Chapter 35

Man & Wonder Woman

He waited in the living room flipping through the fashion and style magazines she had in a cane basket

She reappeared in 15 minutes with Jaidrith awake but not conscious

“Can you say hello” she whispered politely

“Who?” he asked

He looked at Aatreya and his entire face lit up like a 1000 Diwali candles

“Hi!” he said nervously

Aatreya went down on his knees, without a second’s hestitation

“hey lil guy” he chuckled

Jai showed him his braced up pinkie

He peered at Jai’s upper lip

“Does it hurt”

“Umm.. no” “Can I bring my dart gun?” he asked

He didn’t know how long this man was even going to be here, first things first

Smiley face darts

“Hahah… sure”

“Dhruu Tumhālā dūdha pyāvē lāgēla (u have to drink milk)

She went to the kitchen and brought out a small glass of chilled choc oatmeal milk

He began to have a meltdown

She held the glass by him and waited for the storm to roll over

“Is it soy?” he asked softly

“No oats”

“He is not allergic to oats?”

“Umm.. a little” she looked at him distracted as she turned back to stare at her kid

“May I have a sip?”

She made a face turning completely toward him “Its disgusting” she said

“HIS point exactly?” he tried not to smile

She wanted to  to watch him drink the whole thing to wipe that smug smile… swoosh

Food and him were sworn adversaries just like his mother and her parents

“Then no dart gun” she said calmy

He jumped up and down and held her hand and begged and cried

Aatreya watched in shock

“Dhruuuuu… amcyakade pahuna aahet” (we have a guest)

“have you told him?” Aatreya suspected she used the word guest and not DAD

“Umm… yes and no” she lied

“No? then?” he nodded

“He is not ready” she claimed

“Aaiiiii please…”

“You are going out with him, you have to eat”

Jadrith looked at her terrified

“WHYYYY? What did I do?”

“Aapani kahee kele nahee” (You did not do anything she hugged him tght and kissed his head

“Then whyyy?”

“I am going to too” she mumbled reluctantly tucking imaginary lock of hair behind her ear

“Aaiiii dart game”

“One sip shakara?”

He grabbed the mug angrily and drank the whole thing giving himself a milk moustache, reaching to wipe it off on her kurta

She was happy about that

This was her bond

This was all hers

This little neediness, signs of dependency, she wanted it all for ever

Jai gave her a look of “I drank the milk so please leave me alone”

“Tumcha shirt badla shakara” she mumbled

She went to get him another one

Jai ran inside brought out his “arsenal” and within 3 minutes Aatreya had shot a smiley face with  GLASSES

“Wwooowww” Jai was smitten

“Can I show u?” he asked softly reaching for Jaidrith’s and stepped up behind him and without touching the boy gently steered the dart gun sideways up and down to carve a face

Jai was giggling and hopping

“Dhruuu” Mrunalini appeared in a few minutes wearing a shades of blue and green geometric pattern chiffon kurta with sheer sleeves paired with a seagreen churidar

“He titled his head to look at what she was going to feed her son now

She looked like a vision in that outfit, she basically looked through him, he didn’t mean anything to her he realized

She had to be up close for him to be able to spot the tiny speck of a bindi

He had not seen her wear one with her saree or later

His mouth went dry at how beautiful she was

“Dhruuu… come change ur shirt” 

Aatreya noticed the Dhru & MRu art

“Do u want to go change?” he urged the lil boy

“NOPE” he said firmly

“You can go with messy shirt” she mumbled placing it on the divan nearby

“Dhru bathroom” she urged

“Its dark MAA” he pointed tgo the window

“Its OK shhhh” she wanted to herd him before he said too much to this man

She whispered in Marathi and herded him

Aatreya tried not to stare he wondered why she was always nervous and edgy and  tense

Jaidrith cracked a joke as he washed his hands and water sprayed on his shirt

She laughed uninhibited for a few seconds he noticed

She changed him behind the wall in front of the bathroom area, and brought him out

“I can get my purse”

“I can drop u home” he said

“Its OK” she nodded

“Are you going too?” Jai asked Aatreya curiously

He nodded and opened the door for the lady

Utkarsh was watching Jai explained he made a smiley face

She sat in the backseat with her kid and asked him if he had the child lock on

He nodded, pointing to the large console her face lost all blood as she imagined him driving them off someplace and shoving her out the car and running away with her kid

5 minutes into the drive she told him he should release it on her side, “I am here” she promised

He was confused

She was going to run away with him the second he tried anything funny she decided

She couldn’t put her wonder woman skills to good use,  the car smelled like nothing

“Whatever bad things he does he must do it at home” she thought

Well he brought them to Mendonzas’ for Ira’s Birthday!!!!!!!!! At a spot less than 5 kms from Abhay Society Because of rains they had moved the event

Mrunalini did not really want to go there, she clutched Jais’ hand in a deathly grip to overcome her own fear

Lynn seemed REALLY excited to see Jaidrith, there were 20 kids in the community center, and that many parents….

“We were not invited” she said

“Not true” he said firmly knowing fully well Lynn had texted her and not heard back