‘It looks like you gave him,’ said Roopa contemplatively, ‘enough scope to hope for a date, and more.’
‘I shouldn’t have,’ said Sandhya nervous all again, ‘got into this mess at all.’
‘Why get upset about it?’ said Roopa, and narrated her own encounter with Ravi in Tara’s house. ‘It was one of those small pleasures of life, isn’t it? We must enjoy them for what they’re worth.’
With the sound of the buzzer then, as her heart missed a beat Sandhya ran inside. However, she went back into the hall in relief as she heard Roopa exclaim, ‘Guess, who has come?’
‘Namaste,’ Sathyam greeted Sandhya.
‘Namaste,’ said Sandhya, all smiles.
‘Has he gone?’ Sandhya whispered to Roopa as Sathyam went in.
‘Yes,’ Roopa whispered back, ‘probably to fetch a stool for himself.’
‘Give him a chair if you wish,’ said Sandhya in jest, ‘Anyway, once I leave, it’s going to be your problem.’
‘I envy your friendship,’ said Sathyam to Sandhya, as he joined them, having changed into a lungi.
‘You’re a part of us,’ said Sandhya affectionately.
‘Thanks for saying that,’ he said warmly. ‘I wish I were your brother.’
‘I would have loved that,’ she said extending her hand.
‘Then you be my raakhi sister,’ he said taking her hand.
‘Is it a gang-up on me?’ said Roopa as she came with some snacks for them.
‘Sandhya, I’ve a complaint,’ said Sathyam to Sandhya, ‘against your friend of course.’
‘I will go out then,’ said Roopa in jest.
‘You know,’ he said, ‘that I keep no secrets from you.’
‘Neither do I,’ said Roopa, ‘that is, in all that matters to you.’
‘See Sandhya,’ said Sathyam as Sandhya and Roopa looked at each furtively, ‘she’s always cut up with me.’
‘I’m a little crazy,’ said Roopa as though she was clarifying her position all the same. ‘That’s all.’
‘Give her some time,’ said Sandhya to Sathyam. ‘She grows close slowly but steadily.’
‘All said and done,’ he said affectionately, ‘I couldn’t have hoped for a better wife than her.’
‘A loving husband,’ said Sandhya ‘is rare indeed, isn’t it?’
‘Thanks for the compliment,’ said Sathyam beamingly. ‘Why don’t we go out for eats?’
‘You should know that Sandhya must be craving for a home meal,’ said Roopa.
‘Oh, that’s true,’ said Sathyam.
‘We’ll play caroms,’ suggested Sandhya, ‘Roopa says you’re an expert at it.’
‘You may be feeling cramped in our little place,’ said Sathyam as he arranged the board in the hall.
‘Your hearts are big,’ said Sandhya heartily. ‘And that’s what matters.’