Great Aunt's best bud🤗❤️
They returned home after 2 AM, Ranjan was half asleep in the car, Mihir stayed over too, his parents could only get there by early morning...
R&B gently nudged Ranjan when they reached Malcha Marg...
"We've arrived" he said softly not to startle him
He appeared older and weaker when he was asleep, something tugged inside him when he saw the man asleep, he looked defenseless and vulnerable... AND HARMLESS
He had circled the street quietly a couple times... thoughtful... as the man slept peacefully in the passenger seat... his head tilted and relaxed
"Thank you beta" Ranjan said flustered... composing himself
He got off and opened Ranjan's door and held it open so the man could find his shoes and wear it clumsily getting off... swaying and stumbling... "Are u OK?" he asked
"Yes yes... now I will sleep, I am so tired" he smiled at his son
R&B locked up
He saw cars pull up, Manny, the two Uncles... and a distant aunt from Amritsar... they were just arriving. He touched the Grandma's feet and her daughter in law's Ma's age?if Ma had lived?? ... he felt his compassion for Ranjan dissipate instantaneously
The great aunt had arrived with her son's family two grandsons and a daughter...
Others were expected at the Hall later today
He wasn't in touch with any family, just sent money when cousins reached out asking for help. Bought them cars... or pieces of land... fixed tractors or bought new ones...
The great aunt's grandkids were Sam and Manny's age, both married with three kids each, Ranjan has sent a 20 seater Volvo... the kids were noisy and loud at 2 AM
The Zambian Embassy guards stepped off their shed to peek... shined flashlights, until Ranjan's guard went over to talk... the house was decorated with a million lights... and there were flowers strung every where, changed daily... a expensive wedding tent/awning covered most of the front lawns...
The help were excited to see 50 people descend all of s sudden, Manny rattled off instructions on who gets which room and what food arrangements needed to be made immediately
The help had cooked for 20, not knowing when the great aunt was arriving
They went in to heat the food
Ranjan had gone off to sleep... but arrived on hearing the chatter, he looked like he had been awake for hours, energized...
"Pairee Paunaa" rang across the room... Chachu arrived too,wanting a share of the action... thick Punjabi chatter, about weather traffic and politics
The great aunt waddled to his couch and sat down by him panting... he held her hand helping her sit...he removed his left earphone and drank some water
The help brought juices for her... and pulled a table in front so they could lay her food... she was over 80 BUT FIESTY... like someone he knew well..
"I cant bear long car rides" she said conspiratorially
"I agree" he smiled responding in Punjabi like her
"I hear you picked a Madrasi kudi?" she chuckled
He smiled and nodded
Tuh ma v Madrasan varag d"khi' (your mother looked like one too, long hair and big eyes)
Usad n k hai (Whats her name?) Aunt asked
"Ishita Iyer" he said softly
"Ishitaaa?" "Hmmm" Aunt nodded
"Sundar haigi?"
"Jee bahuta hi" R&B said immediately (YES SHE IS, VERY... beautiful)
"Mainu ika tasveer dikha" (show me a picture)
He went to his folders and scrolled to find one.. from Sam's baby shower the gold choli and jhumka look with the long jasmine string and kohl lined eyes
"Oh mere rabba!" (OH MY GOSH!) the Aunt exclaimed loudly
He smiled a half smile
"Usa n tuhn vadha galan karad hai?" (Does she talk more than you?)
ZYAADA" he said chuckling
"Chalo theek hai" (GOOD GOOD)
She grabbed the phone and scrolled through the pictures with twisted arthritis ridden fingers... shaky and curious
"Does she SING?"
