Geetika goes to Giridhari ji. From him she learns everything — how many children have come here, and how they came. She just becomes emotional there, almost blank. With that same feeling, she asks Giridhari ji another question…
"Uncle, this lady who came here… what connection does she have here?"
Giridhari ji smiles and says…
"What connection does she have! All that you see here, it is all because of her, child. Girls like her are born perhaps only once in a decade. Who knows what time it was when she was born. This is all hers. Five years ago, when this orphanage was on the verge of closing, it was Kalpana who held it up, and she has been running it ever since. She had told me not to tell this to anyone. But you are like her, so I am telling you."
Hearing this, Geetika feels the ground slip from under her feet. Giridhari ji continues…
"Kalpana has managed everything — she has taken responsibility for the security here, for the children's studies, their clothes, everything. Officially this is run in the name of an NGO, but Kalpana has little faith in NGOs, so she herself takes care of it. Every month she comes here and checks on the children. Every child here knows her, child. If I say she is the owner of this place, it would not be wrong. Anyway, I have work, I'll leave now." (Giridhari ji placed his hand on Geetika's head and left)
Now his hand may have blessed her head, but beneath her feet the ground had given way — Geetika felt as if she were sinking into the earth. Abhi's words echoed in her ears: "What do you even know about her? What do you think of yourself? You think you're such a big journalist? You think you're so capable? Is this the limit of your capability?"
Those words pierced inside her like spears, and with that pain, she left the place. Because these people too perhaps had to go to the same party, the same function, where Kalpana and her gang were going to arrive.
Evening came. By evening, all of them got ready and reached the function. Kalpana was wearing her usual — leather jacket, jeans, boots, and a white shirt. She was talking with her gang: Bat, Amez, Abhi, and Sam were there. While they were talking, Abhi stepped away from the group, held Jarnab's hand, and brought her to his group. Jarnab smiled…
"Oh madam, since when have you been here?" (Kalpana asked Jarnab with a smile) "Forget about me, you are everywhere even when you are not present." "Oh really? And when did that happen?" (Kalpana asked with a questioning expression on her face)
Abhi pressed Jarnab's hand a little tightly, because she didn't know anything about the article, and meanwhile everyone else held their drinks and started chatting among themselves.
From the other side, a group of three approached. Suraj, whose one arm was folded against him because of the injury to his shoulder — it was clear it would not heal quickly, so he needed rest, but still he had come to the party — walked in with Annu and Geetika.
Annu's eyes fell directly on Kalpana, and she exclaimed—
"Hey, look at her! What a stunner. I mean, there's no limit to her attraction, yaar."
Suraj placed his injured arm against his heart and said—
"You're right, yaar. I feel so lucky that she saved me."
(Despite hearing both of them, Geetika gave no reaction. She was very quiet, her face completely expressionless. She seemed to be caught in some inner turmoil, one only she knew. The other two quickly left Geetika behind and rushed straight toward Kalpana's gang.)
"Hello, Kalpana Pandey ji." (Annu, gathering her words, spoke to Kalpana)
Kalpana tilted her gaze slightly and nodded her head at Annu—
"Hello, how are you?"
(Annu, like a crazy fangirl, almost fainted at that moment.)
With the same excitement, she replied—
"I'm very fine." "Oh, so you're here too." (Kalpana's attention shifted to Suraj)
Suraj extended his right hand for a handshake. Kalpana took it, and Suraj's heartbeat seemed to vanish into thin air. In that moment, he said—
"Thank you so much. How can I ever thank you?" (He searched for words in his throat, but none came)
Kalpana spoke—
"Oh, there's no need for that. You're fine now. Sorry, I didn't get time to come to the hospital. But you're strong anyway. I knew you'd survive. You're okay now, right?" (Kalpana asked with a smile)
Suraj felt as if he might collapse right then. He replied—
"Yes, yes, I'm absolutely fine."
Kalpana slipped her hand free from his and said—
"Excuse me." (And with that, she walked to the other side)
The party went on as such parties do — guests arriving, people meeting, conversations flowing. But Geetika sat quietly at a table, twirling her glass with two fingers. The glass contained nothing but water, and she kept rotating it, staring into the water. Her face was still, showing no emotions.
Then, an announcement reached her ears: Kalpana was invited to sing. The couples present intended to dance, and at the request of Abhi, Bat, and Amez, Kalpana agreed. She sat down on her chair, ready to perform.
Her table was directly across from Geetika's. At Geetika's table, Suraj and Annu stared at Kalpana with eyes full of admiration and longing.
