Chapter 8
Chinese Whispers
I took utmost care not to step on my relatives' bags and crossed the hurdles over to the bedroom.
My mother served me dosa which went limp and cold which was probably her passive aggression towards yours truly but I didn't let that deter me.
My sister generally was one to crash into the bedroom with me for some inconsequential gossip but then I noticed her standing by the verandah and clutching one of the bars of the window, looking like a 90's Bollywood heroine with a flushed face and a phone in her hand.
Siya passed the phone to her left ear and spoke softly, so softly and politely that I felt as if she was a clone of my sister from the nether world.
But I didn't like it that Siya spent so much time with him, either on the phone most of the time or him coming to whisk her away on a date to a freaking planetarium.
She was going to have to put up with that man for the next four or five decades without a choice so she might as well spare us some attention now before she settles into a nuptial life.
I fluffed my pillow on my lap. "Siya, pssst!"
Siya's eyes darted to me and she held up her hand gesturing me to wait and then turned away giggling.
I couldn't believe that guy could actually make her giggle. He looked so boring.
"Psssst!"
I was busy trying to get my sister's attention and hardly noticed my aunt entering the room with a packet of namkeen in her hand.
"Shyla, what are you doing sitting here alone? Come there, the latest Mahesh Babu picture is coming on TV."
I obliged my facial muscles to form a respectful smile, "Of course, aunty, you go ahead. I'll come with Siya."
"Siya went out, no?"
I pointed at the dark figure in the balcony and my sister giggled again.
"Who's on the mobile, Harish?" My aunt whispered with wide, starstruck eyes.
"Must be that bor--I mean, yeah, it's him for sure. "
"Then, you don't disturb their private talk. You come out." She ushered my reluctant self out of the room.
My uncle's booming laughter ricocheted across the living room when I entered and the noise of their chatter almost drowned out the actors' voices on the television.
"Where's amma?" I asked her.
"Your parents slept off early, Saritha had a headache it seems."
I peeped into my parents' room just to make sure and my mother was fast asleep with a notebook cradled in her arms.
I stealthily picked it from her hands. There was a list of financial figures for the wedding pomp.
I kept it by the nightstand and wrapped a blanket over her and dimmed the lights.
My relatives were highly engrossed in my conversation. My uncle already retired to the bedroom. My aunts will surely sleep after watching the late-night matinee show on TV.
I picked the cordless receiver as inconspicuously as I could and disappeared into the kitchen.
I peeped into the living room and then quickly dialled the digits that I knew by heart.
Thankfully, Kabir had his own mobile but I internally prayed that nobody else would pick it up. I drummed my fingers on the counter, hearing the phone ring mechanically.
"Hello?"
I breathed a sigh of relief, hearing his irate voice.
"Hi...Shyla here."
"I knew that."
I heard his low murmur and straightened my spine, "Is aunty or uncle around?"
"Yes. We're having dinner. "
"Oh, sorry, I'll call you later."
"No, tell me."
"Er, how are you? I mean, wanted to just talk, I think...But, but it's okay. You carry on. But I really want to talk, it's due for later."
I heard the groan of furniture and realised that he was excusing himself from the table.
"About what?"
"Just... You know,..."
"Listen, if it's about today don't bother. I'm fine. I just lost my cool then. Which I shouldn't have."
"You're lying," I said, feeling almost hurt.
His voice dropped an octave, "You think I'm lying?"
"Come on Kabir. I know you long enough. Spit it out."
"Can we just meet and argue about this?"
"What? Now?" I peeped into the living room at my oblivious aunts who were absorbed by the television screen. Then I hissed into the phone, "Do you know how late it is?"
"You were the one who wanted to talk, right? But, if you don't want to anymore, I guess it's fine. Okay. Leave it. I'll-"
"Wait, wait." I interrupted, realising he wanted to hang up.
"I'll see you on the terrace. Wait for me, I'll have to cook up a story here."
I hung up and sighed.
My aunts didn't particularly care about me but if they catch me meeting a boy so late in the night, it'll be the world's biggest scoop for the Reddy family tree.
I collected a heap of clothes from the laundry and walked out of the verandah.
I got a minor heart attack when my uncle passed by me in a monkey cap and grabbed a water bottle off the counter.
