Misplaced

It's 7:30 in the Saturday evening. Sandip was about to switch off the laptop when the phone rang.

It was Maya.

Few months back, Amit and Maya were finally transferred back to Kolkata. Sandip and Amit had met few times after office hours on Saturdays.

But call from Maya was out of the blue. And that is after a hiatus of five long years!

‘What a surprise, Maya?’ - Sandip felt that it’s not his voice, but few missed heartbeats that converted into analog signal and traveled through telephone wire.

There was a lull for few seconds and then a cold voice pierced through his ears. ‘Can you come to my home today?’

Sandip was transfixed. ‘What happened? Is everything okay?’

‘Are you coming or not....’ - Maya snapped the call abruptly.

Sandip was thinking.... He knows when Maya requests, It’s actually not a docile plea. It’s a command. It’s a wisdom he and Amit gained since they saw her on the first day in college. None of them knew that both of their fate were sealed then and there!

There was evening rush on the Ballygunge Circular road as usual. Vehicles were not moving an inch for last 15 minutes. But today, for the first time, Sandip was not getting irritated. Car Engine is on and so it's Air conditioner. But his memory is digging the 'Not so old' memories and he can feel that sweat was rolling down from his forehead.

In college, everyone wanted to befriend aka ‘Special Friend’ Maya. Although everyone knew that winning her could be a futile effort, as Maya’s choice and decision would dictate the outcome. Ultimately, it is a girl's choice that matters. Always.

Sandip and Amit have been friends since high school. They shared same hostel room, sometimes hostel-food sans love letters. Amit had lots of affairs to brag, but Sandip had none. God knows why. Both of them were quintessentially tall, dark and handsome. However, girls frequently had a crush on Amit and he was very amiable and democratic. He never disappointed any of them till date.

Few days in the college, Maya was ruling the hearts and became the “Queen Bee”. Science students like Amit were lucky as they had practical classes together and soon all practical classes started having almost 100% attendance. Back in the hostel, after dinner, Amit shared ‘Stories of the day’ with roommates. Stories on Maya were always enjoyable as there were plenty of stories of broken hearts under her pencil heel that were going around the college campus.

Maya was attractive, intelligent and perfectly knew which man can be trapped by which of her body feature.

Till today, Sandip was not able to comprehend how Amit won her. They all got to know about Amit and Maya’s affair on the final day of Third-year college fest and after that all classes were closed before the final exam.

Amit was a born marketing guy. He got a marketing job within few months after the results were out. But that was not the same case for everyone, including Sandip.

**

‘Come in’ - Sandip was still on the other side of the main door and Maya was standing in the backdrop of a well-decorated drawing room. Sandip was stunned. Even after five years, except putting some weight on, she is still the same flame.

‘What Happened? Come in.’

‘Let me see you for a while.’ - Sandip smiled.

‘Hmm! Forget it. You got many chances during three years in college. Now Amit is there.’

Sandip sat on a Sofa. While locking the door, she murmured, ‘Poor chap, didn’t have guts to say during three years in college.’

Sipping the coffee, Sandip started. ‘So, where you were all these days after college. Amit still in office?’

‘Don’t you know? You’re his beloved Friend.’ Maya was sarcastic.

‘Oh No! Is he again on Tour? He just returned last Sunday.’

‘Didn’t he tell you? What do you guys do at ‘Drinker’s den’?’

Drinker’s den. That is the only place where Sandip, Amit and few more old college friends and colleagues spend hours after office on Saturday. At least once in a month. But, there are Saturdays, where it’s only Sandip, who sits there till 10 o’clock.

‘I was not there last Saturday. Why?’

‘Amit wants to be Country Head.’

‘So what? He is already a big guy now. At 35, tell me, who else from our batch is the regional head of a multinational company! No one.’

‘So? Doesn’t he have time to spend at home?’

‘Is that why you called me?’

‘No.’

‘Then?’

Maya sprang up from her seat and came closer to Sandip. In a few seconds, she showed a picture of a lady on her mobile screen.

A zoomed face, taken from a group photo. Not very clear, but Sandip can easily recognize. It was Amit’s boss. His Immediate boss.

‘That’s why you called me?’

‘No. Why he needs to travel with his boss all the time?’

