Night Jasmine

Untitled Part 130

It had been two days since Vishakha's wedding. The bride was given a traditional farewell by the family and by now was on her way to her honeymoon to exotic Scandinavia where the relatively undiscovered Lapland awaited her. Her groom had abruptly decided to take up a job with a telecommunication major in Finland and after their honeymoon in the snowy wilderness of the countryside they would settle down in Helsinki. "The vodka is supposed to be just an aphrodisiac, remember to make love afterwards! Let your pet moose out of the room and take off your skies before having sex!" The newly wedded couple braved the constant jibes of the cousins before they saw them off at the international airport in Kolkata.

"I owe you one, bro!" A blissfully happy Sharad thanked Randhir gratefully. Everyone had noticed his closeness to Tapur during the wedding and the two sets of parents even made an informal announcement of Tapur and Sharad's engagement giving official sanction to the liaison. "You look exhausted man, start pumping some iron!" Randhir joked and Sharad grinned back at him. That Tapur was not easy to satisfy in bed remained a private joke between them with Sharad gloating at the thought of his accomplishment. 

Fortunately the nightly escapades of Randhir and Sanyukta remained cleverly hidden from most of the family as the focus of gossip shifted onto the rather steamy PDA between the unabashed Tapur and Sharad. "Not fair, between your father's and nephew's respective new found romances there is no scope left for a middle-aged idiot like me!" Harsh whined to Renuka who ignored him while she checked her email. Even my son is getting his share of action at night, Harsh reminded himself, while attempting to draw his wife's attention toward some marital intimacy. "We have enough money, let's make up for the rest!" He muttered, slipping his arms around Renuka, forcing her to put her phone aside. 

The next day after an early European breakfast at Flury's Sharad and Randhir took Vidushi, Sanyukta and Aman for a city tour as Aman was new to Kolkata. They went around exploring the usual sights like Eden Gardens- the famous cricket stadium and the splendid white marble Victoria Memorial. On Sanyukta's request they also visited the Kalighat temple. "This is where it all started!" Sanyukta whispered to Randhir, recalling their chance meeting at the temple when they were very young and where Randhir had found her lost anklet and handed it to Madhabi. Randhir smiled as he noticed his wife offering obeisance to the city's patron Goddess. Only Madhabi had had a religious bent of mind among the women in his mother's family, Sanyukta was now silently bridging the gap between the generations. 

The boys and girls decided to split up and each group went their own way before lunch. Sanyukta and Vidushi ate ghugni and puckhas by the dozen while the boys enjoyed kathi rolls and fish chops in a different neighbourhood. The girls spent the afternoon shopping for bargains as Vidushi knew the places where the best deals could be had. Finally in the evening they congregated at Tengra in Chinatown to have authentic Haka chinese dinner and chilled beer in a modest family run restaurant. That night Sanyukta tucked a sleepy Aman in bed before slipping into Randhir's room. 

"I am hungry, give me what I need the most!" Randhir hissed in her ear as he nibbled it. "You are always starved, how will you manage when you get back?" She asked. "Am packing it in like a bear who prepares to hibernate during winter!" He replied, slipping her top off her shoulders. There was nothing more to say as they infused each other with their mutual love well into the exhausting night. "Come away with me!" Randhir whispered to her sleepily. "As soon as my final semester ends!" She whispered back. Just a few months more, she assured herself. She was also happy that she had managed to speaks to her mother earlier in the day and had extracted a promise from her to meet before she left Kolkata to return to Mumbai.

 The next morning before Harsh, Renuka and Vidushi were due to leave for Delhi the family gathered at the breakfast table. Harsh ignored his wife's apprehension as he enjoyed a sumptuous Bengali meal of fried luchi with aloor dum in Nobin da's company. The others stuck to the simpler fare of doi-chirey- beaten rice flakes with yoghurt and sliced fresh fruit. As usual Sanyukta was between Aman and Vidushi and Randhir sat across from her. Though they barely exchanged a glance Randhir's foot constantly grazed against hers as he played footsie with his secret wife. 

Sanyukta found it unable to behave normally when his toes bravely explored her legs as far as he could reach. "Have some more, brother, you seem to have quite an appetite today!" Vidsuhi egged him on, pretending to served him some fruit. Sanyukta tried hard not to blush and the brother-sister duo flashed inexplicable wicked grins. Renuka, who was engaged in a business conversation with her father was distracted by her children's behaviour. 

"You are on a holiday, don't take things so seriously. Take a cue from the kids!" Nobin reminded his daughter, much to her surprise. Renuka looked from her father to his wife Shaila who simply smiled at her. Shaila had insisted that she call her by her name rather than "Ma",  an affectionate title that was once reserved for Madhabi. Shaila knew she could not replace Madhabi in the Rajbari so she merely slipped into her role as the visiting "Boudi" of the mansion. In any case she had sensed that Renuka's bond with her biological mother had been more practical than emotional. Ironically Renuka had found it easier to relate to the educated and articulate Shaila rather than her own homely mother though she was careful never to make it obvious to her father who she knew would always worship Madhabi's memories.

"I'll miss you, Vidu!" Sanyukta became emotional as she hugged Vidushi just before her best friend could leave for the airport with her parents. Randhir, Sanyukta, Shaila and Aman would stay on in Kolkata for another couple of days. Randhir went to see off his parents and sister to the airport. Shaila decided to take a light nap to deal with her migraine while Aman played with the latest video game that Randhir had brought for him. Meanwhile Nobin called for Sanyukta.

"Come with me, it is finally time I introduced you to Madhabi's world!" He led Sanyukta through the corridor to the room that he had once shared with his deceased wife. As he led Sanyukta in she noticed that it was a medium sized room that was well ventilated and maintained neatly like it had been during the time Madhabi lived there. Nobin could not bear the thought of cohabiting with Shaila in the same room so after remarrying he had moved into a more modern one on the same floor. But he made it a point to visit the old room every now and then just like someone would visit a revered temple.

To Sanyukta's eager eyes the room was simplicity personified. The furniture was vintage and french polished. It included a canopied bed, an almirah, and an old-fashioned mirror with a dresser. Nobin pointed out the rocking chair that had been Randhir's favourite where he would spend lazy afternoons as a toddler nestled in Madhabi's caring arms. Sanyukta touched the handle reverently, hoping it would be her link to the woman whose presence was inseparable from the place, having spent most of her living days within there. Sanyukta held her breath as Nobin da pointed out Madhabi's sindoor container and bottle of jabakusum hair oil left undisturbed on her dresser and her unopened bottle of Joy perfume that he had once gifted his wronged wife while carrying on an affair with his assistant Rosa. It was as if the objects were telling her the story of the woman whose acquaintance she was trying to make long after she was gone.