Socks & a bottle
She was excited!
A. It was her birthday
B. Date for going to Roorkee was approaching
She got up later than usual dreaming about Roorkee she couldn't step out to have her chai because she had to be dressed "appropriately Which meant in a salwar suit with a dupatta on her head, cuz saree was out of her league
She could score a 5 or 6 on a saree but no way a 10/10
She was too afraid it would come off her belly while walking. She practiced it some nights after Chandu started to sleep.
She had already heard murmurs about Chandu moving to his alphabet mat room many times
"Unka kamra tayyar hai, aur jo do suite mein kaam chal raha tha who bhi tayar ho chale hain ab
Teeku could not imagine Chandu sleeping in a 3 room suite all by himself
She bravely shot that idea down when she spoke to Bhabhis
The girls shared a room, Suyash had his own room, and the front room of the suite usually the largest was a study area for the kids, it had globes and maps and book cases everywhere
This suite connected the girls bedroom to Harshal-Alka's room on one side and Suyash's room to his parents' suite
Lakshmi wanted Chandan to move to the room in their suite, he was the odd one out, he had no parents only a Maasi who was his heartbeat. He was slowly beginning o open up to Harit. He asked him to remove the heads on action figures and place them on different bodies. He was hesitating to ask Harit that the first month and a half, in fact the first month and a half he didn't tell anyone Maasi woke with him at night to go to the bathroom and he wet his bed multiple times a night
Teeku would leave all the lights on in the Malviya Nagar apartment all night because Chandu wanted it
Here he had taught himself to cry and sleep so he was mostly sleeping after a tantrum every night
"Abhi school pasand aa jaaye unko to? Teeku offered Lakshmi as MIL spread dried chopped pickling veggies on the cot
"Bache hain who, jald hi mann lagega beta aap, thoda kam kheeche unko Lakshmi said meanginfully
"Jab se hamare kamre mein soye hain bistar geela nahi karte Teeku was proud
"Haan who baat theek hai, par... aapka bistar to aur hai Lakshmi poked gently
Teeku didn't meet her gaze, bend down to fish another handful of chopped mangoes
Everytime she did that her dupatta slid off her head
This was really frustrating
"Hafta deejiye unko Lakshmi said semi firmly
"Hum isko dhoop mein kheech dein? Teeku tried to change the topic, asking if she should pull the earthen pickle pot closer
"Nahi... dhoop to sooryadev har jaga phenkenge... ghoomkar to har cheez sik jaayegi Lakshmi chuckled
Teeku felt like an idiot
"Shukravar ki raat ko niklen aap Roorkee, shaam ko nikal jaawen... Somvar ko lauten she said
Teeku's heart sank, she was hoping she could stay for a week
"Hum zyaada ruk jaayen? she asked
Lakshmi smiled compassionately
"Yahan Harit ka man dukhi hoga Lakshmi said bluntly
The thought he would miss her caused a mini tornado on her inside. She imagined him sprawled on his bed face down facetiming her. She had seen him talk to Maneet and Akshat that way
Laughing as he arched his back, wincing as the sore back reminded he was on his chair all day
"Harit to court jaate hain
"Raat ko? Lakshmi mocked
Avantika turned red
Lakshmi wasn't prepared for her DIL to react that way, she stumbled a second, mixing the chopped gajar with the chooped mooli pile
"Aap ho to time se khaane aa jaate hain, warna, aate hi nahakar neeche match dekhne, phir rasoi band honey ke baad thandi roti raat ke 12 ya 1 baje
Her insides squished and rotated again
"Umm she didn't know what to say
"Aap tang kiya karen unko. Aap nahi karengi to kaun karega? Lakshmi had a thumb up
"kaise? she asked not sure of the advice
Lakshmi sat down on the edge of the cot nearby and laughed heartily, choking with laughter
"Haa... hum... Uh... Ummm.. chaliye bhabhiyon ko kah denge aapko seekh dengi Lakshmi wiped off tears
"Hum haath dho lein? she asked feeling the sticky moisture in her palm
"Jaayen beta... aapka janam din hai aaj aap kaam par lagin hain Lakshmi smiled with gratitude
Teeku disappeared
In the evening the family gathered in the lounge.
She was asked to wear her newest saree gift, which was a gorgeous green Banarsi saree
Many sarees just not her style, but she wore it because she was too afraid to protest, this one especially the blouse was a bit too conservatively sewn for her liking
Alka Bhabhi slipped out quietly to help her drape it
When she was "brought out they ran into an exhausted Harit.
His shirt was pulled out of his trousers in places and he held his black down in a crumpled hold
The startched white neckband crushed as he yanked them off his neck
His eyes froze on her. A sight for sore eyes he thought. She looked like she had showered in the evening, he could tell her dry vs. moist hair. She did nothing to it. It air dried and hung in provocative curls all over her neck and back.
"Lo aa gaye Harit Alka stated the obvious
"Namaste Bhabhi he touched her feet
"Hatein she smiled bashfully
"Hum sun rahe hain ki koi gift nahi dee Avantika ko
"Kinse suna? he looked at his wife
"Aapki koi hain is ghar mein who kahin hamey Alka giggled
"Umm Teeku tried to interject to defend herself
Her father in law approached
"Sar par pallu le lein Alka whispered
Teeku hurriedly wrapped her head
"Hum naha lein? Harit asked Alka
"Hum bas Harshu ke nahaane par control karte hain. Aapka department doosra hai she nudged Teeku
"Avantika? he ASKED HER
HE ACTUALLY ASKED HER
"Umm..
"Agar aap nahaane mein madad karengi to hum jaate hain living room mein aur aap madad kar aayen
Alka tore off and ran
The couple lingered.
"Quick shower Harit repeated
Teeku fled the hallway running after Alka
Teeku could hear the family giggling over Alka's advice
Harit returned in a navy chikan kurta and a white chudidar
"did u actually tell them u got no gift? he asked with a twitch
"Bahu ko na daate, bhayiyon ne mehenge tohfe diye hain pehli janam din par Lakshmi scolded her son
"they asked me and I said I didn't get anything she said through dry lips
"Aap unke uthne se pehle chale gaye hain subah Suman yelled
He opened one of his 6 cupboards in his bedroom and brought a bag out to the lounge
"This is for you
The bag had silver and navy stripes and had a silver ruffle tissue in it
"Harit jewelry honi chahiye Alka yelled
She pulled the ruffle out with trembling hands
In the bag was two pairs of socks and a water bottle!
As impersonal as could be. Nothing intimate or expensive or suggestive. Nothing to indicate he was attracted to her or he cared for her.
He was horrendously wicked and crafty. When that thought struck her a twister swirled inside her.😳
The family scolded him and admonished him and did many "Tch tch tch
"Happy Birthday Avantika he said
Her face was gloriously flushed as she held the socks and water bottle
