To be where it all began
He sent her a meeting invite for early Friday at his office at Excelsior it was for an hour
He didnt fill the subject field, Location: My Office, 20th Spectrum" it said
Her sinides spun and rotated on seeing it she hit "Accept" with a trembling click
"Send response" is what she chose
"Thanks" she said again
He didnt respond to that... she spent the rest of Thursday in a daze, went home early, went to Malai Mandir with Amma so she could invite the "Committee members"
She came home and sang for two hours in Periappa's room the evening nurse sulked all the while but she did not care, she wanted her mind taken off whatever was on it
But with every passing minute it just continued to overwhelm her...
and hose her brain... she was edgy and jumpy, when Amma came by while she was singing to pin flowers to her hair she jumped out of her skin...
Amma paused wondering... she waited until II finsihed, she ended the song half way began to sing all over again a Dikshthar Kriti her favorite, her voice quivered at the end of the second time
"If this is how you will feel the rest of your life II then I am sorry to say, my full sympathies are with you" her brain warned
"When I run away from him physically I feel like I am closer mentally. He overwhelms me" she admitted to herself
Amma gushed to Akka "Paavam kozhandai she is home early she has already started missing us I think" (Poor baby)
Akka giggled "She will come here every evening to sing, or eat your thenga thohayal (coconut with tamarind chutney) or your puliyodarai (tamarind rice)" Akka's voice quivered
The entire Iyer family was on a trip down memory lane, frequently meeting one or the other along the way, sharing food and life stories
"I will make whatever she wants to eat and send it to her, she can eat here and go home every evening" Amma said almost crying
"She doesnt take good care of herself, she is such a workaholic, she needs a good man to care for her be stern with her protective with her" Amma said decisively
"Idu romba vaal ma" (she is very naughty)" Akka giggled "I know I am talking like she is Shravu's age, but she is very innocent" and naive"
"Appa is very somber too u know"
"Its all his doing, he can be nice to her, talk to her and be cheerful. Tell him he can pick up his act if he wants"
Amma asked about her health what she had made for dinner, offered to send vethakozhambu (sambar made without dal) and beans curry with grated coconut...
"Mmm...mmm sounds YUMMM ma" "If the brat is willing to come, send some for me. I am making cauliflower parantha so I will eat what u send" Akka smiled
II appeared, Amma asked her she nodded soulfully
Amma stared at her leave hung up and went to pack for Akka
II sat down on the floor by her Godrej and slowly set the neatly ironed sarees on the bed one stack after another, unwrapped the Samsonite suitcase, and unzipped it...
Amma walked in, she said she has to place some "pouches of blessings in first"
"Rice turmeric and lentils in a ziploc with some flowers, she threw a puch of turmeric in" and broke down crying
II was already crying
"Amma I dont want to go" she said
"Ashadu" (Silly girl) "If I had said like that would you be here?" Amma asked
"YES I WOULD Appa would have come and taken you away forcefully, PLUS APPA IS DIFFERENT" II said bursting with love
Amma sat on the floor by the open Godrej door
"Adu daan pannuvaan avan, he will come by one night and kidnap you" Amma said proudly
The thought of her daughter being kidnapped by the tall boy didnt seem so distasteful anymore
II blushed
"He wont" she said shaking her head
"want to bet?" Amma asked winking
"Seri" II nodded sadly smiling
Amma reached up to the chest and quickly grabbed her phone,
"Ayyo Amma I WAS KIDDING... Avan busy aa irupaan, he wont talk" II defended the Dude
"Hes busy he wont talk Ma"
"Really? Are u defending him?" Amma giggled
II reached for her Amma's phone... Amma got up
"Ayyo Ma" II begged
Amma typed
"This is Ishita's mother, I was telling her if we didnt send her with you you will kidnap her and take her away,"
AMMA HIT SEND
AYYO MA... WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS? HIM AND I ARE IN WW 6 RIGHT NOW
I DONT WANT HIM TO KNOW I THINK ABOUT HIM AT HOME. ERMMM I MEAN I THINK ABOUT HIM... PERIOD
Amma placed the first piece of clothing in her suitcase... II smiled her eyes filling up
"Its 3 kms away u can come over whenever, day or night"
Amma's phone pinged II's stomach lurched like it would sitting in a kudara vandi at Madurai (horse driven buggy)
"I would Mrs Iyer" HE HAD TEXTED BACK
II LLOKED FOR A PLACE TO HIDE HER CRIMSON FACE
SO IT WAS TRUE? HE WAS LIKE APPA?
