Venkat was still thinking about his brothers phone call .He couldn’t believe what he told him. It has been just seven months since he had left Madurai after meeting Sangeetha near the Minakshi Temple. She was so promising in her assertion of her love for him.

“Anna Sangeetha got married to her boss yesterday, it was a love marriage” The words were still resonating in his mind even three hours after receiving the phone call.

“It was a love marriage” It was almost impossible to believe that his Geethu as he loving used to call her, would betray him like this. He knew Sangeetha had big dreams and she always talked about Car, big house and gold ornaments but this was difficult to digest that she would marry her widower Boss who was at least fifteen years her senior.

He had left his room immediately after the phone call .He roamed aimlessly through the Delhi streets where he had been working and living since last seven months. He found a bar and had been sitting there ever since and drinking.

It had started to get dark outside and as he was not used to drinking much, he got up after paying his bill. It was cold outside; the rain since last few days has brought down the mercury once again. He stumbled over the kerbed footpath and had to hold an electric pole to stabilize his steps.

A few People passing around him looked at him and then moved on. Their stern glance itself was a warning for him to watch his steps. Sangeetha came back again like a shadow and started to follow him .She was once again around him, smiling at him.

“Naan unai kadalikiren” How many times he must have heard these sweet words from Geetu and repeated back to her. Now she was walking down from the opposite direction smiling.

“Sangeeta” he called out to her and she suddenly stopped close to him with a surprised look on her face.

“Yes? Are you talking to me?” The girl asked him. Her face was in light and he could see clearly that it was not Sangeeta. How could she be his Geetu .His Geetu must be on her way to Kodai with her old husband? He felt very embarrassed in front of that girl.

“I am sorry, your face resembles someone I know”. He mumbled looking in the eyes of the girl.

“Oh, its ok”, The Girl had an amused look on her face. “Is your friend from Delhi”

“No she is from Madurai, Tamilnadu” Her smile gave him courage to talk to her but he himself was surprised at her courage. You can’t expect a girl to stop and talk to a drunken stranger in the night.

The girl was good looking and her dressing style was indicating that she could be married. She had a mangalsutra kind of thing around her neck and a Bindi on her forhead.

“You are from Delhi itself?” He was surprised at ease with which he was talking to her and her response to his conversation.

“Not really but we have been here for almost Three years now” He didn’t realize when he had turned around and started walking alongside her. She too didn’t seem to mind.

“You work somewhere? I mean are you coming from office or some place.

“Yes, I work as salesgirl in a cosmetic shop in Rohini” She smiled “I have started working this month only, I am yet to get my first salary that’s why I am walking down”

“Oh, Is your house very far, you must be walking a lot everyday?” They were conversing like friends now.

“Yes, but My house is about two miles from here” She replied locking her arms around herself to protest herself from cold. Venkat noticed she was putting on a very thin sweater that was unsuitable for Delhi winters.

“What does your husband do? He asked himself tying his arms around his chest .The Sangeetha was forgotten for time being .He was feeling happy to be talking to a female after so many months .His office was very formal in operations and it was probably first time he was talking to a girl since he had come to Delhi.

“He wasn’t having a job since last few months, so one of his friend who is working in Kanpur has called him there.”

There was no hesitation left in the discussions they were having. Venkat was glancing at her, She must have been around twenty five years old and quite good looking .Her fair skin glowed when ever they neared a Roadside light or a passing vehicles headlights fell on her face.

“You are so beautiful” She turned to look at him, “I mean don’t you fear walking down alone like this, especially on Delhi roads”. He mumbled embarrassed at himself.

“I am not alone, you are with me now” She said teasingly with a smile.

“No I mean, other days-everyday” He was embarrassed by her bold smile but yet was enjoying every moment with her.

“ What to do? I don’t have any choice; I can’t afford a taxi or even a bus everyday like you,” She said after taking a long breath.

“But why are you walking? You can take a taxi or a bus?” She asked him and now Venkat was totally at loss of words. He wasn’t expecting this question from her.

“I was going to, but then we met and started talking,”

“And now?” She asked him in a stern tone but he spied a glint of mischief in her eye.

“Now what? Now I am with you enjoying talking?”

“Enjoying talking” She mimicked him and started laughing.

