To the Professor, with Love (Complete)

Chapter 16

Baba was the supervisor to many PHD students. They used to visit our home and I had seen him laughing, talking and helping them out. Among them was a lady named Nandini Gowsawmi. She was a good, intelligent and very mature for her age. I had met her numerous times and she was friendly with me as well. I liked her too. I had seen him chatting for hours in his study with her. They used to discuss literature, world politics, economics and whatnot. Many times I had heard their conversations, sitting outside the room. It was very interesting even for a 15 year old.

Things were going good till one day I found him unusually silent. His mind was occupied with something. I had never seen him like that ever.

One night I woke up thirsty. The jug in my room was empty so I went to the kitchen for it. As I passed my parent's room I heard Maa crying. Baba was saying, "Don't you trust me? I don't care for the world. Just tell me, do you trust me or not?"

A few days later, I came home to find Baba arguing with Paushali' father, Basudev Sarkar.
"How could you do this? How could you do this to me? You stood there while they allegated me. They believed the rumours and I was.. manhandled.. But you didn't say a word. You knew the truth. Still you.. how could you do this to me?"
Basudev Sarkar stood there with his head low.
"It was a mistake. I couldn't destroy my life for it. I am sorry but I did what I had to. "
"Right. You did what you had to. I was a true friend and so I kept quiet all these days. But you hid the truth from me first and you let me put all the blame on me. And you claimed to be my friend. Really?"

"Saikat.. please.. try.."
"Friendship is the purest relationship. It is something we build ourselves. Friends can't be selfish. They can't harm the other person. I will never do anything that will destroy your life but I can't remain your friend anymore. It is not because what you did hurt my reputation, but it hurt my wife's too."
"Saikat. I am sorry."
"You aren't, I know. Not today but you will be one day. Now just get out of my house and don't you ever show me your face again."

Things appeared normal but I knew it wasn't. I never knew what exactly had happened until one day at school.
"Hey Sen! Come here!"
My senior, Satya, called me.
"Hmm.."
"Is everything true? I mean, have you seen them together? How close were they?"
I could not understand a thing.
"What? Who? I don't understand."
He smiled, put his arm around my neck, pulled me to the corner.
"Your father and his girlfriend, Nandini. The rumours that his girlfriend is pregnant. Is that true? Are you really becoming a big bro?"
I pushed him away and punched him hard.

When being questioned by my parents at home about why I did it, I screamed at them. I, out of everyone, demanded answers from my own father. Maa slapped me for the first time. I left the room.
Maa came to me, sat me down and said I was old enough to understand things. She told me about what had occurred in these few days. Nandini was in a relationship with someone and she had gotten pregnant with him. She didn't give me a name but I knew it was Paushali's father, Basudev Sarkar. She left the city suddenly and rumours started that it was my father with whom she was involved. He was asked questions, passed negative comments because of it. She said she trusts him and now it was on me whether to believe it or not. But whatever it would be, I was not allowed to raise my voice against him.

I realised how wrong I was. How could I not have the same conviction for him like her? I cursed myself. I asked for forgiveness from my father. He smiled and ruffled my hair.
Days that followed, things started to appear normal. He was the old self, smiling, talking and spending time with us. But we were wrong. He was breaking apart from inside. One day he committed suicide.

Sidharth sits on the bed with his head low, resting on his hands. Narrating the incidents had taken a toll on him. He was broken down till his core.
"Drink some water. Lo."
Shehnaaz forwards him a glass of water but he doesn't lift his head to even look at her.
"Sidharth.. please. Jo ho gaya usse bhulane ki koshish karo."