Before climbing the stairs to her apartment, Nivedita looked around for Badal uncle. She could not locate him. She asked the watchman. He was ignorant about his arrival. She rang him, but his mobile phone was switched off. She looked a little worried.
"He must have reached home long back. Where is he stuck? I hope he did not get lost in the city," Nivedita muttered.
She saw a boy stopped his bike near her. A girl climbed down from the back seat and asked the boy to come with her. He hesitated a bit and requested her to go alone, "No problem, I will wait for you here.”
“Don’t be silly. Come along,” said the girl.
The boy unwillingly got down from his bike and parked it. The girl walked straight to the watchman and asked him something. He pointed his finger at Nivedita, “Madam, she is looking for you.”
Nivedita looked at her, and after giving a thought, she smiled at her, "Are you Tumpa?"
The girl said, "A…. well, I am Anupriya. My father calls me Tumpa. Are you Nivedita?"
"Oh, welcome, Tump…. Anupriya. Your father is staying with us," Nivedita shook hands with her warmly.
“This is my friend Yogesh,” Anupriya introduced her friend.
Both of them said hello to each other
“Well, where is my Papa?” Tumpa asked
"He informed us that he would come straight from the hospital in a cab. He must have reached here about half an hour back. But I don't see him around. He must have got stuck in the traffic. His mobile phone is also switched off. .... Anyway, you two come with me to my house. He would be reaching here any moment.”
"No-no, he must be taking a walk. I know my Papa. He is a restless guy. Come, let's find him out," Anupriya turned around and walked few paces on her left and then on her right. Her eyes were searching for her Papa.
Nivedita had looked at the green patch several times, but she could not see Badal da, as he hid from the view behind the foliage. It was Yogesh who first spotted him when he walked towards the green patch.
They together hurried inside the small garden through the gate. Anupriya shook Badal da's shoulder nervously and called, "Papa, Papa. Are you all right? Why are you lying down here?”
Badal da opened his eyes. He looked around and sat back. He said with a faint smile on his face, “Did I go to sleep?”
"Come, let's go inside, Uncle," Nivedita pulled his arms gently.
He stood up and saw the opened gate nearby. He wondered why he could not see it when he came here. Unnecessarily he had to jump over the fence. It was quite childish of him to do that.
He noticed that a stranger was also walking with them. He had worn old faded jeans torn over both his thighs. He must have borrowed it from someone as the jeans were very loose and had slipped below his waistline. Badal da asked who he was.
“He has come with me,” Anupriya said.
He must be the driver of the cab, which Tumpa might have taken to reach this place, Badal da thought. But when he entered the house along with others and sat over the sofa, he could not help but ask, “Who are you?”
Tumpa answered instead, “Papa, he is my friend Yogesh. I have come on his bike.”
Badal da examined him from head to toe. Grown-up beards, disheveled hair, wrinkled shirt and casually worn loose sandals, all indicated that Tumpa had a wrong choice for a friend. But then he thought maybe he is from a poor financial background. He asked him with empathy, "Are you Tumpa's classmate?"
Tumpa objected in a sharp tone, “Why do you call me by my given name?”
The boy answered politely, "No, sir, I am an Electronics and Communication Engineer. Presently I am doing web designing for a firm. But I am planning to migrate to New Zealand."
“Oh! Good-good,” Badal da never thought he was such a qualified person. But he must not be earning much at the moment, he thought.
"By the way, Tump…. I mean Anupriya, why did you leave your PG? And you never informed me about this?” Badal da asked.
"Papa, we have shifted to a small flat near the University campus."
“Who is staying with you? Is it very costly? What does your room partner do?” Badal da had many questions.
Anupriya got up and said. "Why are you bothered about these small things, Papa? You know I can take care. Let me help Nivedita in the kitchen," She went inside the kitchen behind Nivedita,
Naren also arrived. He greeted everybody and sat down in a chair. Soon they were having hot ‘pakoras' and tea together in the small drawing-room, which looked very crowded in the presence of five people. Tumpa was sitting on the sofa very close to Yogesh.
Badal da did not like this. But he kept quiet. Everyone wanted to know what happened today, and finally, what did the doctor say. Badal da related the story using much liberty to censor his whole story.
