As the question of his proposing to her raised doubts afresh in his mind, he went back to square one in the tantalizing game of ‘hide and seek’ of love.
‘Am I mistaking her pity for empathy?’ he began wondering. ‘Am I misreading her admiration for my dourness as an admission of her weakness for me? Am I not taking her for granted?’
Thus feeling low, he was feeling sad when Vidya came greeting him spiritedly.
“I thought you won’t be up so soon,” she said.
“The aroma of the tea woke me up,” he said pointing at the teacup.
“I was a little tired,” she said though joyously. “After all, I had kept pace with you.”
As her infectious vivacity made him hopeful in spite of his melancholy, he said, alluding to the saptapadi, ‘Don’t they say walking a few steps together would demonstrate solidarity?’
“Seven to be precise, isn’t it?” she said as she sat opposite. “What about some coffee with me?”
“I find tea here like they serve in the North,” he said. “I will have more of it.”
‘The sooner you love coffee, the better it is for us,’ she said, alluding to the prospect of her setting up an Andhra kitchen in his Delhi home.
“Why not, if only you serve me?” he said picturing their future.
“Won't I deem it my duty?”
“That’s appetizing!” having said in hope, he soon sank into doubt.
“What happened to you?” she enquired concernedly.
“Don’t worry, it will come to pass,” he said melancholically, helping himself with the tea that was served in the meantime.
“Come, I’ll show you my place,” she said wanting to divert him from his gloom.
“I would love to,” he said as he got up, “knowing that it would be elegant.”
“Thanks for the advance compliment!” she extended her hand.
“Guide me then,” he said, grabbing it.
As she showed her modest tenement, she reminded him that she owed it to him in every way.
“Don’t you know that gratitude is burdensome?” he said, as if cracked by the last straw on his burdensome back.
“I’m sorry,” she said taking his hand. “I didn’t mean to hurt you.”
“I’m sorry,” he said, pressing her hand warmly, “I made you feel sorry.”
“I would like to dance for us,” she said to help relieve his bitterness.
“I thought of asking you myself.”
“What stopped you then?”
“I thought it might sound familiar,” he said tentatively.
“You’ve hurt me really,” she said mockingly.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to hurt you,” he said, as if to underscore that their predicament was the same.