I thought the ladies would be absorbed in the movie but they noticed me slowly inching towards the gate.
"What happened?"
"I'll just go and put these clothes up in the terrace and come," I said and then realised what a third quality excuse I had come up with.
"What? So late in the night?" My aunt's eyes widened and she exchanged a glance with her companion.
I licked my lips and tried again. "Aunty, we have a lot of clothes, the others in the flat will use the clothesline and we won't be able to dry all our clothes on the verandah. We have another batch of laundry to go also.All the sarees and..."
My aunt just stared at me like a hawk, probably trying to figure out my inner ploy.
My other aunt diverted her attention to a familiar actor on the screen who apparently she thought had passed away.
"Okay, okay go and come." My aunt dismissed and diverted her attention to the screen. "Who? Him? No no, he's the grandson of the yesteryear actor who married that heroine! Arey, that heroine was there no, the one with the pointy ears...."
Their voices faded as I peeked into my room.
"Pssst!"
My sister looked up from the mobile.
I gestured to her that I was going to see Kabir and she gave a thumbs-up, and I knew that she would give me a red signal if something untoward happens.
Then I happily took my pile of clothes up past the living room where my aunts were still discussing that heroine with pointy ears.
Our colony flats had about hundred houses that were unequally distributed into six blocks, ours being the smallest and most humble block accommodating five houses, located in the obscure corner and bombarded by lanky coconut trees giving it a spooky aura. To top that, someone had spread the rumour that some old hag had committed suicide in my block which spread like wildfire, hence making people hesitate to even enter our boundaries.
That made my terrace the least visited place in the flats. I felt my way into the dark without switching on the lights.
An aeroplane was swooshing above me into the clouds.
I leaned on the compound wall and peered below. Kabir's block was somewhere on the brighter side of the apartments and you always got a nice view of the children playing below or the impromptu stage set up for celebrations during Diwali.
From my terrace, I could only see two cars being parked in the vicinity and hunched necks of trees preventing me from more visual access of the rest of the colony.
I heard a discreet cough behind me and I was startled and dropped the pile of clothes that I ever so lovingly had cradled to my chest.
Due to my intrinsically woven fears, I anticipated that my aunt or even worse, my mother followed me upstairs.
But of course, my mother had no physical semblance with the tall and slim physique of a twenty-year-old guy who was currently sporting a grey sports vest and mustard trousers.
He pushed his hair back which was being assaulted by the breeze and kneeled down and helped me pick up the clothes.
"What are you supposed to do with all this?"
"I told my aunt that I'll dry them on the clothesline."
Kabir tossed some clothes on his shoulder and walked up the strings that were pinned to the pole.
"Seriously?" I asked when he expertly began spreading the clothes and clipping them with the pegs.
"Then you'll go back with this heap and get screwed by your family?"
I shrugged and took my half of the clothes and tossed them one by one with animated speed on the other side of the line.
Even then, Kabir was done before me and deposited the rest of the plastic pegs in the bucket.
I leaned against the wall. "So..."
Kabir dusted his hands and lowered his frame onto the ground. He brought his knees up to his chest.
I squirmed under his gaze. "What?"
He smiled and forwarded his hand, "Where's my paper sweet?"
I looked at him blankly for a moment and then it struck me, "Oh, yeah I got it, I just thought you were--I mean, you weren't in the mood--Can I...I mean, I'll get it now."
He caught my hand when I walked past him and my attention diverted to my hand wrapped by his long fingers.
"Where will you go? Downstairs? Shut up and sit here. You can't come back again if you go home."
He noticed my dazed expression and left my hand with a hint of a smile. He patted the ground next to him.
I peeked behind us at the long cotton saree that would temporarily shroud us from the line of sight of anyone who enters the terrace.
I folded my legs under me and glanced at Kabir. "You know, when I saw you today, I felt as if you were confused...Or lost."
He raised his brows at me and then fixated his gaze to the dark, mysterious ambience of the sky, sprinkled with starry dots.
I studied his expression and realised that I had hit the right spot. He had given me a hint previously that he was worried about something and I was using that to my favour.
