Aboli

Part 48

"What is wrong with you Sanyukta, stop letting him dominate your thoughts all the time. You are going to meet you mother, not him!" Sanyukta scolded herself as the bus gingerly negotiated the treacherous Konkan ghats. Her effort to enjoy the scenery was marred by the shaded glass window. She felt excited and guilty at the same time, as if she was on her way to a clandestine rendezvous with a lover, having never travelled so far on her own. Though Randhir was instrumental in planning her journey her equation with him was very different, she had to be discreet around him. 

She had worked very hard to maintain her academic grades to convince her mother that she was being a responsible daughter, she even carried her evaluated answer sheets as proof. Her mother was in for the surprise of her life, she still did not know that her daughter was coming over. Sanyukta forced herself to go to the public restroom when the bus made a halt midway during the journey. Although she had expected them to be so, the less than desirable condition of the sanitary facilities made her stomach heave. Why can't they maintain pay-to-use toilets that are continuously serviced? And why is civic sense so lacking among our people? Is the imbalance between our population growth and development of civic infrastructure responsible for it or is it just public apathy, she wondered. 

She had a bite to eat, having carried her own snacks and drinking water along. The remainder of the journey was in the night and she managed to get some shuteye. She only woke up with the sound of the bus making its first halt for passengers to disembark. She checked her watch, it was just 4 am, the bus had gotten into the city well before the scheduled time which was quite unusual. The winter sky was dark and although there was traffic on the highway Sanyukta was nervous about getting off the bus alone in the unfamiliar city. Her fingers fidgeted with the strap of her carry-on bag as she got into a seat in the front of the bus so that the driver could alert her before her scheduled stop. 

After she disembarked the bus sped off and she stood there wondering what she should do next. Should she alert her mother or just hop into a rickshaw and find her way to the address? As she waited there lost in thought a number of vehicles sped by but there was no sign of an unhired rickshaw. She checked her watch, it was half past four in the morning and she realised she was stranded on an unfamiliar road without transportation. Before her anxiety could turn to panic her phone rang and to her relief it was Randhir. She had considered calling him earlier but did not know if it would be appropriate to do so. 

"How far have you gotten, Mowgli?" He asked her.

"I am already here at the stop you mentioned, the bus got here earlier than I expected." She explained.

"Arey, why did you not call me then? I'll be there in under ten minutes. Don't, I repeat don't hire another vehicle and get in touch immediately if you are in a spot of bother!" He nearly yelled at her before disconnecting the call.

Sanyukta stood rooted to the spot feeling both sheepish and relieved. Some time went by before she noticed a car screeching to a halt close to her. The door opened and Randhir walked out. 

"Hi, I've never been so happy to see you, Randhir!" She smiled, unsure of his reaction.

"You almost gave me a heart attack Mowgli! I had asked you to call me as soon as you came into the city!" His face was grave and they stared at each other.

"How could I know that the bus would arrive before schedule?" She countered.

"Had anything gone awry what could I say to your mother, Mowgli? Don't you dare pull another stunt like this again. Now come on, let's get you out of here!" He made her get into the car.

"I didn't know you had a car in Mumbai too!" Obviously she wanted to diffuse the tension.

"There's a lot you don't know, both about me and about how to ensure your personal safety!" His voice gave away his concern for her.