Hirsute and Heartburn
"Vandu what will u eat kanna, if u dont want take out?" Amma asked
"ask her she is the guest ma" Vandu winked
II made a face
R&B was wandering to the balcony with Bala, nodding to his questions
He rarely spoke, loved to listen mostly
II took baldie from Akka's arms and cuddled
Periappa was asleep
Appa watched his son in laws being friendly "If he has calls cant u stay kanna?" Appa plotted
HE HAS NO CALLS APPA
OR MAY BE HE DOES
BUT I WANT TO GO HOME
"I will make jeera rice and baingan bharta for u?" Amma asked
"No ma, the charred smell I dont like" II mumbled
Amma sighed worriedly
"Nobody has had this much nausea
"She runs around for everybody's sake the baby could have waited" Appa sulked
Akka cackled "I cant believe u are saying that,"
Appa looked displeased "Kozhandai dee aval" (she is a baby)
"Appa" Akka admonished "I cant even begin explaining, its wrong to talk this way to a parent. But she is married to him"
Amma got up uncomfortably
"U know Appa" Amma whispered "Bala had her pregnant in 10 months she was younger too"
Appa glared at Amma
The men wandered back "Shall we?" R&B asked II
"Let her eat. You should eat too" Amma smiled
Bala walked over to the couch and found the letter. "Vandu?" he read aloud
And turned to his wife "Cho chweeet no?" "He is too cute" Akka sighed
Appa looked at Akka like "What are u smoking
R&B bend down and grabbed the baby from II's arms, as he sat down on a dining table chair by her
"looks like he might get hair soon" he rubbed his index finger gently on the bald head
II laughed, she took her index finger and rubbed it on his head and rubbed the baby's head afterwards
"I am bringing him hair luck" she smiled
"CHAAR SPA?" Bala enquired loudly
"she can split it over 4 if she wants" R&B informed
"Arey wah I need to have a baby too" Bala sighed. He hadnt seen the insides of any spa, he belonged to Appa's world
"They charge too much money for things one can easily do at home" Appa reminded
"there are no hot muscular men at home Appa" Akka chuckled winking at II
"VANDITA" Appa scolded
Bala looked a lil miffed
"Not to mention sexy hands" II whispered
R&B turned to his wife and arched his eyebrows
Amma walked out of the kitchen, "OK a quick dinner of pulao and raita" she smiled
II got up and pulled veggies out of the frig "U owe me 5 turns for letting u hold the dude" she warned her husband
He looked like he wanted to go, he was distinctly uncomfortable with Appa around
Shravu came out "Paatti what can I have to eat"
"Vandu u stay... I mean u have fun I will take him home da" Bala said abruptly
"YOU WERE STAYING NOW?" Akka shrieked
Amma peeked out of the kitchen again II peeled carrots on the dining table she shifted anxiously
"enna avasaram irungo" (stay) Appa ordered
"No Mama, Vaishnavi is coming tomorrow at 4, I have to take the afternoon off. Kaarthala seekrama polame nenaichen" (I want to get to work early)
Appa was not prepared for the public announcement of a Munirka guest
"she is a very accomplished girl" Appa went on the defensive
As if thats all it took... a person had to be accomplished and Akka would take on being a slave for them
Akka was visibly sulking
"U never told me the tickets were booked Bala" Akka accused, unmindful of R&B
"Uh" "Umm" II attempted to talk
R&B turned to wards her, his phone rang as if on cue... he watched his wife's face relax visibly
He gently gathered the baby protectively and fished the phone out of his pocket, standing up, towering over everyone
Answering in French...
Wandering into the bedroom
"Vandu its only for 3 days, she will return on Saturday, u are here, so why worry?"
"I worry because idaye oru saaka solli aval permanent aa inga varuvo" (she will use this as an excuse and will show up permanently)
Bala HATED being taken to task in front of II like that
He placed the spa letter no to gently on the coffee table it hit the roses and fell down "THIS is also for you?" he asked glumly
"WHY will he send me flowers? Its for his wife"
II had fled to the kitchen with the chopped shimla mirch and carrots "Amma where are the Mother Dairy frozen peas?" she lied, she hadnt even opened the freezer
Amma looked at her meaningfully eye signalled "where is ur husband"
"Call" II mumbled
"Flowers are excessive. Oru limit vendaama?" (I mean how can any one spend thousands on FLOWERS?) Appa demanded
Bala stared at them unable to speak he had never sent anything like that to Vandu EVER
Shravu walked out again with a empty cup
"Has Uncle R left?" he demanded worried
"No raja he is n the phone" Akka smiled
"Inga edukku anupichan flowers, avala romba anba paathukaran kamikavo?" (why did he have to send flowers here? He wants me to believe he loves my daughter?) Appa asked
"Convincing you is impossible so I dont think he would do that if he had the intelligence of a 5 year old" Akka slammed Appa
Bala was a lil jealous Akka would pick up weapons on behalf of his co brother in law, and he was a lil upset his wife was willing to vouch for dude's character
appa was unhappy. period. He got up and switched on the TV
akka read her Tamil periodical quietly
Bala shifted, and sighed "I cant ask her to cancel her plans now kanna" he mumbled
"Its fine" Akka sulked "Just make sure she doesnt show up with three suitcases when I return in the next couple months" Akka mumbled
"Couple of months aa?" "I thought u were returning before Navaratri, Amma says she is already missing Shubhang" Bala informed
Akka did not respond
II stepped out of the kitchen and walked to the frig and opened the freezer Appa had played Sun News loudly
"Paatti I am hungry" Shravu yelled
Amma smiled and brought out dosa for him
"enna ma, he will wait... he cant have whatever he wants" Akka ordered
"VANDU" amma shushed her realizing Vandu was redirecting her annoyance
"U spoil him here when I go back he wont eat what I make for dinner" Akka spat at Amma
"Shravu paati is making pulao kanna" suddenly on his wife's side
"Appa I AM HUNGRY... amma made me do math questions from three chapters" he whined loudly
"If u dont care for get then get 25/25 on ur next unit test" Vandu mocked the child
"I didnt fail, I GOT EIGHTEEN" he yelled
"VANDITA" amma hissed
II was heared tossing veggies in a saute pan
Amma had changed her mind and was smaking fried rice since it would be quicker
The baby had slept, R&B set him in the center of the bed and barricaded him with pillows (CUTE!!!) like he would crawl off at two months?
Shutting the windows, pulling the curtains, and hitting the lil orange bulb II turned on at nights
He lay by the sleeping baby talking on the phone, gently placing his index finger in his tiny fist
II walked over to her room and peeked through the open half door. He did his email on the phone
she had a look of " middle class woes"
He extended his arm as if saying "come here"
She didnt go
Suddenly deflated and dejected
She leaned on the shut half of the door on the inside
"We can go if u dont wnat to eat" she whispered
dreading what the dining table was going to bring
He looked at her and said frimly
"we can go after dinner" he said in his firm, yet husky voice
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