"Now, you can go and face the Medical Board without any fear of losing the job," Tumpa declared.
"And the best part is that now you do not have to suffer from the disease," said Nivedita, "Naren, please buy all the medicines after we are over. Uncle may not find these medicines there in Jamshedpur."
“No-no,” Badal da objected, "Well, Dr. Taneja has prescribed me some medicines. But I will better wait for the final reports to come. What is there for the hurry? After all, I have been suffering from this ailment for almost two years. I can very well wait."
Nivedita argued, “Uncle, Dr. Taneja is the best gastro specialist in the country. If he has asked you to take some medicine, then you should take it.”
“No-no, I will wait,” Badal da gave his final decision.
Nivedita looked a little puzzled and concerned too. Tumpa looked at her face and started laughing, "Don't be so upset Nivedita, I know my Papa. No one in the world can change his decision. He only listened to my mom and that too when she put her foot down. Now in her absence, he is a free bird. He will do what he wants."
Badal da tried to explain, "I am not as stubborn as you are trying to portray me. If you think logically, you will also agree with me that without the final reports, how could Dr. Taneja prescribe medicines for me?"
He looked at everyone in an attempt to get an appreciation for his wisdom. Tumpa laughed again. Everyone else just smiled.
It was wise now to drop this subject, and that is what Naren did. He changed the topic. They started laughing and chatting again. Badal da felt very good in their company except that Tumpa's friend was too much involved in the discussion and was touching her now and then during the conversation.
At seven, Tumpa took leave and went away with Yogesh on his bike. She sat on the back seat very close to him and her arm coiled very tightly around his waist. Badal da did not like this. He looked at the faces of Nivedita and Naren. But both of them did not seem to have noticed this. Maybe people in Delhi do not bother much about these things, he thought.
“What is happening to our society? There is no decency left,” Badal da murmured.
After Tumpa's departure, everyone in the house washed and changed into lighter clothing. Nivedita and Naren were preparing food in the kitchen. Badal da started packing his bag.
After an hour or so, Badal da rang Tumpa to confirm she reached her apartment safely. He heard a male voice on the phone.
"Uncle, Anu is in the washroom."
“And who are you?”
“Un...Uncle…. I am Yogesh.”
“What are you doing in her apartment?” asked Badal da.
There was silence at the other end. He again asked why Yogesh was hanging around in her apartment. Yogesh replied hesitantly, "Uncle, I was about to prepare the dinner.”
“You prepare dinner for her?” Badal da became bewildered, “Why do you have to cook for her? And by the way, where is her roommate?”
There was a long spell of silence. Then Yogesh said timidly, "Ac…actually uncle……. Anu is busy with her exams. I am just helping her so that she can get more time to read."
"I didn't understand anything at all. Will you explain it a bit? Why…"?
Yogesh interrupted him in the middle of his sentence, "Sorry, Uncle, I have to attend urgently to the dish I am cooking. We will call you back shortly.”
Naren was watching Badal da all the while. He smiled at him and tried to divert his attention, "Uncle, I have excellent wine from the US. Would you like to have some?"
Completely confused, Badal da looked blankly at Naren. Naren turned around, "Let me bring the bottle. You will like the stuff."
When he came back with the bottle in his hand, he found that Badal da was frantically trying Tumpa’s number again and again. The mixed feeling of confusion, panicky and anger was smeared all over his face.
Naren sat down on the chair and opened the bottle. He poured some wine into two glasses.
“Come, let’s celebrate Uncle,” Naren invited him for a drink.
“Why is she not picking up the phone? And why is that boy cooking food for her? Naren, can we go now and see what is happening over there?” Badal da asked Naren.
Naren tried to pacify him, "Don't worry, uncle. She must be all right."
“What the hell that dirty fellow is doing in Tumpa’s apartment at this hour?” Badal da’s anger was at its peak.
Suddenly his phone rang. He picked up quickly, "Hello, Tumpa, what that……"
"Why are you asking such silly questions? Don't you realize that I have my final exams and you are disturbing me?" Tumpa yelled from the other end, which was so loud that even Naren could hear that.
“No-no, Tumpa. You must answer. Why is he there and where is your roommate?” Badal da insisted on getting an answer.
