"Shut up in Tamil"
She reached for the tissues... he moved the box out of reach "What are you doing here?"
"Sleeping" she said "Please ta" she begged
He brought it closer, as if Tamil was their mutual code language... she didnt use "Da" he could tell she was livid
"Cant be as MUCH AS ME?" Can it?" he gritted his teeth
He felt her forehead, she slapped his hand away
He held her hands down and felt it again... she was warm... she wasnt wearing a hoodie or a sweater and was pulling the blankets over herself over and over again as it slid off her shoulders
She closed her eyes...
"Lets go" he said
She just dozend
He got up and picked up her tote from the floor and stuffed the things on the bedside table... some random silver trinkets, a Swatch pink watch, her now dead iphone 6
strips of God knows what meds... all into a Minnie Mouse vinyl pouch..
"Gimme that" she grabbed... angry spilling everything..
From bindi packets to lipstick to errmm.. to philosophy lotions of some sort... moisturizer...feminine hygiene products
She looked at him shocked at the contents it revealed... he had a "REALLY? NOW? YOU WANT TO FIGHT?'look
she let him pick everything up and put it back in her over sized transparent pouch... zipping it up and patiently looking for her clothes or jacket
Found a dark purple mirror work dupatta draped on the foot rest... he pulled it
"Mera nahi hai par main le sakti hoon" she sulked arms across the chest
she sneezed continuously for three minutes and lay back down curling up and shivering on her side... shutting her eyes...
He sat down and breathed audibly losing his patience
"II"
"Nahi" she said... not sleeping
Ofcourse not how can she? her heart was singing the Madhuvanti raaga "Kaadl perugudadi" (Love overflows)
She was too angry though...
He gently moved her to her back... she kept her eyes shut
"Lets go"
"I am not going back to Delhi" she argued
"Get up" he said stiffly..
"Yahan kyon aaye? Akka ka dinner jaldi khatam ho gaya kya? Meri cousins rehti hain Chandigarh mein Ahmedabad mein air Bhopal mein unko bulao ab"
II"
"I am not going anywhere" she hissed, beginning to sneeze
He got up and turn on the lights and fans...
The kids were snoring, they didnt care.. she sneezed more, getting chills
"Please jao yaar aap" she begged
He sat by her again
Someone walked by and peeked "Arey pankha kisne lagaya?" walking in without asking and shutting everything off
"Chalo ab so jao" thet person said
II got up and sat down, she knew he would turn it on again...
She kicked the knotted blankets as he watched, dragging one foot knotted in a blanket.. almost falling off the couch, read=ching for his left hand... he held tight, freeing her foot
Shoving the blankets back on the bed...
She braided her hair furiously.. he watched how deftly she did that... back and forth back and forth... and searched
He waited. she gave him a dirty look and brought he tote bag up and looked for a scuncie in her pouch... and secured it... and went to lay back tired
"Ummm...mmm" "No" he said
She looked fo her phone peered at the wall for a clock and then reached for his left wrist "Abhi raat ko 2 baje ? Please"
Throwing his hand back to him, "Get up II"
she sat up again... and then stood up swaying... the overflowing blankets hiding her kolhapuris... the floor a freezing block of ice... she curled her toes...
He yanked all the blankets again, and she found her footwear, held his elbow and wore it shaking..
He pulled his JCrew off and handed it to her she stood with arms crossed across her chest, "Do jacket hain mere paas" "Mujhe nahi chahiye"
He threw it on the bed... and went on to turn the lights and fan on again, he hit all the lights first
she wore the J Crew...
"I dont want to go back to Delhi"
He didnt say a word..
"If u want to kill me I want to wait until we get to Delhi" she muttered "But ofcourse if I KILL YOU FIRST"
Baldev was walking up to check on her... she was flushed and sick..." Ab maine ladki de di maal subah tak pahuncha de bhidu" Baldev said
R&B looked confused at first.. smiling later
"Iyer get some sleep kiddo. and get used to it like Suman... u both are married to night owls"
II smiled a saccharine smile...
