RAABTA

The doorbell rang making him stare at it. Keeping aside his paper, he stared at the clock. Opening the door, the unfamiliar face smiled at him. “Here is your delivery sir” he took the pen from the boy, and signed at the desired space, taking the box wrapped in purple in his hand. He smiled at it. A lady was waiting at the gates of the college campus, with a satchel bag, in casual jeans and tees, her hair flew in a ponytail, over her shoulder and her eyes were searching. Staring at the watch she sighed and murmured a curse. Beside her stood a couple; the girl was blushing at the bunch of red roses she had just received from the boy. A typical couple of scenes! She shrugged. Her attention was drawn toward the bike that screeched to a halt in front of her. “Sorry Sorry” he took off his helmet and took a deep breath “For you” She frowned at the red rose in his hand, and he frowned at her face. That was the day; he realized this girl was different from the rest. She didn’t...

The late afternoon was setting into the evening as the sky turned into a darker shade of blue. The cottony clouds floated by, as the sun shone, playing a game of hide and seek with the meadows below. The Flight was on time. The window seat saw an eager face smiling down at the roads heading straight for the city ahead, patches of greenery, huts and perhaps cattle. She adjusted her glasses and sighed. In her late Twenties, Baitanbonhi Mukherjee was coming back to her roots after a really long time. It felt like forever since she was in Kolkata the last time. She wouldn’t have this time also but Bengali mothers have their way with emotional blackmails and that forced her to finally pack her bags and come back this time. Ma and Baba waited eagerly at the Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose Airport’s Domestic Terminal's gateway for the familiar face. “Why isn’t she still here?” He checked his watch for the umpteenth time while his wife gave a warning glance at his impatience. “It’s to...

Ajabdeh pulled her black sweatshirt closer to her body as she put aside the laptop and closed the door of the balcony she had opened. Sitting on the window sill of the hotel room she is now sharing with Heer for the three-day extravaganza called a “Destination wedding” of her friends, all she could think of was… She frowned at the Document with a few typed words and a blinking cursor waiting for her. “Urgh… Deadlines!” She slammed the Laptop making Heer wake up with a frown “Jija?” Ajabdeh looked out and stared out at the grounds below. It’s started to drizzle. The orange and pink drapes made a triangular shape above the round yellow sitting areas on the lawn of the Radisson Blue, where the grand wedding was being held. The wedding planning crew was preparing for the traditional Sangeet and Mehendi. In the evening this would turn into a stage for the Bollywood-style extravaganza they all were told to practice for. Heer yawned slightly stretching her arms, then typing her hair up ...