Couples & Coconuts
"What is Vandita's delivery date?" R&B asked clearing his throat
"August 10th ke baad kabhi bhi... my guess is it will happen sometime this month" Bala whispered
"is she not doing OK?" R&B asked worried
"Shes just bloated" Bala said calmly
"Is she complaining of anything?" he asked
"I have published 3 books, 4th proof read kar raha hoon" Bala joked
R&B chuckled at that unexpected humor
"whats the common theme running through all the books?" he asked jovially
"Wohi same old same old, another room for the baby, a bigger house, a Toyota minivan, and come home soon" Bala sounded tired and frustrated
R&B squirmed, he hadnt expected SUCH honesty
Bala had shrewdly left out Akka's biggest whine, which was why cant "your parents go to Ambala for three weeks, and why cant u come stay at D II after delivery"
"Why cant Ambala Anna take care of your parents atleast during summer so we can take Shravu some place"
"Why cant ur brother atleast buy them big ticket items if he wont pay for their upkeep"
"Why do your parents need to "save" their pension why cant they supplement towards the Munirka expenses"
"Shravu wants to take robotics from a ISRO sponsored institute it costs lakhs, why cant we send him to it?"
"Why cant I quit my job and stay home?"
"If ur parents wont wtach the new baby why are they even here in Munirka?"
"How can we pay for full time day care for the baby and pay for an expensive school like DPS for Shravu?"
"Nothing about your beer or sexual needs" R&B muttered laughing huskily
"I would be lucky if I get laid again this year or decade" Bala sulked
"U get to hold the baby" R&B argued
"YOU hold the baby, I will take nightly sex" Bala chuckled
Akka walked to the frig to grab a broken coconut for chutney, she heard Athim's dark desire and smacked him on the head with the coconut shell
"Oda daan onakku... nothing for 16 weeks da" Akka hissed(I am going to punch u if u even come anywhere close)
"Dekh... suna... sun dude... she just told me off" Bala complained
"U never know she could be the one approaching u" R&B reassured him
"Agar aisa hua na, tujhe GK I mein daroo aur BBQ" Bala declared, like a stud
"Sounds good" R&B nodded
"Daroo chhoda to nahi na" Bala gently steered the convo back to the dude
"No... why?" R&B asked
"Biwi ne koi promise vomis liya ho" Bala chuckled
R&B didnt respond
"Aaj baat hui?" he asked
"Umm.. its not even 5 here.. and she sleeps in on weekends" he declared possessively
"Oh sorry bhool gaya" Bala said sheepishly
"Hows everything" Bala asked, unable to be diplomatic or speak in code language
"Great... work is awesome, we have a bunch of things lined up in the pipeline, we negotiated a board membership on a venture capital proposal, we might land that this month" R&B sounded energetic and positive
"Oh! great... Congrats man... great..." Bala didnt care
R&B could tell
"Thanks for calling Bala" R&B tried to end the call politely "Good to talk with u"
"U havent spoken with my saali" Bala chuckled
R&B grunted
"Come out and say it" R&B thought
Bala chose words clumsily... "Umm hey... this is hard I know... she is very childish sometimes"
R&B was not hapy hearing Bala defend his wife's tantrums and antics, it was HIS to complain and celebrate
"she means well... u know... woh directly batayegi nahi... when it comes to relationships she is still a novice"
"Plural?" R&B asked curiously
"Kya?" Bala enquired.. stopping his rambling
"relationships" R&B said
"Subbu was the only one according to her, its all plural now suddenly? Bala knows and I dont?" R&B thought seething silently
Bala meant to say "in general, with Appa, with Akka, with Amma... II thought and acted with her heart...
and often found herself unable to express her anxiety and emotional needs"
In R&B's heightened state of envy, the word "relationship" was used for a man...
"just call her dude" Bala said
R&B didnt accept or decline that request, acted like he did not hear it, didnt ack it.😡
He was infuriated!!😡
