Agape & Eros

Fathers

Ram and Priya got into the car. Ram started driving. Suddenly he noticed a sniffling sound from Priya. 

Ram- Are you alright? Do you have a fever? 

Priya- No. Why do you ask? 

Ram- You are sniffling. 

Priya- That's nothing. 

Ram- Are you sure? Even your eyes are watery. I'm telling you, Priya. You're still sick. 

Priya- No, Mr. Kapoor. I'm not. And this is not stubbornness. Actually, it has been long since someone cared for me so much. I can remember mumma being concerned over my health when I was a little kid. After growing up... Things were hard in our family. 

Ram- Yeah, Saradi told me. 

Priya- Being taken care of always felt like a luxury. 

Priya looked outside through the window and wiped out her tears before they could drop from her eyes. Ram didn't say anything. He decided to give Priya the time and space she needed. Priya hardly opened up to him. So, Ram decided to give her time, space, and comfort whenever she did. 

Priya- Thank you. 

Ram- Uh... Priya mujhe dost nahi manti.

Ram heaved a sigh. Priya chuckled. 

Priya- Ok. No thanks. 

They both smiled at each other. 

Ram- Priya, shall we listen to some music?

Priya- As you wish. 

Ram- Today I'll play you my favorite song. 

Priya- Bade achhe lagte hain? 

Ram- Tumhein kaise pata? 

Priya- You keep humming it. 

Ram smiled. The fact that Priya noticed such a small thing made him smile. He started humming the song once again. 

Ram- Dad used to listen to this song. He told me it was my mother's favorite song. 

Priya- Mr. Kapoor, may I ask you something? 

Ram- Of course. You don't need to ask. 

Priya- How did Dad and maa die? 

Ram kept quiet for a moment. 

Priya- Sorry, if I've hurt you. You don't need to answer if it hurts you. 

Ram- No, you should know. You have the right to know... Priya, maa died of cancer. When I was 7. And Dad had a car accident. A truck collided with his car. 

Priya- I'm sorry to hear that. 

Ram became awfully quiet after giving the answer. Priya couldn't find any words to say. She felt she needed to say something but she was really bad at consoling people. So, she decided to speak her thoughts. 

Priya- People console each other but I can't do that. I think consoling words are the world's biggest lies. Everyone says, "Things happen for a reason", "Time heals", and "Everything will be fine". Nothing becomes fine. Time doesn't heal. It always hurts. 

Ram- It truly does. The pain of being an orphan never subsided. I just had to pretend to be okay. 

Priya- But you are blessed, Mr. Kapoor. Your parents loved you a lot. I know they are not with you today. But you know that you were loved. And you have so many precious memories of your Dad.

Ram- That I do. Do you know what happened one day? I had a fancy dress competition at my school. Everybody was excited about the program. They had their mothers making or buying fancy dresses for them. Do you know what my dad did? He dressed me as an indigenous hunter. With his self-customized clothes and jewelry. Dad and I made a garland with small bits of sticks, a headset with ply, and arrows with sticks. But both of us forgot to make the bow. We had such fun on that day. Dad did my makeup with acrylic paint. He also captured a picture of me. I have it on me right now. Will you open that part? You'll find a frame. 

Priya opened the compartment to find the photo. 

She smiled at the picture. 

Ram- Wasn't I looking dashing? Dad used to say that I was a beautiful kid. He also used to say, "Ram, tere bachhe bhi bohot khubsurat honge."

Priya became a bit shy at the mention of kids. She hummed in response. Ram realized what he had said a moment after. 

Ram- Da...dad used to say. Maine nahi bola. 

He smiled sheepishly. He tried to change the topic. 

Ram- Gaana sune? 

He turned on the stereo to fill the awkward silence. Soon they reached their office. Ram again had to coerce Priya to use the escalator. Ram walked with Priya to her department. He was about to enter the common room for teachers but was stopped by Priya. Before going to his own office Ram once again checked Priya if she had a fever and then went away from there screaming "Goodbye, Priya." And thus drawing everyone's attention to Priya. Priya felt a bit awkward as she felt the gazes of her students and colleagues on herself. A colleague asked her who the man was. And thus the whole department knew that their rude professor has been married to "The Ram Kapoor". 

*

After taking 3 classes in a row, Priya sat on her chair in the common room. Twinkle came to her and sat beside her. She put a little lunch bag in front of Priya. 

Twinkle- How are you now? 

Priya- What is it? 

Twinkle- I don't know. Ram sent it through Vik. It is for you. Open it and let's watch. 

Priya opened the bag to find two electrolyte drinks, one small bottle filled with tender coconut water, a thermos with warm soup, a lunchbox filled with fruit salad, and a small note. 

"I have talked to a dietician. This is your lunch today. If you want to argue about this please do so with your dietician. The number is given below"

Priya couldn't decide what to feel. Twinkle held her hand.

Twinkle- How caring is Ram, na? I'm so glad that you are married to him. 

Priya hummed in response. Everybody around her was happy for her. But she was having a hard time. Whenever she felt happy, she also felt this creeping fear that this care will not pertain. Her heart wanted to be happy but her head couldn't. She had her lunch. But she couldn't be contented. Her inner voice kept telling her, 

"This is only for a few days. Don't fall for it. Don't be habituated to it. It's gonna hurt badly. You can't sustain another heartbreak, can you?" 

As soon as she finished her lunch, Sara called her. She picked up the phone. 

Priya- Hello, Saradi.

Sara- Priya, sir was here. 

Priya- Why? 

Sara- To take money. 

Priya- But we have paid him back. The bakery is already ours.

Sara- But, he said if we didn't continue to give him the part of the profit, he'd drive us out from the Sood house. 

Priya- What? Wasn't it in maa's name? 

Sara- Apparently, no. He never gave mumma the real documents and never made her the owner. It was always his. 

Priya- But he was supposed to... After the divorce, he was supposed to... 

Sara- I don't know, Priya. This is all very confusing. 

Priya- Saradi, be calm and don't be tense. I'm coming. I'll see to it.