Nge Michu Chapter 5

Picking up the remote from the table, Khandu changes the channel when Yangchen’s cousin brother, who arrived this afternoon from Paro, sitting on the sofa beside him stands up and walks towards the toilet when Yangchen walks towards him from the bedroom. She stands in front of him, when he ignores her and keeps changing the channel.

“Ummm, can you please get chicken for dinner?”

She asks hesitantly, when he pretends not to hear. She keeps standing when he finally looks at her angrily.

“He is your cousin, right? Get it yourself.”

Making a very sad face, she pleads, “Please, Khandu.”

He is about to shout when the cousin gets out of the toilet. Khandu forces a smile when Yangchen goes back to the bedroom. As the cousin sits down, Khandu’s phone rings. It’s Tshoki. Picking up the phone, he gets up giving the remote to the cousin. Receiving the call, he goes to bedroom when Yangchen looks at him.

“Where are you Tshoki? Why are you crying?”

Listening to the phone, he says, “I am coming, right away. Just wait there.”

Keeping his phone down on the bed, he goes to the bedroom and changes dress. Then, he looks at the mirror, when Yangchen says, “Where are you going?”

He turns back looking very irritated, “Who are you to ask me?”

Yangchen stays silent when he walks out of the room, grabbing the car’s key from behind the door. The cousin looks at him, when he forces him a smile and says, “I will be back soon.”

Driving to Taba, playing his favorite song, he checks his hair style in the mirror when his phone rings again.

“I am coming, Tshoki. Just wait there.”

After a few minutes of driving, on seeing Tshoki sitting above the road, with her head on her knees, he stops when she rushes towards the car. Getting inside the car, she cries out loudly.

Looking very surprised, he asks her, “What happened, baby?”

“My sister beat me and chased me away. She is very rude,” says Tshoki, making a baby face as if asking for mother’s milk.

Taking his hand on her back, he takes her head on his chest compassionately.

“Don’t worry, I am here to look after you.”

He starts the car and drives towards the town when a boy approaches the car. Lowering his window down, Khandu stops the boy and asks, “Hi, Dorji. Where are you going?”

Dorji stops walking and looks back, “Town, uncle.”

Tshoki hides her face and fortunately, Khandu drives past him before he can see her. She has no idea about how they are related.

Surprised by this, she asks, “Who is he?”

“Oh, bother of my sister’s husband.”

“Oh!”

On reaching the town, as they drive past the movie halls, she asks, “Shall we watch a movie tonight?”

“Okay.”

Back at Taba, Tshok’s sister checks time and looks at her husband as he gets inside the house. Looking at her worried face, he asks, “What happened, Lhaden?”

“Tshoki ran away.”

“What do you mean?”

“I slapped her.”

Going near to her, he says, “Call her.”

“Her phone is with me.”

Getting up, she walks out of the house, towards Dema’s building which is a few meters away from her, thinking that she will be there. What if she commits suicide? These thoughts running in her head, she runs towards the building crossing the road. Ringing the bell, she waits when Dema opens the door.

“Umm, Dema. Is Tshoki here?”

Looking surprised, Dema says, “Nope. What happened?”

Going inside, her heart beating very fast, she looks at Dema, “I know, Dema didn’t go for watching movie. She was lying. Please, tell me. Where was she last night?”

Dema stands silently and finally says, “I didn’t know. She came here and left soon after changing her dress, keeping the phone here with me.”

Confused by her words, Lhaden cries, “Please, Dema. Why are you lying? I know, you know everything about Tshoki. She is my youngest sister and I don’t to lose her. I think, she is getting spoilt. Please, help me.”

Dema stands touched by these words but she does not say a word, when her mother stands beside her.

“Dema, speak the truth.”

“Act-ua-lly!”

Dema stammers, when her phone rings from her bedroom. Her mother goes there and comes back with the phone. It’s a new number. She knows, it’s Tshoki’s new number.

Showing the number to her, her mother asks, “Who is this?”

Story by: Phurpa Dorji (PJIKKS)

Chapter 6 Tomorrow @9PM

Nge Michu Chapter 3

She waits for the bell for lunch, when she sees Tshoki waiting outside her class. Ignoring her, Dema tries to concentrate on the teaching but she cannot take eyes off her. She is very curious to know about the last night. Last night, Tshoki’s sister asked about Tshoki when she said, “She went to watch a new movie.” She left taking the phone, without saying a word when her mother warned her not to befriend Tshoki but she cannot stay without being friend with her.

