Sparkle in a Speck - Page 89

She felt disoriented and scared… wondered how she was going to make it as a Deshmukh bahu

Nisha, you capture these things so well in your stories.

The emotional turmoil of the new bride. Her apprehensions about her future life is something which makes her real for us.

They were given a tiny bedroom in the top floor actually 2nd floor of the historical house, over 150 years old, and had a red tile roof. There were mango trees and coconut trees in the backyard

A stream flowed at a distance, the air was moist and smelled like clay and jasmine flowers

Even the light switches were old fashioned, it rained a lot and a portion of the large kitchen was open

Women and men cooked in large open fires with thick logs consumed by the hour.

This feels so real 👌.

“Vy where is my stuff?” Indraneel called out from the door

He looked dashing in dhoti and kurta his teeka was fading

“Ask your wife na” Suhasini joked and signaled the women to leave them alone

Shame to the 100th power

He waited for his SIL to leave and entered the room, she swung her legs off the bed and got up hurriedly, she couldn’t wait to strip off the saree and change into comfy clothes, but there was tons more rituals she was told

She just leaned on the wall and watched him look for his roller cabin bag among a sea of bags in the far corner of the room

He didn’t say a word to her

“Indy do you know when we can go back” she growled

“You should ask vy”

“She doesn’t know”

“Well then we just live here”

“Did you quit your job?” she goaded him

“Did u want me to?” he kept looking

“If you want to, I make enough for both of us” she lied

“Thanks I’ll consider it” he muttered

“I am serious, Sulu left already”

“Well for starters Sulu didn’t get married, she had a baby that was sick”

“Umm… did you plan to meet your ex”

She was irritated at herself for marrying a man who still carried a freaking Olympic torch for his ex, Ninad would have gladly married her, there would be no ex to deal with

Damn it… I am too intoxicated by this wretched loafer, who will never be truly in love with me.

“Whattt?” he turned around confused

She had over heard his friends tease him that they were going to call Mithila so she could come see the man she abandoned was finally married

“Ur friends are inviting her right?” she was jealous as h---

“where did you hear that?” he pretended she wasn’t there

“Oh please”

“That’s your big problem now?”

“What is yours?” she scoffed

“I have to find my luggage, I cant change, my disorganized family has no clue”

“I can tell how much you care for them, the first hour of a stranger’s arrival she gets told you cant stand your own family”

“Not a stranger surely!” he mocked her back reminding her they were lovers

“You think that’s why its OK for me to hear you insult your family?”

“You have your judgemental radar up all the freaking time Bhadra so may be you should tune it down a bit”

He approached her she walked back and hit the wall behind one of the large heavy open teak wood doors, the polish gleamed she was stuck in the little triangle between the wall and the wood

“Are you sure you are not taking out your pent up feelings of not being able to marry Ninad?”

“Don’t even utter his name from your disgusting lips” she whispered, bristling he was such a good mind reader

“What was his full name? “Ninaad….? Hmm… Ninaad with ONE A or TWO?” “What does it even mean

Shut the f---- up

She warned closing his mouth with her henna loaded hand

He pushed her hand away

“He pushed it aside carelessly

Her green bangles jingled

He closed the distance and bend down on her neck

“Too bad… Bhadra…. That ship has sailed

They necked each other in the tiny space, a group of under 10 year old girls giggled and snuck in

Stood there staring at Indraneel fondling her heated body, without kissing her even one time, chipped bangles clanked to the floor

“Indraneel” she gasped…

He turned to look but just stayed on her body

“Kaka is breaking Kaki’s bangles” one whispered and giggled

They all giggled

Ran out bumping into Suhasini

“Kaka has trapped Kaki in a corner and is breaking her bangles” they announced running out squealing

Suhasini entered wheeling a small suitcase and turned around to spot the two behind the heavy carved door

Indraneel was close but had let her go

“Indra, your bag….Tilā trāsa dēṇē thāmbavā, āmacyākaḍē ajūnahī khūpa vidhī āhēta, jakhama sōḍū nakā” “And you…. You should know better…” she scolded Punky too

(Stop harassing her, there are a ton of rituals left, don’t leave bruises on her body yet) Suhasini barked her orders did an eye roll and walked off coolly

Pankaja died a 100 times of shame………….

