Amala couldn바카라™t resist the urge to try out some of these new finds and took out a five-rupee note from her wallet to buy shahjeera, a darker and slimmer variety of cumin the shop owner told her to use in rich meat dishes and kababchini; small black globules that looked exactly like whole black pepper but apparently had a different aroma, stronger and warmer. A minute later, Amala and Manas joined the crowds drifting out of the market area.
바카라˜There바카라™s a special place I want to show you today,바카라™ Manas said as he approached a taxi.
Amala바카라™s heart trembled at the suggestion. If it was where she thought, she wasn바카라™t yet ready for it. 바카라˜Er, where?바카라™
바카라˜Come, you will know.바카라™
바카라˜Nah, Manas Ba...I can바카라™t visit your house today. I don바카라™t mean to sound rude, but I need more preparation for that.바카라™
바카라˜My home? Who바카라™s going there? I mean we can if you wish to, but that wasn바카라™t the place I was talking about. My house can get pretty boring if you have to live there every day!바카라™ Manas guffawed, not entirely unmindful of his forewarning to Amala.
Amala reciprocated with a broad smile and didn바카라™t hesitate before the taxi ride this time around. It had been a long day after all, the bus ride to work and then to Chitra바카라™s house, then the hour-long gallivanting through the every-item-under-the-sun stalls of New Market.Â
바카라˜Bhai, Dhakuria lake cholun,바카라™ Manas said to the taxi driver.
All through the ride to the lake, Amala spoke animatedly about how, though exhausting, the market visit had delighted her and how she wanted to return there with some of her work friends. She also wanted to bring Malati. The idea of taking unknown spices to Malati thrilled her like a little girl. The fact that Amala could find joy in matters of everyday domesticity gladdened Manas. Not because he had decided to make her part of his family but because it suggested she had found at least some measure of normalcy back in her life.
The lake바카라™s blue-green expanse soothed Amala바카라™s limbs. Manas led her to the shade of a peepul tree that had unfurled its branches in all directions. The evening breeze carried the moistness of the lake and made a few loose strands of hair ruffle against Amala바카라™s cheeks. She pushed the hair back and went closer to the water, drinking in its liquid serenity with her eyes. She hadn바카라™t been so close to water since the time she visited the Dakshineshwar temple with Chitra.
Amala looked at Manas and said 바카라˜Dhonnobad,바카라™ softly. He probably had no idea how badly she missed the water. Before coming to India, water permeated her like the air she inhaled. Back then, she didn바카라™t have any good reason to imagine that there could be a time when she would have to seek water when it wouldn바카라™t pervade every pore of her skin like paddy soaking in perpetual wetness.
Manas sat down on the cool grass under the tree, carefully placing the paper bag containing the new sari beside him. Amala joined him momentarily, her eyes still drawn to the lake. She placed her handbag and purchases carefully to create a little island between her and Manas. For a few minutes, the only sounds around them were the rustle of tree leaves, the croaking of frogs, and the odd human voice wafting from afar.Â
Manas took the liberty of intruding on Amala바카라™s reverie. 바카라˜You like this place,바카라™ he said, not by way of suggestion but a solid knowing.
바카라˜It바카라™s so beautiful here. Who knew your Kolkata has such a spot, too?바카라™
바카라˜Ha, ha. Our Kolkata isn바카라™t all that bad, you know. Give it some time and you바카라™ll fall in love with this city.바카라™
Amala said nothing to confirm or deny that prediction. Her gaze now focused on the strands of grass, which she started plucking and chewing on lightly.
바카라˜So,바카라™ Manas said, clearing his throat. 바카라˜Thank you, Amala.바카라™ The emphasis on 바카라˜you바카라™ seemed to be in response to the gratitude Amala had shown for being brought to the water a while ago.
바카라˜You have taken such a weight off my chest,바카라™ Manas continued. 바카라˜I바카라™ll probably have the best sleep of my life tonight.바카라™ Then, without blinking, he said, 바카라˜Wait a minute. I don바카라™t think I바카라™d even be able to close my eyelids tonight!바카라™
A sheepish grin covered Amala바카라™s face. 바카라˜I have added to your burdens, not made them lighter,바카라™ she said.
바카라˜Taai shoi, so be it. This is a load I바카라™ll be happy to bear for the rest of my life.바카라™
A sudden quack from a duck that had sauntered close enough to Manas shattered the brief period of silence that followed Manas바카라™s heavy-lifting claims.
바카라˜Can I ask you something, Amala? You may choose not to answer.바카라™
바카라˜Hmm.바카라™
바카라˜Why did you agree to, er바카라¦marry me?바카라™Â
Manas바카라™s directness made Amala go red in the face. She wished they could go back to the insinuations of a moment ago. But she knew there was no escaping the raw, uncoated intent of his question.
바카라˜Who knows?바카라™ Amala said. If she had thought that such a response would bring an end to Manas바카라™s curiosity, she was mistaken. The ambiguity of her words only stirred him more.
