Sparkle in a Speck - Page 40

Heating up

“Can you give some time to the family, we DON’T need fancy vacations” Ajji was teary

“I am not doing this for myself Ajji”

“Whatever happened with Prateek today is not good”

He had gotten into a brawl with someone in his extended friends circle. They had all ganged up and beat him up

She had to take time off from school to go rescue him from the police station

He was unapologetic.

The cop was a young attractive man who showed unusual interest in Punky. That made matters easy, he agreed not to file a case.

By the time they returned home it was really late, now he was sulking in his room

“Don’t… just enough… what will we do with all the extra money. You get married first, I will manage to pay for Praju’s and then Prateek can get a court marriage” Ajji had it all planned out

“I want a destination wedding”

“Ya right” Ajji growled

“Why is it so bad when middle class people dream?”

“Not bad, but it tempts us to do foolish things”

“”I” was not beat up by my friends, Prateek was”

“Don’t argue with me…” Ajji warned sternly

Punky was already in a bad mood

Her 2nd challenge class was tomorrow

She was unusually bothered by Indraneel’s threat. When he had approached her and not even paid a finger on her, but has just simply warned her huskily

“Mann!! I want to rub his snobbish nose in dirt and crush his ego”

“Go to a soccer match Punky, you will feel better” Ajji muttered leaving her alon

She hadn’t been to one in a while

Her life was soccer for the longest time, then materialism took over she now wanted cars, a nice house and vacations, she wanted to give her siblings what her parents might have

She looked up her team’s schedule

Sulu was due any day… she wanted to go and have a good time with her

She scrolled throughTinder wondering if she should give it another chance

The politician’s lackey had disgusted her

Married pushing 50 looking for a escapade

“People get married so easily why is it so hard for me” she scowled

She looked at her fairy lights and the strung out photos

Then sat down and prepped for tomorrow’s lesson with Kunal

Kruti was adorable she had bought her a pair of earrings and anice ghaghra on the fly

She had texted the Mum who was delighted they were developing a bond

She showed up at least 20 minutes before her lesson

Kunal’s bus was late, Uncle opened the door

“I am going out for a walk”

“I can wait outside uncle”

“No, No, Indra is on the phone”

“That’s EXACTLY why I need to wait in the hallway” she thought to herself

She wondered if she was allowed to be in a student’s home when no female was present

She loaded the policy book on her phone

And swiftly scrolled through pages viii, xi, xxi….

“Where the hell was it?”

She texted Suhasini

“I am here a bit early, Kunal is not home”

“His after school activity went 20 minutes longer, he missed his bus, Manas is picking him up”

“Oh”

“Challenge class hai he must have deliberately missed his activity van” Suhasini added a angry emoji

“Fair!” “Why should he be invested in who is winning between me and his Kaka”

“You are so chill about this?!” Suhasini was astonished

“I have my reasons”

“Of course”

Suhasini did not press what her reasons were

The door opened and Indraneel stood there startled with his water bottle in hand

“I am waiting for Kunal” she informed

“Is my Dad home?”

“Umm..” she wondered if she should say yes

His phone buzzed

He looked at a text

Then looked at his Dad’s chat… “Oh yeah walk” he nodded

She opened her laptop bag and spread her stuff out

“Chai”

“Its OK”

“Yes?”

“Itni garmi hai”

“Ice tea”

“Umm… no”

“I am making some for myself”

“Ice tea MAKE karte ho”

“I do” he nodded

She didn’t follow him into the kitchen

She called the online booking portal why she didn’t have her soccer match tickets, she grumbled as she paced the living room

He returned with a tall chilled glass

He was a foot away, she heard his faint indrawn breath as he noticed the mosquito bite on her chin

Her eyelids closed to lower her gaze…

She reached for the icy glass

The water droplets on it sendinga shiver

She almost let it slip, but grabbed it she heard regret quivered through him

He searched her face searching for an answer to the heady tension that permeated the room

Heat surged through her she tried to identify the source in a haze

And you stop 😭

Happy Holi Nisha 🎉🥳.

Waiting for few bonus updates, can we have few ?

I do hope they go for soccer game together and this time their equation would be different.

Let’s see if the guy offers to take her at his cost this time.

Its too much tension nisha. Ajji is worried, she is worried that no one is meant for her. Neel is upset since he feels he is not lucky enough to have a family, suhasini is worried about her kids and in laws tension, neels father is hell worried about the family dynamics….. please relieve some tension nisha. And i would love to read some updates after they patchup as a normal daily life update. U have that special skill of writing the most simplest things in life in an interesting way.

In trying to do things for her family, she may be doing too much. Ajji is right in a way. Fancy vacations they can not afford is not going to help.

Now she is spending money on Kruti. Thats nice of her but she can not keep doing that. She already has enough on her shoulders.

Wasn't she planning to wait outside? But we like it that she went in. More chances for something to happen between them.

All he has to do is walk into her space and her senses go into an overdrive. His too we bet.

Happy Holi everyone. Hope you all had a good time. We did nothing really. Never do.