Stranger Parent
There was no full names or phone numbers exchanged between her and Aatreya… she was in Lonavala three weekends in a row, she now wasn’t even sure if she met him the first or second weekend
She hung out with a bunch of really “out there” girls and guys in the early 20s, spoilt rich, most of them brats, did not have any purpose in life except wait for weekends to lose themselves
It worked out great for Mrinalini, she pretended to go attend the IHM diploma classes during the day 3 days a week, the rest of the days and afternoons and evenings, she wandered and party hopped
if she slept in, there was no mother waking her up asking her why she didn’t show up for dinner, or why she was asleep at 10 or 11
Whenever she missed classes the fat cat private institute pinged Sagar to notify. He would have a “word with her”
Loud temper blow outs
“Your mother doesn’t respect me so you think you don’t need to”
She was beyond caring by 16, she would immediately concede and apologize and promise to never skip class ever again… until the next month or after 15 or 20 days
It was the same story all over again
Sagar was struck by how pretty she was, he wondered if she had a boyfriend
She though a party animal did not have a massive SM presence like the kids her age
He could not see any pictures
Whenever he brought up the topic with Falguni he got a
“You don’t want to fulfill your duty as a father and find her a groom? You want her to elope correct?” she would taunt him
“I am just asking, I have people asking me if she wants to do modeling or movies”
“Like father like daughter”
Thwack!
He flung a fat binder in her direction
“Try that one more time I will chop your fingers off” Falguni warned
They both did not know why they were continuing to stay in the marriage
He could “send her away” with a few crores and never see her ever again
She wanted him to take his 100s of crores and vanish and live on an island with h---ers and their h---kers
But here they were, trying to kill each other over life decisions of the only beautiful thing they had ever created together
Her parents did not have even a 1% good relationship, Mrunal had no template of how love should be, she watched them argue and threaten each other frequently
Many times when they pretended to be “happy” in front of family or friends over dinner, and ended up hissing or yelling at each other Mrunal found herself challenging them
“Tumi vegale ka rehata nai?”
One time falguni’s sister made a big deal of how Mrunal was crossing the limits and she should try to be a child and strictly a child
“Maushi Tula majhya jaagi rahayachey aahe kya?” (switch places?)
If looks could kill, Falguni’s would have that Sunday afternoon
Falguni hated when Sagar’s family complimented Mrunal on her looks or eyes
“Its not an Indian look” she would say bitingly
To her those eyes reminded her of her cheatin man
Mrunal generally never appeared in front of her parents without her headset on, the chance encounter when she did not she heard many earfuls of how they felt about each other
She was tall
She played basketball in high school
They had rarely shown up for any match, only Sagar did when said “a parent needs to be present”
She had a hoop in her room over the window
She flung soft toys and balls, always…. Always… scoring
She was really good at it
But no one knew
Even in matches where her Baba watched her score, there was no theatrical celebration, he took her to some expensive 5 star for food.
She hung with a group of 5-10 SoBo (South Mumbai) brats. They took trips to Goa together and Mysore and even to Dubai once
She was too afraid for her own personal safety, no her mother did not refuse permission to go anywhere, her own timidity and reticence curtailed her from going to Europe or backpacking in Machu Pichu
She was too afraid of how the drugs made her feel so after experimenting she had just stopped
She could buy all she wanted and inhaled and smoked as much as she wanted
Early on itself Amruta appeared smitten with Sagar she had noticed, she always wanted to know what his favorite color was, how tall he was, and how amazing he dressed, and why he stayed out so much
Mrunal in her most horrific nightmares hadn’t imagined they would hook up actually answered every query sincerely
No clue no suspicion of a growing closeness, disturbing association forming under her own eyes
Amruta went with her to Lonavala and Goa and Pune and all weekend shenanigans.
These parties were teeming with people, over 100 usually, many times even up to 200.Rashi (Shaurya’s GF), Amruta, Hemang, Manas and Nilesh, Shaurya, Lobo (guys she would go somewhat out of touch with the last 10ish years, not because of any falling out but because she would choose to keep the baby and didn’t have anything common anymore with the wild partying boozing lifestyle)
The odds of everyone knowing who everyone else was close to zero.
The lack of self awareness on her part was astounding, while her fears about being trapped in a room in Dubai with a psycho never materialized, she willfully went all the way with a man she had met for the 3rd time in three weeks and never saw him again
After discovering she was pregnant, she had driven to Lonavala to figure out WHO she had chosen to have hot steamy s—with one whole night. Amruta supported her and distanced herself all at the same time
Very weird?
Yes
But Mrunal would later find out it was because she had begun seeing Sagar Ghatge
In her weeks of asking around nobody knew who Mrunalini even was talking to that night at Lonavala, leave alone who she had departed with. Crowded, noisy, poolside, with decibel level music blaring, people stoned or wasted… who even had time to care for Mrinalini Ghatge
There was no pact between Hemang Amruta, Manas, Nilesh and Shaurya that they all had to meet at some spot at 2 AM and head back to Mumbai, or ensure the others were safe. It was common for the wealthy to just have a good time, they were not each others’ keepers
The night/trip she spent with Aatreya, Amruta did not go with her, “cramps” she said, truth would come out later….
Years later in passing conversations with Hemang and Lobo, over lunch one afternoon, looking at pictures, on Insta and FB accounts, she had seen his name pop over his head “Atreya Rao” in one of those smoke filled hazy visuals
She didn’t know anyone in those pictures, but she had a baby from one of them…..
And Atreya Rao finally pops up! Damn, he doesn’t even know he has a kid with his one night stand?
Coming back…
“Does she not live there?” Aatreya Rao spoke as he navigated the traffic
“I have no idea, the Vilas? Casa Medici? “
“That summer was brutal” Aatreya was angry
“How many women are you looking for?” Mendonza (Rahul Mendonza) scoffed
“Ha” he was irritated
“You met her 9?” years ago?
