The Enchantress | COMPLETE | AbhiGya Fiction

1. Departing in Remembrance

Abhi:

I was sitting on the kitchen slab and yawning, as she stood by the burner making my early morning coffee. Her hair was tied up in a messy knot, and she had draped herself with my favourite navy blue silk nightgown of hers, I could see the outline of her slightly sagged

breasts at forty. I chuckled to myself, and she glanced at my direction.

I just stretched my hand in laziness and muttered, "You should start wearing your bra more often you know"

"Why? Is the sag noticeable now?" she asked unconcerned, "Well, about time. Done with childbirth, sleeping with two men, and hardly use my bra. What else can you expect?"

I nodded and took my mug of coffee from her, I took a sip and smiled contently, aah the smell of cinnamon in my coffee, just the perfect dash of it, not too much, not too less. I hadn't had it ever since 'ma' stopped making it after her paralysis, not until I came here at hers. No-one ever got it right, well except Pragya of course.

"So when is the 'mehendi' function?" she asked me interrupting my thoughts, sipping her own coffee and settling on the chair opposite.

"Next week" I replied nonchalantly. "When are you going to arrive, before the 'mehendi', and stay until the wedding or are you just coming to attend the wedding?"

"Depends" she replied thoughtfully, "I think Suresh will be back from Hong Kong by Wednesday, then he can go and pick up Aadi from his boarding school and take care of him this weekend, in that case I will come before 'mehendi' and stay till the wedding. But if his plan changes, then I have to pick up Aadi and be with him for the weekend, then drop him to his boarding school on Monday and then fly down to Calcutta. Let's see, I will inform Alia." by the end of it, she was almost talking to herself, busy procrastinating. I always found this habit of hers cute, but never before did I have the opportunity to show my affection until now. I smiled and pulled her along with her chair towards me. She looked up at me startled, and I smacked my lips on hers. She laughed as I continued to kiss her on her soft lips that tasted of black coffee now, and then ever so slowly she kissed me back. After a while we broke apart and she laughed saying, "I think I have now acquired a taste for cinnamon coffee."

After a while I went upstairs and got packing, I was leaving from Delhi today. My fiancée Bulbul had texted me asking for my time of arrival, she wanted to come to the airport to pick me up. I smiled, Bulbul was a real sweetheart, her presence brightened my mood, she lifted my spirits the way a child does, I didn't ever love her, but the idea of spending my life with her never bothered me, she was pleasant company. I don't even know what love is, how it feels to be in love. The way I feel towards 'ma' and Alia di, if that's love, well then I have never been in love. As for lust, well I have lusted Pragya for as long as I can remember. As I continued packing, I felt a pair of hands grab me from behind, and a slight frame hug me from behind.

"I am going to miss this Rockstar" she mumbled from behind and sighed, I was just about to turn around and reciprocate when my phone rang, I retrieved it from my pocket to see the caller ID flashing Bulbul's name, I turned the phone towards her, so that she can see. She saw the name and moved away from me slightly, busying herself with my remaining packing.

"Hi Mish" I replied on the phone and saw her reflection in the mirror freeze for a moment before continuing her work. It made me happy. So Mish's presence did irk her; even though it's just a little bit. Just like Suresh bhaiya annoys me a little bit.

"Hello Abhi! Why don't you reply to text messages 'haan'? Neither you reply nor di. I want to come to pick you up; it's been ages since I spent some 'us-time' with you. Next time you're off to Delhi for so long, I shall accompany you!" she demanded in her childlike way.