A Heart of Stone with a Coat of Gold

Of Wine and Violins

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Anu wanted to leave. But Neel was busy among his colleagues, standing among the huddle as they laughed and discussed. Anu picked up a mocktail, as a waiter passed her by holding a tray. She double-checked with him whether it had alcohol or not before she had her first sip. As she had the drink, she observed the man from afar. He was standing among them yet still she could see the separation. Like there was a line separating them from him. He just stood there with a glass of wine in his hand, silently with the same face that had now been etched in her mind. Never smiling, rarely speaking, occasionally a nod or two.

Finally, he drifted apart from the group and headed towards her. A couple of women were chatting among them, dressed in sparkling clothes and heavy jewellery, the makeup on their shrivelled faces doing the contrary to its original purpose. Amongst them, a thick-waisted woman in a blood-red dress was laughing, and talking jubilantly.

"She's probably a gold-digger. " The words fell in Anu's ears. She knew they were talking about her, instinctively. As soon as she heard it, the tears which she had been trying so long to restrain, broke their dam and came out. It was too much, the way Neel had been treating her, the shame she felt on the dais when he left her alone, the awkward stares, and now these harsh words. How long could she fight alone against the whole world? But she would. She wiped her tears as Neel came near.

"I want you to meet Mrs Srivastava, Raghu's wife." He held her hand and moved towards the same woman in red. Anu was aghast. He greeted the woman with the round face, who excused herself from the group and started conversing with him.

"How are you Mrs Srivastava, you look lovely as always." She gave a hearty laugh at his compliment. Neel continued in his low voice. "Sir always talks so much about you." Her face fell a little at the mention of her husband.

Anu could see a bit of difference in Neel's tone. He was obviously a bit drunk, but it was his eyes, as always, that caught his attention. Red veins surrounded the blue like a bloody ocean.

He pointed to Anu as he spoke."Meet my wife, Anu."

"Oh, yeah. We were just talking about her. That how lovely, she is." She gestured to her gang of ladies.

"I'm just lucky, I guess," Neel said, putting his hands across her shoulder, and pushing her slightly so that their shoulders met.

"I beg to differ. She is the lucky one. To get such a handsome bachelor as you, now the VP of the company. No offence to her, but you could have got anyone you liked. Someone like Anita. I have heard she liked you" She gave a heinous laugh as she pointed to the lady who had earlier conducted the event. Anu looked away, trying to hide her watering eyes from the woman. She wouldn't want to give her that pleasure at least.

Neel laughed. A laugh Anu had never heard. She had seen him smile a couple of times, but only with Aryan. This laugh was different, it was deep and had a sense of irony to it. As if he was laughing at the stupidity of what he was experiencing. The laugh of a mad man. Even the old lady was a bit alarmed.

As he spoke he moved closer to Mrs Srivastava. His tone was low, almost a whisper. Only Anu and the lady could hear it. "Mrs Srivastava, you are right. I may be unlucky to have got a gold digger, but it is still better than humping mistresses behind your back, isn't it?" The old lady's face fell. "How do you know?" She whispered fearfully.

"I know a lot, Ma'am. Your son sends his regards." The old woman's had turned white. She had no son.

"Come on darling. We are leaving." He turned to Anu, held her hand and left the hall.

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Anu drove the car home. He asked her to, he knew he was drunk. As he sat silently gazing out, the cold wind hitting straight at his face, she finally asked "How do you know all that?"

Neel heaved a sigh. His tone was even lower than usual. "One day, on a trip, he asked me to join for drinks. He was my boss. I couldn't refuse. Later he told me himself about his mistress and his bastard. He was dying to let it out. I guess that's why he thinks of me as a friend."

He continued, "Eventually she found out. But others don't know."

She glared at him. So the only friend this man has is because he was hiding his secret.

Still, she couldn't help but smile a bit.

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They reached their home. As he got up to the door, he stumbled and fell down. Anu tried to help him get up.

"No," he growled with an air of finality. "I'm the man of the house. I don't need your help."

He got up and walked to the gate. His hands were shaking still somehow, he managed to unlock the door. Then he went in and fell on the couch. A moment of silence ensued.

As usual, he lit a cigarette and gazed at her. He was thinking something intently.

He said gently, "Anu, can you please make me tea? I would have made myself, but I would probably just burn the house in the process." Her anger had not subsided. But she felt this time it was the other Neel talking, the one she had started knowing a bit. The one who cared just a little for others. She decided that she would let her anger out later when he was sober.

As she went into the kitchen, she heard some commotion from the living room. A few minutes later, she heard the sound of someone playing the violin, a peaceful but sad tune. In between, she heard a few jitters, probably his hands shaking due to the alcohol. As she listened to it along with the simmering of the boiling water, it felt as if the tune was singing a song within itself. A song of the helpless. And the lonely.

He stopped as she entered. "I didn't know you played the violin," She said as she handed him the tea. He kept the violin aside and took the cup.

"I did. Since I was a child. My uncle gifted me one. I even wanted to take it as a profession" He answered as he sipped.

"Then why didn't you?" Anu asked, her face between her palms, as her elbows rested on the table.

Anu saw the fear in his eyes, just a flicker, and then it was gone. Again the blue empty eyes.

He said as he turned away."It was a stupid dream. A child's dream. It broke. Just like the violin."

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