late afternoon love


Aniruddha Sen lived alone in a small two-story house in an old neighborhood in the north of Kolkata. He was about seventy-two years old. He was once a college history professor. Now he is retired. His wife Meenakshi died eight years ago. Both his son and daughter live abroad. He gets a call once or twice a month, a smiling face is seen on video calls, and then the days go by silently.

Aniruddha Babu would start his morning by sitting on the veranda and having tea. While drinking tea, he would look at the Krishnachudra tree on the side of the road. Although the people of the neighborhood respected him, no one gave him much time. Every afternoon, he would go for a walk in the park near his house. While walking, he would talk about politics, body aches and pains, or old days with other old people.


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