugh at her attitude.”
I said her, “She was your best friend so why did not you caution her.”
She shook her head, “She was never my best friend she was just a friend.”
I understood that Titli wanted to avoid her as far as possible so I did not prolonged the conversation. I kissed her hand and let her go.
The next week her vacation started and the next week, she went away for the trip with her family. I felt very alone. Every evening I unlocked the door with a faint hope that she would be present at my place waiting for me with a soft smile on her lips and a cup of tea in her hand. I felt her touch strewn all over the room as if every inch of the walls and the ceiling was missing her.
Sometimes I opened the cupboard took out her slips or t-shirt and rubbed on my face to feel her touch. Lonely sleepless nights passed dreaming about her, missing her soft touches, passionate kisses of her full red lips, sweet curses, calling me names. Whenever I closed my eyes, her big black eyes beckoned me, whispering to me that she loves me. I lay on the bed counting seconds for the next morning.
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