Lesson Three: Miss India
"Where did you keep
it?" she said.
Shraddha was busy
looking around Dhruv's room for his backpack as we were making a mad dash to
get him ready for school.
She was trying to put
his pencils, folders, papers, and any other necessary item that he needed.
I was busy trying to
help wipe him dry as Shraddha helped him take a bath.
"I left it on the table
mama." Dhruv said.
"It's not there."
Shraddha said.
"But I did..."Dhruv said
while thinking to himself.
"When you came home did
you come straight to your room and drop it where I tell you to put it so we can
always find it in the morning?" she said.
Dhruv shook his head.
"Dada ji and I was
playing cards and chess." He said.
I was trying to put on
his school pants and shirt as they were talking but Dhruv kept moving around as
I tried to put the shirt over his head.
"And..."Shraddha said
looking at him.
"Ah! And then dadi ji
wanted me to tell her some jokes while she was cooking in the kitchen" Dhruv
said smiling.
Shraddha shook her
head.
"Kunal just help him
get dressed and I will try to look for...
"No need...I have his
backpack I took it with me this morning to put his lunchbox in his backpack."
Mom said interrupting.
I looked up to see her
holding the backpack in question.
She placed it gently on
the desk with the thermos sticking from the side of the small cup holder that
was attached to his bag.
She looked at Shraddha
with a scowl but her expression lightened up when she saw Dhruv and me.
"Good morning maa ji."
Shraddha said smiling even more and was going to go near here until mom
motioned for her to stop.
"Never mind all
this...he is going to be late. Hurry up Dhruv I will be taking you to school
today as everyone around here seems so busy with work than to take you to
school." Mom said while smiling at Dhruv and side glancing at Shraddha.
"Yay dadi ji! While
there I can tell you another joke that I heard from my friend." Dhruv said
smiling.
Mom smiled even more.
She came over to our
side and she looked at me.
"Good morning mom..." I
tried to get out.
"What are you doing to
his hair? Never mind ...I will take care of it. You guys go get ready and I will
take care of Dhruv." She interrupted.
I looked at her
expression and was almost in hysteria.
"What I'm just combing
his hair like I always do." I said in confusion.
"And I see why you
already ruining his chances already. There are many people looking at my
grandson's attire and I refuse for them to think what type of home he must be
coming from. You and Shraddha go...go get ready as I take care of Dhruv." She
said smiling at Dhruv.
Without further
interruption from me she took the comb I was using to comb through his hair.
She stopped midway and
she looked at Shraddha.
"So you are going to
let him go to school with wrinkled clothes?" she said.
Shraddha shook her head
and gave a look at me in irritation.
"I was busy looking for
his stuff for school and asked Kunal to..." she said.
"Kunal is not the one
whose suppose to do this. You are his mother and you are supposed to get him
ready." Mom said.
"No mom it's my fault,
I told Shraddha I wanted to help get him ready for school and we were in sort
of in a rush..." I said while lifting my hands behind my head and laughing
apologetically.
My mom closed her lips
in a tight line and made a quick humph sound and other than that she turned
back around to remove the clothing from Dhruv.
Dhruv chatted with her
and all the while she was smiling and laughing.
I looked at Shraddha
whose irritation was gone and in effect was a sloppy half-smile on her face.
I went over to her and
grabbed her hand and she looked up at me in surprise.
"Come on you didn't
take a shower and you have a meeting today isn't that right?" I said smiling at
her.
She looked at my hand
in hers and she removed her hand from mine and walked out the room.
"Shraddha?" I said
confused while following in her footsteps.
"Keep saying my name,
doesn't mean I will forgive you." She said.
"But...but..." I stuttered.
"No buts." She said.
She opened the door to
our room and I followed to lock it.
She ventured to the
bathroom and I was going to join her but she closed the door in my face.
"There won't be any
joint shower with me and you today!" she yelled from behind the door.
"But...but..." I said.
"No buts!" she said.
With that I heard
shuffling around and her turning on the shower and oblivious to my yells.
**************
"Ashish!!!!!!" a large
squeal came from our room.
I just finished taking
a shower and looked at Jaya as she was sitting by the mirror with horror on her
face.
I immediately rushed
over to her.
"Honey..." I trailed off
in concern.
"Assshhhiiissshhh!!!!"
she said turning to me.
I looked at her and saw
tears forming in her eyes.
"What's wrong?" I asked
more forcefully.
"Ashish." She said and
she rose up her hand and I couldn't see what the problem was.
I looked at her
confused.
"What's wrong with your
hands?" I said still confused.
"Ashish my nail
polish!" she said wailing.
I looked at her
confused...
"What's wrong?" I asked
still confused.
"I went to buy a nail
polish yesterday because I ran out of my pink polish and look at this I wanted
a light pink but this is a hot color pink." She said crying even more.
