The Cookie jar

 

The cookie jar!

It hadn’t been long after the storm in the house. The drought of words worsened the situation. Kabir was never so off the board recently. The disturbed home atmosphere had even made it difficult to look into his Ankita’s eyes and talk.

Kabir walked down the windy street to ring the doorbell of house no.72. Ankita peeped through the window to see her husband stand at the front door drenched in the rain. She quicky opened the door and let him in.

She picked up a dry towel from the cupboard and placed it on the sofa arm. Kabir noticed the towel and picked it up without uttering a word.

Ankita had prepared a regular dinner and it was waiting to be served. Kabir took a quick shower and walked past the kitchen counter and noticed the broken yellow cookie jar that was still at its place. Though the jar was smashed to the floor the previous day in the hot argument, Ankita had still not disposed it.

Ankita was ready with two plates served with hot rotis and dal. Kabir’s ringtone pulled him back to the bedroom before he could pick up his plate. He could clearly notice Ankita rolling her eyes and proceeding to eat.

“hello ya… tarun.” Kabir walked into the bedroom picking up his call.

“are you guys ok?” Tarun asked. He was the only friend Kabir relied on with all the family issues.

“idk man. it’s hard to just get back to normal.”

“I know the fight was big. But both of had ur share of mistakes to correct. There cant really be a judgement here. Just let go of the ego and talk to each other.”

“I wish I could. but I just can’t talk normally right away. I might end up yelling again. I’m really not in a place to talk to her patiently. Even she has lost her tone to talk to me. how do you expect to talk normally?”

“A same situation can be dealt in multiple ways Kabir. Just figure out your way. “

“yeah, sure good night” Kabir hung up the call and walked into the living room to have his supper.

“Can you pass me the water bottle Ankita?”  Kabir brought his voice out.

Ankita walked with a filled water bottle and slammed it on the coffee table beside him. Before turning away, she made sure there was an eye contact. Kabir could see her eyes screaming at him.

“What the hell is wrong with you Kabir? I mean do you not want to sort it out” she finally broke the silence with her pitched tone.

“You are seriously asking that to me?” Kabir’s pitch was getting higher too.

“ Yes I am. Why do you always expect me to break the ice when things go wrong? Whats wrong with you? you scream at me in a moment, smash things to floor in the other and then just ghost me all day” Ankita was making sure she was using the right words. But the right words in a wrong tone were triggering Kabir.

“well. I am not a human who can sort things immediately after they go wrong. I FUCKING NEED TIME TO THINK and just don’t scream at me for everything” Kabir was on a verge to loose all his patience.

“what do you mean you just can’t sort things ? and if you really can’t mind your words, IAM NO SILENT SITTING WOMEN!!” Ankita’s temper was high.

“of course you are not. You can never sit silent. Getting on to someone’s nerves is something you are dam good at! So why don’t you let me be for a while and just BACK OFF”

“Kabir...! do mind the words. Do u even understand what you are talking? How dare you talk to me like that?”

“Why the fuck should I not react when I’m supposed to? And why is it always you who starts an argument? “ kabir was pitching up too.

“Because you bloody make me start an argument Kabir!! Just like now. We could have talked like adults and sorted things but NOOO! Why would we ever do that? “

“okay now I see you are clearly minding your words. Why do you have to rub such issues on my face when im in no place to talk about it?”

“Who the hell is rubbing? You could have simply told it to me that you already had a bad day.” Anktha tried putting her opinions up.

“But you were the one who started off with a high tome. How the fuck do you expect me to be calm when someone talks to me like that?”

“How the hell would I know you had a bad day!!?? And do u even care about my emotions?? About how I wanna sort things?? Absolutely not”

“just cut the drama Ankitha!! Its getting on to my nerver..” Kabir walked out towards the balcony and lit his smoke.

*…..

“hey!” Ankita was still waiting for Kabir to say something.

“Tell me god dam it. do you have any intentions to sort it or not? “ Ankita pushed the water bottle towards Kabir as he had seemed lost for a minute.

“Yeah yeah… I um…” Kabir was stammering with his words.

He walked up from his chair and went to the sofa to talk to Ankita.

“Hey listen. Its not that I don’t want to sort things up.” Kabir was taking deep breaths trying to not lose his patience.

“what do you intend to.” Ankita’s pitch was high again.

“Please. Please. lemme explain” Kabir stopped her.

Kabir took a pause and continued.

“Ankita, I know. I know a lot of shit happened. We got to talk. But not now. Look. Different people deal situations in different ways. And right now. I’m really not in a place to discuss anything. I need a day for myself. Please lend me a day. Well talk it out with lighter minds. Do I make sense to you? please give me some time. I don’t want to worsen things”

Ankita sat there listening to what Kabir just spoke.

“sure.” Ankita made her way to the bed silently.

 

 The next day was no different than a regular day. Kabir was home at the same time but only this time, his clothes weren’t drenched.

Ankita had been waiting for him with fresh rotis and rajma. Kabir walked to the dining table after his shower and both of them sat down with their food served. The dinner was finished in about 10 minutes with pin drop silence.

It was half past nine and Kabir was busy cleaning up the dishes when Ankita just walked in.

“ hey.. can we talk”

Kabir turned around.

“I’m sorry Ankita.” Kabir was looking into her eyes.

“I shouldn’t have behaved that way. “ Kabir uttered.

“Iam sorry too.. atleast I should have understood your version. “Ankita spoke her bit.

Ankita walked up to Kabir and gave him a hug. Kabir couldn’t help but hug her back.

“Right words at wrong timings can destroy everything.” Kabir spoke softly cupping Ankita’s face in his hands.

“I’m glad you took your time “Ankita put her hands around his shoulder.

“I’m glad you gave me my space” Kabir spoke back.

Kabir leaned in to plant a kiss on her forehead.

The mobile made its noise again. Kabir picked his mobile from his pocket still not breaking the hug with his one arm.

“ hey tarun..” it was tarun calling to check on them.

“ hey hows it going? Did you guys sort it out?”

“yeah we did.. all good now” as Kabir spoke, tarin could hear ankitha’s tone in the background too.

“oh im glad.. ok I only know bits of the story.. I just know you both lost your patience and had an ugly argument.. but…. Hua kyat ha yaar???” tarun was curious.

Ankita pulled the mobile to answer the question.

“ I don’t think the reason matters anymore tarun. All that matters is we have sorted it… and we are glad for that.. and thanks for your concerns.”

“ anytime Ankitha.. ! im glad too. take care..” tarun was finally relieved and he cut the call.

“just a second...” Kabir walked to the bed room to unzip his backpack and handed ankita a tiny cardboard box.

“what is it?” Ankita finally gave in a smile.

“go on..” Kabir waited till it got unboxed.

It was the same yellow cookie jar that was smashed to ground the other day.

“ I am sorry…” Ankita couldn’t help but apologize again.

“ I’m too” Kabir smiled back.