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Rita was determined to make the most of this golden opportunity. “If he is at the office, Moorti must be there too,” she began conversationally.
“Yes, he is,” answered my guileless husband.
“Then they must be playing cards there,” said Rita, and sat back with an air of satisfaction.
“But...” said Harsh, shocked at anyone doubting the sanctity of the office, and even more at a loss for words as usual.
“Oh, you think I don’t know his tricks, Bhai Saheb? He can’t fool me now. I have lived with him for eleven years... my life has been ruined... tell me what to do...” tears had come into her voice again.
Harsh seemed completely unable to see the point she was driving home. He sat there looking lost, nearly tying himself up into complicated knots, when he abruptly glanced at me and caught me grinning. He shrugged his shoulders in mute despair.
“...look after the children... day after day... same story... never at home... look how punctual you are....” Rita continued brokenly.
A loud “Hi” greeted us from the road. Subroto, on his scooter outside was calling out to Harsh, “Hey, Chandra! Is my bibi there?”
Rita gasped and clutched my hand. Harsh shouted back that yes, she was, and why didn’t Subroto also join us. Thereafter he escaped thankfully inside on the pretext of washing up.
“Oh, why didn’t you ell me it was so late?” Rita said.
I freed my hand and got up to make some tea for all of us. Rita was looking somewhat nervous, I thought. “It is not all that late,” I said to soothe her.
“But really, the amount of gossip we women have to exchange is awful, don’t you think?” she said.
I felt sick of her for a moment. Crushingly, I retorted, “Not so much gossip, Rita. We were discussing your problems with your husband. Card playing and staying out late, don’t you remember?”
Rita gave a high pitched squeal, “Oh come on, that was nothing much, Vasu. We women understand...”
She was obviously babbling, so I went inside and put on the water for the tea. Perhaps she was scared of her husband, I thought. However, that was hardly possible. Coming outside to welcome Subroto, I prayed to the powers that be to give Rita sense not to have it out with him right here and now, as it happened at Moorti’s.
Subroto came in. “Hello, Vasundhara,” he said. “Where are the brats?”
I duly informed him that our children were inside and there’s were at the party.
“Party? Not at all. They were sitting on the verandah outside the house. That is why I have come to look for Rita.”
I crossed my fingers.
“Really?” said Rita, and stood up. “I had no idea it was so late - we were having such an interesting conversation...” She looked at me appealingly.
Subroto made her sit down.
“Relax, yaar,” he said. “They are having a nice time by themselves, and we haven’t had tea together since ages. Besides, today I am celebrating.”
“What for?” I asked.
“Why hasn’t she told you yet? I won six hundred bucks in cards day before yesterday,” he proclaimed grandly, “and in honor of this event, I invite myself and Rita to Chandra’s.”
I started thinking that it was impossible not to like Subroto. he is a friendly, dashing kind of person. Full of energy and good humor.
“Of course, I have told her,” Rita said unashamedly.
“By the way, Vasu, I haven’t met you for ages,” Subroto said soberly. “How is life? And other things?”
I said life and other things were fine - at which he showed a mischievously mercurial change. “I am glad to know that life is fine, and I am sure I don’t know what are the other things you insist on telling me,” and he roared with mock impatience, “but, Vasu, where is the tea ?”
“Here,” said Harsh, bringing in the tray with tea and biscuits.
