Gujra hua zamaana aata nahin dobara! Amma, her household help chanted the line once again with the fervor of a devout devotee and shut the door roughly, as Meghana left for work. Akhil, her husband was already seated in the car and had honked twice. One more honk and it risked a rough start of the day. Something, she could easily do away with. Their offices were in close vicinity separated by a distance of three kilometers. But it was 30 kilometres far from their home. Akhil dropped her to work before commencing his day. The days when he would work late, she would take a cab back home.
‘Gently Amma,’ Her tone more as a reprimand. Transfixed Amma looked through her. Her eyes were devoid of emotions. Clearly, the word had not registered with her.‘Amma…you forgot my lunch box. It is still on the kitchen counter,’ Meghana spoke through gritted teeth. If only she could concentrate on work and stop staring at me and chanting her anthem! She bristled. Quietly Amma handed it over to her. Her eyes never leaving hers. Quickly Meghana grabbed it and sprinted. Amma’s eyes were still following her. Recklessly she pulled the door open of Akhil’s Skoda, his prized possession.
Akhil chose to ignore her folly and turned the ignition on. ‘What took you so long? The traffic becomes chaotic now.’ He was still calm. Meghana mumbled a silent prayer. Deftly, he eased the car of the underground parking and hit the road.‘I was listening to the anthem of Amma. 1088 times, she has recited it so far,’ Meghana snarled and dumped her belongings: a lunch bag, a purse and a laptop bag on the backseat of the car. Pulling the seat belt she fastened it and turned around to look if Akhil was carrying his laptop bag. He ate at work. Twice he had reached office without his laptop.
And something caught her glance. To rectify her folly, quickly she contorted her body to straighten her dabba, a pyramid shaped conical box of made of steel that had somersaulted, risking spill on the new upholstery of their luxury vehicle. Last month, he had splurged his entire bonus on the genuine leather upholstery and a flashy music system of Bose for Skoda, his new toy. Akhil shot her a murderous look. ‘A steel tiffin box shaped like a pyramid in this age and time,’ he derided her a millionth time. For heaven’s sake please change it, he urged. ‘It didn’t spill,’ she squirmed. To dispel the tension enveloping the atmosphere, she flicked the remote button of the Bose audio system. Strains of instrumental music of Pandit Shiv Kumar Sharma began to fill in the interior of the SUV.
‘It’s soothing to listen to the pitter-patter of rain in the blazing summer heat, murmured Akhil appreciatively, focusing on the road ahead. ‘It creates a visual impression of rain which soothes the mind.’ He was a careful driver, a trait gone missing in the current times.
‘It’s good you bought the music system,’ Meghana agreed reluctantly. She was an audiophile like him. Though, a holiday would have been better, she scowled. She was not going to give up her ground so fast.‘As usual you didn’t consult me before spending, neither did you give me a whiff of the impending bonus, ‘she griped.
Akhil frowned. Her ranting deeply disturbed him. He had a crucial presentation ahead. He couldn’t afford to sour his mood. He must make amends and right now.‘Am I not entitled to splurge a little on my toys?’ He asked gently as if seeking her permission. Firmly he held her hand with his free hand.She wrested her hand out of his grip. She wasn’t going to acquiesce so quickly. For months, she had been eyeing a holiday in Kashmir in anticipation of his bonus. And when he got the money, he spent it unilaterally. Her anger was legitimate, he conceded. This time winning her approval wouldn’t be easier. An uncomfortable silence brewed between them, till she reached her destination.
‘I am telling you Amma is cursed and I am going to get rid of her,’ she declared, got down and waltzed off.
'Your belongings,' he snapped to catch her mid-track.Embarrassed, she retreated and collected her stuff.She clumsily carried her different bags, while Akhil chose to sulk. Hiding behind his cool Aviators, his chocolate brown eyes refused to give away any emotion. However, she recognized his stiff stance. Little did she care and moved on.
It was difficult to gauge his emotions. Akhil sped off fuming.The Berlin wall of silence refused to evaporate between them. Unable to fire her staff, she was stuck in a strange predicament.Who was more important in the love nest that she and Akhil had built painstakingly over all these years? The answer was written on the wall, only she had refused to read it. The mechanical life took over. She began praying to the God. Only, He could help her out of this mess.‘I need to go home,’ Amma announced after a couple of days on opening the door for her. The prayers had worked. So quickly. Akhil was working on an overseas project and they were commuting to home separately from work.
