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| September (First) 2010 |
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| DELHI PRESS MAGAZINES : WOMAN'S ERA |
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WOMAN'S ERA /
FICTION (5/21) / THE USURPER
The Usurper
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| An insightful story of the misunderstanding between two close friends and how it gets cleared with the earnest efforts of one of them... |
| By Supriya Panigrahi |
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Akanksha and Sunita were close friends. Both studied at the same college and had the same subjects. Both had similar tastes and both were equally popular at the college. But their strong friendship was more popular than either of them. Sunita was extremely pretty and academically brilliant, while Akanksha, though rather plain to look at, was a talented actor and had a good voice. Together, they made a hit pair and were always up to one thing or another.
Akanksha’s elder brother Akash studied in the same college and was a year senior to them. He was as popular as his sister —but only amongst the girls!
“There’s your brother! Just look at him! What a flirt! Only yesterday, he was roaming about with Sulekha and today he is getting all cosy with that red-haired girl! She looks like a witch!” Sunita exclaimed to her friend, as they made their way to the college canteen.
“Hey bhai! What’s up?” Akanksha called out to her brother who waved at them cheerfully and took a backward turn, hurrying away from them, still holding the red-haired girl’s hands.
“Look at him scurrying away like a rat! Shameless creature!” Sunita hissed just as Akash threw back his head and laughed at something his companion had said. Suddenly, he turned back and caught Sunita’s glare, winked and moved away swiftly. It was as if he had actually heard Sunita’s comment.
Sunita looked away embarrassed, while Akanksha burst into laughter.
“What’s your problem, madam? Why are you after my brother’s life? He is not bothering you, is he?” she asked.
“No, he is not” Sunita admitted disinterestedly.
“So...that is the problem!” Akanksha made an accurate imitation of their mathematics professor.
“What do you mean?” Sunita demanded, narrowing her eyes into slits, but the teasing expression on Akanksha’s face made her snort derisively.
“Oh, puhleez!” she exclaimed.
Akanksha was performing on stage, in the farewell function for their seniors. It was a comedy and everyone was laughing loud. Backstage, Sunita was applauding her closest friend’s performance.
On cue, Akanksha’s co-actor Vikrant entered the stage in a silly disguise, which made the audience explode with laughter. Suddenly, Sunita felt a tap on her back. She turned to find Akash looking at her.
“What are you doing here?” she whispered. “You are supposed to be down there with the audience. Who let you in here?”
“Sulekha let me in here,” he grinned.
“Of course! You could make your way into the girls’ bathroom if you wanted!” Sunita snapped.
Akash continued smiling.
“Sunita, I’m leaving the city today. Going back to Lucknow. I will be joining dad’s company,” he said, looking straight into her eyes.
Sunita looked away from him. “Good riddance!”
Akash threw back his head and laughed softly. Beyond the stage, the audience burst out with another whoop of laughter.
“Listen, Sunita. I am going to marry you. Next year, when I come to take my sister home, I will bring the baraat to take you away,” Akash said in a whisper.
Sunita was left gaping as Akash stood still for a second, lifted her hand and kissed it. He walked away, saying goodbye. Sunita stared as Sulekha joined him and he started talking to her in a gay manner.
“He said that to you!” Akanksha exclaimed later. “I should have known bhai!”
Sunita sat in front of her, a wild look in her eyes.
“He...! How dare? He...! And does he think I will go with him, just like that?” she spluttered.
“If he said, he is coming for you, he means it! Only keep me close by, lest he forget to pick me up!” Akanksha said, smiling, much to the annoyance of her friend.
A year later, Sunita and Akash were married.
Just before her last semester, when she had returned home one day, she had found her mother entertaining guests — and who else? It was Akash who looked up at her. An elderly man, obviously his dad, and a pleasant plump lady — his mom — were smiling at her.
“Please don’t say no. I have loved you since I saw you for the first time,” Akash had said when they had stood talking alone on the balcony. Sunita looked up disbelievingly. “The first time we met, you started ragging me along with your friends!” she reminded him.
“... and my sister came to your rescue. Sunita! You looked so vulnerable that day, so beautiful in those pink tops and faded jeans. I fell head over heels in love with you. If you turn me down, I will jump off the terrace! ... and I am not kidding!” he added when Sunita shook her head with a sigh.
“Say yes?”
“You are mad,” she snapped.
“I am. Say yes?” Akash had prompted in an urgent voice, holding her hands tightly and, before she knew it, she had said yes.
Akanksha hugged her sister-in-law in a tight embrace.
