22nd July

Next day around 9 o'clock Priyasha had to forcefully encourage herself to attend the women's association's meeting. In the beginning she was excited to attend the discussion regarding Rathyatra celebration. But she was feeling uneasy ever since Jai's warning.

Priyasha's eyes roamed around the meeting hall as she uncomfortably shifted on her seat. More or less thirty something ladies were present in the room and most of them aged between thirty-five to forty-five years old. Her eyes darted toward the corner where a bunch of comparatively younger ladies were whispering among themselves.

Mrs. Iyer, the President and Mrs. Sengupta, the vice president of the Women's Association started the session not before it struck 9:25 am. They introduced each member to others before everyone settled down and the discussion begun.

Priyasha fidgeted on her seat, pressing herself to concentrate on the surrounding but she felt miserable after listening to their speculation for twenty minutes straight. It was awful. Jai was right. It wasn't a meeting. It was gossiping. Her head hurt until suddenly she found an opportunity to give her suggestion.

"No, I mean it'd be best if we tie up with the Temple committee. I mean, they know it best how to serve the Lord with proper rules and regulations. They will guide and fix our faults in Lord's service, if anything."

"But wouldn't they interfere with our funds and our way of celebration?" Mrs. Shaw raised her voice. "I don't think we can particularly trust anyone outside our association."

Priyasha slightly shook her head. "Please don't categorize Temple committee with any other. I know people from there. They are humble enough to help out. Besides, if we really can help them by donating a portion of our funds instead of having a non-vegetarian dinner party afterwards which I'm sure has been in practice here, it'd be beneficial in both ways. I don't think non-veg savories should be a part of such devotional festival."

Mrs. Sengupta clapped. "Well, well, Ms. Chatterjee. You're reasonable here, that we really understand your point. However, wouldn't it be a little out of our range? As we celebrate the festival different way, wouldn't it contradict many of our sentiment attached to this?"

"I'm just sharing my opinion. Rest depends on majority present here."

Priyasha smiled and checked her phone. Still two hours to go.

"Well," Mrs. Das began. Priyasha noticed, she was one of the younger members, maybe at her late twenties, a little dusky colored skin tone and a pair of talkative eyes had made her appearance captivating. "I think we should consider Ms. Chatterjee's suggestion, besides if we are planning to serve and feed Brahmins afterwards, Temple authority can really help us in that matter."

Mrs. Iyer agreed on her statement then asked for any other suggestions.

Mrs. Ganguly, Mrs. Sethi and Mrs. Biswas were sitting behind the row where Priyasha's being seated.

She heard a snort from behind her, then overheard the whispering.

"This is ridiculous, Mrs. Sethi. Now the association will prioritize younger members? Value their opinion where we're the experienced one?"

"You're right, Mrs. Biswas. We have been serving since the beginning, now a new member will take over our places? How unreasonable is that!"

"Yes, and what can you even expect from an unmarried girl living with a bachelor?"

"And what bachelor, Mrs. Biswas! We really cannot trust that young man. He's been living here more or less for three years, but not once has participated in any of the get together or any meeting of the society! He doesn't even talk to us!" Another snort followed the gossip, "And do you even know Mrs. Ganguly, last night what my regular attendant, Keshu saw?"

Priyasha stiffened at the conversation. What if he had seen what he wasn't supposed to see? What if she was indicating to her and Abhiraj's intimate encounter of last night? She'd die of shame if it was exactly that!

"No. What is it?"

"I also don't know, Mrs. Sethi."

"Last night he saw them outside the park. They were really doing 'something'!"

Oh! C'mon! They were unnecessarily exaggerating. Nothing such happened! Priyasha groaned inwardly and stopped herself with all her mighty will from snapping back.

"Oh my God! Such a shameless act! This generation, I swear Mrs. Sethi, is immodest and lascivious. I can't even make peace with the thought I actually have to work along with such people!" She snickered thereafter and Priyasha's ears went hot and red from embarrassment.

That was enough for letting herself enduring the unjust abasement.

She gritted her teeth but kept quiet. Someone was talking about feeding a hundred little children would be a good idea. But she couldn't concentrate on the discussion anymore. Her ears kept ringing the lines she just heard.

In middle of all these, two men entered the room with two huge polythene bags which she contemplated was time for snacks and more gossips. Priyasha looked around and noticed everyone's eyes were now on the food packets. She swiftly stood up and excused herself from the room. Mrs. Iyer seemed considerate when she said she couldn't stay more, that she had other work.

She left the meeting quickly than she thought she would.

It wasn't fair.

Sweat dribbled down her face and her dress glued to her skin from perspiration when she reached the apartment. Although it wasn't necessary, but she took the staircase to get herself distracted from the thought of the wrongful accusation.

Fortunately, the door was unlocked. She found Abhiraj watching TV half lying on the couch. Closing the door with a soft thud, Priyasha sighed, then went to the recliners. Abhiraj took a notice of her presence then quickly glanced at the wall clock. She went over, then plopped down on the seat, feeling frustrated. He straightened up and put the volume down of the TV. Some news channel was playing on it. But right now, she had least amount of interest in that kind of entertainment.

