A Heart of Stone with a Coat of Gold

Escape from the Cage

Neel woke up early the next morning. He had been sleeping on the couch, Reema and Anu occupying the bedroom. "Do not worry, I will call you if he wakes up." Anu had assured him before sleeping. He made himself some tea, lit a cigarette, and took out Anu's documents which Nisha had handed him. He had yet to tell Anu about Nisha's visit. The morning cold, the caffeine and nicotine, along with the sombre silence were working their magic. Neel was at peace, a rarity in his life. 

As he went through her grades, in his mind, he could see the image of a  young girl studying at night, all alone, under a table lamp. Her grades were fantastic, better than what he had got when he had been in college. Nisha had also told her about the entrance results, they were exemplary. Any good college would have accepted her, had she applied. Neel could pay her fees easily. But would she accept when she wouldn't even accept his presents?

As Neel thought about Anu, he suddenly remembered a rare bird his father had once caught and kept in a very big cage, so it could fly, but only a little. He kept it to show his friends and flaunt. Neel wanted to free it, but afraid of his father, he never did.  The bird struggled day and night to fly outside the cage, but it would hit the bars and fall down, again and again. It soon died.

In that instant, Neel was afraid. He wanted to free this bird again, but a man, a large man stood in between them.

Strangely, in its own way, the bird looked a lot like Anu.

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Anu woke up and saw Neel seated on the table with papers strewn in front of him. Thankfully, Aryan was still asleep. As she came out of the bedroom, Neel looked up and then went back to reading. 

"You've got good grades." He said handing them over to her.

"My results?"Anu was confused."Who gave it to you?"

"A very gorgeous, and if I may add, presentable, young lady came. She said she was your friend." He answered with a slight emphasis on 'presentable'. Anu could sense the change in Neel's tone. Something was different, the way he was talking to her.

"Nisha?" She asked eagerly.

Neel simply nodded in reply. "I couldn't believe she was your friend." He added.

All her enthusiasm faded. Anu could notice the condescension in his words but decided to ignore it. Meanwhile, Reema came and Anu went to preparing their breakfast. Surprisingly, Neel called out in a loud voice, "Make breakfast for me, too." 

She wanted to retort but considering that it was Reema's first day, she resisted, lest it creates a scene. God knows, she already had seen enough. She tried to guess what had changed in a nights time, but try as she might, she couldn't figure it out.

She made omelettes and sandwiches for them. She put in extra effort in Neel's breakfast, and when she served him, the bread was black as polish and the omelette was uncooked and fresh as sunshine. Neel never said a word and started eating it, while Reema gawked at him and then the food alternatively, all the while, her mouth open.

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Neel's strange behaviour continued in the evening when he came from the office. He ordered her to make tea which she did, with all the venom and extra sugar she could add. She wondered what was wrong with him, was he angry at her?

After taking a sip from the cup, he kept the cup aside and lit a cigarette. He finally said, "You can't even make a good tea." Anu fumed with anger. He added further, "Dress up. We have to go."

"I don't want to go anywhere. And what about the kids?" She asked, her teeth gritted.

"You will come. I am going to drop the kids at a friend's place. His wife has agreed to take care of them for the night." He added simply. 

Neel was becoming unbearable second by second. "Why? Where?" She asked.

"Because your husband earns. And he is being promoted. His wife needs to be there" He said quietly.

He got up, picking his car's keys." I am dropping the kids. Dress in the clothes I brought for you. Not your usual ones. And you know what, wear one of the necklaces too." 

He picked up Aryan from the crib and gestured Reema to move in the car, which she did throwing Anu a fearful look.

As she was dressing up, Anu's eyes were red with anger.

Only, if she could have seen Neel's eyes. The eyes of a man at war with himself. All the while the little girl sitting beside quietly, silently watching him, while the child in her lap gargled, squirming under the seat belt.

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