“I guess”
“Who were you staying with that summer”
“No leads… I checked em all out”
“Did u scour SM pages?
“Really?” Aatreya was irritated that was no help
“You know you could pay someone to do it for you?”
“And who would they be looking for?”
“Oh yeah you don’t have a picture of her
“AND I think her name is Nalini” Aatreya was sure
“No last name?”
“Nope”
“HOW can you hook up with someone and not know their name?”
“Easy, because I was distracted”
“WHY would you go searching for that someone after so many years?”
“I don’t know” Aatreya responded grimly
He had hooked up with this really gorgeous girl in the upstairs bedroom of a friend’s friend’s friend, in Lonavala
He was visiting from Bangalore, he was born and raised in Malleshwaram.
He was selected to Wharton, he along with a group of friends decided to visit Goa and Mumbai over 10 days
His friends, Maanik, Abhinandan, Faizal, Aman, had party hopped from city to city home to home
Aatreya had no clue where they were going, he had met Mrinalini twice over 10 days, the first time he saw her dancing by a swimming pool
The psychedelic lights and the loud music did not distract him from noticing how utterly gorgeous she was
She was wearing a tropical leafy pattern green bralette and had wrapped a scarf? Stole over her bikini bottom
He pushed people out of the way to watch her dance
He was able to talk briefly, but was dragged away by her friends
Wharton, Wall St, a wedding, a divorce later, he was in town now looking for her….
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Back in Amaltas..
“The guard got the name wrong” she told herself
Jaidrith was the only human she knew liked and loved… he was hers
“How would this guy even know I have his child, that sleuthing ended in nothing 9 years ago”
She was overprotective and obsessed with Jai
He helped her sleep and kept her up
He was everything she wasn’t
Well… he was insecure and needy as well
But he was shy, and timid
“This is no movie Mrunal, he is not coming after the child”
“Who knows if he is even coming back?”
Stupid!
She relaxed…
"Wharton, Wall St, a wedding, a divorce later" his backstory is told in a handful of words , such craft is a gift for authors. Can see this kind of crispness from a famous tamil author Sujatha.
Are you SERIOUS?😲🥳🤗❤️
THANK U
I am in SO much shock right now... I ABSOLUTELY love Sujatha. I LOVED his racy, fast paced thrillers, such an intelligent man and smart storyteller
Seriously!!
Thanks so so much
I was wondering if Rao even knew that he has a kid and lo and behold! He doesn't!!
So Mrunal could never get in touch with him.. but then why does she sound like she knows him?
I'm also wondering if she ever wanted to get in touch with him once she figured out who he was..
Rao turned up at her door even when looking for a wrong name.. must be some really good detective work! I'm so curious to learn more of him and what brought him looking for her..
Heaven & Hell
“Aapne ghari asu shakata” Sagar texted her Friday night almost like begging her to be home when he came in with the maintenance manager
“Nakko” she said quietly
Where can I go? She wondered
Mumbai rains…
It had been raining all day today
There was an indoor arcade in Vashi she wanted to bring him to
But did not know if she could drive through water logged roads
She checked online for the local schedule.
We should just go
She didn’t feel like bringing him to her hotel, she had a bunch of free pool passes for the year, and discounts at restaurants
I should ideally look for another apartment
She texted Sai to see if there was any available in her neighborhood
The girl that reported to her at work Manasa Dhule, she lived in Chembur, she had suggested a 1BHK or half a BHK to her
Basically 1/4th of this apartment
She sat up in bed and felt her toes
They were scrubbed clean, no manicures
She got up and walked over to the large custom chest of drawer
And pulled the third one down open
Her bikins were neatly packed away
She didn’t know if she could fit into any of them
Her personal favorite the tropical green with lime yellow palm fronds
She had almost left it at the terrace of where she spent most of that night in Lonavala
I love the green nature print, I am a garden variety mess, so it is quite apt
She laughed
She went multiple times to figure out who the guy was
Singular most shameful thing she had done in her life, slept with a random man, and then later having his baby
In a vain moment she thought “At least I chose well”
How gorgeous, smoking hot was he?”
I was so drunk he seemed super hot
There was no way it was him day before yesterday
“Who would even tell him I live here?”
Back then I was at my parents in Juhu, I haven’t been to a Lonavala love fest in 9 years who even knows I kept the child
He had just smiled at her
No hellos or “hi my name is”
Just a smile
And the whole witchcraft thing
“Hold my drink OK” she had handed it to him
He had watched mesmerized as she had tied the crocheted barely there stole around her waist
She had worn a shorts to Lonavala over the bottom but had shed it as soon as she was the glistening green rectangle.
There was no deep long argument or anything
After returning her drink, he had held her hand, like she needed to be held
“This is good, because if I am about to crash you can just prop me back up”
Love to” he promised pinching his throat like a 10 year old
She had pretended to sway
He had just reached out and wrapped her in his arms
“Its not a funeral why are you wearing those clothes?” she asked him
He had met some Wharton alum at a bar in Mumbai so…
“I thought I was dead and in heaven” he winked
“Ur heaven has a bunch of naked women?”
“Sadly men too… that must be for all my sins” he made a face
She looked around at all the men and started laughing hysterically
The olive from her drink fell on her cleft
She fumbled and felt the green plastic ring between her curves, it strained as she heaved
“I hate olives” she said rubbing the plastic hoping it would fall off
He reached with his thumb and flicked it off
“If the world were ending I would spend the last earthly hours with you… the last thing I want to do before I die is to look at those eyes”
He had said like he had meant it
A fully clothed Aatreya didn’t deter her from being raucously aroused
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