Unexpected Child & Hotwired Cars
"A song for tennis and a song for French?" she asked
He looked at her working the mental Math...
"Would it be a song a class or a song every week or every month?"
She wanted more details, the full picture...
"Or if I did a extra session of tennis some weekend?" he amused himself at her expense
"Oh ya that... phir to mujhe roz gaana padega,(I will end up singing everyday) not that I dont, actually I dont I only sing during the weekends,
Amma is always upset I dont practice enough, the fact is whenever she forces me to sing I dont want to, have you ever felt like that? when someone asks you to do something
particularly your Mom, I mean... Dad.. (realzing BOTH were wrong choices) (she shook her head vigorously) u know... when Appa says dont drive after 10 PM, i feel this strange compulsion to do it"
She giggled softly
He stared quietly, almost ogling, they stood under the chambal tree, the blooms were tiny white flowers all over,
almost looked like the tree was lit up as the cars passed on the street throwing headlight beams on it
"Your Appa told me I must make you practice every day" he said rocking on the balls of his feet, hands in pockets...
"Ayyoyo! Really?" II grumbled... "He KNOWS I dont practice every day, how can he say that? I agree I cant, I am not even home until 8 or 9 usually"
"I hope u can be home earlier than that" he goaded her
She blushed... instead
"Only if you promise to get off the phone" she said inaudibly
"When my parents force me to do something I dont want to" she quickly changed topic, flustered and nervous under his gaze
" U shouldnt"
"Stop singing?" she asked horrified HOW COULD I? ITS MY WHOLE BEING
He had a "I rest my case" look
"Will it bother you if I sang in... one of the upstairs rooms?" "Your...I mean the floor where you live?" she asked quivering
He smiled his half smile..
"Is there a pooja room? U know, like my house?" proud
He nodded
"OH? I can sing there" she agreed with herself resting her doubts all by herself
"U can sing wherever II" he said
"U didnt answer my qusetion though, did u rebel?" she asked
His face turned serious, she probably wasnt going to like the answer... he didnt want to say it
Rebellion in his society revolved around trying drugs, or smoking or having sex in the back of the car, or speeding while drunk, or making out with two girls at the same time
"Not much, I had curfew, at 10 on weeknights during high school, that would be close"
"TEN? TEN?" "shravu's is 8:30, on Sundays he usually breaks it, mine was 8 since KV started early... HEY your school started too, how did u wake up when when u went to bed at 10? she chattered like a bird
Going from limb to limb to limb, she moved from topic to topic all in the same breath
Her eyes were the sparkliest he had ever seen night or day... they glowed brilliant, her lashes were always moist and shiny
"Exactly, thats what they worried about" R&B said
"So? Did u miss school? Were you tardy/late? I wouldnt go in until 9 or 10 of they let me stay up like that,
good I am an Iyer, I wouldnt be able to complete school otherwise
If I went with Amma I could get a car ride, otherwise in high school it was mostly buses, and Sector 12 to Andrews Ganj is
theoretically one road, but South Ex killed me every morning... I would barely make it some morning,
since Amma is a teacher some teacher would snitch as she saw me fly through the gates, bus avlav daan dino sanygaalam (thats it every evening)
(she switched to Tamil like he would get it) I would get creamed. Moral of the story is NEVER be born to a teacher, never go to the same school where Amma teaches"
THERE! She was done now...
He saw her chest heave... as she let go of the held up breath. He was going to love her monologs he already knew... visually and content wise
She excited him beyond belief...
"Understood" he nodded
"Say something da, u always respond in one or two words, I am saying things for four minutes" she grumbled pushing him, throwing his balance off as she rocked on his heels
He held her hand to stead himself
"Sorry" she said immediately, concerned
"I rode the bus sometimes (ONCE?) you owed money if you were late beyond a point, I think my folks paid some towards a building fun" he bit his lower lip
"Did u ride the bus with your sisters?" she asked eagerly "See Akka is 7 years older, (she counted) when I was in Middle school she was done I hated that, I wanted a sibling
I didnt want to be the youngest I wanted to be responsible for a brother or sister, I was envious of my friends that had, they would lead the kids to their class and such" she complained
He watched spellbound
She had a STORY FOR EVERYTHING! EVERYTHING!
"Your parents didnt want any more"
"they didnt want me" II said looking down quickly masking her grief
OMG! WHY? WHY WOULD THEY THINK THAT? he wanted to ask
"They had Periappa to care for" II said clearing her throat...
He wanted to take her home to Malcha Marg and make love to her until she was knocked out of her senses...
Her face was flushed and her eyes not moist but bigger and somber... her lower lip shook like she had admitted to stealing
"Appa loves me a lot. He thinks Iam the best thing that happened to my family. I tell Akka that EVERYDAY" II giggled...
changing the topic quickly not ready to get any more emotionally intimate with him than she already had, ACCIDENTALLY,
unwilling to be so emotionally intimate... he was from a completely different culture and society... and they were incompatible,
HOW COULD she give him more ammunition? II YOU ARE A FOOL
A COMPLETE FOOL, HE STARES AT YOU LIKE THAT AND YOU LOSE YOUR LID?
"What else do u tell her?" he coaxed gently, probing
"VERY CLEVER PODA! I am not telling you until u talk for the next (she reached for his watch with her free right hand bending down fully until she breathed over his wrist)
sending his wrist hair beserk ) 4.5 minutes until (he gently raised his wrist letting it rub her lower lip she let go immediately) "Rakshasan!" she hissed softly
"Chacha lived in green park, we would hang with his boys, they would hate Manny and Sam, but "teach me stuff" he said
"Oh?" "Ummm" she said looking away
"Not what u are thinking of II" he reassured her
"U dont know what I am thinking of" she said defiantly, hated being so expressive with her face
To get off the balcony from the second floor and go down a rope or a sheet... bring out the hose on neighbors during Holi, hot wire cars"
Good grief" she slapped a hand on her mouth
"Watch po*n" he said
"I think your 4.5 minutes are up" she said laughing "Did u hot wire cars?"
"A couple" he said
"Who defended your crimes at home?" she asked spontaneously "Who protected you when u got busted"
"Ma" he said without losing a second...
They stood staring
"
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