Chapter 70

Pickle

Mrunal sat by the window with a cup of chai watching the pitter patter of rain savoring the moments from the anniversary of Mendy and Lynn

What an amazing family he had, they were caring and protective and cheerful

Her own mother was moody, selfish and uncaring

She watched Parmila Rao  scoop out vegetables her son did not want to eat off his plate

He was a grown man, 

When he went to the car to grab his Dad’s after dinner BP meds, she wiped moisture off his lapel

They laughed they joked and they reminisced in Kannada

Mendy was much loved, his mother even chatted with Lynn at length

Mrunal was too shy and too afraid to say much or to be around them much

When she said “He looks like my son”

She had smiled and nodded with confidence

Afterall her darling Dhru was an outcome of the best night of her life how could she be ashamed of him

They had bought carefully vetted toys and books and a giant bag of home made snacks

“We have to check if it is vegetarian” Pramila had whispered to her leaning over as she had watched people walk away with plates of chicken and shrimp

“I am sure there is” she had told her

“We are very orthodox and religious, Aatreya loves Mendy and Lynn, so we have to attend” Pramila had smiled sheepishly

“Yes Mendy is nice” she agreed leaving Lynn out

Who incidentally had not stopped by or checked on her even once, just waves and “How are yous” like the American guests at the hotel threw around at strangers

Jaidrith was just giddy with joy, Ira and Iris chased him around the convention hall along with two other little girls, he was pink and tired and breathless but would not stop

“They can be your new friends” she reminded him as she made him sit on her lap and fed him veg pakoras she had brought from home

He liked baingan and aloo a lot, many nights that was his main meal

She was too over worked to cook

She looked at Atty wondering how he had his ducks in a row

Pramila wound her way through the crowd a couple of times and found a chair by her or dragged one close to her

Mrunal was sure her face was hot pink like her son’s

She was not used to the attention at all, not in the last 10 years

The lady was dignified did not ask anything about her unwanted pregnancy and how she could be a “loose character” like her own mother had accused

Aatreya’s father was quiet, he had brought his ipad, when he was not chatting with parents or in laws he was just reading

“Aatreya told me he has severe allergies”

Mrunal nodded sadly

“Aatreya is still allergic to sesame, we Kannadigas use sesame in everything, I have not used sesame in 33 years” she smiled showing three fingers

“Oh no”

His father and Apoorva nobody eats sesame any more”

Mrunal wanted to burst out crying that was the sweetest thing she had ever heard in her life

She herself ate peanuts and sesame she thought painfully

Mrunal wiped her tears and the moisture from the rain and sipped from her now empty cup

Staring into it

“make another cup?” she asked

It was 3 AM

She was by the window for two hours now

Aatreya conducted kids games and resolved petty fights and waved a magic wand at booboos

“Our flight was very long, he went to Hyderabad, Pune and then Mumbai” Pramila kickstarted conversations on one topic or another every few minutes and told her all about it

She told her about a  coworker who made pickles with every vegetable 

“We don’t eat much spicy, we eat dadhyonna u know curd rice? We like pickle” she smiled

Her eyes twinkled much like Aatreya’s

She repeatedly pulled her pallu down covering her open arm and shoulder

“Your blouse color is a triple shade” Mrunal commented

“My mother, you know in Nagahole Tiger Reserve?” she asked as if Mrunal would know

Mrunal nodded tentatively

“My paternal grandfather was a forest officer, its so close to Tamil Nadu my husband calls me Tigress” she laughed

Mr Somesh Rao who had been quietly listening to it all lifted his head up and smiled and nodded, changed the leg on leg arrangement to left on top right underneath and went back to reading

“He is very quiet, Aatreya and I need people” she smiled

Mrunal realized her no friend son did too

“If you come to Bangalore I will take you to the Tiger Reserve” she promised

“I will” she nodded

Aatreya was polite and thoughtful, when he brought his mother dinner he brought her a plate as well, she quickly told him that’s what she wants

“can Jaidrith go home with us?” he asked softly when they walked together to drop off plates

“I cant pick him up any  later I mean it will be late from here?”

“I meant the night?”

“Oh” her heart sank

His family was here, he wanted his son so they could all be together

What if he sent him to Bangalore

She didn’t have the Raos’ address… or did she?

The rest of the night went in fear psychosis

He picked up Dhru Sunday at Noon, and then every evening after school the following week

He was promptly brought back home by 8 or 9 PM fed and showered ready for bed

It was like she had no work at home any more

No toys strewn anywhere, no yelling no shouting match no legos under her feet, no argument over soaking wet floors

She assumed all of it happened over at Aatreya’s

She instead sat by the window and stared at the rains despite the sneeze and runny nose

Thursday she went to pick him up, they were not home “At the airport dropping my parents off, her ID would not scan so we were delayed”

The neighbor across from him opened the door and found a sneezing Mrunal

“Aatreya’s friend?”

“No Dhru… Jaidrith’s Mum”

“Oh HOW COULD I miss that?” the woman in her 50s laughed

“Victoria” “Vicks” like the thing u need” she laughed

Mrunal nodded itching her face

“come on in and wait I will make tea”

An hour later when Aatreya returned she had fever

Jai was not ready to go he took stupidly long to pack his back pack

She snoozed on the couch

“U look unwell, do u want to rest?” she heard a growl

“That is never going to land u a woman” she scowled sitting up groggily