Long for love
He helped her clean the kitchen after breakfast the next morning, Nivi was still asleep on their bed. The boys were at Sam’s. They wanted to go EVERYDAY. Sam was furious Sahana was allowed a sleepover at Rohini and not at her place
II had to go later to kiss up andmake peace
Given a choice Sam would be willing to take Sahana off their hands, she adored that kid so much.
Tanmay wanted another child and Sahana was it
“I worry she is going to go off and do something someday without telling us” II wiped the counter down
“She won’t, she just pushed your buttons” he reassured
“HOW da? HOW can my sweet innocent Manvi turn into this ball of fire?”
He shurugged
“I am a bad mother, I never troubled Amma, its all because of Amma, Sam never did either, your mom mustve been great”
He grinned
“So its you?”
“HOW ELSE?”
“stop it” he shrugged
“do u think she might acquire a drug habit or something?”
“stop it” he was angry now
“U know Modern School is not exactly gurukul”
“she is going to be fine…”
“I don’t even care that she hates me…. U know, she can hate me all she wants, I am not here to be the favorite guy. My job is not that” II rambled incessantly
He grabbed a bottle of water from the frig and turned to leave
“u are going t o leave me?”
“I am going upstairs to take a nap”
“U stayed up ALL NIGHT?”
“she was in our bed…” he accused
“Oh yes… I slept really well” she giggled
“Thanks” he muttered cynically
“Do u want to go with me to bring Sahana home? Then we can go to Sam’s for lunch?”
“Umm.. wont u have to stalk ur daughter?” he teased
“U scumbag” she cursed walking upstairs
She turned into the first floor picking up toys, books, legos, cars along the way, took it to the boys’ room and put it all away
“these sweet boys will hate me some day too” she wailed beginning o cry
“Didn’t u just say your job is not to be the good guy?”
She flung a truck shaped pillow at him
He grinned approaching her
“U are doing great” he laughed breathlessly
“You want me to be hated” she accused
“I do not. She is 15 and hormonal”
“Did she tell you why she hates me?” she asked sadly
He gathered her in his arms
“She didn’t… she doesn’t know…she is stupid II” he promised
“You know what “I” would have done? If this had been you? I would have sung ur praises. I would have gushed and insisted you are the best Daddy, you DID NOTHING” she accused
He laughed hysterically
“Why is it so important what your own child thinks”
“Easy for YOU to say, YOU are LOVED”
“She doesn’t hate you”
“she DOES”
“Go a bit easy on her, don’t scrutinize her” he said silkily
“OH YESSS ITS MY fault” she pulled away hotly
“Its really not”
“u just said so”
“You NAG her… what shes wearing why she didn’t text u, who she is riding with, who she is giving a ride to”
“You know what happened in Gurgaon last week in the moving car” II was horrified
“Weve had these drivers for 50 years” he shot back
“Its OK for her to ride with boys?”
“I am not saying that, TRUST HER”he yelled
“AH, NOW U tell me… you brought me home last nite so you could give me this sermon” she shouted
With no Ranjan at home, this could get ugly fast…
Cricket
14