(A2) Chapter 2 Suspicion

Next morning Sheetal got up fresh and relaxed after a good night’s sleep. She went about her domestic chores and saw off her husband to office and her daughter to college. Then she sat down as usual and watched the television serials. The day seemed no different from any other and Kuntal was forgotten for the time being.

But Kuntal did not remain away from her memory for long. Around noon someone rang the bell and when she opened the door, a man in white dress handed over a parcel. “Mr. Kuntal wanted this to be delivered,” he said.

Sheetal thanked the messenger, brought the parcel into the house and opened it. The parcel contained a beautiful green dress and a card on which was written in hand, “To dear Naavika with love and affection”.

Sheetal recognised the handwriting as Rohit’s. She felt hurt. Why is Rohit trying to play such games? And why is he paying so much attention to Naavika? What exactly is he up to?

In the evening, Kuntal came on the phone and asked for Naavika. He addressed Sheetal, who lifted the phone, in the same respectful manner as “Mrs. Sharma” and showed no signs of familiarity. Sheetal reluctantly called Naavika to the phone. Kuntal asked Naavika how she liked the dress and then kept chatting with her for a long time. All the while, Sheetal felt terribly uncomfortable, but she could not decide what to do. Naavika giggled and sniggered as she said “yes” and “no” and spoke short sentences in responses to what Kuntal might be talking. “Silly girl. She doesn’t know what he is up to,” said Sheetal to herself.

After seeing the handwriting on the greetings card Sheetal had no doubt that the man who called himself Kuntal was none other than Rohit. But why did he change his identity? And why was he hiding his true identity from her? If at all he was to remain anonymous, he could have avoided meeting her altogether. Afterall, Rajesh would have told him enough about her for him to figure out who she was. Then why did he agree to come for dinner?

When Rajesh came back from office, Sheetal showed to him the dress Kuntal had sent.

Rajesh said, “Wow! What nice dress!”

Sheetal was jittered, “Look Rajesh. None of your bosses so far, or anyone for that matter, has sent a gift for me or for Naavika. Why is your new boss doing such new things?”

Rajesh looked at her trying to read her mind. After a short pause he said, “Come on, darling. Kuntal is such a nice person. You know well that he is middle-aged and unmarried. May be this is his way of sharing with someone. Why should you take it so seriously? We are not paranoids to suspect people’s intentions?” Sheetal was unconvinced but remained quiet. She remembered how Rohit used to bring costly gifts for her, and once when she said, “Why do you squander money like this?” he winked and said, “This is exactly how one hooks a girl. Shakespeare, the guru of all lovers told this five hundred years ago when he said ‘Frailty thy name is woman’ and talked of the ‘traitorous gifts that have the power so to seduce’.”

After two days when Naavika was getting ready for college, Sheetal went to her room to give her the shoes. She found Naavika talking to someone over her mobile phone. “Yes uncle, that will be great,” Sheetal heard Naavika say. She staggered and lingered in the room to hear further. After Naavika had finished talking, she asked, “Who was this?”

“Kuntal Uncle,” Naavika said innocently. “He told me he will help me with my Accounts lessons. He had Finance in his MBA.”

Sheetal’s head reeled. She knew talking to Rajesh would be no use. He was too trusting. Should she talk to Kuntal himself and ask him what he was trying to do?

Naavika left for the college. A few minutes later, it occurred to Sheetal, “What if his house is on the way to her college? What if he has told her to drop in on the way?” She contacted Naavika over her mobile.

“Naavika, do you know where Kuntal Uncle’s house is?” she enquired.

“No, shall I find out and tell you?” Naavika asked innocently.

“No, no. I just thought he might have told you. You told me he offered to help with your accounts paper. That’s why I asked. I was getting bored, so I thought I would talk to you. There was nothing to talk about, so I thought I would ask you this,” she said trying to cover up her anxiety.

“Yeah,” said Naavika, “but that was just a casual offer. I don’t think he might be serious about it.” Sheetal felt relieved. She opened the fridge and took a few sips of cold water. “I seem to be going crazy,” she said. “I see ghosts in every whiff of smoke.”

A week later, around four in the evening, Rajesh rang up to tell Sheetal that Naavika had come to his office.

“What for? Where is she now? Why did she suddenly come to your office?” Sheetal bombarded Rajesh with questions.

“Relax, dear,” Rajesh said. “I don’t know why you have suddenly started getting jittery these days. Naavika wanted sponsorship for her college function. She came along with two of her friends.”

“Where is she now? Give the phone to her. I want to talk urgently with her about something,” she shouted nervously into the phone.

“She is not here, darling,” said Rajesh. “Kuntal said that he was going that way and that he would drop her to our house.”

“When did they leave?” she asked, as if in terrible hurry to know.

“Two hours ago, may be. They should have reached long ago!” said Rajesh thoughtfully. “Why, are they not there yet?” Then something occurred to him and he said, “May be Kuntal took her to his house. He was mentioning something like that. I didn’t pay attention.”

“Why would you pay attention? You are always half-asleep, isn’t it? You are not one of those who would keep their eyes and ears open and look around to see what is happening in the world.” She kept the phone.

After a while she rang him up again and said, “Give me Kuntal’s house address. I’ll go and bring her.”

“Calm down, Sheetal dear. She will come. Why are you worried?” Rajesh could hardly understand her mind.

She insisted and got the address and next moment was driving towards Sri Krishna Road.

When she reached Kuntal’s house she found it locked. The watchman told that Kuntal had just left.

“Was there someone with him?” She asked. “Yes, there was a young girl,” the watchman replied.

Sheetal tried to contact Naavika over her mobile phone, but it was switched off. She waited for some time for the lift to open, but then ran down the stairs in her haste. As she sat into the car and wiped the sweat from her face, she saw Kuntal standing with Naavika at some distance. They were obviously not aware of her presence. Kuntal caught Naavika’s head in his hands as she moved closer to him and he kissed her on her forehead. Sheetal walked briskly towards them.

As she came closer, Naavika saw her and said, “Mom, you here!”

“Yes, I came to take you home. You go and sit in the car. I’ll come in a while”

And when Naavika had moved away, she said to Kuntal in a stern voice, “Mr. Rohit, why are you after my daughter?”

“Isn’t she my daughter? I mean, our daugther?” he said and waited for an answer as if he would take his next breath only after hearing her reply.

In a split second the mystery of his interest in Naavika became clear to her. Her mind flew back by sixteen years and she recalled the day when they were sitting in the canteen of the History Department of Panjab University and she had told him that she was worried for she had not had her periods.

Chapter 3: Fear