Unmoved & Moved
She left early to buy her daughter's books, a smile broke out on her face as she imagined Aadhya's reaction to them
Then she wondered where she could hide them, she didnt trust Tai one bit
Last night by the time she stepped out after feeding Aadhya Tai had sucked in 2/3rds of the fish
She picked her daughter up, no snacks today, as she had books to touch and feel on the rickshaw
"Can we go in a car again Aai" Adhya asked her cutely
Suvi wanted to buy a car
Moving to Delhi had taken a toll on her finances
The child hadnt seen her father's face once
Tai had tried to meddle bringing up "Baba" many times as a confused Aadhya looked on
Buying a car was not priority under such circumtsances
So many things were wrong with her life
Car was not something that was a necessity
She held her daughter as the rickshaw swerved to avoid a Maruti
They got down and she paid, she looked longingly at the Walls cart
She bought Aadhya an icecream, a chocobar and they went up singing a rhyme
It was 47c and grimy
Tai hurriedly sat down upon hearing her unlock
She had crumbs all around her mouth, after stuffing snacks in it
She saw Aadhya's ice cream and her eyes lit up she wondered if Suvi had more in the big bag she was carrying
Aadhya sidled up to Tai and told her she got her new books
Tai waited for an ice cream bar to appear
Suvi took a shower, played her music softly and began coking and noticed a bowl of what was fish curry in the sink
"There was none left" she said to Tai in shock
Tai looked ashamed for just a second
"Left to u I will have to die of hunger" she mumbled
"YOu STOLE FISH CURRY?" Suvi asked furiously
"What did u want me to do? YOU stole some for ur daughter too, so we are even" she smirked
"I MADE IT. I BOUGHT IT I MADE IT" "If I take some out for my daughter its NOT stealing" Suvi shouted
Tai was unmoved by it all..
Tai opened the balcony door and cried loudly
Aadhya looked on in a daze...
Suvi was startled...
Tai spoke rapid fire Marathi and cried loudly
She grit her teeth and asked her to come back in
Tai came back in wiping fake tears
There was a knock on the door
"Kee hoya puttarjee" a 60 ish lady from downstairs enquired
"Nothing, thanks, aap jayiye" Suvi said firmly
The woman looked at Tai like "Well I will stop by tomm u can tell me"
Tai NODDED, in secret agreement
Suvi slammed the door
"U sit around and gossip all day?" "WHAT did I ever do to u?"
"what did "I" do to u? U brought me to this hell" Tai shouted back
Suvi went into the kitchen and began to cook
She made two subzis, egg curry and poha and dal and roti
Around 9 ish she set everything on the dining table
"take what u want" she told Tai
Her phone beeped
"Did u get the books?" Neel asked
Nobody else in the world cared for her... nobody!!
Not Varsha, not Kaustubh... nobody
"I did" she said
Her eyes brimming with tears
Then she thought of Nihar and her tears dried up
"Where is Nihar?" she asked
"He is here" he said
"I will ask first, what is for dinner?" she asked
"chholey bhature, Nihar ki favorite cheez" he typed in pure Hindi
Suvi realized she always used "j" for cheez not z
"Ur Hindi is good" she said spontaneously
"I work hard" he teased, reminding her he was from UP...
"Sorry" she said sheepishly
"dont be" he said
She peeked out Tai, ate alone
She felt bad for a nano second
She stepped out and pulled dahi from the frig
And served her in a bowl with sugar
"Ur daughter gets ice cream I only get dahi" Tai pointed
"She is FIVE" Suvi said
"We are moving on Saturday" he had texted
When Suvi read it, her heart sank, precipitously... rapidly
For some reason she would wonder about at night laying in bed
"Kidhar ko?" she had asked in fear
"NOIDA" he had said
Bringing a smile the first time that evening to Suvechha Dhabolkar's face, her lips moved. forming
the perfectly etched smile of the razor thin upper lip, the extra full lower lip, the sharp cheek bones accentuating in perfect synchrony
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