Chapter 27
Monday morning dawned slowly and brightly, much to the displeasure of Mayank's drowsiness. He pulled the covers over his head and turned back to sleep before he felt the poking finger of someone.
"Get up, Mayank," Nupur said with a yawn as she poked at her husband's shoulder.
"I don't want to," he murmured into his pillow.
"You have to go to work," she said, turning her pokes into a irritating series of pats.
"Bugger work," he mumbled.
"Could you please help me get Neev dressed. Today is his interview with Rashmi," she replied. Her fingers were playing above his neck – she was itching to touch the back of his hair, but she knew better. She walked to the bathroom and left him in the bedroom all alone. He hated it when she left him in the bedroom all alone.
"Fine! I'm up!" he grumbled loudly, sitting up and running his fingers through his hair.
Together, they got ready for the day, woke Neev up, dressed him, fed him, fed themselves, and left the house. Right before they were to go off to their different locations, Mayank knelt down and clasped Neev's shoulders.
"Neev, today you're going to see Miss Rashmi and talk to her," he explained.
"I know. Mummy told me," Neev replied.
"I want you to be very polite to Miss Rashmi and answer all of her questions. If she makes you feel upset or angry, then you be sure to tell your mummy about it when the interview is finished, ok?"
"Ok, Daddy," he nodded. "Can I have a hug?"
Mayank had no choice but to oblige the kid, so he wrapped his arms around him and kissed his hair. Once he stood up, Nupur gave him a reassuring smile. Like the sap he was, he leaned over and kissed her lips softly. In his head, of course. As if it was going to happen in reality.
"I'll see you two at home," he said with a small smile, dreaming about the little kiss and drove away in his SUV.
"Kissing is yucky," Neev said suddenly as he pulled her arm towards the sidewalk.
"Very yucky," Nupur said, smiling down at him.
"Harsh said he wants to kiss Miss Sonali when he gets bigger but not now because it's yucky," he explained.
"We'll see," she added noncommittally. "Now, let's go over the letter of the week…"
Nupur walked into the school and helped Neev with his jumper and his backpack before watching him walk into the classroom to start drawing on the whiteboard. She walked in behind him once she saw Sonali arranging the books in the library center.
"Good morning, Sonali," Nupur said brightly as she kneeled down to help her.
"Morning, Nupur. How are you this morning?"
"I'll be fine once you tell me how your date went with Vikram," she said with a sly smile.
"What date?" Sonali replied with a guilty look and a mischievous look in her eye.
"Sonu! Don't tease me! Tell me what happened, please," Nupur begged.
"Oh, alright. It was a nice date. And by nice I mean it was the most fantastic evening in the history of evenings! He bought me flowers, Nupur. Roses! I nearly ripped off his pants right then and there!"
Nupur quickly glanced over to make sure Neev was far enough not to hear their discussion. "Besides you being ridiculously perverted, what else happened?"
"Well, we couldn't really go just anywhere, because Vicky is so well-known, so he took me to this restaurant that has a private booth reserved just for him. I swear he was so cute trying to impress me. I mean, really, we could have had dinner out in the alley behind the Stag's Head and I still would have been on cloud nine."
"What did the two of you talk about?"
Sonali's eyes brightened and she pushed her hair out of her eyes. "He seemed so interested in my work here at the school, well his son studies here, really pleasantly surprised when he found out, and he's just about the sweetest man who ever walked this earth. He's modest and he's so attentive. He actually pays attention when I speak and I just wanted to kiss the Kashmiri brogue right out of his mouth every time he uttered a syllable. Oh, Nupur… he's so wonderful. I don't know what I've done to deserve all this."
"You haven't done anything, Sonu. You're a wonderful person and you deserve to be happy," Nupur told her. "Now, stop with the sappy stuff, and just tell me if he kissed you again!"
"He kissed me. Twice," Sonali smiled. "He wants to see me again when he gets back from the Champions World Tour next week. He's texted me twice since our date and he dropped by this morning to wish me a good day at school. How on earth was this man created so perfectly? It boggles the mind."
"You'll keep me updated on this hot, new relationship, right?" Nupur asked as they finished arranging the books.
"Duh," Sonali replied with a roll of her eyes. "Just like you'll keep me updated on what happens today at Neev's interview."
"Definitely. Although, now that you mention it, I'm absolutely terrified," Nupur sighed. "Neev is so trusting and so innocent and I just hope they don't intimidate him too much." She paused for a moment and bit her lip. "Mayank is nervous."
"I'm sure he is. His son's custody is in the balance and we both know that Mayank would fall apart without him. I mean, I know he loves you and all, but Neev is his entire existence."
Nupur mumbled. "Mayank...doesn't love me."
In a horrified instant, she realized her mistake when Sonali quirked an eyebrow.