‘It’s part of his job may be. Forget about me. I am still going around to door to door with a hippo bag with full of sample medicines.’

‘What the hell is going on between my husband and that bitch?’ Maya's patience was at its lowest ebb and she was ready to burst.

Sandip knew that she was serious. ‘Look, Maya. There is nothing going on between the two of them. Just a little bit of healthy flirting, I’d say.’

‘Flirting? Healthy flirting? Really Sandip...’ she rolled her eyes in disgust. ‘That’s what you men call it? There is nothing healthy about flirting, Sandip, not for a married man.’

‘Healthy flirting is a term introduced by perverted men who want to lend legitimacy to their extramarital dalliances. Flirting invariably has a sexual connotation to it.’ She got up from her seat and walked around the room gesticulating and muttering something to herself. Suddenly she stopped, turned back, looked at Sandip and asked, ‘Did my husband sleep with her? You are his friend. Did he ever tell you anything about it?’

Sandip was clean bowled. He knew that Maya is bold, straightforward, but didn’t expect like this. True, he and Amit have been long-time. It’s also true that as college mate and as Amit’s wife, Maya is his friend too. But that doesn’t mean that Amit will tell everything to Sandip about what he is doing or what is happening in his life. Even if he wants to, Sandip doesn’t like it.

After a long pause, Sandip said, ‘Maya, I really don’t know. He is not supposed to share his personal life with me. Right?’

‘Whatever little you know, tell me right now? You must have not chanting ‘Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna’ with wine glasses in hand?’

That’s terrible. Sandip is not a professional drinker like Amit and his few colleagues. He likes the company sitting together for hours. On weekends, it's more of a need to spend maximum time outside his one BHK rented Studio in the outskirts of the city.

Maya broke the silence. ‘You men are all same. Crow does not eat crow.’ And went back to her seat.

Sandip can see that she is crying. Maya i...i...s...s crying!!!

Surprisingly, he was not feeling awkward. It’s more exciting to see Maya from the distance of a few inches. Although she doesn’t know, but she is Sandip’s old flame and more honestly his only flame, which is still burning his heart like tandoori chicken in the microwave.

After few minutes, Maya went back to her earlier mood, but in a different avatar. Sprang up from the sofa, went to the kitchen and came back quickly with some fried chicken, roasted nuts and samosas. It seems she made everything ready before Sandip reached.

‘What are you doing?’ - Sandip was really amazed.

Looking at his eyes, Maya said, ‘you must be hungry by now....’

Yes, and he was feeling much more after the smell of those samosas wafting into the air.

Maya completed her sentence. ‘... So, you guys are always thirsty as soon as it’s 6 o’clock in the Saturday evening. Right!’ - spreading a mild twist with a mysterious smile on her face.

‘Not really! But yes. In office too, we used to go for light snacks in the afternoon.’

‘Old habits die hard, you know. Do you remember those days in college when you and all your hostel guys go to Kanai-da’s shop? For samosa and evening tea…’

Definitely Sandip can remember all these. Kanai-da’s Somasas were incredible. But all boys know that was not the 'only' reason. Kanai-da’s shop was very next to the hostel gate. Only Ladies’ hostel of the town.

‘... and you guys have more attention on who is going in and out, rather than samosas, right?’ - Maya was beaming.

They both laughed and the ‘unpleasant’ air went out of the windows.

‘Those days are incomparable.’ - Sandip is feeling much relieved now.

‘You know, my room was at the corner. I used to see all of you sitting on the benches and you used to always sit near the oven to get fresh and hot samosas.’

Sandip is thoroughly puzzled. How come she changed her mood in no time and so quickly? ‘You still can remember all these! Wow!’

‘Why me only? Have you forgotten everything?’ - Maya's voice had something which tells that she was speaking about some unspoken chapter.

By that time she placed two glasses, Ice cube tub and a whiskey bottle on the center table.

Sandip looked into her eyes with a question, ‘What is this?’ Instantly Maya stopped him by her counter look and said, ‘Why not! It’s Saturday today.’

Maya passed on one glass to Sandip, holding her one. ‘Cheers!!!’

‘If you can have a good time with Amit, why not with me? The only difference is that it’s not your favorite pub. Don’t hesitate. Amit has a complete range of his favorite brands in his personal bar.’

