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PART 18 ||
Manvi's
POV:
Life is so strange - the
humdrum of our daily lives seems so irrelevant on that particular day, while it
is happening. When I was growing up, everything was assumed to go through in a
specific way. Like for example, my dad always picked up the newspaper and milk
packets from the front gate early every morning. My mom always made breakfast
and gave us coffee. It is such a simple task and I assumed that it is always
going to be like that in my life.
I love my dad and
mom to bits, but what if sometime in the near future they aren't with me
anymore - How would my life be? How come we don't think about these things,
which we know for a fact are bound to crop up, for sure, at some point in our lives?
How much will I miss those simple things they do for me? Seeing my dad go so close to death reinforced the value of what I
already have with me. Life is so strange. It
is so uncertain, yet we live in denial of this simple fact. And on the other
hand, this denial is what makes our life blissful. Right? Life is so strange.
Not too long ago, if someone
would have told me that I would be married to my sister's husband and be madly
in love with him, I would have laughed at them. Yet, it happened. Again, when I
married Virat, it was a sure thing for anyone to think that we would all come
face-to-face one day - me, dad, mom, simmi, virat. But, somehow, I
never ever really thought of how it would be like between the five of us at
that point. We were a closely knit, loving family at one point of time. We
still are, but so much has changed and Simmi had kind of drifted apart -
voluntarily, from us. I had never envisioned it would be a mundane thing that I
would be sitting in front of Simmi with Virat, as his wife and Simmi would be
with a different guy. And that this would be a normal daily scenario? Life is
so strange.
"Mannu..." Virat breaks my
train of thoughts. I glance back and smile. He had come back from work. He
looked tired and beaten down - everybody is. It had been a week since my dad
was admitted in the hospital. He is doing really well now and they said we can
all go home really soon.
Virat comes and pecks me on
my cheek. These days, I have this overwhelming feeling that when he is not with
me, I am somehow not complete. Does this happen with everyone? I don't know. I
keep craving for his company so much. Even when I am surrounded with ten other people,
if he isn't with me, a part of me is alone. I look at him and smile some more.
He folds his hands around me and hugs me.
"Virat?"
"Umm, give me a second,
baby. I had a really long, exhausting day." He tightens his embrace and lets
out a deep sigh.
Aw! Heaven. I close my eyes
and hug him back. Will I ever get used to this? I love this man so much! When he finally releases me, he is
still clutching my shoulders and looking at me, examining me.
"Somebody has their thinking
face on.." he comments and puts his laptop bag on the couch I was sitting on.
"Did he eat?" he asked
looking at papa sleeping peacefully on the bed beside me.
"Yeah. He ate and then he
wanted me to read the newspaper. He said I am not reading it right and it made
him sleepy, so he slept."
"Well, you said he is still
on the pain-killers. They must make him drowsy right?"
"Right Dr.Vadhera." I tease.
"How was your day?" I ask.
"You should really get your
mom home. She has fallen asleep in the lounge again." he collapses on the couch
in front of me and closes his eyes with his palm.
"You didn't answer me."
"Later, I don't want to talk
about it right now."
Oh shit, something is really
wrong. I know that his deal was not signed and there were making a big fuss
about Virat leaving abruptly in between the talks. I feel so guilty. He is just
climbing back up and I don't want any hurdles in his work and I definitely do
not want to be ONE of those hurdles.
"Did you upgrade? You have a
brooding face now. Mannu, everything is fine, a minor hitch at work, I will
deal with it. Let us deal one thing at a time, please? Right now, I want to
talk to the doctor about discharge."
I nod, agreeing. I miss
home. Mom and Dad do too. It has been a week since I haven't been home. Mom
does not want to leave dad at the hospital and I cannot leave mom alone. So, we
both have been literally camping in here.
He raises and frowns looking
at me. "Hey, where is that crazy chulbuli Mannu? We need her right now. We don't
need this over-thinking, over-analyzing old lady - god, what have I done to
you?"
"You messed me up!" I told
him with my hands on my hips.
"Yeah? How?" he smirks.
