Part 6
Mangal Kunj
Dec 15th 2011
9:22 AM
She turned sideways in bed… the morning sun played hide
and seek from between the swaying curtains… the split air conditioner blew a
gust of air in the curtain’s path…
She stretched… turned the other way and looked… there was
nobody… or… that somebody was gone!!!
His wet towel lay on the center… she pulled it… it was
moist and heavy… and the scent of Acqua wafted to her nostrils……
“There is another word in Hindi I need to teach you, its
“Haan” he had muttered fiercely in her ear, nipping it…
She had pushed him away...
“Khanak.. please” finally the please had come…
“Umm..Mmm” was all she would say..
He teased… she pretended to sleep…
“Iam supposed to be mad at you, you’ve been gone TWO days
I gave you permission for none” his leg insinuating between hers…
“Permission” she repeated…
“granted?” he countered nailing her with words unspoken
laughing openly… as she wiped her ear and jaw on his tee
“Shant” he kissed her… before she could finish… they
floated and blended… and arm wrestled.. as he overpowered her… her frilly
nightshirt… hung on the nightstand…. She clutched a handful of his hair… he
groaned… sighed and yawned..but wanting to finish the project at hand… but
sleep was not willing to back off…
His breathing steadied… face buried in her cleft…and his
weight on her pressed her down… as he slept… with her secure…. Beneath him…
She checked the time “9:33 AM” the clock said, it was
some fancy ipad like tall digital clock… very unique… it had a thermometer and
Sirius and world weather and such………
Her phone lay beside it… it did not urge her to pick it
up…. It never did… she either forgot to answer it or carry it many times… on
their trip to Seychelles, they had been to Le Jardin Du Roi Spice Garden… an 18th century
French legacy to Seychelles…rows of vanilla vines, citronelle, cinnamon, pepper
and nutmeg grew everywhere,… she wandered when he answered a phone call… and
was terrified…. With no phone… all she carried was the tour/transalation book,
that had French and Creole… she sat down under a tree and formed a sentence to
say “I need to find my husband”
She repeated it………… many times… perfecting her French….
Until she found him………..She had clung to him in fear
…he had made her repeat that in bed that nite…. Many
times……………..
“There are so many Indian immigrants in Seychelles
Khanak” he reminded her of the South Indian temple they went to last nite… on
her insistence…
“You are always on the phone” she had complained
“I am talking with you now” she countered gently…
She had walked away upset… he ran to catch up with her
“Phir se kho jaaogi”
“Khanak”…
I would just live here then” she told him…
“Can I visit?”
“Sure, that would be nice…” she played along…
“Where would I stay?” he teased gently
She had looked up at him….. like she was saying “Where
elsewould you stay? Ofcourse With ME!!”
“Then say it” he demanded
She looked away… afraid of what he wanted…as her heart
lurched painfully…
There was a knock on the door
She rushed out of bed… ran to her closet and changed out
of her skimpy “dress” into a capri night suit… and opened the door
It was HL
“Koi kaam tha?” she asked politely
“Jee Dadi neeche breakfast ke liye baithi bola aapko
dekhkar aaoon” he smiled his toothy smile
She smiled back
“Abhi” she said gently
Brushed her teeth vigorously,,, the votive candles had
been rearranged to a sad face… she understood the reference and blushed
gloriously…
Walked back to bed… wiped her face with his towel… took
the other towel from the night before… shaking her head in frustration,… it
looked like her husband had worked in the morning… there were papers strewn all
over the lounge area of the bedroom, there were old fashioned blue prints and
some paper files with Maharashtra state govt logo… it made her hopping mad…
“Iam not going to tidy THAT”
She told herself… walking downstairs
Dadi: First day of life as a Senior architect? (smiled)
Khanak:Thanks (shy)
Dadi: It’s a chocolate breakfast… its in pancakes, its in
your milkshake and its in the donuts…
Khanak reached for it overjoyed…
HL heaped strawberries… fresh… diced… on to her plate..
“Was Shaan happy?”
“Umm”
“Beta”
“I was asleep Dadi (until he woke me), matlab… main so
gayi, so I couldn’t talk
“He doesn’t know?” (disappointed)
“Umm..mmm.. (scarfing down on her food)
“Aaj chhutti kar lo, we can go celebrate”
Khanak’s eyes danced… “Ranbir ke ghar lekar chalengi?” “I
heard he lives in Khar?”
Dadi smiled at her fondly “Unlike Khushboo, she was so
unpretentious…. Simple… very middle class” “Everything Khushboo is not, yet she
is more poised and elegant”
“Shaan naraaz hoga agar tum Ranbir se mili”
Khanak looked at her donut… trying not to turn crimson
Dadi: “Take the day off beta”
Khanak: Is Mom back? (softly)
Dadi: She is… on her way
Khanak:I have to work with a new team Dadi… plus work
with the benefits people to get the arrears… for the raise” (softly)
Dadi: What are you going to buy for yourself?
Khanak looked surprised, never used to thinking about
herself… “I want to buy you something”
“I don’t want dentures” Dadi flashed her own sparkly ones
Khanak laughed…
As the home phone rang..
Dadi answered… “We are busy”
She listened “Ranbir, her and I” she said
Khanak knew who it was…
Dadi handed her the phone.
“Hey” he said..
“Aap?” she asked
“Who is this Ranbir?” he asked
“Some one Dadi wants me to meet” she said.. playing with
a slippery strawberry…biting her lower lip to hide the smile
“A guy with a name like that........... I have nothing to
fear” he concluded smugly much to his wife’s chagrin