Sandip picked up a piece of chicken pakora while Maya was putting full attention in filling up glasses and putting ice cubes.

Sandip looked again. In peacock coloured Sari, she was beaming rainbow lights. Hair is well braided and a deep red-coloured bindi is starring like the third eye. In a spacious living room, her presence is like a queen.

After few more pegs, Maya went to the kitchen and brought in some more pakoras and a piece of paper. Keeping it in front of Sandip, ‘Can you recognize this?’

Sandip is filling little tizzy. He already had more pegs than normally he takes in a session. ‘Yes, this is the 64th page of my diary.’

‘Wow! You still can remember the page number.’

‘Sure, that’s is the only page was lost from my diary. But how did you get this?’

Maya suddenly laughed at a high pitch. Her laughter filled the house, but Sandip felt a pain at the center. It’s like those Swiss chocolates which leave a mildly bitter taste when you gulp the last part of it.

‘I will tell you, but you need to tell me the complete story. Have this cocktail. I made it especially for you.’

Sandip sipped and it seems he started traveling backwards of his ‘5-years old’ memories.

‘Actually, you know Maya, I wrote this for you.’

‘Ah really...’ - Maya’s voice got choked. Sandip looked at Maya, but her face looked a little hazy by now. He couldn’t see that all her tears are dripping into her cocktail drink.

‘... then why didn’t you give it to me?’

‘Actually, I wrote many poems for you since the day I saw you first. All are there in my diary. Every time I wrote one, during the night, I thought that’s the best and I will give it to you. But in the morning, when I read it again, I was not satisfied and always held back.’

‘Where is your diary?’

‘I lost it for a few months, but later found it at the beneath of my suitcase except this page.’

‘So in all those years....’ Maya holds Sandip’s hands and broke into tears. ‘... You wrote for me, only for me?’

‘Yes Maya, but I never able to gather enough courage to tell you. You know, one of my poems got published.’

‘In our college magazine? The hand-written one?’

‘Yes, I have written mine one there.’

Sandip gulped another larger sip and continues... ‘But during 3rd-year college Fest, I know this is the last chance. I was determined and I wrote this one. But In the morning, I couldn’t find my diary.’

‘... and in the evening you saw that Amit and I were coming out of college gate hand-in-hand and we have vanished from college for three days. Don’t want to know where we went?’

Sandip lowered his face and again concentrated on the next peg.

Maya lifted his face in between her palms and told, ‘So, I wrapped my heart up in stolen poem!!’

Sandip was speechless and stared at Maya’s tearful eyes with a blank look. Now he is feeling terribly tired and closed his eyes.

**

Sandip opened his eyes and found him on a bed. He took few moments to understand where he is. Looked outside of the window. It is a sunny day and his bed has already flooded with the sunshine. The moment he realized it’s not his bed, Maya entered the room. Freshly bathed and draped in a red Banarasi sari. Water droplets are still dripping from her wet hair.

‘Good Morning.’

Sandip looked at Maya with lots of questions. Maya smiled and kissed him on the forehead.

‘Don’t look at me like this. Now I know why girls are mad at poets. Your eyes are so honest, Sandip. You are looking so cute.’

‘What happened Maya, tell me.’

‘What should be...’

‘Tell me, Maya, What?’

‘You were completely out. So I can’t take the risk of sending you back home. Anyway, no one was waiting for you there. So spent the night here...’ – and put her index finger on his lips.

‘Listen carefully, here is your morning tea. I know you don’t like anything with the first tea of the day. Right?’

Sandip nodded.

Maya quickly went into the next room and dragged a huge trolley bag and directly moved towards the main door.

‘Where are you going?’ - Sandip attempted to get out of bed and then noticed that all his clothes are stacked on the bedside table. Cleaned and ironed.

Maya stopped for a few seconds. Your breakfast is ready in the dining room and when you go out, just close this main door.

Maya went out of the door. Almost. Again peeped her head with a big smile. ‘Congratulations Sandip! We just had a “Healthy flirting night” and you lost your virginity.’

Before Sandip could answer, she stepped out and shut the door. Yale lock got locked automatically.

Kolkata

October, 2015