Anchored Tempest
Chapter 1
Ex-Dad &Mom
Mrinalini Ghatge pressed down the juicebox into her son’s lunch bag… she tried to zip it shut, it wouldn’t budge, she pressed with a hand uptop
“Mommy button…”
“We are really late today, this is SO not OK beta”
She turned to her almost 10 year old, Jaidrith, very irritated
She was 32, and tall, almost 5’10”, her son was almost 5 feet tall at 10 years.
“Jai one whole week you had time to go play at your friend’s house, what do you do? You play video games, you went yesterday and fell”
She yanked him gently by his tie and button his uniform shirt
He looked at her red faced
‘Is ur home work even done?”
“Umm.. I just have to do the map puzzle in Geogrpahy”
She let go of his shirt and leaned on the counter and sighed, arms across her chest
She wore a orange kurta with a navy salwar, she worked in the back office of a large 5 star luxury hotel in Juhu
“I can stay home”
“NO U may NOT” she was exasperated
She had no backup care person, she had to be at work today for a training at 9, it was already 7:18, his school started at 8 and they were definitely going to be late
“I can stay home Maaa”
“NO…”
He didn’t have many friends, he was shy and reticent, and had a bunch of allergies to deal with, she feared leaving him alone at home
She knew of some coworkers that “told the neighbor aunty” and frequently left their 10 and 8 or 12 and 7 year olds at home alone
She checked her watch
“Lets go”
“’don’t pack me sandwich OK?”
“SOY Paneer hai JAI”
“I HATE IT”
“OK drink ur juice”
“I hate it”
She had made him besan cheela, she rolled it up inside a aper towel and shoved it in his mouth
Her help walked in
“Iske saath reh legi? Aaj? Pragati?”
“Nai mere ko aaj kaan ke doctor ko leke jaana hai Aai ko” she chewed paan loudly and slurped
“Ek din haan please, aaj training hai 9 baje”
“Nain ai hoyega” she began to run to the balcony”
“Paise de doongi school chhod de?”
“NAHI BAI” she was adamant
Jai was back on his playstation
“JAI” she shouted, grabbing her laptop bag and shutting the door behind her
She trusted her maid though her maid didn’t do a thing beyond what was required…. Barely
The apartment was in Bandra in a highrise, on the 20th floor with great views of the slums below. She pressed B on the elevator and stared at a flyer stuck on the wall, it had a A with a circle around it
“Amaltas Assist” Amaltas was the name of the building, they were installing a new helpline for the residents… she saw the A and her heqart skipped multiple beats
Mrunal’s apartment was 3 bedrooms, over 2500 sq feet. Sagar Ghatge was wealthy, extremely good looking and a “ladykiller”. Her Dad lived close by… ex-Dad actually. He now lived with Mrunal’s best friend, Amruta.
Yes, at the age of 22, when a storm swept through Mrunalini’s life, Sagar Ghatge had a one nightery with her best friend.
Mrunal’s parents’ already rocky marriage, exploded
Her mother, Falguni was now married again, and at the age of, 54 was mother to a 6 year old girl, all to spite her ex-husband Sagar
Her mother blamed Mrunal for the destruction of her marriage and cut off from her completely. Her half sister was 4 years younger than her own son.
Mrunalini didn’t talk or hear from her Baba either, because her best friend shared his bed every night
“Are you mad at me?” Jai asked earnestly
“NO” she smiled
She crouched on the elevator floor and hugged him and inhaled his hair
“You always smell better… though it’s the same shampoo”
She inhaled again
Closing her eyes
She heard the beep and the elevator came to a soft stop and the doors opened
She walked to the red Honda Accord parked in the far corner, and set his thing inside
“eat ur cheela” she ordered handing it again
“I hate it”
“Well… be hungry then”
“Mean…” his eyes filled with tears
She sat by him and cooed and cajoled him and drove to his school and then drove to work
Dad’s money had bought the car and apartment, but not the job.
He cried when she dropped him off at the school secretary’s office
She walked back to her car and found his uneaten besan pancake, she ate it driving to work
Her car audio buzzed to indicate voice mail and offered to play it for her
It was her free therapist, Sameena Siddiq a work friend’s daughter working toward her Psychology Masters from Mumbai university who had agreed to help Mrunal unpack her s--- and “practice” for her future profession as a counselor.
“Can we cancel this weekend?” Sameena begged
Mrunal drove stoically
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