P&P with a twist IV - Page 30

Baby steps

“You play the part of a dutiful husband with aplomb” Ma teased Raanav as they all ate together

“What can I say… that’s me I guess” he laughed

“She was going to go back to Rohini with her Papa, you beat her to it”

“Not intentionally I was at work” he lied

“So late?”

“Asks someone who works all night?” he smiled disarmingly

“No longer beta, not after the dizzy spells and after Akash broke his finger and the general chaos of my in-laws”

“How are you feeling?”

“Real good actually, I am happy Naina has a job, you know its like an anchor for a woman” she smiled

“I get it”

“I am not trying to imply Viveka is upset” Anu felt terrible

“I know what you mean” he gently tapped her elbow

“The last couple of years have been rough for her, between doing odd jobs at JNU and trying for her PhD”

“Hmm”

“They say the baby that cries the loudest gets fed the most” “I haven’t really paid much attention toward Veev”

“Shes fine” he shrugged

“way to go! Way to have her back and be there for her”

That was profound to his ears. Viveka will never know what he had just done back home

“I heard your mother is headed out of the country”

“I guess… on a girls trip”

“Oh? I thought lekha was going too” Anu smiled with no malice

“Well shes a girl and I don’t know why she is going” he laughed

“I met Rukmini? Tandon? At Cottage Industries earlier in the afternoon, she did not recognize me I told her who I was”

Anu didn’t take offence to not being recognized, she had met enough ultra wealthy in her lifetime to “know” they are of a certain type

“Ha” he chuckled

“She said she was buying something to give to Lekha’s ballet teacher in Italy or something” Anu smiled

“Nice”

“what did she buy?” he wanted to know, he liked her he thought… as she spoke

“I don’t know, I was there to pick up a Tanjore painting for someone that’s retiring, I cudnt stay long”

“Do u have a picture”

Anu laughed out loud her eyes twinkling

She went on her phone after setting her plate on a table and showed him

“That looks great” he muttered

“Next time I buy something that is 5 feet by 6 feet I need to bring a strong coworker to lift” “I held on to it and walked like a baby, a couple steps, then I could not drag it anymore. Even with a store attendant holding it”

He laughed

“I saw them wrap it and left it there so someone on my team could go get it”

“U shud have called me” he offered

“Agli baar bula loongi”

He nodded laughing

“Waise to yoon lag raha hai MUJHE retire hona padega, my in laws don’t want to return to UP” she whispered

“I would love to carry your gift”

“I am just asking for tickets to Singapore or Dubai” Anu laughed

They both sighed, liking each other more

“Have Viveka and u found ur groove?” she asked quietly

“I hope so”

“Akash is telling me we need to throw a big reception”

“Not you?”

“No he is the one who loves parties, and KHAANA… raat ko do baje uthaake kachauri de do”

He laughed out loud

“Meri burayi ke mazey le rahe ho beta?” Akash tapped his shoulder

He looked confused

“He wants to know if u are enjoying ur FIL being trashed

“Umm.. what happens if I say “yes””

Akash laughed too

“Veev kidhar hai?” Akash enquired

“Diya ke dress mein dal gir gayi oopar gayi change karwane,

“Beta chalo Rohini you have never stayed over”

Anu looked at him shocked

The apartment was a mess, with in laws and the kids there was no room

“Sure” Raanav agreed

Absolutely loved the update.

These guys make Ranaav feel comfortable to an extent that he agrees to stay back at Rohini and then we have Smrita.

I hope for a change Naina behaves herself and lets the husband wife be center of everyone's attention.

Baby Steps.

Raanav is so at ease with Viveka's family that he would not mind staying the night even though the apartment was messy and full.

He is loved and always made welcome. The nok jhok between Raanav and Anu and Akash is lovely.

“I met Rukmini? Tandon? At Cottage Industries earlier in the afternoon, she did not recognize me I told her who I was”

These women are so predictable.

Did Anu address her as "Rukmini" and not "Rumi"? I hope she did. 😆

“They say the baby that cries the loudest gets fed the most” “I haven’t really paid much attention toward Veev”

Anu's point of view vs. Naina's 🤷🏻‍♀️

Viveka will never know what he had just done back home 🤗♥️

“I am just asking for tickets to Singapore or Dubai” Anu laughed 😆🤩

raat ko do baje uthaake kachauri de do” 🤣

Anu looked at him shocked

The apartment was a mess, with in laws and the kids there was no room

Is this a men thing?? My father does that too! 🤣

Invites guests impromptu to an already full house, asks for guests to be served dishes that were not even prepared in the kitchen that day, vagerah vagerah.. makes my Ma violent! 😆

Raanav is comfortable enough with the Mathurs.. he'd probably even like a break from home after the tiff with his parents. I hope he has a good time @ Rohini!

