Quicksand & Survival
He was leaving sooner than her since in their "odd" alliance all the arrangements were being made by the groom's family
The first week of school was somewhat calm and normal considering everything else. Nihar absolutely loved his teacher, the one that taught during early summer was a fill in
But at home he was antsy and fidgety and just not able to relax. He quit making eye contact with Neel and the lady that cooked
He grabbed his cap, his cricket bat, or his charger or his PS remote and fled when he saw Neel walk in the door
Neel was sometimes left with an out stretched arm.
Aunty tried not to notice, quickly taking Neel's laptop case and offering him chai
He ate at Preet's and many nights insisted Preet bring him back so he wouldnt have to chat with his Dad and he could quickly run to bed
He gave up reading at night and shut out the light
There was no argument or anger or back and forth yelling between father and son over turning off the lights every night
The house was bathed in eerie silence by 9:30
Neel even hesitantly attempted to knock on his door to see if they could talk, but found the 11 year old snoring
He would tidy the kitchen, put everything away pack all of Nihar's school snacks in a cool case stick it in the frig, check email shut out the light, increase the cooling in Nihar's room and shut the door back up again
He would walk out the long corridor adorned with pictures on both walls, one in a wavy pattern the other in a stair step fashion
Just like Nupur had back in Worli
He felt a distinct churn in his belly, as he pondered how he was going to get them down, or if he should leave everything as is for now
What if Aadhya asked why her mother's pictures were not on the wall?
Everything that belonged to Nupur was still all around the house
Bhuvan and Ragini had broken down many times, feeling the things with their hands.
For them this wedding was too soon
He knew so it was for Nihar
He was empty on the inside
He wanted Suvechha to fill it up
He was not great about analyzing emotions or assigning causes, he was sure she made him feel breathless and ecstatic, he didnt delve much deeper
She was simple and uncomplicated, not have a large family or too much politics helped him a lot
He realized he was being selfish and uncaring
But if he began to worry about Suvechha's family or his FIL too much he knew he would have to rethink the whole thing
"How can anything so good be wrong?" he justified to himself
He wore his flip flops bolted the door and walked over next door
Gags was watching the 10 PM CNN IBN news, he jumped out of the couch to open the door, muting the TV
It was 45C and muggy outside, Delhi it looked like, no longer cooled down at night
"Preeet" he yelled
"Bache uth jaayenge" Neel stopped him
Gags was no longer wearing his pag, the ball like knot on the top of his head shiny and healthy
"Chal bhai, ek ek ho jaaye" he said
Gags wore muslin chudidar and kurta at home, expensive hand tailored ones... his gold kara gleaming against his sun burned wrist
"Beer pee lenge" neel said
"Bass..." Neel admonished
Preet came down in sweats and a tee
"Neel tussi kado aaye?" she asked
"Ghanta hoya, kithe reh gayi?" he asked
"Gags... I am doing my nightly routine" she chuckled
Her face had a beautiful sparkle, flush in some expensive night cream
Her hair tied in a high inverted Sikh braid
"Brownie ice cream milegi jaan?" Gags begged
"Haan jee, nokar ja chukey hain, tusi aape le aoo" she sat by neel
"Hore jee dulhe raja" she smiled
Neel smiled uncomfortably
Gags returned with a towel slung over his shoulder a pencil behind his hear a smal note pad and a tray bearing the treats
"Sir aapke liye aur kya laayen?" he asked politely, jotting in the tiny spiral notebook
"Shame on u" Preet mocked
"Abey yaar" Gags laughed sitting down
Preet gave Gags a look
Gags nodded
"Dono baat karo, Gags aaj lauten hain trip se, mujhe kal bachon ko school chhodna hai, main chali soney, haan agar Suvi rehti to baith jaati" she chuckled and gave Neel a hug
"Sona nahi" Gags warned as Preet hugged him
She smacked him, blushing
"I swear" he hissed letting his groomed pasted down beard rub her cheek
Neel watched in awe
"Hum bhi chalenge" he said
"Yaar ruk" Gags urged
Neel leaned back
Gags poured out two Scotch on the rocks
"I have to think about Nupur if I try to make Nihar feel better, but if I do that I feel I am betraying Suvechha" he said agonized
Gags sipped, grunted and leaned back
"To kar na baat" Gags said
"Nihar to humse baat karne ko raazi nahi" Neel accused tearing up
Actually preet had already alerted Gags so he knew of it
"Time de boss" he said softly
"Kitna aur? Do hafte mein hum niklenge Mumbai" Neel said afraid
"Kabhi na kabhi to karega" Gags promised
"Hum kya karen?" Neel asked
He was not a weak man, he had helped his Amma navigate life after Bauji. He had self navigated life after Nupur
Now the batteries were dead
"Jao pelle vyah karo" Gags said boldly
"ummm" Neel swallowed
"Take the unresolved baggage with you yaar, ek baar shaadi ho chuki sab set ho jaana hai" Gags said
"Agar uske baad bhi Nihar yoon bhaagte rahe to?" Neel asked
"Ab kis kis baat ki grantee doon tujhe? Dekh kal di khabr kisi nu nahi hai" he said lowering his gaze unable to see Neel
Neel had been through tremendous tragedies, caused by vagaries of unpredictability
He was preaching to the choir basically
"Jab Nupur gayi, tu yoon hi dara?" he asked
Neel began to cry...
Gags got up and walke dover and sat by him
"Nahi na?"
Neel leaned back
"Nihar was OK, u came here, Preet aur bachon ne sambhal liya usko? right?" Gags patted him "U are a fighter boss!!
U fought your way out of quicksand" U are a survivor" he patted him and squeezed his shoulder warmly "Tu tey boss sher haiga" Neel secretly fought tears
Neel grunted and sipped a latge mouthful. Relaxing a bit...
"Dont appear unsure, dont appear afraid dude" Gags said calmly
Neel looked at him
"Na to woh Suvi ke saath sahi hoga na Nihar ke" Gags said
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