Part 179 D
8:54 PM
Malcha Marg
Saturday
Her sore foot is resting on his left foot when they let go of each other. He lets her regain her balance as she slowly places it on the floor. He watches her foot leave his, stares at the brace, the tiny toes, the glossy pink nail color''..She stumbles on her bags when she steps aside to let him leave, he picks up her bags and sets it on a table on the side.
He lets himself out after a quick comb through the hair with his fingers. She hurriedly fixes her clothes and redoes her hair, the weave is not symmetrical its in clumps, she undoes it and just ties it with a clip. Leans on the door, shuts her eyes and calms herself before exiting the room.
Ritu tries not to look at her, pretends to be engrossed in a conversation with Dadi. Kritik, Pradyun and Shaan are in the study looking at some new gaming software.
She can hear car racing sounds and screeching tyres.
Dadi: Hi! Beta, you two should talk, I am going to get the souffle out of the frig now
Looks at her fave grand daughter in law, her face is flushes and glowing, her saree in disarray and her hair is unbraided and secured with a clip.
Smiles secretly to herself as she heads to the kitchen.
Ritu gets up to hug her.
Ritu: Since when did you forget how to wear a saree? (winks)
Khanak: Since you satrted showing up an hour late for dinner
They hug, Ritu can smell male cologne on her.
Ritu: is that right around when you started wearing men's cologne?
Khanak: Get lost! Troublemaker! (warns)
Ritu: hey where are the famous intellectual's glasses?
Khanak: Not sure where I put them (evasive)
Ritu is surprised, since Khanak is not at all forgetful
Khanak for some reason is fidgety and nervous''
Khanak: WHERE were you? Meri baat chhod!
Ritu: We went to watch a movie and then ate out. Dadi is going to kill me if I don't eat here (whispers)
Khanak: She is cooking up a storm
The male help brings a huge cart laden with various kinds of appetizers
The men are still in the study, playing pool ona corner pool table
Khanak serves herself some food on a plate. Dadi walks up and insists Khanak go offer it to the guys, reinforcing the fact that she is still the hostess
She pussyfoots, Dadi will have nothing of it, the male help waits until she makes her mind
They walk to the study
Prad smiles upon seeing her, Kritik walks up to hug her, looks at her foot and asks too many questions.
Khanak: What will ou have?
Kritik: Everything! (looks at the non veg food items on the cart)
Kritik: Its not vegetarian, so don't worry about serving (smiles)
Khanak: Pradyun tum?
Prad: What ever you can give me
Khanak: Will all be veggie (smiles)
Prad: I don't mind
She serves him some
Her husband is rubbing chalk on his cue, he waits for the question.
Khanak: Aur aap?
Shaan: Crab cakes, sesame chicken and egg rolls (pause) please!
Kritik is busy following a basketball game on TV
Prad butts in with "She cant touch meat!"
The husband wife duo are still holding the gaze.
Shaan: Thanks! (for making a plate for me)
She bends down and gets him what he wants with the steel grip, she is not sure if she got what he wanted, he walks by to the cart, picks up a square roasted thing from his plate and replaces it with one from another tray.
Shaan:The one you picked was potato puffs! (dryly)
Khanak: Oh!
She doesn't know which dipping sauces he needs, bends down and looks up at him with saucer like eyes, he is reminded of the intimate encounter in the bedroom.
Shaan: Just the brown one, thanks!
She serves a spoonful and hands him his plate.
Kritik: Join us, Ritu ko bhi bula lo
Khanak wants to leave "Nahi who Dadi ke saath kitchen mein hai
Kritik: When will you eat?
Khanak: My plate's outside'.. (I really have to go!)
Her husband sits on a huge plush cherry red sofa and enjoys his food, his drink lay in front
Prad: shell join us later, why don't you come over?
She looks at her husband
He meets her eyes with a "I am sure you will join us now " look
Kritik: We miss having you at home, Ritu is a slob
Khanak smiles
Ritu walks in "You were not supposed to flatter her ego, my love"
Kritik laughs
Khanak: My ego is always soaring! (softly)
Prad: Oooh! Confident!
Ritu has brought her plate, she sits on a couch on the other side of the door, gets the red dipping sauce having no clue, its sets her sore lips on fire, she starts to cough
Ritu: madam, its for people like me, who are made of steel (laughs)
Prad: are you OK?
Khanak: its not too spicy its just that my (lips are sore?)
Her husband is back at the table, seems like he is pointing his cue in her direction, she can feel slow color crawl up her face as he shoots and pockets
Kritik: Damn! You are good man!
