engagement...

'Where are you going?'
Shyamali asked her son as she saw him getting ready to go somewhere.
'Why? to the library...of course...you know I need to get hold of a few books before  next week's seminar...'
Arka answered with alacrity.
'Hmmmm....so you've forgotten again...'
Shyamali sighed.
'What?'
'That girl whom I've chosen will be coming today here to meet you along with her parents... you can't go out today...last week you deferred the appointment citing library...now again...oh no....I can't ask them to defer again...if you're not interested in marriage then tell me nah! tell me straight! why this bother?'
Shyamali upped her voice a bit.
'Oh mom! I'm not deferring...I'll be back before they will arrive...'
'Please...keep that in mind...be back before evening...'
'Surely... I'll mom!'
Arka smiled as he went out.



 'But...I remember distinctly well that you assured me the book would be here for me reserved and no one would get it before me as soon as it would be returned!'
Arka spoke with restrained pain. In fact he was irritated.
He had been searching for the book all over the town and all libraries almost and when last week he came to this Council Library at Camac street and found the book in their catalog he was definitely elated.
He then went to the counter to get the book requisitioned. But he was then given an assurance that the book would be there for him as soon as it would be returned. Now, one week gone and he is again here at the council library counter with no avail.
The woman at the counter bit her lips and only asked him to wait for another week, for someone had got it issued.
'May I kindly know when it was issued and to whom?'
Arka asked politely, rubbing his chin. He needs the book for it has a few chapters which could help him in a big way to elucidate certain tenets of romantic movement as flourished in Germany.
'Yes...sure Sir...can you please give me the details of the book you are searching for?'
The woman asked, looking over, kind of peering, her slim glasses.
Arka looked at the face. She seemed serious but there was also a hint of suppressed smile in her lips.
'Really? are you sure you can reserve it for me?'
Arka asked, looking straight at the eyes of the woman.
'Surely Sir...'
'Well...it is...please make a note...The Mystical Sources of German Romantic Philosophy, Pickwick Publications...'
Arka spelled out.
The woman typed in keys. Her glasses reflected the square glowing screen of the monitor.
Arka waited.
'Sir...it has been issued only a few minutes back to someone...called Deepti...Deepti Sanyal...it would be returned next week...hopefully...'
'Next week...again? no way!'
Arka heaved a sigh of exasperation.
'I understand Sir, you are in need of it...but...'
The woman seemed helpless.
'Can you...madam...do me a favour? please?'
Arka leaned a bit.
'Yes...'
'Can you give me the phone number of the borrower? I mean I could call her up and see if she could return it a bit early?'
'I can't...it is against the rules Sir...besides...'
The woman's face got redenned a bit as if she was blushing. She had already dropped her face, putting a hanky over her mouth.
Arka was surprised and shocked.
'Am I saying something too ridiculous? Am I looking like a clown?'
He thought within and then heaving a sigh only said:
'Okay then...'
and soon straightened himself and thought of moving around the library to find any other book on the topic.He felt kind of embarrassed as well.
'This woman's deportment is pretty unusual...'
He thought and moved away.

 Almost half an hour he spent in going through the catalog again...he found two other books there... non -issued ones... but once he laid his hands on them he realized what he was looking for were not there in them.
Kind of tired and disappointed he was about to sit down at a table placed at the hall for readers.
He sat at the table by the water dispenser.
Someone had left a few books there on the table. He could see the titles of them... Siegel, Linda. Caspar David Friedrich and the Age of German Romanticism...Vaughan, William. German Romantic Painting...and what's that? Benz, Ernst. The Mystical Sources of German Romantic Philosophy, translated by Blair R. Reynolds and Eunice M. Paul...is it not?'
Arka's eyes popped out.
He went near the pile of books and drew out the book he had been looking...
Amazing!It is here all the time! 
But didn't the counter girl tell him that it had been issued to someone?
How that could be?
How?

Arka looked around. There was none there to lay claim to the book. He waited a few minutes. No...none came up to the table.
He took up the one which he needed...the book by Ernst Benz.
He rushed to the counter with the book.
The woman who was there a few minutes earlier had been replaced by another one...this one was without glasses.
'Madam...can you please run a scan of this book's library code to see if it is already booked by someone?'
Saying this Arka handed the book to the girl at the counter.
The girl pointed the scan gun over the bar code pasted on the top right hand side of the fly-page.
'Yes...to Deepti...'
'Oh! Can you give me her phone number please? I mean...I don't know her...but she must've been still here at the library...I need the book...and I need it quite desperately...'
Arka mumbled.
'Are you Mr. Arkaprova Dasgupta? Sir?'
'Yes!'
'Well...Deepti has requested me to reissue it to you...she works here...please give me your membership card...'
The woman said smiling.
Arka was amused beyond anything. He has never heard such a strange thing.
'She works here? Deepti? Deepti Sanyal?...but the lady at the counter...she said....wait a minute...was that lady Deepti Sanyal herself who was here right at the counter a few minutes earlier?'
Arka asked stupified.
'Yeah...she is Deepti... she works here...she has kept it under her name reserved so that it can't be issued to anyone else...'
'Why then she didn't do it the earlier time around?'
Arka asked, puzzled.
'I don't know that...Sir...'
The girl said, with a hint of smile.

Arka hurried home clutching the book.

Returning home Arka found the girl's parents waiting at the living.

The dates were finalized after a brief discussion.Shyamali seemed very happy. 

'Today is the happiest moment of my life...finally I can see my son getting settled down...Oh...your father must be pleased seeing you from Heaven...and he is surely blessing you...'

 Shyamali muttered in a moist voice, after the would be in laws left.
'But...mom...I haven't yet seen the girl!'
Arka expressed mild protest.
'Hardly matters...she has seen you...at least twice...and observed you quite closely I guess...and had approved of you...in fact she has called me a few minutes before you arrived saying you are too good a boy...only...only a bit bookish as middle aged professors tend to be sometimes...but she assured me she knows how to tackle book worms...being a librarian...she knows her trade quite well...'
Shyamali said smiling.
'Just a minute mom! I'm getting puzzled...'
Arka said, trying to get to the bottom of things.
'Deepti is a good girl...she will make you happy...'
Shyamali said before going to kitchen.