PriRa OS ~ Family

Cover credit: Sevenstreaks

Family

“Yes, Twinkle, I'll be there on time,” Priya said into the phone as she stuffed her ear phones and wallet into her handbag. They had to finish some last minute preparations in college for the intercollegiate debate event that a few of her students were participating in this afternoon, but the weather today had decided that it was not their ally as it continued to pour outside.

“Typical Mumbai rains, unpredictable at best,” muttered Priya as she disconnected the call and rushed to get her folder from the drawer of her study table.

“You're going to be fine. Come on, I'll drop you,” her husband, Ram, said from his place beside the window where he stood admiring the rain.

“Well, I will...” she began, but he quickly cut her off. “...manage, yes, I know, but maybe I want a reason to step out and enjoy the rain?”

Despite being married for a few months now, Ram was used to his wife still running around, managing things by herself. She had never relied on others in life, she’d told him during one of their initial encounters and amazingly, she’d held on to that trait even after their marriage. When she didn't respond, he continued, “Surely you don't intend to reach the venue all drenched, soaked and splashed?”

She didn't miss his raised brow and the teasing glint in his eyes, so she replied, “Surely you forgot my raincoat, Mr. Kapoor.”

“Ah, the all-protective raincoat, who could forget,” he sighed dramatically, “Who would need mere mortals like us, then?”

Priya rolled her eyes as she conceded, “All right, let’s go.”

Ram grinned as he grabbed his car keys from the night table. Just as they were about to step out of the room, his cell phone rang.

"Excuse me, just a minute,” he told Priya as he paused to answer the phone.

“Hey, Adi, what's up?” Ram answered.

“Ram, I have good news and bad news,” his close friend and business associate, Adi, replied in response.

“Oh-kay. Let’s hear the good first,” Ram replied.

“The Mehras' resort development project that you've had your eyes on for a while is finally moving and they’re soon opening it up to bids from developers,” Adi explained.

“That’s great news!” Ram exclaimed.

“There’s more. I just received a phone call from their office – they're interested in us taking up the project, if things work out. So they would like to meet you before the bid opens up to everyone,” continued Adi. This resort development project was a high-visibility one as it would pave the way for foreign partnerships for the firm developing the project and Ram’s firm had been preparing for months to be ready for this opportunity when it landed.

“Yes, yes, of course! I've been waiting for this opportunity forever. Go ahead and confirm the meeting and ask Rakesh to sort out the logistics,” Ram replied. This opportunity couldn’t have come on a better day, he thought.

“Yes, just that – ” Adi hesitated before continuing.

“Oh, the bad news?” queried Ram.

“They want you to travel to Shimla...” Adi paused before adding, “...tomorrow.”

“To–tomorrow? No way, tomorrow is not possible. You know, Adi, I like to spend this day with family,” Ram said, clarifying his reason for refusal.

“Yes, I know and I tried to negotiate another date as well, but they cannot move it,” Adi reasoned, hoping his friend would make an exception this time. After all, this opportunity was really important for his career. But Adi also knew that nothing was as important for Ram as family, even if said family didn’t reciprocate that love in equal measure. Though Ram lived with his stepmother and stepsiblings, there was never a day he’d treated them any less than he would his own. In fact, he didn’t even like the use of the word ‘step’ between them.

“Well, then we’ll enter the bid just like everyone else and leave the rest to fate, Adi. Let them know,” Ram replied, the finality in his tone leaving no room for any further discussion.

“Alright, Ram. I'll let them know accordingly,” Adi said as he ended the call.

Ram disconnected the call and turned to Priya who was busy going through something on her phone.

“Sorry, Priya, unexpected call but I promise, you won’t be late,” Ram assured her as he checked his watch. “Let’s go.”

Priya nodded as they walked out. As they entered the living room, Ram's sister, Shivina's squeal greeted them, “Ram bhai!”

