Bengal, Chatterjee Residence

Subhankar stepped down the stairs hastily, fastening the last button of his coat.

His hair was properly gelled and parted on one side, allowing only a strand of curl to lurk over his forehead; a style he had adopted when he was in London. Well, the maidens complimented him that he looked handsome that way, and no man can ignore a woman's eye to attractiveness.

"Hey Maa!" He he strode over towards the couch, while Damini was busy laying the tray and the porcelain kettle on the table in between the sofas. She always had the knack of doing things by herself even after having dozens of servants. Somnath reprimanded her of this several times, but she was adamant as usual, and the wifely glare did the job. "Gosh, son! You look handsome!"

She smile widely, and walked up towards him; smearing her little finger with the kohl from underneath her eyes, she tiptoed to reach near Subhankar's neck and smudged it there, "I seriously now need a ladder to reach you, I hope Savitri atleast reaches your shoulder..."

He snickered softly, his eyes falling upon Tripti, who came down from his room.

"Tripti dear, when did you arrive?" Damini enquired.

"Right now Kaaki, Subhankar needed some moral support," She tried to purse her lips from smiling. Subhankar tried to glare at her, but she ignored him straightaway. Damini stole her gaze towards her son, solemnizing her look for a while.

Subhankar looked down, biting his lip slightly. He knew Damini wasn't now much fond of Tripti or him roaming around each other; well, they had to step into a life of abstract protocols as soon as Tripti hit her puberty. 

"Oh Tripti dear, glad you came soon," Somnath grinned at her, while she demurely joined her palms in reverence, "Where is Manikant and Saudamini Bouma?"

"Yeah, they must be here anytime!"
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The living room was echoing with a string of joyful laughter.

"Yeah exactly, it's amusing anyways!" Somnath chuckled deeply, attaching his lips against the tea cup and slurping from it slowly. An elderly couple was sitting opposite to them and chuckling along. Damini came over with a plate of potato fritters and aligned them on the table.

"Arrey, there was absolutely no need for that," Chiranjeevi and his wife smiled and looked at each other.

"Absolutely not done! Just tea can't satisfy guests, you know," Damini chuckled, taking the seat beside her husband.

"Exactly, no meeting is complete without fritters!" Manikant joined, lifting his cup and asking them to go on, "By the way, I heard Savitri dear is fond of poetry writing?" He gazed at the girl sitting across him, draped in a red and golden Benarasi saree, and looking down with a shy smile and stealing glances at the man beside her.

Subhankar was half alive, half frozen. His palms had turned cold as he began to rub them discreetly. This is what happens when one has to actually meet a girl for marriage purposes and not for flirting.

He recalled how Anirban had screwed his first meeting with Saudamini. The look on his face was just priceless that moment, he wished he could've captured it with a camera that moment and frame it for future purposes.

But now that it was his turn, he felt it.

Saudamini was standing beside the couch where Tripti was sitting. His gaze met the two woman, who in turn looked at each other and then at him with pursed smiles of teases.

Traitors.

Why do women enjoy when their men have chances of getting screwed?

"Yeah," Savitri softly answered with a smile.

"Subhankar is interested in poetry too, isn't it?" Damini gazed at him, while he looked at her blankly as if he had seen a ghost. She glared at him for a millisecond and discreetly cocked her jaw, causing him to inhale sharply and hum, "Hnnn, yeah! I love it!"

"Chiranjeevi, how about we talk and let the children talk with each other in privacy?" Somnath suggested.

"Yeah, sure! Savitri dear, go with Subhankar."

"Subho Dada looks he will die any moment..." Saudamini tried to press her lips together to stifle a snicker, whispering in Tripti's ear; but the latter seemed to be engrossed in something else all of a sudden.

The way Subhankar held her hand and was leading her out of the room, caused her to briefly cross her brows inadvertantly. 

Why did he have to hold her hand in the first meeting itself?

Her eyes trailed at the duo, who now exited the room and probably headed towards the garden. And within moment, a weird sense of curiosity seeped down her. 

Privacy?

Privacy, itself in the first meeting? What the hell are they going to talk with each other that privately? Couldn't they sit here and talk as well?

She stretched her head to have glimpse of them with furrowed brows, but they vanished from the spot. Rendering her more curious.

"Tripti dear, say something about you as well? How old are you?" Chiranjeevi' wife, Aashalata raised her brows smilingly.

"Eigh-eighteen," She fumbled a bit, upon being caught off-guard. Chiranjeevi gave a long understand nod and hummed.

"Yeah, it's her engagement next week, you know the Bhoumiks? With their eldest son!"

"Really? Is she getting married to the son of Chandrakant Bhoumik?" Aashalata gushed, biting into a fritter.

"Wow....having a connection with them means increase in power. Damn!"

"Exactly! Manikant always does the best you know," Somnath proudly claimed, while Manikant gave a deep chuckle. Tripti pressed her lips into a smile, fiddling with her fingers. She was about to slip out from there, but she got stuck in the conversation instead. 

She gazed at Saudamini, but she too was in now involved, talking with them; and luckily the matter diverted to something else.

The path was clear.

"Excuse me for a while please," Tripti requested with a smile, earning a nod from Manikant and Chiranjeevi.
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"So, is this your first proposal?" Savitri walked beside him, with a smile on her face. As much as Subhankar found her to be introvert, she wasn't. Environment changes everything. Well, he had not much that experience speaking with women. Unlike Anirban, his tongue wasn't always prepared for flirty lines and responses; which the latter did smoother than butter. While his friend had the aura and softness to which women loved, Subhankar's expressive eyes and silent charm, had its own story to tell. 

"Yeah, kind off," Subhankar mumbled, with a pursed smile. She was no doubt, pretty. Her long tresses were curly and pulled into a braid, which she gushed over the other side while they talked.

"And yours?"

"Second," She inhaled a breath, looking away.

"Oh..." He nodded softly, "Is everything fine?"

"Well, I was about to be engaged to a guy, but then it was found out that he was having an affair with another woman. And she was pregnant with his child, so-"

He opened his mouth to say something but closed it.

"Oh shit, shit! I am sorry," Subhankar pinched the bridge of his nose with an apologetic look. That explained why she was unmarried for a long time; most of them marry by the age of sixteen to seventeen, while she was twenty one. Her father even had said that he got scared for a moment that his daughter might get rejected due to crossing the age of marriage; which was kind off ridiculous to hear at first.

"It's okay....." She trailed off. The latter found himself off-guard, not expecting the answer.

Hope he did not screw it for himself.

"I wished to tell you in the first meeting though. I am afraid of any secrets now after that," She softly chuckled after a momentary silence, to lighten the atmosphere.

"Ah! There are no such secrets of mine.....you know," Subhankar replied, a bit nervously.

"Better," She bit her lips into a smile.

"And, do you have interest in poetry in reality?" She raised a brow with a smirk, making Subhankar bite his lips; he was caught fair and square now. "Well...."

"I knew it," She giggled. 

Subhankar looked away with a small pursed smile, and then back at her.

Not bad as he had thought.

**********

A/N

I smell jealousy 🙈

Signing off for today!

Nushkie