“Mrigank, are you going to leave the office or planning to work on Sunday after working through the weekend?” Shashi teased him.
“You go, I will leave after a while. Just a little is left to finish the project.” Mrigank answered, brushing away a lock of hair which fell on his forehead.
He was the cutest guy in the office but he strictly maintained a distance from colleagues. He was soft, polished and as handsome as cupid but there was an invisible wall around him. No matter how much one tried there was no scaling that wall. Shashi has heard that even her boss’s daughter had a crush on him but married someone else after trying to woo him for years.
He always spoke softly and kindly whenever he opened his mouth, even his fury had a little kindness and lot of softness in it. But he rarely opened his mouth. No one has heard him laughing out loud. His smiles too were a rare phenomenon.
Shashi has fallen in love with him. He was irresistible. Every one has warned her of the dire consequences but she could not help it. She was struggling but the more she struggled the deeper the love became.
She was standing in the bus stand when she felt someone else approaching her. She turned, it was Mrigank.
“Are you going home? I would love it if you can come with me for a cup of coffee. I am starving.” He said.
She felt as if the earth tilted a little under her feet. In her two years in the office she has never heard about Mrigank taking out any woman to any place, forget about a restaurant.
The cup of coffee ended with a movie and she returned home intoxicated by his closeness. He was a decent man in and out.
They were standing on the door of her home, “Please come inside and meet my family.” Shashi requested.
“Not today. Are you free tomorrow? There is a painting exhibition going on in Fine Arts Academy. I have two tickets and I really will love it if you can spend the day with me.” He looked at her and she consented so instantly that her cheeks became red.
She left the bed very early after tossing in the bed whole night. It was a beautiful morning. Winter has just settled in and every thing was pleasant.
She took a long time in deciding what she will wear. Then she started to wait for him. Her phone rang, it was Mrigank. “Come downstairs, I am waiting in the taxi.”
“Please come upstairs for a while, for a cup of tea.” She insisted.
“Later, please.” He insisted.
She took her leave from her parents and went downstairs. He was waiting in the taxi.
The exhibition was wonderful; it became even more charming because he was with her. She was not an expert in the field of art but loved beautiful things, but he was quite an expert and she was impressed by his depth of knowledge.
They sat down in the banks of Ganges to relax after the exhibition was over. They selected a place where they were the only one at that time.
“I want to tell you a story. Will you listen?” he looked at her with his beautiful, deep eyes.
He started the story after her consent.
A young woman reached Kolkata with sky high ambition. She was gorgeous. Her boss was a married man, very happy with his family life. She trapped him. She conceived his child and blackmailed him till she got settled. Then she left the child and disappeared with her lover.
The man who has already admitted his folly has been forgiven by his wife. They brought up the child.
The child grew up and fell in love, the girl’s family came to know about his past and the girl refused him, married someone else.
“That man has again fallen in love with a woman after restraining his feelings for years. What do you think he should do?”
Shashi looked at him and then lowered her eyes. “My parents don’t treat a human being unjustly just because his parents did not control themselves.”
She felt his hands firmly gripping her hands. When she looked up she saw his eyes were sparkling with unshed drops of tears. She gently laid her head on his shoulders and closed her eyes. Feeling his presence with her whole being.