Love
“I saw “Rajat-da” first time in a small tea stall owned by “Bhola-da”. Rajat is a teacher at a small school in an unknown town. Every day Rajat used to come to have a cup of tea in that tea stall. Bit tall, and lean, with glasses and bright eyes, Rajat had an intellectual look; and I got attracted instantly. Normally he used to have tea, with a sandwich or a piece of cake. Whenever I met him he used to smile and offered me too and sometimes with a pat on my head. An affectionate one. I am also a girl from a small town and always traveling through the city, know men, their “eyes” and their attitude, and got used to those.
But Rajat was different. He used to get a book out from his old side bag, and then a refreshing sip of tea from the white cup. I used to watch him sometimes from far, from near, his salt and pepper hair, the spectacles, and sometimes his fingers tapping the table. I used to love every bit of him. Slowly I felt, I love Rajat, a lot. Every day I used to anxiously wait for him in that tea stall. Sometimes I used to get disappointed, after a long wait. Slowly the dusk used to take me out of the tea stall, watching the kids coming from the football ground, or sometimes sniffing the smell of the evening storm of Kolkata (Kalbaisakshi as they call it). But still, I used to wait for him. Bhola the owner of the tea stall sometimes used to call me back and offer his portion of evening snacks. I am always very grateful to whoever offers me food; coming from a very poor family I saw hunger very closely. I saw when my brother passed away in an accident while running away with a piece of cake from a roadside stall.
Suddenly, one day, I heard Rajat had a new friend, Madhumita. She was one of his brilliant students. Slowly I saw Rajat is not that frequent in the tea stall. I got terribly down and kept on waiting for him, every day; and one fine morning Rajat was back. Heard from Bhola that Madhumita got married to a boy from a rich family in Delhi. But I was very happy. I started dreaming again. Rajat used to come regularly, but he was a different person all of a sudden. I slowly tried to get close to him. Started sitting together to have the morning cuppa, a cake, or a sandwich.
One day Rajat asked me, why don’t come to my house and stay with me. I don’t have anyone at home. That day I will never forget; I was almost crying; but Rajat did not notice. I went to his small two-bedroom apartment; Rajat goes to school every day, comes back in the evening and I keep on waiting. We watch television, have dinner, the weekend evening walk, always together.
I am so happy these days, I just can’t express myself, but I just keep on wagging my tail….”
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