"We are sharing the same apartment. And for god sake, please don't disturb me till my exams are over. We will talk on this matter later,” Tumpa disconnected the phone.
This stunned Badal da into silence. He stared blankly at Naren's face. Naren also became a little ill at ease. He tried to console him, "Don't worry, uncle. She is grown up. Let her manage her self."
“What do you mean ‘she is grown-up'? She is living with a boy in the same apartment. Is it how she is managing her life? What will people say when they come to know about this?” Badal da blasted, “And is this the way she should talk to her father?”
Naren fumbled with words to explain things, "Uncle, No one pays any head …….to these things ……. these days. It is quite common…. I mean girls can manage these things very well. ……… In big cities, people are very liberal. I mean not conservative. .... They look at boys and girls equally. ...... I mean. .... I hope you can allow your daughter to decide things for her. ...... I mean to say…."
Badal da was not listening to him. He looked outraged. He got himself busy in calling his son. But his phone was switched off. He sent him a message – Call me right now. It is most urgent.
Naren got up to fetch some help from Nivedita. Nivedita came and sat beside Badal da. She put her hand on his shoulder and tried to pacify him. He looked at her and said in a voice mixed with pain and anger, "See, she is living in the same apartment with that dirty fellow."
"Relax uncle. ........ She is in a Live-in relationship with Yogesh. ......... This is normal behavior, and there is nothing wrong in it," Nivedita tried to explain.
“What is this Live-in relationship?”
"Here, the boy and the girl decide to live together without getting married."
“No-no-no, please let me understand why should a girl and a boy live together without getting married?”
Nivedita paused for a moment and looked at Naren. Naren nodded and indicated her to tell the truth. She took uncle's hand in hers and said with great affection, "I don't know uncle if I can make you understand. But I will try my level best. You also listen with an open mind."
Badal da took a deep breath and raised both his arms above his shoulder, "Ok, I allow you to convince me. I am listening.”
“Uncle, the world has changed. Now you cannot just force a girl to marry someone selected by you according to your criteria. ……. Girls feel that they should be deciding whom to marry.”
"I completely agree with you. Let Tumpa choose a boy and get married. But living-in with someone without marriage is not acceptable. I will never allow this. Tell her to get married as soon as possible. And that's it. I will not listen to any argument," Badal da said decisively.
"But if their marriage fails? In case one day, they find that they are not compatible with each other and decide to separate?"
"Then, it is her fault."
Nivedita smiled and said, "But if she marries someone of your choice, and it also fails, then?"
Badal da was not to be convinced. He said instantly, "Why should it fail? After all, we will select somebody for her only after enquiring about the boy in detail.”
"But marriages do fail uncle. Isn't it? And when it fails, it is only the girl who has to suffer. I will suggest you let her see if Yogesh is the right choice for her. When they feel that they can become life partners, they will marry," Nivedita was trying very hard to convince him.
“What if they decide against it?” Badal da argued.
"Then they will part their ways. Very simple," Nivedita explained, "Till then they are helping and supporting each other. It is a win-win situation, uncle."
"You call it a win-win situation? It is a disaster for healthy family life. I don’t understand where you all get these weird ideas from.”
Badal da could not remain sitting. He got up and started walking back and forth in the room. Suddenly he felt that queer pain arising in his abdomen and he had to rush to the toilet.
Naren whispered to Nivedita, “You have done your part. Now let me handle things.”
Nivedita went into the kitchen. When Naren heard the sound of flush in the toilet, he became alert. The moment Badal da came out, he shot a direct question, “Did you also first go into a live-in relationship before marriage?”
Nivedita was not there. So the question was directed to Naren. He shifted his weight on another leg, and with some hesitation, he said, "Yes, uncle."
Nivedita came out of the kitchen and shouted at Naren, “What did you say?”
Naren quickly signaled her to keep quiet. Badal da did not seem to have noticed Nivedita's reaction. Suddenly he slumped on the sofa and buried his head in his hands. He looked pensive. Nivedita slowly turned and disappeared from the scene. Naren kept looking at the ticking wall clock. There was silence in the room.
After about five minutes, Badal da got up and went inside the toilet. Naren sneaked into the kitchen and whispered in Nivedita’s ears, “He looks shattered.”