Finally, the teacher notices her looking outside.

“Dema, are you here in the class?”

“Yes sir. I am right here. Can’t you see me, sir?

She replies when the teacher walks towards her table making a face of atsara, when the bell rings as soon as he reaches in front of her.

“Sir, you wife is waiting for you,” says Dema, when the teacher looks outside through the window as his wife stands in front of the administrative block.

Without saying a word, he turns and walks away, when Dema rushes out of the room, carrying the tiffin. Going to Tshoki, she stands in front of her, when Tshoki looks at her tiffin.

“You brought lunch?”

Confused by these words, Dema says, “Why are you asking? I always bring.”

“Keep your tiffin in the class. Let’s go to canteen today.”

Listening to her, she goes back to the class and comes back keeping the tiffin. As they walk towards the canteen, Dema asks, “How did it go yesterday?”

“What to say now? He gave me a new phone,” says Tshoki smiling, taking out the new phone and shows it to her.

Taking the phone in her hand, Dema observes the phone with a surprise face.

“You are very lucky.”

“Thank you.”

Taking the phone back, they are about to enter the canteen when a boy coming from the corner wall, stops them. Waiting at the door, the boy walks towards them when Tshoki asks, “How can I help you, Dorji?”

Standing in front of Tshoki, he looks at her very carefully, “Where have you been? I called you many times last night and it was switched off. Just worried.”

“I was studying.”

“Okay. Had lunch?”

Dorji asks her when she says, “I am about to eat here. Catch you later.”

“Okay, let’s meet after class once. Alright?”

Looking around as other students get inside the canteen, she says, “Okay.”

As Dorji leaves, they walk inside and choose a corner table. Ordering the food, they sit down when Dema asks her very curiously, “Please, tell me something about last night.”

“Umm, it was fun. We had that,” says Tshoki, in a low voice when Dema asks looking very confused, “That?”

Taking her mouth to Dema’s ear, she whispers something when Dema asks, “Really? What about Dorji now? He is your boyfriend, right?”

As the waiter comes with the food, they stay silent as if nothing has happened. Taking the plate in front of her, Tshoki says, “Dorji is just my boyfriend. But Khandu is my soulmate. My Prince Charming. I am marrying him very soon.”

“Ooh-la-la. Really?”

Looking at other tables, Tshoki takes out her phone and shows a video clip to Dema. Taking the phone, lowering the volume, she watches the clip when Tshoki says, “If he does not marry me, I will use this video as an evidence and accuse him of rape.”

At the same time, in Motithang, Khandu slides the drawer when he does not find the car key on his table. He has a very bad habit of leaving the key in the car itself. Getting out of the office, he goes directly to the car. He looks through the window and the key is in the car. He has to seek help from others to get the key out. As he stands looking around, a car approaches the building. The car stops in front of him, lowering the window glass down, the driver shouts, “Again?”

It’s his neighbor who stays in the same floor, who works in another office just a few meters away from his. They are not very close but their wives are friends.

“Get in. You can seek help from the workshop people after the office hours,” says the man, whose name he does not know. Considering the situation, he walks to the car. Greeting him, he gets inside. Driving for a few minutes, the man looks at him saying, “I took your daughter to hospital, last night.”

“What? I didn’t know about that. I came to office directly from my tour to Paro.”

Khandu lies, hiding his guilt under his forced innocent face, remembering how he left the house last night.

“Oh!”

“Thank you.”

He forces a smile, when the man says, “Mention not. We are neighbors.”

On seeing a new phone cover on the dashboard, Khandu looks at it, remembering Tshoki. The phone looks same like the one which he has gifted her. Noticing Khandu’s eyes on the phone, the man says, “This is for my wife. She wants a phone which supports Wechat. So, I bought it today.”

“Uh-huh!”

Khandu stays silent as the smile of Tshoki flashes in his mind, making his heart grow fonder. He is so much in love with her. He is ready to do everything for her. He promised to divorce his wife and marry her within this week, only after that promise she agreed to sleep with him last night. Now, he has to find ways to kick his wife out from his life.

“So, did you buy your wife a new phone?”

“My wife?”

Khandu looks startled.

As their building appears in the sight, the man pulls the car away from the main road towards the parking in front of the building.