“Too bad… Bhadra…. That ship has sailed

The boy is gloating 🤣.

She was irritated at herself for marrying a man who still carried a freaking Olympic torch for his ex, Ninad would have gladly married her, there would be no ex to deal with

Wish he read her mind ‘as is’.

Nisha mam waiting for today’s update

I m liking vai and her character so much . She is the perfect example that u cannot decide to hate or like someone beased on their first impression..!

(Stop harassing her, there are a ton of rituals left, don’t leave bruises on her body yet) Suhasini barked her orders did an eye roll and walked off coolly

Pankaja died a 100 times of shame………….

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Friendly advice

They were back at the Deshmukh apartment the following day

The newly weds thoroughly exhausted and not sleeping a wink. The oldies had decided there had to be a muhurat for the wedding night and tonight was not it, his highness the groom had taken off to play soccer after the evening rituals and was late for dinner

And got scolded soundly by his Dad and other elders, he was asked to apologize publicly to her

He had with a smile amused at all the cacophony

Suhasini had pulled her to the side after dinner and given her a long lecture

“This is what makes me so mad about him, he is doing the exact things he would do when I relied on him, Manas is too easy on him, if you don’t come down hard he is never going to change, good luck with your kids then”

“Well… vahini I had not thought of that far with the guy, hes hot and I am a loser to have falled for my Tinder date, and Ajji gave me a lot of moral blackmail, so yeah…. Hadn’t thought about bearing his kids”

“Say something” Suhasini had shook her physically

“What should I say”

“You are TEACHER, do you know the word discipline?”

“I do… but he is an adult”

“SO?”

“Maybe he doesn’t care for the rituals… or MEE?” she mumbled

“THAT’S what you got out of this?” Suhasini was confused

She had no idea about the mental battle Punky was waging with herself the last couple months

“I mean…. I mean…. He must have really wanted to hang out with cousins”

“This man has NOT gone to any function in years, after the umm… broken… um… the other you know that event…. He even refused to bring me back, when I visited with the kids for a wedding and manas couldn’t take time off work because two people on his team had quit that week”

“Oh?”

“He is selfish and only cares about himself”

“OK”

“YOU have to bring him in line…. When you return from school every afternoon I WILL TEACH YOU” Suhasini promised

Punky nodded innocently

“Stop playing into his hands, stop agreeing and acquiescing in bed”

“Actually umm.. we haven’t been to bed yet” Punky tried to make it amusing

“I AM TELLING you… all men are the same”

She nodded

“This one needs to be whipped to shape”

Punky wanted to laugh and give Suhasini a hug

She was so frustrated and upset with Indraneel…. What the hell had the dude done?

Her mind imagined a scene where Suhasini was waving for him to stop with bags of groceries, Indraneel just whizzing past her as it rained heavily

She bit down on a smile

“Just SMILE now haan? Don’t come to me later asking how to deal with him”

“If you hate him so much why did you want him to marry me”

“YOU can fix him” Suhasini spoke passionately

She was reminded of his kiss earlier in the afternoon behind the door when he had demanded the same of her

She lowered her gaze

“He is a good man, no bad habits, all young people do drugs these days recreationally, he doesn’t, he respects his father and adores his brother, he hates me but I can live with that” she shrugged

She shrugged

Punky knewit hurt her a lot

“I umm… I don…”

“He does…. I know u want to defend your new husband, but I know”

They arrived at the beautifually decorated apartment, by 3 PM the next day, though it was only 4+ hour journey and they were supposed to leave at 7 AM they left at Noon

She wore a dark pink Anarkali suit with a gauzy dupatta with a zari trim

Her siblings had cried a lot, her mood was a little morose

After the welcome greeting and singing and prayers

She was led into his room

He was gone to drop off a friend

He poked his head in and muttered

“Hey I am going to go drop Ketan…” She was startled by his FYI

“Oh?”

“Be back soon” he nodded with a smile

Real life begins now. I hope they talk