Chhotolok

Within 4 days she texted me

We met the very next day

I initially went out of curiosity, honestly

Nice!

What will you have?

Not tea or coffee for sure!

It all started so fast that I could not tell right from wrong

You like it?

I knew it!

What do you mean?

You ask too many questions!

This is illegal, but…

Thank you

Did she try clicking pictures on the very first day?

No! She was way smarter!

The next two months went by the blink of an eye

What are you doing?

I like seeing through the camera

What crap!

Don’t complain! You like it too!

Why?

Otherwise, you would have been sitting at home

Eating fish curry and rice made by your pious wife!

You had to remind me of her, right?

You allowed this so easily?

Did you tell her yourself that you had a lot of liquid cash in hand?

I did not have to tell her anything

Don’t do this with me!

What?

This costs 16,900, right?

God!

I’ve been studying price tags, my entire life

Ok?

Then? She asked for money one day?

Very casually!

20 Lakhs?

What did you say?

You heard it

For constructing another floor in your house at Bhadreswar?

Baba was saying he’d loan from the bank

I was thinking why pay so much interest?

I would anyway pay you back in 2-3 years

Where will I get 20 lakh rupees, Rupsha?

Come on!

Did she say Bhadreswar or Kanchrapara?

Bhadreswar

No her parental house is in Kanchrapara.

I was just checking. You carry on!

I initially thought she was just taking a wild chance

But in 2-3 days, the demand became serious.

She started threatening me by texting my office address,

colleague’s names and numbers

I couldn’t imagine she was so prepared

There must be many in your office who would love to see you in trouble!

Isn’t it natural?

Didn’t you negotiate?

I tried

Madhu mama tried too

Madhu mama? Who is that?

Madhusudan Ghosal

My only maternal uncle

Previously lived in Asansol, currently in Kolkata

Where does he stay?

Lately he was staying with maa

But now he is probably in a PG

In a PG?

Why?

It is not easy for anyone to stay with my mother for too long

Madhu Mama took a bank loan and started a beauty parlour

At his place in Asansol

Something went wrong there

I think he went underground and was staying with Maa

He probably asked for some money from Maa

But Maa refused apparently

I’m sure he had asked you too

And you in exchange asked him to negotiate with Rupsha on your behalf?

They met once for sure

But he couldn’t do much

Mama was desperate

He threatened her on his own without consulting me

She’s honking

Do what you’re doing

Hey! Is this a place to park your bike?

She’s coming out

Don’t look up, keep working

What’s the matter with you?

I’m telling you politely, can’t you hear?

You have also been politely asked many times, madam!

You’re also not paying any heed, we’ve heard!

You’re a single woman, and you drive back home alone at night

We can’t take responsibility in case of an accident, didi!

What are your per-day wages?

Huh?

Do you work contractually or as daily wagers?

Don’t talk rubbish!

In your business, one needs to go gymming, have some protein shake

Take care of your shape

People with your physique can’t be in the business of threatening people!

Do you get it, morons?

Mind your language, didi!

Hey!

The Deputy Commissioner is my client, you dickhead!

If I see you in this area ever again

You’ll get thrashed so bad in the lockup

You won’t know the difference between your head and your ass!

Clear the road

Move it, bro!

She became desperate after this incident

She called me up the next day with a deadline

I tried my best to take a week’s time but I realised

This couldn’t be extended longer

What strikes me is

You’re a reasonable and intelligent chap

Careful and conservative to some extent too

How could someone like you

Just wag your tail and enter this rabbit hole?

If you had accepted that you’d never get something in your lifetime

And that pops up right in front of you for two whole months

If you had a tail, madam, you’d also wag it and willingly enter the hole,

Didn’t you get married a few months back?

7 months

Love marriage?

Facebook-love!

She was working in Noida

Then we exchanged texts, phone numbers, went on dates to coffee shops

All that

Your marital relationship is like….

No way out?

Mallika is a simple girl

She has few demands

Had lost both her parents early

She was probably looking for some kind of a social identity

And I was probably looking for some personal space

Where no one would disturb me

After a tiring mundane day, chilling with a glass of whiskey

Is all I wanted

You’re smirking?

That’s what people expect!

So you decided to take her to meet your mother?

How did you guys meet?

That’s a funny little story!

On grand- dad's centenary, I posted about him on Facebook

With photos and all, the usual stuff!

I wrote about how once upon a time