Durga | ✓

01. A New Start

Bengaluru, 2006....

Durga Rao was standing at the bus stop at Jayanagara. She was holding two bags and a purse was hanging down her shoulder. She was constantly checking the time on her watch. Seeing the watch she was lost for some moments.

"Durga! Durga! Where are you kanna?" asked Akshad. He was holding a box in his hand.

"Appa, I am here in the kitchen." called out Durga.

"Durga. How many times I have told you not to cook. You should be studying," said his doting father as he walked into the kitchen.

"Appa! I was getting bored. So I thought I will make bondas for us. I think it will be raining soon."

"Bored! You said you want to become an archaeologist. You find my archaeology notes boring? I am upset."

Durga held out a plate in front of Akshad. It had bondas and spicy green pudina chutney. Akshad was tempted to see hot bondas but he tried to make himself strong.

"Oh ho Appa! I was not bored reading your notes. I was bored being alone."

Durga held out a bonda piece to Akshad. He refused to eat. Durga smiled and dipped it in the chutney. She held it out again to him. The aroma of bonda and chutney tempted him. He couldn't refuse her; he ate the piece.

"You know kanna, I can't stay angry with you for a long time. You are my life."

Durga smiled. She said, "Appa come let us go and eat it outside."

Akshad smiled and both of them went to the porch. The porch had a round table with four chairs. Settling them comfortably on the chairs, Akshad said, "Oh dear I forgot!"

"You forgot what, Appa?" Durga asked. It was a regular habit of Akshad to forget something. This time he had forgotten an important day in her life. But she didn't complained.

"This," replied Akshad, handing over a box to her. Durga took the box, excitedly. Opening the box, she saw a watch. A watch with golden border at the rim of its dial with a thin black strip.

"Appa, this so beautiful! I like it. No Appa, I love it. Thank you so much," squealed Durga. She hugged her father.

Akshad's eyes were moistened. "Happy birthday, kanna."

Durga broke away from the hug and looked at him. "You remembered?"

"Of course. Can I forget your birthday?"

Durga hugged him again. "You are the best dad a daughter could have."

She broke away the glance from the watch and looked at the road, staring it for few minutes.

I was successful in saving the watch from him Appa. I was successful...

Durga sighed as her chain of thoughts broke. She saw a bus coming. The grip on her bags tightened. She was afraid that if she keeps her bags down then somebody will steal it. She wouldn't take a chance. After all the things that she had suffered, she simply couldn't.

The bus halted at the stop. The conductor called out, "Hosur! Hosur!"

Where is Hosur? Blow! In these six years my geography has become so weak. Appa says a good archaeologist should have fair amount of knowledge about geography.

She glanced at the number board of the bus.

TN 04 KH 6934

So Hosur is in Tamil Nadu. Ahh! My geography is really poor. Thinking about the fair amount of knowledge Appa had, I will never be able to become a good archaeologist like him. He had immense knowledge of geography.