Kuchoe Ama! Chapter 6

Taking a glance of the paper in hand, he reads the document from top to bottom once more. Reading it for the last time he keeps it down on the table and stretches his hand towards the pen holder, when his personal assistant, Cheki, walks into the office, with a bag hanging down from her shoulder. Flipping over the paper in front of him, he takes out the pen and looks at Cheki forcing a calm face. Walking directly towards his table, she stands, staring at the paper in front of him. Fortunately, she cannot read the words.

“Aren’t you going? It’s 6.”

Cheki asks looking at pretentious smile hiding behind the worried face of Ap Tshenchap, expecting him to say, “Let’s go.”

Grabbing the phone, he checks the time and looks up back at Cheki, “I have an urgent meeting tonight.”

“Okay.”

Without saying more words, turning her face away from him, she walks out of the office. He keeps looking at her until she disappears out of his sight. Then, he turns over the paper and holds the pen in position to sign the paper. This morning, Dema walked into his office with lots of conditions. Among the conditions, most important of all, is the agreement document. Dema wants a legally signed paper stating that if she marries him, all debts of her mother will be waived off. He has been thinking about this all day. Now, he has to sign the paper as Dema left saying, “I want the signed paper by 6 today.”

Sitting next to her sister Dema, who is busy with notebook covering, Deki looks at her, “Thank you, Ashim.” Dema is not sure of the reason behind her sister thanking her. Grabbing her phone from the table plugged in for charging, she checks the time. It’s 6. Now, she has to meet the manager and get the signed paper. Getting up, she looks back at Deki, “Write the names by yourself, I will be back very soon.”

Walking past the counter, she walks out without checking if her mother is in the kitchen or not. She walks up the inclined rough road connecting her canteen and the manager’s office, taking gentle steps thinking about today. This morning, going to the manager’s office, she had asked for a legally signed document. In addition, she has mentioned three more conditions: Firstly, as his wife, she will stay with him in his house; then, he is allowed to make any number of girlfriends as long as he agrees the first condition and thirdly, she demanded that she has to work in his company. Having given these conditions, she walked out of the office and took Deki for school shopping as her mother agreed to send Deki to school, as she mentioned that she is ready to marry the manager. When they were in town, they met with the manager’s wife.

Having heard that she gave birth to a son very recently, Dema talked to her about her interest to be a babysitter. She left saying, “I need to talk with my hubby. I will inform you, if I need one.”

It’s dark now. A few bulbs hanging down from the corners of the office, brighten the surrounding and she finds light in the manager’s office. Walking inside to the receptionist table, she greets the security guard, pretending to be new to this office.

“Is Dasho still in the office?”

“Yes. How can I help you?”

She does not know what to say so she says, “Call and inform Dasho that Dema is here.”

She stands as he makes the call. Keeping down the phone, he looks back at her.

“Please! Office is up that way.”

She nods and starts walking up the stairs, heart throbbing hard against her chest. Throat dried up, palm sweating, taking her legs off the last step, she walks along the corridor to the manager’s office. Taking a long breath, grabbing the door handle, she pushes the door.

On seeing Dema, he keeps the pen back into the pen holder and slides the signed document into the drawer. As she stands at the door, looking very nervous, he stands up smiling.

“Wooh! Here comes my woofy---wifey!”

Dema stands frozen, as he walks towards her. Walking past her, he closes the door gently but does not latch it. Taking his hand slowly on to hers, he feels the warmth. Taking his mouth behind her ears, he asks, “Did you sleep with your boyfriend?”

Dema stands silently without answering him. Holding her hand, he lifts up; standing in front of her, he keeps his forehead on hers and asks, “Did you sleep with him?”

Taking her eyes away from his, she whispers, “I did but we didn’t do.”

“Really?”

He asks, taking his mouth slowly on to her neck when she pushes him away saying, “Where is the signed paper?”

Standing a few meters away from her, he smiles eyes burning with lust, “It’s in the drawer. I approve even the other three conditions. You can stay with me in my house, I will give you work here in the company and I will not even make girlfriends, you are my soul.”

“Give me the signed paper,” insists Dema, looking at him boldly, not believing his words.

Outside the office, a car approaches the parking. Parking the car, a woman gets out and walks towards the receptionist table. As the woman gets near to him, he stands up and greets, “Good evening, Dasho Aum.” Without even talking to him, Dasho Aum walks up the stairs, as the security guard stands making a worried face, remembering the girl who went up a few minutes earlier. He is not sure if he has to call and inform the manager about his wife.

Back in the manager’s office, walking towards her, eyes fixed on hers, Ap Tshenchap grabs Dema’s hand and pulls her towards the table. Sliding the drawer, he takes out the paper and hands it to her. Taking the paper, she reads it. Finding the signed legal stamp at the bottom of the document, she looks back at him.

