Chapter-30 (Anushka Goes Two Up)
"Congrats, Anu. You're awesome, bhai." Richa was still speaking excitedly as they came out of Lady Brabourne College, Kolkata.
"Amazing singing. As you're singing, all I could think of was the dazzling, dashing Damon in that black suit, holding Ellena in his arms!" Divya burged in.
"The DJ was right during the Presentation Ceremony in saying that You were miles ahead of the other contestants tonight. Kolkata finds another " Singing Sensation" was how she described you, didn't she? " … asked turning back to her friends as they noisily got into a running 240. Anushka waved at them before turning right towards the Howrah-bound mini bus stand.
She stood near the door of the bus with very few passengers, undecided whether to wait for sometime more to board into the mini bus or any other bus going to CIT Road. Anushka looked at her watch. The time was 5.25. She looked across at the Siddheswori Kali Temple as her right hand automatically went up to her forehead as a mark of reverence to the image of the goddess in the temple opposite. All on a sudden the thought of seeing bro Jishnu in the second row, clapping, cropped up in her head. How nice it would have been to meet him and hear his opinion regarding her singing, she wondered.
"Get in, Didi, if you want to," She heard the conductor shout out at her from the footboard of the bus. She was about to get in when a Honda drove in behind the mini bus and started honking. It was obvious that the driver was trying to catch someone's attention. Both Anushka and the conductor looked at the direction of the car when Anushka could make out an outstretched hand out of the window on the driver's side. She lowered her head to see who the man was on the driver's seat. In the meantime the front door was pushed open, To get out of the melee caused by the honking of the vehicles nearby, Anushka eased herself in on the seat beside the driver's after one look at the familiar figure in there.
Jishnu looked relieved as he swang the car out from behind the mini bus and moved on.
"Sorry, Bro Jishnu. Who'd have thought that I'd run into you here? Though for a brief second inside the hall, I thought I saw you there in the audience!" She exclaimed uninhibitedly.
"I's there indeed, Anushka, and heard you sing. You were amazing! How come you never told me about your fondness for singing back in those days?"Jishnu asked her… .
"The opportunity never arose, I guess. Besides, I've had no formal training, bro Jishnu," Anushka answered with absolute honesty.
"It's hard to believe that you had no formal training yet you turned out to be such a good singer! How did that happen?" He asked her while glancing up at the mirror to give side to the car coming from behind.
"I have always been an avid music lover. In my adolescence, whenever I's sad, angry, hurt or happy, I'd listen to music. I'd a cassette player gifted by Baba. I'd put in the cassette of one of my fave singers and listen for hours." Anushka turned her head towards the Linton Post Office and carried on, "You know the funny thing, bro Jishnu? All my hurts, anger or sadness would be gone within no time, my happiness would be multiplied! " Nothing gives me greater pleasure. Nor ever will." She chirped.
Jishnu gave a sidelong glance to her as they drove past Padmapukur and said, " Don't be so sure of that, Anushka. You are still very young and Life never ceases throwing up surprises on our way, dear Anushka. By the way, I hope uncle is better these days?" Jishnu asked her.
"Baba's rather slow on the road to recovery. Sometimes, I can't help wondering if he will be the same again." Anushka replied with a distant look in her eyes. Jishnu kept quiet and turned his eyes away from hers.
As they reached near Bandhan Bank and Jishnu slowed the car down to turn left, Anushka cried out, " You don't have to reach me home. You can drop me here." She held the door handle to get out. But Jishnu showed no inclination to listen to her request. He turned left and next to the right. As Anushka got out near the bylane to her house, Jishnu lowered the window and said, " Please say "Hi" to your parents and Akanksha from me. And Anushka if there is anything regarding uncle, don't ever hesitate to call me."
"I will, bro Jishnu. I think both of them are looking forward to Sunday. Take care. " Anushka waved at him as the window glass was rolled up and Jishnu was heard saying : "You too. "
And the next moment, he was gone out of sight!
Anushka, saw her mother coming out of the kitchen and giving some instructions to Roma Massi, the maid. She said a quick "Hi" to her mother and ran up to her room. Akanksha was not expected before 8.30 p.m. After college, she had started giving tuitions, thrice in a week, to a couple of primary kids near her former school.
Anushka gently kept her handbag down on the table, took the navy blue, square velvety box out of her bag and pressed it open. Then she picked up the sparkling gold medal from around the semi circular stand in the middle and placed her fingers along the wordings at the bottom :
"The Winner of The Singing Contest held at Lady Brabourne College, Kolkata… … ..
She then put it back in the box and stepped towards the door with it. She stopped near the door before deciding against going down to her parents'. That could wait. She would give them a surprise during dinner. Thinking about what she was intended to do at that time, left her beaming as she headed back to the wardrobe beneath the window on the southern side.
Unlike on other nights, this night Anushka was the first to take her seat at the dining table. Soon Akanksha joined her, followed by their mother from the kitchen. But her cup of joy was full when she found her father slowly making his way to the table from his room.
Soon the whole family relished a very nicely cooked dinner. As the family finished the dessert in the form of finni, and the table was cleared by Mrs. Sania, Anu, who had been keeping quiet till then, spoke out for the first time: I've great news for you all. I won another prize in the Singing Contest at Brabourne today."
She then slowly put the box from where it had been lying by her side on the chair and kept in down in the middle of the table without any more words.
It was Akanksha, sitting next to her, who leaned over to pull the box towards her. She swiftly pressed the button and the next minute, she brought the whole house down, screaming:"God! Mom! Dad! Anu has won a GOLD MEDAL!"
The next half an hour the family spent looking at the medal, congratulating Anu on her stupendous achievement and all.
"Who would have thought, Anu? Another prize within the span of a week! Proud of you, my sis." Akanksha's happiness really seemed to know no bounds when Anushka brought the cheque she won last time out and spoke in a trembly voice," Mom, I know what the family is going through lately. I'll be grateful if you accept my first earning as my contribution to the family I'm proud to be a part of. "
There was a benumbed silence in the room as Mr. Rajan turned his face away, having taken the handkerchief out of his punjabi pocket.
"God, Anu? Who's been cramming your head lately with all these novel ideas? You have a boyfriend or what? " Akanksha asked her sister teasingly.
"Oh, I forgot to tell you. Bro Jishnu gave me a lift on the way back today. He said " Hi" to all of you. I told him, Akku, that you are dying for his visit to ours the day after tomorrow. " Anushka replied with a glint in her eyes.