Daastan [#MissionDesi]

Chapter 24

Next day, I met her alone. She opened the door letting me in. Then went into the kitchen and came back with a glass of water.

"What will you have? Tea or coffee?" She asked.

"Or Nimboo paani?" Dipti cut in emerging from the bedroom. Surprisingly, she was all dressed up, ready to venture out.

"Tea would be fine, thank you." I smiled.

She shuffled along to put the kettle on, her arthritic feet slowing her down while Dipti went straight to the CD player and pushed a button. The voice of Nelly Furtado filled the living room, 'Turn off the light'.

"Woah Nelly!"Dipti shouted, singing in tune with the song, following the lyrics perfectly, her face twisting into a comical one.

Muthassi came back with two cups of tea and snacks, handed over one cup to me. She turned off the CD player and asked Dipti to go get fresh since Anil would be arriving soon.

Not again! I shook my head.

"Oh don't worry. He's just a harmless creature!" Dipti said, "I know you hate him buzzing around Sujatha like a bumble bee, but he can't help it either. The sweetheart that he is, Sujatha's sweetheart!" Dipti sat there grinning.

Muthassi smacked her head.

"Ouch, Muthassi!" Dipti said, rubbing her head.

Ding Dong! Dipti ran to open the door before getting hit by Muthassi once again.

Anil came inside and sat by my side bringing along his usual cheery self.

"Hey wassup? How are you today, Lover boy?" He winked and Dipti giggled.

I turned my face away, sulking. I was in no mood to see his face, let alone talk to him.

Getting the hint to not push me further, he didn't utter another word till Dipti dabbed some lipstick, combed her hair I guess the hundredth time, ready to go with him wherever they were off to.

But before he walked out the door, he called out to me,"Hey Arvind, take care of Sujatha."

"Oh isn't that your job? I said, venemously, my eyes narrowing at him.

He looked from Dipti to Muthassi, confusion clear on his face.

Muthassi pushed them out the door before I lost control.

She came back and took the seat opposite me. Wise woman that she was, she let me do all the talking first, allowing me to let out my frustration and soon we fell back into our usual banter.

I'd been talking with her since the day Sujatha had handed me those papers to sign. She kept me updated about Sujatha's life. Of course she'd agreed to since she saw Sujatha uncertain about her decision. You might say I was stalking her but for me, it was more like doing something to help me carry on with my life, while waiting and hoping for a miracle.

Of course it would be something else if even now, after four years she regains the lost bits or scraps of her memory but I'm not counting on that to happen. We're happy now.

Muthassi told me about Anil. "Whatever fears you have about Anil, you need to lay them down. Anil is dating Dipti." Seeing the disbelief clear on my face, she continued, "Yes that's true. Don't you think I would have told you if there was something you needed to worry about? You would have only come running here if I told you about Anil and all our attempts of having Sujatha getting back to you would have failed.

You must be wondering about Anil's role in all this. Dipti had completely gone out of control while she was studying in Ooty. She'd been left heart broken by a guy she had fallen in love with and tried committing suicide. I took her responsibility since her family wouldn't take her in, you know the question arises, What would society say?

You can even say our house had turned into another Daffodils with the two of them getting back on their feet. Sujatha and Anil, who was her boss then, took good care of her. Dipti been the rebel, she realized it wasn't worth throwing your life away over a man when the world was waiting for her. Better late than never, I say. To say Sujatha is her inspiration would be apt.

Anil is a nice man. He helped not just Dipti but Sujatha too. He's a good friend of Sujatha, I can assure you that. He just likes irritating you." She chuckled.

"Dipti who has been drowned once, do not wish to go through the similar experience again. She knows Anil loves her but she has her own fears to face. She needs time, Anil knows that. That's what he's doing, though she gives him a tough time sometimes. But knowing Anil, I know I don't have to worry about her.

You first saw them at the mall, Dipti was window shopping and so you thought Sujatha was having fun with him. He would be there with Sujatha because she would feel uncomfortable meeting you, not knowing what to say or what to do. She didn't have the same advantage that you had over her. You kept track of her life, you knew what to expect. That poor girl was all flustered not knowing what to do after you turned up suddenly."

My head was reeling with all the things I had learned from Sujatha's Muthassi . I came back home and continued with the journal entry which I had discontinued last night.