One More Time

26

The Next Day:

Koustav was having his breakfast when the door bell rang. Titli was in her school. Rest of the family members except Ria were busy in cleaning the room of Namit. Seeing everyone busy Koustav was going to leave his food midway and open the door.Ria gestured Koustav to eat while she stopped packing Koustav's lunchbox and opened the door.Seeing her Namit smiled. Standing aside, she made the way for them to enter the house. There was not much luggage. Niloy was sleeping,Nilima patted her shoulder and smiled too.

Hearing them coming, Mita came out of the room too. They went inside that room straight. Koustav continued to eat, he didn't even looked at Nilima. Ria resumed her packing. She sat opposite Koustav with her own bowl too. He suddenly told her in low voice, "I've kept my things in that room, set them aside while you study.....I could not inform you before,as you were sleeping."

"Ok, Do you need anything else? ",replied Ria to which Koustav only nodded a no.

Pointing the lunch box, Ria pushed it towards his plate. As he finished his eating, she took the plate and bowl up. "Avoid her as much as you can", he said in a low voice and started knotting his shoe laces.

Then bidding her bye he left for office. Ria knew she could not be able to concentrate here fully today, so she called her mother to check if she was home now. Luckily she was home alone too.

Ria made her bag ready with books,and came downstairs to inform her MIL, that she would return in the evening. Mita was busy herself, plus she knew Nilima's nature, so said her to go and return early.

Within 5 minutes,Ria was back to her home. Her mother was inside the kitchen, she called her from there. Keeping the bag on a chair, she entered the kitchen. Her mother was preparing to cook crab curry. Ria's favourite thing from childhood was seeing her mother cooking the crabs, how each paste of spices changed their aromas after they got mixed with the hot mustard oil. Ria's mouth watered. She forgot about studying ,rather stood there the whole time seeing her mother.

Looking at her ,Soma smiled and said,    "You know, I didn't cooked for myself today.Who wants to cook for only herself?.....As I heard you are coming, I sent Moni to buy these....I know you haven't eaten it in days."

"Koustav's father is allergetic to crabs....so no one cooks it there", Ria  said still looking at the red curry.

The mother-daughter duo then devoured the dish. At the end of eating, Ria was feeling full. Soma also had a habit of taking naps in the afternoon. So Ria came to her room, she stretched herself for sometime in the bed, scrawled some fb,checked group messages. She then got up from her bef and sat to study. In the evening again Soma came to her room to find her studying.

Ria had not noticed it was already 7 pm. The idea of coming here proved to be a good one. Both her mood and preparations were well now.

Hearing the door bell ringing, she glanced at her watch to see it was 7:30 already. She expected it to be her father or Tuhin. But she heard nothing anymore. It was getting late too, so she packed her books and came downstairs.

To her surprise,Koustav was sitting on the chair. Soma was talking to her. Seeing her getting down,Koustav looked at her.

Ria knew something was off. She calmly asked, "Want some tea?" and offered him a glass of water.

Gulping down the full glass, Koustav nodded in reply and continued chatting with Ria's mother.

Ria kept overhearing the chat while making tea. Soma was busy in telling him how the wedding shopping was progressing. Only a little time they had in their hands.

Ria kept the cups in front of them, Koustav took it. Soma went inside the kitchen when Ria got the chance and gathered her courage to ask,"Are you alright?"