Postulate & Paperbacks
He came and got her at 7
Ritu met him in the hallway and gave him a toothy grin
"HI!!!" how are u" she asked scanning him head to toe
He wore skinny jeans and a orange check shirt, untucked
A blue denim jacket, and Dansko shoes on his feet, he smoothened his unruly curls as he walked the hallway, needing a hair cut badly
Or a "finger kangi"
"None for u mister" she had warned this morning after one of his indiscretions
II was always cold, wrapped up in shawls and blankets and throws inside a HEATED MM, a denim jacket did it for him
"I am good" "Has she left already?" he asked
Young women paused mid way in the halls, smiling curiously wondering who he was here to pick up
"How is everything?" Ritu enquired very worried
"My friends are OK" he said somberly
She asked him where he lived and where his friends lived and how far she lived from La Defense when she visited an aunt
"Great" he nodded not knowing what else to say
"Its so beautiful" Ritu sighed
He nodded smiling
"I just love the sound of French" she sighed
"Umm ya... its a good language" he nodded
"U dress like a Frenchman also" Ritu smiled
"Thanks?" Sorry?" he chuckled
"Thanks is fine" Ritu smiled
II walked out
In a navy silk kurta with orange Chinese motifs and a orange chudidar
"hows the arm?" he asked
Ritu turned
"i dont make her work THAT HARD"
SAALI!!
HES ASKING ME
ITS NOT ABOUT YOU
R&B chuckled
"when did u come?" II asked
"7 mins ago?" he checked his Swatch,
"Are u only allowed to be here some time?" Ritu asked
"and then I self destruct" he nodded
II leaned on him her back to Ritu
"I was upstairs" he told Ritu
"U are still working for Excelsior?" Ritu asked
"Umm... I dont know how to answer that" he said thoughtfully
"well its ur Dad's company so it can never NOT BE yours?" Ritu asked
II turned and checked her phone, not wanting to participate
"U must tell ur Dad, we are sorry, it must be just as stressful for him if not more because of
TransPro, some days he possibly wishes he hadnt signed on the dotted line" Ritu gushed
"Umm... not really" R&B was being polite
Ritu shook her head
Like "I dont know what KMPG was even THINKING when they decided to sell this shitty SW to such a big company"
"Looks like the kinks have been smoothened"
"Only in the last 3 months" Ritu rolled her eyes, giving herself credit
PAAVI!!!
"Just when things settle down, she will go off to have her baby" Ritu pointed
"I love KMPG but ... umm.. no I dont want to have him at work" II patted her belly smiling humorlessly
"U can have him at home and return" Ritu pretended to tease
"Umm... NO" Ii said bluntly
II scratched her belly furiously
As her skin stretched, it became dry and itchy
And yawned
"Home?" she cooed
"Eat first" R&B said
II walked out
"She cant wait to get out" Ritu lingered
"U are right" II said... and SMILED
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
They sat inside Beliram Degchiwala, and had kababs first
The atmosphere was smoky and noisy
SHE FIT RIGHT IN
Talking animatedly about how Ritu threw someone under the bus
Someone on Rao's team
"I think she must have negotiated a Sales incentive for herself, even though she is only in deployment, she is ruthless"
He listened patiently
She had texted Mahavir and asked him to take dinner to Munirka
She didnt know the aftermath of such an act yet
"She seems tolove Paris"
"Tumhe kya kaha?" II accused
He gently flirted with her fingers
"Nothing"
"I thought u wanted chholey bhature"
Iske baad" she nodded
He threw back his head and laughed
"some places dont take credit cards or their machine is broken or the PC doesnt work if there is no power, and things are on back up generator" she explained
"thanks"
"Main" Ii began
"II" he warned, cutting her off
If she was going to say "I can pay" he was just going to wring her neck
"Tum mujhe ghar jaakar de dena"she said innocently
He sipped the water quietly
"I am thinking of taking 3 months off" she mumbled"But I dont want to go back" "Kaise hoga dono" she asked
"Take the baby to work" he said blandly
Her eyes lit up
ITS LIKE WANTING TO BE WITH U
AND NOT WANTING TO LET U GO TO PARIS
He paid, Manya called
He told her where they were at
They wandered he bought her bindis and cheap earrings
She bargained the vendor out of his house, tempo and kids
"II" he hissed
She lingered over sparkly pumpkin earrings and Christmas tree ones
He paid what they asked for she threw a fit and asked for 3 pairs for the same price
"Bhayya to mana kar rahe hain" the vendor argued
"Unko Hindi nahi aati" II claimed
"Woh roosi hain" (Russian) she said
He bought her chholey bhature, cheap kurtis and jootis
She bought him steamy Hindi novels with titles like "Naari ka samarpan" "Khoon ki pyaas"
"khoon ki parchhai" "Mashooqa ka vachan" "Ponjar mein phasi mor"
Dude shook as he laughed uncontrollably
The boy ran to the hair clip vendor to get some cash in change
"Didi agle hafte aur naye books aavenge" he promised
"Theek hai Friday ko aaon?" II asked eagerly
R&B just pulled her close, and wrapped his arm around her
"U are mad" he whispered
"Aur kya chahiye tumhe?" she asked eagerly
"Not a thing" he said looking into her eyes deeply
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