pia was so glad she'd got this home; she thought she'd walked away from her marriage with very little, but this house was such an unexpected reward. As she sat in the evenings, lounging, reading or watching a DVD, she looked around her with a smile and loved the home even more. It was airy, light, but still cozy. The house backed on to a quiet beach, and from the front she was a short walk from a busy beach, and a little longer to the nearest town. It was bustling, but not crammed full of tourists, the perfect combination.
December in the south of Spain was warm, and other than the odd rain shower, they'd been in t-shirts and shorts by day, and only light jackets in the evening. It was perfect! Everyone she'd met had been pleasant, and had made such a fuss of the children, but with blue eyes and fair hair and complexions, they were such a contrast to the native children that they stood out.
But all good things must come to an end, and it wasn't the worst thought in the World to be traveling home for Christmas. pia's father and mom were joining them for Christmas, and were desperate to see the children; they'd missed them over the ten days they'd been away.
The day before she was locking up, traveling home, pia wandered back down to the Property Management office to coordinate details with them, until now they were billing abhay, and had him as a point of contact. She needed to change that.
The beauty of walking alongside the sand was that armaan could run and play as she pushed anjali, and the offices weren't far from the beach, so it was hardly an arduous trip.
Stepping in out of the warm December sun, she squinted as she became accustomed to the relative darkness of the office.
"Hi, you must be pia raichand?" A tall dark haired man jumped up and offered her a hand, "we emailed, I'm sid!"
"It's pia dobrial actually, we're divorced now, part of the reason why I'm here. I need to change the billing and contact details with you. I'm leaving tomorrow."
sid gestured to a seat opposite his desk, and then rooted around in a drawer before emerging with a coloring pad and jumbo crayons. "You like this?" he offered armaan, who broke into a beaming smile.
Relaxing she accepted the offer of a coffee and sat back and filled in the forms he handed to her, occasionally acknowledging the colorful masterpieces created by her son.
"You've got your hands full!" he offered as he helped her turn the pushchair back towards the door, to head out of the office.
"They're not bad really!"
He nodded, "how old are they?"
"armaan is four and a half, anjali," she looked down at the sleeping baby, "is almost six months. She's good at the moment; I'm just dreading once she starts crawling! I really WILL need eyes in the back of my head then!"
He nodded, "I think that's the hardest time the 'not quite walking stage'!"
"You've got children?" He barely looked old enough.
"Yup, one and two. Put more gray hair on my head than anything else!"
She scoffed, "yeah right! Gray hair! You!"
He grinned, "I'm older than I look! Now if you need anything whilst you're away, please contact me." Handing her a business card he added, "That's email, phone, mobile...you should be able to get someone at any time! Your property is in safe hands!"
She smiled, "thanks, and please thank you wife too, she literally saved my life when I arrived."
"I will do, she doesn't officially work here, but she knows how things run!"
She was chuckling when she headed back out into the sunshine. They walked back along the beach road, eventually stopping for armaan to run around on the sand again, gasping and then squealing every time he dipped his toes into the icy cold Mediterranean Sea. Afterwards the three called to a local beach bar for hotdogs before finally heading back to the house to pack for the return to the UK.
The day they flew home was dark, gloomy and raining, and pia didn't miss the irony of the weather mirroring her own feelings.
Back home however, Christmas was in full swing. She'd not really thought about anything. She knew there was a chance that abhay would want to see the children; he was back in London, so she braced herself.
The children were overwhelmed by the occasion, correction armaan was! anjali just smiled or slept through the whole holiday. A few days before Christmas abhay, like a bad egg, phoned wanting to see the children at some point.
"Will SHE be with you?" she asked.
"She's my girlfriend pia; you can't make me choose - her or you!"
She sighed, "abhay! This is where you completely misunderstand EVERYTHING. I am not asking you to choose me or her; I am TELLING you that it's the kids or her. The way she spoke about your children...she will NEVER be around them."
"You can't make that decision."
She laughed, "That comment speaks volumes...your choice abhay!"
When she hung up she knew he'd call back. And she didn't have to wait long. He was restrained, she could hear the anger he was struggling to control in his voice as he spoke.