He let out a wisp of a chuckle, "Don't make assumptions by something you feel on an instinct, Shyla."
I wasn't offended but his dismissive tone. I looked straight at the sky too. "Why, you never negated what I said until now."
I fixed my eyes on him passively and it lingered there challengingly but I guess the more I gaze at the boy, the entire purpose of the eye contact is sort of diluting in a pool of... Godknowswhat.
I was so close that I could notice two freckles under his eyes.
I should probably shift back a little...
We both looked away and a gentle breeze cascaded over us.
He spoke after a moment, thankfully.
"You know, it's so irritating back there..." Kabir sighed. "They just keep arguing and you can hear them all over the house..."
He slumped and folded his legs under him.
"... They are shouting and making a complete ruckus every night in front of us and they don't bloody care about how we take all of that in...." He leaned back and closed his eyes.
"I just had to get away from dinner today. Glad that you called me out."
One thing I knew about the Jhas was that they were childhood sweethearts. Mr Jha pursued his wife in college and got married secretly despite the protests from their families. I actually used to think they were pretty cute when I was younger. This threw me off guard.
"If they're having a misunderstanding, just ignore them. It's just a phase." I said gently, "My parents shout at each other too. And then after some time, it's miraculously all right between them. You should...Probably just keep away until everything subsides...."
"No, it's not just that." Kabir stressed." I know couples have their own issues. I hundred per cent agree that I'm no way involved there. But ma just broke a glass yesterday and threatened to kill herself. I just had to... Had to intervene. I couldn't just stand there and watch this madness."
I was again, damn shocked but I didn't let it show.
"...If you don't mind me asking, why is it that serious? Enough for aunty to say that? "
I could make out the wariness in his mocha brown eyes even in the dark. "I'll tell you something, keep it to yourself, okay?"
I nodded slowly, my eyes roving over his face.
"Last night, I just came home after coaching and...I happened to hear my mother saying that..." He sighed."...Dad is having an affair with David's mother. "
My mind refused to absorb this piece of information and I just sat there, absolutely shocked.
Kabir looked into my eyes searchingly when I didn't reply, "Shyla?"
I realised he wanted me to say something when my mind already conjured up a picture about two people that I respected in my life and my heart was rebelling against the very foundation of the statement.
"Uh..." I shook my head off the cloud of undesirable thoughts already creeping in my head. "Maybe you heard wrong. You just heard a part of the conversation. It probably meant something else...."
He let out a humourless chuckle. "Please. Do you really think I'll jump to conclusions about my father just like that? I heard every single word. My father was apologizing! He was ready to kiss her feet."
"Kabir, I don't think any of this...Uncle is much older than Sylvia aunty and he's just like a father figure for her. You know your father best! Do you really think this is true?"
"How would I know that? Just the possibility is gnawing at me. Everything will be so screwed.Even our families will never see each other again if it's true," He said.
As usual, Kabir thought about the future consequences ahead of me. But of course, if something was really going on between them, it would taint the relationship between the two families and my parents will have to pick sides. And God knows if Mrs Jha will suddenly want to leave town or something because of this.
I felt nauseous.I felt as if I was high rigging ship and I was going to throw up.
Suddenly, I wished I'd never known all this.
Kabir probably noticed the panic in my face and I felt his fingers in my hair as he gently tucked it behind my ear. I wanted to lean into his touch but I turned my face away.
"Hey, are you okay?" Kabir peered at my face and I turned further away from him.
"Are you crying? God, Shyla! What happened?"
I was crying? I wasn't crying! However, my eyes just felt a little warm and I could sense some moisture build-up at the rim, waiting for an opportunity to flow out.
It was so stupid that I wanted to distract Kabir from his worries and now I was making him panic by acting like such a weirdo.
"What if you all move out of the city or something? I can't see you or meet you ever, right?"
Kabir looked blank for a moment and then gave me a soft smile, "You were just trying to convince me that all this is not true. What happened to you?"
"Nothing, sorry," I smiled too, watching him kneel before me, concern written all over his features, "Yes, this is not true. This is all a misunderstanding."
He nodded, "Let's hope to heaven it is. "
We had an artificial smile mirroring each other's, just to pacify one another, not quite knowing what we should believe and what the future holds for us.