The Enabler
"Is he building u a new cube?" R&B chuckled looking at Manny as they walked towards Ranjan's conf room where
M Co folks had begun to trickle in, many came from Faridabad so the meeting never started on time, though Mrs Sagar expected him to be there on time
"Dad?"
R&B nodded as he rarely uttered the title any more
"No... are u getting a big-ER office" she mocked
"Nope I was willing to give mine up for Samar or Trehaan" he muttered
"YOU ARE AN ENABLER" Manny blistered
"My refusal is not going to stop him (Dad from sucking up to Chachu)" he reminded her
"No its not but acting recklessly, or being cocky like you are is definitely not going to make him (Dad) rethink his ways"
"U could consider Excelsior now that uve planned to quit Ph D" he muttered
"PLAN KIYA hai Dimpal, with a sister like Sam NOBODY can follow their heart" Manny accused
He smiled mocking at her use of flowery language like "follow the heart"
"This is as good as Vik's venture... proposed" he said mildly
"AND SEE YOU EVERYDAY?" she said with a disgusted look
"Bonus" he winked
"Id rather find a cure for cancer" she said derisively
HE LAUGHED OUT LOUT
"U romance ur wife at work?" Manny asked pointedly
"Umm... NOYB (none of your beeswax)"
"C'mon a blind man could notice it" Manny egged him on
He shrugged
"Hey a bunch of us are going to hit the bars after an early dinner" "Wanna join" Manny asked
"Umm... I have a Argent call" he said preoccupied, scanning his phone
"I hate bar food lets eat at home first... unless ur wife sends the help to the bar" Manny cracked herself up
He looked up at Manny
"Sorry?"
"Vik and I returned at 11 the other night and there was no food"
"And Manny forgot how to fix herself a sandwich" he asked bitingly... and smiled later to diffuse the sting
Walking away into the conference room
~~~~~~~~~~
Bala brought Shravu home, he was crying uncontrollably
Bala hadnt revealed the punishment to Vandu, neither had Sam told her...
Vandu was shocked when she saw him crying
"what happened kanna"
"I cant go to school for a week"
"Ayyoyo"
In laws were asleep
Its was 1:45 ish
"Bala u coudlnt convince them?" angry
"NO, I CONVINCED THEM to suspend him for a week"
"NEEYA?"
"I asked them to suspend him
"HES CRYING SO MUCH" Vandu cried
"Inda buddhi thirudartukku minnale irundu irukanum" (he shud have had this sense before he stole)
Vandu kneeled down with difficulty, Bala reached for her in panic "Thodaade da" she yelled
Took Shravu's face in her hands "Yenn kanna why did u take it?"
"Amma I WANTED an ipad.. he has FOUR" Shravu expressed the simple logic
"Paathukko what ur son wants and what he doesnt have he will simple TAKE" Bala hissed almost aiming for his cheek again
Vandu pushed him away
"U STAY AWAY FROM HIM" she hissed warningly shaking a finger
"U cannot take whats not yours Raja" Vandu taught him one of many life's lessons
"Nandu has SO MUCH, WE HAVE NOTHING" Shravu shouted
"Yes u are on the streets with a begging bowl, romba pramaadam" (very nice) Bala clapped
"Dont say that baba, u have us u have a house a car, a great school, every toy possible, appa buys u everything chithi takes u every where" Vandu explained
"Why cant SHE buy me an ipad if Appa wont?" Shravu argued
"YES SHE SHOULD she makes big money"
"Bala I am begging you" "nee po ingendu" (leave)
Bala left the furnace like living room in frustration... towards the bedroom, hitting the fan as he left
Vandu and Shravu were sweaty... the fan creaked and groaned as it spun
"U cannot have everything in life" Vandu choked up
"Amma I ONLY TOOK Nandu's" he justified
"NO KANNA HE IS A CLASS MATE" Vandu argued
Bala returned leaning on the dining room entry way listening
"CHITHI MARRIED UNCLE R" "Nandu and I have... umm.. Nandu" Shravu tried in vain to express Nandu and him were some how equal now
Vandu was terrified... it was a dangerous assumption and a shocking reveltion
"Chithi married Uncle R, U STILL BELONG TO US RAJA" Vandu cried openly
"Even Chithi's house they have so many ipads"
Vandu nodded weakly
"OK listen to me" "If u steal, u go to jail, the next time DPS will call the cops seriya" sternly
Shravu was frightened...
