Salt shaker
"I cannot believe you came back to see me" Trisha was elated
Paresh looked around the apartment in sheer awe. Mandira was gone for the day, Trisha was about to leave when the knock on the door happened
"You live here alone with him?" Paresh asked almost dizzy
"Not alone... his mother is here, his sister is also here and his grandfather"
"This house could fit everyone in Ullal" he sighed
Trisha nodded confused, she hadnt thot of it that way
"Dad has another new waiter and a cook, Surender and Balaram Anna" she said sadly bringing him to Ullal mentally
He looked distracted at first "Do u even keep in touch with all that?"
"We have to no? Aanu doesnt have anyone" she couldnt help her tears
"How come you married so weirdly and didnt tell anyone?" he was not happy
"i was hoping I could help him. He wanted none of it" she rinsed the small saucepan to make coffee
"the kitchen is bigger than the Yeh & Yang kitchen"
She nodded making his filter coffee
"Chirag helped me find your address"
She didnt respond
"He was happy I called him"
"How do u even know him?"
"Google" Paresh grinned victorious
"You could have gone home and seen Aanu first no?"
"How will I see you. You are the talk of the town" he said
She looked at him startled
"What do u mean?"
"I mean, everyone, our relatives and school friends etc cant believe you married a man like this" Paresh spoke in disbelief
"My life did take a strange turn" she mumbled pouring out his frothy aromatic concoction in a tall mug
"You will go no?" she asked afraid
"I want to... you think Aanu is mad at me too?"
"He is not even upset with Sanchet anymore... he is just somber and sad" she turned towards the sink to rinse the spinach
"Will you eat palak ambat and tepla ambat?" she asked earnestly
He laughed out loud
"Are you any better in cooking?" he teased
She smiled softly... "No" she shook her head
"How do you feed your man?" he asked shocked
"You are talking like Amma now?" she punched him they stood in the balcony off the kitchen staring down at the upmarket complex they were in
"He does not expect you to cook?"
"Umm.. no... he makes his own cha even.. his food... he had a cook she hated me"
"So he fired her?" Paresh teased
"Umm.. no... I had to go back and forth to Ullal at first, then she was gone" she sighed
"How do you even make sense of all this Trishu?" he shook his head "I mean Bangalore, some other culture guy, so much money, what happened to us?"
"I dont know" she said her shoulders slumping
they were quiet for the next 20 minutes
She chopped spinach found the grated coconut in the freezer, cleaned the fish, cooked rice
Almost charred the seasoning for the palak... nipped her thumb in cutting spinach... forgot to salt the fish
"I dont know how it all happened... I know because I did it... I dont know why I am here. He is a good man" she said blushing
"Is he handsome? You always wanted somebody handsome no? Jayadev looked like a monkey" Paresh teased running away
He was afraid she was goingt o chase him down and punch him she didnt
She smiled weakly
"He saw Ashwinn and and was very angry" she said fearfully
"I dont know what I would have done Trishu. Us guys talk about how girls in india only want rich dudes" he sighed
She cringed
"i didnt marry him for the money"
"Ha" Paresh scoffed
"I married him to help Aanu..." she had no defense
"I shouldnt have called him a monkey" Paresh was ashamed
Trisha was disappointed
She realized she was not a regular newly married bride, she couldnt speak confidently about anybody or anything on her in laws side
Jayadev's treatment continued to haunt her
"i am surprised Aanu let you do this. He is always about doing the "right thing" Paresh demanded "He must be shaken up" Paresh said sadly for the first time realizing how lonely his father must be
"He even kicked his oldest child out" "I know" Trisha nodded
"You forgot to salt the fishhh" Paresh tasted the fish and made a face
She giggled
"You take a huge risk every time you eat my food" she smiled, adding the salt
"No... no... not THAT much!!! Ammannu" he ordered stopping her
"Its OK Babooo" she teased him back, they giggled
She emptied the cutting board scratching herself "Boo jalle?" are u hurt? he checked her thumb
she smiled fondly
"You always cared for me" she nodded her eyes sparkling
"Bushshaa?" he nodded smiling back pretending to pour water on his head to tell her "I need to go take a bath" they
did a silly handshake they wud do when Paresh wud go to the nearby lake with Aanu for a swim when young
She nodded without noticing Ashvin was home and he was surprised to see her bent over the kitchen sink talking about taking a bath with a man
"trishh?" he enquired
that was it... her face was radiant like the fresh jasmine blooms at the Kolya Mookambika Temple
"ashwinnn" she smiled pleasantly
"Hi!" he nodded politely at Paresh
Paresh just stared at who he thot was the man his baby sis married
Tall skinny and wearing glasses and some khakhi like pants no brand name teeshirts like himself a plaid shirt in pink with shoulder straps shoes with no socks...
"Umm... do we have a visitor?" Ashvin asked suddenly insecure
"Pareshhh" she said gently back slapping her bro
"Par?" Ashvin was confused
"My brother!!!" Trisha said looking at him oddly
"Oh... oh... um... umm. oh.. OH YESS" Ashvin nodded embarrassed reaching out to shake hand across the wide white quartz counter
"Paresh Shanbag" Paresh was tongue tied
"Trisha's husband" Ashvin said slowly getting his self confidence back.. slowly..
Udne Ki Aasha
