Posted:
8 years ago
Marigold flower
Manny returned moments after to find the the three crowded in the mandir
"Nobody invited me to the family meeting" she smiled
"I just returned from my class" II offered a lame excuse
"how come he is not upstairs on the swing twirling his sexy locks?" she demanded
"U must ask him" II mumbled uncaringly
"Where is Vik?" Ranjan asked, cleverly keeping the "issue" between his son and DIL
"Oh! hes here... in the lounge, fixing himself a drink... raat ko kya khila rahi hai lady of the house" Manny teased
"I just returned I have to check" II explained
"Stereotypes? Manya?" Ranjan asked without a smile
"Hey Dad I am giving ur bahu the importance" she winked "I was just teasing Ishita" she smiled
"I know that" II said unenthusiastically
"I texted Mahavir dinner shud be ready" Ranjan said
Manya left them reluctantly
"Dad can I talk to u later?" II requested
"u can talk with me whenever u like puttarji... I am here for u, after the baby is born I might be busy with her" he smiled smugly
"about that.." she whispered
"HE doesnt want any?" he turned to his son
His son looked on impassively
"Or do u have to make this marriage real for it to happen" he asked his son
"Oh! its real" his son informed, shrugging
"Dad... my work situation is a mess right now" II began
"It always is... name a time when there is no crisis at work?" he asked gently
He held her shoulders
"U were born to working parents, ur Amma cared for Periappa, ur Thatha? (haltingly) and patti? and had ur sister already" he explained
She lowered her head unable to argue
"If we all wait for a perfect time, the human race would have ended"
"I want a promotion first" she argued
"Unless u are using the promotion as an excuse to avoid having any because this marriage is not real?" he asked shrewdly
She looked up at him startled
He was too clever... arghhh
Manny returned
"Ishita hes made aloo baingan for u" she informed
Ranjan let go of his DIL's shoulders
"Lets go eat puttar" he said warmly
"I am going to Sam's for a nightcap, u want to go dimpal?" Manny asked
He shook his head staring at his wife
Manny left... followed by II
Ranjan turned to his son and spoke softly
"I am not sure whats going on between u two, but u know what I want... now" he said bluntly
Walking away before his son could say something
He joined Vik in the lounge
Wondering what he should do now... he may have been out of line suggesting it was a marriage in name only
R&B was not the marrying kind.. he had gone off to propose to her and married her all within a month
Why wud she agree to marry him if she didnt want to
Mr Iyer HATES R&B
Why wud she risk antagonizing him to marry R&B, unless she wanted to spite Mr Iyer
He still couldnt get why she She didnt want the wedding gifts... Tan had suggested to give her company's shares?
Harish's DILs were the ones he had known closest in the last decade and none of them would have acted like II
What was Ishita's motivation
AGM was a week away... having her be part owner of Excelsior would have tied him down to Delhi
By her denial/refusal to even consider it, his son retained his upper hand of taking flight when he chose to
So yes... his demand for a grandchild was not unreasonable afterall
The child would force them to drop anchor... he would have his son with him the rest of his life
Savvy would have never approved of such ridiculous schemes to bring his son closer
Well... Savvy... if she would have been around... he wouldnt need such a ridiculous scheme
The only shot he had at holding on to the people he loved was by manipulating them... asking Ishita for a grandchild and hoping the grandchild would force his son to choose India first, and then eventually Excelsior
He breathed long and hard... leaning on the bar... Vik walked on the patio chatting with Manny
He wondered if he should let Harish take it all, his and Savvy's and step away.
He couldnt visualize Harish's sons running the company though
That part was unimagineable to him, they were incapable and clearly lacked the talent to do it... by themselves, or together or with Harish
He was aware of Harish's biz practices at Gurgaon workshop
The workshop had now ballooned into a small scale industry of cheap auto parts.
He knew it, he visited it and yet refused to explicitly address it
There were a handful of random parts suppliers always waiting in wings hoping to get that "one meeting" with Harish
Many times he would wander the office area and the suppliers would even ignore him, not knowing he owned the company
Harish had everything under such control
"Let go Ranjan... how long can u manipulate and drive things... aap chhod do... kab tak monitor karenge" Savvy would plead
But he was a control freak... he admitted
He did at work and did it at home and now did it to his daughter in law
He felt a lump in his throat as he imagined a baby girl, slender with big moist eyes, had Savvy's eyebrows and ears... running up to open the door when she heard the gates open
"Papaji" she would shout "Oh! sorry... it would be THATHA" Ranjan chuckled like a mad man all to himself
"Thatha what did u bring"
He would never return empty handed, every evening he would stop by at some store and buy a snack or toy or books
A full bloom (pregnant with the second) II would scold him "NO DAD... dont buy her stuff... idhar udhar daal deti hai... the whole house has been turned upside down, I have back to back meetings agle poore hafte, she has activity in school
she wont play with it or put it away"
"No puttarjee, she asks me what I brought" he would explain
"She will ask u every time u step out of the house, din mein 10 baar agar aap gaye to yeh pooochegi aapko, aap laayenge kya?" II would demand breathlessly as she looked for a couch to sit
"Zaroor" he would nod
"I am telling R&B... hes going to be so mad"
"Usko na keh puttar" he would beg his DIL
"Whats going on?" his son would walk down the stairs
"He brings something every evening da... iva kitta million toys irukku (she has a million) nee sollu da please enn pecha kekke maatengra (u tell ur Dad he wont listen to me) gasping under the weight she was carrying, straining to talk, yet tattling on her father in law
"Let him if he wants to" he would chuckle, a man of few words... hauling his lil girl up in the air twirling her and setting her down... her kanjivaram lehanga in orange fanning out like an umbrella, a lil turqoise puffed sleeve blouse making her fat arms appear chunkier
"Thanks puttar" he would raise his hand for a high five
His son would tap it with his
II would smack R&B... "Romba thanks"
"Po kanna go sit down to sing" "Amma is coming" she would urge the lile 5 yr old... she would run around the lounge like a lil marigold flower
"Both of u end up spoiling her, then u face the consequences" "And I agreed to have a second one?" "Ayyyo ! what was I even thinking" she would curse herself
"Appa, thatha bought me a pink race car" she would wrap her arms around R&B's legs and wave the toy..
"Niice" "what did thatha bring for me?" he wud wink at Ranjan
"Thatha nothing for Appa??" the lil girl would accuse
"Its all for Appa" he would nod
