Marigolds used to bloom a lot at Srijit's place. The soil there was ideal for Marigolds - neighbors used to say. It all started because of those flowers.
Damayanti's office was at Dharmatala, a back-office of a Marwari company. She used to log her computer off at 7-ish to catch the 7:12 metro.
On the chilly evening of 26th December, her office was almost empty at 6:30. But one of the pivot-tables was not coming up correctly.
Damayanti was stuck till 7:45 that day.
Nishant was zooming through park-street fly-over that evening. He was trying to reach Dunlop to collect some advance from his taxi-owner.
There was a 9:30 Howrah-Chhapra train he had to catch that night. He was already running late.
Srijit was checking-out this book called "A pictorial guide to backyard flower garden" on the footpath in front of Grand hotel when he heard the cry.
He rushed to the road to find a Taxi, a girl in Kurti and a lot of blood.
--- - ---
Damayanti regained her consciousness inside the taxi. She could not make out anything for the first 10 minutes in the low light.
And then the searing the pain started - it was as if someone was chopping off her left leg.
She put her hand on the seat and immediately recoiled feeling the stickiness of blood all over the place.
Nishant had to go to the police station that night after admitting Damayanti to the hospital. He could not catch the train to Chhapra.
Srijit reached home almost at midnight. He had to wait for an hour before catching an auto from Ultadanga.
Damayanti woke up next day afternoon to learn that her left leg had to be amputated from 2 inches above her ankle.
She stared outside the window for a long time. A myna was looking for food on the other side of the window-sill - it's thin yellow legs dazzling in the light.
--- - ---
It was almost evening when Srijit goes to visit Damayanti on Saturday. The pale sunlight of winter was fading away from the windowpane.
Damayanti could not but smile while taking the bunch of flowers from Srijit's hand.
- Marigold! of all the flowers in the world?
- My name is Srijit
- I know, News-24 ran the story today afternoon.
- Oh, the world is a small place nowadays
Damayanti smiles a weak smile.
- Thanks, for keeping me alive
- Never mind, anybody would have done the same.... but... I heard the bad news.
- left-leg?
- yeah... I mean .. but there's so much technology today, you know, people go to Olympics with artificial legs, so...
- yeah - won't you sit down?
- thanks.. isn't there anybody from your home today?
- my mom and sister are on their way, stuck in the metro station. 2 trains have got canceled - someone has jumped on the tracks
- oh yeah - this is the new trend...
- some people search for death, and death searches for someone else
- forget it... how are YOU feeling today
- lovely... if they discharge me, I can run back ... limp back home anytime. But.. they serve an excellent juice every morning - will miss that!
Both of them bursts out laughing..
- Orange?
- Mixed fruit - with almonds at the bottom.
- my god.. You are almost enjoying your days here
- oh yeah... thanks to you
......
- That must be your mom - bye for today then
- sure, but what's the story behind these Marigolds?
- will tell you some other day, long story
- will look forward to it
- bye - I will visit again
- yes.. please
--- - ---
Nishant loses his job. Nobody is ready to give him a driver's job anymore. He is now a temporary porter at Howrah station.
Maybe, I should sell my piece of land, he thinks leaning on a sack of potato.
--- - ---
- Thank you!
- Will you drop this bad habit of saying thanks every 2 minutes?
- No!
- why?
- you won't understand
- fair - I don't understand a lot of thing anyway
- oh the weather is so nice today
- it's on a little hotter side .. isn't it?
- If you come out of your house after 4 months, you would not notice it. I feel like I am alive again
- So, I saved your life twice then
- you did sir! and to be honest, I have hardly ever come to the riverside
- really? After staying in Kolkata your entire life? These riverside parks are kind of the only places to go in Kolkata
- I would never go, you know.. I used to go to malls a lot. South-city mall was my fav
- Okk.. we can go there some other day
- Nope .. this is much better - Ganges
- Dirty, old, weak Ganges?
- still ... it's so beautiful today
--- - ---
Nishant has put up a shop in Howrah by investing the money he got from selling the land. He has brought his family here now from Bihar.
A dimly lit bulb glows in their shack by the canal every evening. Under that Tishu dozes off over his homework.
Saloni grumbles while sitting in front of the earthen oven. Nishant comes home quite late these days - on unsure steps, breathing local liquor
The sounds from the tv-serial overcome the bitter noise of their late-night arguments...
--- - ---
- hello you!
- hello
- what are your plans for Durga-puja?
- what do you think - I am ready for pandal-hopping?
- cumon - we will go during the daytime - there won't be that much crowd then. We will only go to Madox square - there's a large open area there
- sure - we can run around the park
- hey, you are being too much today - a little bit of courage and we can go. I will be there, why are you so worried
- Oh yeah... you will be there - I didn't notice that
- wow - you are in some mood. I should probably hang up now
- yep - and please try to enjoy your holidays with a normal girl
- I didn't get that
- which part
- what
- which part did you not get? the normal part - the girl part - or the enjoyment part?
- okk madam - it's impossible to talk to you today. good night
- that's better - and stop this madness now onwards. It's been a while
--- - ---
Nishant's hanging body was found by a local tea-seller. The whole place was full of people staring at his bulged eyes before the police came.
That evening Saloni identified the body at Howrah morgue.
Saloni was carrying the ashes of her husband under her dupatta while crossing the Howrah bridge.
She stopped at one point and stared blankly at the steel jungle. She kept staring for a while.
Then she shuddered despite the heat of mid-september. She folded her hands towards Ganga-Maiya and walked on.
Srijit's madness has not stopped. In fact, it has increased. The cold winter breeze has brought buds on his Marigold plants.
He whistles while watering the plants before leaving for office.
A bunch of sparrows keep a close eye on the yellow buds from the rooftop opposite.
--- - ---
26th December gets really cold this year. Damayanti starts feeling numb after sundown. But she leaves her home. Alone. After one full year.
Dharmatala is relatively empty today, Srijit was standing in front of Grand hotel with a bunch of Marigolds in hand.
Damayanti stares at the road for a while after getting down from her taxi. Then Srijit takes her hand and says "Come".
Saloni takes quick steps towards home.
There is a box of pastry in her hand today - left-overs from the Christmas celebration last night at her employer's place.
Tishu will be so happy today - she thinks.
--- - ---
Kolkata keeps running, The hoardings light up with new-year deals!
