by MV Kasi
While he was waiting, he noticed someone on the opposite balcony.
At nearly eighteen years of age, Mahi was the most attractive thing he had ever seen. She was standing on her balcony right opposite to his room and was wearing a tight top and a skirt. Even though a twenty feet wide road separated their houses, he could still see her clearly.
Mahi didn't notice him at first and was standing quietly, looking forlorn, as though all the world's troubles were on her shoulders.
At eighteen, his body had been a cocktail of hormones. And with her loose curly hair and curvy body, she looked like a wet dream come true, and at the same time stimulated his protective instincts. Since he was a sucker for damsels in distress, he kept staring at her for a few minutes, until she caught him.
Mahi wasn't angry, shy or even remotely awkward. She simply looked at him and shrugged, as though asking him, 'what'? And then when he just continued staring at her in a daze, she just rolled her eyes and went back to her room.
He stood there like a fool, still staring at her empty balcony until the bag got overheated and burnt his hand slightly. Then looking sheepishly at the DLB(Dad's lunch box) prototype number one, he realized that it definitely needed some changes.
That night he had his first dirty dream about her. He was irritated by his body's reactions that seemed like a waste of time. But his evil mind kept conjuring up her sexy images at the most inappropriate times.
The next time he saw her up close was at their college. They both had been in their first year. He had insisted on going to a reputed local college to feed his inventions hobby. He felt that staying in a hostel in other more reputed distant colleges and worrying about mundane things like laundry, food or other necessities would just waste his time.
The other more driving reason was that he knew it was matter of time before he got into MIT or Stanford's PhD program. He wanted to spend time with his parents and sister as much as possible, before he left them for the four to six year program to complete his studies. He knew that he would eventually come back to settle in India, because that had been his plan right from the beginning.
When he saw Mahi up close, she looked even better. She wasn't beautiful or obviously pretty, but there was some sort of untamed wild energy about her, especially in the way she moved or carried herself. A lot of people wanted to associate with her. Most girls wanted to be like her and the guys wanted to date her, but only Sidhu was able to get her attention, and soon they became a couple just after three months of college.
Although probably to her, Sidhu was more like a trophy boyfriend. He frowned at the thought of Mahi and Sidhu together and felt that it was all wrong. Even though they were of the same age, Sidhu was still like an innocent boy who was not able to handle someone mean and headstrong as Mahi. Sidhu was always obeying her wishes and protecting her, rather than arguing or confronting her when she was wrong or hurt someone.
The first time she bullied someone was when some girl dared to sit in her spot at the cafeteria.
He looked at her with a sinking heart. It was difficult to digest that the undeniably gorgeous female had turned out to be an obnoxious bully.
So what if she was all of his adolescent fantasies come true? Maybe it was simply time for him to grow the hell up
Since then, he ignored her completely during the rest of the college years and focused on doing everything he could to get those scholarships.
Later when his sister, joined the same college as a junior in the following year, Mahi had made her life miserable for the next three years. He had to intervene a lot of times to defend and protect his sister from her. When everyone else ragged their juniors in harmless fun, Mahi went way too far with his sister.
*****
Samrat scoffed. Mahi was hardly a damsel in distress. In fact she was the one causing distress to people around her. As to the havoc she caused with her mean spirit, she has met her match. He wasn't a helpless poor adolescent boy anymore. He was a powerful man who could deal with her and make her life miserable, if she ever came close to him or his family.
When he lost his admissions after the cheating allegations, his mother had been heartbroken. For that alone he would never forgive her.
He had to get rid of her from that house and maybe send her back to the United States once the land sale was finalized. It was the only way he could get back his complete sanity.
CHAPTER 11
Sidhu had a short, but grueling day at work and was very excited to get back home a little early. It was seven thirty in the night and there was plenty of time to get ready for an exciting night he had planned along with his wife. Maybe I can even convince Anu to join me in the shower, he thought with a grin.
As soon as he entered the house, he saw that most of the household was still at home and were with grim faces.
"What happened?" he asked worriedly.
"Srishti got suspended from the school for a week. She even dragged Abhijeet and Abhinav along with her into trouble now," his mother announced dramatically.
Srishti was sitting on a chair with a sulky expression until then, and as soon as she heard her grandmother defend her cousins, she erupted. "How many times should I repeat? Are you deaf? It wasn't just my fault! They had challenged me and then cheated me in the card game, humiliating me and my friends. I was just reacting to their taunts, and our teachers caught us."
Ananya looked at Srishti icily. "Srishti! Apologize to dadi immediately. How many times have I asked you to watch your tone and language when you speak to your elders?"
Srishti sprang up from her seat. "You are always supporting them and not me. God I hate living here and I hate my life! And I especially hate her and them!" Srishti pointed furiously at her grandmother and her cousins and ran upstairs to her room.
"Come back here! Who said you could be excused and you haven't apologized yet!" said Ananya following behind Srishti.
Sighing, he followed behind them.
