CHACHI vs CUTEY 11.12
Mannat Har Khushi Paane Ki: Episode Discussion Thread - 35
CONFUSED SOULS 12.12
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He ROFL-ed on the inside but answered with a straight face “Jaidrith?” he said under his breath stifling the laugh
“Umm.. I think he might want me to be around, new place and all”
“Has been to any sleepovers?”
“Umm.. not that I can think of”
‘Oh? OK”
“I generally don’t sent him any place overnight mainly due to his food allergies” she was quickly defensive
“I completely understand” he nodded
“I don’t have much of a relationship with my parents so he doesn’t get to go to the grandparents house”
“I am sorry”
“No, its not your fault”
“Is it because of how you had him?”
“Umm.. no not really” she felt really sad even talking about it
“Do u want to see a better view?” he said softly
“Oh really?”
“Hmm” he offered her a hand, as he got up
She didn’t know if she should hold it, she did as she was trying to balance the teeshirt her phone and the kheer bowl
He pulled her close and released her quick like a dance move
“Can you walk around all the way?”
“Yes I think so, except the spine of the building where the elevators are”
“Nice”
They walked slowly around the outside
“They might move me to Versova” he said
“”WHY?”
“I wanted a beach view”
“Oh”
“I have chosen one in Versova another one in Juhu Zone 3” he said pausing
She looked at him
He pointed to toward the outside
A sliver of ocean was visible through the trees and buildings
Boats shimmered like jewels in the faraway sea
“The Juhu apartment has the best views”
He scrolled through his phone
And bend down near her to show her
He handed her his phone
“This flat is beautiful” she gasped
“He sent me 50 pictures” he laughed
“So I shouldn’t look at all of them?” she smiled looking up at him
“U can, I can send u the link”
“U want the phone back” she handed it to him
He smiled shaking his head
She went back to looking
He leaned on the balcony facing the flat arms crossed across his chest and his feet crossed at the ankle
“Juhu is cleaner I think as far as beaches go, maybe I can go with him to the beach
“Hmm”
“U don’t like the idea?”
“I am just afraid” she looked up at him
“I will not do anything that will harm him in anyway” he said with a hand over his heart
She nodded tears filling up her eyes, his image became blurry
Without a doubt he was the most sincere person in her life
With everything that was screwed up about her life situation, he was unexpectedly pleasant
“You do take good care of him” she said grudgingly
“Thanks”
Sniffled with her head hung
“Why are you upset?”
“I am just overwhelmed sometimes” she looked away, turning her face away from him
“Hmm”
“The first year was pretty hard for me” she said leaning on a window across from him
“Oh?”
“I had a difficult delivery”
“Oh? I am sorry”
“I was living with Sai” she said quietly
He realized that meant NOT parents
“Do u have any siblings?”
“sai is probably the closest to a sibling” she said quietly
“the NICU nurse?”
She nodded
“What about the friends from that evening” he smiled warmly
“Umm.. no not really” she shifted uncomfortably
“U were the most popular that night” he smiled
She flinched
She could never imagine herself again in two scraps of clothing barely covering her nude body in a party of 100 people
“I don’t think about it” she mumbled
“I do” he said quietly
“I bet Jaidrith would love a house with a sea view, he has always loved the ocean and turtles and such”
“Oh really?”
“Hmm” she nodded her eyes lighting up
She went on her phone and looked up some really old old pictures of him at the Taraporewala Aquarium
He scrolled through the pictures with fascination
“If you ask him today he will deny deny deny” she said peering at the pictures together with him in the dark
“Hahaha… why?”
“Because he thinks I am a nag, I am steering him toward something “I” want him to take up”
“OH REALLY? Is he so shrewd?” he was shocked
“Oh u have no idea, I have to be very careful in suggesting stuff, the second he gets wind of it he will resist”
He sighed and lowered her phone and looked at her
“You are great Mum” he said softly
“U don’t have to console me”
“Am I doing that?”
