The train was about to leave Jodhpur platform. After mom’s rona dhona half an hour before we were sitting in our private two tier AC compartment which my dad booked so that we get enough privacy in the train. I must say he is expert in creating such moments. Ragini set her luggage. Even after my insisting to help she refused so I thought of giving her the space she needs.
She smiled at me as she settled beside me. I don’t know why I become so nervous around her. Her presence makes my heart beat race suddenly. “So you don’t have problem with journey right?” I initiated the talk. “No when it is train. But I’m road sick” she replied and we talked about random things and came to know different things about each other.
As the journey took a toll on her she slowly slid and her head touched my shoulder. As I felt her skull on my shoulder I looked at her. She no where looked nervous to be around me. She looked comfortable. I don’t know whether I’m succeeding in the task assigned by my dad but somewhere her calm face soothed me. Like that’s what I needed all my life.
I turned my head to the window where the scenery passed beyond and the train galloped forward stopping at different stations. “Chai chai” I heard the scream and I pleaded the chai wala to be quite who entered our compartment. He uttered a quick sorry looking at sleeping Ragini.
“Saab ji chai?” he whispered. “I will buy five but don’t scream around this compartment” I whispered. “That’s okay saab ji. Buy only one. I understand your concern. I will not scream around this compartment” he whispered handing me a cup and smiled at me. I paid him the money and as he promised he did not scream back. I was sipping the tea when her head was about to fall.
I immediately placed the tea cup and held her head and placed it on my lap this time as I knew it will fall again. After finishing the tea I just kept staring her calm face. I placed her legs on the seat as she struggled to sleep that way. She comfortably slept then. I don’t know when sleep covered me and I leaned back to the seat to relax.
***.***
The sun rays touched my eye lashes and I woke up and looked at the yellow sun at the horizon. I yawned and stretched my hands and then I realized that Ragini was sleeping on my lap. I won’t say that my legs are made of iron and did not pain but I did not had the courage to disturb her sleep. As I noticed she was getting disturbed due to the sun rays I quickly covered the curtains.
The morning heat played it’s trick and she woke up finally after an hour. She got up and took a minute to realize where was she. I can understand her pain as she has woken up all this years of her life in her room and suddenly she has to wake up in strange places. Past two mornings she woke up in our room and now again in a train compartment. She has to leave her comfortable room where she has spent all her life for me. And I could thank her enough for the things she was going through to be with me.
“I’m sorry. Why didn’t you wake me up?” she whined. I smiled at her. “No seriously because of me you have to sit all night and I slept comfortably. That’s not fair” she said with sorry face. “Were you really comfortable?” she looked at me confused for the question. “From past three days you neither staying in your room nor are in your home. And all this is due to me” I said and she held my hand to stop me.
“Thank you but” she looked at me with apology. “That doesn’t mean you tolerate all this for me” she gave me a weak smile. “I don’t mind doing that” I smiled at her holding her hand. “And no thank you and sorry in friendship if you have forgotten the first rule of friendship” I patted her hand and got up to move to the wash room. She smiled looking at me.
I hope she doesn’t find me too cliche. But her smile made me feel that she isn’t thinking like that way but appreciating my small attempts to make her comfortable with me. I called the chai wala at a station and ordered two chais and a biscuit packet. We had the tea and shared the biscuits. And again talked random stuff and passed the day.
****.****
It was the time the sun was at the horizon again. The train stopped at Chatrapati Shivaji terminal. I was preparing to carry the luggage when she adjusted her pallu. I looked at her amused. She gave me ‘what?’ look. I smiled and bent to her and dropped the pallu and she looked at me surprised.
“Here no dadisa is there to watch over you and it’s Mumbai. Be like a Mubaikar” I smiled at her and she nodded her head. I walked out of the train only to be greeted by a bone crushing hug from Laksh. I know he has missed me as much I have missed him. More than his family he was always close to me. And now I know as I’m shifting to the new apartment allotted by my company as the wedding gift he is the most affected person. We have been living like siblings from years in that apartment. Though I’m happy I’m gonna stay in the same building but I’m feeling sorry for him as he has to stay with Sahil one more colleague of us. And Lucky hates him like snake hates vulture.
Other than feeling pity for him I couldn’t help him much regarding this. I sensed Ragini was taken a back due to his sudden behavior. I dragged him out saying “Lucky Meri bidayi nai hui hai” He twisted his lips at my mocking remark which made me chuckle. “Oh sorry I forgot to introduce you people. Lucky this is Ragini and Ragini this is Lucky my room mate” “And ex girlfriend” he winked at her. She felt a bit uncomfortable due to his gesture. But I know Lucky did not intend it as he is grown up in a city he doesn’t know how the girl from a village will feel.
“Lucky” I snapped him and he pouted like a small kid. “Ha ha abb biwi aagayi hai tho girlfriend ko kaun puchega” he wiped his fake tears which made Ragini burst out laughing. “I think you have taken Mom’s request to become her bahu seriously” I mocked him. “Hai Bhabi. Don’t mind us. We are like this” he snaked his hand across my neck and I sighed. She just nodded her head with a smile.