"So what do you want then? How do I get to see my children?"
pia paused for a moment, "of course you can see them, I just don't want them near her. I know you might think I'm being unreasonable, but she did tell me that they were brats that she wished weren't in her life! Why would I ever trust her to be near them?"
She could hear him sigh, "She's part of my life pia, you have to get past that! Do I complain when you run off with my children for two weeks?"
"Would you and your parents like to join us for dinner?" She tried a subject change, she wasn't about to justify her much-needed trip to him.
"Can I be there when they wake? When they find their presents?"
Suddenly she heard the longing in his voice and realized how much this really meant to him.
"Of course you can, I'm sorry this is so hard for you. Come as early as you like. Ask if your parents want to come for dinner though ok?"
With a grunt he hung up.
As things went Christmas went well. abhay arrived early, before the children woke, then helped armaan open his gifts. A bike and several cars were apparently a daddy's dream, and the two spent hours playing. She made dinner, welcomed the grandparents, and generally kept the day going smoothly. It was a lot of effort, but there was no arguing, and the children had a great day.
"Thanks for a lovely day!" abhay cornered pia after the children had collapsed into bed exhausted.
She nodded, "whether you believe it or not, I want you to be involved."
"My parents are going to a family party, up abhay after New Year, once I've finished the tour. alina's gone back to LA, so she won't be there. Can the kids come with us?"
Ignoring the pain that the thought of several days without her children brought, she agreed, albeit reluctantly.
So she welcomed the New Year in alone, sat with a glass of champagne watching the fireworks in the Sky further down the coast whilst the children slept . Earlier in the evening she'd turned on the radio only to be stunned to hear abhay singing. He had a beautiful voice, and it was so impressive live. She soon realized that the last concert of their tour was being played live in its entirety. She listened in a masochistic way, ignoring the memories that the songs wer trying to create.
The last song they played was their biggest hit, a really lively show stopper called 'Most People Think', but the before that, abhay always came back on to stage alone and sang 'Those Eyes', a ballad he'd written about her. AS he sang it, his voice sounded strained and she almost wished she could see his face, she knew he missed her and probably regretted their split, and suddenly she realized how hard it must be to sing a song everynight that he'd written about the woman who'd left him.
"So what are you going to do for two days?" kabir asked when he turned up with the accounts for the restaurant a few days later and realized the children weren't around.
"I've booked a spa day tomorrow. I'm going to be pampered. I thought that would be good!"
He nodded, "You deserve it! But let's go out again, can make it just the two of us if you'd rather?"
pia laughed, "And disrupt you and t - Love's Young Dream? No I enjoyed it last time, t's got nice friends."
He nudged her over dramatically, "and one in particular!?"
"He gave me a lift home cupid! Don't think there's anything more than that going on, ok?"
His knowing smile was calculated to annoy her, and it hit the spot! With a huff she headed into the kitchen before they settled down to discuss business.
The following night, she felt completely relaxed. At the spa she's had a full massage including hot stones...which despite her being a skeptic, had felt wonderful. Then she'd had a facial, reflexology, and finally a cut and color. Her dark shoulder length hair was colored a rich cherry red, and cut into a chicand sleek bob that curled around her jaw and had a heavy fringe. It was radical, different, and as the hairdresser described it, traffic stopping. So in a pair of shiny black leggings, heeled boots and a white off the shoulder sweater, she felt good. Better than she had in ages.
pia had arranged to see kabir in a local wine bar, but there was no sign of him when she arrived, so she ordered a beer and stayed near the bar.
"Wow! You look incredible!"
She spun around, at the vaguely familiar voice to see jey, shaggy dark hair scruffy yet cute framing his face, and his eyes sparkling as he took her in, a slow deliberate look.
"Hey!" she offered suddenly nervous.
He smiled, "I repeat, you look incredible! I LOVE the hair!"
She grinned, his infectious enthusiasm and interest rubbing off on her.
"Thanks, I fancied a change, you know, glam up a bit. New Year - new life! I'm becoming a bit too motherly!"
Still looking at her in such a suggestive manner, he laughed, "more like a yummy mummy!"
Blushing,her heart jolted and her pulse raced at the poorly disguised compliment. It seemed he wanted to pick up where he had left off, flirting with her, and for the first time she was able to admit she had no idea whether she could resist him, or even wanted to for the whole of the night. The thought both scared, and exhilarated her!
