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***part 19-ii***
I idly go exploring the house, there were a lot of rooms that I haven't seen yet - this place is like a palace. I don't understand why we need such a big house. So far, I have seen a pool room, two guest rooms with a breath-taking view of the city and a prayer room. I am surprised as I cannot believe Virat thought about having a prayer room. I enter inside and look around, it is more or less empty. I feel like I should do something here. The next room is a library - huh? Go figure! Virat and books? It is a fairly small collection. I try to find a good book, anything to get my mind off things.
To my surprise all these are my books, from before, neatly stacked and arranged author-wise. Oh my! My lips curve into a big wide smile. Virat,why are such a sweetheart! I grab a book and start reading - CRYSTAL FLOWERS: POEMS AND A LIBRETTO - its one of my all time favorites and Virat had gifted me this first edition of it on my birthday. Remembering that day still brings back a face-splitting smile. We were already engaged and it was my birthday - he was out of town all week and had specially flown in for me, he was waiting for me at the cafe of my art school - my crazy jealous aashiq.
I spot him from a distance and he is gazing right at me, frowning. He looks mad, why does he look mad? Then it hits me - I am walking with Chris, my classmate. I frown back at him. I enter the cafe and stand in front of him, he is packing his laptop and books, never taking his eyes off me.
"Hi!" I wave at him.
"Hi!" he replies indifferently. My heart free-falls into my stomach. We just had a huge fight about Chris on the phone, the previous day - Virat doesn't like me working with him at all. I ignore his mood and launch myself into his arms and hug him. "I missed you!" I tell him sweetly. He says that there is a magical ring to my voice and I try my best to bring it out to help him snap out of his mood. He sighs, folds his arms around me and buries his nose in my hair. I look at him with a flushed face but he is looking at Chris who was sitting across from us with some other people from my class.
"Your dress is very short." He says, still frowning at me.
"You like it?" I ask, giving him a quick twirl. It is a peachy soft sundress, probably more suitable for the beach but today is such a lovely day, the sun was out and I decided it is a good time to get some color on my skin.
He is smiling looking at me twirl. "You look gorgeous baby but I don't want anyone else to see you like this."
"Oh! Come on Virat, its summer." I wave my hand dismissing him.
He looks at me unamused.
"For godsakes jaan, it's my birthday, don't be like this." I snap at him.
He rolls his eyes and says "Let's get out of here, your fan club is having a blast looking at you like this."
"Will you stop it? For the millionth time, Chris is just a colleague; we are working on our project together. That's it. Why can't you trust me Virat?" But before I finish, he takes my hand and drags me out of there.
"For your information, I trust you blindly. It is him that I don't trust. I just don't like the way he looks at you." He murmurs without looking at me.
Once in the car, I change gears. "What if we were at the beach?" I ask him.
"We are not at the beach." He cracks.
"Would you mind if I wear this at the beach."
He looks at me incredulously "No." he finally tells me.
"Well then, imagine that we are at the beach."
"Should I wear just my swim trunks to work? Imagining that I really am in a swimming pool?" he asks me with an absolute straight face.
"Ofcourse not!" I retaliate angrily, thinking about all those blonde drooling stick figures at his work. They will throw themselves at him, not that they don't already.
"Well?" He prods me.
"Okay! Fine. I get it. You win. What do you want me to do now?" I ask hunching down on the seat, folding my hands and looking out.
He looks at me lovingly and I look back at him moping, the next minute, all his anger is gone. He holds my hand and pulls me onto his lap. "I am sorry baby. I am jealous guy, you know that. You are mine and only mine, I cannot take it if someone else as much as looks at you."
"Nobody is looking at me!" I tell him.
"Oh! You have no idea. That Chris-ass wants you pretty bad!"
"Virat??" I don't know what to say, He is so over-protective sometimes!
"Forget all that! Let me wish you properly first." He reaches out to the back seat and springs out a wrapped up gift with a huge ribbon on the top.
"For me??" I clap my hands.