“Hey, Shivi! What a pleasant surprise, bacche,” Ram said as he hugged her.

“Hi, Priya di,” Shivina greeted Priya, who returned the greeting with a smile.

“I hope you're staying the night,” Ram asked his sister.

“Of course, not, bhai! After one whole month, Akki has finally been able to get a weekend off and he’s promised we’ll spend this time together. He’s made some plans and I'm so excited!” she squealed.

Akki, Akshay, was Shivina's husband and Priya’s cousin. The duo were madly in love and had gotten married around the same time as Ram and Priya. Ram and Priya’s wedding was actually a marriage of convenience, a result of the circumstances that had arisen around Shivina and Akshay's marriage.

Shubham rolled his eyes at Shivina’s excitement. He didn’t like Akshay and didn’t make a secret of it either. He couldn’t understand how his little sister, who’d practically lived as a pampered princess all her life, could give up the luxuries and choose someone like Akshay who worked as a gym instructor and belonged to a middle class family.

“Is he taking you to Switzerland?” Shubham mocked.

“Shut up, Shubhu!” Shivina smacked his arm.

“Hey, Shubhu,” Ram scolded his brother.

“Yeah, yeah, okay,” Shubham replied, dropping the subject.

Though Priya was getting late, she chose not to interrupt the siblings’ banter and busied herself with her phone once again.

“Ah, mom is finally here,” Shivina said as their mother, Nandini, appeared in the living room followed by Rajesh, one of their domestic helps, wheeling her suitcase alongside.

“Mom, are you traveling somewhere?” Ram queried, surprised to see his mother dressed to leave.

Priya looked up from her phone, surprised at this new piece of news. She had no clue about her mother-in-law’s travel plans nor did she expect them to keep her informed, but Ram being clueless about it came as a surprise to her.

“Yes, your mamaji is planning to get Rahul married soon so he needs my help in identifying potential matches from my circle who Rahul can pursue. I should mostly be back by Monday,” Nandini replied.

“Okay, mom, have a safe trip,” Ram responded, but Priya could sense that his enthusiasm had already diminished at the thought of Shivina and his mother both not being around the next day. But Priya wasn’t sure why did it matter to him so.

“Thank you, Ram,” his mother replied, “Also, beta, I know you have a busy day so I've got your packing done for tomorrow’s trip.”

Ram looked at her confused as he had clearly told Adi he wasn’t going anywhere tomorrow. Just then, he heard Shubham say, “Thanks, mom, you're the best!”

“Shubhu, where are you off to?” Ram asked his brother, unable to contain his surprise.

“Dubai, bhai. Sid had already booked our tickets for the IPL final and I couldn’t refuse him this time after what our silly sister did,” Shubham replied, referring to his friend, Sid, and his sister Shivina’s engagement that she had called off to marry her beloved Akki. “I have a five a.m flight to catch tomorrow.”

“All right, you guys, enjoy yourselves!” Ram said cheerfully, addressing them all. “We’ll take your leave. Priya’s getting late for college.”

***

Ram and Priya quickly made their way to Ram's car that was parked in the basement garage. The rain continued to pour outside as they drove towards her college and Priya hoped they’d make it in time. At the same time, she didn't want to voice out her concerns because she could clearly sense the ache hidden in his silence. Though he’d put up a facade of happiness before his family just now, he was far from happy. And she didn't blame him. After all Ram selflessly did for his family day in and day out, Priya didn't see any gratitude or genuine affection in return. She sometimes felt it was a selfish kind of love, almost... mercenary. She’d just seen him turning down a most-desired business opportunity simply because family was his priority, but his family clearly didn’t share the same notion. As their car came to a halt at the red light, Ram dialled Adi's number from the dash screen.

“Yes, Ram,” Adi's voice greeted him after a couple of rings.

“Adi, go ahead and confirm the meeting with the Mehras for tomorrow. I'll be there,” Ram said.

