Chapter 57

Loving the parent

He had trouble sleeping too, he could not get over the big luminous disturbingly sad eyes.It felt like she was about to say something to him, but stop

He felt the energy radiating off her body but was too confused to digest it

She was unreasonably upset about his friend, Shyamal Mehta the foto taker

Shyamal and him went way back, almost 15? Years? When she lived in Bangalore two blocks from his house, she was his video game buddy’s friend’s sister

He dug through his email folder and found a link to her company website

He scoured through to find “Policy and Terms of Agreement”

It said in various places “No picture will be used without consent”

He didn’t have a signature he realized

He texted Shyamal

“U want a sleeping picture?” she flirted

“Why not” he flirted back for a bit and later

Asked her to sign something about photo use

“Its for the Mum she wants to make sure the kid’s pictures are not misused”

“No worries” Shyamal was happy to

“Send me ur Instalink” he asked wanting some ideas for how to shoot wilderness pictures of himself and Jai

“U like me so much now?”

“I always did” he sent a smiley

He was happy about getting some female attention

He got quite a bit at work

But was too nervous about hooking up with a new coworker

“Atty has a team building event on Saturday at a waterpark” Mendy stopped by at Mrunal’s in the evening that week

“Oh”

“He should have texted you” mendy insisted

Mrunal dried her hand and found the phone lowered the Marathi retro hits

“Do u sing?”

“Only if you want ur earcanal to shatter” she mumbled

“U are funny dude” mendy smiled

“Bas apko laga” she smiled back

“tension nei lene ka MRunal” Mendy lowered his voice kindly

Something about the compassion tugged at her heartstrings

“You have a sister?” she quizzed

“Nei rey, bas tu hai mera sister” he tapped her head

“Bas tu ekdum lamba hai koi believe nei karega” he laughed

“I will cut my legs off” she muttered

“Shitt no mann!” his face was grim

“I was kidding”

Atty ka text aaya?” he asked

She bend down to look

“there is an event on Saturday at the waterpark 2-9 PM I can do both pick up and drop off”

“I see it” she nodded

“Main bhi invited hai” he laughed

“Oh wow” she smiled

“U know foreign banks na? they spend a lot of money on their people”

“Not 5 star hotels”

“Not my company also”

“Where do u work?”

“I work for a tucha stock market data company”

“Stocks karte ho?”

“Nei re baba… Lynn mere ku maar daalegi, abhi Atty aaya hei main us se tips le raha hai, Lynn ko… don’t tell OK?” he smiled wickedly

“Zippp” she gestured

“waise Lynn ko hang out karne ka hei”

“Oh?” she was happy”

AND he was lying

“Is it a movie?”

“Usko text kar le” he smiled as he furiously texted Lynn

“She doesn’t have friends in the new area, u do something” he urged

“She is arrogant mannn”

“no”

“U like her don’t u, u are always running, taking Atty’s messages to her” she sent a smiley but was definitely not feelin it

“Shut up man”

“Atty will text na, why did u go” she argued

“TTYL” he said

“Busy morning?” Mrunal questioned sweetly

“Company itta paisa nei deta hai but too much work man”

“I know my boss hates me”

“Family love karta hai na tere ko, basss” he waved his hands fondly

“Ya Dhru does… I hope” she laughed nervously

“Parents, bacha, sister brother apan ko love dene ka, who cares for boss rey”

He wasn’t fishing, he had forgotten Atty had expressed worry about her parents

“I have nobody”

“Parents nei hai? Tere ko?” he was devastated

“Umm.. yeah, u can say that”

“What reyy” “Pheww” he laughed “They are alive only na?”

He watched her expression carefully

“I don’t have any siblings” she smiled

“Its OK, parents ko sibling bana lene ka” NOW he was fishing

“Hmm” she nodded blandly

“My parents are waiting for Lynn and I to die in a plane crash like who movies mein dikhata hei na” he laughed and laughed “Hamare burial se pelley Ira Iris leke bhaag jaayega wo”

Mrunal did not know such love

“Wowww” she gasped

“Lynn ka Mom hei… she hates me, so I think she will kill me and take Lynn and the kids”

Mrunal laughed out loud

“I am serious” he was happy he had made her laugh so hard

“I bet they love you u are so likeable” Mrunal sighed with emotion

“Lynn ka Mom, she has a friend who has a nephew, he is a scientist in Rome, aisa kuch, Lynn ko Rome jaane ka tha… Rahul Mendonza mila usko” he laughed

“Rome? Wow… its great” she nodded

“Main nei gaya kabhi, Lynn bhi, main usko bola tu us cousin se shaadi ka mere ku bhi leke ja”

Mrunal laughed again

Mendy was on a roll

“Two husbands?”

“Yes Mann, women shud do what they want, about time” he said loudly

“If u are handing out husbands, I want one too” she laughed

“Tere liye main careful hoke search maarega… tu special hai” he smiled reached for a hug as his phone rang

He texted Atty accidentally thinking it was Lynn

“she is great man, u are crazy to think she is crazy” “Sweet.. dude”

“Who are we crushing on?” Atty texted back

“Arey the Mum of ur kid”

“Ah”

“She laughs at my stupid jokes dude”

“She IS sweet” Atty sent two ROFL emojis

“So will she send?” Atty checked with Mendy

“Tere ku nei bolegi kya?” he called and asked live on a call

“haven’t heard”

“She is simple rey”

“Ah”

“The pictures look great man”

“Thanks”

“The kid looks nice” Mendy laughed

“K”

“Kone liya re foto?”

“Do u remember Shyamal Mehta?”

“Ughh… ruk rey” Mendy went to think

“I asked her out for the offsite”

“Har foto package mein fotographer free hei?”

Atty’s turn to laugh out loud

“I want to see her man”

“Sure will send u the Insta link”

“Find a husband for Mrunal”

“Will do” Atty nodded and hung up chuckling