"Happy birthday my love!!" he whispers in my year.
I blush profusely and giggle. "Thank youuu!" I place my head on his chest and hug him. He passes his fingers from my cheek to my ear-lobe and pushes a loose tendril behind my ear looking at me smitten.
"Can I open it?" I ask excitedly.
"Yes"
I pull the ribbon and carefully open the wrapping, without tearing it.
After a few minutes he says "We don't have to salvage the wrap baby, I have more at home." He teases. "...and besides, I have dinner reservations. Tear it open already!"
"Patience!!!" I roll my eyes.
Finally, I open the wrap and I shriek loudly "Virat!!!!!!!!!!!!"
He closes his ears with his fingers. "Its first-edition. Where? How did you get it?" I am literally out of words. Only Virat can gift me something like this.
"I am a very resourceful guy darling!" he answers proudly.
"Oh Viraaat!!! I throw myself into his arms in the most ungraceful manner suppressing a sob. I am over-whelmed." I had wanted this ever since I joined art school and it is my favorite book but somehow the publisher had stopped releasing it in the country.
"I love you Manvi and I can't wait for you to be mine, as my wife." He tells me in his husky, soft voice, stroking my hair.
"I love you too Virat, I cannot believe how lucky I am to be yours!!" I smile as my face flushes red, heating up under his unwavering hot gaze.
He bends to kiss me, and as our lips touch, passion or love or a deep-seated need to pacify him travels through my body like current. I seize his head in my hands, fisting my fingers in his hair. He groans as his body responds, he hungrily nips at my lower lip, my throat, my ear, his tongue is invading my mouth and he runs his hand up my bare leg to my thigh. "This dress does have its advantages." He mumbles smiling with mischief dancing in his eyes.
"Aren't you the hypocrite?" I retort.
"I can be anything when it comes to you baby. You are only mine - body, mind and soul." He declares.
My phone rings and I answer in the first ring. "Viraaat, you took long enough to call back, it is almost evening!"
"Sorry baby, I got struck. What's going on?"
"I was thinking about you."
"What about me?" he asks curiously.
"Well, I found my Crystal Flowers first edition that you gave to me on my birthday."
"Oh? Hmm..good old times. Remember that night? I took you to my apartment and..."
"Virat!!!!"
"kyaaa? Sharmarahiho?" he teases playfully."Forget that, listen, there is this stupid charity ball I have to attend in the evening. I want you to come with me. We will stay for a few minutes and leave. Be ready around 7. Ok?"
"But, what about the kids?"
"What about them? Liz will put them to bed at their usual time."
"Hmm. Ok. Listen Virat, I spoke to Swetha about Ishan. She seemed very upset, she was going to confront him. You sure all that information you have is right?"
"That's good. Yes, I am positive about the information."
"She will be heart-broken Virat."
"Heart-break is better than being caught in a lie Manvi, she will get over it. Hold on a sec, the security guy at the school is calling me on the other phone."
What? Security at school? Oh God!
I could hear Virat's voice on the other phone faintly. "Wait, Come again? Nikki did what?...ok, I am coming right away. No, I will deal with her. Thanks."
"Manvi, I am going to the school. Nikki is in trouble."
"What? What kinda trouble? Virat, is he okay?"
"Yes Manvi, he is okay. Apparantly he punched another kid in his class."
"WHAT?????!!!!!!!"
"Yeah, I am already on the way. Don't worry, I will get them home."
"Virat, I want to come too."
"Manvi, there is no need, I will deal with it."
"No, Viraaat, please!"
"Alright, I will call Blanco, see you there."
"Okay."
~~~
When I enter the Principal's office, Virat is already there talking to Ms.Tuner.
"Virat, where is he?"
Virat signals me not to worry.
Ms.Daisy brings Nikki into the room, he looks at us and runs to Virat. "Pappa!!"
Ms.Tuner looks at us disapprovingly. "I was just telling your husband about what your son did, he is hitting kids in the face, the parents of the kids are really angry.
