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pia soon settled into this idyllic lifestyle. misha and sid had gone beyond expectations directing her to some great school and creches. Within a week the kids were starting to accept this as normal. She'd enrolled in some Spanish classes too; it was great to stimulate the mind after all this time. Her father and mom were due to visit the following weekend; they were bringing a lot more of her belongings, so she'd feel more at home soon.
She got back from her second class and had two hours spare to herself before both children were due to be collected. SO she sat on the patio, radio on, and read her book. She'd been there no more than ten minutes when there was a knock at the door.
As she cut through the house she lifted her sunglasses up onto her head, the contrast from the blazing sunshine to the shadows of the house was stark. Pulling open the door, the smile froze on her face. Stood there was abhay; it always crucified her when he looked well, and today was no exception. His aviator shades hid his eyes, but he still was residually tanned from his recent holiday, his jaw was shadowed with stubble, but his dirty blonde hair was longer and shaggier than she'd ever seen it, and it really suited him.
With a groan she held up a hand, "if you think you are coming in here and telling me what to do, accusing me of things or saying ANYTHING that resembles an insult I suggest you turn and head back to the road. This is a nice stress free home, and you are not changing that."
He was stunned, his hand still raised where he'd been about to knock the door once more. With a shake of his head he stared at her, "I just want to see my kids!"
She nodded, stepping back to allow him into the hallway, "I'm due to pick them both up in about half an hour."
"They're not here?"
She shook her head, leading him into the kitchen, "armaan has started a school, and anjali is in childcare for two half days a week."
He held up a hand, "whoa! Let's just rewind! My children are in school, in childcare? Here in Spain? What are you talking about?"
Turning to him she sighed, "I've decided to stay out here, we're all happy here, and I deserve a break."
"They are MY children! You can't just keep them here! I have rights! You should consult these things with me!"
pia pointed to the door, "Get out if that's your attitude! I have been a doormat long enough raichand. As of now you do not as much as raise your voice at me. Do you get that?" She glowered at him and abhay was speechless again. So she carried on, "I am staying here as I'm happy, no one knows me as your ex-wife, I'm not subjected to daily pictures of you whoring your way through life and no one cares what I do. I have to think about working as I always have worked and I need to, but also I want to be financially independent away from you. So, in answer to your question, yes your children are in childcare, yes I've moved them to Spain, but what alternative is there?"
He was shaking his head slowly as he ingested her rant, "I want to see them pia, regularly. You can't just up sticks and move to another country."
"Did you hear anything I just said? Are these children neglected? NO. Are they mistreated? NO. Are they unloved? NO. Are you in a position to offer any stability, any routine or be a regular influence on them? NO. You're happy to jet off all over the World for work, so you can jet over here regularly. I really don't see what you can disagree with! "
He whistled in a slow deliberate manner, "So you really mean this?"
"What about living here? Or not putting up with anymore of your bullshit?"
He laughed, "Both?"
She nodded, "I'm staying here, and you can get over it, be nice to us and see the children regularly, organized when it's mutually agreeable, not just when you fancy it, or you can do the usual and kick off here, call me everything under the sun and then not see the children. The choice is yours; they need stability, not any more disruption, any more trauma."
"The only reason you're here is because of that bloke..."
"ABHAY! Please! Look I am happy to be civil to you, but please stop looking down that arrogant bloody nose at me!"
He laughed, not the usual haughty sarcastic laugh, but a real hearty amused laugh, and it rocked pia to the core, she'd forgotten what a nice sound that was. When he spotted her inquisitive look, he laughed, "You are the stuck up, the judgmental one normally!"
She nodded, "but because of ONE thing, since that story in the papers you somehow feel you've got the upper hand."
abhay was still laughing as she drove them both across town to pick up the children, whose response was ecstatic. Back at the house, she made some dinner for them all; in between watching them laugh and play.
armaan insisted that abhay read him his bedtime story; anjali had long since fallen asleep in pia's arms after a hectic day. pia was watching the TV news when abhay emerged.
"I've booked a room at a hotel in town," he named one of the hotels that misha ran. "Can I take them out tomorrow?"
She agreed, and as he left she felt relief at the truce of sorts that they'd come to.
abhay stayed a few days, and whilst she didn't see much of him really, he spent a lot of time with the children, taking them out, playing, reading. All the things it was important that he did. He'd only be gone a few days when her father and mom arrived, closely followed by a huge van that had been driven across from her home, through France and Spain to deliver all her belongings from the house she'd abandoned back home.
That night as they all sat watching HER TV, on HER sofa in HER new home; she didn't think life could get better than that. She knew abhay was behind the gesture, even if the delivery drivers hadn't told her, so she sent him a quick text message.
"See you can be so thoughtful when you're not being a dick! Thank you!"
