Kill You,Sure 13

           Kill You, Sure (13)

                                        Nidhu Bhusan Das

   

         “Lunch time.Won’t you have food?” Ankit’s uncertain.

          “Your Green Eye’s lousy.I hate her,”Divya’s terrible.

          “But…”

          “Hang your buts.You’re infatuated with her,”Divya’s furious.

         “Believe me,I’ve…”

         “Where had you been?Enjoying  while she’s teasing me?Strange!”Divya begins sobbing.

          Anik hasn’t been  there to allow the two girls space for one-to-one exchange so that misgivings,if any could have been over.He couldn’t anticipate this fallout.

          “I cannot believe Green Eye has done it.Divya must have been rude to her.The way she greeted her cannot please anybody,”he thinks but wouldn’t let her know his mind.

           “Well Ankit, help me get to the room?”

            “I’ll,but what about lunch?Won’t have food?I’m really hungry,”Ankit says.

             “I ain’t hungry.I may accompany you to the dhaba,”she says,relenting.

              He understands and says, “Let’s go.”

              They trudge towards the dhaba.All along Divya has used expletives against Bithi.He has listened,nodding. He understands it’s unwise to intervene when jealousy’s the ruling passion of a girl-in-love.

              “I’m really damn hungry,seems a monster’s in revolt in me.”

              “I know,dear.The green eyes makes your eyes look so hungry.A man,indeed!”Divya’s sarcastic.

               “Beauty envies Beauty,”Anik comments and presses her right hand.

               “And you tilt to the exotic beauty,” she alleges.

               “Your fiction saddens you.”

               “ I didn’t know you have such a fertile mind.”

                Anik takes two lunch-packets and heads towards to lonely banyan under which he performs pranayam     every morning.Divya follows him.Is it the banyan attracts her or the man? Maybe,she has an excuse.She begins to murmur praise of the tree.Ankit smiles as he opens the lunch packets.

He understands.She sits in front of him when asked as obedient as a child.He spoons the first morsel into her mouth.Swallowing it,she says in a tone of simulated anger, “I won’t eat.”

“I know you have reason to be angry.That girl is innocent…”

“Innocent!You mean it,Ankit,really?”

“Her innocence is a serpent,”he suggests and gives her the second morsel which she consumes without any grumbling.

“Ankit,you like serpent?”

“I’m scared of one.”

“Seen one?”

“Yes.”

“Where?”

“In front of the library here today.”

“Don’t be silly dear,”she entreats,her eyes shining lovingly.

“You had a long tryst with that.”

“Is it?How?”she asks tenderly.

“Didn’t you have a session with her on the green carpet?”

“So naughty!She’s a nice girl,polite and intelligent.”

“I see,you’re enamoured of her and assume I’m your rival.”

“Ankit, it’s insulting.You mean I’m a lesbian.”

“I only mean serpent.Open your packet,have the lunch.You aren’t a child that I should feed you.”

“Not a child indeed,more than that. Don’t you love me?”

“Should I notify the whole world?”

“Can’t we kiss at least?”

“Not here,now.”

“When an where,” Divya’s persuades.

“Somewhere when we be free.”

“Pardon.”

“Free from doubt and suspicion.”

“You have doubt,Ankit?”

“You’re in doubt,you suspect,”Ankit’s categorical.

“No Ankit,I have just prevented.I believe you.”

“Prevented what?”

“The serpent.”

“You mean?”

“Green Eyes.”

“You mean I’ll have a second crush,isn’t it?”

“I know,Ankit,you’ll have no more crush.”

“Okay,let’s go,” says Ankit and motions towards the secluded corner.Divya takes his hand.Green Eyes no longer haunts her.She knows she’s on the threshold,time to be pulled into.(continued on 24 March 2016)