Chapter 73

Omelets & Hope

By Tuesday morning her fever broke and she was able to sit up more than the past two days

He just took care of Dhru and worked  the whole time

Tuesday morning when she woke she found father and son both asleep

She woke him in a panic

“there was no school today remember?” “U have his school calendar posted on the frig”

He got off the bunk bed and followed her

She grabbed her reading glasses from the desk by the bed and sprinted and sighed when she realized he was right

“Oh I forgot”

“No worries”

“You’ve really been taking care of him the whole time”

She coughed with the remnants of the cold

“He is easy to take care of

“Thanks”

“And I did not poison you” he smiled leaning on the doorjamb

“Yeah that too”

“I am not going to hurt the mother of my child”

“Thanks”

“I was gob smacked to learn I have a child the worst thing to do would be to kill the mother and head to prison” he said softly

She nodded

“I don’t need to know everything about your life, just enough so I am not in the way”

“OK”

“My parents and I have regressed, in the last 3ish months, Ive broken their heart by announcing I fathered a child and didn’t even know about it”

She stared in disbelief

“My mother and my father have never heard or seen of anyone doing such a thing”

She nodded weakly

“they knew I was different when I wanted to go study in America, they knew I was getting a lot of attention from women in Bangalore” he hid a smile

She shifted awkwardly

“I mean none of this meant I was going to have free wheeling s—with a  stranger in Lonavala over a weekend”

“Uh”

“How did your parents take it?” “If u don’t mind my asking?”

Aftera  coughing bout they both stared at the living room bed, Dhru did not stire she went to her bed

He sat on the edge, as she crouched by the wall

“My Mum was not kind” she said quietly

He did not reveal Mendy had told him anything

“Do you have your Dad’s support?”

“Umm.. I don’t know if I can call it support”

“Did you have an easy pregnancy?”

She blushed a deep red

“It was great” she whispered huskily

“He looks great so I don’t doubt that” he smiled gently

“I am not close to my parents so”

“Do they wish to see me?”

“They don’t even wish to see ME” she thought

“Umm.. Not… no I don’t think so” she swallowed ashamed

“Hmm”

“I am thinking of going to work, if you have to go to the office today I can drop him off at the activity center”

“I can work from home I can bring him to Khar”

She nodded

“Do u really feel like going in?”

“I should try”

“Don’t you have enough days, sick days?”

She had none, she had taken many randomly, she hated her job, she wanted to be a stay at home Mum

She wanted to spend the afternoons with Dhru like Kirti Sahasre and the million other Mums around the city

“I have some” she lied

“Then take the day off”

“My boss will fire me”

“Why do u keep saying that?”

“Because I work in dispute resolution people love to stay in 5 star resorts but no one likes to pay the inflated Rs,800 rupees for water

she smirked

He smiled wide

“My boss doesn’t like the fact that my team even gets weekends”

“can you find another job?”

“U mean… no (job)” she swallowed

“U know something to do with billing if that’s your expertise?”

“I barely went to college, I studied BBA but” she smiled sheepishly

The first honest thing she said about herself besides her  usual paranoid rants about Aatreya kidnapping Jaidrith

“Having too good a time?” he smiled

“U can say that”

They both smiled at each other softly

“No one that knew me back then believes I am holding down a job and raising a child and living by myself” she smiled

“A fantastic mother

 he sighed

“We traveled drank danced and party hopped 6 nights a week

“Did you have a boyfriend?” he decided to get bold

“Umm.. here and there”

“None now?” he asked and held his breath

She looked at him like she was on to him

“I better go get ready”

“Good idea” he said getting up “I am going to fix breakfast”

A wonderful breakfast of oatmeal omelets, toast and coffee awaited her

“I eat eggs don’t tell my parents… I mean I eat when I cannot find anything else” he smiled

“How can you lie to your Mum? She is so amazing?” Mrunalini was in agony

He walked up to her slowly and straightened her badge on her shoulder

“Do u like her?”

She nodded

“So there is hope then?” he whispered