Casa 15 Part 203 B on 136 - Page 53

Khanak: I hate your phone!

Shaan breathes deeply, laying over her……….

The phone wont stop ringing

He reaches for it

Looks at her apologetically "Its Nachiket, Khanak" (begs)

She is apalled, he  wants to answer it

She tries to push him to the side, he wont budge, answers the call

Nachiket:Hey Gujral, where are you?

sHAAN: You've got to have the world's most lousy sense of timing! (barks)

Nachiket: Goodmorning to you too

Shaan: Whatever

N:Where are you? Why are you not on the 8 AM?

Khanak pushes him with force and gets up, tries to grab her shirt, he pulss on it, she lets it go, and grabs his tee and wears it, her hair is open now………

S: Where do you think?

N: why are you so upset? You couldn't have been asleep, I know you can function well on 3 hrs each nite

S:Take a guess boss……..

N:were you in the middle of?... how can that be, you guys are separated arent you?

Khanak is long gone

S:I am here in Delhi, does that give you a clue? (sarcastic)

Nachiket laughs out loud "Ouch!" he says

S: Bloody Ouch!

N: People are waitin for you, do you want to dial into the conference bridge or go back to more entertaining pursuits?

S: She has left already, I will dial in, give me 10 will you for a icy cold shower

N: take 20 Gujral!

S: You are too kind!

Pause

N:I am sorry man! (softly)

S: Nevermind. Just promise to miss me, if she kills me alright?

N:I am already planning a memorial.

Click!

The house is quiet, he gets up swiftly, walks inside, she is standing by the window, wearing his tee, sipping her chai. She doesn't turn around

He is afraid to approach her, he knows she must be hopping mad

He goes back to the living room and dials in

She finishes her chai, starts readying for work, she acts as if he does not exist, he is part amused part sympathetic.

He knows she will shut off and be gone emotionally.

She reheats his chai tho!

Makes calls, a lil kid drops off egs, she makes him some, does apear any where near him, lest he grab her.

Wears one of her lovely traditional salwar suits, packs some pasta for lunch, leftovers from last nite. Without giving him a second glance, talks to Ritu,  a cousin, he is not sure if its Sonali or Mehul. When she is all done, she glares at him, standing 5 feet away, he looks for his tee, its on her nightstand, neatly folded, it smells like roses now.

He wears it back on, and continues to be on the phone

They step out, just in time for the neighbor to peek out and watch curiosly

Shaan offers to hold her laptop bag, she sets it on the floor by the door and locks up.

The neighbor, goes over to her balcony and watches them leave in the car.

The week flies by, she shops with Samar one evening at Janpath, buying both expensive jewelry, and trinkets. He buys her dinner and drops her off just before midnite on Wednesday Meets Ritu for South Indian sinner at Udupi in Munirka on Thursday nite. Her husband disappears on Friday.

She speaks to dadi on Saturday morning, and is doing laundry when there is a knock on the door, she opens it, its Pradyun

Prad: If Mohammed wont go to the mountain….. the mountain shall

The neighbor is  arguing with her 5 year old son, her door is open, she is all curious now.

Khanak: dadi Pradyun aaya hai

Dadi: Good beta, enjoy, I will call you at 5ish in the evening?

Khanak: Jee

Khanak lingers hoping to hear something abt that wretched husband of hers

Dadi: Shaan kal raat ko  3 baje tak aaya, so raha hai.

Khanak: Ofcourse! (sarcastic)

Pradyun is prowling

Khanak: bye Dadi!

Hangs up, he smiles

Pradyun: "aap busy ho?" 😉😃(speaks in affected Hindi to prove he is learning)