7. She Too Cares...

She dragged me out of her PATHSHALA and started laughing again. Anamika and her impish grin always cooking something in her head. I have always bragged about my special Sundays to everyone but today It's going to change I guess because after a long time I was feeling happy and I was getting mischievous too along with her.

Anamika- Walk fast otherwise you will miss it.

Aditya- What will I miss at least tell me.

Anamika- Nope let it be a surprise for you, Mr. Explorer.

Aditya- You never stop giving a nickname to people and if I am not wrong this must be your favorite pass time too.

Anamika- I was never good at nomenclature from school days but I think you are becoming my favorite compound or element whatever they say.

Aditya - Your favorite element?  Am I looking like an experiment to you or your Discovery or something?

Anamika- It's not like that Adi, it’s just....  leave it, you will not understand.

Aditya- Try me

Anamika- Do you know the interesting fact of naming you?

Aditya- What?

Anamika- Na... Leave it...

Aditya- Tell Na...

Anamika- Look we have reached, your first challenge

Aditya- Ha, this is not surprising, one of my favorites but first tell me...

Anamika- Not going to...  you must have been eating these every Sunday O sorry your special Sunday.

Aditya- I used to eat them, In my every visit to haat bazaar with friends when I was in college but it's been a long time since I had them.

Anamika- There is no room for memories here until you have one in your mouth but before that, you have to tell me the name.

Aditya- Hahahaha this is the easy one and I guess today you do have enough bills in your pocket.

Anamika- (Pulling my cheek) we will see there is much left in your way today my Adiholic

Aditya- Nankhatai (Shortbread Biscuits)...... hahaha, Bring it on Miss Madness..... You should have researched about me before starting this game...

Anamika- Miss Madness...achha ji...Well don't be overconfident foodie because I am one too .... hahaha

Aditya- (An evil smile hahaha) Dada  adhaiso gram Nankhatai diyo ar taka madam dibe. (Brother pack 250 gms of Nankhatai)

Anamika paid the bill for 250 gms Nankhatai and our game was on with 1-0 but that hawker was in Surprise and out of his curiosity he said " Boudi (Sister-in-law) Never saw any girlfriend paying the bill, you are the first one" and Anamika started laughing again and with an impish grin she said to hawker...

Anamika- Dekho na Borda ki aar korbo tumar Dada je aache nijer hobu bou k Kichu dite e chaye na. (See big brother, your brother doesn't want to give anything to his to be wife)

Aditya- Bou achha (Oh! wife) ….ki aar korbo... (What can I do)

Anamika- (She placed her hand on my lips and interrupted me in between) don’t think too much Mr. Now let’s move.

[She pushed me and said, keep moving otherwise you will miss my surprise.]

Aditya- can't we leave something for next Sunday we still have plenty of Sunday left.

Anamika- Everything can wait but not this particular one so push your boots and you mean to say that you don't have time other than Sunday for me.

Aditya- It's not like that

Anamika - like what?

Aditya- Actually I have never taken leave other than weekends.

Anamika- Weekends are also official leave as per my knowledge, leave It you are not going to change Mr. Adiholic.

Aditya- I am trying too...

Anamika - You and your efforts, who knows.

Aditya- What who knows? I am trying my best to...

Anamika- Best to what.... walk fast

Aditya (started walking fast)- Happy...

She started jogging wait I was just kidding not that fast I can't... i was just kidding Adu

Anamika- stop stop stop Adu

Aditya- Now what happened, decide first, first you want me to walk fast and now stop what's going on your mind and what's Adu now.

Anamika (Smilingly) - Adu, your new nickname and you don't have the right to complain because today you are mine.

Aditya (I murmured)- I am yours forever.

Anamika-What? Say it loud

Aditya- Nothing

Anamika - Good because here comes another challenge.

Aditya- Ready to loose

Anamika (murmured) - Always

Aditya (heard it but trying to ignore) - What? What's the challenge?

Anamika- taste and tell

Aditya- Okay Miss A, Bring it on.

Anamika disappeared in the midst of the crowd and left me there and I was lurking around feeling like a lost child who got separated from his parents. I tried to avoid roaming around the crowd; it was a bit fearful for me. Crowds always traumatized me since childhood. My heartbeat; I can hear it now out of agony. I always used to hold my mother’s hand in the crowd. It always reminds me how lonely I am or fear of being alone. Most of us stand a crowd and find it as a chance to shine but I can surely say this quality is not mine. My face started to pale, out of nowhere someone held my hand and pulled me towards them.

Anamika- Where have you been? Are you enjoying this crowd without me? Come walk fast

Aditya- (Agitatedly asked) Where have you been? You left me in the crowd alone.

We reached the stall and she already has ordered a plate along with something else but after seeing me disturbed she told that hawker to hold for a bit and hold my hand...

Anamika- What’s happened, Adi? There is nothing to be afraid of

She didn’t understand what happened but seeing my pale face and agitated mood, she was trying to calm me down. She hugged me calmly and said, don’t worry Adi I am here. Her voice in my ears gave me a belief. After a minute I calmed down. She handed me over a piece of Cadbury.

Anamika- Eat it, you will feel better.

