Darkest Insecurity & Greatest Pride
Smrita texted her two days later, out of the blue as Anu was braiding her hair and she was stuffing breakfast on her face
“Umm.. MAAAA” she scowled
“U want a French braid par baal brush nahi karti ho tum” Anu was super gentle cringing when her brush got stuck in a knot
“Well I am never asking for one again… ouchie auchie, auchiee” she groaned
“You need to let oil soak, fever ke baad baal jharte hain beta” Anu leaned and kissed her scalp
“Hang on” Viveka stopped her mother
“Hello Viveka this is Smrita Parashar”
“Oh! Hi!”
“Are you busy?”
“My mother is braiding my hair I am getting ready for work”
Her chest was pounding she expected bad news
She imagined Smrita typing
“My son wanted me to tell you he doesn’t want to see you anymore”
Her face heated up
“Kya hua? Kaun hai beta”
“Umm.. just work” she said
She didn’t want Anu to get riled up, she was applying for a Program Director job today and was going to meet with the VP of Engg for lunch
“Is Mrs Gulati back?”
“November 15 Ma”
“So ek mahina and kuch din?”
“Jee”
Viveka wasn’t even admiring her reflection in the 8 feet tall wall mirror
“I am going to get ready, will you pick up Naina? She said she has swatches of laminate and wall paper, she cant do Metro tonight?”
Naina had lost her license recently and was still sulking so no one could talk her into getting a new one
“Diya?” Viveka turned to her mother
She is going to her friend Purvi’s house”
“Chalo theek hai, did u tell her no drugs?” Viveka laughed
“I am just packing her fave ones with her” Anu laughed
They all needed some laughs, Garima Chachi and Dadi ganged up and went off to complain to Bua and Papa had to intervene and let Anil Chachu have it
He was so upset he sent his wife home
He tried not to show it but he was sad Anu believed Garima was beneath her
Anu had never done that
But with Dadi around there was no use of any rational thought
Savi Bua was not talking to Papa the last week or so
Dadi never left Delhi peacably, it was always some drama
This time she wasn’t leaving until Harshu’s wedding, so no hope for freedom yet
Viveka went to the balcony and texted Smrita
“I have a class until 2, would you like to meet for coffee?”
“Yeah, my driver will pick you up and bring you to the Leela Palace coffee shop” “do you know where it is?”
“I do” Viveka sent a smiley
“well then… see you?”
“BTW I cant… (erase) I have the car today I can get there so don’t worry about the ride”
“Are you sure?”
“yes”
“U will just waste petrol”
Nice!! Viveka chuckled
Glad she didn’t share that with Anu
Anu would have blown up like a militant controlled oil well in Middle East
To assume Mathurs could not afford Rs.500 in petrol? Nice
Viveka shook her head and picked up her stuff, dadi was sulking too
Viveka had told her last night “Jab shaadi ka date niklega Dadi aapko first bataoongi”
Dadi had told her off saying “How can bride pick a date?”
She had countered with “Oh well, BRIDE has a JOB”
Dadi had said something smart Alec-y about Anubha’s career
Viveka had said “Boys and girls are equal and must be allowed to get a job”
That was it, it was another argument and that’s it!
Viveka drove to Leela after texting Smrita “My office hours just ended I can get there by 4 PM will that work for you?”
“I think so” she said snottily
Viveka arrived around 3:35
She didn’t dress up, she was already wearing her work saree a gorgeous magenta Dabu print saree paired with a lemon yellow striped contrasting blouse. Her French braid made her appear like she was 18
She asked the guy at the lobby for the coffee shop “which one?”
Viveka texted
“The Lobby Lounge” she was told
The usher knew where to bring her
Smrita got up in an affected way
Dressed in a GORGEOUS raw silk blouse and skinny jeans, she looked every bit like Raanav’s mother
“Good genes” Viveka sighed followed by a “Uffff” mentally
“How are you” Smrita sat back down and assessed Viveka visually
“Great thanks… exhausted but great”
“You’ve lost your voice”
“Well you didn’t meet me a week ago…. I was mute”
“Oh really?” I would have loved to”
Smrita tried it as a JOKE
But the mockery was inescapable
“Yeah, My Papa panicked”
“Kya karte hain aapke Papa?”
“Oh? Umm… he is the GM operations for Delhi Region, he recently took on the Fraud portfolio?”
“Where?”
“Oh sorry SBI”
“Is it a bank?”
“Yep” Viveka smiled amused
It was extremely hard to rile her up
Smrita did not know that
“how is your Mom?”
“Great” she nodded
Silence!!
Viveka checked her phone
“KIDHAR HO?” Akash texted her after snooping on her whereabouts on Life360”
“Aakar batata hoon” Viveka sent a smiley face
“OHHHHHH samjha… date” he sent back sappy romance emojis to tease her
Smrita looked up hoping Viveka would be nervous and eager to end the silence
Viveka was leaned back and texting with a smile
“Where do you work?”
“Oh? I am moonlighting as a temp Lecturer at JNU, filling in for a medical leave faculty, I conduct Econ research and I am trying to start up an NGO”
“Oh, like selling bags and shoes?” Smrita showed off her “charity knowledge”
“And rugs and scarves and sarees” she laughed
“Nice…. Do you make enough money?”
“Oh… no… “I” don’t make money Its for the craftsmen and women”
“Tumhara bhi help ho jaata hoga I mean in Delhi these days, its not enough to have just ONE job”
“U are right, that’s why Ma works too”
Uh oh!
Smrita’s darkest insecurity and Viveka’s greatest pride were about to clash now
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