Rajjo finally learnt from Raahat that Gurbaksh’s wife had died in an accident and he was somehow responsible. After the tragedy he had joined the commune.

With a deep sigh and a firm resolve, Rajjo walked up to him with the cup of tea. The thin boyish man turned to look at Rajjo. Rajjo realized his skin was roughened and wrinkled if you looked closely, like he had aged a decade in a matter of months. Rajjo used the unpredictable weather as an excuse to strike up a conversation, but his dark black eyes gave nothing away. A dark ichor ran in his brain that reached her deaf ear. He had screened himself from the rest of the world. She had never seen him smile in one month. He only worked or prayed.

As he took the steaming cup of tea from Rajjo, she could not sense anything except a mild recognition in his eyes, even though she had been serving him tea for the last three weeks at regular intervals.

Rajjo hesitantly added after giving the tea, ‘I would like to help out as well, with the decoration or something if you need. I have done that before.’

Rajjo’s request met his impervious gaze. Without saying a word, Gurbaksh turned away, to attend to a query from a worker.

Raahat smiled at Rajjo from the verandah where he lounged, pretending to read some religious booklets, ‘Didi, how much sugar are you wasting sweetening him? It’s all in vain… and next time you prepare some tea for him, don’t forget your darling brother… me!’ His dogged nosiness annoyed her further.

Rajjo picked up her dupatta and decided to take a walk around the village to get some clean air. Thankfully Kuljeet was out for two days and so the kitchen duties were not as daunting lately. Rajjo knew she had to get into the organization committee to move ahead, to be closer to the powers that be. Gurbaksha was the key to her funnel-shaped desire. It was painful and excruciating to wait.

As they sat smoking in their corner in the dead of night, surrounded by pungent smell of fruit trees, Raahat quipped Rajjo.

‘Why are you chasing him like a flea-ridden dog? That Gurbaksh?’

‘Because I need something from him…I want to work in his team’

‘Why?’

Rajjo did not answer as she took in a long puff of smoke.

‘You think by serving him tea you will get there?’

‘No … I think I will wait and figure it out.’

‘He is a tough nut to crack. No one really gets him, Rajjo didi! And if he doesn’t like you, forget about ever getting into the organization committee!’

‘That’s why I will wait…’

‘You have been waiting for a month now!’

‘You know, someone said, all of humanity’s problems stem from Man’s inability to sit quietly in a room alone, and that is exactly what I am going to do!’