Shaking his head to the left and right then followed by a bigger than usual grin, Dinanath slammed the pan on the gas stove and began humming. Like nothing would matter if we did not stop by and also anything would not change if we sipped down a few cups. Completely indifferent to our presence there.
‘So, for how long are you here?’ I asked as we sat almost a feet apart on the wooden bench. The bench made a creaking sound as I settled on it. This particular movement of mine always attracted his attention and comment. I was waiting for that but he seemed to be in a certain sense of brooding tonight. Generally, he would never let go of any such opportunity of pulling my leg.
‘Ah! 21 days to be precise.’ Said Amaal.
‘Why only 21? Why not 20 or 25 or 22? Is there a standard protocol like 21, 31, 51 etc.?’ I chuckled trying to break his chain of thoughts.
‘Lot of superstition up there also haan.’ I added rolling my eyes up. It was still bright, bright enough as if the spell was still continuing, only my eyes could not spot.
‘No. Basically it is till the 21st of this month.’
‘Is not that the last day of our shoot?’ I turned towards him keeping an eye on the tea stall and the humming hands.
‘Hmmm’ responded Amaal with eyes fixed at his fingers. Something was shining in there.
I controlled my impulse to ask about it and then continued.
‘And, what if by some reason the filming is not finished by that day?’ I rolled my eyes at him again. I did not want to bring up his return journey but needed to know how much time I have, with him.
‘Well, the standard protocols are still there. But in the case of the shoot getting extended, I will also seek an extension.’ His eyes were fixed at Dinanath who was walking with a steel tray towards the bench we were sitting on. I placed the two cups of tea between the two of us and thanked him with a smile. Dinanath stood there staring. I waited for him to leave, to reach his stall, far enough for him to hear us.
‘Enough of this nonsense.’ I shouted in a whisper. ‘Does it really happen like that?’
‘Then how do you think I came here.’ Amaal did not let go of the flatness of his tone.
But then everyone would be getting this privilege. No? That ways this world should be full of you people.’
‘Shh!’ He hissed and gestured with his eyes towards Dinanath who was busy washing his chai glasses but seemed well aware of what was happening here.
‘It is, can’t you see.’ Amaal mumbled close to my ears avoiding the looks of Dinanath. ‘Everyone does get that privilege where we get to stay for a few specified days with our near and dear ones before leaving but in rarest of rare circumstances, my Lord,’ he ventured in to his baritone, ‘they do allow some more.’
‘And what is that rarest of rare?’ I took a sip. The tea had already gone cold and without the heat the tinge of masala on my tongue reminded me of ‘Pudin Hara’ that Ma used to force down my throat every often.
‘Leave that to me.’
‘Why? They found my film shoot that important?’ I could not help spilling my Pudin Hara as I burst into a laughter.
‘No. They found my need to be here with you. So.’
Dinanath meanwhile had gone out to take a leak. Amaal took the cup away from me sliding his fingers around mine. A rush of goosebumps rose inside me. It made me sit uptight. But I quickly gulped it down with the other cup.
This was not forever. There was not much time left. I shook my head off and tried looking away.
‘Do you still need to pee?’ I asked to distract the course of the conversation.
‘Of course not! And before your naughty mind gets to some more, let us get down to work. It is already one day down’.
‘Just another one!’ I leaned towards him pleading. ‘What if by no manipulation, but genuinely the shoot or the climax, gets postponed? Some part of the mountain decides to go for a ride or the heavily pregnant cloud decides to take a splash. The experts won’t be able to even land here.’
He furrowed his bushy brows at me.
‘Nothing of my doing. I won’t even pray for that, I promise.’ I pulled myself away to assert.
‘Hah! The systems up there with their experience have already developed a dedicated algorithm for their Indian clients, especially for the Savitris!’ He emphasized focussing his eyebrows at me.
‘Don’t you dare take that pedestal! My Satyavaan is right now boarding a flight to Dubai.’
‘I know.’ His face fell down. ‘But is he aware of me?’
I looked back quizzically at him.
‘I mean of whatever happened last week?’
‘Yes, a bit’.
‘Must be elated. No?’
‘Don’t be so mean!’ I snapped. A familiar acrid taste rose in me.
‘Okay, okay. But promise me not to share my coming back with anyone and that means literally anyone. Only I am allowed to share or let it be shared. The moment you break the pact, I will be flown back. Straight like this.’
He whistled his way up tilting his head towards the left.
I blinked my eyes in approval.
‘In a way I am happy.’ Amaal brushed the almost frozen cup of tea against my cheek.
‘Why?’ I squirmed.
‘Of being known only to you now.’ With each such revelation Amaal was scaring me.
I opened my leather bag and took out my phone.
‘Wait. What? Did I say anything wrong?’ He almost jumped off the wooden bench. The wooden bench did not creak.
‘Yeah. I am calling the team to take off for a few days.’
‘Are you mad? You know how much I fought up there for these few days?’ He snatched away the phone from me.
‘Hey, I was just kidding.’ A familiar hue of red in his eyes shuddered me. The stars were gone. ‘I am calling up to tell them to be ready at the location at 5 AM tomorrow.’
‘Oh! Thank God.’ He phewed. The red in his eyes disappeared as nimble footed as it had sneaked in.
But the stars never came back.
‘Good. Let us start with the work then.’ He sat down and peered in to my laptop as I set up a meeting.
‘And who told you to shoot on the mountains in this cold?’
‘You! I can even show you the mail.’ I pointed towards the screen.
‘My bad! Actually, I never thought at that time that I would come here, rather be allowed to be here by your highness.’
‘Another reason to be happy.’ I chuckled to him and shifted my eyes back to the screen.
‘And you?’ He tapped my leg in wait of my response. ‘What are you so busying with?’
Dinanath was making more than the required sound while fiddling with his steel utensils.
‘But how come are you feeling the cold…aren’t you not supposed to?’ I tried to divert the fizzling out conversation. Amaal smirked and as if on a cue another spell showered from above as we sat next to the wound-up tea stall.
‘Taasha. Be here by 5 sharp. Tomorrow morning.’ I typed on my phone screen after brushing off the fresh snow from it.
‘Really?’ Her sleepy smile flashed. Before I could smile back an ominous layer of fluff submerged it.’
***
Is he back?’ Taasha asked furrowing her brows as she lay snuggled in the blue bedcover. Only her eyes were visible from the cover.
I got up from the bed and sat in front of the mirror on the left.
‘Or did he never leave?’ She added, pulling herself up to sit straight.
Now she was visible through the mirror. Her hairs were all over her. Blessed with a small face and really thick mane, exactly opposite to me, she looked a little child playing a game with her hair, hiding herself from all, nestled in her world. Even through them, her skin managed to shine through. She always looked more beautiful without any make up. But the curse of being in her teens did not allow my words to reach her.
‘What kind of question is that, Taasha? I think you partied too much last night.’ I answered brushing my hair. I tried looking for any signs of hangover in her reflection.
‘No Angie! I am on the strictest possible diet for the air diver you want me to be’. She phewed and caved back in to the blue cover. But much before I could put the brush back I spotted her propped up again with her eyebrows pulled up to the ceiling.
‘What now?’
‘Hmm.’ She bit her lip to pull in something which was ready to burst out. ‘Okay. I know what I am saying may seem foolish but there is something.’
I turned to face her covering Amaal behind me.
You should start publishing book on short stories 💐