He extended her a cup of tea from the window. Her hands frozen from inaction shook a bit and spilled few drops. He skipped sideways to avoid and shouted at her
“Cannot even hold a glass, can you?” His voice coarse, from the long silence of the journey. The bus had stopped for refreshments after a long haul.
“How was the tea? You want anything else….to eat”. He asked, as he sat. The bus had already started to move. It was a respite on a moist day, very soon it was speeding on the highway cooling the sweaty bodies.
“See it is for our own good” he broke the silence.
“After all when my business picks up, you will also live a good life. Is it not?” She didn’t answer. He watched her.
“You are not saying anything. Are you fine?”
“I am fine”
“This time you will have to get enough. You understand”
“I will try”
“No trying. You will have to get more” he tried to suppress his raising voice, so it clogged and came out abrupt.
“They don’t have. They have given enough” her face staring the sloping highway ahead.
“What enough. Enough you say?” He stiffened, tightened his fingers, and relaxed himself immediately after few short breaths.
“See it is for our own good I am saying. For our children and their future”
“Will you love me if I bring…”
“Is that to ask?” he cut her “you know I love you” he humored and put his hand across her shoulders, she wriggled.
“Look at those flowering trees, don’t they look beautiful?” he pointed outside the window. She didn’t look. The bus had attained a steady speed as it cruised through the empty highway; it seemed as if it was floating.
“Ask for more so that we don’t need to ask again” he whispered and after a long pause
“It’s humiliating to ask again and again”
“It’s all your fault you should have brought what was promised. It’s all your fault”
“How is it my fault? We gave as was promised you were the one….” He glared her to silence. He smiled.
“Don’t worry it will be fine. It is for us” he squeezed his arm around her neck and tried to move his head towards hers. She pushed him.
“All rights let me tell you what you should tell them”
“Tell them it’s for business, spare part business. Also tell them…”
“Yes I will” she severed.
The driver found a cattle suddenly crossing the path, so applied breaks abruptly. Some of the passengers screamed. He hastily pushed her to save himself from the knock to the front seat, fortunately nobody was harmed. They didn’t speak for a duration. The sun had climbed up in the sky and both sides of the road had given way to rocks and boulders, the nature had become unforgiving in its manifestation. It was she who spoke
“Will you marry again?”
The man laughed, an uncomfortable repressed one, all the while maintaining his gaze outside the window, and said
“What are you saying?”
“Are you all right? You want some water to drink?”
He poured water from flask and thrust it to her, she drank it.
“Are you fine?”
“Yes I am fine” she didn’t nod and slowly turned her face towards him for the first time since the journey began. There was something she wanted to tell him, something she had been holding for too long. He closed his eyes and pretended to sleep. An hour later the bus entered a small town, indicated by assortment of vehicles and houses. The man gesticulates urgently to the driver to stop. The stalling vehicle spewed dust all around. She took time to gather herself, so he positioned himself behind her, elbowing her whenever she lingered as the luggage she carried brushed against the seats. He cursed her for her clumsiness. Finally thrusting her out of the bus, giving her a hand as she almost fell down.
“Cannot even hold a glass, can you?” His voice coarse, from the long silence of the journey. The bus had stopped for refreshments after a long haul.
“How was the tea? You want anything else….to eat”. He asked, as he sat. The bus had already started to move. It was a respite on a moist day, very soon it was speeding on the highway cooling the sweaty bodies.
“See it is for our own good” he broke the silence.
“After all when my business picks up, you will also live a good life. Is it not?” She didn’t answer. He watched her.
“You are not saying anything. Are you fine?”
“I am fine”
“This time you will have to get enough. You understand”
“I will try”
“No trying. You will have to get more” he tried to suppress his raising voice, so it clogged and came out abrupt.
“They don’t have. They have given enough” her face staring the sloping highway ahead.
“What enough. Enough you say?” He stiffened, tightened his fingers, and relaxed himself immediately after few short breaths.
“See it is for our own good I am saying. For our children and their future”
“Will you love me if I bring…”
“Is that to ask?” he cut her “you know I love you” he humored and put his hand across her shoulders, she wriggled.
“Look at those flowering trees, don’t they look beautiful?” he pointed outside the window. She didn’t look. The bus had attained a steady speed as it cruised through the empty highway; it seemed as if it was floating.
“Ask for more so that we don’t need to ask again” he whispered and after a long pause
“It’s humiliating to ask again and again”
“It’s all your fault you should have brought what was promised. It’s all your fault”
“How is it my fault? We gave as was promised you were the one….” He glared her to silence. He smiled.
“Don’t worry it will be fine. It is for us” he squeezed his arm around her neck and tried to move his head towards hers. She pushed him.
“All rights let me tell you what you should tell them”
“Tell them it’s for business, spare part business. Also tell them…”
“Yes I will” she severed.
The driver found a cattle suddenly crossing the path, so applied breaks abruptly. Some of the passengers screamed. He hastily pushed her to save himself from the knock to the front seat, fortunately nobody was harmed. They didn’t speak for a duration. The sun had climbed up in the sky and both sides of the road had given way to rocks and boulders, the nature had become unforgiving in its manifestation. It was she who spoke
“Will you marry again?”
The man laughed, an uncomfortable repressed one, all the while maintaining his gaze outside the window, and said
“What are you saying?”
“Are you all right? You want some water to drink?”
He poured water from flask and thrust it to her, she drank it.
“Are you fine?”
“Yes I am fine” she didn’t nod and slowly turned her face towards him for the first time since the journey began. There was something she wanted to tell him, something she had been holding for too long. He closed his eyes and pretended to sleep. An hour later the bus entered a small town, indicated by assortment of vehicles and houses. The man gesticulates urgently to the driver to stop. The stalling vehicle spewed dust all around. She took time to gather herself, so he positioned himself behind her, elbowing her whenever she lingered as the luggage she carried brushed against the seats. He cursed her for her clumsiness. Finally thrusting her out of the bus, giving her a hand as she almost fell down.