“You’re my bhabhi from today! So, bhabhi, welcome!”
“Please, Akanksha, call me Sunita. I’m already very nervous! Don’t add to it,” Sunita whispered to her friend, smiling to the guests her mother-in-law had introduced to her. But she was really feeling very happy. Her mother-in-law was a kindly lady and her father-in-law was a merry old man. Akash had eyes only for her and, the best part of it was her best friend was with her!
She relaxed and let herself bask in the warmth of her friend’s presence beside her. Akanksha found Sunita gazing at her lovingly. She squeezed her hand reassuringly and smiled, “I’m very happy!”
“What a beautiful daughter-in-law you have found, Mrs Verma!” one of the guests congratulated Sunita’s mother-in-law.
“Yes, what a pretty girl she is!” another added. “She is going to be the moon of your family!”
Sunita blushed. Something pinched Akanksha but she shrugged and tightened her arms around Sunita.
Sunita found it easy to adjust to her in-laws’ home. Everyone was so kind and caring! She also tried to be dutiful and soon became comfortable with everyone.
“Mummy, please take rest today. I’ll manage everything in the kitchen,” Sunita said to her mother-in-law who was going about the usual household chore one Sunday.
“Oh dear, it’ll be very difficult for you to manage everything. Let me help you,” her mother-in-law persisted. But Sunita pushed her mother-in-law out lovingly.
At lunch time, Akanksha came up to the kitchen.
“Mom? What are you cooking today? Hmm... smells... good! Oh, Sunita? It’s you? Oh no! My hunger is lessening!” Akanksha joked.
“That’s enough Akanksha. Just taste this and tell me, is it okay?” Sunita passed her some gravy.
“It’ll pass,” Akanksha said with a feigned grimace.
“I’ll beat you up! And mind you, you can’t get back at me! After all, I am your bhabhi,” Sunita said. “Okay, call everyone. Lunch is ready!”
“Let me first put the jug and the glasses on the table and set it for lunch,” Akanksha said and turned towards the table only to find it neatly laid. There was a vase in the centre and colourful flowers were tastefully put in it.
Akanksha was glued to the spot, her smile vanishing slowly.
“I’ve already set the table!” Sunita said, bringing the dishes to the table.
Since her childhood, it was Akanksha who had set the table before the family sat down for breakfast, lunch or dinner. Her mother had assigned her the duty of laying the table before calling the family to the table. It had grown on her like
a habit and now she found Sunita had taken over her duty!
As she kept staring at the table, Sunita gave her an impatient push. “What’s keeping you girl? Don’t stand here and daydream! Whatever you’ll do, do at your in-laws!” Sunita said in a bossy voice and went off to fetch the family herself.
Akanksha suddenly, felt bitter.
“Wow! Sis, is it something special? You have bewitched our dining table!” Akash complimented, pulling, back a chair and settling down at his usual place.
Oh! It’s Sunita’s handiwork,” Akanksha replied.
“It looks very good, dear!” Sunita smiled as her mother-in-law praised her. She started serving the dishes.
Her father-in-law began eating from his plate immediately and said, “Hmm, its very nice. How tasty! I feel like a king taking a royal lunch!”
Akanksha looked at her parents who were busy eating. She caught her bhai smiling at his wife with a twinkle in his eye. Then she looked at Sunita, who was smiling happily. She suddenly felt a surge of jealousy and dislike towards Sunita.
“Akanksha! Akanksha, darling! My dear
little sis!” Akash said, walking into Akanksha’s room.
“Yes bhai, what do you need?” Akanksha asked, looking up from the novel she was reading.
“My dear, how good you look today,” Akash remarked in a flattering voice.
“Come on, bhai, what do you need?”
“Akanksha, my table is a mess. And you know, even I don’t know what belongs where. I can’t find anything I need. And you know! Well! Only you know where each thing belongs. Won’t you clear it up for me?” Akash said sweetly.
“Why, bhai, I cleared up your table only last week!”
“Don’t bother this time, Akanksha! Your lazy brother is not good enough to deserve a kind sister like you!” It was Sunita, who had just entered the room.
“Oh! But he has no one else to go to!” Akanksha said getting up.
“Oh yes, he does. Akash, come on, you are going to clean up that mess yourself. I will help you,” Sunita beckoned Akash out of the room.
“It’s okay. I will do it for him,” Akanksha said quickly, striding towards them.
“Don’t bother, Akanksha!” Sunita said, walking away. Akash followed her, smiling.
“Yeah, its okay. Sunita will help me do it. You carry on with your reading, baby sis,” he said.
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