For Better or For Worse

CHAPTER 11 - The Disclosure

‘What did you want to talk to me about?’ asked a sleepy voice from the other end. Nandini was irritated. She could not make up her mind whether or not to tell Adi about her last night’s conversation with her guest. After all they were on the landline, anyone could hear their conversation from a parallel connection. What if someone by chance picked up the phone at the other end? Or even worse, what if someone sneakily pried on their chat just for the sake of simple mischief and got to know their grand plan?

‘Why can’t you call me on my cell phone?’ Nandini asked, ‘I did send you a text and mobiles are for that purpose’

‘I know, but my phone ran out of juice. It is on charge. Is everything okay?’

‘Need to see you, all of you.’

‘Okay you and Sampoorna get ready, I will send Yosuf to pick you up.’

‘They will not let me go out now that the wedding is just weeks ahead, least of all with Yosuf. They will make sure that the two of us stay apart according to rites and rituals till the wedding.’ Nandini said in her irritation. She wondered how and when did her Adi transferred into a buffoon of such high order.

‘Oh yeah, right. Okay I will send Yosuf over to pick Sampoorna and Anita up. They can always excuse themselves in the name of shopping’

‘SHOPPING!’ Nandini could not keep her anger in control anymore. ‘This is a remote village, there are no shopping malls here. The nearest town with shopping malls is Udaipur, which is almost thirty kilometres’, added Nandini.

‘Okay come up with sight-seeing. Anita and Yosuf can say that they are taking Sampoorna out for sight-seeing’ said Aditya.

‘And then? How do you suggest I get out?’ asked Nandini

‘Oh come on Nandu, don’t play innocent. You’ve been skilful in that since we have known you, remember?’ Aditya said.

‘Okay I get you. Bye.’ With that she pressed the disconnect button on her cordless, and placed it down on the table, checked right and left, and sneaked out of the dining hall, and went straight to Anita’s room.

She never thought it was necessary to mention to Adi or Anita the venue of their meeting. Ever since their childhood they always had their secret meetings at the old, abandoned watch tower that used to be the part of a fort, that now laid in ruins at the village boundary. There were graffiti on the old stone structure that still bore the evidence of their countless afternoons of secret planning and games.

When Yosuf came to pick them up they were having a conversation over tea at the dining hall. To be blunt Sampoorna was at the receiving end of questions being bombarded at her by different members of Nandini’s family. Amongst them, worth mentioning were Nandini’s father Rajshekhar, her mother Shalini, her paternal aunt Suhasini, and Yosuf’s mother Hamida. Both Nandini and Anita were trying to deviate or divert any questions of Adi and Sampoorna’s friendship, and other personal details of Adi’s character at the unit. The only silent spectator was their guest of honour, Mr. Henry Grant, and for some odd reasons Nandini had the feeling that his eyes were magnetically fixed on her.

No sooner than Yosuf, Anita, and Sampoorna left did Nandini excused herself on the pretext of an important work. She started gathering some fruits and crisps on a tray when her mother asked ‘What are you doing?’

‘Oh! I am packing some food for lunch.’

‘Are you thinking of having a picnic by yourself in the backyard?’ her mother asked sarcastically.

‘No, I am not. I have way too much work to do that. However, I would like to spend the day by myself in my room, which means no lunch, straight dinner. And if possible, please keep out of my way I will be working.’