Chapter 89

Reckless & Maternal

He had to excuse himself from the meeting 20 minutes later because he was not paying any attention to what was being said

“Hey” Let me know when you can talk?”

She was not by her phone at home, in the shower, making dinner, trying a new dessert for  Dhru, talking to the grocery delivery guy, Kirti Sahasre across the hall later

Dhru wanting to stare into their flat, Kirti allowing him to hang for a bit

Mrunal worrying when the door got shut since it was windy and rainy, she could not see what her child was doing

One broken pinkie was enough for her

Luckily he made it home by 9

She didn’t know what she could do with all the palak Kirti had given to her, all under the pretext of finding out where Aatreya was she thought, she asked about him 2 times

When she checked her messages in bed at 11, she found his call and yet another text

“What was the question about?”

She began to text him and then called instead

“Busy?”

“No, just trying to get a cab back to the hotel” she heard background noise

“OK I can talk tomorrow”

“Noo.. no no wait wait” he took a minute and was seated in a cab, because she first heard Mandarin news on the radio and then after a request the driver lowered the volume and then

“K fine, sorry about that”

“No worries”

“K your turn”

“Umm.. I just wanted to know” she said

Suddenly Sameena’s hour long sermon came to mind and she was suddenly a nervous wreck

“Did you want us to start seeing each other?”

“I was thinking… I mean, if you are not actively dating, then?” she felt like she had drank the truth serum, the words would not stop

“Oh?”

“Unless I just read too much into that overture”

He was almost gasping at her honesty

“Umm.. no… no… no… I mean… no” “Not at all I mean… I didn’t mislead you did I?” he just blabbered

“I just wanted to know if there is something in there, and I thought why not ask you?”

“Oh? Whoa… I mean… WOW Thanks”

“You have been propositioned by women before” she laughed nervously

“Umm… I don’t… I don’t know I cant…” he rubbed his eyes, it was after midnight he didn’t even know if this call was real

He was astonished and excited, he had not imagined in his wildest dreams she would even ask him this question

“I will take that as a no?” she giggled

“I have not been propositioned” he lied as his memory came flooding back

“Umm.. so let me know”

“I have to go back to Singapore” he panicked

“You are returning?” her heart sank

“No no no I am in HKG right now, I will have to return for 2.5 days I wont be back until November 29”

“Oh”

“Can I see your face please?” he begged hoarsely

“OK” she hit FT

She sat up, her bed head hair all around her face

He just stared into her eyes

“Is this good?” she asked as if she was filling out an application form

“You look great” he whispered her aquamarine eyes sparkled in the darkness of the room

“I am shocked women never propositioned you, you always say the right things” she laughed

“U do look great”

“Its just the eyes” she said in a resigned tone

She hated them, they reminded her of Sagar Ghatge

Recall suddenly triggered a fear, what if I am being like my father, just approaching random men for se-?

The next second her expression paled

“I am not seeing anyone, I want to see you Mrunalini” he said firmly

His taxi arrived at his hotel

“Can u please give me 10 if you will not fall asleep?”

“Its late for u” she whispered

She felt lightheaded and woozy, like being swept away, or sinking into sand

She clutched the sheet under her left hand and crushed it

When he called her back she was nervously pacing the room

“I don’t want you to do this because I am wanting it, I want you to tell me if you do too?”

Sameena was going to kill her she realized

“Oh God! What am I doing… I am doing the Lonavala night all over again, its like I cannot think, around this guy”

She did a shooting herself in the temple gesture thankfully she was not on FT

“I want us to explore this relationship Mrunalini”

She shivered in dangerous delight, she could feel her chest swelling tightly inside her tee, as if he sensed her innermost desire he begged

“Can we FT now?”

“Umm.. its really late for u”

“I am awake” his amused tolerance was unmistakeable

When it was turned on she had to sit down

She wished she was in the same room as him

The excruciating se---l frustration to bite and suck on him, made her shudder

“I am thinking this is all physical” she swallowed weakly

They both were staring at each other breathing hard, the atmosphere radiated with crackling energy, a force field alive with sensual tension, he looked at her lower lip that was swollen and almost bloodshot with all the biting down she had done his smile was a mixture of arousal and concern

“Do you want to fly down to HKG?”

“NOW?”

“In the morning” he smiled and winked

Her heart skipped a beat

“Ive never been”

“See I KNEW” he whispered

“Dhru has school”

He wasn’t even listening he had let his mind wander to what they would do

“You have a nice family… umm.. A..”

“So it’s A now?” he chuckled

“I guess”

“U have a great family, my entering your life for the second time should not mean upheaval”

“I am 33 Mrunalini, I should have the freedom to be with whoever I want”

“That is another question you need to answer honestly” she sat down sighing

This was going so well but she feared Sameena

There has to be a catch

“I did not kiss you because I was wanting to show my se---l prowess” he growled

“Umm…”

“I am sorry I am not trying to make this….”

“I am not I don’t want to push this too much and make it happen”

“You are not”

“My ther… I am not thinking through this I wont hold you to anything… you are free to walk away whenever, even after the first time”

“I did that once” he said somberly

They both were quiet

“Look this is no doubt a very complex place for both of us”

“You have a wonderful family, the first time might have been adventure the second should not be one again” she was suddenly ashamed of herself

His parents would never approve

They were so religious and conservative and kind and

The images from his digital picture frames flashed through her mind, dhotis, and havans and sacred threads and prayers

She cringed

“What?”

“THIS is why Sameena did not want me to do it… Oh God!!”

“Mrunalini”

“You are so grounded and normal” she said out loud

“Umm…”

“We don’t have to talk about this… you can just ignore or act like this conversation never happened” she coached him

“You don’t think I have the maturity to process it?” he was irritated

“No no I do I do I don’t want it to be something so important that you give it priority”

“I am flattered you think I make you feel things you love”

She nodded weakly

Opening up to him meant she was opening herself up for rejection too

He was attracted to the idea of her elusiveness, by boldly suggesting a hook up yet again she was  becoming what she used to be 10 years ago, Reckless and wild

He would never marry her after this liaison, his parents would want someone who is like Apoorva or his mother

Simple, careful and responsible

Mrunalini was maternal, that was the only thing going for her…