The Unventured Passions

Tainted in Another Red!

Raimoti and Anirudh had found refuge at the village headman's house, Ram Chattujjee, and to rest for the night, a small corner room near the kitchen was alloted to the duo.

"We don't have enough rooms available at the moment, a wedding house this is... I hope you understand." Ram Chattujjee, a man in his late forties, had smiled cordially, inviting them for a modest dinner.
"You seem to be from a good family, lost and mugged, I understand, probably tired too... So why don't you spend the next two days here, my eldest brother is to get married day after tomorrow."

"Congratulations... This is perfect... But we wouldn't wish to impose." Anirudh had smiled back with a polite gratitude, passing the plate of rice to Raimoti, as he himself served daal to both of them.
"And thank you so much for hosting us for the night."

Anirudh had started to eat, but Ram Chattujjee's thoughtful gaze at them made him question again.

"Is there a concern?" He asked, and the man nodded his head in negation, chuckling softly.

"Not a question, but strange really." Chattujjee had frowned, his eyes shifting from Anirudh's face to that of Raimoti's, and as Anirudh looked at him quizzically, he blurted out the words.
"It's just that... it's strange to see a man serving food to a woman... It's always the other way round, ideally."
His words were born of astound, and sensing the rigid ignorance, Anirudh smiled politely, but before he could even reply, came another voice, sharp and sarcastic.

"Ideally? Well, ideally, men and women should be equal too... But do we consider them so?"
Raimoti had remarked at once, and sensing a heralding conflict of ideas, Anirudh at once picked up a slice of lemon and placed it at Raimoti's plate.

"Satya, mix this with the daal, it'd taste good."

Anirudh had addressed her as 'Satya', probably abridging her new made up alias, however, the name itself made her smile at once, her cheeks blushing and her mind drifted off to the thoughts of the man who owned the name, aiding to Anirudh's intention of quieting her successfully.

"Yes, yes, it's Kaagjee lemon, more fragenent, have it... " Ram Chattujjee had murmured unmindfuly.

"My sister has progressive thoughts Ram Babu, please don't take offense."

Anirudh's words, although had earned him a stern look from Rai, but was probably appropriate to quieten the old school man sitting infront, and he tried to maintain the cordiality with their host.

"So your elder brother you said? Where is he getting married?"

Ram Chattujjee smiled at Anirudh's friendly enquiry.
"Mymensing... The bride's family stays there, affluent they are... But, as this is my brother's second marriage, we've only settled for five cows and a transistor."

"Wow! that's it?" Raimoti dragged her words, teasingly, widening her eyes innocently at the man, and in return she felt Anirudh's hand pressing on her palm.

"Yes... Thats it! Such a fowl bargain, isn't it?"he paused thoughtfully before adding, "but the girl is young and untainted... If that's a solace."

Unweary of the intended sarcasm thrown at him, Ram Chattujjee had coincided with Raimoti's idea of 'less', weighing his 'profit', but before the words could escalate any further, Anirudh had interjected.

"Where in Mymensing? Actually, we were planning to head there too."

"Oh!" Ram Chattujjee smiled.
"Settled then, you are accompanying the wedding procession from the groom's side... the more the merrier you see... And also, I want to see how they honour their invitees! There should atleast be some privilege of being from the groom's side, what's say?"
He had chortled meaninglessly at the idea of taking more men than decided, the intension being taking the bride's family by surprise with the over-pouring, and hence establishing the supremacy of the groom's superiority.