Nobody & Everything
It was after 8 when she went to MM on auto pilot, Ranjan had refused to send her car this morning,
he had sent one of Bhallas with a driver, if she had been driving God knows where she would have ended up
When she got in the car in the evening the driver asked "bhabhiji ghar?"
She nodded and she was brought home
Mahavir wasnt home, Ranjan wasnt home, two help, that didnt talk much arranged dinner in the kitchen
She was still jet lagged and sick from pregnancy
She suddenly felt very low, with Periappa being sick, Akka winding up from D II
R&B still in Paris, and Manya there too?
Nothing was the same any more
She washed up and
She wandered the ground floor aimlessly, hitting all the lights...
Lighting the lamp in the mandir
Sitting down to sing, but getting it all wrong
Her shrutis not cooperating
She checked with Amma again, she said they have begun dialysis
And will continue until his fever comes down
She made herself chai and looked in the frig, there was no sweet of any kind
She wailed and shut it back
One help asked her "Khana laga den?"
"nahi... kuch banaoon main?" she asked politely
"Nahi sir ne chicken kaha" he said
SO THIS GUY DOESNT KNOW I AM A VEGETARIAN
HMMM
She made dal and brought baingan out, the men just lingered watching too afraid to ask to help
She set dal to boil and cooked the baingan and wandered up turning on all the lights, and wandering
Went to her floor, everything was in its place just like she left it, she wandered into his closet, and felt his tees and inhaled
HOW CAN U GO THROUGH LIFE HATING THIS HOUSE AND HATING UR DAD DA?
20 YEARS FROM NOW WILL IT STILL BE "ITS NOT MY HOUSE?"
HOW WILL YOU TELL UR KIDS U HAVE NO EMOTIONS ATTACHED WITH THIS HOUSE?
KIDS?
I THOUGHT U WERE ONLY HAVING ONE
WE ALL THOUGHT
The other girls chimed in
THATS NOT IMPORTANT
HOW WILL HE TELL OUR LIL BOY
BTW HE THINKS ITS A LIL GIRL
WHATEVER
NOT FUNNY
I AM NOT AMUSED
U CAN ASK HIM YOU KNOW
HIS VERSION OF WHAT HAPPENED
AND THEN HE WILL BEGIN LOVING THIS HOUSE AGAIN?
UMM... NO... MAYBE NOT
BUT ATLEAST U WILL KNOW WHAT HAPPENED
SUCH A BIG HOUSE
NOBODY WANTS IT?
II swallowed hard, suppressing her angst
She wandered to the bathroom, most of the post its on the mirror were curled at the edges from the steam from the shower
The ones on the counter were soaked and dried many times, mis shapen
The help didnt touch it when they cleaned the room
She opened his drawers and one had a bunch of condoms.. expensive overseas brands, she recognized many... umm.. from the last 6 months
there were some old old ones in there too, she could tell from faded packaging
She shut it immediately
MUST BE FROM A YEAR AGO
PFFTTT
YA RIGHT
THEY LOOK ATLEAST 10 YEARS OLD
She went up to the terrace
It smelled like smoke
She stopped and hit the lights
Afraid it was an intruder
The guards called on the intercom
"Help chahiye bhabhiji?"
"Nahi... nahi" she hung up embarrassed
Mahavir showed from around a corner
The terrace had lush greenery potted plants, tall bamboo trees
Roses and flowering plants
"Sorry" he said
She smiled and nodded
SO TWO PEOPLE KNOW OF UR SECRET MAHAVIR😆
"Main neeche chalka nahakar khana banaoonga bhabhji" he assured
"Maine dal aur baingan banayi. Dad ke liye chicken ban raha hai bataya" she explained
"Woh dono goonge se hain bhabhiji baat hi nahi karte" he explained
A tall pole... two tall poles stood at 20 feet distance in the far end of the balcony, wrapped with vines...
"Yeh kya hai?" she asked
"Woh Sir sab chhote the, raat ko Friday ko yaha cinema dekhte the" he tapped the pole
II looked confused and later realized they must have hung the projection screen in between
"Chacha tha mera yaha par, main to tha nahi" he smiled, he looked the age of R&B
II wondered how long ago it was
"15 saal pehle?" "16" Mahavir mumbled
"Woh hamey bataye... yaha.. sab baithte, kursi mein" he pointed to the many rattan sofas and chairs...
"Kitne dost" Ii asked
AYYYO
DO U REALLY WANT TO KNOW?
UMM YA
"Jyaada to nahi 8 10.. kabhi chachu ke ladke.. sir unki" he stopped
OH?" II nodded
Gently turning away from the balcony and going towards the door
"Sir theek hain?" Mahavir asked about his fave employer
She smiled and nodded and went back down
To the balcony and sat down
She imagined R&B cuddling in one of those rattan sofas under a throw, watching movies she had never heard of
Some one as tall as him, leggy, wearing something inappropriate for a home but perfect for fondling at a date...
Curled up in his arms,
She actually knew how he watched movies, distracted, frisky and generally naughty
"I am going to tell u what happens" he would climb over her
"I dont want to know the ending, I want to know how they get there... vidu daaa" she would groan fighting
The movie would hang frozen until they woke next morning
She would watch the ending by herself as he nestled in her bosom, fast asleep
THE OLD CONDOM WAS PROBABLY FROM THEN...THE BALCONY MOVIE PARTIES
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Amma approached Appa when he returned from the hospital
Gave him coffee and hesitantly told him
"Ishita wants to take Anna to her house for a few weeks"
THERE!
she said it
Appa looked horrified
"How is it possible?" Appa asked stunned
"She has a big house, she has a lot of help, and cars and a good family" Amma said firmly
Appa looked on flabbergasted
"She said we should attend Cheenu Anna (Mrs Iyer's brother) daughter Usha's wedding in Chennai,
and attend Varadan's (Varadan is Appa's Ministry collegaue) son's wedding both events" Amma said quietly
"For you the weddings are important?"
"I am going to yes conditionally" Amma said boldly
"U dont care about my Anna?"
"I DO... I gave 40 years of my life" Amma hissed
Akka walked out to set her chai cup in the sink
"Did u recommend Amma do this?" Appa thundered
"What?" asked Akka boldly
"Varadan paiyan kalyanam, Usha kalyanam rendum?" Appa accused
"What is wrong in Amma wanting to go Appa?" Akka challenged
"YOU are leaving for Munirka, Anna is so sick they are not even giving him a year" Appa was outraged
Amma sat down quietly
Appa got up afraid she would begin brain washing him some more
"What is wrong in sending him to Ishita's Appa?" Vandu asked
"EVERYTHING" Appa said
Edited by Nisha0604 - 8 years ago
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