‘I am telling you Amma is cursed and I am going to get rid of her,’ she declared, got down and waltzed off.
'Your belongings,' he snapped to catch her mid-track.Embarrassed, she retreated and collected her stuff.She clumsily carried her different bags, while Akhil chose to sulk. Hiding behind his cool Aviators, his chocolate brown eyes refused to give away any emotion. However, she recognized his stiff stance. Little did she care and moved on.
It was difficult to gauge his emotions. Akhil sped off fuming.The Berlin wall of silence refused to evaporate between them. Unable to fire her staff, she was stuck in a strange predicament.Who was more important in the love nest that she and Akhil had built painstakingly over all these years? The answer was written on the wall, only she had refused to read it. The mechanical life took over. She began praying to the God. Only, He could help her out of this mess.‘I need to go home,’ Amma announced after a couple of days on opening the door for her. The prayers had worked. So quickly. Akhil was working on an overseas project and they were commuting to home separately from work.
‘Water,’ she swallowed.
Amma handed her the chilled glass of Khus sherbet, her panacea to beat the summer heat. She tentatively touched the long stem of the glass with her throat before taking a sip.
A pair of eyes seared her back. Quickly she turned around. Caught snooping, Amma turned her attention to the chopped potatoes simmering in the wok.
‘You want something? ’ Meghana asked through gritted teeth. Then, she decided to leave her alone and flicked the remote. The 50 inch LED TV sprang to life. Again on EMI? It left a bad aftertaste in her mouth. Amma's decision to leave came as a relief for her. However, a replacement had to be hunted quickly. She had to energise her network. She fetched her mobile and got on the job.Later she showered and lit the huge lavender aroma candle. It was her antidote against stress.
Amma handed her the chilled glass of Khus sherbet, her panacea to beat the summer heat. She tentatively touched the long stem of the glass with her throat before taking a sip.
A pair of eyes seared her back. Quickly she turned around. Caught snooping, Amma turned her attention to the chopped potatoes simmering in the wok.
‘You want something? ’ Meghana asked through gritted teeth. Then, she decided to leave her alone and flicked the remote. The 50 inch LED TV sprang to life. Again on EMI? It left a bad aftertaste in her mouth. Amma's decision to leave came as a relief for her. However, a replacement had to be hunted quickly. She had to energise her network. She fetched her mobile and got on the job.Later she showered and lit the huge lavender aroma candle. It was her antidote against stress.
Moving back to reality, ‘When do you want to go?’ Her voice barely concealed her relief. ‘Tomorrow, if you permit,’ Amma wanted to make it easier for her. She was seeking her permission.
Meghana was enjoying the position of authority. ‘How can you go tomorrow?’ Wait for two more days and leave on Friday. She was delving in the practicalities of running a house without a live-in help. Thank God, her mother-in-law was around. At least, someone would be there when her daughters came from school.
Meghana was enjoying the position of authority. ‘How can you go tomorrow?’ Wait for two more days and leave on Friday. She was delving in the practicalities of running a house without a live-in help. Thank God, her mother-in-law was around. At least, someone would be there when her daughters came from school.
'Why do you want to go home all of a sudden?' She enquired. ‘I need to.’ Beyond those three words, she shut herself and began attending to chopped potatoes simmering in the wok.
‘Still, I need to know. Are you unhappy?’ She prodded. Strange but a wave of sympathy washed her over. She was an old woman. There must be compulsions that had forced her to leave the confines of her home. Guilt washed over her. She beckoned Amma. Obeying her command, Amma came and sat at her feet with downcast eyes. Her eyes were glued on her face. Crinkles beneath her lower eyelid gave her a somber expression. Her skin shone, but her luminous eyes stood out on her pale face. They had a devilish glint
‘What happened Amma?’ She gently held her hand. Her hand was cold. Slimy. Meghana recoiled at the touch and released it immediately. Her mobile rang. She rushed to her bedroom to attend it. It was a wrong number. The sky was overcast with ominous clouds. There was a loud thunder and the power went out. In the gentle light of the lavender candle, she saw Amma. Her eyes shone, like marbles and a smile danced on her lips, but she looked through her. Exasperated Meghana turned around. A motley crowd of strange faces was standing behind her. Akhil was standing right in the front. Naked fear gripped her.
