Agape & Eros

Yearning

Priya- Can you please stop whining for a moment? Uff... I mean... are you a kid Mr. Kapoor?

Ram looked at Priya making puppy eyes after getting scolded by her. 

Priya- It's only for two days! 

Ram- Two days and a night, Priya! 54 hours. Why did they have to select a place so far? 

Priya- Where else should we have gone study tour? Juhu beach? 

Ram sulked.

Priya sighed and nodded her head in frustration as she packed her bag. She was going with her students for a study tour in Kolhapur. They had to leave the night before. Ram was whining as he'd have to spend two days without her. 

Ram- Achha, at least let me send you off. 

Priya- That you can. 

Ram smiled and went outside to get the car ready. 

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Ram drove Priya to the University campus. Two buses were to leave from the campus. Priya was about to get off the car but Ram hold her hand. Priya looked at him. 

Ram- Jaldi aana, please. 

Priya smiled listening to his plea. 

Priya- Ek kaam karte hain. Students ko chhod kar hi chalien aate hain.

Ram- Really!

Ram's eyes sparkled with glee. He pulled Priya's hand near his heart. 

Priya- Ram...

Priya whined while laughing. 

Priya- Stop it now. 

Ram- Ok. Ok. I'll stop. 

Ram left her hand and raised his hands in the air.

Priya looked at her cute husband. Just before leaving she pinched his cheeks and said, 

"Do you know, you are really cute! Ok bye."

She didn't take another minute to leave the car after saying so. Ram touched his cheeks with a smile of disbelief on his lips. 

"Inn chhoti chhoti harkaton ka diwana bante ja raha hoon."

Ram thought to himself. He followed her without delaying. 

Ram- Will you be comfortable in bus? I mean... the whole night.

Priya- Of course. I've traveled like this before. It's quite comfortable. 

Ram- I can arrange...

Priya- No. 

Ram- Listen to the whole sentence at least. Then you can utter your favorite word- no.

Priya- Stop mimicking my no and stop presenting weird proposals. It's a study tour, I am going with my students and I am going by bus. Yahan aapki taang maat adaiyein. And I will return with my students after the study tour. Reh lijiye thodi din mere bina. Aapko thodi chutti milegi. 

Ram- Kaisi chutti?

Priya- Mere taunts se chutti. 

Ram- [In a low voice] Nahi chahiyein

Priya- What did you say? 

Ram- Nothing. Let me take your suitcase to the bus. 

Priya- It's ok. I can manage.

Ram- Where is your suitcase? 

Priya- Here.

Ram- Have you packed everything you need? 

Priya- Yes.

Ram- Suitcase kam briefcase jyada lag raha hain. 

Ram took Priya's suitcase from her and walked with her towards the buses. Priya went to talk to her students. Ram kept her suitcase in the bus. Priya bade goodbye to him and got on the bus with her students. Ram stood their for a moment watching the buses departing. 

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Ram pushed the door open to his room. A dark and silent room without Priya in it. It looked like his past. His haunted lonely past. 

He stood at the threshold for a few moments before entering the room. As soon as entered the room he switched on the lights to watch their wedding photo kept on his desk. He walked towards the desk with a smile on his face. 

"Priya," he chuckled, "I need to call her."

Ram freshened up and called Priya. Priya cut the call as soon as the phone rang. Ram frowned. He called her again and again and each time the call was cut by Priya. As he attempted to call again his phone chimed. 

A message from Priya. 

He opened it. 

"Do minute rukh nahi sakte na aap?"

Ram pouted. He texted back.

"Why did you cut the call?"

"My students are playing antakshari. Can't talk right now."

"When will they sleep?"

"Why do you ask?"

"I need to see my wife."

"It's been only a few hours, Mr. Kapoor."

"Only a few  hours! Accha, listen, kab aaogi?"

"Goodnight, Mr. Kapoor."

"Achha, achha, suno na."

"What? "

"I miss your taunts already."

Priya stared at the text for quite a few moments. A faint smile found it's way to her lips. She sent another text. 

"Why? You should be happy. Pichha chhut gaya."

""No, I don't want that. Achhe lagte hain tumhari taane."

Ram replied. He grinned sheepishly. In his imagination, he could clearly see his wife's flushed face after reading the text. And Priya she was exactly how Ram imagined her to be. She didn't know how match her cheesy husband. So she decided to finish the conversation. 

"Goodnight, Mr. Kapoor."

"Sleep tight, Priya."

Ram lied down with the phone in his hand. He grinned at the screen like a teenager. He kept staring at the screen until Priya went offline. Then he put the mobile on the bedside table. Then he turned towards the side where Priya slept. His hands caressed the pillows Priya slept on. 

"Missing you already, Mrs. Kapoor", said the yearning soul.