“Awesome! Will do,” Adi’s excited tone brought a faint smile to Ram’s face.

In another 10 minutes, they were at Priya’s college.

“There you go, Priya,” Ram said as he brought the car to a halt in the college campus at the entrance of the college building, “On time, despite the distractions.”

“Thank you, but you didn’t need to drop me all the way to the entrance of the building,” Priya replied.

“Well, we both know how much you love the rain,” he teased, which earned him a smile.

Ram unlocked the door and she moved to step out but he called out again, “Priya?”

“Yes?”

“I have to travel to Shimla for a business meeting tomorrow. Will you... come along?” he asked, the uncertainty evident in his voice.

Seeing the surprise on her face, he immediately backtracked, “Sorry, sorry, forget I said anything. You have the college fest tomorrow, of course you can’t come along.”

“I will,” she replied.

“Huh?” Ram gave her a confused look, sure he had misinterpreted her response.

“I said, I will come along,” Priya clarified stepping out of the car.

“But the fest?” he queried.

“I’ll manage,” she tossed with a smile before walking away, leaving Ram grinning.

***

Their flight landed at the airport at six a.m the next day. Ram’s chauffeur was waiting at the airport to pick them up and drive them to Ram's villa. It was an hour's drive from the airport, but the view that greeted her on arrival was breath-taking! Nestled amongst the mountains, surrounded by deodar, pine and oak trees, the villa exuded a welcoming serenity. It was a single-storeyed property with a wide garden. The first floor had balconies overlooking the forest beyond.

“This is... enchanting,” Priya whispered.

“Glad you approve,” Ram smiled.

He quickly gave her a tour of the property and Priya wasn’t surprised to note that though tucked in the heart of nature, the interior only boasted state-of-the-art technology and modern decor, be it the living room, kitchen or the bedrooms. Everything was impeccably maintained.

As they entered the dining room, a mélange of aromas greeted them. The table was laid with paneer parathas, puri bhaji, plain as well as masala dosas, and her preference, ghee upma. Orange juice, tea and coffee completed the assortment of beverages.

“I hope you find the menu to your taste,” Ram mentioned, holding out a chair for her at the table.

“I doubt you could disappoint someone even if you tried,” Priya replied taking her seat.

Ram laughed as he sat opposite her, “Is that Priya Sood's sneaky way of giving a compliment?”

“I'm merely stating a fact,” she shrugged, but Ram didn’t miss the fleeting smile dancing across her lips.

After breakfast, Ram thanked his cook, Mohan, for the lovely breakfast, shared his expectations for lunch and left for his meeting, bidding Priya goodbye. He promised her that they’d step out together post lunch to explore the place and experience Shimla.

***

It turned out to be an unexpectedly busy day for Ram. The meeting that was supposed to last about two hours continued through the afternoon. The client was clear in terms of their vision for the resort and that clarity helped further the conversations smoothly without leaving much to deliberation. As discussions ensued, Ram knew it would be impossible to make it home in time for lunch so he dropped Priya a text.

Meetings continue. Lunch together doesn't seem possible. Will make up for it. Promise.

Priya promptly replied.

No problem.

Though there was nothing special about the message, he still smiled. It was at times like this that he was grateful for her no-nonsense attitude. He couldn't even begin to imagine what he’d do if she was the tantrum-throwing kinds or even a little bit like his sister, Shivina.

He texted her a couple more times as the hours passed to keep her updated. Her responses were crisp each time but as it began to get late, he started feeling guilty about how things had turned out. They were scheduled to return to Mumbai tomorrow morning and all he’d done after getting her to Shimla was keep her holed at home. With sunset around the corner, it was not even possible for them to step out together like he’d promised her earlier. With a lot of good progress during the meetings and faith that the project was as good as theirs, he was all set to wrap up work in 30 minutes. The least he could now do was take Priya out to dinner. He sent her another text.

Almost done here. See you in an hour. We’ll head out for dinner.

