Broken Hug

Candlelight Dinner

“I’ve been playing the guitar since my final years in school,” Rohan said. “I remember I was in Class 8, and there was this guy who was newly admitted to Class 7. He somehow became one of my good friends. He took me to his house which was next to the school. And what is the first thing I see? His sister! Oh my. I stopped in my tracks, mouth open. She was a beauty, and she…”

“What! You praising another girl in front of me! And that too with your heart going boom-booti-boom! She aimed a punch on his arm.

“…Hahaha…! What I mean is she was a beauty no doubt – and anything beautiful has to be praised. So there was this guitar lying on his bed which he began to play.” Rohan stopped, his mind going to that day. “The sound of the guitar was such a pleasant thing for me. I remember carrying that music home. It’s still fresh in my mind, Fai. And that night,’ he continued, “that night the music appeared in my heart throughout my sleep. It was like a lullaby. Sometimes my sleep broke, but the soft strumming of the strings sounded in my ears, like the peals of a bell coming from the Buddhist temple, floating in the air, through the pine trees and into your room.”

Hearing Rohan going back in time in his soft and husky voice somehow left Fai mesmerized. She saw Rohan still looking far out. She wanted to stretch her hand and hold his, but didn’t want to wake him out of his nostalgia. There was no need to hurry anything. A natural course is the best course, her father had told her.

After some time, he looked at her. She leant her head on his shoulder. He slipped his arms around her waist.

Dusk was already settling down. The sky was turning a deeper grey. He whispered in her ear to enjoy the setting of dusk. Then they fixed their eyes to the sky, watching it turn darker. His chin was on her shoulder and his mouth on her cheek as they watched the mystery of the sky unfold. Stars began to peep out.  

They spent the entire evening watching the sky turn dark. Once Fai got up and pulled the netted curtain to keep away the mosquitoes. She switched on the two bedside lamps instead of the neon light. The play of shades of light made the room appear multi-dimensional. Rohan snuggled closer to her. And when he did that, she responded doing the same. She turned her face towards his. He looked into her eyes and observed the darkness of the eyes better. Watching thus from such a close distance aroused in him a feeling of warmth similar to a traveller’s coming across a new land on his journey. The shade of the light had a great part to play in this. The blackness of Fai’s eyes was enhanced. Seeing him watching thus, she smiled a little, feeling nice that someone she liked was praising her eyes. Seeing her reaction, he knew she appreciated it.

The door bell rang.

“That’s dad,” she said softly, still lying on his chest, her face close to his. “He saw the light in my room and rang the bell, announcing his arrival.”

The clanking of the sliding door being opened and closed could be heard.

“Which means he’ll come up now to your room.” Rohan stirred, sounding worried.

“No Raw-han, don’t fear that.” She lifted her head from his chest and looked at him. “And even if he does, he knocks first. I‘ll hide you in the washroom then.” She got up. “Let me go and meet him.”

She stopped at the door and came back and took her cell phone.

“If he decides to come here, I’ll give you a missed call. And please keep your cell in silent mode.”

Rohan took his luggage and kept it in the washroom. Very soon he could hear the murmur of father and daughter’s conversation. And while his heart thumped, Rohan fidgeted, looking here and there in the room and shifting himself from one side to the other. Then he jumped all of a sudden. His cell phone produced a weird rough and grating sound as it vibrated on the hard wood of the study table. At lightning speed, he leapt into the washroom and gently closed the door.

Standing close to the door, his ears picked up the sound of the bedroom door opening and the voices sounding closer. The male voice produced a laugh and the female voice had a shade of complaint in it.

Sound of a drawer opened.

More Thai words exchanged between two voices.                          

The door clicked shut.

Tick-tick sound on the washroom door. “Raw-han, open the door.” Her voice was a whisper.

Rohan opened the door a little, showing his face with enquiring eyes. “Gone?” he enquired with a gesture of his hand.

“Yes,” she nodded and pushed the door further. “Dad needed a writing pad.”

Rohan walked to the chair. He sat, his face revealing the mark of worry like a stain on his face.

“He won’t come any more,” she comforted him, gently squeezing his shoulder.

He nodded, smiling.

“You’re hungry?” she asked sitting by his side.

“Um, yea, beginning to,” he smiled. “And you?”

“Yep. Me too. I’ll go bring dinner upstairs,” and she left.

He couldn’t help it, but the turn of events kept coming back to him. He smiled as he thought about it.

He was still lost in his world, now sitting on the beanbag, looking at the blank wall when she came. In an instant the room was filled with delectable flavour, and he turned.

She set the tray on the table.

“I brought one dinner plate so as to avoid curiosity in dad.”

There was one bowl of soup, one green curry with pieces of chicken floating and another with a plate of rice.

“This one’s creamy spicy Thai soup,” she said, handing him a spoon. “And this one’s green chicken curry with lemon grass mixed in coconut milk.”

“Aah. Exotic flavour.”

They both began having the soup from the bowl itself.

“I think I should open a Thai food restaurant in Calcutta, and you can help me in it,” he suggested as he paused halfway through.

“Not a bad idea,” she replied nodding and smiling.

Fai took spoonfuls of the green chicken curry into the plate of rice. She was about to give him when he stopped her.

“Do you have any candles here?” he asked.

“Yes,” and she pointed into the drawer, resting her plate on her knee.

He got up and opened the drawer. All the while he was immersed in his activity, she watched him put his hand inside and fumble through the knick-knacks. He looked good. His shoulders were strong for someone of his age.

Rohan took out three stout golden candles, and the match-box lying next to them, and lit them. Then he stuck their ends on the table top. He switched off one of the bedside table lamps.

In an instant a glow spread its arms around the room, reaching even to the corners in a play of light and shade. He turned and looked at her. He smiled, and she noticed it was a small and little smile. She smiled back and nodded at the same time. He knew it was a sign of approval. He resumed his seat to her left. She gave him a spoonful of rice with the green curry. He too did the same, taking one spoonful and giving her. 

“You said,” she said between the dinner, “you don’t have any bro or sis, right?”

He nodded. “My dad’s a retired officer from the army. And my mom’s a housewife.” 

“And your friends, Raj and Max, do they stay close by to your house?”

“Yes, more or less,” he said after he’d finished the food in his mouth. “We’ve been childhood friends.” He paused. “What about your friends, Meseook and Wuthipong?”

“Meesook stays near the Baiyoke Tower neighbourhood, and Wuthipong on the other side.”

These casual conversations eased the atmosphere and helped the food to be enjoyed and digested well.            

Once the dinner was over, and she had gone with the plates and returned, he took out a slab of chocolate from his pouch and handed it to her. She kept it on the table and went to the washroom. Very soon she came out in soft white shorts and a light green sleeveless tee. Watching her, he couldn’t help a warm flow surging up in his mind. She took the slab and opened it, broke a piece and, giving it to him, took one piece for herself and kept the slab on the bedside table. He watched her as she took the remote of the TV and switched on a channel and put the volume into mute mode. She then propped the pillows on the head side of the bed and sat on the bed, leaning her back against the pillow and looking at him, patted on the bed next to her.