Kalyanam & Khalnayak
Part 88
When they talked during the play break
Sreekanth asked her about kids, how many she wanted she told him "I dont think any"
He was shocked... "I would like one" he said
She looked at him attempting to summon feelings of arousal or desire, but none bubbled inside her
"Will u change ur mind soon about hand holding?" he asked politely
"I will try" she struggled..
. HOW DOES ONE LET GO? HOW DOES ONE LET GO? SHE HAD SPENT ALL DAY SUNDAY STARING AT THE SMILEY TEXT SHE GOT ON Friday night
She hoped he saw her dressed in pink, she rarely wore pink, she wore brighter colors usually... she wore silver jhumkas
BIG ONES...
He wasnt home or he wasnt in the balcony.. that evening
Sree:"We will know about funding soon in a month or so... we are very hopeful about a French Venture Capital company...
they are Paris based, a bunch of Thai and French dudes" he said
"Pink suits you, you should wear it more often" he said smiling
She nodded... "thanks"
"I like how you dress differently each time... I like the artsy vibe I am getting today" he LEANED AND SAID IT IN HER EAR
AYYO... DONT... DONT... IT DOESNT DO A THING FOR ME... I FEEL BRISTLES WHEN HE LEANS OVER WHEN I STIFFEN HE WOULD LEAN SOME MORE
ITS LIKE IT HIS MISSION... TO TORMENT ME... HE WOULD LET ME PURR ON HIS NECK I KNOW HE HAS A MOLE BEHIND HIS EAR,
USUALLY HIDDEN BEHIND HIS CURLS IVE FELT IT WITH MY TONGUE... AND HE RETURNED THE FAVOUR BY DOING THE SAME TO ALL OF MY MOLES IN MY UPPER BODY
Akka keeps referring to him as a"innocent poor baby, gentle soul, so non combative"
Hes a wily clever fox... no a leopard... ya leopard... Rakshasan...
"Though I have to return in two weeks...I have told my bosses I might need to come back later, around October..." Sree left it cryptically
FOR THE Kalyanam/WEDDING?
"Visas are a overnight thing" he said shyly as she shared at the brochure in hand..."U would know by then wouldnt you?" (WHETHER U LIKE ME OR NOT?) he chuckled
WILL I BE GONE BY OCTOBER?
... IF NOT WHAT? WATCH HIM RETURN TO PARIS WITH MARLIESE? 
~~~~
He spoke to Mihir standing in the balcony, he saw a silver Corolla pull up... he noticed the silver jhumkas from 50/100 feet away... it bobbed like lotuses in a pond
She smiled and spoke shyly to the guard... he invited her in as he peeked through the branches...
She shook her head, and looked at her feet... as she refused to look where the guard was looking...
Monday evening... in the balcony with Mihir
"Kab aaya raat ko?"
"1 ish I think"
"Wahin chhod aaya unko?"
"Yep Haridwar, white water rafting... the usual cliched stuff" he grinned
"Ja kab rahe hain?" Mihir asked
"A week or two?"
"Marliese bhi gayi hai?"
"Ya, she stood in line first, she has the India bug" he said smiling
"Tujhe Parisian aur usey Indian hona chahiye"
R&B shrugged...
"Where is the tall leggy one u were dating?'
"Which one" muttered R&B
"Niice"" said Mihir... "Oh the Iyer girl, kya naam hai uska?"
"Ishita?" he offered
"Ya... DAMN... SHE IS HOT... uski aankhen dekhi hain? he cupped his hand... atleast this big" Mihir had a faraway look
they walked in and Mihir refilled his drink, they sat on the couch...
"She is SO QUIET" Mihir said shocked
R&B laughed out loud...
"Whats funny?'
"Just life... in general" said his freind..arcane
The bag was there, Mihir peeked... his blue hoodie
"U still wear this JCrew?' he asked longingly
"Hmm" said R&B...
"Are u donating it? May I have it?' Mihir asked gleefully
"No I am not & no you may not" he said
"Phir bag mein kyon hai?"
"She returned it on Saturday..." he said
"Who"
"II" he said
"USKE SAATH KAHA GAYA"
"Oh we took the shatabdi home from Amritsar"
Mihir smiled...
"Toone usko apna jacket de diya? Good going man!" mIhir looked in mock despair
"And wallet" R&B winked
"Damn! I shud have been a 5'9" and an Iyer and a woman" he sulked as he got up to go get an ice cube...
