Aboli

Part 38

Anju was not sure about Sanyukta taking capoeira lessons, it took a lot of convincing by her daughter and a timely phone call from Randhir to make her change her mind. "If it starts affecting your studies you will stop immediately!" She warned her daughter. "Of course, Ma!" Sanyukta assured her. "One more thing, remember your station in life! The Shekhawat men are warm and supportive, but don't read too much there. We are a world apart from them, lest you forget that!" Anju knew her daughter was perceptive enough to understand what she was being warned about. The Shekhawat boys were unreachable as far as she was concerned.

Sanyukta said nothing, she had always known how jittery Anju was about crossing paths with Harsh or his family. If she had not been desperately worried about  Sanyukta's less than wholesome deeds she would not have dreamt of approaching him for assistance. Even when she did reach out to Harsh she had kept their interaction minimal and appropriate. The very thought of encountering Renuka made Anju uncomfortable. It was only natural for her to keep Sanyukta from falling into the same pit as she did years ago. Mercifully ever since Sanyukta began working for the Shekhawats she had turned over a new leaf.

Sanyukta avoided discussing Parth or Randhir before Anju meticulously, she did not want her mother to become concerned. She showed no visible signs of being attracted to Randhir, having had years of practice in keeping her secrets. If she had spare time at home she buried herself in her college books, studying and solving problem sets. She had been taking capoeira lessons for a week and it had not made much difference to her schedule. Anju soon forgot her anxiety and Sanyukta began enjoying capoeira very much. She was doubtful about being able to cope but fortunately most of the learners were young and inexperienced like her and the Brazilian lady trainer taught them the basic moves patiently.

"Imbibe the music, feel the rhythm and follow my moves!" She reminded the girls as she taught them the primary step called Ginga- a combination of squat and lunge. This was followed by spinning kicks which would help them move around in the Roda or dance circle and later dodging movements called Esquivas. When the learners watched the mestres (masters) in action they were filled with awe to see their acrobatic complex moves. The trainers explained that capoeira was a martial art first associated with slaves from West African countries who were brought to Brazil in the sixteenth century to work on the sugarcane farms. Learning Portuguese helped foster a better understanding of the art form so the mestres insisted on speaking to the learners in that language as far as possible. 

Every now and then Sanyukta stole glances, watching Randhir's moves inside the men's circle. She was hardly surprised to see how much progress he was making. His athletic lean body had easily graduated to doing handstands and cartwheels. She felt clumsy in comparison but was also filled with pride to see his moves. The only thing she would find hard to digest was that the other girls from her circle would try to get close to him. Of course she understood that this was natural, and there was no point in getting agitated. Randhir knew how to strike a balance between enjoying their attention and keeping them at bay without offending anyone. But even if she managed to conceal her irritation her possessiveness made her feel restless. 

She almost let her feelings show one evening, after they had finished working out he was approached by a pair of girls who flirted with him without inhibitions. Sanyukta ignored them and went to use the washroom instead. By the time she returned she found his hair dripping wet, he had probably splashed some over his head to cool off. It turned the girls wild and they tried to help him dab it off although he somehow managed to rescue himself. Disappointed, the girls bid him goodbye. "You ready to go home now?" He asked Sanyukta, having noticed her presence. "Hey, I am talking to you!" He continued, seeing her distracted and staring at him.

"You hair is dripping wet!" She mumbled, suddenly staring deeply in his eyes. "I know, I doused it myself!" He replied, matching her stare. "You shouldn't do this, it gives the girls reason to touch you!" She could have been in a trance, she had no control over herself as her palm swept toward his sidelocks, her fingers grazing his moist hair and cheeks. She did not realise for how long they remained locked in the gaze. It was an intensely private moment, something she had not experienced before, and she was certain he had felt it too. A sudden moment nearby brought them back to reality, and she quickly took a step backward. 

He fished out a face towel from his bag and dabbed his hair dry, allowing her to regain her composure. He smiled to see her flushed face. "Hey Mowgli, let's get out of here and have some roadside chai!" He said to her. She followed him mutely, not knowing what to make of the confusion in her head. "How could you do this, Sanyukta? Mum reminds you daily that he is off limits!" She scolded herself, hoping and praying that he had not noticed her awkwardness. They stopped at a tea stall and he got them steaming hot cups. "Snack?" He asked her, and she declined. They sat down and sipped their tea silently, watching the stars come out in the dusky sky. "Dad's coming back next week!" He said softly.

"Yes, I know that!" She responded. She was reminded of it every passing moment. The end of the summer break was fast approaching, in a few days she would be back in college whereas he would return to Mumbai to finish his MBA. She would no longer get up each morning, groom herself carefully and rush to work alongside him. Soon Nafisa would be back at the office and her services would no longer be needed. The summer job had been a dream come true, she had never learnt so much in such a short span of time. "Will it be ok if we stay in touch?" She asked him, with a touch of hesitation. "No, I think we should go back to being strangers!" He laughed out heartily. "Of course we can, Mowgli! I'd suffer from low self-esteem if you began ignoring me!" He added.

As he drove her home they hardly spoke, the stereo played some light music instead. She stared ahead at the road, still feeling lost. "Dad wants to meet your mother when he returns, just to pay a courtesy call. But don't tell her yet, he wants it left undisclosed." He said, trying to veer her into the conversation. "Your mother won't like it!" She reminded him. "She does not have to know. My father is a grown man, and an experienced one at that! He is free to talk to his acquaintances." He said with conviction. They had reached her doorstep. "I'll see you at work tomorrow!" She thanked him for the ride before he drove of. Right after dinner Sanyukta went straight to bed, where her mother could not catch her brooding and reminiscing about her special moment. She felt she owed it to herself.