"Are you okay?"

She frowned. "Do I look like I'm okay?"

"What happened? You're earlier than I thought."

Priyasha sat back crossing both of her arms and legs and watched him. Abhiraj's eyes darted toward the TV screen soon after he inquired about the meeting. He grabbed the remote control, volumed up and concentrated more on the news.

The screen flashed a news about government's new subsidiary scheme for cooking gas.

"I had to leave the meeting early."

"Why?" He asked, absent-minded. He was clearly listening to the news and not her.

She scrunched together her eyebrows in a huff. This man was aggravating. He was pretending talking to her, but his focus was solely on the news.

Disregard could never make a proper communication.

"Someone saw us last night and now it is a hot topic for gossiping inside the society," she blurted, annoyed.

"That's interesting," he murmured.

She glared at him. The TV news seemed to occupy his mind more than their conversation.

Priyasha stood up. Her brows crinkled at his inattention. "You're impossible!" She grabbed the cushion that laid on the couch and threw it on his face, then stomped off to the kitchen.

"What? What did I do?" He called out behind her, and miraculously she was able to ignore his husky alluring voice and did not respond.

It was almost 11 and Priyasha was starving. She huffed rolling her eyes, then put the saucepan on the stove. Few minutes later Abhiraj entered the Kitchen and stood at the other side of the kitchen counter.

"What happened?"

She shot him an exasperated look then concentrated on cooking. Despite the fact the only thing she wanted to do right now was to scream at him, she kept shut.

"Someone said something? Isn't it?" He stared at her; a rolled-up newspaper was in his hand.

"You want some?" She held up the spatula and pointed at him. He certainly would love to have a share, she knew.

"Sure." He shrugged. His lips lifted into a smile as his eyes twinkled in amusement.

"Right, then go over to the table, sit down and keep shut."

"C'mon!" He tossed the newspaper roll on the kitchen counter then circled the counter to reach the other side. "Tell me what happened at the meeting?"

She stirred the food more furiously that the saucepan shook vigorously as she blurted out exasperated, "They are accusing me pointing to the fact that I stay with a bachelor and which indicates, I'm not clean anymore. That exactly means, I don't belong to their sophisticated society." She grabbed the glass of water and added it to the food. "If they keep such an observation of my image, I wonder what will I become to them if they ever get to know the truth about my past." And instantly winced, regretting saying that out loud. She couldn't manage another round of interrogation and it would be too much for one day, besides she wasn't yet ready for disclosing about her past to Abhiraj yet.

However, the response she received from him was nothing near what she had expected.

"I withdrew my deal with Vishwa."

She grimaced. "Vishwa is here, in Kolkata?" She glanced at him and earned a concerned nod from him.

"Why would you do that?"

"I have my reasons."

She averted her eyes and looked down on the almost cooked food. "And what are they?"

He stood still and didn't reply.

She focused her attention on him and noticed he was staring at the food but with a scowl.

"What?"

"What?"

"What are you looking at?"

"The food. Are you sure it is the right consistency?" She was making rava upma.

She glanced at the food then back at him. "Okay," She offered him the spatula which he took fortunately. "Go ahead, do it yourself. Besides, I'm not hungry anymore."

He took over and prepared the food with extra care, like it was some treasure. She rolled her eyes and stood aside crossing her arms.

"So, what are the reasons you withdrew the deal?"

He didn't answer. When time unnecessarily stretched than it would have taken him to answer, she threw up her hands. "Why do you always do that? Can't you explain things, nice and clear? Your intentional affection toward me after my humiliation by Zinnia... but why did you do that, you can't explain! Your involvement with Permabell and what is your personal interest in it, you can't explain! You're breaking a deal with a person like Vishwa! But why are you doing that, you can't explain! You don't fucking give me any explanation ever! Why do you always do that?"

He stayed quiet.

She sighed furiously. "Yes, keep shut like that, and I won't be available to listen to your explanations coming next week. I'm moving to Hyderabad. Going away from this ever-rotting situation. Going away from everyone I ever knew, one way or the other."

"Don't do that."

She watched him as he turned off the stove and served the food on two dishes. Then went over to the table and put them down. "Come, eat."

She strode toward the table and took a seat. "But why?"

"The food will be cold."

She tsked in annoyance. "Why don't you want me to move?"

"You'll be safe here."

Her already balled fist tightened. "Safeguarding? But why do you care?"

He kept quiet but held her stare, then sighed and spooned through the food.

"Fine! Don't tell me anything!" She said, "I'm sick of your silence Abhiraj."

He ate in silence which made Priyasha even more furious.

Priyasha kept shooting him grumpy staresthroughout eating. Later, when he asked her whether she wanted some more, shegave him a final glare before leaving the kitchen with an appearance resemblingburning in high flames.