Pre-texto y sub-texto: sentimiento y codificación El texto de Shakespeare puede leerse por tanto en consonancia

y emotional drama was at its pinnacle. Silence had become my language with my parents. I didn’t miss any opportunity to let them know that I was heartbroken. Monu updated me with the progress everyday which was not really any progress at all. I decided to ignore Papa’s calls, but the son’s heart sometimes disobeyed the resolve and picked the call. Papa noted down my roommates’

mobile numbers and whenever I didn’t pick his call, he called my roommates to check if everything was fine. My heart was burdened with guilt and I cursed myself for emotionally blackmailing them. I was feeling down. My conscience often shouted “You are a bad son… You are a bad son.”

“How can you be a bad son when you feel guilty about every lie? Your guilty conscience says that you are a good son,” Bhavna consoled me. In spite of my illogical act, Bhavna always found some logical reason to cheer me up.

Though I was the one who had launched Operation Emotional Drama, both sides were playing well. One day, my mother was hospitalized and was discharged on the same day.

“Due to excessive thinking, she had a mild pain near the heart and the doctor said there is a chance of heart trouble,” Papa explained like I was the one who was solely responsible for her condition. Monu was not at home, as he was busy with his entrance exams. The next day when he was back, I called him. But he refused to talk as he was with Maa at the hospital. The situation was getting worse. I was scared and called Bhavna.

“Hi, dear. How are you?” she asked.

“It was rubbish; Maa had to go to the hospital again.”

“What? Has she been hospitalized again?” Bhavna asked, shocked.

“I don’t know whether she has been hospitalized or not. I called Monu. He said that he is in the hospital with Maa.”

“Oh Ajay, I think you should go home. This emotional drama had been going on for the last two months. Go to your home before it is too late.” Her concern, love, and sensitivity to people was what I loved the most about her.

“Love you, dear. You are always concerned about…Oh, Monu is calling.”

“I want to listen to this conversation, Ajay. I’ll remain on mute during the conference call,” she pleaded.

“No Bhavna. I don’t want you to hear any bad news.”

“Ajay, I’m also concerned. Tomorrow they could be my family.”

Again her saint behaviour made me faint.

I called Monu; Bhavna stayed on the line.

“Hi brother, how is Maa?”

“Namaste, bhaiya. Maa is fine. How are you?”

“I’m fine.”

“Are you sure you are fine?” Monu asked, inquisitively.

“Still alive, brother. Only worried about Maa and Papa’s health.”

“Good to hear that. Papa asked me about your health. They are very worried about you and you are worried about them,” Monu replied.

“What did you say about me?”

“Nothing. I said, ‘bhaiya is not talking much’. That’s all.”

“How is Maa? Is she okay? What did the ECG report say?”

“The ECG report is normal,” Monu said.

“Then, why was she hospitalized yesterday?”

“Brother, wait! Maa was not hospitalized because of heart trouble. She was hospitalized because of a gas problem.”

Suddenly a voice chuckled in the background.

“Bhaiya, is someone on a conference call?” Monu asked.

“No no, it was a sound from the TV. I just turned it on.”

I mentally cursed Bhavna for not keeping her phone on mute.

“Forget that sound. So you mean Maa is okay? No heart trouble?”

“No Bhaiya. It’s all emotional drama, but they are sad about you.”

“Listen carefully, bro. In case there is any such danger, you’ll have to handle it and inform me.

Do you understand?”

“Don’t worry, bhaiya. You take care of yourself.”

“I’m fine as long as they are okay, dear.”

“Bhaiya, I have to go else Papa will guess that I was talking to you, then he’ll start using me.”

“Using? What does that mean? Am I using you?”

“Oh, no, bhaiya. I love being used by you since you are going to give me such a lovely bhabhi.”

His words touched me.

“How do you know that your bhabhi is lovely?”

“Bhaiya, you ask so many questions. I’m going now. Bye.”

“Bye.”

And Monu said, “And bye, bhabhi.”

“Thank you, Monu,” Bhavna said.

“What is this? Now I understood why you said your bhabhi was lovely. You were buttering her up.”

I heard a beep from the other end of the line.

Now Bhavna and I were on the line.

“Ma’am, can’t you keep your cell phone on mute?”

“Sorry, but your brother is a big fan of mine,” Bhavna said flattered. “He is really very cute.”

“He is not very cute. He is my bother, after all. He realized that you were on call too and he said the same to butter you up.”

“So, your entire family is like that?” she asked.

“Yes, my father is turning my mother’s gas problem into a heart problem.”

“Your entire family is involved in Operation Emotional Drama.” She chuckled.

“It’s not the time to analyze the smartness of my family.”

“Mr Pandey, just answer one thing: while proposing to me, were you not aware of all these issues?” she asked bitterly.

“Love is blind dear.” I sighed

“But lovers are dumb.”

O