Casa 4 Part 79D on 143!! - Page 102

He walked downstairs, his cousins were taking a nap in the three guest bedrooms, his aunts and Mom were missing too, He sat down on the sofa and shut his eyes, threw his head back on the back rest "What the hell was that?" "Damn!" "If that's the way you like it?" The image of his iphone alert replayed in his mind. When he went on to the website he saw the transaction, first thing he did after taking care of Dad's work was rush to the rec/study to print that goddamn thing off. He still couldn't believe his eyes! She PAID him? He saw how the color rapidly left her face when he said what he did. It just paled instantly and matched her saree'.. pale yellow. Goddamnit!!! He actually said those words to her!

He rubbed his eyes and eventually rubbed his face all over, running his fingers through his hair, pulling it at the scalp causing himself some real pain. He sat there for a few minutes'''' "What the hell did I do wrong?" anger and frustration were beginning to take over again

6:40 PM May 31^st

Shaan entered the apartment, Hari Lal was giving him one toothy smile after another when he was opening the door for him today, Shaan was not in any mood to smile.

Dadi the aunts and Sanjay Uncle and Chachu were all sitting around chatting and laughing.

Madz: Here he comes''. And ALONE!

Dadi is curious "Shaan?"

Shaan: Yep Dadi! (walks over to where she is seated, sits by her)

Dadi: Where are you returning from beta?

Shaan: Dad had some network issues, the vendor we use at Ajmera for IT support was itching to do a pitch on Dad, so was off hooking them up (grins)

Madz: Does your wife know you went to your office?

His face is expressionless''' cool almost, not nervous, not shy, not sheepish, Dadi notices. She lets it pass for now

Shaan: Well''Technically, I didn't go to Ajmera! I went to Ingram Services.

Dadi: Don't play the semantics game with me beta

Shaan: it just took an hour then and an hour now

Ambika Chachi: And what did you do with your wife? Drugged her? I would be so mad!

Nandini Maasi: ahem! Ambika samjha kar! (winks)

Shaan is again not in the mood for the humor, he is not even grinning,

Madhavi: is she still upstairs

Shaan I think so! You saw me I just walked in''

Sunil walks in through the open front door "Quit interrogating my son! Let him be! Abhi bechaare ki shaadi hui hai"

Shaan: Thanks Dad! (smiles)

Sunil: Bang on! About ingram Shaan! (is very happy)

Shaan: really?

Sunil Yep! I am impressed. So will you consider making the move at this auspicious occasion?

Shaan: Wwwoow wwwooow what?

Sunil: Future Trading you know (grins)

Shaan: Absolutely not Dad!

Sunil: Akshay is running ingram's numbers with yogesh and the finance folks we'll see

Shaan: I called Rahat so we can get the scoop on what they quoted us

Sunil: well I don't have 20,000 desk tops and 1000 printers, 20% of that maybe.

Shaan: Do you employ 400 now?

Sunil: Dekho isko, he has no clue! (offended)

Dadi: Time out! Is any body even worried what the new bride is doing?

Ambika: Raayna Ujju kahan hai?

Nandini: Went off to a Ritu Beri Sale at 10, should have been home at 2

Shaan: Maasi are you serious? Who took them? (angry)

Madz: Shaan, don't get worked up''. Its not midnite (scoffs)

Shaan: thanks Ma! (sacrcastic)

Sunil: Dharam, mere saath tha, did the new guy take em?

Ambika: No he drive us, hes horrible Bhayya (to Sunil) I am not sitting in that car again if hes driving

Dadi: Bachon ki bhi chinta kar lo, agar time mile to

Shaan is on the phone.

He waves and signals people to stop talking loudly and speaks "Oh! Great! Where are you? "Get ur butt home in the next half hour"

Shaan hangs up, who did they go with Maasi?

Nandini: Pradyun lekar gaya beta! (Chill whats wrong with you tone)

I texted Akshay he said they may have taken that Avis car we rented from the airport

There is a collective Phew!

Madz: Will some one go check on Khanak? (serious)

Dadi: Is she asleep beta?

Shaan has no idea!

Shaan: She was awake when I left two hours ago.

Ambika: You've been gone for TWO? (outraged)

Shaan: First Ingram, then Dad's office then this other vendor that Pankaj swore was good (a friend)

Dadi: Jao beta, check on her (gently) Bring her down stairs Hari Lal is ready to serve chai.

She can see he is dragging his feet

She watches him walk up the stairs texting.

People get busy talking, Dadi notices him pause outside the door, he texts and pauses again, and knocks! It seems very odd to her, Ambika is showing her something she got during the day so she is distracted.

He knocks again

She opens the door. The both stand there and look at each other

One outside the other inside. The door in between

She walks inside and he does too shutting the door

She goes back and lays on the couch, curls up on her side.

He goes to the bathroom, showers, changes into blue jeans and a coffee colored Polo tee, shaves'''.

Steps out, she is laying there with her eyes closed.

He clears his throat

Shaan: They are waiting downstairs

She opens her eyes startled, she has no idea he is standing by the couch, looking down at her, she sits up, her hair is all over her face.

Shaan: For us''

Khanak just looks at him for some emotion, there is none in his eyes. Hers are badly bruised.

Both behave like they've met each other for the first time today.

He stands in front of her, hands tucked in his pocket

Her mangal sootra pendant has slid back again, the length of the chain on her back, he watches her pull it forward, and slide down the pendant.

She waits for him to move, step back so she can stand, he takes a step back and she stands up, pulls the saree's edge down over her waist'.. instinctively like most women wearing sarees always do''

Khanak: In a few'.. (imapssive)

He walks over to the balcony door, pulls the curtains aside, opens the door, the steamy evening air hits the room, mingles with the aurconditioned and spreads fast'' she walks over to the bathroom and freshens up, wonders where her suitcases are'..

Runs a brush thru her hair, and leaves it untied

He is standing in the balcony on the phone now, facing the sea.

She stands by the reading nook, he hears her chooda click turns around, finds her standing there, counting her two dozen on the right hand for the 17^th time.

Shaan: Yep! Green homes is the way to go'. Not sure if it will work tho, around here.

He is unmindful of her standing there

She is unmoved

Shaan: Oh! Ya, they are present to Rahat next week. I was on it'' yep

She counts the ones on her left'''

Shaan: Yep''. Not sure'' 18'. 20 may be.

Shaan: Catch you then'.. alright!

He hangs up looking at her, shuts it, walks inside, shuts the door'''''

They walk out'. And step down side by side'''.. the vent under the staircase is blowing her pallu on to him, she grabs it with one hand, he pushes the remainder towards her. She almost trips on the frontal folds, is reminded of his "You have to be careful on these" from 8 hours ago'''.she picks up a bunch of the slippery soft chiffon, he barely touches her just protecting her from a fall if ever it comes'. She manages to control her step''..

Raayna and Ujju have returned, Akhil is up, Akash is asleep, there are collective "Ooohs and aahs" when they step down togetehr like that

Dadi is watching them carefully

The astute woman that she is knows there is trouble in paradise!