Silent Love Part: 32
It was a Saturday and Dev called home as usual, and talked with his dad about his project work and how eagerly he is waiting to get back, the winter storms are mostly chaining him inside the rented room. Later he talked to Mahi and Mahi modified her list, so did Pari. Dev just moved his throat listening to new demands and brands..
“Bro, wait a sec, I am giving to Radhika”
Dev’s lips mumbled: is Radhika there!!!????
Soon he heard a “hello”
“Radhika, you there!!!!”
“um”
“when did you come?”
“yesterday”
“you there from yesterday, no one told me!”
She didn’t say anything back
“so, how are you?’
“good”
“missing me?’ in his usual teasing tone..
She didn’t say anything
“Radhika, say something? At least ask me how am I doing?’
“how are you?”
“Radhikaaa”
A tear drop filled her eyes but she turned to dry it quick, she heard again
“Radhikaa”
With little difficulty her throat moved “umm”
“you are ok na?’
“um”
“did you cross the fence?’ he asked softly
“muhum”
“why? Just tell mom, .”. but then after a pase he said.. “oh ya, you don’t know how to open the door, right? Don’t worry, when I get back, I can help you, ok”
“um, when are you coming back?’
Dev smiled and said: when you want me to come?
She didn’t say anything
“you may not be missing me but I am missing you a lot, I am missing my best friend, so I will be there soon, ok”
“um”
He could feel a sigh of relief in her tone
Suddenly Pari came running, Radhika, I need to tell him something, don’t hang up, ok”
Radhika gave the phone in Pari’s hand and she asked him to look for a branded purse for her.
Dev: so enjoying your time with Radhika?
“ha Bro, she is going back tomorrow only, I told her that with our next trip to village, she needs to come with us, then I won’t be bored at all over there”
Smiling he said: but you guys, don’t go now ok, I will be there soon too. And you guys think her nani will let her go with us?
“why to tell Nani, we will go like this only”
“um, let see, bye now, I need to go”
“um, ok Bro, bye”
******
The ironing man came to get more cloths while returning the big stalk
Taking that from him, Mahi: Pari I put Dev’s washed cloths over his bed, go get it, there is a lot”
“not now mom, you go get it”
“Pariiii”
“I can get it” saying that Radhika went to his room. She picked them within her arms and went down and gave for ironing
Mahi came and said to the man: why don’t you come every other weekend, than once in a month
“next time I can come maaji”
Mahi , Pari and Radhika were chatting, and Mahi went to kitchen, the man came with few ironed shirts, Radhika picked them and went to put those back in his cupboard. She stalked them all well inside, and then arranged his room well . She spread the new bed sheet over that Mahi handed, and then looked at the tidy room.
She walked near the window and opening one flap, she looked at her house. The weeds were growing badly all around, and the fallen leaves were making more mess around. She felt so helpless, and her eyes naturally filled seeing her house condition. She looked at those closed windows, and called once : mom, I am here, but I cannot come like last time, Mahi aunti told not to, she thinks it is not appropriate to do so as Nani has locked everything, but still I am closer to you mom….. Dev called and he says he is coming soon, if he comes then I will ask him to bring me one more time, I want to live here mom with you, but, … he is telling me that for that I need to start talking with Nani and go to that mansion. She never loved you right?, then how can I, mom? But he is telling……you wished her to meet me? But for what mom, I am fine, I don’t feel good to live in that big room, it is so suffocating there, but he is not listening “ after a pause she said “maybe I need to ,right? So only he is telling me, I will do it mom, if she let me live here with you, then I can do it mom. I will call and talk to her, and ask her to come and pick me this weekend.
Gopal was passing by and he saw Radhika standing near the window, looking at her house
He walked in, and slowly touched Radhika’s shoulder
Jerking slightly, seeing Gopal’s concerned face, she tried to wipe off those tears which unknowingly trailing down her cheeks.
“it’s ok Radhika, I know how it feels, but you are doing good now, once you get a job and stand on your feet, no one can question you, so study well ok, your house will be protected”
She just wipe off more of those tears while nodding her head
“come down, let’s have lunch”
She nodded her head again
“wash your face, ok”
She nodded her head again
*************
Time ticked by, and Radhika forced herself to make that call to Nani, and her occasional calls started making difference in Nani’s approach too. Radhika also felt the lightness in her tone and care, and was giving Radhika choices while going for shopping, if she say no, then Nani somehow started agreeing with her, and the result was no more big bags back to hostel, Nani offered her a new car seeing the students vehicles around, but Radhika politely refused it telling her student status..
