A 'SPECS'TACULAR SURPRISE | ONC 2021

9 ¦ Big Man

“Aalo, come here baby,” Maa’s voice jolted Aalo out of the sketch she was making. She quickly dropped her pencil and overturned her drawing notebook just in case. But her mother didn’t burst in on her secret artwork.

She hopped out of bed finally, opened her drawer and dropped the notebook in her secret place. Her Maa rarely came prodding into her room, so she could hide things she wanted to. Then she dashed out of the room and bounced down the stairs.

She was happy. The day at school had gone well, and Juhi had created no more problems. The other kids had also comfortably settled in her bespectacled look. Thought they gave occasional glances but somehow Aalo didn’t mind. Moreover, she could see the blackboard better now and the teacher had praised her for solving a math problem faster than anyone. Overall, it had been a great day and she couldn’t wait to share it with her Maa.

“What do we have for snacks, Maa?” Aalo asked, happily skipping into the drawing-room downstairs.

She stopped at the doorway, her fingers freezing on the wooden frame. There was someone in the room, a man. He was wearing a deep blue shirt, tucked into his black trousers. He turned around suddenly. Black-rimmed glasses framed his face, and he had unruly hair that fell untidily over his forehead. And he had a big moustache that twitched as he gave a full grin, showing a row of white teeth.

“Mister Chatterjee brought your favourite Oreo ice cream, honey.” Her mother came in just then, adjusting her hair into a bun as she threw a bright smile at both of them. She set down the tub of ice cream in the centre of the tea table and silently beckoned to Aalo with her hands. Aalo didn’t budge. She was too stunned to see a stranger man in her home. How would she ever get adjusted to having him around?

“Aalo?” her mother called again.

Aalo clenched her fingers into a fist and slowly unclenched them, trying to even her breathing.

“Aalo, come here.” There was a certain strictness in her mother’s tone which made her move almost hypnotically towards her Maa. She caught hold of one end of her Maa’s kurta, as she deliberately clung to her.

“Aalo, this is Mister Chatterjee,” her mother said in a happy voice.

“Hey, Aalo,” Mister Chatterjee waved at her, his cheeks glowing brighter as he smiled more. Aalo cowered and hid behind her mother, still confused about what to do.

“Aalo,” Maa warned sternly.

“Sudeepa, it’s fine,” he replied in a deep male voice which echoed around the room. And then he did the unexpected. He dropped on a knee in front of Aalo’s Maa, but his eyes were focused on Aalo. Cool, placid eyes met the frantic ones of Aalo. 

“May I have the pleasure of knowing you, my princess?” He gave a quick bow, a smile lighting up his eyes. He held out his hand towards Aalo.

Still apprehensive, Aalo came forward a step. She looked at her mother’s face, who gave a gentle nod and looked into Mister Chatterjee’s eyes behind the glasses.

“May I, My Lady?” He gave a grand bow again.

Aalo almost laughed, gingerly offering her tiny hand to him. His eyes twinkled as if he had found a treasure. His rough, calloused fingers brushed softly over her tiny hands as his one palm engulfed her hand completely. He brought her hand near his face and nuzzled his nose on the back of her arm. His moustache brushed against her skin too. It tickled and Aalo couldn’t help the small giggle.

“My Princess,” he gave her another mock bow before standing up slowly. Aalo didn’t draw back her hands. Somehow her hands felt safe in the custody of the big man. A different warmth was vibrating from those hands, and Aalo felt like holding on.

“Time for ice cream,” he announced, as he lifted her suddenly and placed her on the chair. It was so unexpected that Aalo almost fell from there. But Mister Chatterjee was quicker as he held her shoulders, steadying her. Her mother wasn’t strong enough to lift her on her lap anymore, as Aalo was a big girl now, but the big man had lifted her so effortlessly as if she was one of those dolls. She eyed him admiringly.

Her Maa and the big man seemed to talk through their eyes the whole time as her Maa scooped the ice cream into her bowl and offered her a steel spoon.

“I want more,” Aalo complained.

“Not more. You’ll catch a cold,” her mother chided, as usual. So this man too couldn’t change her mother a bit. And suddenly Aalo had an idea. She turned to the big man, throwing her best puppy-eyed look, which she unleashed on her mother rarely when she badly needed to convince her.

“Could I please have some more?”

The man blinked twice, flummoxed by the sudden question.

“Sudeepa?” he turned to her mother.

“Don’t pamper her already,” her Maa warned. “If she falls sick in the middle of the night, it’s me who has to rush her to the doctor.”

A pained look crossed his eyes, but he gave a small smile. “I understand, Sudeepa. She’s your baby and she will be your baby first, always. I’ll be happy with how much I can have of her. I’ll love her no less, but I know this will take time.” He turned to Aalo, continuing, “I know how difficult it might be for Aalo to accept a strange person in her life, but I promise I’ll try to be the best Dad. I’ll try to do all those things, fulfil all those wishes that she would let me fulfil.”

“I’m sorry, Kunal,” her Maa sighed, closing her eyes for a second. Aalo could see her chest rise and fall with each breath, and it seemed like an eternity before she opened her eyes and smiled at the big guy. “I overreacted.”

The big man’s moustache twitched as his lips lit up in that million-watt smile again.

❤️❤️❤️