Overnight Guest (Part Three) by Rajasir

                                        OVERNIGHT GUEST (PART THREE)
"What if she sees all this?" he looked at the girl, with a sense of curiosity on his face.
"Papa, please speak softly!" the girl looked towards the room upstairs. Upstairs it was all quiet, as if house was a body divided into two parts, one numb and one alive. He was confused whether the girl was acting to be a puppet of her mother, because he saw neither the hand nor the strings to make the puppet dance.
He stood up. The girl was scared," Where are you going?"
"She will not come downstairs?" asked he.
"She knows that you are here," said the girl with a sense of irritation.
"Is that why she doesn't want to come?"
"No," said the girl, "that's why she can come any moment". "How silly you are?"Said she, "You don't understand even the simple things." She bent down and began to pick up the things one by one.
Suddenly, her hands stopped. She felt somebody was there at the door, and then she realized it was the ring of the phone. She rushed to the phone and picked the receiver. Then she shouted, "Mother, your phone!" She was leaning on the banister, with the phone hanging by the chord in her hand. The door of the room upstairs opened and the staircase began to vibrate. Someone was descending the stairs. Then a figure appeared," Who is it?"
"Hello," she said. At that moment he realized that the voice belonged to his wife. He could recognize the voice among thousands of other voices.
"Do you want to talk to Jenny?" the woman said to the girl.
"Hello Jenny, it's me," said she.
"Have a seat," said the man to the woman. He was afraid lest she should go back upstairs.
She was in a dilemma. Now it was difficult to turn, but there was no sense in standing there. She pulled a stool and sat in front of the TV.
"When did you come?" said she in such a soft voice that the man felt the woman talking to her on phone belonged to a different woman.
"It's been quite a while. I didn't know that you were upstairs".
She did not say anything.
The man pulled a handkerchief out of his pocket and wiped the swept off his forehead. He attempted to smile. "I waited outside the house for about one hour, thinking that no one was inside because I did not see the car in the garage", said he.
He knew but he asked.
"The car has gone for servicing," said the woman. She had always avoided the little discussions and those very little discussions were the spars which he was clutching at, at least for some time.
"Did you get my telegram? I had come to Frankfurt, and on the same ticket, paying a few extra pounds, I came here. I had phoned you but you were not at home".
"When?" The woman looked at him with curiosity," Both of us were at home."
"The bell continued to ring but no one picked the phone. May be the operator did not understand my English and connected the wrong number, "he began to laugh. " Listen, a strange thing happened at the Heathrow airport. There was a woman who looked exactly like you from the back. The good thing was that I didn't call her".
He continued his speech as a blinded folded man walking on the rope.
"Is there anything you want to say?" he asked the woman.
"I had stopped you. Why don't you understand?"
"From doing what?"
"I don't want anything from you, then why do you bring all these things to my house? What's the point?"
At first, Raman didn't understand what things she was talking about, but then he looked at the gifts scattered on the floor. "These are not much. If I had not brought all these things, my suitcase would have been empty."
"But I don't want them. Don't you understand this much?" said she in a trembling voice. She seemed to be in some kind of mental agony.
"Do you feel bad even when I come after two years?"
"Yes," her face was tensed, and then she relented," I don't want to see you, and that's all".
Is it easy? He was like the stubborn boy who in spite of knowing the answer acts like ignorant.
"Please," he pleaded.
"Leave me alone," said the woman.
"Can't I come to meet my daughter?" his voice seemed to be begging.
"Not in this house. You can meet her somewhere else".
"Where else?" the man was bewildered.
In those moments he had forgotten there was whole world outside the house: parks, roads, hotel rooms, his own house, and many more. But how he could drag the little child along?
She was laughing on phone," No, I can't come today. My father has arrived today. I didn't ask". Perhaps, her friend had asked how long the father would stay. Even the woman in front of him wanted to know it too.
The sun was slowly going down. TV screen was shining. But the house was empty, only a shadow of the woman was there. It was as if the announcer was going to appear on the TV screen to read the news. But the news was going to be the same news of the old pains and past experiences.
"I have come to meet you as well," he rallied courage.
"Me?" laughed she, with surprise and curiosity," You have not given up the habit of lying?"
"What shall I gain by lying to you now?"
"I don't know what you will gain, but what I have gained has caused me enough pain", she let out a long sigh." Had I known everything about you before, I could have done something".
"What could you do?" he felt a chill run across his spine.
"Anything. I can't live alone like you do, but in this age no one even looks at me."
"Margaret!" he unknowingly held her hand.
"Don't call me by my name. Everything is ruined." She was weeping, as if she had no concern with the man sitting in front of him.
The girl was sitting on the last step of the staircase. With her dry eyes, she was staring at her mother who was shedding tears. She knew that she could not do anything. Even in such a tender age she had seen the realities which the elders learn when they have gone through them.
Suddenly, the girl came to him," Would you like to see our garden?"
"Now?" he felt surprise. She seemed to be eager as if she wanted to say something, and she could not do it in that room.