"Jee" he nodded
"Hore ki, changa kitha puttar" (What else U DID GREAT MY LOVE)
He smiled mischievously
"Jaldi mainu vadi nani banayi" (Make me a great grandma again)
"Jee" he nodded respectfully
She leaned back, he served on a plate and handed to her
Her son came by asking her if she needed anything
"I want to meet his wife" she winked at her son
"wait until tomorrow... no later today... Madrasi weddings you get to go stay there, so u can stay in her room"
R&B chuckled
"Phir vadiya" (that's great then)
"shes coming here" R&B offered
"I am taking her with me to Punjab" The aunt declared
"Like hell u are" R&B thought... but smiled and nodded politely
"Did she work with you beta?" the great aunt's son asked him
He nodded...
"Your Dad showed me the photo kamaal ki sundar hai (she is really beautiful)
Thanks" R&B muttered
"Tu to meat sheet khaata hai, daaru vi peeta hai kaise maan gaye?" (U drink alcohol and eat meat how did they ever agree to this?)
"Arey mera pota tey ekdum who kya kende si "HEN SAAM" haiga" the aunt defended him😆
R&B smiled causing a cleft to appear on his cheek
"Sahi gall hai beeji" (u are right Mom)
"Changa puttar tu ve settle ho ja, tey Manny nu vi sattle kara de" (U get married and get Manny married soon)
"Jee koshish karanga" (I will try) R&B agreed politely
"its OK for relationships to break, nobody should be alone" the Uncle spilled words of wisdom
R&B nodded politely
"He says his voti speaks more" Great aunt guffawed
"ANYBODY WILL SPEAK MORE THAN HIM" the Aunt's son mocked
Later he stood in the balcony with a bottle of water listening to music
gazing at the lush green ridge, the trees were light/yellow fresh green with spring growth all over...
Manny kicked him out asking him to go get some sleep, he could function perfectly on 3-4 hours of sleep a day, since he didn't talk much people didn't believe him... he had napped from 7-11 Friday morning and 2-6 that afternoon. His clock had been messed up since Grad School and he was used to it.
Lack of sleep wake rhythm didn't bother him, he knew it was going to bother HER ... A LOT...he smiled his half smile
She would have nodded a "yes" to Sree, and would have been gone by now... married and moved to Bay Area... or almost engaged... he was reminded of that evening @ Hyatt...
He would have never seen those HUGE accusing eyes ever again...
Appa would have been the happiest person... he clenched his jaw...
A Rs.30,000 transfer had rolled in to his Account and a text
"To cover for trips to Agra etc. for some"
If her goal was to make him livid she had succeeded in a second
Maybe it was her Appa's idea? He didn't know but was disgruntled and irate nevertheless
He realized Mr Iyer may begin using her to get back at him for taking her away from him
He chuckled at his own melodramatic brain's over imaginative ideas...
"I ve heard you tend to get bored easily" she told him coldly like it mattered to her a lot but she was pretending it didn't bother her
Her tone was cold her eyes gave her away... "I know u don't care about me"
He emptied his water and crushed the bottle flinging it to the trash can in the far corner of the balcony, it struck the steel can and fell outside...
He went back to staring...
He went on Google and searched "Iyer wedding rituals", went in, got
his ipad and sat down on the swing and read every ritual he could find and looked
at as many pictures as he could Google...until 5ish... lay down on the swing and took a nap until 8:30, Manny found him asleep
She stood by him... quietly...
"Swing mein akele so raha hai" Manny found a lump in her throat
She couldn't call Sam so she texted her...
Sam called her and began to cry
"It should all change from today Manny" she cried emotionally
"I hope it does Sam" She whispered, walking inside, pull a throw off the couch, she draped him, pulled his iPad off his chest and took it in.
"The house is full of people and here he is by himself" Manny muttered thoughtfully
"ma would have made sure he slept on time and he was up at 6 for his Haldi... let him sleep until 8 and wake him, I am almost ready... Tan will wake Shravu and Nandu and get them ready and bring them... Is the great aunt here?"