"And be able to sing 114 songs " he muttered... and let his thoughts wander in order to compile a complete list... "and have a long braid, the jasmine string...passionate, not to mention fight in bed, beg me stop with those sparkling Iyer eyes, ...reach for my left hand always... be constantly curious but try not to show it, self confident, wont shut up until she is being kissed"

The men talked about soccer as they finished their drinks
~~~~
Amma called Vandu on Monday evening... and discussed her book... and dragged her feet...
"Ennachu ma" Vandu asked worried
"Its nothing said Amma"
"I know u called about something...
"Ishita got a Rasam recipe book in mail three weeks ago, a month ago... Appa and I were worried, we wondered,... she said
"OK"
"She said Babita Singh in her batch sent it to her because she gave her the wrong recipe apdi sonna, she said"
"OK"
"I met Babita in Rohini two weeks ago, on the Saturday, she is married now she has a 5 year old" Amma's tone was SAD AND ACCUSING
Though an educator. author, she was unable to hold back grief as a parent that the same happiness eluded her own child
"So she must have gotten married ma, many girls marry young, so what? Ishita kalyanam nadakkum... we will get her married...
Sree is a great guy.. she has agreed to go out and she has been two weekends? in a row?. DONT WORRY MA" Vandu spoke soothingly
"I know I know... Ishita will be happy too soon... paavam kozhandai she is buried in work to forget the grief, on Pongal day she spent at Amritsar...
we could have had her thala (first) pongal after marriage this year... paavam she was on a train... that night"
"Amma she will be OK... aval oru tigress... dont worry... we have to coach Sreekanth to handle her, but he will learn fast" Akka laughed loud
"She talks a lot, but is naive... she is a fool" Amma defended her. "Subbu didnt even care for her, the first sign of trouble,
he just left her... shouldnt he have been protective?" Amam began her Subbu rant
"I know Ma... Subbu was a wimp... arent u glad it happened BEFORE and not AFTER the marriage? What if they had agreed and then Subbu
had told her "I am fearful we might have a child like Periappa so lets not consummate?" Vandu spoke bluntly
"U ae right" Amma gave up..
"She is a wildcat" "Romba veshamam, naughty like Shravu... but silly girl"Akka argued
"Anyway... Babita was going to the dentist for her little boy's toothache, she lives in the same
society as Mrs Chaudhry (the faculty), she didnt recognize me I did"Amma said proudly
Vandu didnt know where Amma was going...
"I told her about the rasam book and laughed, she said SHE IS NOT IN TOUCH WITH ISHITA SINCE SCHOOL" Amma said shocked
Vandu's heart skipped many beats
"Ayyo" she said aloud
"Why?' Amma asked
"Oh no... Oh... chumma... dont worry ma someone else must have given her the book" Vandu said...
Amma began to rant about why II would have to lie...
R&B SENT HER A RECIPE BOOK HOME? OMG! A PRANKSTER? LIKE HER? SHE LIED AGAIN?
Later that night in bed with Bala...
"Paavam Ishita, she spent HOURS talking to Subbu on the phone, dino she will send him 10 20 songs... they would talk so much" Bala reminisced
"I know kanna, I could never get her line then... she looked OK but I wont say she was HAPPY" vandu spoke the truth
"Enn?" Bala enquired
"I think though she will never admit it to us, she only thought of him as a friend I dont think he turned her on Bala" Vandu said softly
"I am sure she must have found something attractive Vandu" he said
"Ummm... ummm.. I DONT KNOW BALA... I NEVER SAW THE GLOW... THE GLOW I SAW WHEN SHE WALKED IN WITH R&B" she said passionately..
"Was it showing?"
"Oh ya.. like she couldnt see or think about anything but him that evening, YET she didnt say a word to him or spend a minute by him" Vandu said all knowingly
"HAVE U EVER SEEN HER BE THAT QUIET BALA?" she sat up in bed
Ummm no" Bala said agreeing.. but puzzled
"HAVE U EVER SEEN HER BE SO QUIET... ANNIKKI PESAVE ILLE SHE NEVER SPOKE... LIKE HE HAD KNOCKED HER SOCKS OFF" Vandu got off the bed
"Ayyoyo" said Akka walking to the window...
"Ennachu?' Bala got up and peered out
"What will we do with Sreekanth?' Akka asked in panic, hand over her mouth...
"Kyon?"Bala asked baffled
"Is kahani mein twist kaise laaoon?" she said as she began to seriously plot
~~~~~~~~~~~~~