Chapter 21

Something to do with him

“I don’t want to do it any way” she mumbled nervously shoving her hands in her pockets, her  high ponytail bobbed as she tried to stand still but her jumpiness was apparent

“Care to explain why he looks like me”

“Who?” she said flippantly”

“Your son” he said with a sigh

“No he doesn’t… he is mine”

“I am not disputing that”

“Then please leave”

“If you have nothing to hide you should not lock him inside” he said reasonably

Something crashed inside

She opened the door panicking

JAIDRITH” she yelled as she did whenever she was angry as she sprinted to the kitchen

Mrs Gomes had worked on the house over the years, the kitchen looked brand new

Jaidrith stood on the counter, his head almost up to the ceiling as he reached for a tin of cookies Sai had brought, while a big plastic container of cookies Mrs Gomes had baked sat in in the far corner within distance

“JAIIII” “Ata Ujavikade Ja” “Tu kay karat aahes?” she hissed

He tried to hold on to the tin of cookies but it slipped off his hands as she yanked him off the counter

There was bowls and containers of the house warming pooja food covered up, one lid slipped and clattered noisily

Within seconds the neighbor downstairs banged a broom or a stick up on their ceiling to warn Mrunal

Aatreya grabbed the tin and shut the lid as a few cookies flew off the opening

“I got it” he grabbed the tin before it flipped over

She hoisted her son and set him down

She noticed he actually came up to Aatreya’s waist

“JAI” she hissed holding his face in her hands

“I want cookies”

“U knew you couldn’t have Mrs Gomes’?” she looked at him sadly

He nodded

He was a mature child

Her throat clogged up

The tin she had bought, cookies were made of besan flour, like naan khatai with oil

“Is he allergic?” Aatreya asked curiously

“To most things” she nodded

“Where do u live?” Jaidrith was back to his worry

“Around the block

“Play ur video game” 

“NOW?” Jai was elated

She nodded

Aatreya watched him fly to the bedroom

He looked around at the kitchen

“He is mine”

“Do you want to know my name?” he asked

“You told me… at the hotel lobby”

“Aatreya Rao” he said

She nodded

Mendy texted him

“OK?”

“Yep” he texted back

“He clearly looks like me Mrunalini, if you don’t think so I think we have to get a test”

She looked at him stunned

“Don’t you think so?”

“WHY? Why are you insisting”

“On knowing my child?” he asked baffled

“I am not expecting anything from you” she said shaking

She took the tin, opened it and set a few on a paper plate and proceeded to leave the kitchen, she gave her kid the plate and opened the front door

“I didn’t know you had a child… did you even tell me?”

“I went to Lonavala two weekends in a row”

“So he is mine then?”

She didn’t answer

“jaidrith Ghatge is my child” she whispered thru dry lips

“He could be, but he looks like me” “I might have something to do with him as well”

“I… I want you to know, I don’t need anything from you, I am capable of caring for him and raising him” she whispered

“You already said that once” he was irritated

“I don’t want to do a paternity test”

He sighed

“I know this is all happening crazy fast” he said quietly

This was a new house, she hated it already, she felt like the house had no walls or roof, she was exposed and vulnerable

She had spent 9 ½ years raising him in Mumbai and all of it went uneventfully

Cutting herself off from her Dada was a good thing

Why was she being punished

This man appears out of nowhere

Where was he all these years?

Did Sagar Ghatge arrange this?”

Her face took on a even more panicked look

He was waiting for her to speak, watching the expressions change

“You have been with him 10 years, I have not met him before, can you imagine my shock?” he asked slowly

She didn’t want to think about that at all

She knew in some remote corner of her brain that she owed him, she owed informing him of the birth, but he was nowhere to be found

“We” she began “I have been living my life” she said

“We did not make any pact to stay in touch it was a weekend fling, I agree (nodding)

She was hot and bothered, she sighed stepping back and leaning on the wall by the front door

“I went off to grad school and lived in the States, married and divorced in that time”

She stared dumbfounded

“Is there a husband in the picture?” he asked

“I don’t want to answer that Q” she said evasively

He began walking toward the open door

“You don’t have any furniture?” he turned and paused

“I ordered some” she nodded “Thanks”

“U recently moved to town?” he asked confused, his brows furrowing

“Umm.. mm”

Jaidrith peeked “Aai” “Oh good” he nodded, stopping midway from pulling out his headset

She smiled at him nervously and waved

She had no place to run and hide

She did not know what to do

What if he takes the kid disappears

That thought knocked her breath out, she stifled a gasp, Jaidrith retreated back into the bedroom

“Do u need bedding?” he asked softly

“Umm… mm.. no… umm. Mm” she nodded and shook her head terrified as her mind was processing a whole different thought

He looked at her confused

“No?”

“I am OK” she shrugged

“Don’t come back” she whispered “Please” she begged

He was angry on hearing the demand

His heart was thudding

Within the last hour he had discovered that he was a Dad

Boom!!

He needed to hold on to something

What the….

This was insane…

He thought of his parents… his Pa was going to butcher him

Amma, was going to be elated

His heart rate changed from thudding to squishing beats when he thought of his mother

“I don’t know if I can do that” he said nervously

“I don’t need any help”

Mendy was coming up the steps, afraid there was an explosion

He waved from the landing, “Rahul Mendonza” he waved

“Are you Lynn’s husband?” she asked nervously

He flew up the stairs and extended a hand “Yeah, welcome, Mrs Gomes was our babies caregiver” “It’s a beautiful flat, Mrs Gomes spent a ton of money renovating over the years”

“You have a baby?” “Thanks it’s a neat kitchen”

“Two girls, Ira and Iris” “5 and 3”

“Oh”

“I will ask Lynn to invite you” Mendy nodded, he was shorter than Mrunal, balding, we=ore glasses, heavy set

“Chal?” he nudged Aatreya

“U can call me Mendy, he calls me Mendy”

“Then she definitely wont call you Mendy” Aatreya thought cynically

“I heard you have a son” Mendy interjected

Mrunal smiled nervously

“I will send Lynn when she comes home from work”

Mrunal was staring at Aatreya hoping to extract a promise that he will not return

“I will see you soon” he said

Sinking her heart instantly