Sleep Aid & Sneak Off
They fought over, feeding the baby, holding the baby, changing her after spit up, and after dinner, II sat in the 2nd floor swing READING to her, ermm.. no books,
just off his ipad, like a stinker that he was, he demanded she either return his ipad
or give him the baby, she cut a deal "How about I hold the baby and YOU read to her?"
"I like the other way" he said
"Please da" she begged
He stared a slow smile forming on his lips... a meaningful smile, he teased the two girls with his fingers laying back on the swing, gently swaying it with his heel
"OK FIINNEEE... Poruma... TWICE... why do u care I have a job to go to at 7 AM, when ever we go to bed and you can wake me up in the morning"
She held the tyke in her arms and watched her go to sleep, wrapped in her pink throw, he offered his blue
"No Mama enakku Mami oda pink daan venum (I only want Mami's pink stuff) "thats right love, you tell him, hes outta control
The smug bas***d that he was, got what he wanted, his wife, the baby he so loved, and a promise of "twice" tonight
He was a happy camper...
"U think if we dont answer the phone, Sam will go away" she plotted
""Or come up and pick her up and return" he said
II pressed her to her bosom "I cant believe she even let us have her for 4 hours"
The plump baby, held II's pink blouse as she slept her lashes curling and folding.. like any baby her age, she took short quick breaths...
"U think she is breathing OK" II lifted her and placed her ear on her ribs
"Kelu da, its quick gasps" she offered worried, he bent over and smiled "she is... it sounds short and steady. If she was congested it would be raspy" he said
"HOW do you know she whispered arguing
"This is what I do, I break into people's homes and listen" he chuckled
She kicked him with her foot, he grabbed it and slid her anklets up and down and up and down... with his big toe...
"No!! not until she goes home" II warned, sitting up to move away
He pulled her, arm around her waist... she landed on him... and they lay there... quietly...
she gently let him hold Lasya, he took her softly, He heard a long steady breathing, and short steady one... he plugged one ear with his ear phone, wrapped his wife with a blue blanket
And , picked up his non fiction and began to read...
Tan walked up
"Duty achhi nibha raha hai" he chuckled
"hey dude" R&B said
"Dad's awake wandering the lawn" Tan said worried
"Oh?" R&B asked shocked
"Is he OK?" tan asked
LIKE HE WOULD KNOW
"I guess... we ate together" R&B said
"something's bothering him" Tan said
"About time" R&B said softly
"No I know what you mean yaar... give it a rest... ask him..."
"Did u" R&B asked
"U know what he tells me all the time" "I am fine puttar, jao, dono shaayad so gaye hongey, woh balcony mein padh raha hai shaayad" light jala rakhi hai"
II stirred and woke... embarrassed "I am so so sorry"
"Sleeping on the job? I might have to take ur license away" Tan chuckled
R&B held her tight as she attempted to move away, their hands fought under the blanket, she let him, and he calmed down
"Jaakar pooch" Tan ordered
R&B grunted
"Kya hua?" II asked in a sleep drugged voice
"Oh! something about work" Tan smiled "Dad is insanely busy he said" Tan fished for info from II
"Dad didnt eat good wonder whats bothering him" Ii spoke about her father in law since Tan started to
"Oh! Kya kaha?"
"Cousins were going to start?" I dont know" II backed off quickly
"Right" Tan said casually
"Chal dude I am off" " Ihave a call with the client at 6 AM, 12 to yahi baj gaye" he yawned
Ii stood up... R&B stretched
"UTHO" she ordered
He put his book back reluctantly
"Balcony ka darwaza lock hota hai ek combination hai, Sam knows, talk to her and change it" Tan conspired
II smiled sleepily "IKR"
He followed his wife, she walked to the bedroom, the men walked down, she ran back and kissed the lil angel, leaving a lipstick stain
"Ive marked u, u are mine" she said softly
She went back to bed, after changing, andw ashing up
He walked Tan to his car, as Tan waved to his father in law
watched them drive off like he usually did when someone special left home, and wandered to the front lawn
"Is everything OK?" he asked Ranjan
Ranjan froze and turned around checking every direction wondering WHO his son was talking to, his shoulders slumped as he realized he must be on the phone
Not until R&B walked up to him and repeated the question
"Uhh... ummm..CCCouldnt be better puttarji, Changa.." he said fumbling to find words in English/punjabi/Hindi
"Ishita so gayi?" he asked
"Ummm I think" he said
"Chhoti bhi?" hoping to play "2 million questions" with his son
R&B nodded... paused and turned away
Ranjan followed his son... step for step.. and watched him go up the stairs until he reached the 2nd...
He would go washu up and wake his wife up, so she could pay up, her side of the bargain.
Manya would call when her brother would be asleep...
Ranjan would go lay down and forget to turn out the light and sleep within moments without a sleep aid
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Monday April 13th dawned sunny and 40C or so it felt like, to II,
she flew from floor to floor room to room, getting out of the house at 8 ish and get to work at 9 ish, "woken up at 6"
"God forbid if anyone ever owed you anything" she hissed cattily
"I pray for them too" he mocked, pulling the covers down to look at her.
Manya's call again missed in the morning as R&B got "paid".
Amma called to let her know Akka's BP was fine on her way to work,
she had called Akka twice yesterday in the evening, both times Athim said "She was resting" which only menat one thing
"it was worrisome"
Ashwini and her had their formal meeting with Bally in his new role, they both had a bunch of suggestions for how to get past the workshop hurdles.
She COMPLETELY forgot about the laptop, she wondered if it wa sin the car she was given a ride this morning, she went down to the parking garage, it was a different car, so that one still stood at home?
She called home, asked for Mahavir, and explained it needed gotten out of the trunk, she called DHL and asked them to pick it up from MM
The earliest it could reach was Thursday she was told, including Shipping & handling the laptop had costed her over Rs. 2 lakhs, she charged ot on her Visa for now
Amma Appa's car was going to be delivered tonight, the showroom was closing for Baisakhi tomorrow, she needed another Rs. 1 lakh or so for road tax insurance and first instalment
Texted Amma to see if Appa can get to the showroom directly. She wanted him to drive it home. Amma thought they should take it to Malai Mandir
"I am going to with Appa to Malai Mandir can u go?" she texted
"sorry cant... have a meeting" he texted
"Will u promise u wont cheat on me and sneak off and go be with Lasya" she texted
He sent back a half smile...
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