"Aur yeh"
Sam was in the shower, Lasya and Nivi chased each other across the apartment frequently running over to the balcony looking out and punching the glass door as if they were prisoners
He was back in his office, feet up on the desk listening to music and working, as he chewed gum
His Dad lounged on the living room sofa trying to make sense of French news, or getting up to periodically survey the wall of books on the back
The ladder leaned against a classics shelf
He stood up and dragged a couple of chairs against it so the girls wouldnt climb up
The ladder was wood ... looked like antique, it wasnt foldable
The apartment was a bachelor pad with random "female imprints"
The throws were all in pink or orange
II's stuff left behind from her previous visits sat wherever she left them
Her jewelry in glass bowls. Trinkets she had arranged
Hindi cinema mags, Tamil periodicals
Her dupatta...
Ranjan smiled quietly
Cleared his throat and sipped his beer as he wandered to the balcony
Lasya came charging "AAANOOO. AANOOO" she called
"Haan jee puttarjee" he paused kneeling down
She held one of R&B's old phones, she waved it wanting him to power it on
Nivi appeared at the door with a teary face, sad but unable to pitch a fight for the object she found first
"Aaaja gudiya" Ranjan cooed
Nivi's tears rolled down her eyes
She began to cry loudly
Ranjan picked her up instead
Lasya screamed "MY MY MY" as he still held the phone
"Baby ro rhai hai puttar" Ranjan tried to reason with her
II was in the kitchen... she didnt hear Nivi crying
She was listening to Tamil songs on her ipad as usual as she cooked
She had worked a few hours on the plane
She hadnt said a word to him about being upset over Shravu & Nandu
She didnt want to hear him defend himself about his sexual proclivities.
He was in too much of a shock at first to jump up and say something
The flight was called soon after and the girls drove everyone crazy the first 5 ish hours
Sam took a nap, even R&B took a nap, Ranjan and her alternated.
She called Akka as soon as they arrived at the aprtment
Akka was on her way to work. She was withdrawn and still not over the whole thing
"Akka ask him to apply for NDA" II suggested out of the blue
"NDA poi enna pannuvan, Mukund madiri edavadu panakara paiyanoda jalra va alivaan" (he will attach himself with some rich brat and wander)
"makarand is not wealthy" Ii said
"I am sorry I meant Makarand's would be fiancee is" Akka was bitter
"I am not wealthy akka if thats what u are trying to imply" II was hurt
"Oh well, says someone that goes to paris every 3 months and lives in Chanakyapuri the rest of the time" Akka chuckled
"I am just trying to help ka"
"Hey there is a lot of traffic, I will call u back"
II turned off the cooker, and looked in the frig, there was various kinds of cooked and fresh meat. There was no fish. II hated fish so he didnt usually eat it at home
He walked in to grab a beer pulling his gum out and tearing off a kitchen towel
She thought it was Ranjan as she was facing the frig with the open door blocking her view
"Dono ko ek kamre mein band karke hamey doosre mein sona chahiye Dad" II complained as the girls screams grew louder
He didnt say anything
She shut the door wondering why Ranjan wasnt talking
"Uh" she looked away
"U shud just order out" he said
She shook her head
"Do u know who has which room?" he asked her politely
Her heart skipped a beat at his natural instinct to let her play hostess
"Umm..." she colored...
I AM NOT GOING TO JUMP UP AND HUG YOU
NO
U ARE PROBABLY ASKING ME THAT SO THAT I SHOULD FORGET ABT WHAT SAM SAID
"Dad, office, Sam can have the bed..." "The girls"
He interrupted her... waving his water bottle at her
"I am having two beds delivered," he checked his phone "Three?" he said looking up
"Vera yaar vara?" (who else is coming)
IT BETTER NOT BE MARLIESE
YOU ARE MARRIED WITH A KID
JUST SAYIN
PAAVI
She was staring, lost in thot as she cursed him
"II" he called grabbing her attention, a lil amused
"Umm..." "Sam ke saath Lasya on the master bed" II muttered
He waited for her to say "U and I on a bed and Nivi can have one"
"Main aur Nivi ek mein" she concluded
He waited for his bed assignment...
There was another bed left... the second one had had ordered
"Oh and then" she spoke again
He waited...
"Nivi ka crib bhi hai... its like a full bed" II reminded him, as if she had ordered it
He tried to hide a twitch of his lip
II" he began softly... hoping to reach out on the topic that hung between them like a wind chime, noisy and metallic
Ranjan came in carrying a Nivi with runny nose
"Betaji raati soney ka ki inteaam hai?" he asked tearing a paper towel
"Umm... u have ur pull out bed" she said shutting the frig door
"Dono bache mere saath so jaayenge" he smiled
"Nahi dad, crib hai, master bed hai aur do beds aur mangwaya hai" she looked at R&B
"Inne saare bed kede waaste" Ranjan was confused
"Aaap office mein, Sam master bed mein lasya ke saath nivi crib mein, ya nivi mere saath.. aur yeh" she said pointing to her "yeh"
"PHEW" R&B exhaled audibly... meaningfully. Letting her know he was thankful she didnt abandon him
And watched with satisfaction as she blushed
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