But this time around, there was no response from Priya. Minutes passed but his phone didn’t beep, not even with a simple, ‘OK’.

When he finally managed to leave the office, he checked his phone again. On still not seeing a response from Priya, he thought he'd managed to create a nick in Priya’s mighty wall of patience. He considered calling her but wasn't sure how she’d respond. Gathering all his courage, he did dial her number but there was no response. He was confident he had pissed her off. He braced himself to deal with her ire as he neared the villa and mentally prepared an apology.

Priya was sitting on the couch in the living room, leafing through the pages of a Nat Geo magazine.

“Hi,” he said taking the couch opposite her.

“Ah, you're finally home,” she said, looking up from the magazine. “I thought I’d even be having dinner alone.”

Ram sensed the sarcasm lacing her tone and jumped to apologize, “I am really sorry, Priya. I didn’t expect the meeting to take all day but it just went on – one thing leading to the next, and given that I’d travelled all the way here for it, I didn’t want to cut it short either. But I know it was injustice on my part to invite you here and then keep you holed up at home all day. I'm sorry.”

“Mr. Kapoor, I was joking,” Priya responded, surprised at his serious apology.

“Joking? You’re not upset?” he asked feeling a mix of confusion and relief.

“Of course, not. We came here for the business meeting and you didn’t make any tall promises of taking me sightseeing when you asked me to join you. So, why would I be upset?” she asked with a shrug.

Ram stared at her a long moment, “You’re amazing!”

Priya laughed, “You may not find me as amazing if we delay dinner any more. I'm starving.”

“Oh, yes, I'm also starving. Give me 10 minutes while I quickly freshen up and we can then leave for dinner,” Ram said immediately getting up from the couch.

“We’ll have dinner at home. I quite like the view from the balcony in the bedroom upstairs,” she replied pointing to the staircase leading to the top floor.

“Oh-kay, as you like. Can you go ahead and order while I freshen up? You'll find some menu cards in the drawer under the television set,” Ram said.

“Dinner's already taken care of, don't worry,” she replied.

“Ah, efficient, as always,” Ram teased.

“Now go, already,” Priya reprimanded him.

“Yes, Boss wife,” he tossed back using the moniker she’d once sarcastically suggested for herself when he’d asked her what she’d like to be addressed as after marriage, leaving Priya with a lingering smile on her face.

***

When Ram stepped into the first floor bedroom after his shower, he was greeted with a variety of spicy aromas. He inhaled deeply relishing the aromas. Priya was already on the balcony, with the table set for dinner, waiting for him. As he stepped into the balcony, he stopped short. The table was literally a banquet.

“Priya, what’s on the menu?” Ram asked, his eyes scanning the table from one end to the other.

“Are you ready?” she innocently asked, but Ram could see the mischief dancing in her eyes.

“I guess,” he replied warily.

“Okay, here we go – we have Indo-Chinese, Italian, Indian and a dash of French,” Priya began as she started unveiling each item. “Honey chilli potatoes, chicken tikkas, arancini and bruschetta for starters. Pizza, paneer tikka masala, parathas, schezwan hakka noodles and chicken pulao for the main course. And, finally, crème brûlée and gulab jamun for dessert.”

“You did go all out,” Ram replied, awed.

“Well, when we have two occasions to celebrate, there’s never too much food for a foodie,” she replied referring to his love of food.

Priya lifted the cloche off the final platter that lay covered on the table to reveal a chocolate hazelnut truffle cake with the words “Happy birthday” written on it, rendering Ram speechless.

“Happy birthday, Ram,” Priya wished him.

“You knew?” he asked, his voice a whisper.

“I heard…” she replied. Priya was glad that she'd heard the check-in attendant at the airport wish her husband on noticing the birth date on his ID card. That also helped her understand why he was disappointed yesterday when learnt that none of his family would be around today.

“Thank you, this is a beautiful surprise,” he replied, his voice thick with emotion.

