The Unventured Passions

Shades of Affection ❤️

"But... But why me Kaka? You didn't even ask me once!"
Batuk was seated at the dining table with his head cupped in his hands, a sharp frown of displeasure evident in his voice, and Trilochan adjusted his gold rimmed glasses and cleared his throat.

"You, because Tulsipur is your responsibility too... and, and there wasn't an opportunity... This is the first time we got to speak properly since that night Batuk!"

Batuk groaned at this answer.

"So now you plan to pawn me for a post office and a hospital?"

"And a water tank, and an electricity pole!" Trilochan added and Batuk looked at him through the crack in his fingers.

"So basically you Are pawning me?"
Batuk let out a deep sigh and pulled infront the plate of hot luchi.

"It's not called pawning... This called marriage! The oldest pawn game in history... Plus you are getting a beautiful wife to live with!" Trilochan was chuckling softly, and Batuk pursed his lips.

"You should have had more children Kaka... Then probably we'd have, what's left... Umm... A police station, a fire brigade... And... And Oh... a theatre hall in Tulsipur as well."

Trilochan chuckled soft exhaling another sigh.
"Joke as much as you like Batuk... But Abinash Lahiri's daughter is a fine match... I've seen her picture, and she's beautiful."

"Hm I see." Batuk finished his food and got up from the table.

"I've invited them here... To visit Tulsipur for a few days." He paused, taking out a small rectangular Polaroid from a blue ledger book that he'd keep with him.
"Would you like to see her picture?"

"Is her father that rich?" Batuk asked, looked down, a veil of sadness had started to sheath his face.

"Just not that, he's influential... And, he's indebted to me for many things."

Batuk sighed, and nodded.

"What's her name?" He picked up a glass and drank some water.

"Maha... Kumari Mahamaya Lahiri."
Trilochan smiled, raising the photograph up towards him, and Batuk pressed his lips and nodded sideways.

"No Kaka... Keep it with you... And I don't think it matters if I see her or not."
He hushed the words and prepared to leave, politely, and Trilochan called out again.

"It matters Batuk... I want you to be happy."

"And, me... You." Batuk smiled at his uncle, a forlorn smile, and Trilochan felt a long forgotten twitch in his heart... A twitch that he had felt the night he thought his love was marrying someone else. He closed his eyes and tried to picturise a face from his memory... Her heart shaped face, the arched eyebrows, the sharp nose... And those emerald green eyes!

"Sunaina...!"
Trilochan let out a soft sigh... Why did you leave me alone to fight this battle... Why?" He murmured, his lips quivering, his throat forming a hard lump to swallow, as a single drop of tear fell from the corner of his eye.
Trilochan breathed aloud, and then opened the glasses, rubbing his face with his palm... and hence, rubbing off the momentary nostalgia that had taken over his hard reality for a moment... Just for a moment.

Batuk had walked back to the study, and upon entering he saw Bhargavi sitting on the floor, at a corner, her face hovered over a book, her hands busy pushing the frame of her new glasses over the bridge of her nose, struggling to manage that black rimmed fat spectacles that he had got her that morning.

"They don't have alternatives in the town hospital, I'll get you something that fits you from Calcutta." Batuk remarked, and Bhargavi looked up at once, smiling brightly at him.