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It is a terribly feeling to be reminded, however subtly, that you are past your prime, that you have outlived your utility, so to say. Kabita, sat dazed and hurt. It took a lot of time to sink in that she was intentionally snubbed by the one she thought she knew so well.
‘Maa, are you coming!’ howled Nitesh not realizing how untimely his request was.
‘leave me alone, will you ? Can’t you manage it yourself? Do you think I am here only to attend to your whims and calls? Don’t I have the right to live for my own self even for a second in this house?’
Nitesh looked at his father; Mahim raised his eye brows and gave a half smile and bent down again to solve today’s crossword in the Statesman. Angry and frustrated Nitesh started throwing his things in the open suitcase. He will be catching the night train for Jamshedpur.
Kobita , usually a vibrant and jovial soul, always ready to help out people in need, going out of her way to make things easy for others was equally active in household matters. With Kobita around nobody in the house thought of moving his little finger for anything. It was not his fault that Nitesh never took care of his own things, for even if he did try, Kobita was sure to rearrange the whole thing, making all previous exercise futile.
What is it ma? How many times would you make the same mistake? Why don’t you understand, people are not straight and innocent like you. They don’t take your attitude in the same spirit. When will you grow up!
Nitesh, I am your mother, don’t forget that. And what do you mean by ‘same mistake’. What do you know about it ?
Ok maa, I don’t know anything. But then tell me. Why should you fret and sit with a long face the whole day long. Wait , wait, and why are you home even? You were supposed to collect your books from office , so far I know! Correct ?
This went for the whole evening, till dinner was served and Nitesh left home, happy and smiling with the suitcase nicely packed by Kobita,.
It was early November. It was becoming cooler, the air being a little heavy and misty. The street lights became dusky with the advent of night. Kobita stood before the window looking out into the deserted lane below. A few stray dogs were fighting over a food packet thrown down from any one of the high risers. How can people be so callous, so selfish…
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Kobita went there all right and she had indeed collected her books but she wished she did not. It was nearly after three months that she visited her work place that was an indispensable part of her life for these long years. A place she spent her youth, a place she made friends and foes, a place she had grown to love with all her being. She realized with a heavy heart that she would not be walking down this familiar road from the metro station to the steps that led to the building she knew so well. The chowkidar recognized and greeted her while she went inside. She took the lift to the top floor, she was not going to ignore a single one of her colleagues irrespective of their status. She went from floor to floor meeting her colleagues and wanting to touch every single brick that held the huge building, the place that almost became her second home so long. As if she was secretly bidding goodbye to the soul of her office.
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Comments ( 1 ) |
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| this is incomplete |
| Posted by Amiya on 30th Oct, 2008. |
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| Displaying 1 to 1 (of 1 Comments) |
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