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It was raining since morning. Raman entered, completely drenched.
"When are they going to repair those buses, god only knows!"
Irritated, hung the dripping umbrella on the stand he threw himself on the chair lying next to the sofa, still cursing the rain
"That goddamn rain! Mani, the office was closed. I couldn't get the agreement. I couldn't finish anything off of the list today, not...a...single...thing...."
Mani handed him a glass of water and resumed watching her show while peeling the potatoes.
Every evening Raman would find her on the sofa watching her favorite T.V. show. Their block was one of the few to have cable television. Once she cut her finger while watching her favorite heroine leave her in-law's house or was she thrown out? He couldn't remember. Raman saw her wiping tears by her pallu, he wondered, were those for the heroine or the bleeding finger? but he dare not ask her, cause she would then explain the entire story and cry, again! And then somehow he would end up sleeping on the sofa. He was not ready to spend another night on the sofa. He was just too tired.
"What now?"
"Nothing, just...I am going to get a car now" said he coming out of the zone. He emptied the glass in a gulp and went in to get another glass of water.
"You will regret it" she sang while peeling potatoes. "Ah! No, don't! Don't touch matka with your filthy hands, let me do it for you, here. And please go and have a bath first otherwise no dinner for you. You get it?" said she, handing him the glass of water with her clean hands.
"Yes, master." He said bowing to her. She giggled, ruffling his hair she ran back to her potatoes. Raman just stood there... watching her, his face grew into a smile.
The clouds rumbled.
"chalo, let's have dinner!"
The aroma of sizzling potatoes filled the house.
Mani loved to cook. She would prepare a new dish every time he came down to visit the family. He would be there every weekend. But last year she gave him the ultimatum to either take her with him or quit. Raman was left with no choice. He too was tired of traveling back and forth each weekend. He thought, it would be nice of have Mani there. He would then wait for the clock to strike 5 and collect all his belongings and rush home to his wife like everyone in his office. She would wait for him eagerly and then they would have dinner together and he would praise Mani's cooking skills everyday, without getting tired.
So, after searching for about a month they found this spacious apartment. Raman did not like it at first but Mani was adamant. She loved the view from the balcony and also she was tired of looking for a house every single day. It was so monotonic. They would get up each day and spend all afternoon looking for the 'perfect house'.