They want an apology and assurance that this will not happen again."
"Nikki, is it true? Did u hit other kids?" I screamed at Nikki angrily, he looked really scared, clutching on to Virat.
Virat signalled me to calm down.
"Erm..its not kids, it is one kid, Robert. He punched him once. His parents are here too. I explained Nikki that he can come to me if he had a problem with anyone in the class. He will be fine." Ms. Daisy clarified.
"Thank you." Virat said as she walked back inside politely.
"I want to talk to him for a few minutes, alone." Virat told Ms.Tuner.
"Ofcourse, he is your son." Ms.Tuner said shaking her head disapprovingly, yet again. Virat glared at her and she faltered with things around clumsily.
~~~
"Nikki, are you going to tell me why you hit him or not??" I was yelling at him and he was silently sitting in front of me looking down.
"How do you even know how to throw a punch??" I threw my hands up in the air and exclaimed out aloud, unable to understand how my sweet little son could do something like it. Virat shifted on his feet uncomfortably. I looked at him and he was looking everywhere but at me and then I remembered - their guy's talk this morning.
"VIRAAT? Did you have something to do with this?"
He took a deep breath. "Yes, but relax. Listen to me first. He was scared to go to school in the morning. He was scared that the other kids might not like him and bully him like they did in his old school, in India. I still cannot understand how you didn't know about this, but regardless, I showed him how to scare people if they tried to mess with him. That's it. I never thought he would actually hit someone."
"What makes you think I didn't know, that's not how you deal with things. You need to teach him to go to the teacher and complain, in the proper way."
"Yes. I know. I am sorry. Let me talk to him."
Virat kneeled in front of him and asked him in a calm and soothing tone "Buddy, did you punch Rob?"
Nikki nodded his head up and down. "That's Ok. Why did you do it?"
"Mommmyyy!!!!" Ria was running to us, she came and hugged me tightly.
Nikki was looking at her guility.
"Ria, did you see Nikki punch Robert?" Virat asked her, extending his hand towards her.
She went to him and started on full volume, she was hyper-charged. "Nikki punched Robert in the face, it was sooo funny and Robert was crying like a small baby and everyone was laughing at him. Ms.Daisy came and yelled at us."
"That's not nice Ria, how can you laugh when someone is crying." I kneeled beside Virat and reasoned with her.
"But he is a meany momma, nobody likes him, he ate my lunch and pulled my hair and was making scary faces at me. He even said my hair looks like curly fries." Ria pouted with a sad face.
"What?" Virat stared at her shocked.
"Meany Mountain is back." Ria hid herself hugging onto Virat's shirt. We both turned and saw two really big people, walking towards the principal room, they shared atleast 500 lbs between themselves. The smaller guy, who could only be their son was equally big and looked atleast 5 years or older.
"Wait a sec, your brother punched that kid?" Virat asked Ria. Ria nodded her head up and down. Virat started laughing crazily. Nikki looked at Virat laughing and relaxed a little bit. "Alright!!!" Virat opened his hand to Nikki and he comes and gives him a high-five grinning.
"VIRAT!!! How can you laugh. We need to talk to them about his bullying but that doesn't justify Nikki hitting him."
"Sorry baby. I mean look at him and look at our skinny son. And the dude was bugging Ria."
"Virat, that's not the point. We need to go and apologize to them."
Virats gets up on his feet "Ok. This is what we are going to do. You are going to take the kids and wait for me in the car with Blanco. I am going to be back in a few minutes. Are you guys up for ice-cream?" Virat asks the kids. Ria and Nikki both clap their hands excitedly "Yes!!!" He called Blanco and asked him to take us out.
"Manvi, please go." Virat said with a tone of finality. I begrudgingly walked out with the kids.
"Carry me!" Ria held her hands out to Blanco.
"Me too!!!!" Nikki followed her suit. Blanco was carrying both of them and walking with me.
"Blanco, I will be right back." I tell him. I knew what Virat might do in there, and I wasn't going to let him set a precedent to the kids that they have special priveleges, that include getting away doing things normal people couldn't do.