It was barely a few moments before a reply flashed up, "How come I'm the only one who has to start being nice?"
She smiled as she penned an immediate response, "You have far more to make up for!"
pia's father and mom left after a week, and it was again back into the routine of life. The Spanish was coming back to her despite it being twelve years since she last studied it at school, the children were starting to make friends, and indirectly so was she. There was a large ex-patriot community along the coast and she started to meet people both at school and creche. But also local people at the nearby bars and restaurants were friendly and she started to have smiles, waves and even "Hola" called across the street as she passed.
And most importantly she didn't have abhay or jey to deal with, or the fallout of their behavior. She honestly didn't think about jey, he was inconsequential, now she looked back and realized that she had used him, been unfair to him. Saying that she in no way deserved what he did to her, but she'd not cared enough once she was away from the country to do anything about it. She really was starting to move on. abhay, however, was a different case. She knew she'd always have a fondness for him, that he'd always hold a place in her heart, in her life. But he didn't hurt her anymore, she'd dealt with it, locked him away. And now the new amicable abhay made life so much more bearable.
They'd been in Spain a couple of months when arman's birthday rolled around. So pia decided to have a big party at the house. He had a few friends from school, then there was misha, sid and their children, she knew her Dad, abhay,abhay's parents would all want to come. Whereas the thought would have filled her with dread, now she was looking forward to catching up, for her new friends to meet her old.
pia's life had become quite busy in such a short period of time, she had her language classes two mornings a week, then there was the Zumba class she'd started to go to on misha's recommendation, added to the occasional night out with the ladies from the class, one of the children's entertainers at misha's hotel was a childminder/babysitter too, all it all added up to pia loving her life.
The days in May were bright and sunny, the whole area was basked in warmth, and the weekend had become so much more than a party. People were arriving on a staggered basis over several days, meaning that by Sunday and the actual party there'd be standing room only. And pia loved it, the organization, the hustle and bustle. She was in her element.
Through her contacts she'd found caterers, entertainment, drink suppliers, everything. When the actual day of the party did finally come around she would have nothing to do other than host and entertain. anjali was almost walking, armaan was wound up beyond belief, abhay and his parents were due on the Friday as well as Grampy and mom, was also flying in a day later, but only the latter two were staying at the house. abhay had hired an apartment to share with his parents; the older couple were intending to stay for a week.
As the numbers escalated she did have a worry about where everything would go. The house backed onto the beach, but most of the gardens were untamed and unusable. Originally on the abhay and pia's initial visit to the house they'd highlighted an area which was perfect for a pool, another for an outdoor eating area. abhay had organized the barbecue and kitchen area to be built under a canopied area to the right of the house, and the caterers for the party were keen to use that area to cook, but they'd never started either the pool or the terrace. Now she realized she had to clear more of the waste ground to make way for tables, at least start work on what would eventually be the terrace, the pool.
Thursday was the only chance she had before things got mad, so she almost bit off misha's hand when she offered to take pia's kids with her own down to the beach for a few hours. pia found her work boots, cut off denim shorts and a vest and attacked the rubble, overgrowth and rubbish. She cleared the rubbish easily, even the overgrowth was fairly quick to gather and incinerate, but the rubble, the fallen walls and uneven pacing slabs were harder. It was a hot afternoon and this was harder work than she'd ever imagined, but being pia, she didn't give up, guzzling from a cold bottle of water, she wiped the sweat from her forehead uncaring and unaware that she was rubbing large dirty smudges all over her face.
abhay had had a long trip to get to Spain, from joining his band mates in Paris for a charity dinner; he'd missed the connecting flight and basically spent a few hours in Madrid of all places whilst he phoned manically to get another plane to the South.
He'd not got an answer to the front door, yet pia's car was on the drive. So he'd made his way around the outside of the house, hoping to see at least one member of the family somewhere. As he rounded the house into the garden he froze. If ever his jaw had hit the floor it was now. There was pia in the most ridiculous torn short denim shorts, unlaced work boots covering her feet, and a hot orange skimpy top was the only other thing she wore. Her hair was piled up into a loose knot, and her face and shoulders were smudged rather sexily with mud.
He could never remember pia looking so...hot, so...desirable. He instantly had to take a deep breath and adjust his shorts, the fabric suddenly too tight. He'd had a rough two days, he'd had a drought from women since alina was back in the States for a while, that was the only reason he tried to convince himself, that he was stood like a horny teenager gawping at his ex-wife with more passion than he could remember feeling when they were married.
As he watched she swung at a ruined wall with a pick ax, the tool too heavy for her, let alone the job. But as he watched her, he realized that this just about summed up the new pia nothing was too difficult for her anymore, the display of independence was more important than the outcome. And for the first time in his life he seemed to recognize regret. Why the hell had he ever let her go?
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