Elation & Ignominy
Stores were closing when they went back down to the ground floor...
"I was thinking he wasnt going to go with us, so we could eat street food" II pointed to R&B
"he doenst eat street food?" Ranjan asked innocently
II turned red... "Umm.. I didnt know... mera matlab... mujhe laga u and I can eat we can do some take out for him"
"turkey sandwich to take out mein milna mushkil hai puttar" Ranjan grinned
She looked at R&B he actually had a half smile on his lips
"IKR" she giggled
"kidhar lekar jaogey?" Ranajn asked
"south ex chalenge?" "karhi chawal?" "Or chholey bhature?" she asked eagerly
"Kha lenge puttar"
"aur aap" she asked inadvertently
He nodded with a half smile...
"Chalo jee vaddiya" Ranjan gushed at his unexpected good fortune of walking the streets of Delhi with his estranged son...
He immediately texted his driver... without informing R&B...
They went down the elevator, and Ranjan walked towards R&B's car...
that didnt take too long to find as it was the one hidden, two dozen 20 somethings shrouded it...
She waited behind until he opened the hatchback trunk, to set the bags in... "I can sit in the back" she offered R&B
when she had him to herself for a minute
He looked at her blankly for a minute... and walked away...
he rolled the seat forward with the touch of a button and she slid to the back... "Dad u shud sit in the front,because u are taller than him (R&B)" she smiled
Ranjan hesitated for a few seconds holding the door staring inside at the car...
"do u want more leg room?" he asked his Dad ("Why wont u get in?")
"No no... I am fine" Ranjan mumbled and sat down by his son for the very first time in 4 years and 4 months
The audio system picked up her Tamil playlist, she turned it off
R&B played Frank Sinatra... to mask the silence
Most shops in South Ex Part 1 were closing or closed... he found parking around the park easily...
they walked to the back row... Bengal Sweet House was always crowded, they found a table quick...
II acted smug... like "it was her territory" (in Tamil its called pettai)
She didnt even look at the menu... she ate her a million times... and thats no small feat
"Kya laaoon?" the waiter asked
"Chholey bhatoore" she jumped
"Karhi chawal kha lenge" Ranjan smiled at her...
"Dad U MUST MUST also have shahi paneer" she gushed
He nodded...
She looked at R&B.. he was scanning the menu and said "Chowmein" he said with a half smile
She bit her lower lip to hide a smile
"Aur Peene ke liye?" asked the guy
"LASSI... nahi aapke paas Sam Adams hai" she asked
Ranjan looked at her startled
R&B smiled
"Sorry umm... nahi.. mera matlab... lassi" II smiled
"Will u also have the same?" she asked sincerely
He nodded
Ranjan sat across from II, she sat with her back to a mirror wall and facing the store front, R&B sat by her
II began to narrate her her "favorite seating spots" across the store
"sam gave us lots of desserts, but yaha gulab jamun khaayen?" she asked Ranjan
"Jee zaroor puttar" he nodded
He asked her about Tamil association, and her family's history in Delhi, about life in Madurai... and Tanjore and when she wanted to go next
"U were missing at lunch puttar so u must be hungry" Ranjan said
AYYYOOO!!! THE WHOLE WORLD KNOWS
NOT ONLY ME BUT THE RAKSHASAN U BROUGHT TO THIS WORLD WAS MISSING TOO
HOW COME NOBODY TELLS HIM ANYTHING
HE CAUSED ME TO BE LATE
VERY LATE
I WAS ASLEEP FOR TWO HOURS, BEFORE THAT... UMMM...
SMUG bas***d
KAVALAYE ILLAMA OKKANDINDRIKAN HE SITS HERE SO SMUGLY
"I was tired I guess" II mumbled suddenly lost for words
"San pooch rahe the aapko" Ranjan rubbed it in
OFCOURSE THEY WERE!!
I SHOW UP PLAY WITH THE KIDS
GO UP TO WASH MY HANDS AND DISAPPEAR FOR 4 HOURS
PIGGG!!!
She didnt have to look at the Dude's eyes to see the glint, she knew it existed
She watched how R&B ate his noodles without one slice of knife, the way he twirled it around his fork... back and forth, wrapping a whole mile long string snugly
He offered such a snugly wrapped fork...
"U will think mujhe khud order karna chahiye tha" she said sheepishly
"No I wont" he promised
She pushed her plate of pouffy bhatura and chana towards him, he tore a piece and ate with pickle and chholey and bit into the green pepper
Her jaw dropped..
"whatever they say about Punjabis is true then" she said
"Jee pakka... we love our spice and booze" Ranjan laughed hysterically
She smiled indulgently...
She paid for the food with pride... "Will u agree its the best food in this part of town?" she asked eagerly
He helped her down the steps, holding her elbow firmly as she chatted animatedly with his Dad
Pausing at every step to tell him or his Dad something... people jostled and pushed as they left the eatery
"U just begin talking wherever?" he asked
"I am just sayin" she continued and went off to another topic
Ranjan was long gone from the steps... "Betaji kabhi aapko Paranthe Waali Gali lekar chalenge" he promised
"Agle Sunday?" she sought confirmation
He nodded weakly, as AGM approached his insides churned painfully... he didnt want life with this
young girl to be a page that had to be turned, he wanted it to be a mirror where he could see it all the time
"I was sick on Monday, and the day before I return to work I am eating at South Ex" she giggled... R&B dragged her as she turned back to talk with her father in law
"I am sure their food is not questionable puttar"
The walkways at South Ex were narrow and hawkers occupied every inch of space, winding up for the day...
