Chapter 93

Secretary

He was up early to go drop Dhru at school just locking the auto lock wood door to let himself out

When she woke at 7 he was gone

He had left her a handwritten note

“Would you like to come by for dinner at 8?” “Or 7?’

She wouldn’t

She didn’t want to see his parents much

What would she say to them? There was no match, she was the woman that chose to go to bed with their son who was vacationing in Mumbai before heading to Grad school

Got pregnant, had the baby and now was raising him alone with no parental help,

Parents? The most uncaring aloof individuals

Her mother only texted her if Annika Savarkar had a milestone and she wanted to show off

She was never invited to her new home or had met her new husband or the girl

Her father might be a new Dad soon, Mr Somesh Rao wearing his dhoti was sitting down for puja and explaining scriptures over here

What would she say to the Raos about all this?

Everything about her family was a little more than shameful

She went to work well rested, checked on Dhru multiple times a day snuck out at lunch to go see him, he was in a special “Learning Lab” she could only peek at him through the window

She returned to work late and got yelled at

The school told Aatreya she was there at lunch

He texted her to ask if everything was OK

That’s when she realized she hadn’t responded to his texts all day

“I missed him so I went off to see him” 😊

😊

“Hope he behaved himself?”

“He ate everything on his plate at breakfast”

“OH REALLY?”

“Yes”

“What was for breakfast?”

“Oh? My Mom makes poha upma”

“Oh? He doesn’t like Poha”

“Oh? Must be one o those days then” he was apologetic

“What did he bring with him for lunch?”

“Oh? The rice bread sandwich with some sweets Amma made”

“Oh?”

“Hope he likes it”

“Hmm”

“How are u?”

“I am good, thanks for staying, hope u had chai in the morning”

“U owe me one”

“Sure anytime in a week or two?”

“Where are you going?”

“Nowhere”

No response

“Why?” she asked again

“Why after two weeks?”

“Oh… u have family visiting right, so…”

“What about dinner tonight?”

“U wanted me to bring chai in a flask?”

He sent laugh emojis

“So u are coming?”

“No I am sorry I have to work late”

“U plan to skip dinner?”

“Umm.. I”

She had begged Sai if she could stay over tonight

“I am going to meet Sai”

She had texted Rashi and Shaurya as well but hadn’t heard back

“They would like for you to visit for dinner or lunch”

“Are they staying the weekend?”

“Yes”

……

“?”

“I will think about Saturday”

“Or Sunday?” he offered

“Will they come live with you in Juhu?”

“I hope they do I am still chipping away at their resistance real slowly”

Her heart sank

Dhru was going to be elated

“Then you will want Dhru every night?”

“Will call soon” was all he texted

Around 7 she continued to work, she called him twice he hung up each time after two sentences

She reminded him about the Geography country paper that was due every Friday

She could hear Pramila and Somesh in the back laughing and chatting loudly in Kannada

Yet another house party? She wondered

She was at work at 8 even… Sai was closer to work she was doing a 9-9

She used one of her coupons to buy herself a good gourmet meal, missed Dhru the whole time ended up crying in a posh five star hotel

He loved fried rice, how could she do this?

“At work?” he texted around 8 

“Yes how did u know?”

“I was dropping off Mendy’s car  with my driver and had to meet someone in that part of town, I knocked on ur door u were not home”

“Sai lives close by”

He called her 20 minutes later

“No I will not demand Dhru stay with me everynight after my parents move to Mumbai”

“OK” she nodded choked up

“When will you stop fearing that?” he growled

“I don’t know”

Silence….

“Maybe you should forget about what I said when u were in HKG”

“Why is that?”

“Because your parents are going to be here soon”

Son back to having the same affair with the same woman all over again

Ughh!!

She imagined the look Pramila might give her

“I said “chip away” if u paid attention, both parents still have careers” “They haven’t packed or put stuff in a truck

“Oh”

“Plus I doubt my parents want me to be celibate the rest of my life”

“They also probably do not want u hooking up with the same woman”

“U know my parents now?”

“No I said u must tell them about the photographer”

“Thanks for being my secretary”

“I am not”

Silence….

“You should date”

“Thanks for being my advisor”

“I will give you money advice now” she mocked so he could give it  the next title

“Not funny Mrunalini”

“Shouldn’t you be having dinner?”

“I left you a note”

“I saw that, paper pen” she smiled

“Saturday?”

“Lunch?”

“Hmm”

“I am so afraid”

“OF WHAT?”

“I don’t know….” She lied

“