I frown. He just smiles and
leads me out, holding my hand.
"We are still not talking
about your sister?" he asks.
I look at him surprised.
Simmi had been at the hospital on and off and Virat just refuses to acknowledge
her presence. It is sometimes very, very uncomfortable for me. Especially Virat
isn't like how he was before in front of everyone. Even though we have been married
for some time now, we weren't really husband and wife in the true sense; but now, he is very expressive. Some of the things he does, just through me off balance.
They shouldn't, because they are very much expected in between a couple - I am
used to seeing my parents like that; even Priya and Rahul. But, somehow, I am
inhibited and I think Virat noticed it and he is not happy about it.
Like if he is sitting beside
me, he invariably holds my hands and when he comes back to me from work, he has
to hug me. These and other small display of emotions, or intimacy, so to speak
- well on one level, make me susceptible to a whole lot of teasing from bhabhi
and mom and Rahul - I can even deal with that, they are happy for us. But, when
he does this in front of Simmi, I feel guilty somehow and Virat is cool and
indifferent to it. I don't know what that small prick in my heart is about? I
guess it is the way she looks at us. Or it is just in my head - years of
watching them both together is making me feel like a third person, an intruder? And
to think about how I was' a very socially expressive person before, adds a lot
more to the confusion. I just am so lost - I feel so changed and lost in sync
with my old self - I think' so much these days and I am not used to this much
of thinking. Usually, it is just what I feel like doing. But, these internal
inhibitions and feelings are making me a completely different person.
"Oh, she is my sister now?
Not your ex?" I quip sarcastically.
"Well, she is here as your
sister, not as my ex." He retorts.
"She is here as a daughter."
I point out.
"Well, whatever Manvi. I am
just concerned about you. You seem different. I don't know if it your father or
if it her hanging around here. I don't want anything bothering you."
It is her and the way she
acts with you like nothing has changed between you both. She does not
acknowledge the fact that I am your wife now. And she talks to everybody but me
- it is like I do not exist.
"It won't." I simply tell him.
"Hmphh..." he gives me a long
stare. "Let's get your dad discharged."
So, that day, we took my dad
home. He hasn't been talking much and he is resting most of the time. Virat's
work is a mess because of me, he is just too tired dealing with me and family
and hospital and work. I am worried for him. I am worried for mom - the whole
thing has shaken her up. Most importantly, I am very wary about Simmi being
around. I feel like Virat is slipping away from me, even though he hasn't given
me even a tiny iota of reason to feel this way.
The whole gang was at my
parents place, including Simmi and her guy and it is these kind of gatherings
that make me more wary. I am in the kitchen with Priya and we were just fixing
some snacks. Dad was in the living room and everybody was sitting around just
chatting.
"Hey!!" Priya screams in my
ear and I turn to her bewildered.
"Why are you shouting?" I scream back.
"What happened to you? You are
always in some other world? Did that bitch say something?"
"No. Can you keep it down a
little?"
"Manvi, I am worried about
you."
"Then don't. DO NOT worry
about me. I am fine. Why does everyone keep worrying about me? Worry about dad,
he is the one who is sick, not me. Just let me be, okay?" I snap at her.
"What's going on?" Virat
comes in curiously. Great, as if she isn't inquisitive enough.
"Your wife is crazy. Please
talk to her." Bhabhi mutters to Virat and leaves with the snacks.
Virat walks to me and stands
in front of me. He doesn't say anything. He is just looking at me with that
probing look of his.
God! Stop it!!!
I just hand him a glass of
juice which he takes without turning his eyes of me.
"I think I will stay with
mom for a few days." I told him.
He doesn't reply anything.
"STOP STARING AT ME LIKE
THAT!"
"Like what?"
"LIKE I AM A f**kING NUT
CASE."
He laughs.
"Virat, please drink the
juice and eat something. You haven't eaten anything since morning."
"Manvi..." he holds my hand, comes
closer cups my face with his other hand. "I don't know what's going on in your
head and know you won't tell me today. That's okay. Whatever is eating you, let
me just tell you that it is all going to be fine. All these are just passing
clouds and you are I will get through things. Your dad is doing so much better
already and he is lucky to have a daughter like you. My work is going to be
fine too. If things get out of hand, I will go back to calif for a couple of days and
sort things out."