“Well, I couldn’t magically convince your family to be present here for your birthday, but I'm glad at least I could do something that would make you happy,” Priya replied with a smile.

Ram reached out for her hand and held it in his, “Priya, whatever the circumstances of our marriage, you are also my family. Thank you for not leaving me without my family today.”

She nodded. “Shall we begin?”

“Yes! I can't wait to devour all this deliciousness,” he replied gleefully and Priya laughed thinking what a kid he was at times.

They enjoyed dinner under the stars in the cool night. The weather had turned colder but the bonfire on the balcony kept them warm. Ram filled her in about his day and how he expected to hear the confirmation that this project was theirs very soon. After dinner, they cleared the table together and then settled on the chaise lounges with tea and coffee respectively.

“The food was truly amazing. Which restaurant did you order from?” Ram asked as he inhaled the aroma of the fresh coffee from the mug in his hands.

“It wasn’t ordered,” Priya replied.

“But that wasn’t Mohan's cooking either,” Ram frowned.

“Yes, it wasn’t,” Priya agreed.

Ram stared at her, “You didn’t... you did? You prepared all that food?!”

“With a little help, of course,” she answered with a grin.

“But you didn’t have to,” Ram replied, shocked that she’d gone to all those lengths for his birthday special. For him.

“I didn't have anything to do except sit around all day so might as well put that time to good use,” she shrugged.

“You’re incredible, Priya,” he looked at her, their eyes meeting. Priya noticed the gratitude lingering in his eyes. Their gazes locked for a long moment before Priya finally looked away.

“I didn't know you were such a Masterchef,” Ram said, taking a sip of his hot coffee.

Priya didn’t immediately respond, letting the silence stretch between them making Ram wonder if she had an unpleasant memory associated with cooking. Finally, she said, “I enjoyed cooking as a kid. At home, I was always the one looking mom's recipes and grandma's notebook to try out different dishes while Sara di had a hard time keeping me in control.”

Ram smiled imagining the little Priya running around the house, bubbling with excitement and enthusiasm, looking for recipes in drawers and cupboards.

“Then, as Maitreyi and Sandy were born, things started changing,” Priya said referring to the birth of her younger sisters. “Father started becoming increasingly disparaging. Every day he’d find reasons to belittle mom and all of us, as if we were at fault for him not having a son. Until one day he decided to show his wife and four little daughters the door because he wanted to marry another woman.”

Though Priya had a very matter-of-fact tone while narrating her story, Ram could see what a wealth of pain she carried within.

“From that day, cooking became a merely utilitarian activity and creative interests were pushed out of mind in the pursuit of survival,” Priya finished with a shrug.

Priya had never willingly spoken about her past or her relationship with her estranged father ever since they’d met unless the situation demanded so. Given how private a person his wife was, the fact that she decided to share about herself with him willingly meant that she trusted him enough to open up her vulnerable self to him and Ram was fiercely grateful of it.

“While I wish your childhood wasn’t filled with such difficult experiences, I'm glad that you didn't let them break you. I'm proud of the woman you've turned into, Priya Sood,” Ram said, the admiration shining in his eyes, and Priya’s face immediately lit up a notch – not because he had complimented her but because he didn't pity her, which was often the case when people heard about her difficult childhood.

“Are you sure, Mr. Kapoor?” she queried, one elegant brow raised.

“Well, except for the PhD in sarcasm, may be,” he teased and both of them broke out in laughter.

From what was going to be a birthday that he'd not want to remember, Ram realized that it had turned into one of the most beautifully memorable birthdays of his life. He was glad that he'd invited Priya on this trip–not because of what she’d done for him today but rather because this was the first time since their marriage that they’d spent time together without worrying about their respective families.

*****

A/N: Thanks for the lovely response on my previous one-shot, guys. This one turned out to be longer, but I hope you guys enjoyed it. Looking forward to your comments!