Unfinished Busy-ness

This is up for adoption by anybody interested. (Think chain blogs)
I wrote this long time back. I am not sure what the theme was. I just had a glimpse of lovers( may be too strong a word) separated earlier, meeting again, each with their own families. I am not sure what was supposed to happen. Now I don't know what to do with it. So, here it is, anyone interested in continuing this in their blog, can link to this as part I. Interested?


Sowmya gave a 500-rupee note to the shopkeeper at the counter, collected the change and turned around to leave. Her eyes locked on the man who was entering the store. And recognized him at once. Older, mature in an elegant way, a thick mustache adorning what was once a clean-shaven face. Rajesh. Once a very familiar face, now on a stranger. How many hours she had spent looking at him surreptitiously, as he played street cricket! Hidden from view behind the drawn curtains, she had sneaked many a peek at him.

Rajesh spotted her at almost the same moment. Shocked at seeing a very familiar and once dear face, he was struck speechless for a few seconds. Recovering quickly, he gave her a hesitant smile, not knowing if she recognized him or wanted to acknowledge him, if she did. Her reciprocating smile warmed his heart and he walked towards her quickly.

“Hi, Sowmya! Gosh! How long has it been? I haven’t seen in you in ages. You haven’t changed at all!”

“And you have changed so much! How have you been, Rajesh?”

“Not too bad, Sowmya. How about you? I know you got married when I was doing my MBA.”

“Yes, I live close by. Why don’t you stop by for a cuppa?”

Rajesh looked at his watch and hesitated. Then decided, what the heck and agreed to go along.

She unlocked her front door and the smell of sambrani brought in a wave of nostalgia, reminding him of times, spent in her house.

“I see you have carried on your mom’s habit of using sambrani around the house”, he smiled.

“Yes, I love the smell. I am so used to it and I can’t do without it now.”

“You have a beautiful house, Sowmya.”

“Thanks. Why don’t you take a seat here, while I make some coffee? You still drink coffee the same way, right?”

“I am surprised you remember. Yes, I haven’t changed, Sowmya.” For a minute, his smile faltered as did hers. She tucked in to the kitchen in the pretext of making the coffee.

Rajesh sat down on the sofa and glanced around the room. In typical Sowmya style, he saw her touches around the room. Her handcrafted art, well placed around the room, showed her elegant taste. Next to the sofa, he saw photos on the table. Sowmya and her husband. His arms around her. Her face lit with a happy smile. Another one of her with a little boy. He had her eyes and the same smile. One more with all the three looking on with happy smiles.

“Is this your son?” He asked her as she came in carrying a tray with two cups of steaming coffee and a plate of biscuits.

“Yes, that is Karthik. My one and only. What about you? Married? Kids?”

“Oh, Yes! Three years back, no kids yet.”

“How is Chitra?”

“She is fine. She lives in Singapore now. Her husband works there. She has two kids and has become a real aunty.” He smiled.

“You haven’t changed, Rajesh. Always teasing.” She was reminded of times when he had teased her along with his sister, Chitra. Those were such carefree days. Playing games on each other. They were all in high school. Rajesh in his twelfth while Chitra and Sowmya were in their eleventh. He had been a big prankster, always getting in trouble with his parents over something or the other.