He heard his mother mutter "That girl needs to be sent to a girl's hostel. They will teach her proper manners. For shame. Being a girl and getting suspended from school."
Abhinav and Abhijeet looked slightly smug, but wisely kept quiet in front of their uncle.
He went to the third floor, towards Srishti's room which was on the opposite side of the stairs from Ananya's and his suite.
Ananya was banging on the door loudly. "Srishti, open this door right now! You are already in a lot of trouble as it is!"
He stood next to Ananya. "Anu, let me talk to her. Why don't you relax in our room for a while? I'll see you there shortly."
Ananya rubbed her temples with her fingers. "Let me ask your mother and the boys to leave for the party. Vipul and Sonia have already left an hour ago with your father. I want Srishti to stay home and think about what she did," she told him tiredly and left.
He sighed. "Srishti, this is papa. Open the door and let me in."
After a few seconds, the door was opened, and huge eyes that looked like Ananya's were swimming with tears and staring up at him.
"Papa!" Srishti sobbed and hugged him tightly.
"Hey! You know I hate seeing tears in your eyes," he murmured gently, stroking his daughter's hair. "You are almost a teenager now, remember? You need to deal with this like a big girl. So tell me what happened?"
"All of this is Abhijeet and Abhinav's fault. They have been teasing me badly and telling me things like...they are better than me...and that I will be sent to a girl's hostel soon until I get married off at a very young age. And...and...whenever I get better test results, they have been humiliating me in front of our classmates that my education will be of no use because...because... eventually I will just use it to tutor my future children and nothing else. They said no one wanted me in this house and...that even mummy and you—" she broke off on a sob.
He felt his chest tighten because he knew what she was about to say.
"Mummy and me what, Srishti? What did they say?" he grimly asked.
&n
bsp; Srishti's lip quivered. "That mummy and you didn't want me or any kids in the first place. And that you hated me because I was an accident. They were calling me ugly names in front of everyone because of that."
He never involved himself in the disciplining of other's children, but he was tempted to run down and knock his nephews' heads together to instill some respect and sense into their stupid heads.
He looked at his daughter's devastated face. "Srishti, you know how much mummy and I love you. You are the best thing that has ever happened in both our lives, and we didn't want or need any more children other than you. You complete our family," he told her earnestly.
Srishti stopped crying slowly and nodded.
He kissed her on top of her head. "I'll warn Abhijeet and Abhinav to not bother you anymore or they'll have to face me."
Srishti shook her head. "No papa. I can deal with them myself or they'll call me a coward. And it's dadi who is being unfair and instigating them to think they are better than me."
He sighed. "I know. She is from another generation. Ignore her outdated nonsense. And while I want you to stand up for yourself, I don't want you to get into trouble at school because of it, alright?"
Srishti nodded. "Okay, I promise. The suspension wasn't entirely my fault. Abhijeet and Abhinav along with other guys from our class challenged me and the other girls to a poker game after school behind our campus. They said that losers will have to admit that winners were superior to them. We were almost winning and I'm pretty sure they somehow cheated us. I got angry and yelled at them. One of the teacher's heard us, and saw us playing cards, and thought that we were gambling with money. So we got suspended."
"I'll speak to your teacher about what happened, but I don't want to do anything to reverse your suspension. All three of you have been involved in a scuffle. You have to face the consequences for it. Next time anyone bothers you, call me directly on my phone, okay? I might be busy, but you know I'll always make the time for you."
"Okay sure papa. Or I can bother Samrat uncle too. Did you know he offered me an internship for the summer? Everyone is going to be so jealous that I'd be working in a real job!" she said excitedly.
He smiled at Srishti's abrupt change in mood. "Good. Now, are you okay skipping the birthday party tonight? Mummy is still mad at you."
Srishti grinned. "Bahh, it was going to be a boring small children's party anyway. It was some ten year old boy's birthday party. I already ate an early dinner and I rather stay home to listen to my music. I was making another playlist for Samrat uncle."
Sidhu grinned back, thinking of Samrat's reaction to his daughter's typical teen girl's songs that she blared often on her music system. "Okay, enjoy your rest of the night then."
He kissed her again on top of her head and went to find his wife.
*****
Ananya asked her mother-in-law to go to the party along with her grandsons, and told them that Srishti wouldn't be joining them. After that she went into her bedroom suite and found Sidhu in the bathroom, showering. While she waited for him, she cleared up her office desk in the small study room next to their bedroom. Thanks to the family drama, I'll have to stay up most of the night to meet the deadline, she thought tiredly.
She heard Sidhu stepping out from the shower.
"What are you doing?" he asked from the doorway.
"Clearing up my desk to prepare for a long night." Then she looked at him guiltily. "Sorry for ruining tonight's plan."
"Your desk was already clear, and you just keep tidying things unnecessarily only when you are stressed. Come here."
When she went closer to him, he grabbed her playfully, to pick her and then push her down on their bed. He climbed on top of her and started to tickle her.
She began to giggle and laugh at his antics. "Sidhu, stop," she begged him several times through her giggling.