***********
It was a Thursday evening that Santhi madam came with a smile on her face to meet RAdhika in that last hour of class. Santhi looked at Rardhika, who is sitting on the front row, almost mid way, right in line with the teacher's desk, looking at the professor’s face, and that’s her usual seat in any class, right in front of their face, she was never allowed to sit behind as they can catch her easily, it just came into that practice without her knowledge, and the teachers also expected the same, it was empty for few months, and no one felt like filling it as they thought no one can…
Professor looked at Santhi madam who was standing near the door
“Can I have Radhika please”
Radhika looked at her in question
Professor gave permission and Radhika walked out carrying her books and her shoulder bag.
As she stepped out, she looked up at Santhi madam while holding her book closer to her chest
“Dev is waiting for you outside, go”
A sudden spur of smile appeared on her face, and she was ready to run, but then stopped and looked at Santhi madam’s face
“Don’t worry I let Renuka know” Santhi said seeing her shrinking smile
Radhika smiled wide nodding her head again, and then she almost ran on her feet….
“slow”
The reminder from Santhi madam, slowed her down, but she could hear her pounding heart with happiness, and she was smiling throughout and she didn’t see anyone looking at her as she walked down the corridor.
Santhi looked at Radhika as she was walking away, the expression that just appeared on her face, the smile, after how long I am seeing it, her eyes filled for a sec, the smile was there but not from within her heart and for the last few weeks it was getting bad, but now.. thank God he is back. It was there earlier too, the big smile on her face...when she win her words over Padma at college, getting things on her way with mom’s friends help, but then now even she herself is trying to shrink inside her, but the teachers knew and they don’t want that to happen,.. so this time she is leading the college troop for university competitions, and she is actively involved with everything, and Dev thanked me for that, and Sunanda madam was asking me the other day “who is he really? How can he act so much responsible for this girl? And surprised to say that she couldn’t believe seeing his email in her official account, thanking for guiding Radhika , directing her in achieving her goal” and that day Santhi madam also realized the depth of his care in getting her back into life. So now there is no hindrance, no second thought, automatically he became their first line of contact in Radhika’s case. Anything and everything went through him only.
With a smile, Santhi walked back into the staff room.
***
Radhika walked out from the building, she was unable to hold back, that she almost ran out from the campus, and scanned around to spot him.
Wearing his goggles Dev, rolled down the window glass and just kept his eyes on her. She paused for a second seeing the car, but then with that wide smile, she ran towards it.
She slowed down as she neared the open window, and pausing for a second , she looked at him for a moment, then said “hi”
He signaled her to get in, and she went around the vehicle and slide in, and kept the books and her small bag over the dashboard, still looking at him unbelievably. Dev rolled up the shade.
“it’s too hot here Radhika, so I have the A/C on.”
She didn’t say anything, but was watching him only
“so, how are you?’
She sat silently looking at him
“arre, what happened? When you didn’t speak much on phone I understood, but now also silent, so that means my friend did not miss me at all, it was me who missed my friend and was so eager to come and see her, right?”
The silence again provoked him to call out : Radhikaaa, you don’t know how difficult it was for me to come out from home, see I came around 12 noon and now I am here, that also maybe within couple of hours, telling mom that I need to show my face in office, and taking that risk I am here to meet my friend, and you don’t have anything to tell me”
Suddenly leaning forward slightly Radhika gave a lose hug to him, and she said softly : now don’t leave me like this for long, ok
Dev just sat in shock, and he called: Radhikaaa
Loosening her arms, she moved back, and with all the freedom took his goggles away, and then looking into his eyes she said: now, it looks better, at least i can see your eyes clearly
Dev still sat there looking at her actions, her easiness in doing it, he just sat in trance watching her putting his goggles away, and her happiness in seeing him.
Radhika raised her brows and asked: now what happened? You are quiet!
Dev looked straight once and with a smile he just nodded his head saying ‘nothing’
“um, when I didn’t see Pari I thought the reason maybe it is your arrival”
“but then why you didn’t come to the airport to receive me?” Dev asked casually ‘I thought I may meet you there only”
‘me to the airport!!!, Dev, what are you saying? I am not a free bird as you think, ok. Even uncle also told me that I need to get a job, then I can do whatever I want, now if I need to go out, I need Renuka madam’s permission, and even with her permission if I go out, I need to be back within couple of hours, or it should be under the goodwill of Santhi madam, or Nani, but Nani take me to that mansion only, then here you are saying me to be at the airport!, um, I will come one day, let me get a job ok.”
“you seems like very happy today!”
