My Nepenthe

Chapter 26

He opened his eyes to look up and found her lost in thoughts, hand still grooming his hair.

"Does the little girl in your story have big hazel eyes?" he asked and her hand stopped.

"Huh?"

"She isn't that little now. She drives bull dozers over people's cars. Doesn't she?"

Gauri smiled at him as she said, "Not on everybody, only on certain arrogant Jatadhari chirotas who deserve to be shown their place."

"Achaa, dabaang huh?" he said flicking her nose.

"Ouch."

"It is your story right?"

"Hmm."

"You miss her," he stated and she nodded her head.

"It feels terrible when people you love are snatched away from you. When they don't understand you," he said the last part for himself.

"Won't you sleep?"

"I am not feeling sleepy."

"Hmmm, so you want to talk then?" she quipped and he smiled.

"Clever. But what do you want to know about?"

"Nothing in particular. I told you something which I never told anybody. Only my mother and of course my chacha-chaachi knows of this. You can tell me what you feel like telling me," she informed.

Omkara stared at her for a minute before his eyes widened.

He realized what his wife was playing at.

"Okay this is cliché," he said chuckling.

"Kaa?"

"Umm.. vo kya bolte hai, ek baat ko hum zyada use kare taaki uska original meaning hi bakwas lagee..."

"Aap ye keh rahe hai mein bakwaas bol rahi huun?" she asked with a hurt expression.

"No Gauri. Let me give you an example. Kuch log bolte hai 'pati Parmeshwar hota hai'... 'aurat ki jagah apne ghar mein hoti hai'. Such statements are backward.... They hold no meaning now, in our world. Those are called cliches."

"Oh, but I only told you that..."

"Yes, you told me one of your secrets expecting me to do the same. That is clic.."

She made a face and began to get up from the bed when he stopped.

"Where are you going?"

"To sleep," she replied offhandedly.

"But we were talking."

"Correction, I am the one who talked. You were listening. Kanjoos jatadhari," she said with a glare.

"On top of that you say that I talk clisee," she huffed and picked up a pillow when he dragged her back on to the bed.

"What?" she asked in irritation.

"It is not clisee, it is cliché."

"Mujhe aapse english nahi seekhni hai, I am feeling sleepy and I want to sleep," she remained stiff.

"Sleep here," he said and smiled when she widened her eyes.

"We are wife and husband right. We can share a bed."

"Ahhaaan, this is not clisee? That husband and wife should sleep on the same bed? I don't like clisees too," she said cheekily.

Damn... he thought and laughed aloud.