“You are Madrasi na” She was more forthcoming now more frank in her approach.

“Its Tamilian, Madras is called Chennai now” Venkat also mocked her.

“Lets go and sit somewhere, some restaurant ” Venkat proposed. She looked in his eyes straight and politely refused without embarrassing him.

“ No I must not get late, I have a little girl at home,” She said

“You have a daughter?” Venkat never wanted to sound the way he actually sounded.

“Why, can’t I have a child? I am married you know?” She smiled again in her teasing style.

“Oh you can have as many you want, but what I was surprised about is that you left her alone at home” Venkat replied her without even bothering about her reaction

“No actually there are two young girls who take care of my daughter while I am away” She replied.

“Ok let me drop you at home”, Venkat waved to a passing Auto Rickshaw. After a moment of hesitation She sat down in the Auto along with Venkat.

“I will tell you where to stop, I don’t want to take the auto till my house”. She whispered to him so that even the auto driver won’t hear.

The Auto was asked to stop about hundred meters before reaching her house. They got down Venkat paid the fair and silently followed her through the gully of Old Delhi. Because of the cold there were lesser people around. She stopped in front of a small house and knocked silently on the battered door. An eye peeped from the small hole in the door and then the door was opened by a very young girl of around nine years. There was another girl, slightly older, standing with a small child in her arms.

It was completely dark inside the only light coming in the tiny verandah was from the neighboring house.

“There is no light?” Venkat asked with surprise.

“No the electricity department has cut the connection for non payment of previous bill”

Venkat did not know what to say.

“This is my Mome (wax)” She immediately took the child from the girl’s hands and kissed her affectionately. “ Did she cry or trouble you?” she asked the two girls.

“She did but we made her lick a candy when ever she cried or gave her water as there was no milk.” The younger girl replied smiling. Venkat noticed the girl was very cute and had dimples on her cheeks.

“Who are these girls?” Venkat asked.

“Oh they the daughters of a Bangladeshi immigrant, the mother works as a house maid and leaves them at my house for safety when she goes out to work. These girls take care of my daughter while I am away” She replied

“I am sorry I will not be able to offer you any tea as there is no milk at home right now but perhaps I will get you some soft drink” She turned towards the girls and asked them to go to the nearby shop to get a soft drink bottle on credit.

“No its not necessary, its cold and soft drinks in this season…

“Please let them go at least they will also get an opportunity to drink soft drink” She said with an embarrassed smile.

“Ok then wait a minute” Vekat took out his purse and gave hundred rupees to the girls, “Also get some Milk, a bread and some butter for the child and a few candles” she tried to stop Venkat but he insisted for the sake of the child.

Her eyes were moist even in the dark he could sense that, they waited and chatted about the nitty-gritty’s of the life. Venkat was appalled at what he had witnessed tonight.

The girls came back and he could sense the excitement in the voice of the girls, the body language had changed .The soft drink was poured into the glasses and the girls were drinking greedily and he could see they were giggling and smacking their tongues.

“You know they probably have had Coke for the first time in their lives” She said as if talking to herself, she had just returned from the kitchen after putting the milk to boil on the kerosene stove.

Venkat returned back to the reality and watched the girls and thought that how these simple pleasures of life elude the poor. The girls were chirping like small birds now their faces glowing in candle light now

“Come and give a kiss to this nice uncle” She asked those girls and Venkat was taken aback with surprise.

“No-no its ok…” He mumbled but the girls came shyly to his side and one by one pecked slightly on Venkat’s cheek.

“I think I should be leaving” Venkat stood up to leave, and took out five hundred from his pocket and gave it to her, “ This should buy milk for your child till your husband is back or you get your first salary”

“You are a gentle man you know, I could have slept with you tonight, I was so desperate to get some money to buy milk for my child .You could have done anything you wanted but you didn’t” She was crying now standing near the door, she took Venkat’s hand and kissed them and also soaking them with her tears.

Venkat did not know what to say, he patted her head and left .His heart heavier than before. His hand went to his cheek where the young girls had kissed him, those kisses were more precious than Geetha's love .He smiled and almost laughed thinking he did not even ask for her name but then it wasn’t required.

(c) Anil Sharma ; Earlier published at Sulekha.com under the same Title