"I'm just joking!" Nupur laughed, her heart beating ferociously and her lips shaking slightly.
Sonali smiled. "You're funny, Nupur. Real funny. Anyone can see how infatuated he is with you. I mean, forget the burning looks he gives you and the way he always has to touch you in some way whether it be his hand on the small of your back or his arm around your shoulders…"
Nupur let the rest of Sonali's words trail off as she sat in shock. She'd never even noticed any of those things, but now that Sonali was bringing them up she realized they were true. Well, when one is in love they do those sort of things. Don't they?
"… it's amazing how he still has that newlywed adoration for you even after three months. It's no wonder the two of you married so quickly," Sonali had continued. She sighed and then stood up, helping Nupur off the floor as well. "I hope one day I'll be in just as much love as the two of you."
With that, Nupur numbly watched her friend walk over to the whiteboard and help Neev erase his drawings. She couldn't get Sonali's words out of her head… she had a lot of thinking to do.
Miss Rashmi Walia sat in a chair across from Neev in her private office, watching the little boy as he stared at a motivational poster behind her desk. His legs were dangling off the chair and were swinging slowly as his eyes inspected the room slowly.
She set a recorder to dictate their conversation and leaned forward in her chair. "Well, Neev, let's reacquaint ourselves, shall we? I'm Rashmi Walia, your permanently assigned Domestic Ministry Professional," she said slowly, adjusting the rolls of parchment in her hands.
He stared at her with a blank expression.
"How has your day been so far?" she asked.
"I went to school with my mummy," he replied. "Harsh and me played in the sand and I had some macaroni at lunchtime."
"That sounds good," she said. "Do you like going to school?"
"Yes. My mummy is my teacher, and we learn stuff all the time, and my mummy says I'm very smart," he told her. "Harsh is my bestest friend, and he is in my school, and we play at recess and at centers. I love school very, very, very, very much."
"Do you ever have to go to time-out at school?"
"Sometimes I don't be quiet when my mummy says we have to be quiet, so she puts me in the timeout, and I have to be very quiet in the timeout or I won't get to play at recess or centers."
"Tell me, Neev, do you like your new mummy?"
"I love my mummy," he said seriously. "She gives me kisses, and she gives me big hugs, and she always plays with me, and I love her very, very, very, very much."
"Does she ever spank you?"
Neev's eyebrows furrowed. "Sometimes when I do something very bad. But my daddy spanks me more."
Rashmi gave him a small smile. "Does it hurt when they spank you, Neev?"
"No. They hit me soft," he said. "But they only give me a spanking when I do something very, very, very, very bad. Sometimes I just have to sit in my room and I don't get to watch any telly."
"Do you watch the telly a lot?"
"My mummy says I can only watch for one hour before I go to sleep. I watch all the time this big di-osaur like Rosie and he sings songs and I love to watch it. Rosie likes to watch it, too. Daddy does not like to watch it. He says it hurts his head a lot," he explained. "Mummy watches it with me and we sing the songs together!"
Rashmi nodded slowly. "Do your mummy and daddy argue? Do they fight with each other?"
"Yes, sometimes they yell at each other, but Harsh's mummy and daddy yell at each other, too and we close our ears." He demonstrated by pressing his hands against his ears and smiling at the woman. "See? And Unca Ajay and Dadi yell at each other, too. Actually, Dadi always yells at Unca Ajay and Unca Ajay just does like this." He lifted one of his dark eyebrows using his pointer finger.
"I see. Now, do you ever miss your real mummy?"
"My mummy is my teacher," he told her. "I miss her a lot when I sleep at Harsh's house and when I visit Dadi and Unca Ajay."
"No, Neev. Your real mummy lives in France and her name is Annie," Rashmi clarified.
"Annie?" Neev's little mouth pursed in concentration. "Annie isn't my mummy. She was not nice to me and my mummy is my mummy now. She's my teacher at school."
"Neev, your real mother is Annie. She is your true and only mother."
"No, Annie is just Annie. She doesn't smile at me and she doesn't give me kisses and hugs. Mummy is my real mummy," he clarified. Why didn't this stupid lady understand?
"Well, then, do you ever miss Annie?"
"No."
"Just no?"
"I don't like Annie. She's not nice to me and I want to see my mummy now. I don't want to talk anymore. Can I go right now?"
"Neev, we aren't finished with our conversation."
"But I want to see my mummy and give her a big hug and then I want to go home and see my daddy and then we can have dinner and I can play with Rosie," he told her.
"I just have one more question," she said patiently.
He gave her another blank look.
"Did you know that Annie loves you very much?"
He kept staring.
"She does, Neev, and she wishes that you would love her, too."
"Can I see my mummy now?" he asked, jumping off the seat and heading towards the door. "Bye-bye Raymi!"
