XXIII

"What are you doing to yourself??" Sunita stared open- mouthed towards Rakesh as he blurted out, "you used to be such a strong woman!!......what happened to you.....we are so happy together......and you are loosing over just one shortcoming in our lives?!" Rakesh paused for a moment. Sunita was still gasping at him.







Rakesh turned around, "I'm sorry i lost my cool.....I know you are going through a rough....very rough patch.....but it just.....it just feels like..." he paused, Sunita was still staring at him point blank, " it feels like I'm not doing enough.....we are together, happy, even after so much we went through....." he turned around and pulled Sunita into a hug, "I love you.....I hate seeing you this way". For 10 minutes both of them didn't say a word, they could just hear each other's heavy breathing

Sunita broke the silence, "I love you too Rakesh............thanks for being there f....""Shhhh...."Rakesh interrupted her,"no thanks and please" as he pulled her more tightly towards him. Sunita pushed him away, "hey, mumma must be waiting for us inside!! We forgot about her!" Rakesh sighed, "Yeah...I wish" Sunita nudged him in his stomach, by her elbow, "Hey!!" as they laughed and went inside.

"Oh ..there you are....I was getting worried" Mrs Devi said with a sigh of relief." Its okay mumma, we are good now...lets eat....I like this choupsey.....we should come her often!" All three of them laughed and finished their meal.

XXII

"Hmmmm....I love the smell of Chinese spices...." said Mrs Devi as Rakesh held the door of the restaurant for her, " hurry up Sunita...I'm feeling hungry!" she grabbed Sunita by her elbow. Sunita followed her inside the restaurant.




"Table for three please!" said Rakesh to the waiter waiting next to the entrance. The waiter led the three of them towards their table. They sat down and glanced at the menu. "What will my darling have?" Mrs Devi asked Sunita, "the regular?" She smiled and turned towards Rakesh, " you know Rakesh, when Sunita was young and whenever we had plans to eat out.....she would always insist on going to some Chinese restaurant....and she had the same order every time! " she paused to chuckle, Sunita smiled too. "She would always order American Chopsuey, she just loves it!" " Well, I never knew in so many years!" Rakesh exclaimed, "I'll also have chopsuey today!" Mrs Devi laughed, "Fine, lets all have chopsuey today!" All three of them laughed as Rakesh ordered three chopsuey for the table.

While waiting for the order to arrive, Rakesh was telling his mother in law, the regular course of his job, while she gave comparative responses about her garden plants. A family occupied the table next to theirs and they were a family of four, two young kids. The younger child smiled at Sunita. Sunita couldn't help but smile back at her.

The young girl got up from her seat and came to Sunita. She playfully touched her and smiled. Sunita called her near and started talking to her, where she lived and about her school. Rakesh and Sunita's mother also started interacting with the kid. Their order came, the girl also liked choupsey, she took some from Sunita's plate. Suddenly the child's mother came and said, " Garima....I think you have troubled aunty enough, now lets go and finish our dinner, and let aunty enjoy her meal too....come beta" Garima waived tata to Sunita and returned to her table.

Sunita had tears in her eyes, she just couldn't finish her meal. Rakesh and Mrs Devi insisted her to eat a litlle more, but Sunita couldn't continue any further. Rakesh got up and asked Sunita to come with him, get some fresh air outside the restaurant.

XX

"Superstitions.....superstitions.....superstitions...... is that all you got Mom?" Sunita lost her patience, "I just cleaned a dead animal and all you have for me is this one line....she killed it!"

" Sunita....grow up....open your eyes.." Mrs Devi took Sunita by surprise as she took hold of her both arms in her grip tightly and shook her, " this is what I have been saying since the first day I stepped into this house.....this is what guruji was saying......don't you and Rakesh realise this?"

Sunita paused for a moment, almost giving in to her mother's tight grip, then she shrugged her hands off her, and spoke in a determined tone, "Maa, I and Rakesh, we have no idea who this "she" is, what you both have been talking about. Also we have absolutely no interest in any sort of superstitions, so please just......"

"Just shut up?"Mrs Devi didn't let Sunita finish her statement, " this is what you and Rakesh want me to do, right?.....Sunita I hadn't expected this from you at least." Before Sunita could say anything, Mrs Devi left the room.

Next morning, Rakesh and Sunita went to see her off to the railway station. She didn't want to stay a minute more in that house.

XIII

" Hari Om!", Sunita turned her head towards the door to find a tall man with long white beard, wearing bhagwa (saffron) colored clothes standing with calm expressions on his face. " Hari Om!" he chanted again, which drew Sunita's consciousness back, as she stood up, a bit embarrassed thinking she had been staring at him for the last few seconds.

" Pranam guruji!" Sunita's mom charged ahead hurriedly, giving a sharp look to Sunita, "welcome Guruji!" Mrs Devi greeted Guru Omdev Shastri and welcomed him inside the house. "Thank you so much for taking out time of your busy schedule for coming here.......that too at such a short notice!" Mrs Devi said with folded hands expressing her gratitude. "Deviji, you are among my most sincere followers, you know I could never refuse, that too for Sumi...never!" said Guruji turning towards Sunita, " don't you feel its presence here Sumi?" Sunita' felt as if her body froze..... she wanted to think something, say something....but she wasn't able to.

"Sunita...are you okay?" Rakesh asked waving his palm in front of Sunita's numb face. He was watching TV in the adjacent room, when he heard Shastriji's voice and came to meet him. Entering the hall he got surprised seeing Sunita standing like a statue midway in the hall."Sunita...??" Rakesh shook her by her right shoulder" "Ya..Yes...what...what presence??" Sunita jabbered, on gaining consciousness.

"Her presence Sunita....Rakesh do you feel it?" Shastriji answered. Mrs Devi nodded half frightened, and half smiling with the confidence of 'see I told you so' expression. "Please Guruji, be elaborate, what are you trying to suggest?" Rakesh asked in a calm, yet imposing manner, as if ready to face the next argument put foward, Sunita firmly held Rakesh's hand, fearing Guruji's answer to Rakesh's question.


/* Whose presence is Guruji referring to?...Check out in the next post!*/