Raindrops & Sunshine
He got in his car, and turned the key, a young parking attendant kid said something, his music was on he didnt hear it.
He turned it down lowered his window and leaned
"Gaadi start kaise hoti hai bhayya?" the boy asked
In a very unusual move for R&B, he smiled "Is side aa jao" he said
The 16 year old walked around delighted, he opened the door, he looked hesitantly
"Baith jao" he said
He was afraid... "yahi parking lot ke andar" he smiled
The kid exhaled and sat... he spun it around the curves and returned to his spot, he had "bought" it he realized when he pulled in
one extra slot on each side so no one would side swipe his Ferrari
The kid got off the car in a daze... walked gingerly to the back wall and stared stunned
He pulled into the main road, and sped
He drove up to Tanmay Batra's as Shanti Niketan Tan's car was parked upfront
"Tanmay hain?" he asked
The guard smiled warmly saluted and nodded
"Aur Samyukta?" he asked like he was a stranger
"Jee woh bhi" the guard said
Unusual again, to enquire before he visited
He walked in, the in laws were missing from the sun room
The help went to get Sam
Tan showed instead
"Hey boss... bourbon?" he asked
R&B nodded throwing his keys on a fancy couch and sitting down with an audible sigh
"Where is Sam?" he asked
"U didnt go home?" Tan asked
"Umm.. no" R&B said somberly
Tan handed him his drink picked up his keys and sat on the spot
Rotating the ring in his index finger
"Sam home?" he asked
"Rehne de boss... aaj" Tan said
R&B looked startled
"Whats going on?" R&B asked
"She... umm... shes pretty distraught" Tan said almost inaudibly
R&B stood up
"Can I see her?" he asked
"Main keh raha hoon na dude" Tan was a lil irritated
Sofia brought Lasya
In a Happy Raindrops sleeveless cotton outfit, with dark clouds over the chest and giant rain drops in 8 colors underneath, what looked like sunshine peeked from underneath the cloud
Her hair was braided behind her ears on both sides in tangential stiff tails😆
She jumped out of Sofia's into his, waving her chubby arm, she had drool all over chin
"Peanut" he said softly
She moaned satisfied.. as if she knew laughing was taboo
He huged her tight and rocked...bringing her upfront to stare at the chubby face
Pink and sore with all the teething trauma
She reached for his sharp nose, and bit the tip chewing, he let her wander on his cheek he had shaved two days in a row
Tan just remained seated scrolling his phone
Sofia lingered
"Kisi ko bhejenge andar se?" Tan asked
"Ya to suno, aap kuch khaane ke liye bhej dein?" he said
She nodded and left
"Shall we find Ma?" he asked Lasya
She looked at him strangely... he was different today but what does a 6 month know right? They are dumb as a door knob
"Where is she?" R&B asked
"Oopar hai yaar" Tan said troubled
"Where is Nandu?"
"Shravu ke yahan" Tan said
The men remained quiet... R&B walked with her to the tall French windows and she stared out at the lawn lights...
"Dil toda saale... toone aaj" Tan said angrily
R&B remained motionless
"4, 4.5 saale se subah shaam din raat this is the only f**king thing she could ever say to me" Tan was furious
R&B didnt need to turn to look to detect that
"Even at night... (gritted teeth) after we make love she would say "Tan aap kuch kaho usko" Tan said extemely disappointed
"Can I go see her?"
"Kyon? Kya ukhaar lega?" Tan asked
"U know everything" R&B said (Argent's issues, juggling two jobs)
"share to rakh leta saale" Tan said frustrated
They went back to being quiet again
Lasya cooed, bending down to stare at his face every few minutes, grinning, cooing gibberish, tapping his shoulders with her fat fists periodically
"Ur hair's cute" he said to her
She gave him a pouty look like saying "Oh! I know, tell me something new"
He chuckled
"I like the rain drops on ur dress" he said
"Umm.. I mean, about ME" she gave him that look
"Oh! right... ur arms look chunky?" he said softly
"Really? is that what u say to a girl?" she glared
She coooed "Heres a hint"
"Oh right!! Ur voice is lovely" he whispered on her cheek
"Thats better" she grunted
"Can we go see Ma, peanut?" he asked softly
Tan went on a call... he walked up the stairs, turned towards Sam's master
She folded laundry on the bed
She didnt turn to look, no comments on his formal outfit, his shave, his neatly combed hair, nothing
Lasya chewed on the edge of his collar
"Its dry cleaned must have chemicals" she pulled her daughter's face off her Mama's collar possessively
"Whats going on?" he asked
"Aap batao" she said politely
"I tried" he said
"Thanks" she said crying uncontrollably, shaking her head as he reached for her
Pushing him away
"Dad kaise hain?" Sam asked
He was so wrapped up in grief? no... not grief... really? grief? well... its something... he didnt know what...
while he was wrapped up in "that" he forgot to think about the old man
"He left work already" R&B mumbled
Sam took the clothes to the closet
Tan came up
"Chal neeche kuch kha le" he ordered
"Tan, will u send the help up please? yaha 4 bags rakhe hain puraane kapde, le jaaye neeche" she said
He nodded
"Chalo jaan neeche" he said softly
"Aaap jaayen please" Sam said choking up
"Chal aaj rehne dete hain" Tan said agreeably
"Dad ko phone kar rahi hoon, utha nahi rahe" she said gravely
"I just spoke to him, he is on his way home" Tan said
"Thanks" Sam said huskily
He walked up to her... "Meri baat suno.. pehle rona band karo aap... ab tension khatam na? Ya to is taraf ya us... aaj pata chal gaya ki us taraf"
Lasya pedalled on R&B's arms as she spotted a bird outside in the backyard tree, her anklets rang loud
She reached for it with her fat hand... but the bird disappeared into the dense under growth of the tree in the datk night
"What did Chachu say?" Sam asked unable to control herself
"Kya kahenge? Isko subah offer kiya 4.5 crore" Tan said "He told the man, I already agreed to Dad's repurchase"
Sam looked at her brother... with gratitude? relief? a lil kindness?
"They didnt get it" she exhaled obviously happy
"No" Tan said
His answer echoed across the room
"Woh ehsaan bhi kar leta yeh" (He shud have sold to chachu)she provoked R&B
"Samyukta... chhodo is baat ko yaar, banda aaya hai oopar dhang se baat kar" Tan ordered
"I was trying to hold my breath under water Tan... I couldnt" she said
"U look at life simplistically, for ur own selfish purpose... in order for u to
survive u need to move on, so u force others to move on too, kisi ko kam rest chahiye marathon mein kisi ko
zyaada, ab kheechegi waapis to koi girega na? Woh Paris tha,
toone uski jaan le li, come back and pitch in, Ma wud have wanted that, do it for Ma, do it for us, do it so Chachu wont rob us"
Tan went quiet...
"He has no stake now" Tan said
"I quit as well" R&B said
"OH TERI!!!" Tan cursed
Samyukta sat on the bed, and hid her face in her hands
Lasya began to laugh uncontrollably thinking her Dad was kidding with her, which he did many times saying the word...
Tan had paged the help from the bedside
"Didi kuch laayen?" he asked
She pointed him to the 4 bags in the corner of the closet he walked out turned back him.. "Mummyji Daddyji laut aaye" he said
Cricket
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