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Defects & Diabetes
R&B left Mr Iyer alone for a few minutes... Appa walked up to the altar and prayed, deeply (all Iyers are ultra religious,
Iyers basically are the caste of the priests and preachers and scholars, so praying comes naturally to them).
When R&B returned after taking calls Appa was in "his" chair on the lounge
"Did u have an office in India?" he asked,
"Not any more" R&B said sitting down...
"Will u return to Paris?" Appa asked
"I dont know...(pause) I dont know Sir!" softly
"Well she cannot give up her career" Appa said gleefully
SHE WOULD HAVE APPA... FOR BAY AREA. WAS THAT OK? or Was that OK because the guy was an Iyer?
Ofcourse R&B wont ask that
"Its very imprtant, just as important it is for you" he stressed
R&B nodded
"She is unable to think beyond work some days" Appa muttered deep in thought, he realized he is struggling to talk about something else
He looked at R&B forming a question and then looked away, R&B suspected what it might be about and gently lowered his gaze.
"Have you been married before?' Appa asked
"No" he said directly
"No children?" he asked
"No" (he did not complete the line with "Not those that I KNOW OF") "None" he said
"Any relationships?"
"A few" R&B said (No not 11, 14 or 17)
He did not say, "I have never had any physical relationship before how will I have kids?" He acknowledged his
status of sexually active healthy heterosexual male.
Appa was not happy, he didnt want R&B to lie but at the same time some truths he didnt want to know about.
"I need some water" Appa said
R&B pressed a a switch, a help showed "Paani aur kuch laayenge please?"
The help nodded and left
They both didnt say anything, Appa was jolted by R&B's admission... he was shocked his daughter would pick such a man, wondered what she sees in him.
R&B didnt reach out to comfort Appa in any way, or defend himself... he couldnt erase his past... he wasnt ashamed of it...
"Were u in a relationship when u met my daughter?" Appa was a glutton for torture
"A little before that, I ended it when I arrived in India" R&B said unfazed
"Will you be faithful to Ishita?" Appa used her name for the first time. Like it was something very private, he will only share with select people
"Absolutely!" R&B said looked straight into his eyes
Appa's shoulders were stiff and clenched, he leaned forward stiffly as he asked, the one confident word, helped him relax a bit, he leaned back for support
He was a tall man with long legs, almost 6 feet tall yet R&B towered over him
"Faith and trust, very very important" Appa said vaguely
"We will mostly return to Madurai after two years" Appa said
He nodded
"She loves Madurai" (SO DONT U DARE THINK SHE CANT VISIT)
"She is very adamant" Appa started talking negatively about II suddenly. "Stubborn, non compromising"
R&B smiled
"Its very difficult to handle her sometimes" Appa said smugly (ONLY I KNOW HOW TO HANDLE MY PRINCESS)
"She sleeps a lot and does not do much housework like her sister Vandita" THERE! MY DAUGHTER HAS MANY FLAWS
"Her mother is very strict with her, I am not" THERE!! SHE IS MY FAVORITE. KYA KAR LOGEY?
"She argues a lot"
REALLY? thought R&B, "Darn it!!" "I couldnt tell"
"Her mother wanted her stop after CA she applied to IIM, she worked for two years and then applied
to US University, she is very restless and ambitious" "she is very difficult to handle"
R&B just looked at him deeply following every word
"she buys clothes she would never wear, she wears the same clothes mostly... she takes very long in dressing up like ladies" Appa started smiling indulgently
It somehow didnt seem to R&B that he hated his daughter's quality of dressing up at all
The help offered the water etc... he took a glass of coconut water
"Shravan, do u know Shravan?" He asked, drinking
R&B nodded smiling fully
"He is like a son to her, she is like him, mischievous, naughty and playful"
YOU ARE SERIOUS, QUIET AND BORING, SO THERE! ITS NOT A GOOD MATCH!!
"Her children must be like Shravu AND HER..." (NOT LIKE YOU!!!)
R&B SMILED...
"She wants THREE?" he asked softly, seriously, his eyes were dancing though, Appa was too busy making a point to notice,
II would have and would have punched him with a "poda! sick bas***d"
"YES YES, THREE" Appa said showing three fingers
(U DONT, I CAN TELL ALREADY, SO YES, U ARE NOT THE RIGHT CHOICE FOR HER)
"In fact u know he stayed with us last night and she slept with him only." Appa said proudly
"She does not speak any Punjabi" Appa declared
"Thats fine" R&B said
He checked his watch, "Oh! ho.. its past 2, I better go" he stood up
R&B did too
He walked up to Mr Iyer and said "She will be happy and safe with me"
THAT IS IT, NOT A WORD MORE
HOW CAN THAT BE? SHE CANNOT BE. SHE WILL ONLY BE BOTH AT D II 887, NOT HERE... NO NO... Appa's mind warred with him
MY GRANDCHILDREN WILL LOOK LIKE YOU, TOO TALL AND WILL BE QUIET LIKE YOU. SHE WANTS KIDS LIKE SHRAVU NOT LIKE YOU
"She is a good child" Appa said emotionally
R&B nodded
He walked with Appa across the two way road, waited until he started his Santro, watched it turn the corner into
Nyaya Marg and made his way back...
The guards stood in attention both times... he smiled politely walking up the stairs to his floor, checking his email
Unbuttoning his shirt, waved a help down "Ek sandwich bana denge kya?"
The help had noticed his plate was 3/4th full
Sir khaana bana lete hain" offering kindly
"Nahi koi sandwich aur soup?"
