Watch Out!

"And thus, reputation is an insanely, invisible object of burden. You can't see it, you can never touch it, but the weight of it -- right, you feel the scales up and down all the time" concluded Professor Mrignayani Baruah. Her students were intently listening, entranced almost, and could have applauded her lecture. She smiled, thanked and left the class, desperate to reach her locker holding her mobile phone. It was three hours to the incident. Her concern was palpable, if one would look beyond her calm face.

It is difficult to explain how, when you fear things, or wish for things, they happen. They do. Five missed calls from two unregistered numbers and two texts were waiting for Professor Baruah. She was renowned for her skills and almost always left a very good impression, wherever she went. She dialed his number only to find his voice mail, "Rudhir Baruah here and busy. Will get back. Leave your name." How many times Mrignayani had made jest of his voice-message. "Change it Roo! It sounds ridiculous", to which Rudhir would never pay attention. 

Their daughter, Piki, was eleven months, and earlier this morning, like on other mornings, as Rudhir was playing with her, Mrignayani emerged from her bath to find her daughter playfully cuddling and brimming her husband. She has never played so joyfully with me. As she brushed her hair dry, she thought to herself that she should not allow such thoughts to penetrate her mind. Giving up the medicines was un-prescribed, un-supervised. It could well be a trigger for a relapse. "Roo, I don't find like driving today. Please drop me off at college today?"

Rudhir was amused, "Finally my Missus has asked for chauffeur service! What a day! Come Piki, let's get dressed and drop Mamma to school!" 

"Oh. She can be with the maid, Roo. It would be too much to get her ready and in any case you would be back before her bath. Should we go in your Santro?" Mrignayani was draping her saree to perfection. 

"Sure Ma'am. As you wish. Really Mrig, will you never let me touch your i20?" 

"Never, Roo. Stop being a cry-baby. It is your car as well. Now Piki, come give Mamma a kissie!"

Rudhir came up and kissed Mrignayani and Piki followed. They left the room with Professor Baruah placing her bindi to perfection. Solemnly, she took out the packet of herbal arsenic and mixed it in a bottle of water. Bought about a year back, when she was dead against her pregnancy, she had given suicide a thought. Never had it come to her then that it could be used for murder instead. Oh yes Roo, you will never get to touch my car, or my daughter. Let us give you some hydration. Rudhir called out from the living room, "I am ready!"

"Coming!" On her way out, she left the instructions with the maid, explaining her headache for which Dada would be driving her today. She kissed Piki again and left.

Her college was a good forty minutes drive away on light traffic. It was magical to have a stay-at-home husband, dealing with his shares and stocks, and handling the hours where she could not be with Piki. They spoke and laughed, and changed channels on radio. Rudhir started singing along. He finished an entire song, to which Mriganayani offered him the bottle. He drank almost all of it up. The song was "Dilse Re" -- high pitch. They were at the college gate. "Do you want to be picked up as well?"

She looked at him, consulted her watch, smiled and replied, "Thank you Roo. Thank you, but no. I will be home fine. Drive safe!"

Ten minutes into driving back, he started feeling the confusion of sudden drowsiness. He also noticed his palms swell. I will call Mriggi at the next signal. By the next signal though, he suffered a major convulsion and his fingernails changed colour. The last that Rudhir remembered was a bad-taste in his mouth. He thought of Piki and died an instant death at the signal. 

Professor Baruah was intelligent enough to take the bottle with her into college, dump the remaining water and trash the bottle. The first text said, "Urgent. Call Back. Guwahati Police." The second one was from Rudhir's father, "Call immediately."

As she dialed Rudhir's number to cross-check, his display picture appeared. He was smiling at the camera, eyes on her, Piki in his arms. Bastard thought Mrignayani. In the following minutes she was out and accompanied by colleagues to the Police Station. Her first words to her family were, "Where is Piki?" Everyone came upon her to console. Piki is my daughter, not her Daddy's. Daddy cannot have all the attention. Watch out, Piki, Mamma is going to be better than Daddy.

In their house, Piki was playing with one of Rudhir's watch, impatient with neither parent around. Late that night, when Mrignayani was putting her to sleep, beside her, she was surprised to find Roo's watch in her clutch, held tight. 

Not even time can tell, Piki.