Stopping the engine, the man says, “My wife told me that you were also buying a new phone to your wife, the one which supports Wechat.”

Khandu does not respond and gets out angered by these words. Looking up at the third floor where his flat is, grinding his teeth and making a fist, he snarls, “Tsk-tsk-tsk! Just wait. I am coming to warm your back.”

Story by: Phurpa Dorji (PJIKKS)

Chapter 4 Tomorrow @9PM

Nge Michu, Chapter 2

Parking the car in the front of the hotel Druk, Khandu takes out a box from the front seat and locks the car. Getting inside, going directly to the counter, he books a single room. Taking the key, he walks up to the third floor. Unlocking the door, he gets inside. Switching on the light, he keeps the box on the bed. Room is clean but he is worried about something. Checking his phone, he locks the room and walks down back to the counter. The boy at the counter looks young.

There are a few customers in the lobby. Looking hesitant, he walks to the counter when the boy says, “How can I help you sir?”

“Umm.”

Khandu looks around when the boy stands looking at him.

“Sir?”

“I need some help bro,” says Khandu, his face going red.

“Okay. How can I help you sir?”

Going silent for a while, finally Khandu says, “How do you celebrate a birthday?”

“Birthday sir?”

“I mean, I am planning to celebrate my wife’s birthday, so the procedures?”

“Oh.”

After listening to the boy as he tells him everything about the birthday celebration procedures, Khandu thanks him and waits at the lobby when finally, his phone rings. Standing up, he goes outside, as Tshoki appears in front of the hotel, looking very beautiful, taking his breath away for a moment. Greeting her, he walks her inside, when the boy at the counter looks at them, looking very confused. As Khandu smiles at him, the boy shows him thumbs up, as they walk upstairs.

Unlocking the door, he lets Tshoki inside first. Getting inside, she stands inspecting the room when he follows her. Latching the door, looking at her, he says, “Please sit on the bed.”

Looking shy, Tshoki nods and sits on the bed holding her phone. As she sits down, he takes the box and place it on the small table beside the bed. Unwrapping the cake, he sticks candles on it when Tshoki looks at him smiling. Then he lights the candles and taking the table in front of her, he asks her to blow the candles when his phone rings. It’s his wife. Switching off the phone, he sings birthday song. Cutting a slice, she gives him and then he puts a slice in mouth, touching her lips softly.

Then he takes out a new box and gives her, when she unwraps the box and takes out a new Samsung phone. She screams out of happiness and hugs him tightly.

“You are so sweet. Thank you so much, my love. I Love you.”

Holding her tightly on his chest, caressing her hair, he whispers into her ears, “Welcome, love. Love you, too.”

As she switches on the phone and starts playing with the phone, he calls the counter for dinner. Sitting next to her, he looks at her happy face, when the waiter knocks. Keeping the food on the table, he looks at her, “Tshoki. Dinner?”

“Oh!”

She keeps her phone aside and brims with surprise as she sees varieties of dishes on the table. Eating dinner, talking about her days, he finally calls the counter. Then, a few minutes later, there is knock at the door. Going to the door, he gets drinks and keeps it on the table, when Tshoki says, “I am not going to drink.”

Making an innocent face, Khandu goes near her and says softly, “Love, it’s your birthday. Without drinks, there is no charm. A little.”

“No!”

“Pease!”

He keeps pleading and finally Tshoki says, “Only a little.”

Glass after glass, eyes get reddened and Tshoki loses her balance, when he looks at her pretending to be drunk. Going to her, he touches her hand slowly when she says, “Not today.”

“Please, baby.”

At Taba in Dema’s house, she is about to sleep after eating dinner when Tshoki’s phone rings. Frightened by the ringing, she looks at the phone and remembers Tshoki’s words to lie. Going to the table, she picks up the phone and keeps staring at the number. It’s her sister. Finally, she answers the call.

“Aunty, Tshoki is here at my home studying with me. Just now, she is in the toilet,” says Dema, her voice cracking and hands trembling.

Luckily, Tshoki’s sister hangs up the phone saying, “Okay, Dema.”

Thinking that she saved Tshoki today, keeping the phone on the table, she arranges her books when she hears knock. Frightened, she walks to the door and opens it when Tshoki’s sister stands there looking very angry as if she is going to swallow her alive.

Story by: Phurpa Dorji (PJIKKS)

Chapter 3 Tomorrow @9PM