We Never Knew [ON HOLD]

Chapter : 12

Chapter: Twelve   

The evening proved to be very cool and gentle compared to the scorching morning. Birds flew off, following the slowly sinking sun as they all headed home. The sky was smeared with hues of ivory, yellow and rosy and clouds spread about like blank spots on a canvas which the painter left untouched for an enhanced effect to the piece of art.

Humming some song in a tranquil manner, Kirti worked about in the garden. Her hands were soiled with the earth as she finished digging a little, deep pit for the roses which Sekhar brought to her today. She still smiled at the thoughtfulness of Sekhar. Kirti's Dad had an immense love for roses. She remembered how her parents used to cherish roses of variant colours all around the backyard and the garden in the front before he left them. Even today, no matter where they moved to, Kirti's mother would always purchase a little rose from a nursery and place it somewhere around the house in a flowerpot.

The sounds of some loud western song penetrated Kirti's thoughts and drowned out her memories. Glancing up, she realized that her friends had begun streaming their tracks on Spotify up there in the apartment. She smiled to herself as she thought of Abhi and Jiya who, probably, were fighting over which song to play first.

Pulling the little bag towards her, Kirti pulled out the little plantlet with gentle care and slowly placed it into the pit as if it were a fragile infant. A few minutes later, she had finished filling up the soil into the pit with her hands.

"You should add a little water to it," A voice suggested and upon raising her head, Kirti met a pair of aged, brown eyes.

Kirti smiled back at the man and nodded in agreement. The old fellow looked like a local Keralite with white sandalwood paste applied neatly over his forehead in a traditional manner and his silver hair shimmering underneath the last rays of sunlight. He was dressed in a vest and silvery mundu, (a traditional lungi draped around the waist). The man held a cheery vibe about him with his creased, wrinkled face and that small, serene smile over his lips.

"How come I've never seen you around here before?" The man asked, curious.

Kirti dusted her hands in vain to get the soil off as she pushed herself up and stood facing the man with a small smile. "I'm Kirti Mishra, sir. I've arrived here just a few days back, actually,"

The man's face brightened with recognition. "Oh so you're the girl who was going to share the rented apartment? Sekhar did mention you but my forgetfulness always makes it hard to recall,"

Kirti beamed a smile at the man's friendly approach.

"I'm Shankar Thomas," The man introduced himself, "Landlord of the apartment,"

Kirti nodded mutely.

"I'm glad that a girl such as you has joined those monkeys up there. You seem to strike a balance among them," Mr Thomas mused, "Otherwise the boys and Jiya end up making too much mess,"

Kirti grinned and nodded a 'yes'. From Mr Thomas's tone, it was evident that though the group was notorious, the old man loved the lively atmosphere which they brought to the otherwise silent building.

The old man then turned to look somewhere behind Kirti and passed a merry smile directed to somebody. Turning around, Kirti found a group of five little boys, all about the age of ten or eleven, standing at the entrance. They smiled back at Mr Thomas as they swayed their school bags over their little shoulders. Kirti recognised one of the boys as Om, the little boy she had met at the tea stall the other day and whom Abhi had mentioned about.

"Looks like Abhi sir turned up late today, huh?" The familiar, deep voice reverberated over Kirti's ears and she smiled at Abhimanyu who walked out of the apartment with a grin directed at the kids.