Stranger

Stranger 

“So what shouldn’t you do. ?” Asked Prerna as she turned the last page of the storybook. “Talk to …strangers..got it?” She completed  her own sentence as she looked down at Sneha in her lap and kuki hanging off the armchair rest. 

“Got it!” Called out the girls in their little voices.

“Now off you go I’ll be up in a minute.” said Prerna who was sure she could hear Mr Bajajs car. 

A few mins later and as Rishabh walks into the house Prerna puts down the childrens book and vacates Mr Bajajs chair.

Rishabhs  arm chair was ‘his’ and his only especially   in his presence anyway.  It was like a unspoken mark of respect in Bajaj house.

As Rishabh begins  loosening the top few buttons of his shirt he feels Prernas hands helping him out of his blazer from behind. A moment which always made him feel at ease, at home even. 

“Stay” she hears him ask as she walks away with his blazer.

“The girls are waiting” Prerna speaks quietly  as if Kuki and Sneha would overhear.

“They’ll wait a little longer” replies Rishabh taking a seat back in his chair. 

“Thank you for fixing George’s car, Mrs green will be ever so happy tomorrow” she adds whilst perching on the armrest.  Wanting to rest her head on his shoulder was a temptation she couldn’t resist.

“I’m tired Mr Bajaj” she confessed as she sank into his shoulder.

“I know”, Prerna heard him reply softy. 

“Mehra gets back tomorrow & your work is done. The first thing I’m going to do is get him to put your mess straight.”

“Uff .. mean !” Throws out Prerna raising her face to make expressive eyes which Mr Bajaj finds amusing.

…

Prerna liked the idea of Mrs Green writing a book on her husband. She knew it would force him to talk about his past, reflect on the good  and the bad and that she knew would help him in the long run.

She made Rishabh stick to his word and so every Tuesday evening he spent with Greens.

Rishabh shared his stories, his  memories, and answered Mrs Greens curiosity’s. She wanted to know every little detail and sometimes unusual things he’d never even thought about.  
Like  why he chose to wear the tie pins he did or why cigars not cigarettes.? Some of her curiosity’s were about the most pertinent aspects of his life like why he choose to remarry after such a long time?. Some matters Rishabh happily talked about and other things Mrs Green had to tease out. She was great at getting him to talk his life and him not even realise.  At  times over a broken shelf she asked him to fix or dinner. A visit to the supermarket even!. All things that made him forget that this was all for a book on him!

…

One afternoon in Bajaj head office as Rishabh enters a meeting room all eyes particularly Prernas and Mahesh’s show astonishment at seeing Rishabh Bajaj not salt and pepper but a younger looking brunette. A first for many including his wife.

“Throwback! Bro!” Cheered Mahesh who to some extent was the only one  who dared ever to disturb the formal tone in the room. 

“I think bhabs should call for another honeymoon” he whispered but was overheard by his  Rishabh who glared at him over the the  and switched him to mute. The beauty of a conference call. 

“Shall we get to business” he demanded of his meeting room whilst Prerna did her best not to be embarrassed about Maheshs comment and stopped herself from making eye contact with Mr Bajaj. He did  look exceptionally handsome in this new hair cut.

Much of the meeting for Prerna was getting to terms with the change and not letting her mind stray. They were in the office after all.  A glance here and there was enough to give her butterflies. What was the matter with her? She asked herself trying to keep in check.

“That will be all” concluded Rishabh after 45 mins of discussion. As others cleared the boardroom and shuffled out Prerna also gathered her paperwork when she heard him speak over the message he seemed to be sending over his phone.  

“For the book” he said.

“Ji” replied Prerna keeping to the protocol of the office she left the room like other employees.

…

At the dinner table that evening sat Rishabh in his usual seat at the head of the table and Prerna on his left. Kuki had already eaten and excused herself where as little Sneha had just showed up. Messy bed  hair and her teddy to hand Sneha climbs into  her mothers lap and Prerna steadies her.

Looking up with her big brown eyes Sneha asks, “Mom where’s da?”

Prerna looks down at Sneha confused for a moment and then realises her little one was really asking where her father was.

Taking a glance towards Rishabh and he at her, they both wonder for a moment.

“He’s right here sweetheart” smiles Prerna using her free hand to tidy some of Snehas curly locks.

Sneha gives Prerna a confused look and then turns to  the man sat  at  the head of the dinning table beside her mother.

“Nope” she declares. That wasn’t her da and looks  back at her mother to ask the same question.

“Where’s da?” Leaving both parents lost for words. (Maybe it was the hair ?)

…

After dinner as Rishabh sits back in his chair he takes a sigh of relief from a long day but soon finds a pair of little eyes staring him out uncomfortably. It was Sneha. Stood right in front of him looking at him with suspicious eyes. “Stranga ” she mumbles  before trundling  off in search of her mother to complain about the stranger in her da’s chair.   

..

“Is there a chapter on us?”Rishabh hears her ask curiously from within the bedsheets and upon his  chest. “Hm”  he answers stirring his fingers over her bare shoulder. 

Feeling her run her  hands through his hair Rishabh knew exactly what Prerna was going to say. 

“Mr Bajaj .. it’s nice but..”. “—  “First thing tomorrow morning ..” he reassured even before she could finish her words.

…

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