She nodded
“You are pretty tall” he whispered
“I know” she nodded confidently
“I can keep saying things that make u feel good if you are going to continue to sound confident” he whispered teasingly
“I already have a therapist” she laughed weakly
“Let me know when u are in the market for another one” he whispered
“U were the most popular that night” he smiled
She flinched
She could never imagine herself again in two scraps of clothing barely covering her nude body in a party of 100 people
“I don’t think about it” she mumbled
“I do” he said quietly
Mrunalini, he just admitted that he thinks about you and the night spend with you.
Mint & Aatreya
he whispered teasingly
“I already have a therapist” she laughed weakly
“Let me know when u are in the market for another one” he whispered
“OK” her usual standard response to everything was what he got
She lay in bed in one of the bedrooms as Jaidrith slept soundly
She sat up and stared out the window
His teeshirt went down to her knees almost she didn’t have to wrap a sheet around
His house smelled like incense and curry leaves, far cry from her parents’
He made the house, she realized, it was him everywhere, unpretentious furniture though high end did not swallow the room
It looked comfy and airy
He had pencil sketches of places he had lived in? or traveled to all over the house
His words were thoughtful, his décor was too, none of what he did seemed forced. He wasn’t cooking French pastries and souffles or casseroles to reinforce he had lived overseas the last 10 years
There were digital frames in his living room that displayed him at temples in Karnataka and Tamil Nadu with his parents in a white dhoti, shirtless, with a wrap around sarong like sheet, offering prayers with his forehead smeared with vibhuti or Chandan
There were pictures of him sitting on the floor eating out of a banana leaf
She didn’t know how he was as a friend or a boss or as a son, as a parent of her child he seemed really fine.
Going to bed with her and impregnating her might be the only terrible thing he possibly could have done his whole life
Such a charmed life!
Sigh!
She couldn’t sleep she went to the kitchen and figured out how to operate his US style range stove and made some chai and was about to take it to her balcony when he opened his door and appeared in front
He wore shorts and a tee
“What did u need?”
“I just made chai”
“New place effect?”
“I guess”
She sat in the living room, after shutting the door to Dhru’s room 90% in
“Did I freak you out by giving you a check?”
He had given her a check for Rs.2 lakhs for maintenance for the last 4 months
“Umm.. no, you said you wanted to”
“ You should try to sleep, since we plan to be up early” he suggested
“Where are you taking him?” she asked wistfully
“He wants to drive to Pune, on the “BRIDGE” he laughed
She nodded
“If Rs. 2 lakhs is really ridiculous, we can talk about how to divvy up the expenses, I am willing to do 40% or 50% or 60%?”
“I will just open an account you can pay into it if you want, it will be his, you can be his custodian” she said quietly
“I don’t want it to be saved up for later, I want it to go toward his school or his after school activity”
“You cut out all of that by picking him up every afternoon” she pointed a little sullenly
“Did u want him to be in after school care?”
“Umm.. it was not a choice.. I work until 6”
“I am sorry umm I”
“U can be irritated with me, u know” she said nervously sipping her chai
“What do u mean?”
“I notice u act like u are walking barefeet on nails”
He squirmed
“Is it because I told u I have a therapist?” she couldn’t help tear up
“Not at all” he was devastated
“Do u think I am like like crazy person who had your child you have to make this work because I might bolt with the child?”
“Why do you always believe one of us is running away with the child?”
“Because he is all I have”
“Relax and let him be Mrunalini” he was visibly irritated
“So u don’t like how I raise him?”
“I certainly do not like how you let paranoia drive you”
“Thanks for being honest, but its not paranoia”
“What would u call it?”
