lower lip to stop crying. She closed her eyes to collect herself. Both of them remained quiet for a few seconds.
Jaidev was filled with remorse. His anger melted away and his mind and body became taut with excitement. He wanted to hold her in his arms and to kiss her cheek to soothe her. Trying to compose himself, he said, ‘I’m very sorry. Let’s continue.’
‘Hit me again,’ Urmila thrust her face even further.
Jaidev accepted defeat. He got up and went to his room. He lay down, thinking: Everyone would notice that mark on her cheek. What now? What will they say? What have I done?
He heard loud noises from the room next to the one in which they had sat. Praveen was being reprimanded for hitting his sister, and he was shouting in protest. There was the sound of two slaps. The boy again protested his innocence in a tear-filled voice.
What a cunning, bold girl! What she can’t do! What am I to do!
In the evening Beyji was going for a walk to do some shopping in the bazaar. As usual, she invited him, ‘Jaidev, son, let’s go for a walk.’ Urmila was her usual self, talking and joking as before. The mark of the slap was all but gone.
They stopped at the fruit seller at the insistence of Praveen. As Beyji was helping the boy to pick ripe plums, Urmila looked into Jaidev’s eyes with affection and comfort. Jaidev breathed easy.
Next day Jaidev began the lesson with a serious face, ‘Did you write the paraphrase for the poem “Perfect Life?” Let me see.’
‘Slap me first,’ said Urmila.
‘Show me what you wrote.’
‘No, slap me first.’
‘I made a mistake. I won’t do it again.’
‘Why won’t you?’
‘That was not right.’
‘Then why did you do it yesterday?’
‘Because I was angry. I’m sorry. Let’s study.’
‘You’re not angry now?’
‘Not any more. Please study.’
‘How do you feel now?’
‘I don’t feel anything.’ Jaidev said impatiently, without looking at her.
‘You’re still angry.’ Urmila smiled.
‘I am not.’
Urmila recited a couplet she had heard somewhere, ‘He gets angry when I say I love you; I love him more when he gets angry.’
Jaidev took a deep breath and looked at her. Urmila held his gaze.
‘Don’t you want to study?’ He asked her softly.
She shook her head.
‘What do you want to do?’
‘Told you already.’ Urmila’s face was flushed crimson like the inside of a watermelon. Pulled by the passion of this young attractive girl, Jaidev lost his foothold on the rock of propriety. He felt himself being lifted into the air and carried away; his blood was surging to his face.
‘How?’ He asked.
‘Don’t you know?’ Urmila’s voice was hoarse with excitement.
‘No.’ Jaidev was holding on against being swept away.
‘Want me to tell you?’ Her throaty voice excited him even more.
‘Yes.’
‘Close your eyes.’
Jaidev pressed his knees together to hold himself back. With one hand he clutched the desk, with other he held his chin. He closed his eyes.
A kiss on his cheek made him open his eyes. Urmila’s breathing quickened; there was an irresistibly inviting a pinkish glaze of passion in her bright shining eyes. Jaidev used all his self-control to hold back, but his hand crept to Urmila’s arm.
‘Come here, Urmi!’ Beyji’s voice from the other side of the curtain hit them like a whip.
‘Damn it! She must have seen us! You go!’ Urmila whispered urgently and pulled away.
Jaidev could not move. Urmila went away, trembling with fear.
Jaidev could hear someone being slapped on the other side of the curtain. He got up and went to his room. He paced around his room in agitation without knowing what to do? He lay on the bed for a while, and then sat up. He went out towards the bazaar. When he returned in the afternoon he had made up his mind. He had found out the time of the next bus to Rawalpindi. He began to collect his few clothes.
He was packing his bag when Praveen came, ‘Masterji, Beyji is calling
Jaidev was filled with remorse. His anger melted away and his mind and body became taut with excitement. He wanted to hold her in his arms and to kiss her cheek to soothe her. Trying to compose himself, he said, ‘I’m very sorry. Let’s continue.’
‘Hit me again,’ Urmila thrust her face even further.
Jaidev accepted defeat. He got up and went to his room. He lay down, thinking: Everyone would notice that mark on her cheek. What now? What will they say? What have I done?
He heard loud noises from the room next to the one in which they had sat. Praveen was being reprimanded for hitting his sister, and he was shouting in protest. There was the sound of two slaps. The boy again protested his innocence in a tear-filled voice.
What a cunning, bold girl! What she can’t do! What am I to do!
In the evening Beyji was going for a walk to do some shopping in the bazaar. As usual, she invited him, ‘Jaidev, son, let’s go for a walk.’ Urmila was her usual self, talking and joking as before. The mark of the slap was all but gone.
They stopped at the fruit seller at the insistence of Praveen. As Beyji was helping the boy to pick ripe plums, Urmila looked into Jaidev’s eyes with affection and comfort. Jaidev breathed easy.
Next day Jaidev began the lesson with a serious face, ‘Did you write the paraphrase for the poem “Perfect Life?” Let me see.’
‘Slap me first,’ said Urmila.
‘Show me what you wrote.’
‘No, slap me first.’
‘I made a mistake. I won’t do it again.’
‘Why won’t you?’
‘That was not right.’
‘Then why did you do it yesterday?’
‘Because I was angry. I’m sorry. Let’s study.’
‘You’re not angry now?’
‘Not any more. Please study.’
‘How do you feel now?’
‘I don’t feel anything.’ Jaidev said impatiently, without looking at her.
‘You’re still angry.’ Urmila smiled.
‘I am not.’
Urmila recited a couplet she had heard somewhere, ‘He gets angry when I say I love you; I love him more when he gets angry.’
Jaidev took a deep breath and looked at her. Urmila held his gaze.
‘Don’t you want to study?’ He asked her softly.
She shook her head.
‘What do you want to do?’
‘Told you already.’ Urmila’s face was flushed crimson like the inside of a watermelon. Pulled by the passion of this young attractive girl, Jaidev lost his foothold on the rock of propriety. He felt himself being lifted into the air and carried away; his blood was surging to his face.
‘How?’ He asked.
‘Don’t you know?’ Urmila’s voice was hoarse with excitement.
‘No.’ Jaidev was holding on against being swept away.
‘Want me to tell you?’ Her throaty voice excited him even more.
‘Yes.’
‘Close your eyes.’
Jaidev pressed his knees together to hold himself back. With one hand he clutched the desk, with other he held his chin. He closed his eyes.
A kiss on his cheek made him open his eyes. Urmila’s breathing quickened; there was an irresistibly inviting a pinkish glaze of passion in her bright shining eyes. Jaidev used all his self-control to hold back, but his hand crept to Urmila’s arm.
‘Come here, Urmi!’ Beyji’s voice from the other side of the curtain hit them like a whip.
‘Damn it! She must have seen us! You go!’ Urmila whispered urgently and pulled away.
Jaidev could not move. Urmila went away, trembling with fear.
Jaidev could hear someone being slapped on the other side of the curtain. He got up and went to his room. He paced around his room in agitation without knowing what to do? He lay on the bed for a while, and then sat up. He went out towards the bazaar. When he returned in the afternoon he had made up his mind. He had found out the time of the next bus to Rawalpindi. He began to collect his few clothes.
He was packing his bag when Praveen came, ‘Masterji, Beyji is calling
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