“ha, why not, my friend is back na, now at least he is not going to ask me ,..did you check the mailbox? What was were there, ? did you call Nani? Did you send the application for the test, did you do that, did you do this?... oh Dev, sometimes I think mom was much better than you, at least she won’t bother me with this banking and letter stuff, you are the one, I was doing it well with mom, but now with this account transfer and all, too much work ….and ha no more this emailing, I cannot sit and find letters in that blackboard, why can’t they just arrange it in alphabetical order,... no, they won’t , they can just put it all scattered around, ‘o’ is at one end, and then ‘m’is at the other end, and if by mistake I spell any word wrong, so hard to figure it out to erase it, and one time my one hour effort just went blank.. and with all that, your kanjoosi reply on ‘did you check that , this’, um, so only I stopped sending, I can’t do it anymore ok, you better give the address next time, I will write to you ok, this is not going to happen”
He smiled listening to her talk
“now don’t give me that teasing smile, tell me how was your trip?’
“first, can we get out from this campus place, is that ok?’ he asked as if asking her permission.
Radhika nodded her head in agreement
While driving Dev: so did you bring those letters with you which I asked you to?
Radhika looked at him unbelievably and then sat straight keeping her lips sealed.
“ok baba, today no official matters, but I need everything, so get those in the morning , ok, I will collect when I come to drop Pari”
She didn’t say anything and he just smiled seeing her silence
“so Radhika, how was your stay at home? Is mom was strict”
she looked at him with a sad expression
Dev tried to change the subject : “so are you missing anything?’
She looked at him and asked in doubt: me?
“um, you?’
“what?’
‘no actually you came home and stayed there for two days, right?’
“ha”
“then did you forget to bring anything back, or”
“no, I am glad that I carried everything with me this time as Pari was behind me helping to pack my bag, auntie did not let me go to my house’… and then with a heavy tone she asked “ Dev. Did you see my house, its all weeds and leaves around”
“Radhika, I know that is going to happen, so only I brought all those pots to my house so that mom can water them, I cannot see it drying away with my return”
Radhika looked at him and said : I wish you kept them in that compound only , I should have made an excuse at least to jump over that fence, but.” Looking into his eyes, she asked “why you like them so much Dev? Why can’t you see it drying?”
He just looked at her for few seconds and then said : don’t you know it already?
“but still..., who will do all these, and now also, you just came after a long trip and you came to meet me, I mean....”
Dev looked at her and said “ I only forwarded my hand towards friendship, right? then, it is my duty, how can I be away from my friend so long, um? Maybe I am missing all my great buddies now from my childhood, some are still in gulf, few went to other places, in fact I met one of my friends in London too,… here you are my only friend and I should know about my friend’s wish, right? ”
Radhika just looked at him and her eyes filled with tears
“see this your problem, still tears in your eyes, why Radhika? I thought you are now stronger than that”
Radhika wiped off her tears well and sat straight again and tried to give a smile.
Time just ticked by along with their talk and Dev drove her back to hostel.
As he stopped the car, he took a cover from the back seat, and extending that to her he said “this is for you”
“for me, what? I didn’t ask you to buy anything, I don’t need…”
Interrupting her he said: I know you didn’t say anything, but this for my friend
Radhika smiled taking it from him
“Radhika, everything inside that cover is open, I know you well, otherwise you will never open it, I brought with a hope that you will use them, so if you are my true friend then you will surely follow my wish”
Radhika smiled and said: I don’t know what is inside, but whatever.. I still like it
“then open it in front of me and see’
‘Dev, I will check it”
“no, I want to know what you think, open that flap, I told you its all unwrapped, so you can see whatever is inside”
She hesitated for a moment, but then resting back on the seat, she opened that plastic bag, she took them out , there were two nice tops, one jeans, and then a perfume, and a photo frame"
She looked at him
“like it?”
She just nodded her head asking :but why this?
“that’s what came to my mind when I thought of you, the dress and perfue is for you adn the frame is for my PAdma auntie, will she like it?”
"Dev" she just wrapped her arm around his neck leaning her upper body keeping the thing son her lap
Dev just tapped over her upper hand comforting her,
As she moved back : so you like them?
“um, its nice” looking at the dress one more time
“, and ha, the jeans is Pari’s size, I mean one size down, I hope it will fit you well, or else let me know ok”
She just smiled: I thought only my Nani is crazy, and here you see ..”
“so you don’t like them?” his voice softened
“no, Dev, I like it, anyway my friend brought something for me for the first time na, how can I refuse, but ha, don’t expect any gift from me ok, um, maybe when I get a job, I will surely give you a treat”
“but you already gave me a gift?’
Radhika looked at him in question
Dev with a smile: the CD collection, remember?
“oh that, mom brought that for you, not me?’
“but still it was your choice na”
“ha, choice was mine, and thought at least I can also hear them later evenings” but this mom na" she looked at him with a sigh “ok baba, can I go now?
He nodded his head with a smile and she slide out from the seat, and grabbed her stuff, coming around the car she stopped near the window side. He nodded bye and kept the goggles back on and rolled the window glass up. She stood still for few more minutes and then turned and walked in , but as she was walking in slowly, she turned few times to see him driving away.
