The Unfinished Poetry √

Part Twenty

It had been raining since afternoon. Big heavy rain, blurring Bhopal.

Devasena stood at an enormous door sized window, while Amarendra sat on a sofa, making a drink. The clock struck nine.

Devasena looked at Amarendra. "I... should leave now. "

Amarendra stared back.
" I suppose it's raining enough. "

"I'll call a cab. "

They both kept staring at each other, and then Amarendra broke the eyelock and poured his drink in a slick glass.

" As you wish. "

Devasena now looked outside again. Indeed it was raining enough. And she didn't wish to leave.

But... Amarendra hadn't told her once to stay for another night as well.
Last night, turned morning in a blink, but this night would be long. Long enough to stay.

Had he once said.... 
But then again, they hadn't talked over this. And she herself wished to leave.

But....shouldn't he just force her to stay back? 

It's true that she didn't remember, but even, do the family members of a dementia patient throw them away? He was his family....his husband!!!

And the very next moment she was slammed back to reality. What was she thinking even? He was not her husband now, for god's sake!!

" Devasena, come and sit here. That window invites a lot of rain. You'll catch cold. "

Like a baby, Devasena followed his orders, and came and sat before him, looking down.

" Can you cook? "

Devasena was startled at this unexpected question.

" ...yes....sort of... I mean whenever I cook, it tastes good. "

Both of them smiled.

" Whom did you learn from? "

" all by myself. At the boardings. Yes... A senior next room helped me a lot. "

"...and your.... Maa? "

" she left me as a kid. Cancer. My father took to drinking. And sent me to the boardings. I'm almost an orphan. But I visit my father at times. In Lucknow. Hardly. "

Amarendra remained silent for a moment, as if letting the words sink in.

" so... You don't have a guardian...almost. "

" yeah...sort of. "

" a boyfriend? "

Devasena almost shook at this question, and then she herself felt extremely embarrassed. Amarendra seemed so much of a man out of some novel since she met him, that she almost forgot to believe that he, a handsome young human could ask such general questions to her even.
She took sometime to settle, and then replied slowly, " not actually.... "

" so the school was not a unisex. "

" no....it was... " , she stammered.

Amarendra squeezed his brows, and a soft smile lit the corner of his lips.

" you are as beautiful as you used to be.... So I believe, no one caught your attention as such. "