Chapter - 9 (Akanksha & Anushka 1)
As the sisters started climbing up the stairs on the way back to their room, Akanksha stopped near the door and, noticing the book in Anushka's hand, asked her sister:
" Anu, how come you've myChemistry book in your hand?"
Following Akanksha's gaze, Anushka looked down at the book in her left hand. It was the Standard IX Chemistry book!
" How the hell did YOUR Chem book land in my hand? Probably, when I was searching for my History textbook and heard you call out my name, I might have picked up your book in a hurry. " Anushka tried to make light of the situation. Akanksha smiled at her sister. When was Anu going to grow up? She pushed the door open and held the door for her sister to get in.
God! Anushka whispered to herself. How careless of her to have picked up Akku's book! She could have been easily caught eavesdropping! Anyway, Akku was not smart enough to have seen through her tricks.
She next went up to the wall mirror and loosened the knots in her hair to let it down. After sometime, their mother called them to come down for dinner. Akanksha told her that she would have it after a while as she felt stinky and wanted to shower first. Anushka looked back at her sister trooping inside the bathroom, looking dead beat and felt sorry for her sister. She then went out banging the door shut from outside.
Mrs. Sonia pushed the pot of pomplet biriyani towards her daughter. Anushka picked a few laddlefulls, pulled the small pot of raita towards her. As she was pouring raita on her plate, she heard her mother exclaim:
"I really like that boy. He seems very honest. Though I thought initially that he was trying to mact smart by cooking up that story about calling your number, I realized soon enough that he was here to apologize over a simple, negligible mistake."
"He's really queer, Ma. First he calls me and cuts off the line the moment he hears my voice. He tells his sister to lie to me next, as per his version of the story. Have you heard anything more bizarre? " Anushka chuckled to herself, sounding more amused than angry.
"Don't look at it that way, Beta. He sounded very honest to me," Mrs. Sonia said to her daughter.
"That's what is wrong with you, Ma. You seem to believe whatever every Tom, Dick or Harry ttells you." Anushka told her mother. "Why would someone like him, call my number, trying to improve his memory or 'mnemonics' as he termed it, is just beyond me! " Anushka made a face to drive home her sentiment.They both stopped the next moment finding Akanksha coming down the stairs.
As she pulled out the chair, Akanksha asked her mother, " Did Baba call you Ma? " Mr. Rajan had gone up to Alipuarduar on a family affair. To attend the betrothal ceremony of his niece, Sonu. Sonu was the only child of his sister, in Class -XI of a missionary school there.
"Yes, he did. He told me that he'd be boarding the Kanchankanya Express tomorrow. Sonu's wedding is going to take place by the end of the year." She informed her daughters.
"Oh, that's great news, Ma. Ritu Pissi must be relieved now, " Akanksha cried out.
"I don't see what is there for her to be so relieved about. Sis Sonu's still madly in love with that boyfriend of hers. Yet she can't marry him for family pride and prestige! Is this what you mean by social progress and all that?" Anushka threw her question at both her sister and mother.
"That's what your problem is, Anu. You have always been very judgemental, " Akanksha rebuked her sister.
"Excuse me? Everyone in the house knows who the judgemental person is in the family. " Anushka hissed at her sister.
Akanksha looked hurt while trying to swallow a small piece of the bread in her mouth. She played with the chana in the bowl with her spoon before looking back at her sister.
"They all are against Sonu marrying that boyfriend as he is a rogue and is older than Sonu by quite some years."
"Soooooo?" Anushka raised her voice. "What will be the age difference between you and bro Jishnu, if you happen to marry him?" She asked her sister.
"What is this, Anu? " Her mother asked her, burging in. "From where did Jishnu spring up, all on a sudden in the talk? Besides, you can't be always teasing, taunting and hurting your sister like that." She uttered the last sentence more firmly than she had actually intended.
"That's the thing with you, Ma. You're always trying to side with your ludly beti even when you know it in your bones that she is wrong! "
Anushka was almost shouting.
"Anu, Jishnuda is just a senior at school and what gave you the idea that I want to marry him?" Akanksha told her sister, and without waiting for a reply, she went on in the same breath:.
"He is not much older than me, for your information. By some three years, for all I care."
"You do seem to care a lot for him. Otherwise, he wouldn't have come to our house. Do you think we all are such fools, you boy-crazy bitch?" The anger in her voice took Mrs. Sonia by surprise. Akanksha had tears welling up in her eyes. She kept looking down and stirring the chana in the bowl with her spoon.
"Anu, I'll have no more of this nonsense. I know it is no use asking you to say " Sorry" to your sister. But I can at least expect you to behave yourself in my presence." She admonished her younger daughter as Akanksha got up from her chair. A portion of the food on her plate yet untouched.
" We all know from where she inherits these traits of a Drama Queen, Ma. That's why I hate both of you. Always making scenes at the slightest opportunity! "
She got up, having cleaned up what was still left on her plate by then. She took her plate along with the small spoon and bowl on it to the sink. Mrs. Sonia sat at the table as long as Anushka kept busy washing her plate. She got up once her daughter was done with the cleaning, collected the rest of the utensils from the table and walked up to the sink herself while Anushka sat down on the couch and turned the TV on to a high volume, nearly blaring, to a popular music channel
Back in her room, Akanksha thought of studying but the conversation between Anu and herself kept playing in her mind. The words of her sister stung badly. Why did Anu get so hysterical at the end when Jishnuda was the last thing on her mind? She thought of diarying next, before sweeping her mobile off the study table. She glanced at the time on the table clock. 10.42 p. m. It was quite late even to be calling a dear friend. Lying down in bed yawning, she pressed the last number on her phone. She could recollect having called Anurima as the last person earlier in the day.
With her eyes heavy with sleep, she got a bit surprised not hearing the familiar ring tone at the other end. Someone answered the phone on the third ring. It was only then Akanksha could make out what she had done. The sleepiness gone from her eyes instantaneously, Akanksha popped up on bed. The number she had called was Jishnuda's!