Soon he stopped and her laughter died when she saw his familiar hungry expression that told her of his need.
"Who says that our plans are ruined tonight? They were simply altered slightly," he whispered huskily, before kissing her senseless and making passionate love to her.
After sometime, when their breathing slowed down, she sighed contently. She was lying naked on top of her equally naked husband and he was stroking her back gently.
"You are right. My stress has lowered considerably in the past hour," she said.
She was staring at one of the pictures on their bedroom walls that Sidhu had taken when Srishti was born. It was a picture of Ananya holding her newborn baby in her arms and looking at her with love.
Sidhu smiled. "Glad to be of service."
He continued stroking her gently, making her feel relaxed and almost sleepy.
"Do you think I am a horrible mother and maybe that's why Srishti hates me now?" she asked.
"What? Are you crazy? You are an excellent mother and our daughter does not hate you. She is just going through some problems and handling it like any other girl of her age."
She sighed. "Well she refuses to listen to me and constantly blames me for not supporting her. I know all about how your nephews are teasing her and also that your mother is getting on to her nerves. I understand all of that...but I just don't know whether I'm being fair to her by not supporting her and by asking her to adjust all the time."
He drew her palm closer and kissed it. "Anu, you are doing the toughest job by being the parent who instills the discipline and respect. She will thank you for it someday. I'm just the playful parent who indulges her on occasion."
She raised her head from his chest to look at him. "Maybe I need to be a little playful too sometimes. I just feel so much pressure from the household drama, my writing and then Srishti...acting up from the past one year."
He sighed. "I know. And we are due a family holiday trip from the last year too. But with all the work I have pending, maybe we won't be able to have an extended trip. How about a smaller three or four day holiday trip to someplace?"
"Yes. That sounds good. I'll plan something soon."
Sidhu's stomach grumbled loudly, reminding him that he hadn't eaten since that afternoon. "Now get up woman, you have exhausted me enough and you haven't even fed me first."
"Oh my god! I totally forgot. Let's go down, there is a lot of food at home. I can heat up some for you."
She hurriedly got up and slipped on a night dress.
He laughed. "That's okay. You were overcome by lust seeing me naked and were too busy to think about my poor stomach. I had to deal with your hunger first before I dealt with mine," he teased, pulling on some night clothes. "You stay right here and finish whatever you need to work on. I think I can manage to find some food in the kitchen by myself."
She smiled at his typical response. He was always so outrageous and fun.
"Thanks Sidhu. For coming to Srishti's meeting this morning and for talking to her tonight."
She hugged him tightly.
He looked at her, smiling widely and flashing his dimples. "Of course I would help, Anu. I care, and I worry about my family all the time. I'm almost like a woman, but only in a hot and sexy man's body."
She whacked him playfully. "Modest as usual too, I see."
Sidhu gave her a quick kiss on her lips and left the room.
Sitting at her study desk, she prepared herself to work all night. She was still smiling and felt like the luckiest woman in the whole world to have a husband like Sidhu. It wasn't typical to see someone so involved and helpful.
Most husbands didn't think it was manly to share children's responsibility or help their wives in the daily grind, but Sidhu thank god had been different. She loved him even more for it and thanked god each day for the blessing.
But still somewhere a very small nagging self-doubt remained within her along with a sense of some strange foreboding that something or rather someone would shatter her happy life.
CHAPTER 12
It was the first week of March and a couple of weeks after Mahi arrived t
o Hyderabad. Surprisingly, she had fallen into a routine. Each morning, the newly hired domestic help and she cooked the meals for the day. Then she set out to complete some outside chores or shopped or did groceries. Later in the afternoon, she visited her aunt for an hour and came home.
Mahi went through her mental checklist and realized that there was nothing much left to do. Her aunt's final operation was scheduled next week and then after ten days, she would be discharged from the hospital. Her aunt told her that she was going to stay with two of her acquaintances, who were also widowed like her. Mahi had met the other ladies a few times and they appeared kind and friendly.
Rajeev was busy with his finals and visited his mother on alternate days. Mahi didn't want to disturb him either. She just called him briefly to let him know that his mother was doing well.
It was sometime in the afternoon and Mahi was bored out of her mind with nothing much to do for the rest of the day. I have to find a job soon or I will go crazy.
Feeling like having an ice cream, she put out a chocolate ice cream container from the freezer on the dining table. It would take about ten more minutes before the rock hard ice cream melted to the right consistency. Meantime, she remembered something important that she had to do.
She had found the land papers that Samrat wanted to buy from her. Strangely he hadn't contacted her about them, and neither had she seen him since the last two weeks.
And she did look into his house, into his bedroom through the upper balcony. The lights were turned off and she could only see some over-the-top motion sensors that were set up like laser beams all over his bedroom and most likely his entire house.
She grabbed the land papers and set out to his house to drop them off as a peace offering, and also to apologize again to him for her past actions. After that she had another boring evening to look forward to at her house.