"Huh?" I said in
disbelief and still in more confusion.
"Huh? Is that all you
have to say? I was suppose to go out with my friends later on tomorrow and I
had bought an outfit last week to match with a light pink polish...what I'm supposed
to do...I can't wear this." She said.
"But can't you wear
another polish color?" I said not really understanding.
She looked at me and
she cried even more.
"You're an idiot. I
can't wear another polish color this pink...I needed a light pink!" she said.
"Jaya...it's okay, its
okay I will...I will buy you a light pink polish today before I come home from
work." I said trying to cheer her up.
She sniffled and then
she looked up at me and she smiled.
"Thank you Ashish." She
said smiling.
She leaned up and
kissed me on the lips and I wanted to kiss her back but she turned back around to
the mirror.
My lips were still in
midair until I realized that Jaya was fussing with her look.
I sighed and shook my
head.
"I'll help you with the
rollers." I said.
She nodded and she
started her daily regime of lotions, moisturizers, cleansers, and cremes before
she moved on to applying her makeup.
I took out the rollers,
not missing a chance in running my hands through her soft, silky dark brown hair.
She handed me her comb
to run it through as I combed through the strands and losing it up.
"Ashish which set
should I wear today...should I wear this one or this one?" she asked while
lifting up different pairs of bangles on either hand.
One set was silver and
blue the other was gold and green.
"Ummm...I like that
one." I said selecting the blue and silver one.
She nodded and she
smiled.
She took the one I
mentioned and dropped the other one back in its case.
She struggled to put
them on.
"Here let me help." I
said.
She stuck out her hand
and I helped her put her bracelets on. It took a while but I was able to
successfully put them on her left hand.
Then she handed me the
rest so I could put it on her right hand.
She leaned in the
mirror as she started to style her hair and I went to finally get ready for
work.
When I was done
dressing Jaya called my name again.
I turned around and a
smile formed on my lips.
"What do you think?"
she said.
She looked gorgeous in
her teal and white dress and I wanted to say something to compliment her but
Ishaan suddenly popped into the room.
"Good mor...wow didi!"
Ishaan said.
He was sizing Jaya's
attire up and down and he gave a thumbs up while smiling.
Jaya's attention was
now directed at the new intrusion.
"You are looking
amazing, like a model." Ishaan said smiling.
Still holding his
thumbs up in approval and Jaya smiling even more...
"Good morning.
Wow...really a model. You are smart." Jaya said placing her hands on her face
while grinning at Ishaan.
"But you must be
fooling me again aren't you?" Jaya said while dropping her hands causing her
bangles to clink.
She folded her hands
together and glanced at Ishaan in suspicion.
"No, no, no didi I'm
not lying and of course you should be a model...in fact you should be more than
just a model...you should be a supermodel." Ishaan said in excitement using his
hands to emphasize the words.
I shook my head and
knew where this was going to go.
Repeatedly Ishaan
enjoyed teasing and mocking Jaya but she continuously fell for his jokes and
teasing.
"Really" Jaya said and
she gasped in happiness and glee.
"Yes...pretend you could
be modeling in Mumbai, London, Paris, Singapore, Tokyo, South Africa, and even
in New York or California." Ishaan said each place as if he was an announcer on
a game show.
Jaya gasped and
excitement shone in her face.
"Really." Jaya
continued falling more into Ishaan's teasing.
"Of course didi, everyone
would be eager to take your picture" Ishaan said while making fake snap shots
and camera clicking noises.
Jaya went along with
Ishaan's nonsense and started smiling and posing for the fake snap shots.
"Miss India...it seems
you have a lot of free time." A soft voice said.
I looked up and noticed
mama outside the door carrying some clothes.
"Ma...ma...mama ji?" Jaya
said stuttering in embarrassment.
She put her nail in her
mouth as she started biting it, nervously.
Ishaan stopped and
helped mom with the clothes and she handed it to him and told him to put it in
hers and papa's room.
He walked away,
whistling, while Jaya stayed rooted in the room in embarrassment.
"Good morning mama." I
said smiling.
My mother looked up and
smiled and she turned her attention back to Jaya and she lost the smile on her
face.
"So Miss India are you
done playing around or are you still going to take your picture with a fake
camera?" mama said.
I shook my head.
"No...mama...mama ji
Ishaan was..."
"I asked you an hour
ago to go help Kittu make breakfast. Your excuse was that you just woke up. Now
I come here and see you goofing around. What excuse this time?" mama said.
"No I just finished getting
ready but Ishaan came messing around." Jaya said.
"Perfect since you are
now ready you can go help Kittu serve breakfast instead of doing nothing here."
Mama said.
"But mama ji why do I
have to help if she is almost done? She can perfectly help serve food if she
made the breakfast already." Jaya said back.
