Meenakshi and Kakoli quickly imposed themselves on Mr and Mrs Maitra and then rushed off, waving from the back of the tonga, towards the hospital.
‘Well, they claim that they’re Chatterji’s daughters,’ said the old policeman. ‘His children seem to be very restless. What was the name of that other boy, their son?’
Mrs Maitra, who was scandalized by the fact that she could see almost four inches of their waists, shook her head and wondered what Calcutta had come to. Her own son’s letters did not contain any mention of waistlines.
‘When will they be back for lunch?’
‘They didn’t say.’
‘Well, since they are our guests, we should wait for them. But I get so hungry by noon,’ said old Mr Maitra. ‘And then I have to tell my beads for two hours, and if I begin late, that puts everything out. We’d also better get some more fish.’
‘We’ll wait till one, and then eat,’ said his wife. ‘If they can’t come, they’ll telephone us.’
And so the two considerate old people accommodated themselves to the two young women, who had no intention of eating with them, and to whom the thought of a telephone call would certainly not occur.
*
Mrs Rupa Mehra was transporting the baby from Pran’s room to Savita’s when she saw the mauve Meenakshi and the crimson Kakoli bearing down upon her along the corridor. She all but dropped the baby.
Meenakshi was wearing those little gold horrors that never failed to upset Mrs Rupa Mehra. And what was Kakoli doing here during term-time? Really, thought Mrs Rupa Mehra, the Chatterjis impose no discipline upon their children. That is why they are all so peculiar.
Aloud she said: ‘Oh, Meenakshi, Kakoli, what a lovely surprise. Have you seen the baby yet? No, of course you couldn’t have. Just look at her, isn’t she sweet? And everyone says she has my nose.’
‘How adorable,’ said Meenakshi, thinking that the baby looked rather like a red rat, not at all as beautiful as her Aparna had looked a few days after birth.
‘And where is my sweetheart?’ demanded Mrs Rupa Mehra.
For a second Meenakshi thought Mrs Rupa Mehra was referring to Arun. Then she realized that it was Aparna whom her mother-in-law was talking about.
‘In Calcutta, of course.’
‘You didn’t bring her with you?’ Mrs Rupa Mehra could hardly conceal her amazement at this maternal callousness.
‘Oh, Ma, one can’t drag the whole world with one when one travels,’ said Meenakshi coolly. ‘Aparna does get on one’s nerves sometimes, and I’d be much less help here if she was with me.’
‘You’ve come to help?’ Mrs Rupa Mehra could hardly keep the astonishment and displeasure out of her voice.
‘Yes, Ma,’ said Kakoli simply.
But Meenakshi elaborated: ‘Yes, of course, Ma, darling. What a sweet little thing. Reminds me of a, of a – well, she’s unique, she doesn’t remind me of anything but herself.’ Meenakshi laughed a tinkly laugh. ‘Now where is Savita’s room?’
‘Savita is resting,’ said Mrs Rupa Mehra.
‘But she’ll be so pleased to see us,’ said Meenakshi. ‘Let’s go and see her. It must be feeding time. Six, ten, two, six, ten, as Dr Evans recommended with Aparna. And it’s just about ten o’clock now.’
And they descended upon Savita, who was still fairly exhausted, and in quite a lot of pain because her stitches were pulling. She was sitting up in bed, though, and reading a women’s magazine rather than a law-book.
Savita was astonished, but pleased to see them. Lata, who had been keeping her company, was very pleased. She enjoyed Meenakshi’s attempts to beautify her; and Kuku’s flightiness would, she hoped, lighten everyone’s mood. Savita had met Kuku only twice since Arun’s wedding.
‘How did you get here outside visiting hours?’ Savita asked, looking rather warrior-like now, with bright lipstick on both her cheeks.
‘Oh, Kakoli and I were more than a match for the reception desk,’ said Meenakshi. And indeed, the dumbfounded clerk had not known how to prevent these glamorous, waist-bare ladies from breezing past him.
Kakoli had blown him a kiss with casual hauteur. He was still recovering.
13.16
CALCUTTA and Brahmpur news was exchanged rapidly. Arun was extremely busy with work, Varun showed no signs of studying seriously for the IAS exams, and there were lots of rows between the brothers, with Arun threatening periodically to throw Varun out of the house. Aparna’s vocabulary was increasing apace; a few days ago she had said: ‘Daddy, I’m in the doldrums.’ Meenakshi suddenly began to miss Aparna. Seeing the baby snuggling up to Savita’s breast, she thought of Aparna’s own babydom, the lovely feeling of closeness she had experienced when she was suckling her, the sense of ‘myness’ that she had had towards her before Aparna had grown into a clearly differentiated, and often contrary, individual.