This content was originally posted by: -pixie-Update???? Pliss, Pretty Pliss!
<Yeah I know- Greedy, rude, etc etc>
Part 4: Between father and son
He looked outside the window as he removed his tie, his thoughts travelling back to that summer he had seen her for the first time. She had worn a white sari with red border that ran up to her knees, hair plaited and a red churidhar that covered the length of her leg up to her feet. The patch of bells around her anklets, singing a jingle with each step she had taken towards the bus stop, guiding him like GPS as he cycled some 25 feet away. He couldn't assess quickly what the attraction factor had been like the way he had suddenly discovered his passion for ternary fission process that day; also happening to be the same day he had undoubtedly decided that he was cut out for the physics of fission and fusion. Mentally charting out the possibilities, he had followed her like being caught in a trance, all the way to kalakshetra, even when she had not been in sight while she had boarded the bus. The result, as it had appeared and had remained unchanged ever since; it was her eyes; thick khol lined edges, with lashes that curved slightly to shield her brownish hued iris, which to him could zap any man out within a 1 mile radius. Apparently he had felt she could cause more collateral damage than that of a neutron gun. He smiled widely at that thought.
Somethings never change. Do they? He couldn't agree more as he had watched her sing this evening, with the same zest and ardor he had laid eyes on her that winter evening. There was something about seeing her in her dance costume day after day those four summers; it had made him pine for her ardently and push her out of his mind all at the same time, considering she had been way out of his league. He was, for lack of a better word, a dork and had looked the part during his entire time there. Now, actually since yesterday the same dream had become his reality, putting him on shaky grounds as he tried to live each moment fighting to make sense if he was part of a dream or not.
But as the warmth from reminiscing his glorious past filled his body, he sensed his archrival for the day enter the room. His dad thundered the room as he entered huffing and puffing.
"Don't expect you not to show up at your own wedding's sangeet.."
Maan had left the venue right after he had shortly met with Adhi and Meera; the only ones who knew of his silly attack of a revenge on her.
As his father caught sight of his horrendous choice for clothes, he could not contain his shock. Clutching the side of his chest, he moved in closer as he swallowed the possibility that his mind now posed.
"Good heavens. Please don't tell me you actually came with those and scared the life out of her..."
He turned and smiled in agreement while he loosened up his suspenders. His father sat by the edge of the bed and held his forehead in exasperation.
"Look I have my sources...Vasu didn't tell me, but I think she is not happy either...You have no right to play with her...She is not the one who is trying to jail you in this marriage..." His father said and he could hear his father's voice break with unhappiness towards the end. Definitely not wanting to torcher his father anymore he walked to sit next to him.
"Do you think it's all a bit unexpected? Do you need more time?" His father asked, worry showing up with every word that came out of him.
"A bit?" He gave out a sarcastic smile "That's the understatement of the century Dad" He said as his father continued to nurse his furrowed forehead.
"Well I can't help but ask...how can you be so sure that I'm not secretly married or have a relationship going there"
"What do you think?...I have my sources there...you have been spending 15 hour days in the lab and sometimes you sleep off on the corridor seats" He continued still rooted to the same spot on the bed.
"You spied on me dad?" His anger was now reaching the roof, making the room hotter than it should be. He get off the bed to face his father.
"What else do you want me to do? You have ignored every proposal I sent your way...I could not help think you were...not into girls..."
That jilted Maan into another mood, for he could not contain a laugh while still surprised at his dad's inference.
"You thought I was gay?...Good one dad" He didn't know how they did it, but parents just had to imagine the worst of every situation.
"So...just assure me that you will keep her happy...don't turn out to be a psycho on her once you both start living under the same roof" His father got up to hold his hands in a plea. He simply smiled as he contemplated if he should tell his father about his juvenile interest in her some 8 years ago.
"And you guys think I and her'who is perpetually lost in her hatred for all non-tamilians will co-exist'?" Unable to contain the logic out of their ploy, he burst out at his father.
"Its all sort of an emergency arrangement...given you were only for a short while' but you are handling it well No?" His father really wanted to escape the self-doubts that were arising again.
"Dad unfortunately only labs have emergency exits...but none in real life...so yes I have to handle it" he said as he removed his hands from his fathers clasp and moved away to look out the window. More so to hide any discernible expressions that might crop up on his face; he was still unsure of the effects on him, when he was drunk senseless in her thoughts.
"I don't know if this will ease your tension...but I sort of..." He paused, hesitated and drew blank for the right choice of word.
"During my research tenure at the Chennai campus... I have sort of noticed her... "
Growing ecstatic at what Maan was trying to convey, he jumped in to cut him off.
"I knew it the minute you didn't run away from Singapore...you love her"
"Oh! Common dad. I said noticed...not love...they are essentially different things and eons away" He said animating his hands in a range of movements, embarrassed at having been interpreted for possessing such strong emotions for her. Love, for one was definitely not something he knew or dared to accept he had for anyone from the opposite sex.
"You can call it a crush, and I'm not discussing this anymore"
But before his father could respond, his cellphone rang and it was Adhi. A very distressed voice caught his attention, alerting his spine to erect with such force that it pushed his father to fear ignorantly at that same moment.
"Ok...I will be there in 20 mts" He waited a brief second before he finished off the call with "No I will take the auto"
Cutting the call, he quickly pulled off his crime of the year, that being his clothes and changed into a T-shirt and jean. Right after which he had disappeared in a flash before his father could enquire. His speed and nervousness could only dictate in response to a grave matter. It was indeed...Geet was not in her bed at 11.00 in the night.
To be continued...
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