Heart on heart
When she went up an hour later, after feeding her daughter, changing her, tidying up the various floors
She found, her daughter and husband fast asleep curled up on the couch, she slept on his chest, her fat cheeks leaking from under her chin'.
To the steady stroke of his heart beat
Her fat legs and arms gripping his old warm tee on the sides
There was orange paint in the crevices of her fat arms, her fountain secured with II's scuncie pulling her soft neck hairs
The TV was on a French news network, the laptop was on, his phone showed 5 missed calls, his espresso was half finished his omelette toast and hash brown all gone
She could hear the soft steady audible breathing of both
Tucked in one of Nivi's fist was his Beats ear plug she gently untangled and pushed it into her ear cavity she heard R&B
He stirred, she stepped back dropping the ear bud staggering back as she got up
He opened his eyes, and they looked at each other for the longest time.
Spontaneously their expressions softening a lot... aching and missing each other
She waited for him to say sorry for not coming home for Pongal
He didnt...
"D II poren" she said softly
Not nodding in agreement, obviously letting her know she shouldnt
Her heart skipped a beat at being wanted
She wanted nothing more than going to bed, and staying in bed until 7 or 8 in the evening, when usually
until his daughter demanded he wandered with her in the lawn or took her on a bike ride, shaking her fat arms excitedly as she saw teh headlights of the cars out on the road
she would talk with Akka as she prepped for dinner, or go off to pattu class
Father and daughter would sometimes even ride bike to pattu mami's house
And be waiting when she should remotely turn on the lights in her car
"Cutieee... u rode like a princess?" she would gather her daughter and kiss her cold wintry cheeks
"The bike is your chariot?" "dad's ur chauffer?" she would coo
she wouldnt want to ride back home in her car, screaming, until II put her back in the bike's baby trailer
"dont make her love nature, I am warning you" she would tell her husband before getting back in her car
They would all laze in the lounge, Sam would come over, Lasya competing for her man...
"She hasnt eaten lunch" she lingered
He listened carefully, "not sure if its the teeth or what" she said
He didnt say anything
"I made dal and mashed some carrots in, she will make a mess and spit it all out" she said
Bye" she said
Hoping he would say something
He didnt
She shut the twin glass doors leading to the 2nd floor foyer, as she let herself out
Went back in, sorted his bags, threw a load in the 2nd floor washer, put away his music and books and other tech gear
There were a dozen biker mags in French in one of the bags
She went back to the office, took a post it and wrote "SERIOUSLY?" and slapped it on the glossy mag stack and left it
Unable to comprehend how someone can love the outdoors so much
She went back to the living room, and found him asleep, Nivi had scooted on his chest, they were heart on heart... Nivi's curls taking up half his chest
He held II's scuncie now wrapped in his fingers
He opened his eyes again and looked
Reveling in her unwillingness to just leave
He wasnt going to stop her... if thats what she wanted
She came back and picked her keys up
Went out, drove to DII, Shubhang sat in the balcony as Shravu shot darts on a friend down below
He squealed
Skinny, and almost bald, with a oblong face, he was adorable
She went up and picked him up sitting in her face pod swing
"Chithi aathuku polama?" (come to my house?)
He stretched his arm up, and expressed wonderment, trying to describe R&B and how tall he was
"Yeah yeah... I am tall too" II said
Shravu screamed at the boy, teh boy shot him 5 in a row
II intervened "Waise aapki baari nahi thi, jab woh jhuka aapne fire kiya its not the right rules of engagement" she said waving a finger
Amma came to the balcony startled "Ennadi vandadum varadaduma panchayat?" (u are barely here, but u are handing out legal advice?)
Kabhi Neem Neem Kabhi Shahad Shahad
