Dark Secrets

THE PRESENT

                                    1

NEW DELHI , KAROL BAGH
  june 2020

The third house ,a little away from the perennially busy Guffar market in Karol Bagh,always buzzed with during the day: Dimpy Bagga's ear - splitting voice. She had the special talent of shouting at everyone- from her 8 year old daughter - jasmine bagga to her husband ,Anubhav Bagga,who ran his own mobile store in Palika Bazar. Even her widowed mother in law ,Revti  Bagga,wasn't spared her scoldings. The household like one of those relentless prime-time soap operas,would,incessantly generate reasons for Dimpy to bring the roof down bye yelling at someone. Today, it was the impending arrival of a guest while the house looked like ot had been hit by a tornado. If it were just any guest,Dimpy wouldn't have care too much. But this was her childhood best friend coming for lunch- and they were meeting for the first time after a decade although they had sporadically kept in telephone contact. The perils of adulting ,she always told herself, whereby one starts believing that one's immediate priorities are the only important things in life.

Between tidying  the house and preparing her best friend's favourite rajma chawal ,she went to the salon for two hours. It surprised her husband ,Anubhav. The last time she had spent so much time in salon waa just before going for their honeymoon.

'Are you sure he's  only a "best friend"?'asked Anubhav. He was brunching that day so he could keep his shop open all day without having to break for lunch.

'No. He's actually my husband. D'ypu have a problem with that ?Dimpy snapped at him spitefully. Anubhav understood that it was one of those days when his wisecracks weren't welcome. After his meal ,he quitely left the house,climbed into his Alto and drove off. Dimpy helped her MIL with her lunch, picked up Jasmine from school and fed her before putting her down for siesta and then waited ,glancing at the clock impatiently. He had said he would be here bye 2:30 pm and she was aware of his perinickety punctiliousness for punctuality.

The doorbell rang precisely at 2:30 pm. Dimpy hurried to the door and opened it. The vision she beheld on her doorstep took her breathe away. It was a man in his heavenly appearance. He bowed gently,held her hand and gently planted a soft  kiss and said, 'ye nacheej lekhak Yuvash singh Tgakur aapki khidmat mein hazir hai, zhehnaseeb'

Dimpy flung herself at him and gave him a tight bear hug. 'You ve no idea how much I have missed you', she choked. An acquaintance of the truculent and tough-as- nails Dimpy of the Bagga house would have been hard pressed to recognise this emotional clinging woman.

"I know. I am sorry i could not meet with you before now',he caressed her hair.

'Before now?" She reared back to glare at his face. 'Do u realize, it has been 10  whole years ?" She buried her face in his shoulder. 'You know I love you ,right ?"she whispered.

"I know. I can hardly believe it', he whispered back.

She looked up, saw his amused expression and broke the embrace,'You don't believe it because you are a sugar (pig)!"

'Won't you ever grow up ?" Yuvansh chuckled.

"For you.....never! Come on in." Dimpy yanked him inti the house and shut the door behind him.

"Put these somewhere," Yuvansh handed her a large bag of gifts for her family.

"Why are you so formal ?"

"Bringing something for the people one cares for isn't a formality. Where is Anubhav ?"

"He has gone yo work. He wanted to meet you but..."