Nostalgia & Parisian('s) Dreams
Amma called twice after she left for Akka's to make sure she was doing fine, she said
"Akka has a temper, she gets very emotional please dont take Appa or her outbursts to heart come back from work tonight"
"Hmm" said II
"Appa is feeling terrible he didnt go to bed until 1 AM, he was still in the living room moping by
himself. He is going to miss you so much kanna when u go to Malcha Marg. Dont share anything with R&B please" Amma requested
"NO MA... Dont be silly" II said
"Appa was delighted when Vandu got engaged, he is happy for you deep down, I know, (she corrected herself...) but something about R&B makes him very jittery" Amma said
"He talks less but he is no different" II said
"I think Appa doesnt want to believe that"
"Ummm" II said reassuringly
"I know... u need to relax and go to spas and take time off and enjoy... erm... and go... u know (out with R&B?)...
but its either work stress or drama at home. I wanted your pre wedding time to be as happy and joyous as Vandu's was, but yeno teriyale too much stress I dont know why"
"Because I picked him" II said
Amma breathed long and hard... audibly
"Because Appa is upset dont stop coming to Sector 12, Periappa and I and HE will miss you too"
"Ayyo I will... he says I can go once a year apdi solran, but I will sneak in" II smiled revelling at being wanted by the dude
"Thats too ridiculous, u have to come see us every week... "Amma express worry
"I will tell him Ma" II muttered slowly
"The hall is booked for 7th and 8th, Samyukta wants the reception to be at Malcha Marg, after the wedding, we dont have a date yet, she said he has to go to Paris for a week, have you applied for time off?"
"Umm... no Ma.. not yet" a strange thrill enevloped her as Amma spoke... a feeling of longing, wanting and the prospect of becoming his wife bringing unimaginable joy
"Apply as soon as possible... how long are you thinking?"
"I dont know... I (will have to fight over it with him first. browbeat him or get brow beaten)" II began
"Atleast 3 weeks maximum 4 is good" Amma ordered
"Ayyo Ma impossible... we have go live on 3 places right now in March we are pushing it to 6, impossible Ma" II ranted
"How will one week work kanna? Dont u have to go settle down learn the traditions of that family? Sam said she will spend a week there teaching you, she laughed saying there is no tradition, R&B and Dad eat whenever and whatever they want the help makes
The help cleans and takes care of everything in the house... only when there is a party the family gets together to plan, and during the party later" Amma said with shocked disbelief
"Oh?" II said listening
"That is SO different from our house, Appa buys vegetables and milk, and dries the laundry sometimes...
he knows what is being cooked for every meal... we do things together" Amma was thinking aloud
"Appa even cleans the kitchen for you when u are busy and makes bhindi sambar" II giggled
Amma smiled... "I know right... bhindi sambar and aloo curry"
"Appa puts so much ghee on my kesari" II said giggling
"THAT is the reason u both love him more he has you both spoilt to the core" Amma said sternly
"He is too funny Ma" II reminisced
" Not letting you step out at night in winter, waiting in the balcony until u come home, following you to your first job that first month when u started driving" Amma laughed
"And Amma, telling off that poor furniture repair man that worked at Mr Singh's house for two months"
A furniture repair man was doing a wood working job for the neighbor across, and haened to comb his hair, preen when ever she would pass the stairwell... Appa told him off sternly
"Appa will go to any length to protect you two. How he would make Horlicks for you when u studied for CPA during B Com at nights" Amma said
"Appa's horlicks is the BEST Ma" II laughed
"When we would run out of bournvita in the morning, u would throw a tantrum and Appa would drive around RK Puram trying to find an open store at 6:30"
II laughed hard...
"Avana apdi ellam paduthaade, dont trouble your husband like that... its good to be like that with Appa and Amma not with husband" Amma advised
"Ummm"
I WILL MA I WILL IF HE IGNORES ME, DOESNT CALL ME, IS MEAN TO ME TORMENTS ME I WILL THROW A TANTRUM
I HAVE MANY MANY TIMES HE FOLLOWS ME AROUND AND WHEN HES HAD IT, HE TELLS ME IN HIS DEEP SOFT VOICE "ENOUGH II" AND I STOP
HE GATHERS ME IN HIS ARMS AND HOLD ME TIGHT UNTIL ALL THE FIGHT LEAVES MY BODY
I SAY WHATEVER I WANT TO HIM I CRY AND PITCH A FIGHT... HE SHAKES HIS HEAD OR SMILES OR GIVES IT BACK TO ME..
RAKSHASAN!!
"Is your passport valid?" Amma asked
"Umm dont know Ma"
She imagined waking up in bed in Paris... and find him watching French news... dressed in the navy suit and burgundy tie
He would call it a honeymoon but will abandon me many times to "catch up" at work..
he will take the subway to work like other Parisians... and will show me how to get home from the Louvre or the Champs
I wont be home when he returns or will be walking the cobblestone street under the apartment.. he will find me and carry me upstairs as I protest
"Make sure u look at it when u come home tonite?" Amma reminded her in a clever way she is returning to D II
MOTHERS!!!
