Freaked and Frantic
Friday night went by, the family worrying, II called Imad, Sam called Mrs Sagar, they all talked about who saw him last
His car wasnt parked at Spectrum according to Spectrum security.
The "apartment" they had a penthouse apartment in one of Gurgaon's high rises, an entire floor basically, that was usually used for parties, but remained mostly locked
Even that was empty according to the bldg security
Beeji called Sam on Saturday morning from Amritsar, thats when the family got a clue where Ranjan might be
But he wasnt at Beeji's either
"Aapse baat hui?" Sam asked
"Jee puttarjee" Beeji nodded in her signature squishy voice, with no dentures her speech was slurred
"Gudiya da ki haal hai?" (how is II?) Beeji asked
"Pareshaan hai... kuch batakar nahi gaye Dad" Sam responded in Punjabi, "Na mainnu daseya na gudiya nu, Ma ne vi yoon kitha see" Sam began to cry
"Punjab hoyega puttar, tu chinta na kari" Beeji blew air kisses
"Aapko kuch kaha?"
"Wohi Harish di woti" Beeji was upset
"Unhoney kaha hoga, Ma unke layak nahi hai, shaayad hum bache bhi unke nahi kisi aur ke hain" Sam was merciless
"rabbba" Beeji groaned
Sam explained how horribly chachi behaved a week ago
Chachi cursed her in signature style
"Ay dee ki lode haigi, 4 sher dithe ne Wahe Guru ne" (she has 4 wonderful boys, why does she mess with people's lives?)
Sam cried
"Manya naal gallan karo tussi" Sam sniffled handing the phone to Manya
Manya spoke for an hour, blunt and unapologetic
R&B dropped off II at Sam's around Noon
Lasya greeted him with a runny nose, and sneeze, clinging to him unwilling to let go
He had to come in
II sat down in the lounge, unable to bend down too much to unstrap the buckle on her orange rope thongs
"I need to be bare feet or wear hawai chappal" she moaned
He bend down, and undid the knot for her, throwing her skirt up her knees
"Its like having two grown kids tied to my belly" II gasped, heaving
"Do u want to stay here the night?"
"What is the latest news on Dad? who were u talking to in Punjabi?" she probed
He half smiled... "I thought u understood Punjabi"
She smacked him, Lasya hit her back
PAAVI!!" II hissed kissing her hard
She was grimy and sticky after breakfast... Nandu completely ignored her, he thought he was too big for her now
"It was Beeji" he said
"WHERE is he?"
"If hes called her, then hes probably in Punjab" R&B said cynically
Manya came out... "Aaja kha le... she has made parantha"
He didnt pig out on food... ever
"I ate" he said politely
"Go" II ordered pulling Lasya
Lasya screamed
Sam came out
"Tujhe kya kaha Beeji ne?" Sam asked
"the same" he mumbled
"His phone is turned off too" Manya said
"hes probably fine" R&B said calmly.
None of them told the others but they all woke multiple times through the night on Friday and Saturday
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Saturday turned to Sunday R&B sent a car to bring II's teacher, she took a oil bath and slept all day
Chachu came by in the evening
Sam had called him in panic on Friday, he hadnt bothered to call back to enquire if Ranjan had returned
"He must be getting new furniture for the Spectrum office, gaudy and jing bang" Manya said bitterly
"Manya!!!" sam scolded
II was horrfied that manya assumed, Harish wud swoop in like a vulture
"If he gave a f**k, he would be here"
Well... he was "here" at MM on Sunday night with Trehaan
"Bhaisaab ki khabar aayi? Meri Chachi naal gall hui beta, unki awaaj se mainnu araam mileya... Imad ka text aaya kal,
usko... Dad ka koi Amritsar ka reservation mileya see"
Manya was stunned
"Aur aap AAJ bata rahe hain?" Manya blasted him
"He didnt look too happy"
Haq se aa jaata is ghar mein?" he challenged Manya, shouting
"Kyon nahi aa sakte aap? Dhang se pesh aayenge to zaroor, tuannu koi mana nahi karega" Manya shot back
"achha jee... Chachi 4 din pelle ghar aayi, khaana lekar, R&B balconyich baitha phone par baat kar raha tha, guard ne lauta diya usko" chachu blasted Manya
II stared dumbfounded
"Unko tameez hai baat karne ki?" manya challenged
"abhi tussi chhote ho, jyaada oonchi gallan na kareen puttar" he ordered
"Us din chachi ne aakar yeh kaha, Ma bachon ko zyaada pyaar karti thi, is liye Dad ka affair sahi tha" manya broke down
"Oh ho" Chachu tried to explain...
"Nahi... bilqul nahi" Manya bristled stepping away
"Chachi tumhare ma ki tarah hai, usko ghar se bahar kar diya?" Chachu went on the defensive
Manya glared
"Balcony mein baitha tha, woh neeche khaana lekar GHANTA guard de nall behes kardi rahi.. chhaddeya nahi, na,... na jee" Chachu was angry
"Aapne yeh baat Dad ko kahi?"
"Meri kya aukat puttarjee." he declared mirthfully, "Chachi ki Bhaisaab se gall hui ho, to mujhe khabr nahi"
"bas***d!!" Manya hissed under her breath.. as she ran to the kitchen to grab her phone... so she could tell Sam
II sat down in disbelief
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