Part 70

Jan 1 2012

9:14 PM

The car wound its way thru Queen’s necklace… she appeared preoccupied as usual in the back seat…… Pradeep was braking slowly wondering if she was asleep.

Ritu was leaving in the morning, Dad and Bhayya had left Dadi told her…she hadn’t seen Amogh since last nite, Khushboo didn’t want him to mess with the party so Maria took him to a downstairs neighbor…. High society parties were a different ball game, kids were rarely invited… Bai and Aada had been to the temple just like she did to Mahalakshmi and Siddhi Vinayak, she had texted her husband asking if he could come “Sorry I cant” he had answered after a long pause……… “evening or tomorrow?” he had offered? “What time?” “9” he responded

She knew he wouldn’t make it…

“Koi baat nahi” she had typed in Hindi to be rewarded with a smile, Hindi always did that to him

He had pinged her again at 7 ish in the evening, “Howz that wrist?”

“Better” she told him

“Still not wearing ur brace?”

“Ofcourse I am” she lied back

End of conversation…

She looked out the window, she knew there would be no baby this year…. Or the next… he didn’t understand middle class dictates on family size… or he did but just did not care for it… Dadi blessed her in the morning… wishing for 3… that made her very happy…

Kaka and Kaki were planning to visit around the time Sonali was returning, because Kaka knew he could meet Aada… her bum of a Fa had declined the offer to drop his daughter off at Mumbai… Sonali wanted to be “independent” like Khanak di and travel alone but Khanak refused to let her…

While she was flattered to be an inspiration to her female cousins, Sonali was being a drag… she shut and opened her eyes to drown a thought… Sonali’s unexplained curiosity about Shaan… Khanak squirmed adjusting her seat belt…

They would all be here end of the week….

Pradeep: Bhabhiji bag le jaaon?

She looked up at him confused…

K:Oh! Jaldi aa gaye?

Pradeep wondered how 1.15 mins was “jaldi”

But then concluded for the quiet Bhabhiji even 4 hour commute is “jaldi”

K:Nahi koi baat nahi

She picked up her stuff and stepped out… her pallu trailing until she brought it under control………… it was fuchsia and gauzy……….. a slim mangal sootra sparkled around her neck… her diamond ear studs hidden behind her dark swathe of hair…

She punched numbers and waited………

The elevator glided to a soft golden halt… the doors opened to reveal her husband… dressed casualy, freshly shaved and showered……..

For a moment they couldn’t believe their eyes…

Pradeep tried not to look

He opened the trunk to clean…

She smiled “Aap?” she asked…

He grabbed her laptop bag and another paper bag and her lunch Thermos…

“Hey” he said… putting a foot between the doors as it withdrew…

“Are you leaving?” she asked curiosly looking at his grey suede shoes…

“Not anymore” he said firmly

She smiled…

He set everything down and approached her “Thanks for gift” he smiled

“Aapko mil gaya?” she asked smiling

“Just the kind I was missing”

She had bought him some special flash lense combination for his camera…

“What took you so long?” he asked

“I” she paused he smiled…

“Mujhe, main… 1 baje kaam par gayi”

“Yu should have just taken the day off”

“Not New Year’s!” shocked

He didn’t understand the relevance of being at work the first day of the year…

“Ritu aa gayi?”

“Nope” he said as the doors slid open…

They entered and Dadi noticed… “Jee khush ho gaya puttar” she said smiling at Shaan”

“I drove to Worli to get her”

“NAHI “ she countered..

Dadi calming her “Abhi gaya neeche 4 min hue, jhoota hai tera miya”

Shaan laughed…

Dadi “Let me get dinner served”

K:I will wash up”

She handed the prashad to Dadi… somberly

D:Aaj tum dono ladna nahi… bilkul

As if on cue both chorused “ I’ll try”

“