"Come," said he, rising from his seat, "but first, you carry all these things upstairs."
"We'll collect them later".
"Later, when?" he seemed to be skeptical.
"Do come," she pulled him by his hand.
"Tell him to keep all these things in his suitcase," said the woman.
"Why?"
"I don't need these things".
He felt an inexpressible emotion rising in him," I won't take them back. If you want you can throw them out".
"Out?" her voice was stern," With these things, I can also throw YOU out". Her eyes had a glare in them.
"Won't we go to see the garden?" said the girl.
Though he was in the garden, his wife's voice was haunting him," Out...Out..."
"Why do you argue with the mother?" said the girl.
"Did I start it?" he looked at her, as if she was his enemy too.
"You do!" the girl seemed to be annoyed.
He did not want to lose either of them.
"Your garden is very beautiful," he tried to flatter her;" Do you have a gardener?"
"No, we don't," say the girl with vigor," I water the plants and trees in the evenings, and mother cuts the grass on holidays. Come here, I will show you a strange thing".
She took him near a black hedged yard in which there was a rabbit. She had one in her lap. It was like a ball of wool. It jumped and darted into the nearby bush.
"Earlier there were two, but now we have four".
"Where are the others?'
"Inside. They are quite small."
He wanted to touch the rabbit but his hand moved to the head of his daughter, and he began to caress her brown hair.
"Papa, have you bought a return ticket?"
"No...why?"
"You can get cheap return ticket here".
Had she called him to the garden to confirm whether he was going back the same night.
"Where will you stay tonight?" said she innocently.
"If I stay here...?"
The girl put the rabbit into the pen and closed the door.
"I was joking," he laughed," I will go back by last train".
"There are a few good hotels around. Shall I phone and enquire?"She held his hand and began to caress in the same way as she was caressing the rabbit.
"Listen, I will come to India during coming vacations. This time it is sure".
He did not say a word.
"Papa...Why don't you say something?"
"Every year you say the same".
"Don't you believe me? This year I will certainly come".          
"Shall we go inside? Your mother would be waiting".
They entered the house. The woman was not in the drawing room. She entered the bathroom and started washing her hair.
"Papa, do you still talk to yourself?" she came out, wiping her hair with a pink towel.
"Yes, but now no one listens to me," said he, keeping his arm around her shoulders," Is there any soda bottle in the fridge?"
"You go inside, I will fetch it".
The room was deserted. His things had been arranged near his suitcase. He knew that she may have felt those things but could not gather courage to keep them back inside the suitcase.
He deliberately didn't switch on the light.
The girl came in, carrying soda and a glass.
"Where is your mother?"
"She is taking a bath. She will be coming in a moment".
He took the bottle of whiskey out of his bag and asked, "Where is your ginger ale?"
"Now I drink beer," laughed the girl, "do you need ice?"
"No, but where are you going?"
"To feed the rabbits". 
He took two drinks, one after another. He did not realize that the woman was standing at the door and looking at him.
He lifted his eyes and suddenly realized her presence.
"Where is Melina?"
"In the garden to feed the rabbits".
She was standing under the banister. She was in a long maxi, and her hair was loose. Her face looked bright and fair. She was looking at the glass on the table. She was silent.
"There is ice too," said she.
"No, I have added soda. Shall I make one for you?"
She moved her head, which meant neither yes nor no. He entered the kitchen and fetched a glass. While he was pouring whiskey in the glass, she said, "That's enough".
"Won't you sit down?"
After a while, she asked," How is everyone at home?"
"They are fine. They have sent all these things".
"I know, but why do you trouble them? You carry all these things and they remain here uselessly".
"They can do only this much," said he," You have not visited them for many years. They remember you very much".
"What is the point in going now?" she took a long sip of the drink," I have no relation with them now".
"You can come with our daughter. She has never been to India".
"She will be fourteen next year, and legally she will be allowed to go anywhere".
"I am not talking about the law, I know she will not go anywhere without you".
"If I could, I would never send her there".
"Why?" he looked into her eyes.
"Aren't we two Indians enough for her?" she laughed.
He remained seated. After some time the door of the kitchen opened, and the girl came in.
She went to the phone. The woman said, "Who are you calling?"
"Would you like to have one more?" said he.
"No," she shook her head.
"Have you started drinking excessively?" said the woman.
"No, but while travelling, I cross the limit", paused he and then said," I was under the impression that you had settled down with a husband".
"What created this illusion in your mind?" she smiled.
"What happened to that girl? Doesn't she live with you?" she asked calmly.
"I live alone with my mother," said he.
"What happened?" the woman was surprised.
"Nothing, may be I am not worth living with," said he in a mournful voice.
Suddenly, he heard the voice of his daughter, "Father, this is the name of the hotel. Taxi will take you there in ten minutes", she handed him a piece of paper.
He finished his drink quickly and picked his suitcase and bag. Before either of them could say anything, he was out of the house, not knowing where he was going.
                                                                                        Rajasir