*************************************************************************************************************A few moments later kabir and t arrived along with a few other friends to break up the atmosphere that suddenly sizzled between pia and jey. She was glad of the chance to put a little distance between them, she wasn't keen on starting something she didn't want on a whim, and because she was lonely. jey was nice, always complementing her, funny, and he was good looking. But she still wasn't sure that she wanted a relationship yet, with anyone. She had given up everything for abhay, life, heart and soul...and she couldn't cope with letting down any of her defenses again. She had to be a mother, that was her first role, she could always think of herself, think of relationships when they were settled and they were happy.
kabir slid and arm around her shoulders dragging her back to the here and now.
"You look wonderful, love the hair!"
She chuckled, "I felt like a change, New Year and all that!"
"I worry about you!" he offered. "That bas***d seems to be having his cake and eating it. You sitting at home, minding his children, him doing what he likes until he wants to see them, and then landing on you."
pia shrugged, "I know, but I'm no doormat. And despite what you think, I am happy with my life. Especially..." she swung an arm around his back and hugged him, "when I'm out with such a special friend!"
Laughing too he kissed the top of her head, "I know mate. Doesn't mean I don't worry about you though!"
"Right enough of the mutual appreciation society...both me and your girlfriend have empty glasses!" With a mock salute he headed across to the bar. The space he left was immediately filled by jey.
"Hi!" he offered rather coyly.
She smiled, "you ok?"
Nodding he pointed at her drink, "can I get you a refill?"
"kabir's just gone to get me one, but thanks."
"So tell me about your Christmas!" He had a lovely smile, cheeky, and mischievous, it instantly made her laugh.
"You've probably got far better stories than mine. I didn't do much other than cook and wrap gifts!" She leaned against the wall and looked up at him.
"You must have had some lovely presents?"
pia blushed, "I had a scarf and a book from my father." He waited for her to continue, but when she didn't his eyes widened.
"That's it?" he shook his head lightly, "now that's a shitter! Can't believe that!"
She sipped her drink before finally saying, "When you have kids they kind of monopolize the gifts at Christmas."
He drank slowly, then caught her off guard, "I heard your divorce has been pretty tough, but I bet the kids bought their Dad a gift, hey?"
She felt a few prickles at the back of her eyes, she wouldn't cry, not again. She had cried a river SO many times.
"Ha! He LOVED his mug, creatively painted by a four-year old, and the DVD of Polar Express, also chosen by a four-year old."
jey was nodding knowingly, "but you had nothing back!"
pia felt a little defensive of abhay, "well I've been away with the children, almost two weeks in Spain, I don't need anything more than that."
He looked rather skeptical, but by that point kabir had returned and once again the connection between them was broken.
They moved to a variety of pubs, pia chatted to so many people, she danced rather precariously in her heeled boots and laughed as she hadn't laughed in years. It was well after midnight when the piled into a fast food shop and ordered various pizzas, burgers and kebabs. It was cold as they all stood together chatting in the street.
"I'll walk you home!" kabir offered.
"Take your t and use it on your girlfriend! I'm fine!" kissing his cheek she dashed off before he had time to protest, and as his girlfriend lived in the opposite direction, he couldn't really follow her. As she reached the street corner, she heard the pad of feet running after her, she turned expecting to chastise kabir, only to see jey jogging after her.
He grinned, "Can't let you walk around on your own."
"I don't think it's a very good idea!"
"Haven't we been here before?" he asked as he laughed.
pia nodded, "I know I'm just..."
Silencing her with a hand, he listed her reasons on the hand that wasn't holding a container of steaming food, "one - you've just had a difficult divorce, two - I'm too single, three - you've got to put your children first, four - you are a martyr!"
By the fourth she was smiling, "ok, maybe I'm a little neurotic!"
"A little?" he questioned before wafting his doner kebab in front of her nose, "you need to chill, let me see you home, and steal some of the best minced lamb in the South!"
As she met his stride and started the walk home, she was smiling, "wish I'd ordered one now. That looks and smells divine." Her mouth was watering at the sight of spiced meat, fresh salad garlic and chili sauces.
