..And all fall down.

"Ajay! Be a responsible brother and take care of your sisters. Look at the Pooja. Careful, Ajay." Lalitha screamed through the living room window above the noise the vacuum cleaner was making.

"Maa. I'll take care. They're just playing. Don't worry", said the pseudo responsible eleven year old.
Lalitha was married to Ashok. Ashok was an affectionate husband. A chemical engineer turned Human resources manager. He knew how to handle people. And Lalitha was a Math teacher at the neighborhood school. They were a happy family of five. Ajay the eldest was in class seven while the younger ones, the twins,  Priya and Pooja were in class three.

*****                                                            

"Lalitha, Vinay wants to meet you. He looked a bit worried.", said one of their mutual friends.

"I'll meet him on the way back home."


"The fuck is this Lalitha? What is happening? I go out of town for a week and your dad sets you up with some other guy? He promised right? He said he'd wait.". To say Vinay was agitated was like saying winters are quite cool in Kashmir.


"I know, Vinay. Calm down. He says he won't marry me off to some punk"


"I'm a musician. Not a punk"


"I know. He doesn't. What should I do, Vinay?"
"Stand up to him. I can't take you with me now. Stall for a couple of years. Can't you do that? You didn't say 'yes', did you?"
There was no reply.


"You did? You agreed? Fuck!"


"No. I did not. But I didn't say no either. He is like, mom and he are getting old. They have to make sure I settle well and all that"


"I am trying, Lalitha. It's not like I don't want to get settled. I still don't think dropping out from engineering was a mistake. I love the guitar. I love you as much. Wait! It is not Bharath right? Tell me it is not him. It should be him. Software engineer, my foot. His codes can't make people happy. My music can. Tell me it is not him!"


"No it is not him. Why would it be him? High school was a mistake. Why would you even ask that question, Vinay?"


"I'm sorry. He is better than me in every way. Except that he is an asshole. Also I love you more. He earns a handful. he was the ideal student in school."


"It doesn't matter Vinay. It doesn't matter if he earns a handful. It doesn't matter if he is my dad's favorite. You're the better person because he chose to leave and you didn't."

*****

"Pooja. Don't sit on the ground. Get up now. Come lets play "ringa ringa". Amma, look at Pooja here. Get up, now"


"I'll be done with this room in ten minutes. Hang on till then"

*****

Lalitha weds Ashok. Yes, it did happen. There was no fairy tale episode where Lalitha could've eloped with Vinay and lived happily ever after. Alas, "happily ever after" is a theorist's perception of life. Vinay returned home to this news and was not outraged or saddened. He was rather helpless. It was a perfect marriage. Some US returned MBA fellow they said. He couldn't contact her. Even facebook did not lend a hand.


It's been twelve years and three months. Vinay had grown numb. But the fact that he finally found out where she lived and with whom. He decided to give her a surprise. He reached Lalitha's place. He saw the kids playing in the garden. Smiles were exchanged. He felt the pain after a long time. It should have been his kids which she bore. And then reality struck. The garden wouldn't have been this big. The house wouldn't have been this huge. Lalitha did settle well. Just like how her dad wanted her to. 




Vinay went in search of her. Madras. Then he thought someone said something about Bangalore. So he went there. He gave up. It is a huge country. Maybe they left the country. He took up drinking. He was a familiar face in almost every bar in Bangalore. He started playing the guitar in one of those bars. He had a stomach to fill. He had found a job for himself. 

*****

He knocked the door. Lalitha was more shocked than surprised. She didn't say a word. The sunlight from the sharp blade fell on her face. He closed her mouth. She couldn't scream above the vacuum cleaner's noise.

"Amma! Look at Pooja. She is playing with the mud again" Ajay came running. She breathed her last and the vacuum cleaner died. He turned towards the kids.

Pooja and Priya were holding hands "Husha, busha, all fall down..."