Standards of conduct
They walked hand in hand near a pub, window shopping, it was freezing cold, he had already ordered jackets and parkas for her and they had been delivered to London
Brands she had never heard of, and she wore a fuchsia pink leather jacket with a purple wool scarf over jeans, she could not believe the transformation
“how did you know my shoe size”
“Never underestimate a man’s fingers” he laughed as he watched her get ready
“How long is my foot, batao” she bantered
“cant remember” he mumbled
He had looked up a pair of her dainty Kolhapuris back in delhi and just ordered the corresponding UK size
He wasn’t going to come out clean…
“
At least not tonight
He had much to hide and he would… until he could
“Is it a long walk from the theater to the pub?”
“Oh I don’t know” he chuckled
“I will hail a cab and get home”
“In case you know the address”
“Dad ne mujhe 3 email bheje hain”
“Nice”
He realized Dad loved her a lot
“It would have been great if Rakshit could come too”
He had asked Lekha didn’t want to hang with her
Rakshit had at least been honest with Raanav
“She just needs time I think” he was told
Raanav realized he would not have been ready to hand with Harsha and varsha too
“Varsha is pregnant” Viveka sifted through her cross body bag, turned it upside down on the bed
He watched her generous curves with hunger
“Congrats? He looked up from his phone
She was looking at him through the mirror
She quickly looked away
“Did u want me to call him?” he asked
“If you have to ask… you don’t have to” she smiled knowingly
“I was genuinely asking Vi”
“I know…” she packed her purse up
“What is that?” he lunged and grabbed at a shiny thing
She lunged forward to grab it
He caught it and looked at it
It was a shiny dark pink cloth mouse with sequins sewn all over
“WHAT is this?” he laughed
“Do mujhe Raanav”
“What is it? Why are you guarding a mouse?”
“Ganeshji ke saamne nahi rehta kya?” she asked him sincerely
“THIS?” he was shocked
“Hmm… u know Suhani?” “At my NGO she made it with leftover fabric, filled it with rice” she smiled
“Its mine now”
“Bilqul nahi” “Do mujhe” she ordered
He tucked it into his pocket
“Thief” she mumbled eye it
“Where do u want to eat”
“Definitely not pub food, I will buy u beer you can buy me food”
His phone rang it was Inder
He ignored it Inder called again
“Your Dad knows” he texted
Raanav’s heart sank
“Your Dad knows how you hurt me”
“I cant talk right now…. Just think about this Inder, they way you are acting right now do you really think Naina is going to want to be with you”
“I AM NOT CRAZY mann!!”
Raanav called him
Viveka was tidying the kitchen on her own
“I am doubtful… the way you are stalking me”
“All I asked you was for to speak with Naina…. Can you ask Viveka to call her please?”
“I will, can I have some peace now?”
“You could have told me man, you never told me you are marrying Viveka”
“Well it happened all of a sudden, you have known about it for two months”
“I had a good thing…” Inder hung up
His mother called
“What?”
“Good evening betaaa”
“Yep”
“Are you guys having a good time?”
“We absolutely are” he nodded
“I am sorry about Inder” she mumbled
“That’s fine….”
“You don’t deserve that crap”
“Your Dad has very high standards for you”
“Only for me, not for Rakshit I assume”
“What do u mean”
“. Lekha would not go with Rakshit I invited them … they declined…because she doesn’t want to hang with Viveka and I bet Dad didn’t even notice” “Nor did you” “You prolyl approved of that behavior” he chuckled derisively
“She is like a daughter to me… she is shy”
“I don’t want to talk about it”
“I am”
“How about I call you when we get back…. Talk to you I mean”
“KYON?”
Viveka was leaning on the doorjamb of the balcony smiling ear to ear
“Bye”
“I cant believe you are still taking calls from your GF” she laughed
She was funny, naïve intelligent and genuine all at the same time
“I cant seem to get rid of her” he muttered
“Indian hai?” she muttered wickedly
“No I only marry those,”
She laughed out loud…
“Not to be dated?
“I get dumped” he said with some sadness
“Have you gotten dumped?” she asked softly
“A couple times”
“Ouch!”
“One time I deserved it”
“Were you two timing her?” she asked amused
“No, I was hanging out with a coworker way too much… all platonic” he said
She looked at him as they went down the stairs
as he locked the old fashioned door, and they stepped out on to the street
“Abhi kidhar hai?” she asked
“I don’t know”
“That bad huh?”
“She said I shud first rot in hell and then be roasted”
“Did u date this… coworker after?”
He turned to her and smiled and chuckled
“You would make a great lawyer”
“Or a therapist” she laughed
They both laughed
“U must know I need one”
He muttered under his breath
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