The phone rang. I woke up and looked at the clock, which read 1:26 AM. Calls at these hours worry, and anger me from almost all angles. Caller id responded as if it was caught with surprise as well. No name no number. I did let the answering machine pick up the call. I thought I will decide whether to pick up the phone once I know who the caller is. The callers listened to the greeting, waited for the beep, then hung up.
After a few minutes, as I was rolling back to sleep, my cell phone rang. What the ----! I almost screamed “hello!”.
Ma Baange bolya. You are so khattam, wrong number dini?
You are talking to me. How could it be the wrong number? I was getting myself together.
Is this your mobile or house number? Baange asked.
Mobile. I said annoyed.
Bharkharai taile tero gharko bhanera dya number ma garya ta hai ka ho ka antai khaireka pugira bhanya…
Now I knew it was Baange who called me a while ago.
Why didn’t you speak? I asked.
What’s the point? Khairya phonema bolera ke garni? Baange asked.
That’s not a khairya phone, Bhate. You had called the right number. Tyo mero gharko number ho. I assured him.
What? You got what? 33 in English right? In SLC? How did you learn to speak English that way? Even that guy who was selling khukuri at Basantapur did not understand your English when you asked the bhau one day…remember?
Baange! What the hell did you call me at this odd hour for?
Kina ra? What’s the time? He asked.
It’s almost paune dui, saale. I had to say.
Duiso ko ki raati ko? Bange wanted to know for sure.
Thukka! Raatiko tero tauko raatiko. I yelled at him.
La masitarne! Hya ta jhalamala gham lagira chha. Achel handaina ra matrai natra ta top hanne bela bho. He said.
Why did you call? I ask again.
Raatiko paune dui samma nasutera ta ke gari ra? Nilo herira ho ki ke ho? I could see Bange smiling with this question.
I was dreaming. And as always, you broke my dream. Kina phone garis?
Do you remember those days when we used to go to Baudhha for the nilo and stuff? That Chinese one is still stuck here in my mind…kya bore bhani hai tyo din? bhandaai ni sukula basera laththira Chinese niloma…tara tyo Chinese ta haripai thyo yaar!
It’s almost two o’clock Baange…
What do I care? hya ta tantalapur gham lagi ra chha bhare paani parchha bhanthyo byana tara ke thegan. Tya achel garmi chha ki jado chha huh? Bange asked.
I will call you on the weekend Bange. I have to go to work in the morning. Bye.
Ye pakh pakh. You know why called you?
How the heck do I know? I asked you a few times though. Remember? I reminded him.
You know Supari is coming there. Kasari visa payo chai thah chhaina. Paile dekhinai ghus ghuse ho tyo. Seminarma jaane bhanthyo. Darpok haruko seminarma gaye matrai ho. You know how darpok he was? Baange laughed. I did too. We both remembered an incident with Supari. I will write about that later when I get a chance.
“Je hos, Bange kept on saying-- Supari was one of us in those days. He was asking about you yesterday. So, I gave him your address, and phone numbers. Kamko ni diye, hunchha haina?. Huna ta aba supari farkinchha ki farkidaina farkiyo bhane malai euta razr phone ra euta solid 8 miga pixel ko digital camera pathai de na hai?
La la pachhi kura garaula. So, when is Supari coming and where? I asked.
Khai America bhanthyo ka ho…ma patta layera feri phone garaula ni talai. These days its cheaper to call in the US than Bhairawa. Bhairawama ni mero love jhannai parya thyo ni ..you know about that right? Bange was in no mood to stop.
Baange! I got to go back to sleep. I will call you on the weekend. Just send me an email about Supari.
Supariko swasni ta taile dekhya chhainas…kya ramri chha yaar…herya heryai hunchha…ja heryo tyai aankha adkinchha….mari jau--tyai bhera hola dherai bho suparile malai tesko ghar lanai chhodyo yaar…Bange added.
Baange, ke bhanyo re suparile swasnai lai suhagraat ma? I reminded the story Bange had told me once.
Now Bange, and I laughed our hearts out. Bange had called me the very next day Supari got married.
As Bange said, Supari was one of us when we carelessly roamed around the hadigau gallies. He was a fine boy. Even our influence could not destroy his gentle attitude on many things. He was a very caring person.
So, here it goes—At first wedding night, supari went to his room---on the well decorated wide bed he saw his wife glowing defying the bright tube light. It was truly an arranged marriage. Since Supari had full faith on his parents, he saw no reason why should he be spending time knowing the girl who could potentially be his wife. Anyway, he felt a bit awkward to find a beautiful woman on his bed at night. He then quickly thought, if I feel awkward in my own house, then she must be feeling terrible here. He did not want to intimidate her by sitting next to her doing what they did in those hindi cinemas. We got the whole life together so why rush? Let her be comfortable here. Supari continued to think---if I sleep with her she may not feel comfortable thinking what I might do next… So, after chasing her eyes for a brief second he sofly said “suta aba” then headed to clean the sofa to enjoy the night by himself. His wife looked at Supari, who was ready to crash on sofa, and asked “what are you doing?”
“I am gonna sleep here”
“Why?” the wife sounded worried.
“You may not feel comfortable if I sleep there with you, that’s why” Caring Supari showed his gentleness.
The wife looked at the wide bed, which seemed enough for four people if slept with love.
Supari saw his wife was a bit tensed. Ke garne ke garne supari did not know. So, he got up from his daijo sofa, walked up to his wife and sat by her. He wanted to make her comfortable. He wanted to break the ice but Supari was getting dazed by his wife’s beauty , and overwhelmed by the nervousness . He did not know what to say and how to strike the conversation and how to lead her to the comfort he wished for her. His head spun and the silence between them almost chocked him. He had to say something because his wife seemed quite worried looking at Supari, who was staring at her neither saying a word nor doing a thing. When she shifted a few inches away, Supari knew the time was running out to break the ice. He had to say or do something. When he saw his wife shifted further back from him...he, then, suddenly hit the ice, ani sodhdechha Suparile aattera..”so…what is your name?...”
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