Bougainvilleas & Hippies
He had called her, once at night on hearing from Ranjan
She found it when she woke in the morning
"Did u call?" she texted
She was on her way to work, he called back at 7:40ish, she answered because she was not driving his driver was driving her despite much protest
"Whats going on?" he asked
"On my way to work" she said in a sleep drugged voice, since she hadnt spoken much since morning,
just checked on Ranjan he was still asleep at 7 ish...
"Hey" he said softly
"Arent you supposed to be asleep?" she demanded
"Not quite" he said
Why didnt u call?" he asked
"Umm... I went to bed" she lied
"I was fine" she lied "I went to D II saw Periappa... Amma loved the books I got for her.. I brought idlis home Dad and I ate on the back patio"
and she stopped
"Did u sing?" he asked
"HOW did u know?" she gushed
He smiled dryly she knew
"I mean I did.." she said "I sang three kritis... u know my favorite Annamacharya and Deekshithar ones,
Amma is going to not like it, I dont practice the new ones much any more... its like I am still 22 or 20 I should say... thats in my college song notebook" she said giggling
Pause...
"I am OK" she said reaffirming she wasnt
"did u go to your lessons yesterday?"
"NOOO!!" she denied... "Dont pretend to be all caring" she began to cry
He let her cry for a bit she wasnt sure what was going on, she wasnt ready to tell him
"U had a big sabotage plan didnt you" he interjected
She laughed sniffling... "Since I told you already the genius I am... I cant put into action" "Gotta come up with something else"
"U'll do it" he voiced his confidence
She nodded agreeing, wiping away her tears... staring out at the famous Gurgaon Delhi border bottleneck
"they fixed my car... Dad's not telling me how much it costed, since Dhyan gave them Dad's number for Contact"
U shud get on a payment plan of sorts then" he bit out silkily, since she did that well
"Meann!!" she accused
"With Sam, him (not saying Ranjan or Dad)"
"Well Shravu demanded noodles Akka will kill him if she finds out.
I HAVE to scold him. We dont eat Taj Man Singh noodles as a Saturday snack. Its excessive and tantrum-UY" she finished passionately with a cooked up word
"Do u want to get into a full blown argument right now?" he threatened never the one to back down either
"Get lost" she hissed
Since neither hung up... they hung on...
"dad built me my very own movie star like make up mirror, lights and drawer thingie, now I have official permission to be late when we go out. ITS FANTASTIC... I MEAN
LIKE SAM HAS, YAAD HAI?"
He nodded with a "hmm"... he didnt have a clue, he couldnt remember.. he didnt care... he was startled Ranjan had actually ordered a job on his floor, he rarely came over, he had seen him once in the last 4 months, that night when Mihir came
"That bougainvilla plant in the side balcony (on his floor, by the sun room) has two flowers now... magenta and light pink, I think its grafted" she smiled
It was a gift at mooh dikhayi from the Zambian Consular's wife next door. Ranjan had insisted he would plant it for her, she wanted to take it upstairs
"Oh!" he said... unsure how he was supposed to respond to her many gushings, he often used his favorite ack
"That balcony had NO pink... now it has pink" she gushed
"Hmm" the man of few words can only nod and grunt mostly
"will u call me when u get home tonite?" he extracted a promise finding her at her vulnerable best
"YOU HAVE TO" she ordered...
(In the meanwhile)"Can u keep it together?" ( at work, he meant) he enquired
"Only if you promise not to call" she shot back
(YOU MAKE ME CRY RAKSHASN!! YOU YOU YOU!!!)
"Deal" he half smiled hanging up...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The first hour hour and a half went by in greeting and visiting and BS-ing in no uncertain terms...
she couldnt even go get her print job from the copier, a list of recommended thrid trimester food Akka had asked her to print off,
a cheat sheet of sorts, Bala was forgetting, and her printer didnt work...
Bally was in nice and early at 8, like 18 minutes before her...
"Iyer, yaad hai main kaun hoon" he greeted with a hug
She wore a saree... she debated if she should dress somberly, since II and somber couldnt routinely be used in the
same sentence... she decided to wear a lovely green papery silk saree.. all nicely pinned up though... no Deepika Alia biz at KMPG the Monday after honeymoon
she giggled pinning up her saree
One of the many "additions" from Ranjan was, a custom shoe closet with sliding drawers, a movie star like make up nook with fancy lighting and all, a million drawers
and hutches to hold make up and jewelry, he had basically used a 10' *10' wall outside the closet within the bath area to build that for her...
He also built her a nook for setting some silver idols she received at mooh dikhayi, all expensive and solid silver... that nook went outside the wall of the "library".
Much of the house was still unexplored, he didnt even accompany her to show her what he had added, she discovered it when she went up to set her things upon returning from D II
And had gushed long to Akka and Sam...
"Not tired anymore I assume?" Bally poked
"Nahi... hoon.. jaoon ghar?" she asked seriously
"10 ghante baad" he ordered mock sternly
They walked down to the Daily Perk to grab coffee, she enquired about Ankur Anay and Suman, she had things for the kids and Suman, she had forgotten to bring them in
She had bought 10 lbs of chocolates may be? for the team to set at the coffee station.
R&B had mocked her... "U might be paying for daibetes treatment for all of 7th floor for YEARS"
"Shut up" she had shushed him punching him... he shook his head giving up
Mahavir had fixed poha, and had made her lunch, Ranjan's orders bhindi, dal and roti, ALL READY by 7:40 AM
"So Excelsior must be done now right?, who is the new nightmare" II asked confidently
"Honeymoon mein u started LSD or what?" "Hippie kahin ki" he mocked🤣
"Ayyyo" she said leaning on the elevator wall shutting her eyes and cringing
"Gurgaon showroom seems to be sputtering along" Bally said "Bus"
"Woh to FEB SE HAI YAAR" she groaned
"Haan bus usee se khush ho le" he said shaking his head
"What happened to Rajouri Garden and Lajpat Nagar Showrooms, pilot kee na humne" II enquired
"Pilot hai kewal, passenger bhaag gaye" he used his UP humor
They stood in line, II greeted people from other floors that nodded and smiled at her, some even walked up to wish, and admire her
platinum earrings, she didnt wear anything other than her yellow cord around her neck... with the choora it was already too much she though
"Bus ab agle 6 mahiney tere saath kahin bahar nahi ja sakoonga... u are like Bollywood ki heroine" Bally sniggered
She smacked him...
"Mujhe kabhi attention mil jaaye aapko taqleef hoti hai"
"Tabhi maine Suman ko doosre mahiney pregnant kar diya" "Phir utar jaata hai choora, tera hero... sorry... not so powerful" pitying tone🤣
II laughed uncontrollably... it was her turn to order
The barista asked 10 questions... "OH YOU ARE AN IYER? U MARRIED THAT HOTTIE ON 20TH? OMGEEE"
Ii nodded😳
Bally:Busss... I cant have coffee anymore... cant step out of my cube anymore the star travels with her army of paparzzi
Barista:Did he actually propose to you in the terrace of Spectrum or the elevator?
II:Umm neither... why? (confused)
Barista: We heard he proposed HERE... where was it? where was it?
II: My home... (fumbling)
Barista OMGEEE HE CAME TO YOUR HOUSE? HOW ROMANTIC!!!!
Bally: Iyer I will see u upstairs?😆😭
II: Nahi nahi.. sorry... may I have my order plz?
Barista: ya sure sorry... actually.. we have all been talking... it was so quick we thought u ran away (she meant eloped)🤣
BallY:I WILL NOWWW!! (not amused)
II giggled...
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