Kalpana began her song. She strummed her fingers over her guitar and started with her words…
Kalpana began to sing. Her fingers gently strummed the strings of the guitar, and her voice filled the hall. The couples began moving to the dance floor, swaying with each other.
Her song carried both depth and softness,
"I thought of stealing the moisture of your lips,and in such a way that there would be no flaw in this theft.I thought of stealing the moisture of your lips,and in such a way that there would be no flaw in this theft.Let my heart beat within your chest, and the night stand still,perhaps my wandering eyes will finally find a home.I thought of stealing the moisture of your lips…"
Kalpana strummed her guitar again, and Abhi, holding Jarnab's hand, led her into a close, romantic dance. Suraj and Annu's condition was terrible, while Geetika only kept watching Kalpana with her empty gaze.
The beauty of the evening couldn't be measured. Above them, the black night, on top of that, the heart-stealing snowfall, and over it all, Kalpana's piercing song. She rose from her chair, giving her song a high point. Her group, who were moving their steps slightly in rhythm — something like dance moves — came to her, praised her song, embraced her, shook her hand. Holding the guitar in her left hand, Kalpana acknowledged all their praise with repeated nods of her head.
Even the distinguished guests at the party stood and applauded, appreciating Kalpana's performance. With a bright smile on her face, Kalpana expressed her thanks lovingly, bowing her head.
Annu widened her eyes, stood up, clapping her hands together with joy, her face glowing with happiness as if Panda had sung only for her.
"How do I even clap, yaar?" (Suraj said, standing up, his helpless eyes fixed on Kalpana)
Finding both her eyes and heart empty, Geetika also stood. She tapped one hand on Suraj's single working hand, and together they produced a clap.
"Thank you." (Suraj said, flashing a big smile at Geetika)
He too was as happy as if Panda had sung just for him. Kalpana bowed her head once more, expressing gratitude to everyone, and asked all to sit down.
The light snowfall drifted gently from the sky to the ground, while everyone enjoyed their dinner at their tables. The twinkling lights made the dark night even more beautiful.
"Yaar, she sings so well. Where did she come from?" (Annu said while chewing a mouthful of food)
"Finish eating first, then talk." (Geetika, breaking her long silence, replied to Annu)
Annu first looked at Geetika, then shifted her eyes to Suraj, choosing to ignore her.
"Yaar, wait a second." (Annu said, beginning to look at herself)
Both Suraj and Geetika watched her curiously.
"What happened?" (Suraj asked, pushing food down his throat)
"My neck isn't like that. Yours isn't either. Then that pitcher-shaped neck…" (Her eyes landed on Geetika as she said this)"No, no… that can't be. Your neck is pitcher-like, but… no, no."
"What are you even saying?" (Suraj asked, frowning)
Geetika ignored their words, kept eating silently.
"Pitcher-shaped neck! Look at Geetika's neck, it's exactly like a surahi. But do you think the Squadron Leader would sing for her? That's impossible, yaar." (Annu said bluntly, with a bold expression)
Geetika froze mid-bite, then glared at her.
"Is it necessary she sang for someone? Maybe someone once sang that song for her, and now she was repeating it." (Suraj said)
"Oh, so you know so much? Someone sang it for her?!" (Annu snapped, annoyed at his reply)
"Yes, of course. I see what you'll never see. Maybe someone else saw what I see, and they sang it for her. Tonight she remembered it, and so she sang."
They spoke, while in front of them Kalpana sat with Amez, sipping her drink, moving her lips inch by inch as she spoke to him.
"Oh please, stop it. Do you have a third eye or something, that you know so much? That someone sang it for her before?" (Annu slurred, stumbling over her words, but carried on)
"Look at her neck. In front of that, even a surahi fails." (Suraj said, his eyes fixed on Kalpana)
"Yes, yes yaar, you're right. Absolutely right." (The irritation that had been visible in Annu now turned into agreement)
"Geetika's neck is also pitcher-shaped, a little… but the Squadron Leader's is exactly like a surahi, yaar. Do you think someone really sang for her?"
"Don't say that! My heart is breaking."
"Both of you just finish your food quietly. Can't you see the snow? Even in that, all you see is only the Squadron Leader? In every snowflake, you see her face?" (After tolerating them for so long, Geetika finally spoke, exasperated)
Geetika's words broke the spell that the two had woven in their eyes with Panda. Their gaze shifted to the snowfall.
"You get jealous so easily, yaar." (Annu said, making a face at Geetika while finishing her last bite)
"Why are you so involved? What's it to you, huh? You've got a hollow mind or what?" (Suraj said to Annu)
Before Geetika could reply, hearing Suraj's words made her lips curve into a smile.
