Ultimate Reunion

Lovers' Quarrel

She stood at the door, motionless. She wasn't surprised that he was there in the practice room, and not in some other city. Holding a Tanpura. He started singing, and then stopped. He tried again and was unsuccessful. He grew frustrated and pushed the Tanpura away. He got up abruptly, but froze to his place on noticing her.

Her face was expressionless. So expressionless that it said volumes about how hurt and angry she was. She was breathing so hard that she had to bite her lips to keep her mouth closed. They stood staring at each other for several minutes. Then she broke the eye-contact and looked away. Keeping her gaze fixed on the ground, she started stepping back.

"Piyali!" he found his voice.

She didn't heed him though and turned away to leave.

"Piyali. Please wait," he ran after her.

She stopped but for a moment; then started walking again. He had caught up with her and pleaded again for her to stop. She ignored him.

Left with no option, he grabbed her hand. She pushed him away so ferociously that he barely avoided a fall. He brushed against a bare pillar. He wasn't particularly hurt, but he cried out in astonishment.

That made her forget her anger temporarily. "Oh my God! What... What happened? Are you... hurt? Mukundo Babu.... I can hardly see anything here," the corridor was not well-lit. She dragged him to the room and he followed quietly.

He stopped her when she bent down to check his injury. "Hurt me all you want, Piyali. But... you must not be hurt."

"Yeah?" her anger surged again, "And this is how you do not hurt me?"

"What happened... How do I... I cannot do the right thing by you. My wife... She is Pandit ji's daughter."

Piyali looked sideways to conceal her hurt. Of course, she didn't measure up to the credentials of his wife. She was no Pandit ji's daughter.

"He was my Guru. This marriage happened because he wanted it. I can't walk out of it. It's irrational, but..."

She looked back at him and smiled sadly. "And what did you think I will do? Was I going to blackmail you? Break your marriage? Make your life difficult?"

"Piyali!"

"Did it occur to you even once that I cannot hurt you? Ever? It wasn't like I was going to get pregnant. And If I did, I would rather abort it than create trouble for you..."

"Don't you dare!" he gripped her arm so hard that she flinched in pain, "Don't you dare talk about abortion if you are carrying our child."

"Mukundo Babu!" she whimpered in pain.

Terrified that he was hurting her again, he let her go immediately and let out a frustrated grunt.

"I have been an idiot all these days. But can't you see, Piyali, how I feel? You are better off staying away from me."

"No. I am not."

"What do you want then? You want to become the mistress of another promiscuous artist?"

"Why are you talking like this, Mukundo Babu?" she was on the verge of crying.

"Go away from me. You are young. And I am not a good influence on you."

She bit her lips, blinked back her tears and said, "Yes. Your wish will be fulfilled. I am going away from you. That was the news I had for you on that fateful day."

"What?" Mukundo had been pleading her for this, but when she said it herself, he panicked. "What do you mean? What news? Where are you going?" She wasn't getting married, was she?

"I got a job. In Darjeeling. It's a residential school. As soon as my final exams get over, I'd be going there. That is, in five weeks."

"What job?"

"Teaching Mathematics. And possibly some administrative responsibilities of the hostels."

He was at a loss for words.

"I'm going away, Mukundo Babu. I won't be a bother all your life. All I wanted was to spend some of this time with you. Singing, practicing, learning whatever I can in this limited time."

"You can't just go away. You can't abandon music. You can find a job in Kolkata."

"Nothing I had here paid well enough."

"You... can't... just... go away... like this..."

"You have put me through one week of hell to impress upon me that I should go away."

"I'm selfish, am I not? When I had pushed you away, somewhere deep down, I knew I could have you back. I would have – sooner or later... But now... now that you are saying you are going away..."

"It is for everyone's good, isn't it?"

He remained silent for a long moment, his eyes downcast. Then he asked, "I haven't been able to sing at all in last one week. Would you like to practice?"

She brought the Tanpura and asked him if he had set the alarm.

"Not needed. Nobody is coming yet."