Hawker- Ki didi, lagbe ki lagbe na (Sister, Do you want your order or not)

Anamika (Angrily) - Dekchho na shorir kharab lagchhe, dui miniute dara le ki hoye (Don’t you see he is feeling unwell, Can’t you wait for two minutes)

Aditya (trying to calm her down) - Why are you getting angry at him because of me?

Anamika (Angrily) - I am not because of you, can’t he see.

Hawker- Thik aache Thik aache rag koro na Didi( okay sister don’t get angry) aami pire aloor onno plate baniye dichhi, thanda hoye gechhe( I will prepare another plate of Pire Aaloo, this one has cooled).

Anamika- bsss sb kichhu shesh, Everything has been ruined thanks to you dada

Aditya- Why are you getting angry on him and by the way I didn’t know this dish and has never tasted it before. So, this point goes to… ( she interrupted me furiously)

Anamika- Yes you are right, why am I getting angry on him? I must have slapped you instead of calming you down.

Aditya ( Trying to calm her down)- Calm down Anami, Calm down.

Told hawker to prepare the dish as fast as possible. “Dada, Tara Tari” (Brother make it fast) and bam, a tight slap on my face. I was in shock and even that hawker and everyone around that stall. Hawker handed over the plate to another customer and started to prepare another because he knew we were going to need some time.

Aditya (With shocked face, holding his cheek with one hand and trying to console her despite getting slapped)- What happened Anami?

Anamika (in his furious mood and crazy expression) - Anami….. It's Anamika, not Miss A or anything only Anamika.

Aditya (in a much lower tone) - What happened?

Anamika- What happened? Why didn’t you say this before?

Aditya- What?

Anamika – That you have Agoraphobia.

Aditya- What’s that?

Anamika (little frustrated) - I feel like slapping a slap. Oh! Your fear of crowded place you idiot.

Aditya (grinned scratching his head with one hand and another on my left cheek) – You are feeling it then what was that before ...... and I don’t have a phobia or anything like that

Anamika- Get lost and don’t talk to me ever again. (She started to walk leaving those Pire Aaloo behind)

She started to walk and I was shouting her name loudly standing there Anamika! Anamika! Wait for na, it’s not like that. I had to run to catch her because I don’t want to lose her again in the crowd. I ran and hold her hand from behind to stop her and pulled her towards me. She angrily was trying to loosen my grip.

Aditya – Sorry, I am Sorry Anami. I didn’t tell you before because I never knew these things do matter. I get agitated every time I lose someone in the crowd. Don’t know weathers it’s a phobia or not. 

Anamika- (she loosened her grip and was standing there) Yes these things do matter because I don’t want to …. (And an awkward silence)

Aditya- (holding both her hand) you know when I was about four or five years old I guess. I was roaming in the village fair with my father and due sudden chaos I got separated from him. A child was crying and roaming in a crowd and many more. A memory I never wanted to remember but these traumas. Sorry, Yaar….Oh! Sorry, Anamika.

Anamika- You could have told me about your phobia. I would have never left you alone in a crowd.

Aditya (Facetiously) - Now someone knows about my phobia, I guess...

Anamika- Ha! Ha! Ha! Not that funny Mr. Now I will definitely leave you behind

She held my hand tightly and pulled me towards her saying “Your Pire Aaloo is waiting” not me, okay. She started to walk towards hawker again and smilingly ordered “Dada eibar diye dao order” (Brother give our order this time) and hawker was no better than her.

 Hawker- Ki Dada, Boudi k … (This time Aditya interrupted)

Aditya- Leave it and just speed up our order.

Anamika- (Smilingly) let him complete na, Oh! Why you are interrupting in between.

Aditya- Achha now you don’t have any problem.

Hawker handed over our order and the moment our order came, we both started in a single plate. Hawker asked do we need another one but our simultaneous no was enough for everyone to understand. He slipped two cups of tea silently. We both were so excited that we ate too much extra in a bite and then those hot spices started to blast in our and we both shouted “Jhaal” (it’s hot). Because of her fair complexion, her face turned red. Her expression was worth having another bite and I had another one. Next bite took me to another level.

Aditya (started crying)- Water I need water…. Anamika this isn’t a challenge this is a death trap.

Anamika (tears rolling because of spices) - Here, enjoy this tea flavored with Darjeeling leaves. Enjoy slowly.

Aditya- When someone has spicy food they need water, not hot tea.

Anamika- Mr. Foodie a sip first then you can have some water.

Well, it’s her order and I can’t argue anymore.

I sipped a little and spices along with this hot tea gave another blast and I was crying louder. She tries to teach me the proper way.

Anamika- Take a deep breath and a gentle blow to cool it down and have a sip slowly and let it settle in your mouth then you will see...

Did the same as per her directions and after a while, it really tastes amazing but those extra bites ...

Aditya- Water I need Water...

Anamika- Who told you to have an extra bite... (And asked hawker for some water)

She handed over, me some water and said not fill my tummy with it. I took few sips just too calm my taste buds then started to enjoy tea.

Anamika- You can't even bear some spices, how you are going to bear...

She stopped talking and lifted her teacup and she exclaimed Cheers. Everyone around happily responded with cheers and I was still trying to calm my taste bud.

Aditya ( trying to beat the heat)- Cheers!

She started laughing and she joined them pulling my cheek.