Chapter 103

A New Day 

“Why are you in hiding?” was his first question

He looked dapper in the Christmas red check shirt and khakhis, her red cotton swing dress seemed frumpy to her

“No particular reason, she got up from her spot on the rug and dragged Dhru who refused to look up from his book

“Hey bud… do I get a hug?”

He was all smiles and reached for a hug

“Lets go to the terrace, unless you want to hang with teens”

“They do flatter my ego, they asked me if I am in college and if I am Dhru’s sister”

“I bet they did” he laughed

One of the teens in a room that had now mushroomed 4 more teens mysteriously laughed

“HE did”  he pointed to a friend

A red faced teen did not look up from his PS3

“Of course” Aatreya nodded

Lynn watched the three of them go up to the terrace

“I am going to get ur man to lose the horseshoe game”

“If he lost to u I wouldn’t even be sad” Lynn smiled extra

“Did u tell Mrunalini how I cheated?” he asked casually pausing at the foot of the stairs

“Umm.. no.. she would just be bored”

Mrunalini did not know if Aatreya was playing a game with her

Pretending to include her, act like she was part of the clique so it makes her feel good so later when he grabs Dhru she is caught unaware

“Did u ask Mendy to invite me?” she asked as they trudged up

“Why?”

“I don’t know any one, I thought you might have said it’s a good idea so u can see Jaidrith”

“First of all thank u for saying his full name, secondly I know where u live I could have just walked over”

“But if he is going to be ur kid then he has to be friends with all of Mendy’s family”

“He is not going to be, he is already” he laughed making the point laughingly

“Yeah yeah u know what I mean”

“It was a simple invite enjoy it”

“Its simple for u”

“What do u mean?”

The terrace had even more people now Mrunalini panicked

Aatreya steered her to a far corner

“U make sure I know every body and like everybody….”

“And then what?”

“I don’t know… u tell me”

“Is this one of ur unreasonable fears again?” he was furious

“I am not a crazy person, I am allowing u to be with my child”

“He is mine too weve been thru this”

“U only proved on paper, now bringing him here everyone will know”

Jai was dodging Ira and Iris as he ran laughing

Aatreya was easily able to make him lose his video game or book

So clever…

“Should I have kept him hidden?” he was half amused half angry

“U are really telling me you had nothing to do with my being here?”

“No I did not”

“Hmm”

They went their separate ways

The food was delicious, she ate until she exploded and avoided making eye contact or chatter with Lynn and Aatreya and left at 4 ish

Aatreya wanted to take Ira Iris and Jai to a nearby arcade

“I need him home by 10” she said

“I can do that”

“OK”

“Do I get a chance to interrogate u?” he was irritated

“I have nothing to hide

“I did not say I want to talk ab tur parents”

“What else could be juicy?”

“Now u are going to… umm.. never mind

They felt people approaching so they stopped

She went home took a nap, showered, tried a new recipe for dinner

Aatreya brought him home at 10:20

She should have known Dhru would have eated, she KNEW he must have ate

“U shud have texted I have dinner ready”

“Cudnt u ask?”

“U just told me I ask too many questions remember?”

“Not stupid Qs…” “Relevant ones”

“Are u done?” she glared with the door open

Dhru stepped out of the bathroom and crashed on the bed tired

“He had to go to a math quiz event, uve tired him out too much”

“You HAVE TO get used to it Mrunalini Ghatge I am not going to apologize for every damn thing” he was incensed

“So I was right… u were putting on an act of being nice”

“Believe what u want”

“He cannot make it to ur place for NY eve” she said coldly

“that’s fine I can be here”

She shut the door

She had won but it felt like she had lost

Jan 1st was Dhru’s Bday he knew probably

She asked the Sahasres if the boys would like to come to a nearby arcade, the girl at school his teacher Mrs Singh had suggested and Ira and Iris

He didn’t want Ira anD Iris since they were “babies” he said

This was the first party she was going to throw in a couple years

She was nervous and afraid

She forgot NY was approaching

A couple of other stupid arguments with Aatreya ensued between Dec 26-30

Mrunalini had overheard many not so complimentary things being whispered by Lynn she knew it was pointless to argue but Lynn had successfully planted the seed in her mind

“I am not going to lie to you, u can think what u want” he had said in response to her asking him if he had told Lynn about her parents

“Did u tell her I am not doing my fair share of caring for Dhru?”

He argued for 30 minutes and then gave up on that one as well

“Do u think I am using ur money to buy myself nice things?”

He refused to argue for that one

She sat in front of the TV, after Dhru went to bed at 8 after spending the day at Aatreya’s

It was a few minutes to midnight, she put out his gifts by his bed and returned to the living room to watch her live NYE show

There was a knock on the door

It was Aatreya Rao

In a jeans and white shirt

“What happened?”

“Nothing” he said tucking his hands in his pockets

She opened it softly

Kirti Sahasre peeked

“Did u want to wish him?” she asked somberly

“Something like that” he nodded

“OK” she shut the door

He looked at the room, immaculate… and quiet… except for the almost muted TV

He bend down, she assumed to untie his laces in his shoes

He looked up at her with a box in his hand “Marry me Mrunalini Ghatge” he whispered