바카라˜Hey, that바카라™s not fair. You don바카라™t want me to believe you decided on a whim? No one can say that about Amala Manna.바카라™
Amala kept plucking at the grass stems. A little later she said softly, 바카라˜Why do you care? Isn바카라™t my agreement enough to you?바카라™
Manas felt checkmated. She had nailed it. Do we know the answers to all the whys in our lives? Seeing Amala preoccupied and distracted he looked for ways to lighten the atmosphere. Luckily, he had just the thing. Manas fished out a thhonga from his panjabi pocket. It contained chocolate-covered macaroons, his secret purchase from Nahoum바카라™s for celebrating this moment with Amala. Some of the macaroons had broken but he picked one out that hadn바카라™t and held it out for Amala. 바카라˜See if you like it?바카라™
Amala accepted the treat and began nibbling at its rocky surface that softened as soon as it touched her tongue. As the chocolate melted in her mouth, the twinkle in her eyes conveyed her endorsement. Manas took out a broken piece for himself and extended the entire packet to Amala. She placed it in the island, on top of her bags.Â
This quiet act of sharing, typical of Amala바카라™s understated affection, permeated Manas like a beam of moonlight. It was as if she were saying to him, 바카라˜Neither you provide for me, nor I for you. We merely partake of what바카라™s available to us both.바카라™ Â Manas was happy with that arrangement.
Manas바카라™s frankness allowed Amala the liberty to begin her own interrogation. 바카라˜So, tell me more about your job?바카라™
It was his turn to be taken aback. Amala바카라™s tone demanded a clear, factual answer.
바카라˜Oh, that. No job, Amala, you see I바카라™m still studying. I took up a couple of home tuition jobs. You know, giving private lessons to children to help with their school studies?바카라™
Amala knew about tuition and coaching. Some of the kids in Bijoy Nagar went for group tuitions to a nearby house. 바카라˜Good, good,바카라™ she said, a bit abstracted. 바카라˜Teaching is good, a good thing. If only my Kartik were around, he would be studying in a school here.바카라™
바카라˜Kartik 바카라• who바카라™s that?바카라™ Manas asked.
The sudden slip of tongue shocked Amala, and yet oddly reassured her, too. As she finally revealed to him the fact of her brother바카라™s disappearance, an invisible boulder she바카라™d been lugging around seemed to dissolve into dust.
Manas brought himself closer to her and said, 바카라˜I wish I바카라™d known earlier 바카라•we could have found him by now...But you know what? I바카라™m glad you finally trust me enough to share this. I바카라™ll be on the job; don바카라™t worry, Amu.바카라™
The sun quietly slipped behind the trees, leaving Manas and Amala with the croaking frogs and quacking ducks. A host of chirping crickets joined them, enveloping the hour of dusk with a curious aural wrapping. Amala absorbed the sensations as best as the mosquitoes invading her skin allowed her to. She made quite a few of them pay with their lives. In any case, their attack paled before the peace this evening brought her. She could have sat there for hours, sheathed in the silence punctuated by the evensong of ducks and crickets. Suddenly, the sound of Manas clearing his throat alerted her.
바카라˜Please take this, Amala. This is for you,바카라™ he said, extending a paper bag to her. Amala felt a softness leading up to her hand.
She couldn바카라™t see the bag in the dark but as she opened it, a flicker of orange peered at her, it was the sari Manas had bought. For his sister-in-law.
바카라˜No!바카라™ Amala nearly screamed.
Manas knew he had to tackle this delicately. 바카라˜Look, Amala, it바카라™s a gift from me. Can바카라™t I even give you a sari?바카라™
바카라˜Why would you gift me such an expensive sari? I바카라™m nothing to you,바카라™ she prattled, adding softly, 바카라˜yet.바카라™
바카라˜Why, you are. You have been since the day I met you. Don바카라™t you remember I called you a friend long ago, at the Gariahata camp?바카라™
바카라˜Na, Manas Babu, there바카라™s no way I can accept such an expensive gift from you. The sweets you gave I didn바카라™t say no to.바카라™
바카라˜Please, Amala. Lokkhi meye. I바카라™ll be hurt if you didn바카라™t take it. Why, it바카라™s with my own money even!바카라™
바카라˜Do they pay you so much for the tuitions?바카라™ Amala couldn바카라™t hide her incredulity any longer.
바카라˜Well, I also saved some money from my monthly haat-khorcha allowance my grandfather gives me. But...most of it is with my own income. Please,
Amala...바카라™ His voice had such an honest entreaty, Amala felt it would be cruel to reject the gift.
바카라˜Okay,바카라™ she said, picking up the bag lounging in the 바카라˜island바카라™. 바카라˜I will take it. Please don바카라™t ask me to wear it until....바카라™
바카라˜It바카라™s yours and you get to decide when to wear it. I will wait for the day, though.바카라™
Quietness draped them again before Amala decided it was getting late and Malati would worry.
바카라˜Yes, let바카라™s go.바카라™ Manas said, getting up and dusting his panjabi of grass straws. 바카라˜We바카라™ll take a taxi so you can get down first.바카라™
바카라˜Hmm,바카라™ Amala said plainly.
Excerpted from Victory Colony, 1950 by Bhaswati Ghosh (Yoda Press; Rs 599, pp. 292), with permission from the author  Â
(Bhaswati Ghosh is a writer and translator. Victory Colony, 1950 is her debut novel. Views expressed in this article are personal and may not necessarily reflect the views of Outlook Magazine)
