Homesickness & Prenup
She got home Sunday nite, wrapped in a dark green Pashmina shawl, R&B went to Sam's closet and brought a COLOR COORDINATED ONE
But the dye he applied on her was BLUE, like he was male and was marking his territory...
"If Amma sees she is going to kill me da" she accused softly
She had color on her elbow, her waist and all over her chest, he held her long after he stopped kissing her...
She rambled about how she would take suitable revenge and how painful and permanent it was going to be.
"You never play by the rules, Ive noticed from day one, you play as if you own the game, thats unfair"
She accused him of all sorts of meanness, he leaned on the door, as he held her listening to her tirade...
"Its 11 I should go home now"
He bent down and nuzzled her ear teasing...
"Vidu da" (let go of me) she demanded
He slowly did... she looked for her keys and phone, he went and got her a shawl, luckily Ranjan did not show up nor any help did
"Text me" he said gesticulating after checking if her lights came on...
"No" she shook her head... and she didnt
20 minutes later
He texted her
"Home?"
She sent him the following laying in bed
"Why?" she texted
"Because I would call ur Appa to check" he texted
"U are such a rotten jerk. I know you would. you wait for opportunities to get me into trouble""U are an insane fighter"
"They offer itself" he texted (he meant the "opportunities")
"Well... then you need help" she texted dismissively ordering this book for him
Fight Less, Love More: 5-Minute Conversations to Change Your Relationship without Blowing Up or Giving In Paperback - September 18, 2012
by Laurie Puhn (Author)
"Likewise" he texted, with a flipkart order ("you need help too II" tone)
"How to Make Love to a Man"-- Mass Market Paperback - April 15, 1982
by Alexandra Penney
"Arghhh! I give up I am not going to read it I am just going to return to the sender" she threatened, shaking in rage
"You could read it out loud and I could tell u if I agree?" he texted
"Get lost"
He sent his half smile
She chucked the phone on her side table and curled up to sleep, the fading blue dye on her curves reminded her of where his fingers had travelled...
She woke at 3 AM nervous and jittery for some reason wondering if she did the
right was doing the right thing, her self talk from under the tree replayed itself in her mind
She never knew this is exactly the type of guy she had always wanted, she had no clue...he had presented himself in front by accident
She had met/seen men more/less good looking, none this sexy, intriguing, intelligent AND QUIET
... he caused her to go weak in the knees. Like he was the chloroform Hindi fild villains sedated heroines with,
except instead of being sprayed on a white handkerchief, he stood before her 6'3" tall
She was torn between compassion for his Dad and attraction toward him she wasnt sure if
they would ever talk again or just go through life pretending Ranjan did not exist. It was not her responsibility to make things right but it hurt her a lot to see Ranjan alone and by himself
R&B hadnt mandated any behavior for her, he didnt care if she spoke or avoided Ranjan. He sat with her initially because she begged him to, the last few visits he didnt bother doing even that
He was angry enough to shun the position, the power and the wealth that came with being Ranjan's son. She did not know when the AGM was postponed to now
That reminded her of the prenup... she had completely forgotten about it... she wanted to reach out and ask for one
However wrong she was about wanting one, she wanted one... she was not a gold digger... maybe he knew may be he didnt, she didnt know how his family saw her
Sam seemed to like her a lot, like Ranjan and Tan... she wasnt sure about Manny, after the engagement she hadnt met Manny
Chachu & Co. were nice to her, but she could tell Chachi could "guess" why Raman would pick a simple middle class girl...
To "cleanse himself" of all the dirty acts of the past... she even mentioned Marliese and how they suspected he would marry the "lady"
He was marrying her to cleanse himself, why was SHE marrying him?
"Obviously for the money" "Why would a middle class Iyer girl nod her head otherwise?" "I mean why will a "proper" South Indian girl marry a soiled wasted man"
"Its the money!! Honey!!!" she visualized Chachi saying that to the South Delhi gliteratti
She sat up in bed leaning on the headboard... tears flowed
The cot was Madurai paatti's gift to Amma Appa, the wedding trousseau...
The four posts, the mosquito net enabled bed was rich and sturdy, she had spent 1000s of hours on it, from studying for Boards to B Com to CPA to the IIM exams
There would be peanut shells all over, mixture, the sweet boondi... whatever she was eating while studying she would fall asleep sometimes without dusting off the bed completely
Amma would scold her the next morning soundly
"Erumbu vandudum Ishita yenn ipdi panrey? (there will be a ant infestation)"Why do u have to study so much that it knocks u out?" she would demand
"amma I was too tired to dust it off in the balcony at 2 AM" she would complain
She would miss Periappa's moans, she would miss Appa's CD Suprabhatam every morning, an occasional Tanjore, Madurai or Pudukottai call in between...
Selvi ring the door bell, Amma splattering water outside the front door, the smell of Sugandha Sringar the smell of Amma's Mysore Sandal soap as she walked out of the
shower to fix breakfast
Hair tied in a small white cotton towel...
