Chapter 24

“I have a child”

The difference between not having any healthy relationship vs having every relationship be healthy. That one line summarized Mrunalini vs Aatreya

The night he stumbled back home with Mendy, he was visibly shaking

He could not believe how much Jaidrith resembled him, down to the lil twitch of the lips when he was amused, the one eyebrow raise to how he folded his thumb into his palm to make a fist when nervous

Uncanny and  chilling

“I cant believe she kept the child” he blurted

“Kya baat kar raha hai”

“I mean I never thought I would see my almost 10 year old inches from me, it was like my future, except it happened instantaneously”

“You hadnled it pretty well dude” Mendy raised his hand for a hi five

“Well my brain must have suspected something, the urgency with which I was trying to find her”

“Brain worked 10 years too slow”

The men laughed agreeing

“Yeah u are right…. But I don’t know how it happened”

“Main batata hoon, mere paas abhi bhi puraane  P$%^ video pada rahega Lynn ka side bed ke box mein”

“Nice” Aatreya laughed at the joke

“I have to tell Amma”

“Oye racehorse stop it, pehle test to kar”

“I don’t have to… u saw the kid from the staircase landing”

Mendy nodded uncomfortably “I do think he looks like you”

Lynn threw a hissy fit as to why no one took her, she baked up a storm that night so she could go see Mrunalini and the kid herself

“Zoo ke maafid kar reli hai”

“Its not a zoo man… but I want to see why Atty is so tripped up

“It was pretty weird NGL” Mendy shook his head in disbelief

“I mean dude spent months looking for her, and she buys Mrs Gomes’s flat”

Atty was on the terrace calling his Amma

Pramila heard and began to cry uncontrollably

“Ninagey MAGAN iddaneya?”

“Yes Amma”

He found his voice cracking up

“Are you sure?”

“Haudu” Yes

He explained how it could have happened

She wondered too if they should test first

He agreed

He explained how he knew nothing about Mrunalini or her parents or family

His mother was disappointed

She said she was going to tell Pa

He said he was going to tell when he could confirm it

Nāvu avanige suḷivu nīḍabēku endu nānu bhāvisuttēn (we must give him  a hint)

He called his sister Apurva and told her, she began to cry too

She scolded him for doing the exact thing SHE was not allowed to do when she was 22 or 23

He was and is an over protective brother he realized

It took him a while to warm up to Mihir Bhat but he was really close to him now

But still Apurva had all sorts of rules about going out at night in Bangalore

He frequently expressed his fear for Apurva’s safety

“I will have to concede I was indeed a chauvinistic misogynistic  d---”

She laughed heartily

“But you have a 9 year old nephew for me”

“I think the mother does not care for me”

“Can we legally fight to acquire the baby? The boy?” Apurva was passionate and eager

Aatreya found himself cringing at the mere thought of abducting or seizing custody of Jaidrith

The look on Mrunalini’s face told it all for him

She was insanely obsessed with him

She would pass out and die he realized

“I don’t think we should do that”

“Prove it first I want to come see” she begged

“First I will have to give Pa a hint”

He was distraught, excited, uneasy and angry all at the same time

9 years lost… 9 years when he could have been involved

9 years of not knowing anything

The baby years, toddler years, kindergarten…. Did he like cricket? Does he like bugs? Does he like  long showers singing offkey?

I have missed it all

He dialed his Pa as Lynn brought him food, Aatreya had ordered for the family to celebrate his new job

They were slated to go out but it had turned into this unexpected windfall of Mrunalini showing up with dishes………. And a CHILD

“Pa  Nānu nimagāgi ondu oḷḷeya suddiyannu hondiddēne mattu nānu ēnannādarū kaṭhiṇavāgi kūgabēku”

(I have great news for you, and something I need to be sternly yelled at)

His mouth was dry and hand shook as he held the phone

“You married again?” his father grunted

“Close”

“You found someone?”

“I have a child” he said