"Oh ya, she is even awake, her whole family is knocked out but she is awake, puttering around, she says the kitchen is bigger than her whole house" Manny whispered
"what a darling" Sam smiled
"Her grand kids are a riot all I can take is a week with them that is if they plan to stay a week I will need to be sedated, they got in at 2 and they didn't go to bed until 4... lil monsters... they only speak Punjabi. Good luck Ishita IYER" many sniggered
"How mean, uska miya translate karega," Sam defended her bro's wife
(Her hubby will translate for her)
"Ya why not... if he can remove those frickin ear phones and pay attention, the great aunt chewed him up last night, she threatened to take Ishita with her to Amritsar" Manny giggled
"what did he say?" Sam was eager
He just gave her a "look". He probably has some dungeon ready some where... with ball and chain" Manny smirked
Burning fire torches?" Sam asked giggling
"Hell probably keep it dark, taaqi usko pata na chaley what this brat is upto" Manny laughed
Both sisters laughed heartily
"Do u think he is doing the right thing Sam?" Manny asked somber
"Why not manny?"
"I mean WEDDING IN THREE MONTHS?" manny asked still in disbelief
"U should meet her she is adorable" Sam championed
"Ive met her, ya shes nice... she talks a LOTTT... she is too passionate about her career... will she care for him?" Manny asked
"SHE HOVERS AROUND HIM" Sam said
"achha? Dekhna padega... I might skip another eek of school and stalk these two" Manny said
Her brother walked in... gave her a hug...
She rubbed his prickly jaw... "Ja shave kar" "Haldi is at 9? 11?"" she aske Sam into the phone
NINEEE!" sam said
"I am going to take a shower and go get a game of tennis in" he muttered
"Arey ruk, chal talk to u later the groom is fleeing" Manny screamed
Sam"Let me talk to him"
Manny guarded the bathroom door...
4 guys came in through the stairs
"We are here from Home Decor" a guy said
"Oh right, that way" Manny said "Oh Sam the bed installers are here
A couple of kids ran up screeching flying a remote controlled airplane, a toy room that belonged to Nandu contained hundreds of toys of all kinds
Manny looked startled "OK monsters are up"
"Shut up yaar I cant believe that house is so noisy" Sam giggled
R&B wallked out
"Go back in and shave Haldi is at 9" manny ordered
"I dont need to shave for Haldi" R&B argued
Manny shoved the phone in his hand
"Who is it?" he asked
"well... its not HERRR, I mean its her but not the one you want to screw" Manny giggled
"Really?" he rolled his eyes
Sam was shrieking DISGUSTED
"Hey?" he said
"She is a sicko... achha sun I am on my way, shave and wear that white Kurta pajama thats hanging on the left corner in your closet"
"Shorts is fine" he argued
"I am calling Ishita she will strip you down and force it on you" Sam giggled
He smiled... half way
Manny was picking up stuff... she paged Minion
"Yeh floor 1 baje se pehle chamakna chahiye... his wife, inki wife aapki bhabhi aa rahi hai aaj, nahi kal"
(His wife is going to be here soon, so get it cleaned ASAP)
"Not those books or that pile, I reviewing three proposals" R&B argued loudly
"Poor baby... this place looks like a dump... she will leave u if she saw this"
"shes seen it and didnt mind it at all" R&B argued
"THATS ODD, Iyers are very methodical and clean" Manny said shocked
"Well this one's not," R&B lied
"R&B... i am having it cleaned, get ready and go downstairs in 20... the great aunt is missing her best bud" Manny laughed hysterically.
He walked into his closet grabbed his white designer kurta pajama in the softest of cotton, rubbed his stubbly jaw... chuckled...
A passionate plea "No da, PLEASE" resonated in his ear... his phone beeped... it was his Thai partner Sukrit, the Thai guys were arriving at Noon and the French at 2 PM
The text glowed... the text list showed her last one "Rs.5k for trips to Agra etc"
He began to shave drumming up warfare strategies... the thought of make up sex with II aroused him intensely...
watching her surrender... her soft pliant body covered in henna.. quivering beneath him...he would plunder and take... he shut the bathroom door and bolted it
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Coming up... R&B's Haldi and the couple's meeting at the wedding hall
Edited by Nisha0604 - 9 years ago
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