""Amma I have to go now Friday I didnt work properly, Monday I took the day off, today I have to...
this project is taking every ounce of my energy and then some" II requested
"Apply for time off, ask him what he wants I told Vandu she said she asked u but u never told us,
and then tell him the wedding is in Iyer style with a couple of Punjabi rituals" Amma said preoccupied
"Hmmm" II said gasping... for breath... as she visualized him as the groom...
"And get to an agreement on time off before u apply, dont apply for 5 days and have him get upset"
NO MA, I WILL REQUEST HIM" II giggled
"Ishita..." Amma warned
~~~
He signed papers Mrs Sagar brought, three stacks of them, checks over Rs. 10,000 and minor approvals for office equipment...
debating over minor issues, pages and pages of forms, he couldnt believe SO MUCH was still paper based in some companies even in big cities like Gurgaon
Ranjan gave him the impression that they used "cutting edge" biz practices, but far from it is what he could see
The tools where there but people stil worked the archaic way...
Mindsets were hard to change.
The AGM file had notes from monthly meetings, some "offsite" photos Chachu with his pot belly and
slimy eyes grinning ear to ear, all his 4 boys were in the picture God knows doing what at a company meeting
The employee directors looking at Chachu reverentially
Ranjan looking lost and pleased both at the same time...
Sam was not in the picture, neither was Manny or him
He was getting a random voice mail or two everyday from the man
"Betaji aao aap workshop I will teach you how things happen, its all very high tech like
"phoren" factories, we are ISO 9000 certified, Daddyji sits in Corp off, I WORK on the floor with people"
blah blah blah
He didnt flip through any more...
The daily KMPG report stack was next, it was for some reason still being sent to him... he flipped through reports comparing legacy system with Transpro.
There were fall outs at Gurgaon, a month and a half after installation, the East Delhi showrooms was even worse... He went back to his email to scroll back into the oldest exchange he could ever find on the topic
Trying to undertstand WHY this SW was chosen... there were many exchanges between Bansal and Ranjan, but NONE making a case for WHY its a good bed for Excelsior
Mrs Sagar peeked, your 10 O Clock will be here in 40 mins...
"Who is it?" he asked
Putting his feet down, from the coffee table, he always sat on the couch Mrs Sagar noticed, the corner one by the HUGE windows, he always twirled his hair into clumps she noticed
"Oh its the Commerce Minister's liaison from Bihar Govt, about our first showroom there?" Mrs Sagar explained
"Oh! yep... sure... umm" said R&B
"I can make him wait if u are buried?" she offered
"Umm no... but thanks for oferring Mrs Sagar" R&B said politely
She smiled, like himself she spoke very less using gestures and nods mostly...
"OK I will take 10 mins?"" he requested, seeing a text pop in
"I will give u 20" she said shutting the door behind her
"I am at work now, and hope to be here until 6 since I took a day and a half off.
Good night to you since u must have just gone to bed after staying up all night" she had texted at 8 this morning
He had sent back a half smiley
"If THATS ALL I AM GOING TO GET I AM NOT GOING TO TEXT. U are supposed to never sleep and be awake all the time,
u respond to my text in seconds but never say anything. I am not writing or calling you. Poda!" she sent back the impudent child emoticon
He had actually smiled fully seeing the THREE sentence response to a emoticon
"Today or ever?' he asked baiting her
She didnt respond...
"II" he reached out
"I went to bed at midnite, I am up now, do u want to bring me coffee?" goading
"Black with no sugar?" she asked falling for the bait
"I could use some second or third base too"
"bas***d...only coffee? I wanted to offer a home run" with a SWEET SMILE and teeth gritting icon
I WILL GO THE WHOLE WAY SWT HRT. SINCE I DONT HAVE A LIFE I WILL ENGAGE U IN SOME GLORIOUS MORNING S--
"Rain check/Cant now ..mtg at 10, (since u like to cuddle after)" he sent back a SMILEY
"Oh dont say that...
I could come over to your office when u get there...
and "offer my services" then you wont be late... Oh please please will u let me? Please dont say no!!"
she sent a begging, blush and devil
"Meet u on my couch then around 11:30 AM ?" he asked
"If I dont lace ur black coffee with thorium before that" she sent back a angry and crying emoticon
He smiled fully staring at his screen
"U owe me stuff from Jaipur" he said
"WHATTT I will return ur goddamn ball cap when I see u next"
"Thats urs " a happy emoticon
"Oh! the 20 grand u paid for my clothes, selfish jerk! Akka said
I should allow you to buy for me. Little does she know about your loan shark ways" II ranted adding atleast SIX angry emoticons
"My trip to paradise was cut short" SENT A HEART...
She turned a glorious red
RAKSHASAN!! SENT A HEART WITH A SELF GRATIFICATION ACT...PIG
II HE WONT SEND U A HEART ON VALENTINE'S HE WILL SEND U A EMOTICON FOR SOMETHING LIKE THIS
"Offer withdrawn, U were eager for me to take Appa's call. In case u forgot, so ummm... NO! NOT HAPPENING DUDE!" sent back a smiley
"Tonite" he said
"IN YOUR DREAMS" she said
As Mrs Sagar appeared again...
Cricket
