The Quill Part 3 - Page 16

Waiting for your morning now 🤣

Enjoy your weekend by rearranging your house Nisha.

You have a lot of work on your hands. Don't worry about us.

3 things in order

Gurudwara visits, lunch dates with Sumedha’s closest friends, her own friends texting her and cheering her on, and visiting

She was enjoying it with guilt and pleasure

“Can I sue him for custody?” she whispered to Lavanya as they sipped chai and watched rain hammer the balcony rail

“There is so much legal shit between you two, you would just be adding another wrinkle

“I really didn’t want to be forced back, I was even giving him his store back”

“Well he doesn’t want that now… you gave him another shiny object”

“I didn’t even tell him, I don’t think Dr Meher did or Pallavi Bhabhi did”

“He found out…”

“I was THIS close (pinch gesture) to having the store cleaned out”

“You cant… your brother is too close to them now”

“My Mum thinks he is harmless” Taaruni was tearful

“Mat ro”

“I mean… he is so freaking delusional, how can he think mooching off my fake in-laws is OK?”

“His excuse is, he misses your Dad”

“I miss him too… I would never be here right now”

“You want the baby”

“I do” she nodded, rubbing her belly

“Just go with it, he might be a great Dad”

“What do I tell the kid? Your Dad married me in barter for a store?”

“I don’t know” Lavanya’s head hung

“I should have thought more, I should have had an IUD put in… I allowed this to happen”

“Don’t say that”

“I cannot even fathom what its going to be like when Tushar bhai and Pallavi Bhabhi and Mom arrive tomorrow

“Just be cool”

“They can be here, I love them, but my MIL has a string of things planned, I am going to the office”

“How long are you going to keep up the farce of being interested in the construction industry?”

She was irritated

“I am more stoked now, Lovey, this is my only chance, I need to find something, hold it over their head, and just get out”

“Don’t do anything stupid”

“I am hoping there was SOME slip up in some project in the recent years… I am praying”

“He probably knows and has shredded everything”

“I am goingt o give myself until the birth of the baby, after that, I am just going to bail… Mum can hand the store to Harkeerat Uncle and Gaurav Bhai”

“You don’t care if he sells all the rare books?”

“I packed one cupboard, and had it moved by Sunil and Deepak

Lavanya looked at her in horror

There are many more…. 8 or 9 more if you consolidate the books” “I want them all packed and hidden away, I have a plan, I am going to get regular books and fill the shelves with them”

“You are crazy” Lavanya stared in shock

“I cannot let him sell it all”

“Just tell your Mom yaar”

“You think she will be upset?” Taara wept

“Your Dad will be happy it helped Gaurav in some way”

“No he wont”

“Please don’t… Gaurav is vengeful”

“I am not afraid”

“You cant go to Chandigarh much now right?”

“Says who?”

Lavanya was confused

“I will bring Pradyut’s Mom with me”

“You are mad”

“I want my Harold, my baby and my books”

“Will you miss Pradyut?” Lavanya asked curiously

Her heart fluttered frantically

“Umm.. I will be fine”

“You are in love with him”

“WAS” she lied

“Oh? That makes it all better” Lavanya looked at her deeply

“This is not about Pradyut… I want Daddy’s books to be safe… and store… but I cant fight with Towers Partners forever.”

“TELL him that… make peace hun”

“NO… and declare I lost?”

“I don’t even know you sometimes…”

“I do” Taaruni nodded tickling Harold’s neck gleefully

The baby is the next shiny object? We hope its a lot more than that. He doesn't word it, but the baby and her do matter to him.

When push comes to shove, she is after preserving the books. She knows the store can be gone, but the books are still something she can hold on to.

The stakes have changed. She can not continue playing the same game.

At least Gaurav has been sidelined for now. But the money he took, that's another debt for this family.

Peacemaker & Pest

“I am glad you could make it man!!” Pradyut picked up a crazy excited Harold,”

Sahil & Aseem hid behind their parents shy

“You can hold him, come on in” Pradyut smiled and handed Harold

The boys began running away giggling as Harold started licking and chasing them

“Thanks for taking time off from your boutique” Pradyut thanked Pallavi

“We cant pass up any opportunity to see Taroo again”

“Oh yes”

“Ma kidhar hai?” Tushar searched the apartment

“She is at my parents, Taara is asleep I can wake her”

“No don’t… mujhe yaad hai I slept through my first tri”

“Is that so” Pradyut smiled

“We can have chai”

He began making chai, and put out snacks and food just like Sumedha would

“Things OK between u two?” Tushar muttered as Pallavi was out in the hallway by the elevator playing with the puppy and her kids. Tushar desperately wanted Taaruni to be happy. He wanted it to work out between the two. He was going to be peacemaker, he was going to do his best

He loved Pradyut, and felt he was just the right match for her

Both were strong and unrelenting, he knew it would be a great marriage.

He wanted to make it all right for them

“Umm.. oh yeah” Pradyut nodded casually

“Not 100%? Then?” tushar’s heart sank

“Well it depends on what you are hoping for”

“100% Man”

“Well get there”

“Huh”

“She was ready to give me the slip” “Run away with my baby”

“Umm.. she wants to save the store”

“So she tells me” he smiled humorlessly

“Pradyut yaar chal koi aur baat karte hain”

“Sure of course”

“My sister can be a handful… sometimes” Tushar mumbled

“Don’t worry its all good”

“I am hoping the baby will smooth things out man… u know then it will no longer be coerced.. forced and such”

“We will figure it out” Pradyut nodded

“Did u get the stay released at Zenith Astro?”

“Nope…” Pradyut looked at Tushar in disbelief “U didn’t know?”

“I actually don’t go to the store” Tushar was apologetic

“Ur sister got us good” he smiled

“I can…”

“Nope… Towers has a battery of legal counsel man!!”

Tushar was squirming… this was indeed awkward, his BIL was also his sister’s arch enemy

“Thanks for helping Gaurav out”

“Thank my parents” Pradyut was firm, but smiled

“Hello jee” Tushar raised his tea cup to toast

Pallavi and the kids had their snack and took Harold out for a walk

Tushar and Pradyut chilled in the living room

The bedroom door opened and Taaruni appeared, in shock

“U didn’t wake me?” Taaruni growled to Pradyut

“was I supposed to?”

“Tushar meet Pradyut, Pradyut… my BROTHER” she smiled sarcastically

“Oh yeah I get it, he is your brother”

“Chill maar yaar I asked him not to”Tushar pacified her

“Ma aa gayin?”

“nahi” Tushar chuckled

“Anything else I forgot?” Pradyut taunted

“Oh no… you never forget” she smiled sweetly at him

“Harold aur bache?”

“I am taking him with me” Tushar announced

“Give me Aseem & Sahil then” she mumbled walking out to the balcony

Pradyut looked at her shorts clad form, the cami stretched over her beginning to bulge belly and the floral wrap flying wildly in the breeze

They were still in a no touch zone

He realized he could use some intimacy

“taara? Chai?” he asked so she would look at him, and she did

“Nahi” she said looking at him straight

“Soon?” he muttered his lips twitching

Somewhere Gaurav the free loader, absolute wretch of a brother was blowing through his 10 lakh “gift”

Such a stark difference between the brothers. Tushar is trying to help any way he can and hoping for the best.

Dude could use some intimacy? That's the least of your problems dude. You have bigger fish to fry.