It was dark, the twilight had almost dimmed off. The subtle blow of winds was carrying some pollen with it. And Viriya kept standing at the doorstep in a wet, dirty state.
After she said she was sorry, Bhavakari stood there looking at Viriya for a while, with an unreadable expression. Could be concern or could even be suspicion.
Bhavakari then only reassured with a calm voice, "Just—just be careful later."
Ridhra was inside by then, then suddenly coming outside, Ridhra jumped over Bhavakari and landed on Viriya.
Viriya didn't have the reaction like the first day she met Ridhra, she wasn't still very comfortable with Ridhra but better than before for sure.
Bhavakari holding Ridhra with the tail, she said, "You go clean up." and then mumbled, "And me, clear Ridhra again."
Later Viriya cleaned up, Makriva came back at some point, they didn't talk much other than what was necessary.
After dinner Viriya went to sleep a bit early. She — he again had the same long table dream, Anish at one side and Viriya at the opposite side, sleeping. There was no sign of the Void corner, as Anish guessed, it was gone. He tried to explore the place but fog cut his vision too much to explore at all.
He just sat there, being bored, no one to talk to, nothing to do. Sometimes he replayed the whole situation he was in. The situation at the University. A memory of Professor Shokre's voice struck him, "Jarikat didn't come, maybe start..." he was shocked back then but didn't react much and later forgot.
Was that the same Jarikat? Maybe. Most likely, because in the memory it seemed like, they both knew eachother. If that was true, Jarikat and Viriya both knew each other well then.
And the principal, Sir Vyas, the name seemed familiar to him but he couldn't really pinpoint why, maybe from Viriya's memory or something.
And the wish-filled leaves, the tree, Anish decided not to go deep into it the next day, he would go to the field as the lady asked him, maybe he could ask there. Most of the time he just sat there, doing nothing other than thinking.
Next day, early, Makriva left for Parira Watch Tower with Ridhra. Pannavo returned almost near the dawn, he was sleeping. And Bhavakari, she was at home but she would go to the watch tower later.
Viriya mentioned she would go to the field that day too, so Bhavakari insisted that because she was a little late the previous day, she should at least eat something before going there.
Viriya accepted that, she was in a hurry so she didn't pay much attention to the food, it was something like rice, meat, and vegetables all cooked together. Apparently very quick and easy to prepare.
When Viriya reached there alone, all of them were gathering like the previous day. Four people were there that day, one woman from yesterday wasn't there.
Viriya wore one of her old shirts or a t-shirt-like cloth and breathable pants. Folding up the bottom of the legs, she went towards the group. By then they were sitting in a circle.
Watching Viriya coming downward, the woman who had become the most talkative towards Viriya shouted, "Thanks for coming." then looked towards the guy who had been helping to carry the bundles yesterday, with a smirk.
Viriya was thinking, what was happening there, the man took something out from a pocket or a small bag and gave it to the woman.
After Viriya was closer, it turned out to be a coin — Trisha.
Viriya asked, "Did you all bet on me or something?"
The other man said, "No, no —" Cutting him off, the lady said, "Kind of, just after I said you would come back after you were gone, he was just like, no." pointing towards the guy sitting across from the lady. She continued, "By the way, if you somehow missed it, he is mute."
Yes, Viriya did notice that yesterday, but didn't want to assume anything about it.
Viriya sat beside her and asked, "What is your name again?"
"What do you mean by again? You didn't even ask yesterday. Not just me, I bet you don't know anyone's name here.
Yes, I am Merji." Viriya tried to be sneaky about it, but it was fruit less.
"I didn't? Strange, must've forgot. Anyways, so should we start?" Viriya asked, turning the conversation into something different.
"Yeah, sure, but before that," Merji got up and got a bag from the side of the other lady, handing Viriya a container she said, "Don't work for free."
Viriya didn't expect this, because she went home late yesterday, she had come after eating lunch. She hesitated a little about it, but she accepted it nonetheless, after seeing everyone got their portion.
When they started eating, everyone was silent, was that a normal thing there? Maybe. Viriya followed the silent atmosphere and started eating slowly.
Almost everyone had something different that they brought along with themselves. And the general common food item was brought by any single one of them, this time it was Merji.
It was really dry bread, but it broke down easily, and seemed like it could last forever. And with that some grain and meat, maybe cooked together, the colour of it was greyish black with a hint of yellow.
