Deepavali night.. full of lights and crackers.
We live in an apartment, third floor.
Disturbed by thoughts, i went to sit outside to see the colourful sky. I saw man, worried-looking, with a package in hand going towards Deepali's house. Deepali herself was the first person to notice him. She din't speak a word, she din't call her mother, she stood staring at him as if she heard not what he was speaking. Sitting on the other side of the common area, I could only see their lips moving, din't understand what they speak.
The mother came outside with a cold indifference in her face, Kajal running behind her to see the visitor. I could see by her face that she was speaking with much frustration. He stood there behind the not-opened-grill-gate with his hands across the iron bars, having the package that he'd brought with him. I was puzzled looking at this sight. I've always wondered how nicely Nisha aunty brought up her three daughters.They spoke courteously, shared their toys, very good at studies, lovable children..
Nisha aunty stitched, handled tuitions at home for school children, and also ran a business outside, I heard. I've admired her dynamic personalitity and her bringing up of three pretty, smart girls; Deepali being the eldest and Kajal, the second one.
After few minutes of argument, Aunty nodded towards Kajal and the child took the package from the man's hand. They went inside and the man walked passing me towards the elevator. For a minute, I thought why would Nisha aunty allow her girls to come outside while she was speaking to a (seemingly) pestering customer of hers, who usually drop at her door to give or take away the clothes.I saw the man turning back to the gate twice or thrice for every two steps, as he walked towards the lift.
Then it flashed in my mind, I Thought i understood what had happened in front of my eyes. I could see no one in the very place, where four people were standing. The man, by then, had reached downstairs and and kept walking towards the road. I was gazing at him until he went out of my sight. I saw him turn back towards the windows of this third-floor-house, looking for something, until the buildings went out of his sight.Nisha aunty was a divorcee. And this man, her husband. Little Madhumita must have been fast asleep,she was bursting crackers from morning.
