7.c

“Coming na?” Shamita inquired over the phone, unsure of my answer.
There have been days when I have skipped my regular breakfast with her. The days when I drank till I dropped or was stoned at the dawn. Today wasn’t one of those days. So I placed a “Yup” on the reciever followed by “Ten minutes?...”

“Okay….I’ll give you a missed call when I leave…fine?”

“Fine” I said with a yawn.

I had just finished with my bath. A yawn now meant I needed to slep more. I could have slept right away. But I had just agreed to join Shamita for the breakfast. I sat down on the bed with my back resting lazily on the wall next to it. I checked the cigarette box for a quick fag. It was empty. I gave another yawn and shut my heavy eyelids.

Strain drained out of my muscles slowly, inch by inch. I felt restful as I lied with my eyes closed. Ragini’s words which were still looming over my head, settled upon me like a quilt. They soothed my spine seeping into it lightly. I was about to turn myself on my side to get cosier, when I heard the large dislodging of the bathroom latch. I broke out of my reverie with a shock. Piyush walked out the bathroom, towel wrapped around his waist. He religiously walked to the little images of gods on the side table and prayedf before them.

“We are happy on your devotion towards us child!...” gods said to him in a booming voice which resembled mine.

“Shut up Anay!!...” Piyush said with closed eyes and joined hands.

“We are serious…Shamita is coming to meet you in 5 seconds…be ready…” Gods said again.

“Anay….let me pray!” Piyush was loosing his cool.

“Five…four…three…” Gods began the countdown, “two…one…”

My phone rang. A missed call from Shamita.

“There we go…” Gods said!

I went to him jumping out from the bed.

“Dress uo fast devotee… you are going to have your breakfast with your love today…” I said putting the ash from the incense stick on his forehead. “Vijayi Bhava!”

“What are you saying Anay?” Piyush snapped back with utter irritation.

“I am saying that Shamita is going for the breakfast at Aunty’s…and you be her company…”

“You crazy?”

“No…but you have to be…go…take her for a breakfast…”

“I can’t man!!.....I don’t know what to do…”he shivered at the thoughtr of it.

“Nothing….just sit and order her a breakfast…rest…your gods will take care of…” I threw a lesser smelling T-shirt and his perfectly soiled jeans towards him. “Go…”

“And you…?”

“I am suffering from a terrible hang over….so I slept off…”

I got another missed call from her.

“Go fast fucker….she is waiting…” I barked on him. The gods on the table shook a bit on hearing it.

He quickly dressed up and finished his daily lengthy consecrated confrontation in a haste.

I called up Shamita as he thrusted his thousand little belongings into his pockets.

“Hello Shamita…” I said in a made up ill voice, “I amhaving a bad headache…I think I’ll sleep for some time….by the way Piyush was also leaving for a breakfast…I thought he could join you…is it okay?”

After a brief annoyance over my deception, she accepted the optional company of Piyush.

“He is coming down now…okay?...bye!” I finished the conversation and turned to Piyush.

He was looking curiosly at me.

“What?” I said shaking his eyes off me.. “Go fast…She is waiting…”

“But….how will I manage?” he still had a doubt.

I pointed a finger at the gods.

“It’s their repayment time…they have to pay bak for those incense sticks now…” I said with a smile.

Piyush hastily touched their images thrice and left almost running.

Sometimes people perform the virtuous of deeds for a moment of rest.

(Contd.)
© 2009