Walking towards her, he takes her hand and fixes his eyes on hers. Running his fingers under her shirt up her back, he takes his mouth on her neck when the phone rings and a knock comes on the door simultaneously.

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Story by: Phurpa Dorji (PJIKKS)

Chapter 7 Tomorrow @9PM

Kuchoe Ama! Chapter 5

Walking past the manager, Dema heads towards her room without even looking at him. Stretching his chin up, he looks at her disappearing into the room. Banging the door hard, she throws her bag on the bed and dials Chophel’s number. She expects him to respond but it’s still switched off. Playing a music loudly. Bending her head down, she covers her ears as she hears the manager and her mother shouting at each other from the counter. Where is Chophel? Why has he left her suddenly?

Last night, after a few rounds the chorten he took her to a movie. Then having dined at one of the restaurants, they booked a hotel and talked whole night. Then she might have fallen asleep, so when she opened her eyes, he was gone.

“Ashim, did you sleep with him?”

These words alert her. Lifting her head up, she looks at the door and her sister, Deki stands at the door wearing a sad face. Keeping her phone down, she looks at Deki, as she pushes back the door and slides the latch slowly. Taking gentle steps Deki towards towards her and sits on the bed beside her.

“I understand, Ashim. Our family is in a big trouble,” says Deki, looking at the closed door.

Taking her hands slowly on to hers, Dema says, “Don’t worry. Everything will be fine.”

“I am worried. I know, mom is not going to send me to school,” says Deki, when Dema turning face to her interrupts, “Shhh, look at me!”

With watery eyes, Deki turns her face and looks at Dema. Holding her cheek with her palm, Dema says, “No matter what, I promise. You will go to school.”

Before she can respond, there comes a sudden knock on the door. Carrying Deki’s head on her shoulder, she waits. The knock comes again.

“Dema, please open!”

The voice of their mother rings a happy feeling in them. Dema stands up and opens the door. Her mother stands at the door looking very sad. Dema takes a glance of the counter, checking if the manager has left the room or not. Luckily, he has. Thanking God, she looks back at her mother. Grabbing her hand, her mother pulls her towards the bed. Shoving her on to the bed, she shouts, “You knew, why the manager wants to marry you, right? Didn’t you?”

With hands on the bed, Dema stays silently.

“Now, he is not going to marry you. How can I send Deki to school? How? No credits. No customers. Now, he is going to give this canteen to another girl. Now, what?”

Her mother shouts, choking with anger.

Looking very frightened, Deki stands up.

“Dema! Choice is yours. Let me be jailed or marry him. It’s not necessary to be a graduate to earn a living. It’s how you choose to earn a living, be it a dropout or you have Ph.D.”

Saying these words, her mother walks out slamming the door shut. Looking at her, Deki walks out of the room leaving her alone iced by her mother’s words.

Picking up the phone, she dials Chophel’s number again. It’s switched off. Standing up, taking out a paper from her bag, she rushes out of the room. She walks up the dusted road towards the manager’s office. It’s a two-storied wooden house. On the ground floor, it houses the offices of accounts and other offices and on the top, is his office. She has never been there once but she has heard from others. Walking to the lone receptionist behind the counter, she asks about the manager. Standing still she observes the interior of the dirt covered office; in the meantime, making a phone call, the receptionist looks back at her.

“Dasho is busy.”

“Oh really?”

The face of the receptionist changes from smiling to terrified on hearing this tone. As she keeps looking at her, she walks up the wooden staircase heart beating eccentrically. Taking her legs off the last step, she stands at the door. Taking a deep breath, she looks through the window and finds the so-called ‘dasho’ smiling, on his revolving chair phone stuck to his left ear. Closing her eyes, she grabs the door handle when she hears from her back, “Hello there!”

Opening her eyes, she looks back and a lady with natural beauty hiding behind the make-up stands with a cautious face. Taking her hand off the door handle, she stretches her back up.

“Who are you?”

The lady askes her, pushing her away from the doorstep. Taking her leg in front of the lady, Dema pushes her away and says, “I am here to meet my hubby.”

Taking a few steps away from her, the lady asks, “Your hubby?”

“Yes, my hubby,” says Dema, making a very dominant face.

Looking through the door, pointing her finger to the manager, she says, “He is my hubby.”

As the lady stands at the doorstep not being able to swallow these words, Dema grabs the door handle and walks inside pushing the door hard. Frightened by her sudden entry, the manager stares at her in awe, as if he has seen something which he is not supposed to see.

Happy Losar!

Story by: Phurpa Dorji (PJIKKS)

Chapter 6 Tomorrow @9PM

Kuchoe Ama! Chapter 4

Her head aches. Eyes are swollen. Aum Wangmo stands at the counter feeling exhausted. Unlike other days, today there are no sign of people walking inside for breakfast though it’s time. She has been waiting since the dawn. Looking outside through the dusted window pane at the workers heading towards the quarry plant, she waits. Last night, she could not sleep. Not at all. Though, she was drunk, she saw some truth in the words manager’s personal assistant (PA). She has no idea about the workers at the quarry but she does know a few. She heard other people talking the manager and his girlfriends. Having spoken the words, PA left saying, “Money can be earned but life once destroyed is gone for good.”