"Manvi, that's not a good idea." Blanco stops me.
"I will be back.." I exit before he could stop me again.
"This is not what we expected, I think your son should apologize to my son." Rob's father was telling Virat, while Ms. Tuner was watching them.
"You are out of your mind. Forget apology, if I see your son anywhere within 500 feet of my kids, I swear to god, you will regret what is going to happen to you for the rest of your life. And you, keep your hands off Nikhil and Ria... and their lunch. Understood?" Virat warned Rob too.
Rob's parents was literally turning blue under Virat exploding temper.
"Virat!!!! stop it?" I run into the principal's office and hold him back. "I am sorry." I tell them and hatch up an explanation.
Virat looks at me angrily. "Manvi, I asked you to stay out of this!!!!" He glares at my hand on his arm and into my eyes and I let go, hurt.
"And Ms.Tuner. I don't know if your problem is with me or my wife but let me make one thing crystal clear - If I get to know that he or anyone else for that matter, lays as much as a hand on my kids, I am going to sue the living shit out of your school. Is that understood?"
"Yes, sir." Ms.Tuner replies as if her life depended on her answer. You can trust Virat to intimidate people out of their sanity.
Virat holds my hand and walks out of there and once we are out, he releases me.
"Can't you follow one simple instruction Manvi. Why, why do make a habit of defying everything I ever tell you?" he is scoffing fumes at me.
"Virat, what you did is not acceptable. That is not the message we should be sending to our kids. He cannot get away doing something like this - no matter what the reason." I try to reason with him.
"Enough Manvi, NOBODY MESSES WITH MY KIDS! I don't want to talk about this anymore. Let's go." He says and that's it, he doesn't want to talk about it anymore.
~~~
Later that evening we came back home after treating our kids with ice-cream for their achievements in school today. I was unimaginably mad at both Nikki and Virat.
The kids were both eating dinner. Virat had been working in his study since we got home.
"Mamma, why won't talk to me?" Nikki asks me sulking.
"Chup chap dinner khalo." I tell him.
"But why won't you talk to me." he is insistent.
"You know why..."
"Manvi, we need to leave in an hour, you need to get ready." Virat comes and informs me from his study.
"I am not going anywhere." I tell him and get him dinner as well.
He looks at me for a really long time, but he doesn't say anything. He sits with the kids.
"Whats wrong buddy?" Virat asks Nikki.
"Momma isn't taaalking to me." Nikki whines.
"Well, Momma isn't talking to me either buddy." Virat commiserates.
"What did you guys dooo???" Ria asks them.
"Kyu? mummy ki chamchi! All this is because of you. Eat your food! You must have been so happy that meany mo ate your lunch right, coz you didn't have to eat?"
"He ate my cookies." Ria retorted angrily.
"Achaaa? But why didn't you tell your teacher? Chatter-box, waise toh kabhi chup hi nahi hoti ho!"
"Nikki hit him before I complained.." she grinned.
"Hmmm..." Both of them looked at Nikki "Don't worry buddy, I will pataofy mamma in five minutes. Okay?" Virat winked at him and said something in their ear.
"You know, I can hear all your non-sense about me. So will you all please eat without biting each others ears?"
"Ofcourse darling." Virat smiles at me.
I glare at him and he winks at me.
Huffing about their banter and frustrated, I continue my silent treatment and sit beside Virat to eat.
Virat starts without any warning. "Nikki, I am grounding you for one full week - no tv, no video games, no swimming, no playing with spiderman. You will stay in your room when you are not in school. That's it. Understood?"
Nikki looks at Virat shocked, opening his mouth. Ria makes a big 'O' with her mouth "But..." Nikki tries to defend himself.
"Abhi yeh kya naya tamasha hai Virat?" I frown at him.
