9.12.07

COLD QUILT

SUKESH SAHNI

"Who was it"? he asked, warming his hands over the brazier. "The same one from the opposite house." His wife, mimicking Sushila, added, "Sister, lend us a quilt. My husband's friends have come to stay for a night." Covering herself with the quilt, she mumbled, "they are not ashamed of asking for some such thing every other day. I flatly refused, saying we, too were expecting some one." "You did well," nestling under the quilt he said. "This is the only way to deal with such people." There was silence in the room for some time. "It is awfully cold," he grumbled. "My hands and feet, too, are numb with cold," the wife, moving her cot closer to the brazier, said. "The quilt is cold like ice; how can one sleep?" turning sideways, he murmured. "It really is impossible to sleep," moaned the wife. "Cold has made my quilt ineffective, too." When sleep kept eluding them for a long time, they sat up and began to warm their hands on the brazier. "May I say something? I hope you won't mind it," the husband asked. "You don't have to ask. Go ahead, speak." "It is freezing cold today. Guests have come to stay in the house facing us. They must be shivering because of the shortage of quilts there." "Yes, well?" She peered at her husband, hoping he would say what she herself wished to hear. "I was thinking....I mean....that.....we do have a spare quilt." "You have really said something which was upper most in my own mind. A day's use will not spoil it." She sprang to her feet, "I will take the quilt to Sushila at once and be back in a jiffy." On her return she noticed with surprise that he was already fast asleep. Yawning, she too crept under her quilt. It gave her a pleasant surprise to find her quilt quite warm.

6.12.07

KINSHIP

SUKESH SAHNI


"Babu!" As I stepped down from the car, I was startled on being accosted my childhood name. The thought of meeting with an old acquaintance vexed me. Ignoring the call, Idrove past the parking lot.
"O, you Babu!" Some one called loudly this time. I couldn't help looking back. He was approaching me with long strides. Because of the prominent black mole below his right eye, it did not take me long to recongnise Sita Ram, my friend of the boyhood days. His brisk approach showed that he would hug me warmly on coming close. I was,I feared, in the danger of going down in the esteem of the people in the crowded South-Ex....The fool doesn't know I am not the same old beggarly 'Babu' now. Iam now B.K. the owner of a number of factories. I deliberately thrust my hands in my pockets.
Observing my cold attitude, he had winced a little on coming close to me. Raising my eyes with a good deal of effort, I noticed his hand extended towards me.
"How are you, Sita Ram?" Overlooking his extended hand, I patronisingly inquired as if he was one of my factory workers.
"O, you are in Delhi and I have no knowledge of it," said he with unsuppressed fervour despite my cold behaviour...
"I am in a bit of hurry just now," I said. Trying to remain formal with him made me perspire from head to foot. I looked anxiouly all around me. Thank God, nobody was observing us. To get rid of him, I said, "Come to my office sometime. We shall then talk at leisure."
"We have met after so many years. I won't let you go so easily," he said. "Come, I will take you to my show-rooms.....Fabrica…….Fashion Inn.......these belong to yours truly, i.e. me."
I was dumbfounded. This chap.....Sita Ram!......the sole owner of two magnificient show-rooms in the posh South Extention! It means something great.
"O, you fatty, you have become a very big man," I said joyfully and patted his paunch playfully. The next moment, with arms around each other's waist, we were on our way to the Fabrica.