Fear of being lost & losing
A week passed by and Suvechha did not hear about the Trademax
copy she left on Neel's desk, the client called her thrice before she could call them back.
She "owned" everything creative, the budgetary, production and client coordination were not her responsibilities
It was like being saddled with Tai
A lying stealing pile of shit
She hated her Aai that very moment, her Aai's attempt to "protect" her from the world by making TAI her custodian
Suvechha smirked cynically
Asking the robber to hide the wealth came to mind
She was extremely afraid of leaving Aadhya alone with Tai for more than an hour
Press wala, fish market, Mother Dairy was fine
NOT any longer duration
She suspected Tai might lure Aadhya to the balcony and push her down
And send Suvi to jail
She got up, unable to think along those lines any longer
WHERE could she send her?
Tai hadnt said a WORD about the relatives she talked to al day long
Her phone was ALWAYS locked
She pretended not to have any "expenses" of her own by making her family call her.
Money went missing regularly
Better than losing the TV or the iron or camera
Suvi wandered down towards the lunch time hawkers at the corner of Barakhamba Rd
The juice wala, she wandered towards Super bazar along the bylanes
She noticed Neel walking towards her, carrying three or four bags, really heavy
"What a good husband" she thought
He paused by her
"How was lunch?" he asked
She noticed he had nicked himself on his chin
A flirtatious wife caused it? Suvi wondered
He immediately moved the bags to his left hand and felt the nick
"Subah jaldi thi" he said
"Yeh to achhi baat hai ladies ko shave nahi karna padta, warna abhi taq to main bachti nahi" she said encouragingly
He looked startled when she smiled
The full lower lip stretching like a strawberry being pulled from both sides
He felt something stir down below
He grunted
"Is ur daughter happy to go to school?" he asked
"Tamasha to ek athvada (one week), (she stumbled) "one week mein khabar hoyega" she finished in
a Mumbai cabbie lingo
"Hafte mein pasand nahi aaya to badal to nahi sakte?" he smiled soulfully
"Barobar" she said soulfully
She cudnt help stare at his bags
"Nihar ko fruits pasand hain, to Super Bazar se lekar aaya, gaadi mein kharab ho jaayenge, must put it in a frig" he said
"Mujhe bhi jaana hai, main kabhi nahi gayi.." she said looking towards Super Bazar
He turned and looked at Super Bazar too
"Mujhe kho jaane ka dar hai" she said somberly
Unaware he was staring at her boldly
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
She should have spoken about Trademax, because by the time she came up, the "department admin" said there was the 4th call from them
She walked over to Payal to ask if she can fit her in on Neel's schedule for 15 minutes
Payal looked at her like she didnt even work at the agency, she walked over to Neel's door and looked, he was in a meeting with Gomez and a couple others
She returned to her office and called Trademax and promised to wrap up the decision making by the end of the week
Called the playschool to check on Aadhya
Scrolled to Varsha's number and felt it with her thumb
And set on the side
Picked it up again and felt the "Aai Baba" Contact
She felt a lump in her throat
When she was done for the day at 6, he rode the elevator with her
She noticed the 6 bags and smiled
He smiled back cheerfully and raised his right hand with the bags
"Main aneka vela bhoolti hoon" (many times)she had declared on their way up to the office after lunch hour
"Mujhe bhi yeh bimaari hai" he had laughed like a child displaying good teeth
She nodded
He walked behind her quickly
"U live in Trans Yamuna right?" he asked
"Tuesday (when he gave her a ride from Apeejay) se lekar aaj tak (today being Friday) nivasasthana nahi badlee hoon" she spoke broken Hindi and teased him
He smiled sheepishly
Mujhe, NOIDA real estate agent se milne jaana hai, I can drop u he said
She looked startled
Pehle yeh ghar par rakh doon, Nihar ko le lete hain then we can go"
She looked more surprised
"I meant I WILL DROP YOU on my WAY to NOIDA"
Her expression relaxed exponentially
He drove up to the gate of the bungalow in Nizamuddin
It was rusty and creaky, but a guard opened it
It looked like the unrenovated 1970s cousin amongst shiny NRI cousins on the street
"Main Tai aur Adhya se baat kar loon?" she said unwillingt o go up with him
He nodded and brought back Nihar in 10 minutes wearing, a headphone and holding his PS3
AND eating an apple
She got off the passenger seat
Nihar smiled shyly and said a Namaste and went to the back seat
"Where is the little girl?" he asked
"We are coming from work jaan" Neel said
Nihar had the SAME expression when sheepish
Neel offered her a bottle of water and apple
She nodded and accepted the apple
"Adhya ka favorite hai" she chuckled
He drove her to her complex behind Mother Dairy
30, 40, 50 something women wearing Nike and reebok knockoffs pretended to "walk" as they gosspied by the gate
Suvi got off politely, they didnt speak much since there was so much traffic
She didnt tell him to drive her to her play school all the way at the back of the society area towards Ghaziabad Rd
She would take a rickshaw she decided
"Was your wife happy to see the fruits?" she asked to make conversation
"She would have been... but she passed away a year ago" he said unable to meet her gaze for some reason
Suvi stood rooted to the spot, stunned.
When she didnt turn to go in to the society, a rickshaw wala who she hired frequently rang his bell and pedaled up to her
The ladies began to gossip about Suvi for the first time
Suvi stared at Neel's car as he made a U turn and merged into traffic going back towards Mother Dairy
Edited by Nisha0604 - 8 years ago
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