The bread was kind of flaky, didn't seem oily. And with that, the grain-meat dish was less salty, a bit too spicy with sweet hints, and it smelled not like anything but great.
The flaky bread and the thick side dish was a mouthful, maybe simple, but great together.
Viriya finished that, a bit later than everyone else, but finished it.
Everyone started working before Viriya. When Viriya joined them, it was like yesterday. The mute man was helping them load those bundles, and others were bringing them forward.
At that point they had to walk quite a lot further into the field. It didn't seem like the bundle carrying out would be ending that day. The bundles carried out from yesterday were gone.
They worked like yesterday, taking some breaks in between, because of the longer way to carry the bundles.
Mainly that was when they talked the most. Viriya got to know the names of the others then. The woman was of course Merji. Merji did ask Viriya again if she had forgotten Merji's name or not. The mute guy's name was Trolki, the other man who talked to Viriya the most at the start yesterday was Ghoer, and the other lady was Kikri.
They all lived around Nanadayaka Tru-e-kar road. Other than Merji, the others lived in an apartment near that road. Merji used to live there, but because she had a daughter she had moved to a slightly bigger place, still rental, still on the Tru-e-kar road.
Viriya thought Merji would mostly maybe be in her early to mid thirties in the normal counting system. But when she heard Merji had a daughter, Viriya asked her age.
Merji replied, "Trura." almost without thinking at all, like she gets this question too much. Viriya was shocked, Trura, or Tru-tra, which is 64. Which Viriya understood fell around the early forties in normal counting, but didn't calculate exactly what that was.
After working more, and becoming muddy in the process, when it was time to go back, Viriya asked Merji, "Would you like to bet again on whether I will come tomorrow or not?"
"We are not coming tomorrow. Contract ended, and no more work here." Merji replied with the same flat tone as always.
Viriya looked at the field, still much more bundle left, then looked at Merji.
Merji replied, "Some other contractors will do that." then continued, leaning toward Viriya with what almost sounded like a whisper, "for Lord Slantara a contract like this is cheaper for him."
By Lord, she remembered the Lord Antaras from the Mraton train stand. The names were somewhat similar, but different. Were they connected in any way? Maybe not, she wasn't sure. "Lord?" Viriya didn't mean to ask that, with all the lords in mind she just thought out loud.
"Are you new here or something? Working for free, not knowing the Lord." Not hearing any reply from Viriya, she continued with a little annoyed tone, "He isn't really one, people just like to call him that."
"Hm, ok, so not coming tomorrow then.
By the way, I had a really weird dream yesterday, want to hear it?" Viriya asked, acting a bit casual, which ended up being a bit too casual.
Ghoer replied before Merji could say anything, "Yes, for sure. Go on." Maybe he was listening in on their conversation and now jumped in, not like they were talking about any secret.
Viriya was a bit startled hearing a different voice during their conversation, but composing herself she said, "There was a tree, leaves made out of wishes. I don't even remember the wishes there, but wishes, somehow, not sure how to explain it."
"You don't know or don't want to tell?" Merji asked with the same side-eye as their first meeting yesterday.
To save the situation, Viriya replied in a composed manner, "Yes, I remember some treatment of someone, but mostly vague. Is that a real thing somehow?" It wasn't the truth but not a complete lie either.
Ghoer just shook his head and said, "No, never heard of it."
And Merji said, "Was it just wish-showing leaves or does it fulfill that somehow? If the latter, and you find it, don't forget to inform me where it is."
Viriya, bowing down a bit, said, "Sure, of course, of course." She was pretending a bit for sure, but after not getting any information about it she didn't want to talk about it much more.
Viriya A temporary friendship it is then. Was it even one?
Before going back Viriya asked, "So it's your last day of work here, right? No need for me to come tomorrow?"
"You know whether you'll come or not. And about the last day of work, maybe we'll be back here at the next harvest season, maybe earlier... who knows?
we have different farms to work on in the meantime."
Viriya stayed there for a little while until almost everybody left, then she also went back home. It was darker than yesterday when she returned.
At home, Pannavo was in uniform, waiting for Viriya to be back. Bhavakari wasn't home then, and Makriva hadn't returned by then. Ownad was sleeping inside, at Pannavo and Bhavakari's room, he came out from inside, saw it was Viriya, then went inside again, probably to sleep.
They both talked a little and Pannavo left for the watch tower after Viriya took her bath and came out. Makriva might return late or tomorrow, according to Pannavo, who wasn't sure either.
Alone, she sat outside looking towards the busy road.