"Oye, don't fly too high. He's mine, okay! I'll handle him. And you, what's with you? Just because you're a man, do you think you've got birthright over girls?" (Annu snapped back at Suraj)
By then, the snow began to fall heavily, and they all headed toward their vehicles. Annu tried starting her car, but it wouldn't start.
"What's this, start it quickly." (Geetika said in a low voice to Annu)
"Arrey, I'm trying, it's just not starting. What should I do then?" (Annu replied, struggling with the ignition)
"And what will you do anyway? Look at the weather." (Suraj said, shrugging his shoulders)
The three looked a little worried.
"Now how will we get home? What should I do?"
"Then start it!" (Suraj said irritably)
"Oh, so should I crawl inside the car, will that make it start?" (Annu snapped back at him)
She got out of the car, and the other two followed her.
"Squadron Leader!" (Annu said, seeing Panda's group coming from the front)
Kalpana was walking ahead with her group, her charming smile drawing the three pairs of eyes toward her.
"Wait, I'll do something." (Annu said, stepping forward)
"Excuse me." (Kalpana turned her head slightly to the left to look at Annu)
"Yes, what happened?"
"Our car isn't starting. Maybe it's the engine. Could we get a lift with you, please?"
Hearing the request, Kalpana looked at Abhi, Abhi looked at Jarnab, and then turned his face toward Kalpana with a pleading expression. After all, she was his Panda. Kalpana understood his request and smiled—
"Okay, go."
Abhi held Jarnab's hand and left quickly — he needed his quality time.
Bat and Amez had come on their bikes, so it wasn't possible for them to drop the three.
"Alright, you two also go. Get home quickly." (Kalpana said to Amez and Bat)
Amez and Bat hugged Kalpana and then left.
"Okay, come with me. I'll drop you all." (Kalpana said to Annu, then looked back at Geetika, who was quietly staring at her)
Kalpana moved forward, Annu followed, and with a gesture of her hand, signaled the other two to come along. They too followed Annu's lead.
"So, out of the whole Valley, this is the only person you found for a lift? I'm not going with her." (Geetika broke her silence, whispering to Annu)
"Just keep quiet and come. No one else will give us a lift right now. And I wouldn't trust anyone else either. The Squadron Leader will drop us. Just imagine — the whole way we'll get to see her, smell her fragrance…"
Before Annu could finish, Suraj said softly—
"Yes… wow, her fragrance."
Grinding her teeth, Geetika said—
"You two have gone mad." (She couldn't do anything else, so she gathered her helplessness in her steps and moved forward with them)
"Ravi sahab, let's go. You have to drop some guests today." (Kalpana signaled to Ravi toward the three)
"Yes, Madam."
"Ravi, you'll never change, will you?" (Kalpana said, smiling and shaking her head)
"Sorry." (Ravi lowered his head)
"Let's go." (Ravi got into the driver's seat)
Kalpana sat beside him, and the three took the back seat. Once they were seated, Kalpana turned around—
"Any discomfort?"
"No, not at all." (Annu replied immediately, even before Kalpana finished)
Geetika turned her eyes and her head to the left, looking out of the window. Before her eyes flashed the moment when Kalpana was speaking with Giridhari ji. The words came back to her, and the aggression that rose inside her whenever she saw Kalpana faded back to zero. She sank again into the same silence in which she had been for so long.
Kalpana, her face turned forward, was talking to Ravi, who was driving the car. The two "monkeys" beside Geetika kept staring at Kalpana, and in doing so, filled their hearts with who knows what kinds of thoughts.
Then Kalpana's eyes shifted to the front mirror. In it, she could see Geetika. She noticed Geetika's quiet eyes, staring outside at the road. Looking at her, Kalpana said in her mind—
"How come this chatterbox is so silent today? Amazing. Well, it's good — if she's learning something good, that's good for her. But what must have happened that made her so quiet? It must be something deep."
(She smiled to herself as she thought this.)
She picked up her book and fixed her eyes on it. Now Geetika shifted her gaze back inside the car. She wanted to see Kalpana in the mirror, but couldn't. She tried leaning a little this way and that, peeking from the edge of her seat, just to catch a glimpse of her. She could see Kalpana's hands, the book in them — and in Geetika's mind, the song Kalpana had sung just a little while ago began to replay in circles.
Beside her, Annu and Suraj had started chatting softly—
"Yaar, look at her hands."
"Yeah, you'd never think she's a soldier. Wow."
"Both of them are crazy." (Ignoring their words, lost in her own thoughts, Geetika asked herself a question)
"Am I really wrong… about her?"
With that thought, she closed her eyes.
"Namaskar 🙏"