She was wearing the same grey t-shirt and blue jeans from the time we were at McDonald’s. I didn’t have to ring the bell when I reached her apartment. She was standing outside the main door waiting for me, her face drawn and anxious. I guessed the time of night was such that she didn’t want me ringing the doorbell. Her parents, she whispered to me as I followed her inside, had had a long day and were already in bed. I tiptoed past the living room and entered her bedroom.
She saw at once that I was emotionally shaken and disturbed. I had been happy enough on the way to Ayushi’s but once I was face-to-face with her, the memories of the evening came back with great ferocity. I was hurting inside all over again. She sat me down on a reclining chair in her room and sat down on the bed just opposite. We were both quiet, troubled in our own way. And then she took my hand in her small, fair, soft ones and stroked it gently.
Lowering her eyes in silent apology, she said: ‘I’m so sorry, Rahul. I feel ashamed.’
I was quiet, almost ready to cry.
‘You’re my friend, Rahul, and I love you as you are,’ she said. ‘Big, powerful. You’re not ugly for me.’
Her words should have cheered me up, but I began to cry instead.
‘You’ve broken my heart,’ I sobbed. She stood up from the bed, came to me and held my hand. ‘How can I make it up to you?’ she said.
‘You don’t have to,’ I said.
‘I want to. Please forgive me, sweetie.’ By now, I was smiling in between my tears. The softness and sadness in her voice was that of the Ayushi I knew and it was balm to my pain. But I was still in agony. I thought of Shobha’s graphic visual that had me marrying a pig.
‘I need to do something,’ she said, her brow creased in thought, ‘to make it up to you.’ Her next words took me by surprise. ‘I know what I’ll do. I’ll give you all the medical textbooks that Dad has bought for me. That way you can prepare for the pre-meds at home instead of always sitting in the library.’
‘No, no,’ I said. ‘You don’t have to do any such thing.’
‘I want to,’ she said. ‘There are at least six thick books that you’ll find really useful.’
‘Such as?’ My curiosity was awakened. Getting into medical school in India was a tough business.
‘Let me see,’ she said, trying to remember. ‘I have Atlas of Human Anatomy by Frank Netter. Then I have Robbins’ Pathology which I’m told is a classic.’
‘I do,’ she said, ‘and several others.’
‘Where are they?’ I asked, looking around.
‘In the storage cabinet above that cupboard,’ she said, pointing towards it.
‘I can’t reach it, but if you help…’
‘Shall we do this some other time?’ I asked, suddenly conscious of how late it was. If someone were to come in and see me with you… it’s very late. Let’s not forget that.’
‘Not a chance,’ she said. ‘Mom and Dad are fast asleep, and the aircon in their room is so noisy they can’t hear anything.’
‘What about your servant?’
‘Hetram?’ she said. ‘Don’t worry. It’s his day off. He generally goes for a late-night show.’
‘Shall I get a chair from the dining room?’ I offered.
‘No need,’ she said. ‘You’re strong enough to hold me up, aren’t you?’
She smiled. ‘Come, let’s get them.’
She walked across to the cupboard. The wooden cabinet was really high up, even for me. However, I managed to just about reach out for one of the wooden panels and open it.
‘Really?’ I was impressed. ‘That’s a 1500-page monster. You have it?’
I thought about it for a few seconds and decided there was nothing to worry about. It was not as if we were doing something improper. So I nodded. Those books could be very useful. They would definitely be beyond my budget to purchase.
‘Okay,’ she said. ‘Well done!’ And she jumped up and clung to the inner section of the closet. ‘Now just hold my legs and hoist me up.’
This wasn’t something difficult for me to do; she was so light to lift up. I held her legs firmly as she rummaged about for the books. Bit by bit, she started to dig them out and throw them on to the bed where they made a soft muffled landing.
It was Robbins’ Pathology, that thick tome, that caused all the trouble. She pulled the large book towards herself with one hand, lost her grip and the both of us went crashing down on to the floor. It was lucky for her that I fell first for I had the bones to withstand such punishment. She fell on top of me and I broke her fall, but she still seemed to have suffered some injury, for she did not get up at once.
‘Sorry,’ she said, even as she lay on top of me. I waited for her to get up. ‘I think I’ve sprained something,’ she said. ‘Just give me a minute. I’ll just be up.’
I could have got up on my own and lifted her in the process but I waited for her, not wanting to aggravate any injury she may have experienced. The seconds rushed past as she grunted with pain and made an effort to get up. On the ceiling, I saw the shadow of a human form. Hell.
He must have entered very silently for I didn’t hear the door being opened. Meanwhile, Ayushi finally managed to get off me with slow movements and hopped across to her bed. Still on the floor, I turned around and was taken aback to see Hetram standing there, scowling. His face was red with rage. I was taken aback by the fury I saw on the Nepali’s face.
‘Harami!’ His face contorted in anger. ‘Bastard.’ In his hands he held a golf club.