MALANG

9. Rectification

Kabir's POV:

Nitya was so drunk and sloshed that I knew she wouldn't be able to make it beyond twenty feet.

And I was right.

Irrespective of my condition, I got up from my place and wore back my clothes. There was enough moonlight in the desert, yet I turned on my phone's flashlight and started tracing the path taken by Nitya. Twenty feet at max, and there I found her passed out body in the sand, lying on her stomach.

I kneeled down beside her and very softly, scooped her up in my arms. Then I started walking again. My destination was an old maruti car that had been hired by us in the morning. The car was parked near a semi urban establishment while we had intruded far in the desert.

Almost after a forty minute's walk, I located my car safely standing in its original spot. I walked upto it and opened the door of the passenger side with the key lying in my pocket. I dumped Nitya in there and fastened the seat belt around her. Then I walked to the driver's side and made myself comfortable. I pushed the key in the ignition and the engine roared back to life. Reaching the hotel we were staying in, took some fifteen minutes after that.

It was past twelve when we reached Laxmi Niwas Palace. I asked the manager to help me take the drunk lady to her room and he readily complied. I was glad that he identified rum's smell in Nitya's mouth and didn't ask me further questions. Also I was glad that Nitya didn't wake up inbetween, thus saving me from any possible chaos.

When I finally retired to my room, the clock had just struck one.

Throughout the night sleep felt like a far fetched dream. I tossed and turned and when the early rays of the sun peeked in through the windows, I got up to get ready for leaving this place.

I handed the car's keys to the receptionist and asked him to give it to Nitya once she woke up. I paid him for our night stay as well and left the hotel's premises as soon as possible. Outside, my app based cab was already waiting to take me to Jaipur.

                              ****

January 6,
Jaipur.

Once again I was in Jaipur. But unlike last time I wasn't going to a palatial hotel anymore. This time, it was my ancestral home I was heading for.

It was some eight thirty in the morning. If things were not wrong, I knew all the males of our family had left for work. This was the ideal time to go in to that house since facing an emotional mother was way easier than facing a flabbergasted father or two super angry brothers.

As expected, the door was opened by mother. At first she couldn't believe that was I really there, standing at her doorstep after six long years. She gaped at me for a long time, letting pain, surprise, contentment and all the other emotions soak in, and then broke down in tears. I knew she wasn't going to stop so soon and thus I didn't even try to console her. I just stood there beside her, holding her in my arms and stroking her hairs gently. In the end, she sobered down a bit and took me inside the house with silent tears still grazing her eyes.

"What will you eat? Shall I make you some kadi chawal? You have grown so weak... You don't seem to be eating properly." She rambled while fixing my hairs.

Typical Indian mothers!

I wanted to snort, but politely replied- "I have had breakfast on my way."

"Okay then. Have some sweets. I've made you favourite doodh laddoo yesterday. I will bring them right away." She seemed so enthusiastic that I couldn't stop her anymore. Also this was the last time she was feeding me. After this I would be out of the country and she would have to return to her daily routine of missing her son again.