"Kids need discipline Manvi, he can't just go on hitting and punching people. He needs to realize what he did was wrong. I mean what if that elephant ate Ria's lunch? - its not like she would have eaten it anyways, right? And what if he scared her? - she would have been frightened and not gone have to school the next day, we would have dealt with that, called his illogical parents and would have tried our best to put some sense into their thick skulls, right? And what if he pulled her hair and pushed her around? - she would have waited for the teacher to show up and then complained and showed her the bruises, they would have sent her to the clinic right?" Virat signals something to Nikki.
I look at Virat shocked out of my wits, thinking about what he was saying. What if Ria really got hurt? Oh my god! I didn't think about it. My bunny, she isn't too strong to begin with. I am looking at her thinking about how today might have ended. Nikki starts coughing.
"Nikki, baby, you alright?" I run to him. "Here have some water.." he drinks a full glass of water looking at me. "Whats wrong sweety, why are you coughing?"
"I feel sick Mommaaa." he says coughing some more. I take him in my arms and feel his forehead and stroke his back. "Virat, get him some medicine."
"I am not done talking with him Manvi. I want him to think about what he did to Rob and apologize to him."
"Virat! my son is sick and you are more worried about that mountain. And what did Nikki do? He stood up for his sister, whats wrong with that? You were the one defending him there; why are you yelling at my poor baby now. Go get medicine." I yell at him.
"Accha? Nikki did nothing wrong?" Virat confirms.
"Ofcourse not! You know what, forget it, tum se puchna bekar hai, I will get the medicine myself." I get up along with Nikki in my arms.
"Are you sure Nikki did nothing wrong Manvi?" Virat asks me again.
This time I am infuriated, I scowl at him. What is wrong with him? and then I see it... he was suppressing his laughter. I look at Ria watching us with full interest and Nikki was hugging me tightly, both his legs around me and playing with my hair like always. He was feeling just fine.
"Ohhh...wooow, you guys are acting. Sab log daddy ke party main chale gaye huh? Fine, be this way. I put Nikki down and go sit on the couch folding my hands. Three of them come and sit beside me cautiously.
I am so stupid and emotional! Even my kids know that now. All because of Virat's plan!! That is what he was whispering to both of them.
"I am sorry mamma. I will not mess with anyone. I will complain to Ms. Daisy if anyone bugs me." Nikki came and kissed my hand. I look at his cute face and couldn't help smiling. I decide to forgive him, it is not really his fault. I was about to hug him but before that, I see Virat shaking his head.
"All this is also your training right? Do I look so stupid Virat?"
"Hadd hai yaar, five minutes ago you were yelling at me that Nikki did nothing wrong and now you are blaming me for everything. Kyaaa ho tum?"
Tears roll off my eyes unexpectedly. I don't know why, it must be the dream, my fears for Virat, school, Virat yelling at me, me yelling at my kids, possibility of something happening to my kids, their tricking me. Gosh! It is such a hectic day. "I just don't want my son to become a gangster like his dad!!" I cry loudly looking at Virat accusingly.
"Right!! Iska bill bhi, mujh pe phaaro!!!" Virat is smiling. What is there to smile? I am crying here and you are smiling!
I had only cried before my kids on one other occasion - when Ria got hurt badly in the playground and we had to take her to the hospital in an ambulance. "Don't cry momma. I am sorry. I swear I will be nice." Nikki tells me sweetly putting his tiny hands around my neck. I pull him into a tight hug and kiss him affectionately.
"I love you momma" he says sweetly.
"I love you too buddy!!!" I give up on my anger. I can't keep up anyways.
"I love you too.." Ria springs on us both.
"Mujh se toh koi pyaar karta hi nahi hai!!!" Virat comes and hugs all of us, wiping the lone tear that managed to escape from my eyes.
"I am still mad at you." I tell him.
"I know, but we are getting late for the party thingy, lets go." He says.
~~~
<<<part 19-i
Sorry people, for the continuous updates, I am restless about something and the best outlet for me is to write. Hope u guys like it. Thanks for the likes and comments on the previous updates, as always! Luv ~ Anu ❤️
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