That night when Shabo prepared tea and took it Sadat’s room, she did not have the courage to stay to watch the TV by standing near the door. She did not even hand the cup over to Sadat. She just put it on his table and without giving him a look she sheepishly returned. But before she had left, Sadat spoke to her. “Shabo, mujhay thum yad ati ho” (I missed you). Shabo was literally made speechless by these words. She had not imagined that it was only her who was missing him, but the converse too was true. She wanted to run away from the room coz she felt so extremely shy. Somehow her legs would just not carry her. Sadat asked her to stay with him for a while, but she said no, she had to go.
That night both Sadat and Shabo did not sleep at all. The light in Sadat room was lit all night and Shabo kept gazing at it. How she wished she could just go and tell him that she too was waking. How she wished she could just stay for sometime with him.
Sadat’s two weeks vacation was nearing its end. He and Shabo had yet not spoken any properly. But by this time both had understood something was there between the two of them. On his last day, Sadat gave Shabo his cell phone number, and asked her to call him when he was in college. Shabo did not know how to dial. She did not even know that it was ever so dangerous to call from the house’s landline. There were so many extensions, and the number would be billed later. It won’t be difficult to tell who had been calling at that hour of the night!
She went to a public call office and asked the person there to dial a number for her. He did so. “The bell is ringing”, the man told her handing her the phone receiver. As soon as Sadat picked, and she heard him say hello, the tongue literally got tied and her mouth dried. She just put the phone down and left, and was about to run away, only to be stopped by the man who said, “bibi paisay tho daithi jain” (wont you be paying).
She was not able to call him; despite her intensely wanting to do so, all four months and Sadat came back. This time they spoke a little more. Sadat asked her why she had not called, and she told she felt too shy to talk to him. Sadat told her he wanted to talk to her sometimes when no one is around, or when all are asleep--- at night. She would not agree—at first at least.
It was only in those days that the driver asked Sadat’s mother if he could marry Shabo. Shabo heard Saima’s reaction to the driver’s suit. “ I know Ramazan is a good man, but he is too old for Shabo. I wish he was younger. I want someone for her, who can work as a servant for us, who can be her husband. I wont mind letting Shabo and her husband stay in the ‘kandar’ (deserted house) in our farm. I still remember the great service Shabo’s mother delivered to us.”
This episode forced Shabo to change her way of thinking. Rather it made her be awakened. She realized how inappropriate and irrational it was for her to think of Sadat in such a way. It was Sadat’s servant who could be a good match for her, not Sadat himself. After she started thinking in this realistic way, her attitude toward Sadat changed. Sadat also noticed this and asked her if she was upset with him. She did not say anything.
That night when Shabo prepared tea and took it Sadat’s room, she did not have the courage to stay to watch the TV by standing near the door. She did not even hand the cup over to Sadat. She just put it on his table and without giving him a look she sheepishly returned. But before she had left, Sadat spoke to her. “Shabo, mujhay thum yad ati ho” (I missed you). Shabo was literally made speechless by these words. She had not imagined that it was only her who was missing him, but the converse too was true. She wanted to run away from the room coz she felt so extremely shy. Somehow her legs would just not carry her. Sadat asked her to stay with him for a while, but she said no, she had to go.
That night both Sadat and Shabo did not sleep at all. The light in Sadat room was lit all night and Shabo kept gazing at it. How she wished she could just go and tell him that she too was waking. How she wished she could just stay for sometime with him.
Sadat’s two weeks vacation was nearing its end. He and Shabo had yet not spoken any properly. But by this time both had understood something was there between the two of them. On his last day, Sadat gave Shabo his cell phone number, and asked her to call him when he was in college. Shabo did not know how to dial. She did not even know that it was ever so dangerous to call from the house’s landline. There were so many extensions, and the number would be billed later. It won’t be difficult to tell who had been calling at that hour of the night!
She went to a public call office and asked the person there to dial a number for her. He did so. “The bell is ringing”, the man told her handing her the phone receiver. As soon as Sadat picked, and she heard him say hello, the tongue literally got tied and her mouth dried. She just put the phone down and left, and was about to run away, only to be stopped by the man who said, “bibi paisay tho daithi jain” (wont you be paying).
She was not able to call him; despite her intensely wanting to do so, all four months and Sadat came back. This time they spoke a little more. Sadat asked her why she had not called, and she told she felt too shy to talk to him. Sadat told her he wanted to talk to her sometimes when no one is around, or when all are asleep--- at night. She would not agree—at first at least.
It was only in those days that the driver asked Sadat’s mother if he could marry Shabo. Shabo heard Saima’s reaction to the driver’s suit. “ I know Ramazan is a good man, but he is too old for Shabo. I wish he was younger. I want someone for her, who can work as a servant for us, who can be her husband. I wont mind letting Shabo and her husband stay in the ‘kandar’ (deserted house) in our farm. I still remember the great service Shabo’s mother delivered to us.”
This episode forced Shabo to change her way of thinking. Rather it made her be awakened. She realized how inappropriate and irrational it was for her to think of Sadat in such a way. It was Sadat’s servant who could be a good match for her, not Sadat himself. After she started thinking in this realistic way, her attitude toward Sadat changed. Sadat also noticed this and asked her if she was upset with him. She did not say anything.