She Struck a Chord

Suhasini sent off Madhavi to school with Mohan and cautiously walked up the gavel pathway. It had been a week since she sprained her ankle, it was better but caution was advised. The flowers in the garden looked brighter with dew settled on their gentle leaves. Suhasini touched a flower and smiled, it was just as gentle as Nihaal’s fingers had felt on her ankle. She had not found answer to her ‘earlier question’ yet but she knew that she was not the same. She smiled without a reason, poetry finally made sense and everything was just beautiful.

‘Ms. Suhasini?’, called Nihaal from behind, Suhasini took a deep breath and turned to look at him as he stood in the verandah in his white kurta-pajama and a black self-print woolen housecoat. Immaculate hair, creamy skin under the night’s stubble and always piercingly sharp round eyes, he looked epitome of perfection, thought Suhasini.

‘I hope I am not interrupting your morning?’, he asked.

‘No…not at all’, she answered.

‘Well, I…I don’t know…I mean…I have to…’, he was awkward. Suhasini smiled seeing him awkward, the man who is always so confident, clear and action oriented was actually flustered. ‘What is it Mr. Nihaal?’, she asked.

‘Aaa…mmm…well, there’s a party tonight and I really don’t want to go but the problem is that I have to, they are old family friends’, he said. Suhasini looked at him confused, he reading her confusion offered the explanation, ‘I was wondering if you would like to accompany me? It’ll be so much better if I will have someone to talk to’, he mustered.

Suhasini stood still, unable to believe what she just heard. Not receiving a response Nihaal thought of the worst, ‘I guess you don’t want to…I get it…it’ll be too awkward…’ and he turned to go away when Suhasini replied hastily, ‘I would really like to go, Mr. Nihaal.’

Nihaal looked relieved and smiled at her which almost made Suhasini gasp.

*****

It was eight in the evening as Suhasini sat in front of the dresser looking at herself. She had been repeatedly told by Sudha that she is looking beautiful and will be a head-turner at the party. Madhavi in her cute little dramatic way had gasped and told that she was the prettiest princess she has ever seen right before Suhasini had tucked her in bed. But the nervousness she felt was inexplicable, perhaps it was the daunting perfection of Nihaal or maybe it was the realization that slowly she was losing herself to Nihaal and he wasn’t even aware of it.

‘Madam, Nihaal saheb is waiting for you in the drawing room’, said Sudha. Suhasini met her eyes in the mirror of the dresser and nodded. She drew in a deep breath and walked out of the room.

*****

Nihaal stood near the fireplace when Suhasini called him out, ‘Mr. Nihaal, I am ready.’

Nihaal turned around with scotch in his hand, his glass near his lips but he had forgotten to sip, it seemed like he froze at Suhasini’s site. She stood at the staircase like a damsel, dazzling in a georgette forget-me-not-blue saree with seed pearls, dark brown hair with shades of Mahogany red flowing off her right shoulder in bouncy ringlets. A bright red rose nestled right above her left ear while her lips painted in the same color of the rose. She came down the stairs and walked up to Nihaal when he for the first time noticed the curve of her waist, her bronze skin gleaming underneath the fine georgette. A single string that held the blouse together flaunted the shiny smooth skin of Suhasini’s back.

Nihaal’s trance broke as Suhasini called out to him again, ‘Mr. Nihaal?’ Nihaal’s scotch almost spilled as he startled out of spell he was in and awkwardly nodded, ‘yes…yes…let’s go’ and briskly walked out of the door as if trying to escape from getting pulled back under Suhasini’s beauty spell.

*****

The host, Mr. & Mrs. Shrivastav were a jovial couple in their early fifties celebrating their 35th wedding anniversary. The party was in full swing when Nihaal and Suhasini arrived and it had a stupefied effect on the guests. As they walked ahead there were amused sideways glances, appreciation in some eyes and surprise and shock in some. ‘Mr. Nihaal with a woman?’… ‘It will rain hails tomorrow for what we see is a rarity’ etc…were some whispers that fell on Suhasini’s ears. ‘She is a beauty’, said some while others felt that she no match to Rani. Fortunately, they were civil enough to keep their whispers and opinions away from Nihaal and Suhasini’s ears. Mr. & Mrs. Shrivastav were joyous to have Nihaal and Suhasini and the lady host couldn’t stop praising Suhasini.

‘Nihaal, I am taking Suhasini away from you for a few minutes, I need to introduce her to my other guests. Hope you don’t mind?’, Mrs. Shrivastav asked. Nihaal smilingly nodded and Suhasini was gone.

Soft music played from the gramophone kept near the champagne fountain while Nihaal stood with his scotch with Mr. Shrivastav and a few other guests as they chatted away. But to Nihaal’s surprise he couldn’t care less for their conversations. His eyes simply kept drifting to Suhasini who was with Mrs. Shrivastav and other guests. Her glistening skin, rosy and laughing lips, her poise and the easy, graceful confidence. He couldn’t have taken his eyes off her even if he wanted. ‘My dear Nihaal!’, came a languid voice.

As Nihaal turned, his lips curled in a warm smile as he shook hands with the man and said, ‘Shekhar! My goodness! It’s quite a surprise.’

‘Yes, it is! I have just been transferred back to the Dehradun military base’, he said.

Suhasini’s jaw was paining after all that smiling when she joined them.

‘Ms. Suhasini, meet my dear friend, Major Shekhar Singh’, he said.

Shekhar gently took Suhasini’s hand and courteously planted a kiss on it. Suhasini smiled coyly as Shekhar was openly appreciative of Suhasini’s beauty. Nihaal quietly watched and sipped his scotch but the grimness on his lips was palpable.

The soft music changed to a more energetic one with stronger beats and smoother flows as the hosts with the clinking of their champagne glasses invited people to join them for a dance. The floor was filling quickly when Shekhar asked, ‘may I beg the honor of a dance?’ Suhasini pleasantly surprised nodded and gave her hand to Shekhar who took her to the floor.

The dance began and Shekhar held Suhasini gently and elegantly as they danced.

And in the corner stood Nihaal, watching them as his scotch started to taste like rust. Seeing them together caused a sudden annoyance and discomfort for Nihaal which he failed to explain.