"When will you go?"
"I don't know. Maybe I will.
Maybe I won't."
"Oh?"
"When are you going to join the hospital?
You were supposed to join on the first. It is the 4th today."
"Once, papa starts walking." I tell him.
He lifts my chin up and makes me look up into his eyes. "I love you a lot, you know
that right?"
"Do you?"
"You will be amazed, how
much. And I miss your smile and I miss our little bubble." he tells me.
I smile and start blushing. He
is gazing at me with a crooked smile. "I miss our bubble too."
"Ah, there you go - my beautiful,
maniacal wife." He leans in and gently grazes my lips with his. Oh my god! I
cannot believe how much I missed this. My lips respond immediately and I kiss
him back, gently taking his lower lip and he smiles and crashes onto me - kissing
me, deeply and passionately.
Holy cow!
..
..
..
"Can I help you? SIMMI?" we
hear Priya's voice and I break apart. I look at the door and Simmi was looking
at us bewildered and Priya was standing behind her, hands folded and looking at
her with a what-the-hell-do-you-want look. Simmi glares at me and I shudder.
"Yo! Don't you have something
to do other than mindless glaring?" Priya snaps her finger in front of Simmi.
Simmi glares at her too. But
Priya, she glares right back at her. That's so rude!
"I wanted to talk to Virat?"
"About?" Priya demanded. Why can't I be like that?
Because you still love Simmi, my conscious told me.
She looked cornered and
Rahul also joins. Everyone is looking at Simmi for an answer. Simmi was looking
at my hand that Virat was holding. I try to take it back but Virat does not let
go. He clasps it more strongly.
"To ask if I could get some
of my old clothes back. I had left a lot of them behind when I left...the house."
"I don't think Virat lives
in a museum with historical artifacts'" Priya laughed.
Virat had a small smile on
his face but he doesn't say anything. When Simmi looked to him. "I don't have
any of your stuff Simmi." He tells her politely.
"You threw my stuff?" Simmi looked at him shocked.
It is this look that bothers me the most. The look, that connection they have..had ..I don't know. It is like she feels she still has some kind of a right on mu husband.
"I didn't have any space to
spare and frankly, I didn't think you would come back for them after a certain
point."
Simmi looked down and left
silently. She looked shocked. Virat sat down at the table having his juice.
"What was all that about? Please take your ex-wife back to the crack house. She doesn't
belong in the society normal people dwell." Priya comments coming in.
Virat just shrugged.
"That Sameer is getting on
my nerves." She continued telling Virat while I was fixing a sandwich for him.
He likes them with peanut jelly - yes, my husband secretly likes kiddish food.
"Just
because he is won a f**king award, does not mean he he can comment on the way my boss took
care of uncle. My boss is the best cardio surgeon the whole city. That Sameer
insults him one more time and I am burying him alive."
"Wife, you are a doctor, you
are supposed to save lives." Rahul quips cheerfully.
"Sameer is an exception to
the oath I took to save lives. I can add you to the exceptions list too. Don't bug
me, I am having quite a day." She started fighting with Rahul.
Clearly, Priya is in a very foul
mood.
"PMSing much?" Rahul
laughed.
"Rahul, you are a jerk."
Virat joined in.
"Bite me.."
They started their banter.
Virat comes and puts his
hand around me. "You okay?"
"Yo Romeo, Juliet - get a
room."
"Yes, that's right. My wife doesn't
romance and doesn't let others romance either." Rahul frowns at Priya.
"Romance? With you it is
just flatulence."
Virat dies laughing.
Rahul opens his mouth in
shock and runs to kill her. They are running around and Rahul says "Our marriage works best when you have night shifts. That way, I can sleep peacefully...tiger ki
ammi"
..
Entertaining couple as always, they were.
"Mannu, Virat. Dad wants to
talk to you guys." Mom comes in and tells us.
~~~
Edited by bluebolt - 10 years ago
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