She pulled his bag from his hand... and walked stiffly... Bally walked with him to the gate and then helped find the sleeping driver and SUV
She refused to get in since it wasnt the Porsche..."I brought this instead"
Bally: See u at 6 boss?'
R&B shook hands "Thanks" he tilted his head pointing to a climbing into back seat II
"Arey, she is family dude, ab mujhe subah Suman ko goli deni hogi ki raat ko II bhaag gayi or something" Bally laughed
R&B agreed
"Its all on you, u either kidnapped her or she ran away from you"
"Both" said R&B and got in by her side
"Marriott chaliye" he fed Marriott in the GPS it did the best it could
And they got there after 2:30...
She sat in the lobby as he checked in...
1414" he said handing her a card key
"Gee thanks! I mean I could run away?" she asked the fight still intact
"Dont push it" he said coralling her towards the gleaming elevator doors
She leaned on the wall by the door as he inserted the key once twice cursed and then third... and it glowed green
She pushed him aside went in shut herself in the rest room came out with a wet clean face... and went to across the living room to the massive bedroom went to the center of the bed and lay down
Got up to pull the folded in white sheets... furiously angry cursing crying...
And lay down shivering and eyes shut
He picked up her bag and his from near the door way shut the door.. set his key on the table by the TV... and sat on the bed
"Do not sleep on my bed" ERMMM II HE PAID FOR THE ROOM SO THE BED IS TECHNICALLY HIS... ERMM JUST SAYIN
He didnt say anything..
"Can I? Please? when you leave for Saurabh's aunt's cousin's wedding? he sniggered.. shook his head at visions of that crowded messy house
'Shut up" she yelled
He shut out all the lights... used the bathroom...
turned off the night lamps on both sides
She continued to rant "they are nice people I had the best Rajasthani food... U only like French food tumhe
to hazam hi nahi hoga achha khaana, who even invited you I AM their family, you are just riff raff ...
MERE peechhe aane ki kya zaroorat thi. Akka ko wahin thehraate aur subah ka breakfast khilaate... Shravu is in love with you
Athim's PC doesnt stall any more, Thatha stopped losing his hearing since u appeared in Munirka.."
"I bet u served Akka 100 year old wine, and some rare French cheese and bought Avi a PS4 or a PS 8"
"I dont need YOU OR MY FAMILY" she ranted
Between coughs and sneezes she ranted, he threw a bottle of water on the bed, she drank from it and continued...
He got in beside her as she turned
"Shut up II" he said, she moved to the corner, he scooted and moved almost on her, yanking her by her waist
Her fight leaving her body as air leaving a slow releasing balloon..
She turned towards him, he gathered her in his arms, "Up" he said she sat up
He yanked the hoodie off and threw it on the floor, pulling her scuncie off as well
She lay down... he gathered her again... on his chest... bending down, looking at her... soft buttery form...
in what seemed to him like a almost sleevless kurta? "Fool!" he muttered..
Her long slender arms warm and silky
"I am getting on that Ranthambore bus at 8" she warned
"Enough II" he asked... crushing her warm feverish body
"Ummm" she began to think... eyes closed...
He rocked her gently... breathing in her ear, his chin on her side burn..His cheek on her warm forehead, her arm around his chest, their legs,
intertwined like they did it every night...he smelled fresh and woodsy... cool and firm...strong... she rubbed her nose on his adam's apple
inhaling...spontaneously forgetting their current warring status
"You are cold" she cursed
"I know" he said after a meaningful pause...
He went on his back and dragged her partially on him binding her with his arms
"Shravu said they were spending the night at Malcha Marg, wahin hai kya sab?" her insecurities crept up,
"everyone was having a good time at a house which was going to be mine soon and here I am all alone in Jaipur" toneπ
"What is shut up in Tamil?βΊοΈ he ordered softly.. shook his head at how she could be jealous of a twit of a 9 year oldπ²π