Part 61--Scoop of Life--Raghav!!

Saket
February 2011
8:59 PM
She paced her room, agitated, terrified. She had no idea what prompted her to admit the existence of Raghav to her parents. The nightly conversations all of last week from Kanpur? She had been on the phone with him almost an hour every nite, until she had to hang up due to other calls. Her team's work was undeniably good, Ashwini Kumar the Enforcement Director was forced to offer some assurances. She was able to meet with a couple of local NGOs to draw up a plan for future steps.


The growing attraction was beginning to be acknowledged by both, though not in so many words but the way they sought each other out. He smiled when she texted him during the day "Lunch?" she would text. "Sure! Noon?" he would ask.
They talked about the most "coy predictable" things to do during dates, he played along offering lame ideas "Lodhi Gardens mein haath pakadkar chalen?" "Eat with one spoon?"
She was dying to know how "knowledgable" he was, she asked him about his first kiss, he said he didnt remember. She asked him how many girlfriends he had, and what number she was.... he said 7 or 8, he couldnt remember!!
She couldnt speak for a while after that....
"You just made that up!" she accused him later
"Ofcourse!" is all he would say........


"Busy?" he would ask some day around Noonish she would respond with a smiley face. He noticed her texts were short and sweet. But she more than made up for it when they talked each nite. She got a cold, he fussed, wondered if she would return sooner because of it, she laughed and asked him to bring some tomato soup and a romantic paperback "How romantic?" he asked...............


There was a knock on her door, she stared at it petrified.... the door opened.... it was Papa.
Sushil: Radhu? (smiling nervously)
Rad: Jee?
Sushil: Ready beta? (knowing fully well that she hadnt even taken off the long scarf trail off her shoulder)
Rad: Papa, Ma kahan hai?
Her Mom followed, as if on cue, she was shocked............ pretending to be normal
Sudha: Can we talk Radhoo?
Rad: Nahi! (guilty, evasive, fighting the reddish hue on her cheeks)
Sushil tried to signal his wife "Rachit aur Ananya aate honge" "Not to mention their friends"
Sudha: Kaun hai tumhara boyfriend Radhu?
Radhika wanted to flee, she rinsed her face, soaped and rinsed again, splashing water all over the counter by the sink...... her Mom was by the bathroom door
Sushil: Sudhaaaa, chhodo us baat ko! Not today! (softly authoritative)
Sudha: Rachit se kya kahenge hum? Sorry beta, Radhu ka boyfriend suddenly paida ho gaya kahin se? (angry)
R buried her face in her towel "I only get a bucket of water every morning" she had complained while in Kanpur, Raghav had "invited" her to his pool for a "soak" after she returned..........
"And while you fantasize that I must look a Victoria Secret's model, I must tell you I look even better" she had declared smugly........ albeit terribly nervously
"I know!" he had responded huskily......

Her Mom shook her!
Sudha: Kya naam hai uska? Dilli ka hai?
She lifted her face, it was pink and flushed, and squeaky clean.......... her eye brows and lashes were still moist
Sushil paced his daughter's room, peeking out the balcony very few minutes.......... he wanted to know as well, but pretended to be calm.
He wished Rachit's friend would be it! He tucked his hands into his pocket
Most of his nieces were married by 22...... affluent.... yet traditional.... his daughter being single at 24 bothered him, it indicated yet again that he had failed.........."if the family still owned and operated the brass factory Radhika would have been married with a child by now"
Sudha was way more progressive in her thoughts than he was, she believed strongly  in women having careers. Sudha though had to HAVE one due to economic compulsions in her side of the family.
she didnt regret it.....

Radhika and her Mom were having a staring match
Sudha: Waise chup honey ka naam nahi leti, abhi she cant say a word....
Sushil can hear footsteps on the stairs
Gopi :Aunty gas band kar doon? (peeks thru the door)
Sudha: Hmm (distracted still staring at Rad)
Sudha: i think we should just let her be Sushil (calmly, looking away)
Rad picked out clothes
Sushil: Good! (half heartedly)
Sudha: iski jitni chinta karo utni hi ziddi hoti jaa rahi hai!
Rad: No wedding then? (grinned)
Sudha: Nope! But I want to know the name of your boy friend (smiled gleefully)
Radhika: Raghav! (causing her mouth to go dry)
Sushil stared at the front door wondering if he should answer the bell............. while turning around and registering the shock of the name announced by his darling daughter!!!