I know she needed time to get along with people around me and with the people who mattered to me like my family. I’m glad she is showing signs of acceptance. He carried her luggage and I carried mine and we headed out of the station and reached the building.
As soon as I opened the door of the new apartment which I thought I have to set up gave me a pleasant surprise. It was all clean and decorated. There was a kalash at the door and a thal full of red kum kum water and a white long cloth. Laksh pushed me a bit and entered the home and stopped us taking further step. He rushed inside and came out with a thal which was decorated with little flower petals rice kumkum and a diya. He twirled the thal and signed Ragini to push the kalash. She was also as surprised I was.
She kicked the kalash and stepped in the thal with kumkum and walked where the white cloth took her. She was in front of a mandir. It was Kanha ji’s mandir. She folded her hands. Laksh stood beside her with another thal filled of chandan and kumkum paste in which she dipped her hands and printed her hands on a tile beside the mandir.
I wondered all this rituals were already performed in Jhodpur and again here. And Lucky did all this. “This..” I was interrupted by him “Dadi sa’s instructions” I sighed hearing it. “Was that even necessary?” I asked him as I settled on the sofa. “She said ‘pothi bahurani will be staying in that new house and she should perform all the rituals as she is still nayi naveli dulhan'” he acted as Dadi sa which made me chuckle.
“I will get the tea” Ragini was about to enter the kitchen after performing the puja. “Bhabi” he stood in front of her which jerked her. “Your Rasoi rasam is tomorrow and before that you should not enter the kitchen. Let me do that for today” he said and she smiled at him.
I nodded my head looking at his nautanki. Truly if he was a girl there was no second thought he was the first choice for my Dadi sa and Mom for a bahu. He walked out with a tray and served us the tea. We had the tea and spent time with Laksh who made Ragini laugh with his antics. I was happy she was getting along with him well.
Laksh had ordered the food from the restaurant for us. Ragini was about to clean the table I stopped her. “If Lucky came to know you entered the kitchen I’m warning you he isn’t any less in case of drama as he is my mom’s student” she chuckled hearing me. I smiled at her and cleaned the table.
As we walked to the room it was decorated with flowers and candles. “What the…” I cussed as I knew this was also my Dadi sa’s idea. We both were embarrassed due to it. I walked quickly and cleaned it and gave her a weak smile, and she walked in hesitant. “I’m sorry I did not…” she held my hand. “I understand” She said with a smile and lied on the bed and I lied beside her and we slept facing each others back.
***.***
It had been a month that we shifted to Mumbai. Ragini was all busy in making the house a home. Though it was all furnished but she managed to change few things according to her choice and it made me feel good as these are the little things which showed that she is making the surrounding comfortable for us both to live. I appreciated her choice of colours and designs. And Laksh like true Lakshman of Sita Maiya helped her in all this.
And now she was not having much work at home and was getting bored. “Why don’t you try for a job?” I asked her as we sat after the dinner. “I don’t know I might not survive the skills the job will need like the smartness the employees need here to survive” she said hesitant. “If you don’t try you will not know” I said with a smile to make her feel light and she nodded her head. “I will try something” she said as we walked to the room.
****.****
Ragini had been looking in the news papers and also registered online for a job. She had got a call letter for interview in one of the company where Sahil sent her profile. She was damn nervous from night. “Hey” I held her hand when she was serving the break fast. “You can do it” she smiled at me and I felt good.
“You know how to reach there?” I asked her. “Yeah the HR gave me the address” she said holding her bag. “Give me the address” I asked her. She handed me the chit on which she wrote the address. “Come I will drop you. And as you finish call me I will pick you up” she nodded her head and we walked to the parking.
I stopped the car outside the huge building where she was supposed to give the interview. She was hell nervous. I couldn’t see her like this. I parked the car in the parking and stepped out of it. “You want me to stay with you” she looked at me with surprise and I understood she needed me right now.
I held her hand as she walked inside the building. We sat in the waiting area and she was called by the lady and she went inside. And before she went I held her hand and squeezed it and said “You will be through it” with a smile and she smiled at me with nervousness.
I waited there for half an hour. I was as nervous as she was. Hopefully this first venture only doesn’t disappoint her. She walked out with a huge smile on her face which relaxed me. I sighed.
“I got the job” she surprised me with a hug and I hesitantly patted her shoulder. She dragged herself out and smiled tucking her hair behind her ear. I looked around not able to contain the excitement.
“That’s great. It’s time for celebration” I said congratulating her. She smiled at me. We drove back to home and I applied for a holiday and in the evening celebrated as Laksh came back home. I was happy to see that smile on her face. Dad was right she will be happy with this. And I did not knew how to thank him for boasting me that day and sharing this valuable advice. Thanks dad