"But he has to face reality…… what can we do? The sooner he accepts the facts, the better it is for him. And why did you say that we were in a live-in relationship before marriage?"
“Please try to understand. This will help him accept things. See, after hearing that he is not arguing but is thinking deeply instead.”
“And what will happen if he says this to my mummy? How bad she will feel.”
"You call and tell her everything beforehand," Naren suggested.
Suddenly Badal da’s phone started ringing. Naren came and saw it was from someone called Babla. He knocked at the toilet door, “Uncle, Babla is calling.”
“Tell him to call after two minutes,” Badal da’s voice came from inside.
"Hello, Babla, I am Naren. Badal uncle is staying in our house today. We are in Delhi. He is in the washroom and wants you to call after two minutes,” Naren informed Babla.
But Babla did not disconnect. He answered back, “Hi, I am Arnav, Badal Bhattacharya’s son. How is Baba (Papa)?”
"Oh! Hi Arnav," Naren's face lit up. He told everything about his father’s health, "I think now he will be all right."
Badal da in the meanwhile came out. When the phone was handed over to him by Naren, he blasted, "How did you get time to call me? Your father is dying, and you don't have time even to receive the call?"
Naren slipped out of the room. He did not feel it proper to listen to the conversation between the father and the son.
Babla said from the other side, "What has happened, Baba? I was on a flight from Vienna. Right now, I am at Singapore airport, waiting for my next flight to Auckland. We do care for you, Papa. Do not think like that."
Badal da calmed down a bit. He said, "You don't bother about my health right now. I will manage somehow. But I wanted to talk about something very serious about Tumpa."
"What happened to Tumpa? She is all right, isn't she?"
“No,” Badal da waited for a few moments before disclosing the most devastating news, "Do you know, without my knowledge, she left her PG and has shifted in an apartment with a dirty fellow called Yogesh?"
There was silence at the other end. Badal da asked impatiently, "Are you listening, Babla? What shame she has brought to the family. I don’t know what to do.”
Babla finally asked, “Do you mean Baba that she is living-in with some guy?”
“Yes-yes, she is. And I am afraid that the boy will never marry her. He will leave her and go to New Zealand.”
Again there was silence at the other end. Badal da thought that Babla would also have become upset to hear this.
"Are you there, Babla? Don't get disturbed. I will take her home after her exams are over. No one in Jamshedpur will ever come to know about this."
"What's the big deal in it, Baba," Babla said lazily, "Don't bother your own self too much. She is grown up and can manage her life."
Babla's comment stunned him into silence. Babla waited for his response and, lastly, asked, "Are you listening Baba?.... The world has changed. Things are not the same….”
“Are you also in some relationship?” Badal da interrupted.
"No, Baba. I don't have time for all this. I am concentrating on my career path at the moment.”
“Good. But tell me frankly, are you going to marry or not?”
"Off-course I will marry one day…...But don't ask for more from me. I mean please let us decide how we want to live. Don't tell me you want to become Dadu (Grandfather in Bengali),” Babla laughed.
Badal da tried to figure out what he meant by that. Then he asked with a spoof, “So you don’t want to have children? Are you marrying a boy?”
Babla started laughing, "Come on, Baba, I am a normal human being. I will marry one day a girl of my own choice. You don't worry. I am a follower of DINK philosophy."
"What did you say? ……. What kind of philosophy is this?"
“D I N K…Dink Baba…. That is Double Income No Kids - DINK," Babla explained, "Baba, you spent thirty years of your life building your career. Another thirty years for bringing us up. What are you left with? You are now an old man with old-age ailments, which will accompany you till your last days. When did you have time to enjoy your life Baba? I don't want to spoil my life as you did. I will marry, and both of us will earn and enjoy our lives. Why carry the extra burden of a child?"
"Listen, Babla. I don't want to lose my children. Please stop chasing your wild dreams. It will lead you to nowhere. Jamshedpur is a nice little town where we can live together happily and peacefully. Please, both of you come back home,” Badal da pleaded.
“Baba, you must be crazy,” Babla silenced him.
That whole night Badal da wriggled in his bed with unbearable stomach pain.