HE WOULD COME GET HER?
"Ishita is packing right now and says she doesnt want to go" Amma TEXTED
"Amma PLEASE STOP IT" Ii begged
"Sam has shopped for her I think" he texted
"She loves clothes, beta" "I am sorry can I call u that?" Amma asked
"Ofcourse" he texted
"She has so many clothes, 100 sarees I think and 100 other clothes... she is very playful" Amma texted
II grabbed the phone and read... her heart vibrating rapidly in her chest like a swing in the Sector 3 park
"Amma HE IS NOT YOUR BETA" She accussed
"Inga tha phone a, its my phone" "Nee poi pack pannu" Amma said sternly taking her phone away
"She doesnt eat, sleep or do anything on time, SHE ONLY WORKS please take good care of her" Amma typed
He called WITHIN A SECOND
"Mrs Iyer" he said
Amma couldnt talk she was crying... she cleared her throat multiple times
"she is not 18, she is not 16, like in those olden times you know, but still she is our baby" Amma defended her grief and separation anxiety
II continued to pack quietly
Amma stood in the balcony talking
"Ask her about work she will tell you everything, ask her about her things or money, she has no idea" Amma said
He smiled a half smile
"Please dont let her return late from Gurgaon, her father worries she may do that, since you both are young people" Amma complained
"I will make sure she is home by 8 or have a driver go get her"
"Do u know the drivers well?" Amma asked
"Most help we have at home are all 3rd gen Mrs Iyer, the guards as well" R&B said
He got a overseas call
"Can I call you back?" he requested
"Thats OK I wanted to tell Ishita you will kidnap her" Amma cheered up a little
"Yes,Please tell her" he reassured warmly as he hung up
~~~~~
He was clean shaven, wore jeans and a white shirt the shoulder strap kind... with flip flops ofcourse
She wore jeans also with a Nordstrom plaid shirt checked pink and navy, figure hugging, sleeves folded to her elbows, as if she would get on a ladder and start stripping paint off the walls
Her nose ring was intact, her hair was in a shampooed braid with locks flying all over her face... more than three buttons were undone when she walked in his gaze went to what the opening offered, she surreptiously closed
the first from button... she wore the peace pendant (PMS? or War?)
"Coffee?" he asked not getting up from the couch or smiling
"Mmm... mmm" she said standing, her fingers in a nervous tangle... her eyes big and red... like she had stayed awake the whole night
He called Mrs Sagar "Coffee and breakfast? " "Please?" "thanks"
She smiled at II
II looked like she would jump out the window at the first opp...
Mrs Sagar teased her: You should sit, hes not your boss"
II didnt smile her eyes still fixated on him, he liked that, he preferred that because if she looked then he wouldnt wring her neck, if she didnt he would
She sat down quietly, her peace pendant dangled over the coffee table as she bent over she held her hand on her open shirt front
He saw anyway... FULL VIEWS of gauzy pink lace... sheer...
"Hi!" she said as if she had just entered the room
He didnt return the greeting
"What did you want on it?" he asked cutting the chase by 90%
"Ermm... abhi?" "Ummm... I ... I was thinking" she began
"Ofcourse" he said dryly "I can see it in ur goddamn eyes you were thinking and crying and awake
"What was the first one?" he twirled his locks, pausing on the keyboard waiting for her answer
"I wont change my last name?" she offered
"You want that on the prenup?" he asked mocking her crudely
ARE U OUT OF YOUR MIND? tone
"Ive never had to have a prenup written before so dont know" II shot back viciously, tired, unsure..and. afraid yet... supremely determined
His jaw dropped,in fury. Did she think he wrote those DAILY?
"But when I am through with this I'll know more" II said
Sending him over the edge withs emantics
"The marriage or drafting the prenup?" (THROUGH WITH WHAT?") tone cloaking his rage...
And they were... WHERE THEY BEGAN...
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