Clawing
When he woke at midnight he was amused by the two empty foil containers in the sink
He walked over to her room, she was fast asleep curled up in fetal position, her phone lay uncharged by her
On the screensaver photo she was hanging from monkey bars between her nephews at a Chandigarh park, he saw her stretched out bare belly and the luscious belly button
Her hair swept the foam pad underneath, a big smile plastered on her face
She was mysterious… she was fiercely private and so independent
Private detectives had brought in informationthat was publicly available, he did not know one nugget beyond that
He held her phone in his hand and stared down at her
She was wearing a red santa claus, candy cane mistle toe pajama and a white ribbed vest
The scar from when her brother pulled her into the running car, ran under her palm
He felt like he was intruding, suddenly, he plugged her phone in to charge and saw she had notifications from her Mom, her brothers and her Chandigarh SIL
He walked out of the room grabbed a bottle of water and went out to the frigid cold February winter balcony
“I have two brothers, so you plan to hurt me they will kill you” she had told him
He chuckled reminiscing
“Oh why would I kill you, who would I defeat”
“Good always be fearful, always look over your shoulder” she warned
She didn’t look much intimidating right now
“Meet for lunch tomorrow?” he texted Pia
“Why are u up?”
“same back at ya”
“I have shift duty at the hospital”
“I have shift duty too” he sent a smiley
“Is ur wife going to be there”
“I can invite her” his lips twitched as he sent the message
“NO NO NO Don’t… don’t” “I don’t want to see her”
“One “no” would have sufficed”
“I mean… I don’t want to see her… its not pretty when I do”
“Ah”
“Don’t act cool and unaffected”
“I am not”
“She gets under my skin…. Mom is so needy, your wife feeds that hunger”
“Excuse me?”
“I mean lets face it…. Mom teeters between missing Bhai and accepting life with us… its been this way”
“Don’t Pia!!!”
He was fuuuurious
“Jaante ho tum”
“Lets stop right now”
“Chill! Dude! She likes ur wife”
“It cannot be for who she is? It has to be because Mom is a nut case?”
“YOU said those words
“Don’t let her ever hear what you think about her”
“I LOVE Mom… I am irritated ur wife is insinuating herself between me and Mom”
“U can do lunch u said, lets shoot for 1”
“Did u bring me that wind chime I wanted from Goa”
“Nope, I was there less than 18 hours”
“What did u bring her?”
“Nothing” he lied….
He had bought her a set of textured handcrafted wood claw clips made of some wood native to Goa
The local property consultant that showed him lots, drove him through some artisanal markets and he was able to pick those up
“Did she want anything?” Pia was nosy
“She didn’t know I was gone”
“What do u mean?”
“she was at Mom & Dad’s”
“WHAT? Whyyy?” Pia was not happy
“Not sure… u shud ask her”
“Very funny… Prad”
“I bet she decided to sleepover”
“Must be” he let that irritation in Pia fester
Pati Patni Aur Panga
Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi 2
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