Chapter 76

Satisfied?

“The woman with the bluest blue eyes and the husky voice, who can answer this for me?” the man on stage called out to her

She was at the rock climbing event center, in a after “party” of sorts of bank execs. She had no idea Dhru had been brought to a corporate event

There were very many well dressed sophisticated couples and families in their 30s and 40s in their Saturday fashionable best

Thankfully she was in her jeans and teeshirt and not a saree, her child was in another corner the place was filled with around a 100 people and kids

Dhru was climbing every “mock” wall in the convention hall, with another boy, racing, Mendy and Lynn stood beside him, as Ira and Iris chased each other around their parents giggling 

Mendy waved Lynn looked the other way pretending to text

Aatreya stood sideways, an eye on him and one on the stage

Mrunal searched for her sunglasses, but the women that stood by her turned to look at her with a smile

She had barely been there for 20 minutes she had no idea why she was being picked on

“The woman… or I should say girl in the sunflower tee”

“that would be ME sadly” Mrunal growled

“OK the question for you is”  the host yelled

A woman shoved a mike under her chin

“the question for you is which year did Metro come to Mumbai”

“Silence” please, no… shhhhh no helping”

There was an image of the Metro on screen

“2014” she said glumly

She hated limelight

“YASSSSS  a big round of applause”

The girl with the mike handed her a gift card envelope

“I don’t work for the bank” she mumbled handing it back

“None of the spouses do” she laughed pressing it down on Mrunal’s hand

“OK the next question for you”

“Oh no, I don’t want to play”

“But you have to, the rules” pointing to flyers on a pillar

“the next question for you what green creature are found in the Arabian Sea near Mumbai”

Sadly she knew the answer to this as well

“Green Turtle” she said gruffly

The man on stage started to clap

People had to deposit their cell phones before the game so there was a lot of cheering for her

“How do you know?”

“My son…. Over there somewhere… (waving) loved turtles when he was little”

“Does he have blue eyes like you?”

She nodded turning red

“What about that husky voice”

“Nope… he doesn’t”

“damnnn!! “

Aatreya was grinning ear to ear

“Where’s the Dad? Or are you the employee?”

“No I am not, he is over there too”

The host was from a event company

“Will the Dad wave?”

Aatreya did

“Sir do u work for the bank?”

Aatreya introduced himself there was a loud applause because obviously he was the top of the food chain at the event

SVP, the EVP was attending too, Shashi Kamdar Aatreya’s boss

Direct Reports

Vipul Achrekar 

Colin Siqueira 

Bikash Saha

The host joked and cheered

Mrunal slithered sideways with the girl with the mike following her

“Back to the quiz” the host shouted

She got one other answer and lost the 4th

She nevertheless won two more prizes

Aatreya brought Jaidrith and Mendy to where she was standing

“Big haul tonight?”

“I didn’t know it was a corporate event u shud have told me I would have brushed up on useless trivia” she smiled

She seemed relaxed and happy to him

“What did you do today?” he bend down and whispered in her ear amidst the din of music

“Slept the whole day, got my nails done” she showed him

“Nice”

His team watched their boss getting cozy with the woman

“Want to meet my team?”

Introductions were made

Nobody asked any rude questions

But were curious though, they had met Shyamal

They didn’t know if the boss was going to get back together with this blue eyed beauty

“Looks like it was a big party over here”

“It was great” he nodded

Mendy made his way through the crowd

Lynn followed and would get on Mrunal’s last nerve

By saying “No wonder he thinks you are insufferable”

They would return to Aatreya’s flat to pick up Dhru’s school shoes 

She didn’t sulk or turn moddy she just confronted him

“I don’t blame you for talking to your friend, but you seem to have told ur friend’s wife I am insufferable” she said haltingly

Dhru was “packing” or reading inside

“I did not say that” he was shocked

“I heard from Lynn I am insufferable I am not offended you think I am intolerable” she whispered losing her voice again “I have to raise my child I don’t care for her opinion I don’t want her relaying it back to me”

“I have said no such thing”

“I don’t believe it”

“That’s your choice Mrunalini”

“I cannot be loosey goosey like you, Jaidrith will walk all over me”

“No he wont, try to…”

“No … stop… it wont work, he is spinning a web of good behavior around u, he is a shrewd thoughtful boy”

“K stop before u go off on him will u tell me what happened with Lynn”

She told him how she was hanging with Lynn and Mendy and how Mendy was overjoyed she won the quiz, and how one thing led to another  Lynn gave her unsolicited advice on who to date at the event and how to approach the bankers etc….and it came to the topic of raising kids and Lynn commented how Aatreya had told her she was unbearable”

“Thanks but I did not say anything so damning”

“But something?” she accused

“U are losing ur voice again, relax, have a cup of tea and quit  speculating …”

“I am not fabricating about Lynn” she was angry

“Umm.. I am sorry I am not sayi..”

“they are YOUR friends, I am polite and respectful I maintain my distance”

“Who said anything about u bothering them?”

He was confused and angry why she was so defensive

“Because Lynn thinks I am hitting on her husband”

“Whattttt?”

He rubbed his eyes and laughed shaking his head in disbelief

“It’s the truth”

“No its not…”

“I don’t need to HIT on men I get attention if I care to pay attention” “I don’t need lessons from Lynn on how to find men” “Or meet men or date men”

“Prove it” he whispered lazily

She took a step forward and kissed him fully on his lips

“Satisfied?” she asked in her hoarse after-cold voice her eyes glinting with pride