II began to cry... she didnt want to leave... she wanted to stay here for ever and listen to Appa's chanting, and Selvi's gossip and Amma's stern voice
She wanted to hear Periappa speak lucidly sometimes... "Saapteya? (did u eat?)
"Besh besh" (good job) when she showed him her mark sheet
She sobbed uncontrollably
"Can we live in D II after we are married" she texted
He called her...
"WHATS going on II?" in a sleep drugged voice that made him appear sexier to her
She no longer wanted to be in D II she wanted to be by him...
AYYYOOO!!!! II MAKE UP YOUR MIND
U CANT BE IN D II AND HAVE HIM TOO
WHY CANT I? SO MANY PEOPLE GET WHAT THEY WANT, I WANT ONLY THIS... I WILL BE WILLING TO DO ANYTHING
I WANT MY RAKSHASAN AND I WANT MY AMMA APPA
"I want to stay in D II after I marry" she said crying
He didnt say anything.
"How come GUYS get to stay in their house and girls are supposed to leave theirs, I dont agree at all.
Thats simply wrong. I want to change that. I cant bear to be away from the house" she told him innocently.
"U have 12 days in it" he said reasonably.
"I am going to say u have to leave Malcha Marg and live elsewhere because I am going to, also. Tum bhi waha nahi reh sakte, YOU CANT EITHER" she reiterated
"Do u want to pick a place?" he asked
"Ya, DII" she said quivering, crying more
Longish pause...
"do u want to come over?" he asked softly.
"But first you have to agree it is unfair for a girl to leave her parents but a guy to live there" she threw a fit like a child
He half smiled
"This is so hard for me, I only lived in IIM for two years, that too I would visit monthly... and my internship was in Delhi. When I did my MS I only had to go for 3 weeks or so a few times
to Atlanta... this will be the longest I will be away from home, can I stay over when Akka comes for delivery?" she cut a deal
"We can talk about it" he said huskily, just unable to lie or say no
"U could come stay with me" she offered..."I will give you my good pillow" she said
"I will just sleep on you" he said softly
He heard a greedy moan, it satisfied him... however much she missed everything about D II he could still turn her on.
~~~~~~
The week felt like it was flying by, between visits to the East and West Delhi showrooms meeting Ashwini's team over training questions Mr B had asked
Bally approved her vacation, she texted the Dude... "I have to return on March 30th"
"Can u push it out by a week?" he asked like the devil he was
"Absolutely, I could even do a year" she texted with a blush
"Great!" he sent a clap goading her
"What classes u suggest I take during the year?
"Understanding Far Eastern Poetry" or
"Interpreting Mary Antoinette's quotes" or
"California Cabernet & Bordeaux-Journey in wine making"
WEALTHY BORED WOMEN TAKE SUCH CLASSES U PIG!!
He chuckled out loud at her sharp wit
"Dont laugh" she texted with a sulking arms across her chest emoticon
"Paris on 16th" he decided for her
"With who?" she texted confused
"Tour guide" he texted with a pair of binoculors and sun visor and sun screen
"Does he speak English" she texted the alphabet
"Just French" he sent an Eiffel
"May work in bed, but not during the day" she texted
"I'll let him know" he texted
"When do we return?" she texted
He wanted to text "Never" but didnt...
Sam called so he paused to take the call walking towards the window looking down at traffic 20 floors below
~~~~~
Akka had made reservations at two places, one near IIT and one near Munirka both places were basically
"serviced apartments" 4 bedrooms each, could sleep around 20 each... they werent expecting 40, they were expecting around 60, Akka hoped the later ones could be booked into hotels
Sam had offered a friend's bungalow in Vasant Vihar, she said it could easily house 50 people.. but Akka strictly refused she knew II would chop her up
II hesitated to tell Akka about her prenup idea she wanted to talk about it but knew Akka wouldnt understand... atleast not in the way II hoped she would
So, for now, II kept it a secret between herself and her brain... even her parents didnt know...
On Thursday Feb 26th ish, she texted him
"Do u have a minute?"
"I do" he said
She sounded quite formal
"Thanks" she said confriming his suspicion immediately
"Umm... we spoke about the" she texted
He stared at his phone sitting in his office, Mrs Sagar walked by looking unusually somber
"is everything OK?" he asked
She smiled weakly
The families had known each other for 30 years? Ranjan treated her like a sister, she was younger by 7 years or 8? R&B didnt know... Ma would say she was invited to every Bhalla event
They were childless, she was exceptionally talented, Ranjan would say if she had started on her own she would have surpassed him in wealth and success.
He had heard Ranjan mention to Sam that Mrs Sagar had some health issue she was worried about
Since Mrs Sagar spoke very little and almost nothing personal, R&B felt it was none of his biz to enquire
"I am good. Your Noon is here" she said quickly altering her expression atrificially to appear normal
"I wanted to know if you were able to get the pre-nup ready?" II texted
This was a no emoticon conversation
"Should be" he texted
"Thanks... very mcuh" she texted back
Unknowingly with a extremely rare spelling error ...as if her fingers shook and she wasnt looking at what she was typing?
~~~~~
Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi 2
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