"You're right so you
won't have any problem making and serving lunch on your own. I will tell Kittu
as she wanted to meet her friends in the afternoon. Thanks dear. By the way
Good morning Ashish and have a great day at work." She said before she walked
out of the room.
Jaya was left
stuttering and in shock and she turned to me and I shrugged my shoulders and
smiled.
**************
I went into the kitchen
with my briefcase and I contemplated on my next move.
I recalled the meeting
Kunal and I had at the restaurant a day ago.
"I was going to wait but you are completely
hopeless. We are going to start now...today." Kunal said.
"Really?" I said while arching my eyebrow.
"Yes!" he said.
"Lesson One: Learning to know when to kiss and
makeup." Kunal said.
"Kiss and makeup?" I said staring at him confused.
"Well more align in your case in just making up as
kissing and touching was the thing that got you in trouble in the first place."
Kunal said while laughing.
I looked at him and he smiled.
"Okay just like any great model couple...using
Shraddha and I as an example, you need to know when to just throw in the towel
and just makeup." He said.
"Excuse me? You and Shraddha are a model couple?" I
looked at him skeptically.
"Of course. We haven't had any problems, when we do
I always apologize and we make up. Poof her anger disappears and I'm always a
happy man afterwards." He said while smiling.
I tried to ignore the double innuendo that he was
saying and instead focused on the point at hand.
"So what should I do?" I looked at him.
Kunal crooked his head to the side in thought.
"What's the problem" I said following his movements.
"I'm trying to figure out if you're jerking my chain
or if you are completely slow." He said.
"Why would you say that?" I said offended.
"Because the most obvious answer on figuring out
what to do is by saying three simple words." He said.
I looked at him in confusion.
He continued and said it slowly.
"I am sorry." He said.
I looked at him.
"Just that?" I said.
"Just that, but she has to feel its sincere and it
comes from a place of deep regret and guilt. And it shouldn't be something that
is faked it SHOULD come from a place of regret and guilt." He said.
I got the nerve to
finally walk forward while Kittu was busy going back forth to the dining room
to start arranging the plates and utensils on the dining table.
She tried carrying two glass
jugs at one time and almost slipped one out of her grasp if it wasn't for my
quick reflexes and helping her catch it before it fell.
She looked up at me and
I looked down at her.
She pulled away.
"Thank you." She said
looking away from me.
Before she could say
anything I took one of the glass jugs out of her hand.
"Anand..." she tried
saying.
But I ignored her and
placed it on the table.
I went back to the
kitchen and Kittu followed me.
I tried to practice in
my head until I felt her presence.
"Kittu." I said slowly.
She looked up.
"Three simple words."
Kunal's voice drifted
in my head.
I took a deep breath.
"Kittu, I am sorry." I
said.
"I am sorry about what
happened yesterday. I shouldn't have..." I trailed off.
She shook her head and
she placed her hand on my arm.
I stared at her hand
and looked back at her.
"It's okay Anand no
need to apologize. I over reacted and was just embarrass that is all. I should
be the one to be saying sorry for lashing out and ignoring you yesterday." She
said.
I smiled.
"There isn't any need
for you to say sorry...I should have..." I trailed on as she placed her hand over
my mouth.
She shook her head.
"No need." She said.
I stared at her and I
leaned down to place a kiss on her forehead, gently moving a piece of hair that
was in my way.
I then moved along to
kiss each of her eyelids and I could hear a soft chuckling sound.
I looked down and she
was giggling.
I looked at her in
confusion.
"What's wrong?" I asked
confused.
"Because we were caught
even in our room. Right now we are in open space and anyone can walk in and
catch us and still you are..." she said while smiling.
"Oh...I didn't mean it,
its just that you are so cute and I..." I stopped midway at my slip.
She smiled.
"I am so cute? Just
cute Anand?" she said looking at me skeptically.
"No you are more than
just cute you are beautiful...absolutely the most beautiful..." I trailed on
realizing she was teasing me and I fell even further into her trap.
"I am the most
beautiful. You are teasing me surely?" she said.
"No...no...no I'm not
teasing you at all." I said while lifting my hands and cupping her face in my
hands and pressing my forehead against hers.
A blush formed on her
cheeks and her eyes gleamed bright with the beginning signs of interest.
"You are the most
beautiful woman I have ever seen." I said while pressing my lips against hers
and staring into her eyes.
She looked at me
speechless and her eyes shifted to my lips but I released her and she looked
confused and disappointed with her entire former pale cheeks a bright crimson.
"Is there anything you
need help with?" I said asking.
"Huh?" she said
confused staring at me as something else slipped into her eyes.
Before I could respond
papa's voice could be heard calling Kittu for tea.
"Coming papa ji!" she
yelled out.
She looked at me and
she smiled and went to start preparing tea.
I smiled and walked out
the kitchen and silently had to give it to the idiot for actually being right.
****************
comment:
p_commentcount