Chapter 54

Gasp!

That was just the beginning

His demands on Jai’s time became more acute, rightfully so, he was not part of anything for 9 ½ years

He had to make a course correction

A week later as promised he asked about when he could go with her to the school

Before that, one night he asked her over text the following:

I would like to take some pictures”

“We already do pictures in school thrice a year, Deepavali in traditional clothes and beginning and year book end of year”

“Me and him actually” he said calmly

She didn’t respond

For her it was quite unimagineable to even think of her boy in pictures with someone else

She was beginning to send Dhru over but the fear was on high gear

She had recently started getting nightmares of going over to his house on a weekend evening to pick up Dhru and no one knowing who Aatreya Rao is and what he looks like

She spent an hour crying on Sameena’s couch

I have been abandoned by my parents, all I have is him why does he want my child Sameena

Sameena had no answer

The universe wanted it this way it felt like….. to her Mrunal was devastated

“Do not think of losing your child”

“I have read about so many mothers who became complacent and lost their kids to their ex, this man has lived in the US”

“You have a 10 year multiple entry visa as well, you can go chase him down no?” sameena was quite naïve

As if that was going to be easy

“The country is 10 times the size of India and far less people”

“He has a Linked in presence it does not look like him, IT IS HIM Mrunal”

Sameena pulled him up with at least 100 endorsements from various people in banking jobs all over the US

“aap email karo in logon ko, ask him no?”

“What if he has coached them?”

Sameena got up and paced

“We cannot think this way”

“He had a welcome party at work at his boss’s back yard in Hiranandani, he took Dhru he didn’t event invite me”

“did you want to go?” sameena was shocked

Nahi… but I wanted to see who he was”

“the boss?”

“Yes I think it may be a she, I forgot”

“Ask him if you can meet people from his office? Politely?”

He doesn’t tell me where Dhru will be, I mean he tells me but I don’t know… anything more”

“You don’t want to tell him anything either Mru”

“But when he has my child, he should tell me everything no?”

Mrunal accused

“Did you ASK him?”

“ALL I get is “We will be home, we will step out” “We will be home we will be around the corner”

Mrunal’s voice indicated the sorrow of being excluded

“Is he rude to you?” Sameena sat by her hurriedly and squeezed her hand fondly

“No… just you know very business like, he takes my kid, he tells me the bare minimum and doesn’t say a word more”

“Hmm”

Sameena did not know how to reassure her

“When you come here or go meet Sai Didi do you tell him?”

She nodded her eyes filling up with tears

“I tell him I will be at a friend’s in Worli for u”

“What more do you want to know?”

“I don’t get to talk to Dhru when they are “doing stuff” Dhru doesn’t hear the phone

I track him on my app, I track him with his watch but that’s it”

“Is he nice to Dhru?”

“I think so”

“Hmm”

“Not any more than that huh?”

“reach out at the end of the meeting or visit and say, how did Dhru do? What did he eat, please don’t mind me asking, he has tons of food allergies and is so shy and awkward I want to know if he behaved himself, yadda yadda”

“I did”

“Then?”

He tells me in two or three sentences that’s it”

“that’s great na?” sameena was confused

“He asked me if he can take pictures”

“Of who?” Sameena was shocked again

“No not me” Mrunal chuckled sniffling “What will he do with my picture”

“His new kid I guess”

“Did u agree?”

“I mean he was going to go to court to prove paternity and demand custody I buckled in a week” “what am I going to do about pictures”

Sameena never thought reconnecting with an ex could be so painful for anyone

She had not helped too many in real life yet

Her therapy journey was less than two years old

She had to frequently consult books or articles and professors

For Murnal’s sake

But Mrunal was a mess

She wanted familiarity from this oddly structured relationship

How was it going to happen?

This was beyond Sameena’s expertise

“Do you care for how Dhru sees this man?”

“If he hates him then the next moment I will cut him off” Mrunal was a tigress

“You think Aatreya lives on pins and needles because of that?”

“He better” she said with conviction and zero shame

Back to the photos issue………

“What sort of photos, why? When where? Who is taking them? You on ur phone?

“Where will you be sharing them? Why?”

He answered patiently and politely

A day later he sent her a link to the pictures

They were the MOST gorgeous stunning pictures of her child

In random places and pretty places, casual and formal

No change of clothes no poses

Just the two of them in almost all

She didn’t even glance at the tall handsome guy

He stopped by to drop Dhru off Saturday evening

She had oiled her hair and never washed it, just stalking her son remotely

As the pictures came in, not 100s but 10s of them on his icloud

He had shared the link of his pictures, all 10,000 of them from 10? 20 ? years ago

She didn’t open any other folder except the one he gave the name for

She loved her child to the moon and back but did not like how he had presented her OWN child to her

She felt petty and jealous 

They were PROFESSIONAL he better not lie to her, she checked the water mark of the studio, it was a woman a GORGEOUS woman with a camera with a mile long lens

No way

So sneaky… (it was not, but she want to believe that)

Knock on the door

An exhausted father son were all smiles

Mrunal mentally postponed to shampooing her hair until the morning so she could interrogate him

There was bags and bags of stuff being brought in

“He has  a lot of food”

“I bet he does” Aatreya turned sideways to give hera  charming smile”

“Majha foto pahila ka Aai?” (did u see my pics) Dhru was eager his cheeks were flushed pick with excitement

“Hmm”

“mee eka oocha paireevar chadhlo” (I climbed a TALL stair case)

He said proudly

“Hmm”

“I got THIS” he showed her a bag with a mechanical circuit game”

“He gets gifts for an occasion”

“He found his Dad” Aatreya muttered softly

Rocking on the balls of his feelt his hands tucked into the back pockets of dark honey pants

A red cotton check shirt made him look roguish

The front door of Sahasres was unbolting

Mrunal lowered her voice

“Is the photographer going to give you all pictures?”

He was confused

“I think so? Why?”

She leaned on the side wall, so Kirti will not see her

She didn’t want any awkward questions of who this man was

“Do you know the photographer?”

“Yeah? She is a really good friend” he nodded

He had a swagger she realized, his shirt somehow always untucked on one side

He smelled like he usually did, his self and some cologne

“she better not be selling them and making money”

“Whoaaa?” he was shocked

“U know they all love to do that all without permission” she pointed out all knowingly

“I don’t…” he began

“I have had friends who have had this happen to them” she claimed

“Ive known her.. 10 years? Maybe more?” he looked confused

There was a large crash

They ran in to check, he had as usual climbed on a cupboard shelf and had sent a bunch of games crashing down

They bend down and collectively cleaned up instinctively

She scolded  him in rapid fire Marathi

He looked at Aatreya contemplating if he should cry to get pity points

AND…. He did

Aatreya gathered him in his arms

As Mrunalini sighed running her hand through her oily joora

“Dhruu” she summoned him

“Dhruu”

“Don’t do crazy things K?” aatreya reassured

Dhru sniffled and sniffled and took off

Sneaky stinker…

“Please check the credentials of the photographer, she could be a fraud” she said smugly

“I did” he was agitated

“U don’t look before you know it my kid’s 

photos are all over the web” she accused hissing at him back in the living room

“she will not”

“You don’t know that, I need to see all the papers” she ordered

“Umm..”

“She doesn’t care I know but........... its MY child”

“Whole lot of assuming about someone you do not know” he said softly

Walking up to her…

She realized she was staring at him

Dhru had her eyes,  but he had Aatreya’s lashes

Gasp!