He lightly placed the laptop on her lap and kneels down by her to click the video clipping. A strange feeling was engulfing him - to be with a young lady in a semi dark room and sizzling movie ahead.
Yet the movie continued with both silently watching it together. Her broad beautiful eyes were steady during the ten minutes show. Her body was stiff with all resistance to any odd probability. Nothing unpleasant happened.
Watching men drinking Puff and turned on to feel women by their side - itself instigates basic instinct.
“Relax!” – It was Anurag’s turn; he thought somewhere he is on the winning side of the evening. “So any solution….?”
“Invite all spouses to your party, don’t take tension! Things are bound to be within control” – Sharmilee said in a cold tone.
“What?” – Anurag was unable to digest. Was it such easy a solution!
“What is your mobile no?”
Without any further thought he answered – “98……..”
Sharmilee was pressing the number buttons swiftly and finally made a call.
A common ringtone buzzed once and came to a sudden end.
“Don’t pick up – that is a missed call. Save my number. Call me whenever you have some work to share. “
Anurag didn’t know if the solution would work but he wanted to thank her for such a nice evening. He saw a new way to look at things – ‘out of box’ they say in books. It never clicked him.
“Anurag, l am getting late for the day. My parents are not at home and didi is busy chatting with my probable Jiju on hamarashadi.com. All non-sense talk! What is your favorite color and what is your favorite place – sea or hill? Stupid aren’t they?
Some string in Anurag’s dormant mind had resonated. He just said – “Yes”.
She picked up the last node and continued - “Next time when I feel like having a chat with you I would call you up. Don’t pick up the phone. Treat it as missed call. Step up to the roof – No fear of closing doors….” She paused for a while, took a long breath to give the last finishing comment – “And keep your problems in the laptop; don’t carry them to the rooftop….Bye”. The bundle of energy rolled down the steps.
While he stood once more behind the closed door life seemed to be refreshing than the evening shower, much more intoxicating than the open beer bottle, more promising than the launch of Puff ahead…..
Anurag saved the number as ‘Missed Call’ in his phone contact book.
The city was no more alien to Anurag. The other day he called his mother to say that he had been on a joy ride to second Hooghly Bridge. Only part of the story that was nicely crafted and hidden was he had Sharmilee with him. It was still a missed call friendship. The other day they were debating on what makes a city great to an individual?
Sharmilee said – “You love a place not because of the place but because of some people, some memories that you linger to cherish, associated with that place. “
Anurag was spellbound. He was no way prepared for the question next –
“When you would run from one city to the other spreading the enchantment of Puff, will you remember this City?”
Anurag could have spoken a lot, but he just said – “Yes”.
Little did he know that the very next week he had to bid a sudden farewell to the city and fly to Latin America? Memories of Kolkata, Vasundhara apartment, sunset by the Ganges, cricket match in Eden collected the dust of time and fresh pictures got clipped on the canvas of life. Contact Book still had a name – ‘Missed Call’. No call was made to this number.
Look Fwd >> Series 5
Lost in Time
Two Years passed by. A call from the commercial capital of India to the capital of the country. This is what would be displayed on the call details of the itemized bill for Anurag. But for now it was an usual morning call between mother and son. Command and demand follows a very tricky lane in this relation which only a mother and a son can relate.
- “When do you plan to come down to Delhi?” – The voice was very accommodating.
- “Not sure ma” – Anurag said
- “Beta, it is long time and both of us feel you should get married” – a helpless mother continued.
- “You carry on with my bride hunt, sincerely I have no time.” – Anurag candidly replied. Such answers do hurt his mother’s sentiments.
To lighten her mood he put forward not so urgent an interrogation immediately.
- Did you go out to dine with papa yesterday?” – Anurag asked with added care in his voice.
- “No, but your Srivastav uncle had turned up yesterday. ……..” She opened up a can of stories, but what struck Anurag was the name Srivastav uncle.
Some names are tied to some more!
It feels like reading Phantom comics in newspaper as a kid. Each time you get two pictures and three dialogues, and you have to wait for the next day to see where the story is leading to. :)
ReplyDeleteSayan - Thanks for sharing your feeling. It is very encourging to hear out viewers reflection.
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