"Only for everything"☺️
She somehow made it to Saket by 7, Amma, Appa, Athim, Bala's cousin's wife from NOIDA and Paatti (Bala's Mom) were all outside the room
II was furious!!! "How come NOBODY told me Ma?"
Sam walked in with a cardboard tray holding 6 cups of coffee
"EVEN SAM KNOWS?" II began to cry
Amma squirmed
"He came last night, you went to work today, youve been married a month now" Amma listed a bunch of piddly excuses
Sam walked up to her and hugged her "Nahi chahiye hug na aapse na Amma Appa se" she said wiping her tears angrily
Sam smiled at Amma and sat down by her, eye signalling Amma "Main try karoon?" types
"Oh! ho! Itna gussa?" Sam hugged again... "You guys all kept me out of it like I dont even belong here, why did I come, looks like the family is complete"
"Shshhh ek dum chup" Sam ordered
"BTW DONT U HAVE KIDS?" II asked accusingly
"IKR, mujhe kyon kaha? bache Shanti Niketan hain"
"Tan must also be here na?" II asked gleefully
"Nahi Tan is at work" Sam said with a guilty look
"Tan must know too, right, bus ISHITA mat batao, does your neighbor know?"
Sam was befuddled "Kya ladki hai yeh" look on her face
R&B walked over, Sam gave him a "THANK GOD U ARE HERE. She is a pest"
II jumped up and hugged him "NOBODY TOLD US" she was angry
"Shhh its OK we are here now" he said
"Dont u feel angry?" "They kept us out of it, we dont matter da" she brain washed him
He gave her his half smile, letting her lean on him, hugging her tight "I agree! Unfair and unforgiveable"
"U are just playing along" she accused her husband
"Shouldnt we get her home first before we fight with her"
"they are saying pre-clamp something" II sobbed
"Hmmm" he said
"How do YOU know?" she asked
He kissed her cheek "They suspected that with Sam when she carried Nandu... no I dont have babies stashed away someplace"
"PIGGG!!" she cursed
Appa walked over... R&B dragged a clinging II and extended his right hand "Is she doing better?"
Appa nodded barely... he didnt have time to change into pants, he still wore his veshti
Ii didnt even look at Appa's face, too upset "Neenga ellarum kaathalendu inga irukela" (are u guys here from the morning?)
Appa squirmed
"I TOLD YOU" she complained to her husband "they dont care about me"
"Kanna inga va da" Appa coaxed her
"I will just see Akka when they want us to" she told her husband
"Will u sit down for a minute, let me go talk to Bala?" he asked
"They dont care about us" II remninded him
"Understood" R&B nodded reverentially
II sat down, Sam was on the phone... Amma and Appa approached her
"Kanna.." Appa began
"Sollave ille pa, how mean" she asked
"I KNOW DA, but he had returned last night after a 3 day trip, u have ur own family now" Appa
"WHEN CAN I SEE HER?"II asked
"Visitor hour is at 8, 8-9" Amma hugged her and shed a tear "Vandita is lucky to have you"
"Porum ma romba maska podaade" (Dont butter me up) II cried
"We are so happy he came" Amma said looking at R&B proudly
"He came to fight too" II said sternly
"Will he let you stay tonight?" Appa gently insinuated his dislike for the dude by making an unreasonable demand on II
"Aval edukku? Nambale aathuku porom" (Why is she needed even they will send us home)
"Ummm she can go with us to D II" Appa said gleefully
"Nethikki daan vandrikan avan, he has only returned last night" Amma squirmed
"We have a family crisis" Appa demanded his daughter
Amma and Appa fought over why II shud and shouldnt stay...
20 feets away R&B enquired about Vandita's health
"Has she been here the whole day?"
"We got her in at 9, by the time they admitted her it was 11"
Bala sneaked a look at II, "Gussa hai bahut?"
"Very" R&B chuckled
"She will quit her job and sit by her bed side" Bala said proudly
"I am not too sad about that" R&B thought secretly...
"Boss usko samjha de" Bala pleaded
"I can only try" R&B teased back
"See Amma is here, cousin's wife is here... Shravu is at your sister's Sam is sending food too" Bala was shocked
"Ummm " R&B nodded, he could sense the same reservation in his co brother in law's tone, that he often saw in his wife's about accepting or receiving kindness from the Bhallas'Batras
"U must tell Sam we will be OK" Bala said uncomfortably
"Or you could tell her yourself" R&B suggested silkily
"Amma Appa hai, DII mein sab hain boss" Bala squirmed
"Lets get her home first?" R&B was blunt
"Wowww!! Naraaz ho gaya tu?" Bala asked startled
"I spoke with the OB & GYN Chief, Sam's Doctor and him are on some Ministry of Health Panel, he said he would make a visit" R&B said
"WOH?" Bala aske shocked... "He rarely makes rounds"
Well paid Docs in India are mimicking the US now, they get paid the big bucks to "invisibly consult"
Sam spoke she said" R&B responded gently, trying his best not to make it sound arrogant
"I am afraid to go talk to her, bahut daantegi boss" Bala chuckled
"Give it some time" R&B offered the nly prescription he knew
"Vandita jokes all the time "Hamare ghar se gayi abhi Chankayapuri ki haalat kharab kar rahi hogi... did u know she once got off the balcony in summer in order to go get ice cream?" Bala asked shocked
R&B nodded...
"She is very reckless, tujhe dhyaan dena padega" Bala coached him
R&B ROFLed silently "Like I DONT know that?"
"Caring, generous, possessive... but extremely reckless" Bala spoke,as if II was his sibling
R&B looked at his wife... she sniffled and looked at him accusingly
"She was in 11th? or 12th yaad nahi mujhe... when I took her to the movie the first time, u know Vandita and I? DII ke living room mein isne meri class le li boss" Bala laughed heartily
"She asked for every damn detail, I was afraid she was going to follow us in an unmarked car" Bala was uncontrollable
R&B felt a twinge of jealousy, at Bala's private memories that included his brat of a wife
"Vandita told me after the wedding that she was contemplating convincing Appa to run a background check on me" Bala gasped
"Huh" R&B grunted...
"she is quite the hot head, uski tarah brilliant bhi nahi uski tarah caring bhi nahi, uski tarah volatile bhi nahi" "Usko handle karna mushkil hai"
"Did Vandita pull you out of work too?" Bala joked...
"My wife did" R&B finally reminded Bala who II belonged to... now
"she throws a tantrum, nahi?" Bala shook his head
"Only for everything" R&B said dryly... looking at her from between his lashes,
finishing up a bottle of water... her parents sat on both sides cajoling her, every time a
health worker entered Akka's room she craned her neck to see if she could catch a glimpse
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