"Do you want to go back? Get one?" he stopped in his tracks.
She shook her head and gave him a wicked smile, "I'm just going to steal some of yours!" Then snatched a long string of meat and dangled it into her mouth, before licking her lips in satisfaction.
jey watched appreciatively then shook his head, "Who in their right mind let you go?"
The walk back to hers passed in relative silence other than the odd comment on the quality of the food, the turbulence of the sea, of her clacking high heels. And it was quite comfortable. Part of the journey was secluded and she was glad that she had company when they got to the unlit path.
"I was right!" he was smiling, spotting her sudden nervousness.
"Are you one of those men who always give it 'I told you so'?"
He laughed, "Only when I'm right! Which is all the time!"
It was her turn to laugh and she turned to stare at him, "you have so obviously NEVER lived with a woman! You'd have had that attitude beaten out of you if you had!"
Raising an eyebrow he smirked, "that sounds like a challenge!"
pia focused back on the path, tossing the comment, "I wouldn't have to beat you...you'd be astounded by my rightness!" casually over her shoulder.
Stopping at her front door, suddenly there was an awkward moment. Did he want to kiss her? Did she want him to kiss her? She really didn't know. But in an already familiar way jey seemed to read her mind again.
"I only kiss on a proper date! And then I make sure I don't have a spicy garlicky kebab!"
As she made to protest he continued, "I am not asking you out on a date!" He lifted her hand and kissed the back of it, before beating a retreat. At the end of the driveway, he added at a shout, "yet!"
Then he was gone!
It was strange to wake again to no children. After the pampering of the day before, pia decided to shop today. She'd never been a real fashion guru, or been an avid shopper, but if her hair had boosted her confidence and her image that much she thought she'd practically float around if she had smart clothes to match.
A train journey to the nearest City was more time-consuming than she imagined, but it was nice to have no other restraints on her time, so with the large black coffee she'd purchased at the station, she sat back with her Kindle and read a book for an hour.
Once she hit the City she visited all her favorite shops, and as predicted her first ten purchases were for the children. Despite being married to abhay for a few years, she'd never really embraced the designer lifestyle, and here she was still in High Street shops buying 'normal' things for her and the children. Once she got into a routine though, she was a very efficient shopper. And within two hours she had everything she wanted.
Near the station was a restaurant so she dived in and had a quick meal before heading home to try on her purchases.
The house was silent and she hated it, but throwing open her bags she started to work through the clothes, checking out jeans, two dresses, a few tops in the mirror. She had just put on the last item, a strapless, corseted dress that flattered her post baby figure more than she imagined when there was a knock at the door.
Rushing down she threw open the door to see abhay stood there, anjali sleeping in her car seat and
armaan was jumping up and down on the spot.
She squatted down next to him and gave him a big hug before looking up at abhay, "I thought you were coming home tomorrow."
abhay was stood mouth open staring at her, when she raised an eyebrow and coughed to gain his attention he mumbled, "they were missing you. So I brought them back early."
She stood up with armaan limpet like around her neck and headed back inside, abhay followed silently.
Eventually he asked, "Are we disturbing you? You look like you're ready to go out."
Suddenly she remembered the dress and chuckled, "been shopping was having my own fashion show! Hold on a sec!"
Re emerging ten minutes later in jeans and a t-shirt, abhay seemed to have found his voice again.
"So what have you been up to?" She suddenly realized that this was jealousy; he thought she was seeing someone else, dressing up for someone else. Inside she smiled.
She stopped to look at him, "abhay, I don't have to answer to you, and we're way past small talk aren't we?"
She didn't get as much pleasure from the look of hurt that flashed across his face as she'd thought she would; she just couldn't pull off the thing. But as he turned to leave, she knew that she'd scored two points, the kids wanted her and she'd managed to put him down...Power to her! She just wished it felt a bit better than this.
guys here last update one mistake i write kabir gf name alina but i change now name 's t because i realize i already gave alina name abhay 's gf . hope u like it this part but soon jey out pia 's life this part not good as u wanted but i write building for story . next update mein pia jey aur abhay sab se door bagne wali hai but see soon back for abhay or abhay wll back for pia
Edited by abhiyan_soni - 13 years ago
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