She watched the little boy open the door and peek outside before spotting his stepmother and rushing into her arms. She stopped the recorder and stepped outside to speak with her.
"Mrs. Sharma? Our interview is finished for today. Neev did a swell job and I'll be in contact within the next week to set up interviews with your employee, Neev's grandparents and other immediate relations."
Nupur gave the woman a feigned smile and nodded curtly. "Good day, Miss Walia," she said shortly. "Come along, Neev."
Neev latched onto her hand and turned a sly smile to Rashmi before the both of them turned the corner of the hallway. Rashmi ran a shaky hand through her messy hair and walked back into her office where she proceeded to grab a headache-relief serum and a cup of tea. She listened to the conversation over the recorder with a weary disposition and started contemplating another career-choice.
Mayank paced anxiously in front of the fireplace as he glanced at the clock hanging over the mantle. Nupur and Neev would be home soon and he had just gotten home himself, unable to do anything until he knew how the interview had gone.
At the sound of the front door opening, he held his breath until they came into view.
"Daddy!" Neev shrieked, launching himself into his father's arms.
Mayank kissed the top of his son's head and hugged him tight, glancing up at Nupur as she hung her cloak in the hallway closet. "How was your day, Neev?"
"It was fun! Mummy bought me two sweets when we were walking home!" he exclaimed, pulling his head back to look at his father.
Mayank glanced at the ring of chocolate around Neev's mouth and laughed softly. He kissed his cheek and picked him up. "How did the interview go?" he asked Nupur.
She shrugged. "Neev said it went alright and that he didn't feel uncomfortable. He said that Rashmi asked him about school and about Annie."
"What did he say?" Mayank gulped.
Nupur smiled and bit her lower lip. "What did you tell Miss Rashmi when she asked you about Pansy, Neev?" she asked the little boy in his father's arms.
"She told me that Annie was my mummy but that's so silly because you're my mummy! You give me hugs and kisses, and Annie is always a meanie-head to me."
Hearing those words again, Nupur felt her eyes fill with foolish tears as she gave Mayank a small smile. "I believe he told Rashmi something along those terms."
"The kid doesn't know it yet, but he's as cheeky as it gets," Mayank mentioned as he let Neev down. "It's enough to make me fear for our sanity."
They watched Neev zoom off down the hall towards his room. Nupur started to walk to the kitchen to start dinner when Mayank's hand stopped her. He wrapped his fingers around her wrist and turned her around so that she was facing him. He tilted her chin up with his knuckles and gazed passionately into her eyes. Five seconds...ten seconds...fifteen seconds...eye contact remained intact. Finally, he managed to say, "Thank you, Nupur. For everything."
"What did I say about thanking me?" she asked breathlessly swaying slightly with the recent headrush she'd developed. Sweeping her off her feet like that had always been a signature move for Mayank – and she was still so affected by it...somehow that knowledge re-assured her. She felt like she was still his. Nothing had changed.
He laughed nervously, still holding onto her wrist. He loved doing that, taking her by surprise, twirling her around like that. He only wished he could advance further and possibly get a taste of those irresistible full pouty lips. That would have been the perfect way to show his gratitude.
He pulled back from her when they heard Neev's singing coming down the hallway. Grabbing the opportunity, because he just could not endure it any longer, he kissed the tip of her nose and walked to their room, leaving to change from his work clothes and to leave his wife with a wide bemused smile on her face.
--
As they lay in their respective beds that night, Nupur couldn't prevent her mind from doing things it shouldn't do, like realizing that she was utterly, hopelessly, absurdly, and certifiably in love with Mayank Sharma. She couldn't believe she had said no to him. And she was pretty positive now that he did indeed love her – in his sober state even. She'd seen it in his eyes when he was thanking her before. What if she says yes...
A soft smile caressed her lips as the thought came to full bloom. She was in love! She was in love, and she was happy, and she was the luckiest woman on the planet. She had a husband who could make her laugh, who could make her angry beyond all reason, who could take her to the most intense peaks and then make her heart fill to burst with his rare words of endearment.
With a sigh, she decided that she'd keep her little thought to herself until she knew for certain that Mayank held any feelings for her. It would completely destroy her if she were to tell him how she felt and learn that he didn't want her back at all...
Mayank's existence seemed pretty peaceful: a wife who was turning into a surprisingly fantastic friend and might be slowly falling for him again, a son who worshipped the ground he walked on, and a steady career that fulfilled him intellectually.
He couldn't remember ever having a more content existence and for some reason, he knew that it was too good to be true.
He was right, of course. Two weeks before his four month wedding anniversary, a rainy Saturday morning, he answered his door to find Ranvijay Rathore standing on the other side… the man who had almost raped Nupur… the man who Mayank was about to strangle for daring to show up at his flat…
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