Sparkle in a Speck - Page 79

Nisha, agla kaab?

Kaab miloge donno ko?

New path

She wanted to drop off Alpana’s empty dishes at Sulu’s but Ajji scolded her for being rude, she had made a bunch of namkeen and sweets and filled up a few containers

Punky had no desire to go to Alpana’s and run into Indraneel

I mean, how resolute would she be if after calling it quits she made every attempt to see him

Even Sulu agreed she was being dramatic.

You think Indy spends every minute with Jay

Who knows na? Bankers… after work they must chill out and have beer

“They are trying for a baby, Jay is a teetotaler now”

“Oh please, don’t get so emotional, koi aur pee sakta hai na?”

“I guess, but Alpana…”

“AM I your friend or Alpi?”

“What is wrong with you?”

“Ajji wants me to meet this guy”

“Who”

“Ninad something”

“What does he do?”

“Works for a engineering company… software nahi ha” Its just some heavy equipment tractor type”

“Essar?”

“I think… yeah yeah”

“Sulu pulled him up on Linked In

“CUTE”

Punky grabbed the phone to see… dude had studied overseas and had returned to India

“I wish he still lived there”

“Why? Tujhe Indy ke saath masti karne ka hai” she handed the baby to Punky

“No… I wish he lived oversesas so I could move out of India, if I make money in USD I can sent like $500 a month home, Ajji would lose her shit na… 40K, or may be $1000…”

“Oh dreamer! Burp karne ka usko”

She burped the baby and rocked him to sleep

“Don’t marry for money Punky”

“I don’t want to be broke re”

“You wont be… agar chemistry Banega to karne ka na shaadi?”

“Who cares dude…. If he makes 10 lakhs per month, he wont ask me… I can send money to my family”

“Prateek cannot go on like this, he gave his second attempt in Accountancy and Math”

“I know…. He is taking coaching”

“You need to let him go get a job after 3rd time”

“I will”

“Let him graduate and find a job dude”

“I know….”

“Did Ajji scold you a lot for Indy being there?”

“Umm.. no… she said… basically I am frustrated and marriage will fix it”

The women laughed out loud, Ajji had passed on her info to Ninad, he texted her

“Hello Pankaja, this is Ninad”

She looked at it ominously

Showed it to Sulu

“This is it… I am going to start seeing him”

“Pehle respond karne ka na?”

Punky giggled and texted him back

They were going to meet on Saturday

The baby woke up wailing

Punky sat quietly rocking him

In an hour or so she left reluctantly to Alpana’s

She was home alone and super excited, had tried 3 new recipes and a dessrt she was waiting to start boiling chai

“Hey I can’t stay long”

“Don’t worry, just come na”

“Your food was excellent”

“Thanks babe”

“I don’t need chai, my Ajji loves cheese cake I will take some for her”

“SITT” Alpana dragged her inside

“I cant stay long”

“Punky I know you two were seeing each other, don’t be weird re”

Punky was startled

“HOW?”

“Its obvi”

“Its not”

“Jay knows too…”

“We met on Tinder, its not like he is my forever love” she lied

“Cool… I wish I did Tinder”

So sorry my late evening meetings are swallowing my free time

You don’t owe us a thing Nisha. But we still are demanding as we love your stories. Thank you for writing despite busy schedules.

So she is set to meet Indy again.

I do want Indy to see her bond with Ninad. And be so jealous that he proposes her right then.

Punky is forever thinking about getting more money to spend on the family. Then she impulsively goes and spends what she doesn't have.

Will Ninad turn out to be a nice guy? Lets hope for her sake. If Indy is determined to let this go, maybe thats what it will be.

Life gets busy. We get it. Don't feel pressured to write. We want you to be happy when you write, not stressed.

Influencing shelf life

“I am not for that… I would rather watch Spain”

The men were arguing over soccer teams, two other couples showed up

Punky looked at Alpana

“How can you entertain so much”

“Unlike ur friend Sulu I don’t have kids…. Indy’s Bhabhi has kids and works…. I only throw parties and am an influencer”

Punky scrolled through Alpana’s Instagram

It was full of pictures she wanted for herself

Indraneel had greeted her and had not said much

She was plainly avoiding him

She wanted to get home fast

Alpana promised Jay would drop her

“I am going to slow down and smell the roses” Punky mumbled

“Good for you…” Alpana hugged and kissed the top of her head

“I told Ajji I am willing to get matched up for arranged marriage”

She knew Alpana was not her closest friend, but she had to say it, Indya and her had to stop and this was a good way

Alpana would for sure pass such juicy tid bit on

“Are you” she clapped

“Itna bhi bada news nahi re”

“I mean it is to ME” “I get to go to your wedding and dress up”

“Oh yeah Influencer”

“Yes we see the world thru our SM lens only” Alpana giggled

”Must be nice”

“I am happy to help out Punky” Alpana spoke sincerely

“I haven’t even met the guy…. Shaadi is quite a ways away”

“Who knows na… what if you tie the knot in a month”

“Not happening…. School starts in 3 weeks…. No chhutti until Navaratri”

“Not even if you get married?”

“No… they will say… we don’t have back up…. I have to go back and work na”

“What if you don’t have to”

“Sure” Punky rolled her eyes

“I mean it… take a break and go do other stuff”

“I want to…. But I am going to ease into my masti… first lagna then unemployment”

Punky wanted to be a home maker… she didn’t know if that would happen in this life time

“Tell Ajji to look for such grooms na”

“Ajji doesn’t know much about smart phones”

“I am telling you Ajjis have a better network” Alpana smiled

“You are right… but saare log gaon ka hoga…. Small towns Aurangabad… Ratlam types”

“Those are not gaon”

“I want to be a kept woman in Mumbai

The women laughed enjoying themselves

Punky realized Alpana was indeed cool… she could be much closer to her in future

“Thanks for all the food”

“Sure darling…. Thanks for being my 2nd friend in Pune…. I hate Pune if not for you and Sulu”

“I love Pune…. I don’t know how you can be so far away from family”

“Jay hai na…”

“Tru”

“Alpana had texted Jay already, he had told Indy

Indy walked over to where she was sitting during dinner and sat down by her

“Congrats on getting married”

She smiled at him and nodded

“Date pakka hoyega to bolegi main” she giggled

“Who is the lucky guy?” he looked at her piercingly

“Don’t know yet”

“Nice”

“Don’t laugh haan? I am done dating re… want to be done… want to go home to a guy”

“That bad huh?”

“I am over 30…. Men can marry at 40, there will be parents who will arrange their 25 year old daughter’s wedding to such men…. Apna shelf life kam hota hai na”

He was startled by her candor

“Not tru any more”

“Sit on the bench until 40 and see if I was right or not” she laughed

Nisha, Indy to sadbudhi doh. samne ladki hai aur banda uspe bharosa nahi karna chahta.
Why should she not look for someone who is willing to commit???