Part 41--Scoop of Life--Urge...

Feb 11th 2011
Friday
Saket
9:14 PM

She is on the phone, while trying to listen to music, the TV is on, full blast, and the balcony door is open, letting in some of that cool winter air........... the traffic slowing down quite considerably after 9......

Her parents were at a wedding, Ahluwalias from C block......... their daughter's wedding at Panchsheel Club..... she declined to go, she had been at work from 7 and was able to get off at 8 ish....... she had missed her lunch date..........
Afternoon session was a torture she looked at her phone multiple times...... she had called him at Noonish to let him know....... "he sounded disappointed" she thought smugly.......... "I should have asked him to meet me at work, I could have seen him" she smiled at the balcony railing............
"Tu suddenly itni chup kyon hai?" her friend complained at the other end
"Nahi to" she lied, glibly
"Aaj 90% time maine baat kiya hai"............ her friend accuses
"Aaj main kaam par saara din boli hoon"
"When has THAT vere deterred you from talking after work"
"I wonder what he is doing right now!" she thought.............. looked at her phone again...........
"Chal meri Mom chilla rahi hai, she wants me to go to Chandni Chowk tomm...... this wedding thing is crazy yaar"
Her friend, one of 1764 (?) was getting married next month......
Its that time of life! For ALL her friends...........
sudha had talked to her earlier in the evening about Sarthak Trivedi....... he worked at Citibank she said....... they were planning to visit the next day..........
She thought about her "Geek"
"RADHOOOOO" "Are you even listening?"
""Sorry there was some one at the front door" Radhika says
"Gotta go gurl" says her friend
Radhika hangs up and goes and lays on the bed......
Its Gopi's evening off
She went to see her sister in Mehrauli........
She scrolls her call list........... there is a 98 number called at 12:07 PM today........ she hits it. and the now so familiar agitation takes over, her insides sway and roll like clothes in a washer................ smiles, bites her lower lip, calm herself down a lil, as her lip trembles..........
"Busy ho?" she asks nervously when he picks up on FIRST ring!!
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Feb 11th 2011
Friday
9:09 pm
Golf Links
Dadi: Hi! love....
He smiles as he strolls in..... he is wearing blue jeans and a white shirt.......... he takes his glasses off and rubs his eyes........ Mridula walks out of the study, she is proof reading her manuscript for the next book..... she has her glasses on.....
He sets his glasses by his Dadi as he sists down

Mridula and dadi exchange a look

Dadi: Corp Office mein the?
Raghav: Hmmm...
The women smile, satisfied
Dadi: Krishan ne bahut kaam to nahi karwaya tumse? (hugs him fondly)
He smiles again in response
Mridula signals a help to bring something to eat for him
Ruchira walks down the stairs "Bhai yeh memory module waise apne aap unclip ho jaata hai slot se. Can you come see what i did wrong?"
His eyes light up for a moment....... he smiles at her and nods

Mridula: Atee aur Anu bhi aaye?
Raghav: (he shakes his head), they car pooled with Chachu this morning..... (so they took my car)
Dadi: Tum kaise aaye?
Raghav: nayana dropped me... (confident, careless)
Mridula is not happy "Nayana didnt want to come in?"
Raghav: No... she had to call a friend,.........." (stops)
Ruchira takes her bro's glasses....... and wears them for kicks....
He pulls on her pony tail...... "Aaah" she yelps
Mridula" Raghav beta.." (annoyed)
Raghav smiles
Ruchira pushes him on the couch and tackles him, Dadi takes his glasses and sets it on the end table, under the Tiffany lamp........
Ruchira and dadi and Mridula talk about weekend plans and when Krishan was expected to return and Padmini being off this weekend from work, and wondering if they should go to Bijwasan their farmhouse........
Mridula talks about being rushed for their move to Aurangazeb Rd....
Dadi: Tum chali jaana isko lekar to talk to the realtor?
The free spirit is lounging letting Ruchira tie up his hands in knots......... huffing and panting......... he is extremely physically fit........ thanks to those triathalons............
Krishan would mock him for being a "free spirit, not taking life seriously" he would say "Ab aur kitne saal lagenge isko to try to figure himself out?"
None in that family could deny that he had a startling business sense, WHEN he wanted to deploy it.....
Mridula looks at her son
He meets her eyes..... there is a silky lock of hair blocking his view...... his favorite side parting all messed up now........ the straight thick hair sitting like a crown around his forehead........... making him look 18....... and VULNERABLE

Mridula, kisses his forehead and inhales "Chaloge tum Wednesday ko?"
"Off to Kanpur Mom" he answers........ the first spoken sentence in 20 or so minutes
He pins Ruchira down.......... wordlessly
They drop to the rug...........
His dogs return from their "nightly walk" and leap on him........
The other help has set the dinner table
He pulls his sister's cheeks "Where is Rohini" he asks, concerned
Dadi" Woh 8 baje ke baad kabhi jagi hai?" says something in Punjabi, her grandson smiles.........
His phone rings.......
He looks at the number and combs his hair with his fingers to form a rough parting again...... feels his soul patch as he answers "Hi!" on FIRST RING......
Ruchira is giving her Dadi a foot massage, laying on the rug........
Gin and Tonic follow him to the front yard....... as he slides open the huge French doors...........