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Rita had presumably forgotten all about her children coming back home from the party, but I had started worrying that Harsh might be arriving any moment now with the children, who would be ravenously hungry. I decided to take a firm hand and conclude the session.
“Okay, Rita, you’re probably right, he is a louse. But you are responsible for you children. If he is on tour for most part of the month, her is surely entitled to a bit of recreation. And anyway, he cannot do much in the house. You are really having a better deal than most women do. Why don’t you try to avoid making these petty scenes? I’m sure they must be putting him off quite a lot. After all...”
Rita checked my rhetoric with a strangled sob. ”I have already tried enough. Nothing has changed in spite of all my efforts. When he is on your, it is understandable. But what when he is here?”
“Then stop asking him for costly saris and gold rings,” I said.
“As if he buys me any,” she cribbed. “I can ask for all I want, but he never listens. And I have to maintain some self respect. Vasu, I must soon have it out with him if I want to avoid having a nervous breakdown. Oof, these men...” She massaged her forehead and brooded for a while. I felt at a loss of words and brooded too.
Then she suddenly exclaimed, “Oh! there is Bhai Saheb with your children. Aren’t you lucky to get him as your husband! Sitting coolly at home while he brings them home from the park. The children also look as if they were having a good time with him. I feel very envious f you, Vasu.”
I explained to her as I always do, that it was far more convenient for Harsh to pick up the children on his way back home from the office, than for me to go out just for that.
“Subroto would never do it,” she said.
“But your children are much older than mine,” I pointed out.
She said that I was defending Subroto again.
Harsh arrived. Chaos reigned for some time. Ami and Amar were chased out to wash themselves. In the meanwhile, Rita tried to ‘find out’ about Subroto from harsh. The complete detective. Between children’s yells of delight at finding me after nearly two hours, and their simultaneous reporting of the momentous events that had occurred in the park today, I could follow some of the conversation.
“How punctually you have returned home, Bhai Saheb,” Rita sounded as if she had scored a point. “He must be at the Moorti’s?”
“Who?” asked Harsh, puzzled.
“Subroto, who else?” said Rita.
“No,” Harsh paused to slap Amar playfully on the back. “He is still in the office. He is working on a large project, and may be late today.”
“If he is late, it is nothing new. He is late everyday,” said Rita.
“Yes, he is working quite hard these days,” Harsh replied in all earnestness.
“Bhai Saheb, don’t hide things from me,” Rita cajoled. “Do you think I don’t know him? Please tell me the truth.” She waited for the truth expectantly, with her head to one side, like a bird. I though she was being somewhat flirtatious.
Harsh only looked irritated. “Well, I’ve told you what I know,” he said, with an edge to his voice.
“Arre, I know everyone is in league with him. He must have told you not to tell me where he is.”
“But,” Harsh protested weakly, “he is really in the office.
Harsh, being an engineer, is generally at a loss for persuasive words. He expects people to believe him at the first go. Of course, he hadn’t reckoned with Rita.
