Beyond The Pale

Screech! The double-decker bus came to a halt on the busy Ballygunge road. It was a Sunday and Chaitali had gone out to buy some breakfast from the Dhaba. As the big red bus was still making noise the traffic came to a standstill. All took their heads out to see if an accident had taken place.

Meanwhile, the bus driver requested the passengers to get down as the bus was not in order and later it would have been taken to the workshop. As Chaitali was crossing the road, she saw a young man and yes, oh! It was Aditya getting down with all the passengers. ‘Aditya!, Chaitali cried aloud and the two friends met on the Ballygunge road. They were classmates while doing their graduation and one by one the girls got married and the boys were looking to get into a special line or look for jobs.

Adi got a job in the State Bank as a probationary officer and looked happy. Here Chaitali was married a few months earlier and had shifted to Calcutta with her husband.

Chaitali took her friend to her house in Ballygunge Place and introduced him to her husband. Both became pally and it was decided that the coming weekend Adi, would give a treat to all of us in a good restaurant.

So, on Saturday Chaitali and others met at Amber restaurant. They started with the starters and ordered sweet lime juice followed by chicken reshmi kebab fish fry etc. Just as they were sipping the lime juice Chaitali saw a young couple enter the restaurant. They sat just opposite Chaitali. Ayan and Aditya were busy talking but she somehow found the couple a bit disturbing. But then she brushed off her silly thoughts and got into the conversation with the men folk. 

They had Moti Biryani, Baked Bhetki, and some more. Finally, with Pistachio Kulfi Faluda, they waited for the fat bill on the table. Nevertheless, Adi completed all the money matters, and now they left the lovely restaurant.

Readers, do you remember I mentioned above that a young couple was sitting just opposite Chaitali? Ah! They too finished their food and Chaitali, Adi, and Ayan were waiting for the bus to come. The young couple was standing adjacent to theirs. Somehow Chaitali's eyes fell on the couple and saw that the young woman who had worn a synthetic sari had covered her head, all of a sudden she couldn’t hold it and it fell. 

Straight away the man slapped the young lady and in front of everyone on the road. The sound came as a dull thud. Adi got ready with his arms and rolled up his sleeves and said, ‘I will go and slap the man’. Chaitali told Adi, ‘It is the girl who has to revolt. She has to stand, she has to give a befitting reply to the slap. One has to help oneself.

If you go and interfere the nasty man will insult you. That this is his matter and you might get insulted’.

P.S. How long will women be dolls? They need to come out of the doll house and have their own identity instead of being a shadow of their husbands.