She had sent bhatura pictures to Akka "Paavi" (sinner) was the only word Akka sent back
He started the car and pulled it around and waited tapping the steering as II typed a page to Akka
Describing THE FOOD and the way dude twirled the noodles
Ranjan waited smiling
"Dad why dont u sit?" she asked
"umm... yes yes" he said thinking he could sit at the back
"Oh sorry sorry" She quickly lunged and went to the back seat...
"Akka sent me pictures of masala dosa" she told the dude and stuck the phone in front of his eyes
He held her wrist and pulled her hand down, she leaned on his seat and let him hold her hand for a while until her had to turn and merge into the Ring Road
Ranjan leaned back and shut his eyes
She gently leaned forward and kissed R&B's ear lobe, leaning her elbows on the compartment between the two front passenger seats..
he turned gently as her lips grazed his cheek... "Dont go to Tan's" she ordered, he paused after the AIIMS flyover behind slow moving traffic...
"Only if u will be on top again" he whispered, turning fully, capturing her lips
She nodded in response... their faces flaming in arousal
She leaned back on her seat weakly
Staring out at slumber induced Delhi pretending to be awake like a adamant toddler
~~~~~~~~~
She changed into a pair of stripes jammies and a cami... her cell phone rang on the closet shelf
It was Manya...
"Oh! Hi!" she said cheerfully
"Hey Ishita can u come down a second?"
"Oh ya sure" she sprinted down as fast as she could smiling
Her husband stood in the balcony talking to Mihir
"The guard just brought this in" she handed II a bag with jasmine string rolled up in a ball, and some periodicals
"Oh! I FORGOT... Amma was going to drop it off" "Do u like flowers?" I am going to cut some up"
"Oh no... I have two inch long hair" she smirked, smiling later "U shud wear it ur hair is looong and pretty"
"Its too long" II nodded embarrassed
"Did u let the help take the evening off?" she asked after a pause
"Ya" she smiled
"Oh?... umm... because Vik and were hoping there would be dinner" Manny said "I called Mahavir all 4 guys are visiting gaon waale in
Naraina" Manny said matter of factly
OMG!!!!! U FORGOT SHE WAS HERE!!!!
AYYYOYO... WHY DID U?
EDUKKU INDA ADIGA PRASANGI VELAI?
WHY CANT U MIND YOUR OWN BUSINESS?
SHE ALREADY LOVES YOU TOO MUCH
NOW SHE IS TIRED AND HUNGRY, AND UVE IRRITATED HER
SHUT UP AND MIND UR OWN BIZ II
"OMG!! I am so so sorry... Dad was taking me out and Ram I mean R&B went with us too, mujhe laga ghar par koi nahi hoga. I am so sorry" II pleaded
"Thats OK" Manny said grudingly
"I can make something uickly. Would u like roti subzi or dal chawal?" II offered
"Both actually" Manny said seriously
"Oh! Sure... I am sorry... dumb... " "Abhi ek second" she got up to walk"
"U know what?"Manny stopped her
"Hmm... ?"
"I am texting Sam I will ask her to send something" Manny said reluctantlt
"I can TOTALLY make something in 30 minutes"
"We are so hungry... I dont think I will last 30 minutes" Manny said softly
"Oh! I was so stupid" II muttered
"thats OK totally fine Ishita" Manny reassured her
Manny's phone rang "Haan... chal... OK theek hai"
Vik came in from the patio...
"she is sending" Manny smiled
"Oh! Phew!! I am sor sorry I will never do that again" II nodded
Manny: Its late after 11, u shud go to bed
Not accepting her apology not comforting her
II nodded "Good night" she mumbled to Vik and her and went up
Walked up to the 1st, went down to the kitchen, cut a couple of strings off the ball...
wrapped the remainder in a wet towel and put it in the frig like Amma did
And went up wore the flowers and stood in her sun room balcony wiping quiet tears
Staring out at the dark night, she wondered how many such indiscretions Akka must have committed in 13 years and what all she must have endured...
She was able to hold her tears better when that thought occurred... with Ambala Anna with her in laws on her tail all the time, with Athim's financial constraints.
Oh! What would she give to become as mature as Akka or Amma right now😭 Knowing what to say, acting how they did😭
Well... she was almost broke so she couldnt "give" anything, but yes.. she could use some wisdom... she chuckled self deprecatingly through her sniffles😳
She should not have sent the help home... it was stupid... Akka would agree too... in fact Akka would scold her for being so proprietorial... darn it!! she has no clue how to find her way in this marriage.. she is mostly lost... only occasionally where she should be.
Thinking she could take decisions on behalf of the house without consulting anybody...😭 What was she smoking...
It still hurt her nevertheless... being pointed out by Manny like that..the ignominy of it
"Azhaade kanna" Akka's words rang in her ears... "Its OK... next time just be careful di"
She nodded to those imaginary words, starting into the moist black as ink night...
He leaned on the doorway looking at her nod... she was not on the phone or listening to music...
~~~~
comment:
p_commentcount