One More Time

32

The buzz of Koustav's phone spoiled their perfect moment.Koustav's grip on her back loosened a bit.Ria stood their being numb for some time,missing the warmth of her husband. She went back cleaning the room,while Koustav answered his call. She had a feeling that something was off. Binni came to them to inform that Mita had called them for breakfast.

Koustav ushered her to come downstairs and left. Ria hurriedly changed into a comfortable salwar and took her phone and purse along. She locked her room's door.Mita was busy serving food to Koustav's father. Koustav sat beside him and served himself. Mita called Ria's name and told her to put a lock on her room's door from nowon. Everyone frowned at her.

Mita sent a lock to Ria through Binni.After a few moments Ria came down too. She sat beside her MIL. "Nilima has a tendency to roam and dig into other's stuff. Now she is moving beside yours room, I'm sure she will do the same things she used to do before",Mita clarified and added,"And listen to me very carefully, both of you. Don't argue or start shouting at each other especially when they are here. Go outside of my house if you two feel like arguing. And Ria, keep the keys with yourself."

After she finished her eating, Koustav went outside.Ria took her bag and left the house. He was climbing on his car when Ria crossed the road. Ria turned back to see Koustav had still not started his car, his eyes were at her direction. Seeing her he flashed a smile. Ria waved him a bye and saw him starting the car and going away.

Inside her house, her father and brother were getting ready for office. Soma was yelling at her husband for forgetting about things that are to be bought for Tuhin's engagement. Seeing her they got happy.

Soma got up from her chair and went to ask her how she was. The mother-daughter duo chatted while the help served the food. Tuhin was busy in a phone call when he left for office. Ria went inside her mother's room to see how far the shoppings been completed.

Ria looked happy to Soma. Though she never interfered in her daughter's personal life, still she could not control herself from asking about it. Ria smiled for a bit and changed the topic. In her mind, she was counting each passing second and wishing that the evening could arrive as soon as possible.

As the lunch got over, Ria pushed Soma towards her room so she could have her usual nap time. And finally she got the time to switch the internet connection on. Her fingers reached automatically to the messages app to see if Koustav had texted her. Only the notifications from facebook appeared on the panel.

She hadn't time to open her account since exam days. Opening the app she found that Ujaan had given love reacts to her every picture she had uploaded there. Due to some reasons, Ria had not changed her status ,neither uploaded any new picture of her on fb. When she  opened the messages he sent, she was stunned to see how he had captured her some candid pictures. And the only message he recently sent read," I get what I love."

She sat there for sometime, not knowing how and what to reply. So she again looked at all the pictures. Some were taken in a bus, some in her university campus, one in her balcony too.

Whole the afternoon,she just tossed and turned on her bed, not getting what to do. A strange fear gripped her. Finally she took her phone to call Koustav. On the third ring, he picked up the phone. Ria could not gather her courage to tell him this over phone so she only asked when he would come. It was clear, he was happy to hear from her. Koustav replied he was just getting out of office,so he would reach to her soon.

The news of his coming made her forget about Ujaan,and she got ready. Getting ready in a pair of comfy jeans and a shirt,she came downstairs and found her mother gossiping with someone over phone. She asked the help to prepare some tea,and sat beside her mother.