She tried to sleep after Deki disappeared into her room, without finishing her food. Dema’s phone was switched off. She dug into the suitcase beside her bed and found the family photo album. She cried flipping the album. She sought forgiveness from her late husband. She does not know what to do. Should she not force Dema into marriage? If she doesn’t, she looked for ways to pay back the money but she cannot find one. She has no lands to sell being from a poor family background. She has two brothers but they will be no help to her as she has not helped them when they asked for help. Now what?

The sudden door creak startles her. It’s Zeko. One of the senior most workers of the quarry. He smiles at her. Going to one of the tables, he sits down. Grabbing the TV remote from the table, she walks towards him. Standing in front of him, she asks, “How have you been?”

Turning his face towards her, he takes the remote from her hand.

“Is my breakfast ready?”

“Yes.”

It’s 8.30AM. Usually, Ap Zeko is the last person to eat breakfast from her canteen. Today, he is the only customer. Thinking about this, she walks to the kitchen and gets his breakfast ready when she overhears murmurs from the counter. Thinking that it’s noise from the TV, she ignores placing the fried rice plate and suja on the tray, when the noise becomes louder. Grabbing the tray carefully, she walks into the counter. To her surprise, standing beside Zeko, the manager looks at her. She stops walking holding the plate. Looking away from her, he looks at Zeko, “What are you doing here? Go to work.”

Switching off the TV, Ap Zeko stands up and walks out obediently with his head bent low. As soon as Zeko leaves the room, then the manager cum owner of the quarry, Ap Tshenchap sits down on the chair, stretching his boots on the tables. Leaning his back against the chair, looking at Aum Wangmo, he shouts, “It’s rude to keep your customer waiting.”

Not knowing what to do, she stays frozen when Deki walks into the room. On noticing her, turning his face to her, he stops Deki.

“Shhh, come here!”

Deki stops suddenly and stands at the midway to the kitchen when Tshenchap calls her again.

Walking slowly towards him, she stands in front of him bending her head low, eyes on his shoes. Taking his feet off the tables, he looks up at her.

“I heard, Dema is not here last night. Someone saw her at memorial chorten with a boy. So, tell me where was she last night?”

Tshenchap asks Deki, his face becoming red.

On hearing these words, not being able to take these words, Aum Wangmo turns her face and takes a step towards the kitchen when the manager shouts, “Shhh, come here!”

Without listening to him, she disappears into the kitchen. Keeping the tray on the table, she kneels down on the floor heart going numb. What has Dema now? Why is she doing that to her? These questions bombarding her head, she feels like vomiting.

Stretching his hand up to Deki’s chin, he forces her head up.

“Deki, you are a good girl. Just tell me the truth. Where was Dema last night?”

Face covered with hair hanging down from her head, taking long breaths, Deki stays silently, expecting her mother to walk towards her and say something.

“Deki? Can’t you hear me? Where is Dema?”

The sudden knock on the door wakes Dema up. Opening her eyes, a little, she observes the room brightened and warmed by the morning rays streaming through the windows. She turns back and finds the empty pillow next to hers. Where is he? Throwing away the blanket, she gets off the bed. Picking up her clothes, she heads towards the toilet thinking that he is inside. Sadly, he is not there. Walking back to the bed, she puts on the clothes. Walking to the window, she looks outside. She finds the street filled with people moving up and down. Walking back to the bed, on the table she finds a note with a few words scribbled on it.

Lifting the paper, she reads, “Dema, I think your mom needs you more than me. If possible, help her. We are not made for each other. Chophel.”

Crumpling the paper, she shoves it away on to the floor. Switching on her phone, she dials his number. Switched off. Picking up her bag, she walks out. Walking past the waiter standing at the door, she rushes down the stairs. Walking outside, she walks through the crowd hiding her face towards the City Bus Parking. Getting inside a taxi, she says, “Damchu.”

Back at the canteen, having stood in front of him for a long time, not being able to tolerate his mean behavior, Deki finally speaks out.

“Why are you doing this to my family?”

“What am I doing?”

The manager smiles at her, with his anger disappearing from his face. Playing her hair, as he is about to speak, the door bangs wide open. Face reddened, eyes filled with tears, Dema stands at the door. Hearing the noise, Aum Wangmo stands up and rushes to the counter. Dashing her feet in front of Dema, catching her hand she pulls her inside.

“Where were you?”

She asks looking at her face.

Turning his face to her, Ap Tshenchap says, “Look at her! How can I accept her now?”

Happy Valentine!

Story by: Phurpa Dorji (PJIKKS)

Chapter 5 Tomorrow @9PM