A Bend in the road - Vol 2

74. Snakes and Ladders

"What are you doing?"

Geet looked up from her assignments. These days it was either library in college or study at her home.

That's where she lived now, away from her new family that she had disappointed, away from the one friend she made, that she let down by not sharing anything with her and making her feel like an outsider.

She had after all become like her husband. As if drowning themselves in work would miraculously solve their problems.

She looked up to find Vikram sitting by her desk, and already setting up the chess board next to him, as if him and her were best buddies and were doing this for a long time now.

"Want to play a game of chess?"

"No"

"Okay. Should I degrade to Snakes and ladders to make you play something with me?"

"Go away Vicky"

"I will." He admitted. "But play a game with me. So what do you say, Snakes and ladders is okay?"

She looked at him quietly. "Fine"

"Thought so"

"Do you want to make this game interesting?"

"How?"

"For every ladder I get, I can ask you a question"

"Why are you complicating this?"

"I'm actually inculcating Drink or Dare in this. You should be grateful I'm very creative to make tame versions of games"

"What do you want Vicky?"

"Save that question until you get a ladder" he grinned, and Geet saw the striking similarity of her husband. The same lopsided smile, the same devil may care attitude.

She took the dice and rolled it, and got a 2, and moved two steps ahead.

She was fascinated by the way Vicky rolled his die, with his hands moving like magic.

He was very frequent with the sixes, she observed. The nerves on the back of his hand showed. With his face bent, his long hair framing his face, he looked like he was bent over, ready to make the next scientific discovery, not exactly waiting to strike the next move that would decide if he would get a ladder or go down by the strike of a snake.

He got the ladder of course.

"So..." he said looking up at her.

"Why did you run away that day?"

"You don't have to make an elaborate game to ask me that"

"Would you tell me if I ask you directly"

"No"

He grinned. "I thought so"

"We had an agreement Geet"

"I agreed to no such thing Vicky"

"Ok forget that. Answer me in yes or no. Can you do that?"

She looked up at him in quite contemplation.

"Do you love Maan Bhai?"

"Yes"

The answer was almost instantaneous. And only when she answered him, she understood how smartly he got her into his little game.

"Do you want to leave again?" He asked looking at her.

"No"

"I think that's all I wanted to know" he said passing the dice to her.

"It's ironic you are asking me these questions" Geet said, feeling remnants of anger.

"Someone who left the house without a word himself. I had a reason"

"Don't we all?"

"And I realized the reason was stupid and invalid." Vicky looked up at her.

"And I lost precious years by hurting people I love. I thought I was protecting them. Did the opposite"

Geet quietly rolled her dice and hit a snake. She was hating this game now.

"You might have had your reasons, but leaving isn't going to solve problems is what I wanted to tell you"

"Why?"

"Why, what?"

"Why did you want to be nice to me when you never were?"

"Then, you did not need people. Now you do"

Geet looked down, suddenly feeling her eyes sting.

"Can I ask you one last question Geet?"

"Yes"

"Can you give me your friend Neelima's number?"

Geet looked up at him, all the good opinion on him formed two seconds ago, forgotten.

"No" she replied.

He laughed. "Thought so" and took the dice to play his part.