IN LOVE WITH YOU [SLOW UPDATES]

25

~PHI~

It was blissful living with her.

The close moments that I got to spend with Naina had made me understand her even better. One, she cares, she cares a lot. She had missed her classes, get together-s, important phone calls and even festivals to take care of me. Second, she cared for me more than a friend. I had this strong intuition growing inside me.

"I think I should stay. What if you faint again?" She asked perplexed, fighting a dilemma, to go or not to go to the university.

"That was three days back! You know what, I'm just gonna lay on the bed the entire time. You can go to the class." I gently pushed her out of the door of my apartment.

"Call me if you feel unwell, or I'll call.." This was all I could hear before I banged the door on her face.

I sighed and collapsed on my bed. I was tired of convincing her to go to the college. I took me two hours to do that. She could really be a pain in the ass when she wants to be.

Another set of knocks made me jump out of the bed. I hadn't expected her to come back after ten minutes. That jackass!

"Why haven't.." I stopped mid-sentence, holding the door I had just flung open, mid way.

"Who were you talking to?" asked my mother. It took me five seconds to register the scene in my brain. It was my mother on the door, standing beside my father, who was out of breath. He had a large duffel bag hanging over his shoulder and two large luggage bags behind him.

"You carried all this to the third floor? You should have called me downstairs!" I took the bag from his shoulders.

"I'm not that old. Besides, your mother has made me bellman of some sort. It's not a bother-"

"I picked up one of the bag!" my mother interjected in a shrill voice.

"And gave up after two stairs!"

My parents really knew how to light up a dead room with their passive-aggressive arguments. This was nothing new to me.

"Stop complaining and look at your son. He looks so weak. My poor boy!" She hugged me tight, and I curled my arms around her. It felt warm, like getting back in a cocoon.

"What about the case? I hope the American system isn't as hollow as people claim." My father said. He gave me a small hug, which was surprising as we seldom hugged. We cared for each other, just didn't express it.

"No progress. But the lawyer is pressing his influence. He is the best in his field, that's what I have heard." Yet again, Mr Hannes had come to my rescue. But this time, I needed to pay. I couldn't let him fight all my cases as pro-bono.

"Did that girl from the night show up?" My mother asked as she searched for something in her handbag.

"No... I don't think she saw me that night. It was so dark." I missed out on the detail that she may have been wasted out of her wits. But I wasn't sure about it myself, so better not to share such information with them.

"Isn't this news flashing on the front page of all the local newspapers here?" She gave me a flabbergasted look.

"It's a big city. And crimes on Halloween are pretty common."

My father scoffed and said, "And they portray the East like a land full of criminals on the loose." He had a political stance on every other thing going on in this world, and I was sick of it sometimes.

"Nataya, look at the bathroom. Come here!" My father called out to my mother, but she was busy scraping something in her large handbag. "Nataya, leave your bag for once. It isn't going to run away."

"Neither is the bathroom. Where did I keep that amulet?" She asked my father. My father simply shrugged and looked around my room.

"What amulet?" I asked.

"A good luck amulet. It will protect you from all the evil omens. They've been lurking around my boy for far too long." She replied.

"Get some rest. The amulet can wait." I said and walked to the kitchen to get water. She murmured something to herself.

"You even have a microwave?" My father asked as he looked around the kitchen.

"Yeah, came with the apartment. I showed everything to Mae on the video call the first day." I handed him a glass full of water.

"Ah! Your mother," he said, shaking his head, "She doesn't tell me anything."

"Weren't you two supposed to reach after two days?"

"Your mother was getting all anxious. She didn't sleep a wink since she heard the news. So I somehow arranged the tickets and took a flight from China."

"It was a matter of two days only. Sit down at least. You've been standing the whole time," I said, clearing things on the couch.

"My lower back is going to get paralysed if I sit again. I've been sitting for so long.."

We chatted constantly after both of them freshened up. There was never a time when the room was silent. Mae made me wear the amulet, which was a blue stone like thing in a gold chain. I protested, but she wouldn't budge. She showed me all the homemade food stuff she had bought for me, which could easily last more than a year. And father even got ready to go to the police station to enquire about the case. I promised him we will go tomorrow.

A few hours later, frequent loud bangs on my door made my parents yelp in shock.

"Are you fine? Why didn't you pick up my calls?" asked a baffled Naina, with every ounce of stress dripping from her face and voice.

"My phone.." I searched the pockets of my pants. I must have left it on the kitchen counter.

"Who is it Phi?" my father asked from inside. I looked at Naina as her face turned pale. I knew she must have guessed it and probably thought she had jinxed her first impression. She carefully stepped inside, her mouth shut tight. Mom and Dad took their sweet little time to walk towards us. If I was standing in Naina's shoes right now, this must have been an awkward little moment for me.

"Mom, Dad.. she is Naina. I told you about her on the call. She took care of me...the whole time.."

My mother said nothing. She pursed her lips and gave Naina a hug. "I'm so grateful to you, dear. I don't really know how to thank you."

"Nice to meet you, young girl." my father started in a cheery voice. "And yes.. we are really grateful to you. I don't know how Phi could have managed without you."

"Oh no, please don't thank me." Naina said, breaking the hug. "And it's really nice to see you finally, Mr and Mrs.. Tan..Tanga.."

My name was a tough nut to crack!

"Tangsakyuen," I whispered near her.

"Mr and Mrs Tangsakyuen, I'm so happy to see you," she said, grinning from ear to ear. I could see her slight embarrassment hiding behind that wide smile.

"I'm going to prepare a nice Thai dinner today. And you must join us," My mother pulled Naina near the couch. "Your stomachs must hurt eating those grotesque burgers and fries."

Upon hearing the sentence, I turned to father, who, on seeing my shocked face, let out a small laugh. "She's been watching a lot of English shows lately. Learning all the tough words. I don't even understand half of them." I smiled at him. It was her tactic to show off among the neighbours.

"What are you two men smiling at? Come here, both of you." My mother ordered.

Over dinner, my father couldn't help gushing over how much he wanted to visit India and Naina couldn't help talking about how much she had heard about Thailand. I slurped the noodles from my coconut chicken soup silently as the three talked. My parents invited her to our house in Thailand. They said she was welcome any time. I was convinced if I told my parents that Naina was my girlfriend, they would probably start planning for our marriage right now. They were so impressed with her. If only that could happen....

**Mae- mother**