"Grilled chicken sandwich aur clam chowder hai, kal Sir ke liye bana?"
"Thank you" he nodded politely though carelessly
He ached to go back to his favorite clothing and eat something he knew and enjoyed
He dialled his Thai partner, and began talking
~~~~~
Appa drove home around 3 ish, Akka was gone, Amma was taking a nap in II's bed "Miss her already?" Appa was startled
"Ennachu?' Amma asked sitting up, her glasses and kumudam fell off her chest on the bed
"The food was good" Appa said sacrcastically
Amma leaned back and breathed long and hard... "Ayyyo, we are back to square one?" breath
"Adey Sitaraman daan, the cook, he must get suspicious, does he know we have Ishita?' Appa was eager to cover his tracks
"I DONT KNOW" Amma was irritated that Appa worried more about Sitaraman finding out than telling HER what he felt about R&B
"He must think why are we being offered feasts at Punjabis two weeks in a row, sorry not two weeks, within 5 days?"
"Ayyyo ADA VIDUNGO IPPO, leave that alone"
"He is a educated boy, makes 5 million dollars solraan" Appa said in awe
"Nejammava?' Amma was shocked
"HE DOES NOT TALK" Appa had a shocked look
"He ONLY answered my questions, DID NOT SAY ANYTHING"Appa was offended
"Vandu sonna... Hmmm... so quiet?"
Appa nodded in shock
"Ishita solra he FIGHTS" Appa was confused
"Yes... u are right... how can he talk THEN" Amma was too
"WHY DO THEY FIGHT?' Appa asked
"Hmm"
"U think they are incompatible?" Appa asked
Amma didnt say anything
"Jore aa irukkan paaka, namba pasanga enn ipdi dess panradu illeyo"
(He looks SO HANDSOME, why dont our boys dress like that?")
"Edo black pants white shirt daan pottundu irundaan, pala pala nu irukkan, talela oru vandi mudi... saapdave maatan nenaikaren, he is too thin"
(He was wearing formal clothes very casually, too much hair and he is too lean, and he must not eat)
"He smiled two times" Appa calculated and produced the answer
"Both were about Shravan., Shravan and Ishita" Appa reminisced
"Jaasti pesavum maatan, jaasti sirikavum maatano?" Amma asked worried
(Doesnt talk doesnt laugh?)
"Ival rendum too much aa pannuvol" Appa said sternly
(She does both too much)
"Epdi vandu amayardu paarungo" Amma said in awe
(Can u believe HOW this combo happened?)
"Its not decided yet" Appa got off the bed killing that thought
Amma smiled...
"Veedu edo aranmanai madiri irukku" Appa said in shock
(The house looks like a palace)
"Oru darave paatha velaikaran rendaavada paakale evlav pero"
(The help I saw once I did not see again, wonder how many they employ)
Amma walked to the kitchen to make herself her afternoon tea
Appa declined "I ate three sweets"
"Ayyyo? Enn?'Why?' she demanded
"sitaraman romba pramadama panni irundaar"
(Sitaraman had made it so deliciously)
"IVathula sambandham pannina diabetes kandippa varum" BY SHEER ACCIDENT BY SHEER ACCIDENT THOSE WORDS POPPED OUT OF APPA'S MOUTH
(If Ishita gets married there, I will most certainly develop diabetes)
Amma laughed and shook her head
Appa went all serious
"What do u think? Will she be happy there?" Appa asked
"Neenga daan meet pannirkel avana for three hours, u should go first" Amma responded
(Youve just met him for three hours)
"When I asked him have u had previous relationship, FEW SOLRAN... A FEW... A FEW" Appa thundered
Amma was embarrassed... it was hard for her to imagine a sexually active male before marriage being old fashioned and conservative
"How many irukkum? How many do u think?' Appa demanded
"Ayyyo dont ask me" Amma was ashamed
"a few? I mean is it like clothes? kandravi" (disgusting) he was really angry
"Hmmm" Amma agreed weakly
"I mean ivana tavira vera yaarum onn ponnukku kedaikkaleyo?"
(Your daughter didnt get any one better?)
"Friendship vera, RELATIONS vera" Appa couldnt bring himself to even say the word bluntly
(There are two diff things he said)
"I mean so many women? He will be so experienced... tevaya? Is it necessary? to marry such a man?, wont she find a pure boy like her?' Appa demanded angrily
Amma was silent
"Kashtama irukku nenaichale, poo madiri kozhandai, Its hard to even imagine picking up the soft as a flower girl and handing her to this man, who has" Appa stopped
Amma squirmed
"I am surprised such a man even wants marriage, ruji kandachu na" Appa was disgusted
(Once u experience sex as such young age with multiple partners u can never be happy with one partner" types)
"Kozhandai Ishita" Appa pleaded
(she is a baby)
"what all we get to read these days, what if he tortures her for lack of experience?" Appa asked almost in tears
"Ayyo dont say that" Amma pleaded
She poured out her chai and waited...
"I dont know" said Appa softly
He had gone from vendave vendaam (never, not in this lifetime, over my dead body)to "I dont know" though in his heart he "KNEW A LOT"
"Avar irundaara? Was Ranjan there?" Amma asked nervously
"Ummm... no..." said Appa firmly
"If she was married and going to Paris will we look at it any differently?" Amma asked
Appa stared at her... didnt respond
"Are we afraid to send out daughter to that house because of Ranjan?
OR
Are we afraid she is wanting to marry a "experienced" Punjabi boy?"
Appa went up to go change after he turned on the TV
Amma's question floated all over and landed on the coffee table, with no takers... it just sat there...
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