~PLACID~

CHAPTER 4

It had been a few weeks since Arfia had lectured Duha on eating spicy food during pregnancy. But the latter wasn't convinced and craved for dabeli.

"Won't you say anything after I talked so much?", Arfia asked her to which Duha nodded.

"If you would have been in her place, you would have eaten my head till now. Her husband must have been luckier", Farhan spoke to Arfia over his newspaper.

The mention of " husband" made Duha uneasy and she rushed to her room upstairs.

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"Are you alright? How did you reach here?", Duha spotted a lady in burqa questioning her.

She glanced sideways to find herself laying flat on the ground.

" We found you unconscious here ", an old lady probably an acquaintance of the other informed her.

The point that she laid unconscious on a lonely street scared her. Startled she got up and dusted her skirt.

The two ladies of different generations stared at her in amusement.

" You are beautiful", the lady clad in burqa complimented her in the hope of receiving some kind of response.

But they were greeted with silence. Duha stared at them standing firmly at her spot.

"Don't be scared. We won't harm you. From where have you come? You don't seem well", the old lady asked with concern.

" I am Arfia. And she is my neighbor Kashi aunty", the burqa clad lady introduced herself and her partner.

Duha stood silently watching them. Her blouse was ripped from behind, hair was disheveled and lehenga full of mud. Her attire did give an impression that she had escaped a major attack.

Arfia found her eyes beautifully expressive and envied the mole on her upper lip. They walked to their home and the stranger followed them mutely which was indeed a surprise.

On their way they came across a roadside stall of dabeli. Duha instantly stood near it.

"You like it?", Arfia smiled.

Duha's eyes twinkled with happiness. She looked even more beautiful when she smiled.

Arfia bought 5 dabelis: 3 for them and 2 for her husband and brother in law.

" I love the taste of this snack. It is a unique combination of sweet, spice, sour. It heightens the sensitivity of taste buds."

The last line was quite confusing for Duha so she simply munched on her snack.

"Its like our life. Some moments are sweet, others sour, some too spicy to handle", Arfia joined in.

At this Duha looked up at them gulping down the big bite that she had just grabbed.

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" What was the need of bringing the topic of her husband? I eat your head, her husband is luckier. What do you mean? Either she doesn't eat his head or she cannot eat his head. Think before speaking something. We know nothing of her husband. She might take that comment seriously. ", Arfia scolded her husband for showing insensitive behavior.

" I don't think "husband" has upset her. And why do you always think she'll mind each of my word? Just because she doesn't speak or let's say she cannot speak you thrust the blame of upsetting her on me.", Farhan defended himself.

"You are being rude. If she's born mute there's no need to taunt or make fun of her.", Arfia put some butter on the hot bun pav.

"Am not being rude. Am trying to tell you that it isn't wise of us to keep her with us. Its been 4 months she's staying with us and we hardly know anything about her. What if people are looking out for her? What about her family? If not husband there would be someone, parents or siblings.", Farhan now lost his cool as this was the topic on which they debated everyday.

" I guess we need to finish off this debate today itself", Arfia fumed.

"But before that I need to give this dabeli to her."

"Bhabhi I'll take it", her brother in law Asad stood with a plate in his hands. Farhan's face gave a clear indication that he did not want Arfia to leave without finishing off the debate..

Miles away.......

" Suchitra get me water", Swanand asked his wife as he came from a long walk.

His wife handed him a glass of water.

"What happened? Did you get any success?", she asked him concern.

" No not yet.", he wiped off the sweat from his forehead.

"I don't think I'll get any job now. I have tried everywhere. Haven't left any place but there's no job which will suit me.", the man whined in disappointment.

" Even the grains in the house have finished.", his wife put a plate filled with dry chilli powder and Bajra roti.

"Had Sahib not allowed us to take our stored grains and materials we would have died of hunger in these months. It was kind of him", Swanand said as he circled his plate thrice with eater and began to eat.

" Don't call him kind anytime. His hospitality and generosity is for those who are beneficial to him. I heard there's a food festival in Haasilgarh. We are miles away from all the grandiose.", Suchitra pumped the  ground water in a bucket.

"So you miss it?"

"I don't. Its better to be real than fake."

Haasilgarh....

The big one week event of food had begun and witnessed a huge start as people from other cities also flocked to experiment with their taste buds.

The first day was about the food of the locality and nearby cities and states for the people who arrived from other countries.

"Get me a dabeli", Bhanu told his wife who rushed to the stall to get a fresh one for him.

The open space came across to be a different place with decorations and arrangements.

" See. They are eating dabeli", the maids gossiped.

"Let them", Malti was irritated with the fuss others made about simple things.

"By tasting it they'll surely get the taste of every moment of life one day", Sunaina murmured.

Malti looked at her hopelessly. There was no use of talking with her.