This is the first time he will stay over at Veev's place. He felt comfortable enough to say yes. So far only Veev was an exception. This family is growing on him. The circle of exceptions will keep growing.

It's like u r been gone for months ,feels so empty

She lost…

“Why are you staying?” was her first question

He laughed out loud

“Ma ne rukne ko kaha?” she asked suspiciously

“Nope, I volunteered” he smiled mirthfully

“Kyon?

“I wanted to”

She sighed and “uff!” ed

“Beta aap Dadi ko apni gaadi mein le aaogey?” Akash tapped on Raanav’s shoulder

“Sure I can do that”

“Papahhh” Viveka signaled

“Arey bhai Dadi aur inki dosti hai”

“WOHI TO” Viveka rolled her eyes in disgust

He laughed again

“Looks like your wife has gag orders for who you can talk to and who you cannot” Akash looked at Viveka worriedly

“Don’t be silly” Viveka lied

“Ma kidhar hai” Viveka escaped

She had to find out what was going on

The Parashar kid has a perfectly fine house and bed

“Why cant he stay in his house? I am going with him aren’t I?”

“MA kidhar gayi” Viveka fumed

“Ma I don’t have silly hang ups ki who mere ghar nahi ruka hai blah blah blah, I was supposed to go home why did u ask him to stay?” she accosted her mother

“AREY… PAPA ne kaha hai usko” Ma was also upset

“Kamre ki halat buri hai, Karu ne mujhe photos dikhaye, Dadi has stacked her Ramcharitmanas books sky high along with those pooja things”

“Jaanti hoon beta, she is doing that give away at the Punjabi Bagh temple next week tab khaali ho jaayega karma”

“MA who aaj raat ko aa raha hai”

“Hamare kamre mein so jao aap” Ma offered

“NOOOO NOOOO… I cant” Viveka turned red

She knew what raanav wanted at night, umm… SHE wanted it more actually

NOT in Ma Papa’s bed

NO WAY

“Ya convince karo ghar chala jaaye aapke saath”

“I can tell him I am going to his house” Viveka ran away to find him again

He was laughing outside in the lawn with Harsha Piyush the twins and a bunch of other guys

“Shshhhhhhh shhhhh…” Piyush warned loudly and chased her dragging her pallu, and yanking her arm

Broke a bangle of the 50 she wore on each wrist

“I KNOW I look like a clown” she told her husband

“No you don’t”

“Dadi made me wear it, her appeal to the maternity gods to make me pregnant”

“Does it work?” he asked laughing out loud

“Pata nahi… as u know u are the maternity God since u control contraception” she laughed

He loved everything about her he realized

Her goofiness, the unassuming careless way she carried herself

The bonding with her cousins

All of it

Mum must be blind, he thought

“U can stay, at Rohini main ja sakti hoon” she challenged

“Whats up with you?” he asked mischievously

“The apartment doesn’t look anything like your house yaar” she complained

“Umm… we’ve been married 4 months almost”

“I know… par tum ghar kyon nahi jaana chahte?”

His expression changed

“Dad se lade ho?”

“That’s all you care about?”

“That nahi hain who HE hain”

“Vi”

“Fine… Dadi has her religious stuff piled high, if you thinking of something risqué you have been forewarned”

“Understood”

“Umm… u can just go to sleep”

“Sure” he gave in too easy

Dang it! She thought walking back in to tell her mother she lost

“Are you coming home? Mrs Sood and Mrs Gogia are here tomorrow morning with Mr Parel’s son, you know I told u about him” Smrita texted, trying to make peace

“Not home tonight

“Where are you bebu?” “Out with friends”

“No staying over at Vi’s”

“WHY?” Smrita accidentally sent the caps text

“I was invited”

“Great” she said

“Thanks”

I love you” Smrita said

“Thanks”

“Is ur wife around?” Smrita tried to be playful

“No? Why?”

“U always say “Luv u too Mum”

“She doesn’t read my texts”

“Its OK to read Lekha reads Rakshu’s”

He didn’t respond went to shove his phone back into his pocket

“there should be love, nothing else matters” Smrita texted as if it was some sagely profound statement

He looked at it, hit power save and shoved it into his pocket

And started to go back in with a smile on his face

He wanted to be with Viveka

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Seems damage is done. Smrita has lost accomplice in her son.

I doubt he would have stayed back if he didn’t have verbal dual with his mother.