Anchored Tempest - Page 47

“U look unwell, do u want to rest?” she heard a growl

“That is never going to land u a woman” she scowled sitting up groggily

does it mean what I am thinking ?

Blowing cold & hot

“U look unwell, do u want to rest?” she heard a growl

“That is never going to land u a woman” she scowled sitting up groggily

Her son was supposed to be tidying up at Aatreya’s she had returned to Vicks’ to finish her chai ended up snozzing

Vicks came out from inside

“Stop harassing the poor girl, she didn’t finish her chai, I am making chamomile tea for her”

Mrunal was astonished by the warmth from the lady

She sniffled and got up

“I am so sorry I just snoozed”

“You had a long day at work?”

“Yes I did, the first day of the cold is usually the worst”

“All 5 days actually”

Aatreya leaned on the doorjamb and surveyed the women with amusement

“I like that boy of yours” Vicks smiled

“Thanks”

“He asks me if I will be his friend”

Mrunal turned red

“No no don’t be embarrassed, most 10 year olds are so cocky these days”

“He is umm.. he is shy”

“I gave him a wood building set” “He thought it was the coolest thing”

“Did she?” she turned to Aatreya

He nodded

“He says, he will leave it here to come back and play, you can actually make a 100 trucks with it in different shapes” she smiled

“Oh wow”

“Yes, its custom made in Sweden,” she nodded

“Thank you”

Sneezing

“I better go”

“take care of urself”

“I will” she nodded wiping her nose and gulping down the cold chai as Vicks watched in horror

“You want me to go check on him?” he offered

She nodded and they went in to see he was sprawled on “his” bed reading an anime book tracing his thumbnail with his index finger

“DHRU chalaa” she growled in a nasally voice

“Aaai please”

Aatreya smiled as he noticed how his son was getting a little more comfy every day

There was a stack of building toys on the floor almost two feet high

“You have so many of these here” she was shocked as she bend down to pull a couple boxes out

Dhru went back to his book

“This is great, you can connect the circuitry” she mumbled

“He can bring that with him if he wants to” Aatreya offered

She turned and nodded half heartedly

“Are these yours?”

“His” he corrected

“OK”

“Its fine Mrunalini”

“Chala Dhru”

“Nanu ille iralu bayasuttane” (I want to stay here) Dhru spoke haltingly

Aatreya clapped softly “that’s right”

“I can stay?”

“What did he say?” she smiled shocked by her son’s Kannada

“I would like to stay here please”

“He has school”

“I agree” Aatreya nodded reluctantly

She did not look good, he wanted to help her get better

“thanks” she waved the box and grabbed all the bags

Dhru got up somberly and wore his shoes

“Let me drop you”

“I have my car”

“I can have my driver drop it off in the morning”

“You have a driver?” she asked

“Umm.. the bank offered” he said awkwardly

“that must be nice” she mumbled

He locked up and grabbed her bags

She slept the whole way and only woke when he had completed bringing everything upstairs

Dhru had fished her keys out of her purse in the back

She wobbled up the stairs as Kirti peeked thru the curtains

Dhru approached her door and showed off the connect set

“Can I play?” he begged

Kirti was taken aback

“I can give them this”

“DHRUUU” she growled

Kirti shut the door and disappeared

Dhru threw a hissy fit as Mrunalini lay down exhausted

He calmed the kid down and helped him change, checked his homework

Came back into the bedroom and found her asleep

Felt her forehead she was burning up

“Hey, do you have a doctor you go to?” he whispered on her face

She grabbed the covers over her face

He gently pulled it back and whispered again

“I don’t, it’s a cold… can I please sleep?”

“umm.. sure” he smiled at her closed eye face

She stirred signaling him to leave

He didn’t

She opened her eyes

“You can go now” she said seriously

He laughed out loud

“Are you sure u got this?”

“I have a cold I know how to sneeze and cough” she explained

He laughed again

“K… then”

He shut the door, found rice and dal in the frig heated it up, told Jaidrith a horror story as he ate his food with zero complaints

Pulled out a box of Legos he had seen that lay unwrapped in the bookshelf in the living room and they built a huma-dragon

He went to check on her she was asleep

He looked through her kitchen there was no tomatoes or canned soup

He called around and finally located one overpriced store in the neighborhood that was closing, ordered a bunch of canned soup and some crackers and bread and some mango sorbet for his kid

It was delivered close to 11 PM

Kirti again opened the door to peek

“Just grocery” he raised his bag to indicate

She slammed the door shut

Dhru looked up from the article Aatreya had loaded on his ipad

It was about Dragons and dungeons

“Aai is going to kill me if you don’t go to bed soon”

“I stay up and read under my blanked” he laughed

He heated up the soup, cut up the loaf, and walked over with the tray to the living room

“If you don’t see me call the cops”

“How many minutes?” Jaidrith giggled closing his mouth with his palm

“20, K… fine 15”

“hahahahah”

“Sshhhhhh” he warned walking over to the bedroom

He turned on the light there was no stirring

He set it by the bed and gently tapped on her arm

“Dhruuuu tula mahiti aahe ma ajari aahe” (u know I am sick) shakaraaa” she groaned and sneezed a bunch and rolled over

“Mrun…”

When she heard his voice she sat up in complete disbelief

“What happened?” was her first question

“Not a thing”

The scent of the soup wafted to her clogged nostril

“You made?”

“Umm.. kind of” he lied

“Woww” she sat up fully

“Want to try some?”

She nodded eagerly

As he placed the tray on her lap

She became alarmed, “what if there was something in there?”

“What if she passed out and the baby was gone?”

“What if the whole thing was a f-----g dream and everyone says she never had a child in the first place?”

“Where is Dhruuuu?” she demanded

“Asleep in the…”

“UPPER BIRTH?” she asked

“Outside in the living room” he smiled softly

She stared at him nervously as thoughts and fear chased each other

“Did you put something in the soup?” she asked fearfully

“Whattt?”

“To take Dhru?”

“No I did not”

“OK”

He scooped two spoonfuls and sipped slowly and ate two chunks of the bread in between

She stared at him do that

She accepted the empty spoon, and ate quietly

When she was done she handed it back to him

“I bought, cold meds” he showed her the strip,

fished in his pocket for the receipt

She didn’t look at it tho glanced side eye where he placed it near the mattress

She took the meds he offered and lay back down and looked at him

“Can u turn off the lights when you go?”

“Sure”

Are you going to stay?”

He didn’t answer

“Umm” sneezing

He turned as he held the door knob

“Thanks Atty?”

He held back a smile

So will she thank him ?

Will call him by his name for first time ?

On serious note it seems father son might soon share a bond that will bother Mrunalini no end unless she herself builds better bond with Atty.

If we only look from Dhruv’s perspective having Atty in his life will best for him.

How i wish whenever i refresh this page, a new updaye awaits

Pramila is just as warm a person as I had imagined. The mother figure Mru could use tremendously.

If Atty knows anything about women, he would know they don't want to hear how unwell they look. Now what is he supposed to make out of that snappy response?

Mru's role in Dru's life has dimished quite a bit. Atty has taken over a good bit. Dru seems to love it though.

Atty even has better neighbors. Vicks VS Kirti. Mru needs a win in her corner somehow.