Thank God, Swaroop was away from the house when Kshitij came to attack with a sickle. Oh, what a tragedy it would have been, if the two were face to face at the pitch of that moment!
Hours before, provoked and heavy headed due to morning's incident and the worst possible abuse thrown at him by Siddhi, he dialled up Er Sudheendra.
'May I beg your pardon Sir.' - He began the conversation.
'Never mind, Swaroop. Any urgency?' - Er Sudheendra.
'We were in a hurry to conclude. I couldn't spell out what was required.' - Swaroop.
'We just began, Swaroop. Vast lengths of the road we must and should walk is laid out there!' - Sudheendra.
'I understand that, Sir. Even then, don't you think the beginning we made needs to be much brighter?' - Swaroop.
'Accepted. What then?' - Sudheendra.
'Then..., is it impossible to discuss it over a peg?' - Swaroop.
'Not at all. Do you wish it to be today itself?' - Sudheendra.
'Yes, if you don't mind.' - Swaroop.
'Then I must complete the day's commitments right away.' - Sudheendra.
'Should I be there near the guest house to pick you up?' - Swaroop.
'No no. I'll join you near bus shelter on the main road.' - Sudheendra.
Telecom got over soon after that. Sudheendra felt it as a great idea to be toxic on the day. Exigency of work has allowed him to hit a peg only a long ago.
He had a glance at various surveys carried out during the day, delivered the plotting instructions to juniors, and jumped into the departmental pick-up-van meant for daily use of his troup.
He ordered the driver to drop him at Haranahalli bus shelter and return. It was close to sunset when he occupied the front seat next to Swaroop, who drove the car towards Arasikere town.
Swaroop, in his attempt to enhance closeness with Sudheendra, went on to brief him about speciality of the villages Yalavare, Boranakoppalu and Geejihalli, throughout the time the travel took to reach Arasikere.
* * *
Though a seventy year old, as a farmer right from childhood, Kshitij was an example for the fitness actually a male body should have. He was extremely handsome and had every organ of his body up to the exact measurement, as we could witness in any of the catchiest sculptures preserved in any country across the globe. Strength in his arms was such that his palms could easily have extended iron grip over the necks of two erring youths, make them collide, and break their major bones. He would have crushed the whole of skeleton inside Swaroop's body if he got hold of of him that day.
Kshitij, the elderly person in frustration, returned home and sat down on sofa. Sweat oozing through his forehead kept dripping on the shirt he was wearing.
'Where did you go, and what you did? You didn't care my call and left two hours ago.' - Siddhi complained while questioning.
'Rascal was not there in the house. I wouldn't have allowed him to be alive and come out of the house any more.' - Kshitij blabbered violently.
'Have you gone mad? Are you so immature to commit something like that and land up in prison at this age?' - Siddhi appeared to have lost control over her version, frightened due to what father has said.
Kshitij only then imagined the dilemma for which he'd have subjected his family.
'As I've never told you all that was happening between me and him for a few years, I'd have remained silent about even this incident. I gave back to him all that he deserved, after the incident. I told you at the fit of the moment, only since I wouldn't have been able to throw my emotions in front of Shashank, my husband.' - Siddhi uttered, developing breathlessness in herself.
Realisation began to get clear in Kshitij's mind. He
continued to listen carefully what his daughter was saying.
'I can protect myself. I'm that much strong mentally. I told you thinking that you're able to put it across wisely that he is married, I'm married, and are responsible to our respective families. I believed in your life experience to do so.' - Siddhi's throbbing mind rolled out the inevitable words.
Kshitij went on blinking at her, besides structuring his mind on what he has to do next.
Siddhi's facial reactions were enough to defeat Swaroop's advances in the past years. He was shaken this time by her screeching abuse, and just a oral warning, with emotions in control, from Kshitij would have been enough to keep him away from thinking about any repeat of such future incidents.
But what now?