Insolent & Innocent
"Kathaade" II hissed waving a finger. "Dont u dare shout!!" she ordered
Akka squirmed, torn between running up and hugging her first born, and walking over to II and thanking her for controlling her out of control child
Amma Appa didnt have a clue. Bala had strictly told her not to stress them out
Bala was actually really ashamed, and didnt want Mr Iyer to discover what had happened
Shravu struggled to check his temper.
"I dont want to talk about it chithi" he said angrily
"I DONT CARE. Because we ARE going to" II said sitting down across him on the bed
"Amma, nee koopteya?" (did u invite chithi?) he slammed his mother
"Shravu" Vandu scolded feebly
"Ennada nee avlav periya VIP ayiteya? Onna appointment illama paaka mudiyada? (cant I come see u without an appt?) II was disgusted
"Ishita" Akka pleaded, afraid her son will run away from home
"Akka, nee summa iru" II ordered
She loved Akka's kids so much, may be a sliver or two more than her own
She cringed imagining Appa reading the bubble in the morning newspapers and throw the newspaper dismissively "Panakara Punjabi kozhandaigal kutti chavar, appa
Police Commissioner vangi irupaan" (rich Punjabi kids... parents must have bought and sold the Commissioner)
II prayed there was no mention in the newspaper
She chuckled cynically
There was a time when she prayed dude's kiss was splashed across the papers... and here they were
"Enna nadandudu sollu" "WHAT happened?" II demanded
Shravu was fidgety... unwilling to speak
"No use Ishita, Its 7:30 hours since he came home... NOT A WORD" Akka was teary
"Nee po ka.. I will talk.." II offered fighting tears
She had never in her harshest nightmares ever imagined a scene where she wud interrogate Shravu like this
"Chithi I dont want to talk" Shravu jumped up and went to the study desk
"No computer until u talk" II dived too
"Fine"... he started scouring through the messy divan and end table looking for "bike chavi"
"What is this ka?" II asked shocked
Like she had not seen this adamant Shravu before
"What to do? If I stop him from using computer he will go to browsing center" Akka acted like she was a weakling
"Adukosram?" Ii was maddd
"Shravu" "sit" she said, he sat reluctantly, flipping his locks back... some new teenager hair style
He wore expensive cologne she noticed, his Godrej door was partially open, the third shelf had over 50 bottles
II slammed it shut, led Akka out and shut the room door
And bolted
"Sollu kanna" she said calmly
"Chithi I am tired" he whined
"Tell me everything then u can sleep the rest of the day"
"Appa varuva" he instiled fear in II (My Dad is going to be here, u know how much he hates Bhalla interference in anything)
Teenagers are sly foxes, manipulative and immature.
"Thats fine.. I already told him I am coming over to talk with u" II lied
shravu was startled
"Chithi" he whined
"Tell me da" II begged
She sat on the floor across from his computer chair, leaning on the Godrej side
"It was Nandu's idea" he said sulking
"To party, to make u drive his car?" II asked mockingly
The boy nodded sincerely
II felt a knife twist on the inside
Tempting a middle class boy, a curious, somewhat greedy middle class boy...
AYYO!!!
Enga batch DPS friends at Shiro pub at Samrat we were going to meet." he mumbled
"HOW DID U END UP DRUNK?" Ii was angry
"Delhi the legal age is TWENTY f**kING FIVE" II hissed
He was startled to hear his chithi swear so colorfully
He had a mocking expression on his face, a sly smile
"Rule break panni kudicheya?" (did u break laws and get drunk)
"Everybody does" he said ina whisper
"WHEN did what every body does matter to us da?" II asked shocked
"Umm.." he was clearly uncomfortable at being cornered
"We dont live by the rules of the rich and famous. YOU know that" II begged
"D II Thatha and ur Thatha and Appa and I and Amma we always tell u we are different"
"You married a Punjabi" he said acidic
II had no answer...
There was a looong silence
II tried to swallow every nasty retort that popped into her tongue
"Umm... did u drive both ways?" she asked
Shravu was a lil surprised II didnt bite the bait
He nodded
She slapped her forehead
"Appa has told u no... if Nandu asks u to drive u say no?" she asked
"Appa says dont meet Nandu, dont hang out with him, dont go to Shanti Niketan, avan ennoda best friend" Shravu was hopping mad
II cringed... she had no idea there were so many rules
"Appa wants u to be safe" II offered a feeble defense
"Why? Nandu is not a criminal" Shravu argued
There was immense sincereity in that line
II felt bad for the boys, caught between class struggle of the adults... no ADULT... Athimber
"He is my friend Chithi... he has been with me since Pre K." Shravu reminded her
II sensed in some ways
Shravu DID NOT see the wealth
II nodded forgivingly
Her eyes glistening
Shravu was angry at Bala, for making him cry, he sniffled
"Did u have a good time? Ethana kudiche?" she asked (how many did u down?)
"I WASNT DRUNK" he shouted
"Kathaade da" she ordered
"I had TWO beers" he said waving the number TWO
II nodded
"HOW DID U crash?" she asked
"We left at 3 AM.. we passed the Akbar Rd roundabout to 30 January Marg" he whispered
And stopped
"Sollu da" II pleaded
"Chithi please"
"What happened?" II asked
"Chithi please" he stalled
"I SWEAR I wont tell Amma" II promised
"No" he said turning on the laptop again
"shravu please kanna" II waited
They lingered
"Chithi... there was 7 of us" he said reluctantly
"In Nandu's Porsche?" II was stunned
He nodded
He looked pale and afraid
"Did u lose control?" she probed again
"Chithi... they were fooling around in the back" he said, tattling on his friends
"Who? Nandu was in the back?" she asked
He nodded
Anvesha and Sidra were in the front
"TWO GIRLS?" "So dangerous"
II knew how low and narrow the bucket seats were..
"Sidra goaded Anvesha" he blushed
AYYYO!!!
NO NO
NO
DONT TELL ME
DONT
"Sidra goaded her and Anvi... leaned" he said grunted and cleared his throat
"Ayyo" II slapped her forehead and began to cry
MAKING OUT IN A SPEEDING CAR?
AYYO!!
Her heart hammered in her chest
Even her Rakshasan hadnt done anything so stupid
Rakshasan personified everything reckless...
Did u feel woozy?" she asked hoping it was the alcohol and not the woman
AYYO!!
WHAT A PATHETIC CREATURE I AM
I AM WISHING FOR MY NEPHEW TO HAVE BEEN DRUNK
AND NOT HORNY
NIIICEE
"Chithi she blocked my view" he said in a whisper
II didnt need to hear more
Anvesha straddling him WHILE HE DROVE?
The kids in the back egging her on?
I climbed over the side walk and hit the guard station at the ITBP Commandant's bungalow" he said
He was gasping for breath
II curled up in a cringed ball
"Is any one dead?" she asked hoarsely
He shook his head...
II felt blood course back through her veins.. as she began to sweat in relief
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