"Can I ask Chithi to buy me one" STILL HUNG UP ON IT
"Avala innum vaangi vaangi kudukka sollu (ask her to pamper him) to top it off she married Mr Money Bags,
she can wave her fist and produce a Rs.1000 wad" Bala hissed
Vandu cried softly biting her lower lip
"Inime if she BUYS THIS BOY ANYTHING I am telling u Vandita" Bala walked over shaking her finger
"WHY NOTTT Appa... U always say study study... even if I get As I ONLY GET KESARI" Shravu vented
"If u dont want kesari, make a biz of stealing, OUT OF THIS HOUSE"
Bala flicked his index finger...
"Bala please PO DA"
"U go wash up and change kanna, Amma made aloo parantha, I will give u with lots of amul butter" Vandu cooed
Shravu left with a hunger in his eyes.. nodding...
"I have told this once and for all Vandita, she doesnt buy my child anything... she can pamper Nandan Batra" he mocked
By allowing it you are enabling greed and deviant behavior in MY child I will absolutely not allow it" Bala was punishing
"Apdi sollaade da" (dont say that)
"YOU KNOW WHAT UR BEST FRIEND DID?" He turned to Vandu
Vandu shook her head confused, as tow ho Bala was referring to...
"Innikki she CALLS the principal and TELLS HER NANDU GAVE HIM THE IPAD"
Vandu looked down in shame
"Oh! maharani ku adu teriyum pola" (jaanti hai shaayad)
"U could have let it go Bala"
"JUST FOR THAT, I wanted him punished... today he will steal,
tomorrow after marriage he will be found naked in bed with another woman.
And we can justify the woman was his coworker and he was in a "meeting" Bala did air quotes
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Akka had called thrice... she couldnt return her call until 6, but Akka wouldnt answer when she did
Amma wanted to know if she wanted to stop by for dinner, she realized she hadnt texted Minion about food, she did, he didnt respond immediately as usual
She texted Ranjan
"Dad will u be heading home soon?"
"Jee Puttar around 8, I am at the Connaught Place showroom" "When is deployment here do u remember off the bat?"
II was near her PC she looked it up
"My project tracker hasnt been updated since I took last week off mostly, but early June hai"
"Thats fine thats all I wanted to know"
"Will u please ask Mahavir to make dinner?" she texted
"I was hoping he would" Ranjan sent a wink
She smiled
"IKR"
"Whats going on puttar" he asked exactly like his son
"Kuch nahi umm woh just making sure, since Manny and Vik are here?"
"Yes yes... I will make sure, aur kuch?"
"Nahi thanks... if its just us we can order out, but we cant do that when we have company"
"Yes, if its just "us"" he texted
Deriving pleasure from that simple text... of being a family... he would look at it many times during the evening and smile to himself
"Kidhar hai the tall brooding dude?" he ASKED HER
"Umm... I dont know" she texted
"Khabar rakha karo puttar ji, haq hai aapka... maanga karo aur haq rakho" he taught her
The biggest conundrum of her life...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Akka was at Amma's this evening, Bala wouldnt let her bring Shravu, Amma wanted to talk about the Tamil Sangam event she had booked II to sing at on Saturday
Amma was upset and disappointed she wasnt taking her singing seriously
"Tiruppi class cancel pannirke" she accused as soon as II entered (u cancelled again?)
"Amma first ulla vara vidu" she snapped back (will u let me come in or not?)
"Naa bus la varen enakku ivlav kovam varadu ille" (I commute by bus I dont seem to be so angry)
"DID Appa take the new car?" she asked
"No Appa didnt go to work" Amma muttered
"ENNACHU?"
"His left leg is all swollen" Amma said
Appa was on his bed watching TV wearing a veshti
"When did u come raja?" he smiled
"A minute ago.. what happened to u I didnt even check on Periappa"
"My leg is ll swollen they suspect arthritis kanna" he smiled " I have three things now"
"Appa not funny" she scolded
"U have to have a sense of humor kanna" he said
"Why dont u quit ur job pa?" II begged
"And do what? watch the nurse sleep?" he cracked himself up again
"Appa its a long drive..." II argued
Amma brought coffee and besan ka ladoo and mixture
"Radha Mami has sent a song, tell me if u heard it" Amma played on YT
"Madhavi SHE HAS JUST COME" Appa was irritated
"Onga ponna kelungo what she is doing she doesnt go to paatu class" Amma tattled
"she married a Punjabi" Appa ranted and then muted the burn with "she must have been busy"
"He scolds me if I dont go to class" II defended him "And no, I forgot"
"Nice nice, he scolds you"
"Hes trying to be the good guy" "Making her the villian" Appa dismissed...
"She has been married two months" Amma warned
"AND nothing has changed" II whispered sipping her coffee wandering to Appa's window
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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