"Mirchi ani Manush"
Her Saturday went in a whirlwind of activities, took Aadhya for a hair cut, she always wanted a "pwincess" haircut
She got one at the parlor in the DDA market two blocks from home
She didnt make any breakfast, Tai pretended to be asleep as Suvi showered and dressed for the Sat chores
When she turned down the AC, Tai woke and asked her to turn it back on
"So u are awake?" Suvi asked
Tai didnt respond, Suvi bathed Aadhya helped her wear jeans and a sparkly princess tee with a big heart on the center, and snowwhite
She didnt know if she should curse her Aai or thank her, for saddling Tai on her head
The Vanasathali interview was at 4 PM, it was 10:15, she wanted to have idli sambar for breakfast, she knew there were small restaurants that served idlis in Mayur Vihar
She wasnt sure about the Housing Society area she lived in
She waved a rickshaw down, and asked him to take them to a idli place
The guy asked her "Phase I" ya "Phase II?"
She carelessly said Phase I
He took her to a nice looking place, she didnt speak "Delhi Hindi" her Hindi was Mumbaiya, Marathi was her most fluent language
She wore a paithani orange kurta and a pearl chudidar, her short curly hair formed a soccer ball like bunch, tiny curls franed her face
Her face was flawless, she didnt have sharp features, she wasnt very tall, but had a long neck and a curvaceous body
Rutwik would sing an ode to her body each night
He was wiry and thin, with his nerves protruding on his forearm and calf... but he had as much "stamina" as her
MORE!!! She discovered later, when he went "home" to get his "variety" from wife number 1
Aaai" Aadhya groaned unable to eat the sambar
She asked fror sugar, as she downed her second bowl of sambar, getting sweet revenge from Tai
The roasted red peppers, causing her eyes to fill up, but she still squeezed the marroon pasty fire from the tiny pocekt of the half pepper and sucked on it and lay it on the side reverentially
She did the same with curry leaves
Aai made fish or chicken extra spicy for Suvi... Aai fondly addressed her as "masaaledaar mirchi"
Varsha deserved that title though, she was sassy and rude and talkative
Suvi didnt chatter like Varsha... but got the title from Aai anyway
She smiled, asking for another order of vada...
She asked for ketchup for Aadhya, mother and daughter ate for a good 45 minutes
Listening to Marathi top 20 on Suvi's phone, Prem Rutu from Mr &
Mrs Sadachari, it was her MOSTEST favoritest song, she was a bad singer, but she had sung this one so many times she was actually quite good at it
The waiters and help wandered cleaning tables and asking for third servings of food, they chatted in Tamil loudly, Tamil songs played on the radio
"Aai jasmine flower laaye?" she asked her daughter in Hindi staring at the 4 feet tall Balaji picture on the wall with a giant mogra garland
Aadhya smiled cutely.
They left the restaurant at Noon, the Apeejay NOIDA interview was at 1
She didnt know where the school was, she waved down an auto
And stared out still humming her Prem Rutu song
Aadhya gazed in wonderment at teh Metro whizzing overhead, she peeked out of the auto to stare
"Aai MAYTRO" she said excited
Suvi dragge dher close and kissed her
Occasionally, she caught a glimpse of Rutwik in a smile or a sigh or a frown, she quickly kissed the girl with her eyes closed, lest the complete image of him formed in her mind's eye
It was 1:04 when he dropped her off, she stumbled out of the auto in panic
Almost falling, carrying Adhya, and begging the guard to open the mini human door on the large steel gates a lil wider so she could get through
She was sweaty and grimy, when she reached the front office, 100s of parents waited
Many turned to stare at her "ALL ALONE? WHERE IS THE HUSBAND?" look on their faces
Suvi had received that look a million times in the last 5 years she didnt care
She fished her laptop bag for the various "letters" she had collected from anybody and everybody that would matter
Her number was called once already she was told
She was devastated
She asked the stern looking girl behind a large plush desk "Please I was outside, I am only 6 minutes late" she begged
The girl looked aloof and uncaring
A man walked by "We will call u when that family is done" he pointed to a room with glass doors, affluent parents sat there with two kids
Suvi walked back to the waiting area and tried to find an empty chair
"Aapalya karyalayata eka manush" Aadhya pointed
And in the last row, Neel Pandit sat with 10 year old Nihar
He wore blue jeans and a white shirt, looked very different from the "boss"
He was checking his texts
Upon hearing Marathi he looked up, and their eyes met...😳
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