Shaan: thank you UMASS Student Rec Center
Khanak is reminded of the lovely glorious honeymoon
Ritu brings her some juice, she sips away, silently
They all talk non stop, while she watches how her husband plays. He is used to her silences, so he just devours the sight of her. He is complacent at having ruined her poised look from earlier, her hair is a mess now, her saree crushed around the front
Dadi interrupts them, with the dinner call
There is so much food its not even funny, she is the only vegetarian on the table and there are 6 things.
Kritik teases her about defecting
Khanak: I don't think so! (vehemently)
Kritik: You havent tasted this lamb, or you would
Khanak thinks "Trust me I have! You don't want to know, my husband is a fiend, so I have tasted scotch, brandy, you name it I know it all"
Khanak: I feel for that lil guy!
They all laugh''
Dadi: Quit poking fun at her you guys!
Khanak: Thanks Dadi!
Ritu and her are seated side by side, her husband across from her and Kritik across from Ritu, Dadi and Prad at the two ends of the table.
Steaming hot rotis and naans are brought out, Kritik talks about his work, asks Shaan about his
Kritik: So how is working in Delhi?
Shaan: Not too bad!
Kritik: Encounter any babugiri yet?
Shaan's face tightens, as he recollects something very unpleasant "Not yet, I am on loan here so I hope not to"
Kritik: Kab tak ho yahan?
Shaan looks straight at his wife and thinks for a minute " Until the job's done"
For some strange reason it sends her heart aflutter.
Dadi and Ritu are giggling over something
Prad: I hope you can stay
Khanak: Hmmm (sadly)
Her husband complains sharply about the rotis being dry and cold, Dadi orders a fresh batch.
Kritik: Are you busy next weekend?
Shaan: No, not really!
Kritik: Tennis at DLTA?
Shaan: Sure!
Ritu: Hey, abhi mujhe chhodkar tum kuch nahi kar sakte!
Kritik: So go with us!
Ritu: Ughhh! Lets go outta town, Udaipur? (gushes)
Kritik rolls his eyes
The other husband wife duo look at each other, just as the help places a fresh roti on her plate, it singes her hand, she returns to the real world
He notices she hasn't eaten much at all, wonders if anything is spicy
He knows the moment they are done with dinner she would take flight, he wishes they would all leave so he can slug it out with her on the living room floor and eventually carry her to the bed
There hasn't been one person in his whole entire life that has infuriated him like her
It seems like it was second nature now, she sulked as Dadi offered more food, it was like she did what she wanted and no body could change her mind
Dadi: Have some rice beta!
Khanak: Ummm'mmm
Dadi: Aisa nahi chalega, until you eat more tum uth nahi sakti
Khanak: I love souffle, I love ice cream kya main who kha sakti hoon?
Dadi: If you finish your food!
He felt her ribs under his fingers earlier, she was skinny and obnoxious, but tasted and felt like heaven''..the skin seemed softer and her moans louder
She almost giggled once until she realized what was going on''. And started to fight him again'''
Kritik: How long is this project
Shaan tearing his eyes away from his wife "Sorry"
Kritik: So have they started to build?
Shaan: they break ground in two weeks! (sarcastic) My consultation will be done in a few (cryptic)
Dadi heaps salad on her plate.
Ritu: You shud try the chicken Mystery, its awesome (giggles)
Khanak: You should try eating vegetarian for a day!
Dadi: Tum dono itna ladte kyon ho?
Ritu: Dadi yeh mujhe bahut annoy karti hai
Khanak: Vice versa
Dadi: then you should be friends for life.
Khanak realizes the profoundness of that statement, the message reaches her but she ignores it
When they are done, both friends step out to the balcony''
Ritu: What the hell is going on?
Khanak: Kuch bhi nahi (flat)
Ritu: You are in his house!
Khanak: Without my knowledge
Ritu: I am afraid you both are making it worse
Khanak shared the bitter email exchange at work with her last nite
Khanak: Its already worse
Ritu: Mystery, 8 EIGHT months... you've been apart, shaadi ka kya hoga?
Khanak is reminded of her trip to Delhi early January, that foggy morning...
Khanak: Shaadi pata nahi kahan kho gayi... just like my life (tears roll down her cheeks)Not sure where or IF I want to look for it😭😭😭
Edited by aditee - 14 years ago
Pati Patni Aur Panga
Jaane Anjaane Hum Mile
Tum Se Tum Tak
Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi 2
Mannat Har Khushi Paane Ki
Vasudha