“Love for Dhru”
He breathed audibly
“Look you don’t have to agree with me, we don’t have to pretend even I am happy we are civil with each other I am glad you took care of me when I was sick, I am doing everything I can to be accepting”
“I understand that and I appreciate it Mrunalini, I don’t think I have ever been pushy with you, not once”
She wanted to disagree
“I have given you weeks of not months to ponder over every new thing I have wanted to be involved in’
“U do realize it’s a ridiculously bizarre situation don’t u?” she looked up at him
“I do”
“I don’t know of any one, not one person who is in a situation like mine and had the parent come back to claim his or her rights”
“I don’t either so that makes two of us”
“Hmmm”
“I didn’t want to send u a lawyer notice or a list of things you had to agree, I am willing to wait”
“I don’t know… maybe that would have been better I don’t know what else is in your mind what else you are going to spring on me a week from now, play dates, school pick up, activities, staying over, contributing financially… I don’t even know what else I owe you” she began crying softly
“Please don’t cry”
“Sometimes I wish I knew everything upfront, sometimes I wish I don’t hear about one more thing”
She sniffled and cleared her throat and got up to go grab Kleenex from the bathroom and settled down
“More chai?”
“Hmm”…. “Thanks” she
He got up to make more
She walked over to the kitchen and leaned on the door jamb
“Both the Juhu and Versova apartments have kitchen in the center” he laughed
He set water to boil and leaned on the wall and crossed his arms across his chest
“I don’t know how much and how long you can be so involved”
“I plan to be involved the rest of my life Mrunalini” gruff
“Do u not plan to get married?”
“What does that have to do with anything?”
“Well.. if u do I am sure you will have to check with her first”
“Have you not heard of people with kids remarrying?”
She nodded as a big lump rose to her throat, she knew of two, her own parents who were with other people but did not care about her
When the wave of grief subsided she realized who ever comes into Aatreya’s life is going to find out about Sameena and her parents
That thought gave her a severe panic attack
She returned after throwing up, and crouched on the couch
He brought chai
“I don’t want anyone to know about me seeing a therapist” she said quietly in a hoarse voice
“Whoaa?”
“I mean if you get married I don’t want the new person to know, I think people think only crazies seek therapy I am not crazy” she whispered fighting tears
He picked up a cup and sat close to her and handed it to her
She accepted it and set it back on the coffee table
“Mrunalini, umm.. can I give u a hug?” he asked gruffly
“Umm.. yeah maybe”
She looked forward
He breathed deeply and waited
She turned slightly and reached for his shoulder for a polite cursory hug
He gently enveloped her in his arms, looping his arms underneath hers
They both sighed audibly and stayed still for a few moments
She gently extricated herself and awkwardly tried to put some space in between, he turned to the other side and hit a couch side lamp
“You can pay his school fee if you like” she said quietly
“Thank u”
“I will pay for his activities and transportation though he takes the bus mostly I tend to drop him if I am late
“Got it”
“Do u need any help in working with him?” she turned to him
“Umm.. I don’t know yet” he said politely
“He is growing many nerves and they all seem to be getting under my skin simultaneously”
“Are you worried for a teen Jaidrith?” he laughed
“God! No! I am afraid already… I hope he is not the male me”
He laughed under his breath heartily
“I am not reserved or arrogant, I know… some think I am” she defended herself so he would take that statement to Lynn
“I can vouch for that” he muttered
She turned to him and found his eyes sparkling like jewels
The light from behind threw half of his face into a shadow and half glowed saturnine
She picked up a cookie and bit into it nervously half of it falling off on his knee
She went to grab it
“Great! This is how u thank me for the second cup” he laughed
Grabbing the cookie himself before she could
She reached again, his toes brushing against her calf, she pulled away backing away from the sizzling contact
She remained still wild warmth flushing her body head to toe
“U can give my cookie back”
Her toes curled when his toes touched her calf again as he tried to push the coffee table forward
“I ate it” he said putting it in his mouth and chewing noisily
He reached toward her with his arm and his hand encircled her throat, drawing her face closer as she stopped breathing completely
His fingers tunneled under the nape of her neck to drag her scuncie down, loosening her curls
She watched in utter disbelief, he slowly brought his mouth down on her lips… she realized he didn’t taste better, he tasted delicious, like mint and Aatreya, the first sip accentuating the hunger causing her to cling to him
Ye Hai Mohabbatein
Arjun
Sensational South
