• Second Chances •

11. Thoughts, Thoughts

"How did it go?" asked Brinda. 

"Fun! I ate so much man! Now I have acidity..." Ram tuned his head into the pillow. "I think I will have some ice cream to cool it down. Or probably some falooda." 

"Ram!" Brinda bellowed through the mobile screen. "I am very serious right now. How did the date go?" 

Ram realized what Brinda was asking and sighed. "Oh that. Bad. Priya left midway." 

Brinda was pushed aside by Aditya. His surprised face came on the screen and he almost yelled at Ram. "What the hell did you do?" 

Ram took offence to that. "Excuse me? I didn't do anything. I was really nice to her. It was her family's fault. They sent her to the restaurant saying that I wanted to talk about Akshay and Shivina. As if there is anything left to talk about now. They lied. So she got pissed off. I am not to be blamed at all." 

"Huh? They lied?" Brinda pushed Aditya. 

"Jee haan!" Ram stifled a yawn. "Anyway. This date was a disaster. I mean I go on a date after a decade and this happens. And for the first time since our boarding school days, Brinda hasn't got it right. Nothing can happen between Priya and I. We are just too different. Let's just forget it." 

"Ram, yaar!" Brinda whined. "It just looks like she got angry because her family lied to her. She might..."

"Well, she might have not come on this date at all if they had told her the truth Bri!" Ram got up from the bed and got rid of his suit jacket. "She isn't interested in me."      

Brinda clicked her tongue. "You can't be too sure of that." 

"Are we seriously arguing over someone you haven't even met yet?" Ram cocked a brow. "Really now?" 

"No, Ram!" Brinda expelled a breath. "I am not arguing with you. I am just saying. Anyway. What did you do after she went?" 

"Sat and finished my dinner. Even the half-eaten upma she left behind. What else?" shrugged Ram. 

It made Aditya chuckle and then Brinda also smiled. She looked at Ram affectionately and said, "Okay fine. I agree that this date was a disaster. I am sorry. I shouldn't have planned all this. Will you forgive me?" 

"Have I ever remained angry with you for more than two minutes, Bri?" asked Ram as he made his way to the washroom to freshen up. 

Brinda smiled. "Okay. I love you, jaan. Get some sleep, I will see you tomorrow." 

"Fine and I love you too," Ram smiled back. "Good night you guys." 

***********************************************

 "Ow! Stop!" Akshay dodged the umbrella that Priya had thrown in his direction. 

"Stop?" she snarled. "How dare you do this?" 

It made Akshay laugh. But he had better sense than that. So he maintained his poker, horrified face and tried to pacify his darling sister. He hid behind Sara and tried to explain, "Listen na Di! I just got a little afraid to tell you that this was a date. That's all!" 

Priya stood in front of her family, hands on hips. "So let me get this straight. You guys got ready to send me on this date with a random stranger because his friend thought that I was a good match. Are you guys that desperate to kick me out of this house?" 

"Priya!" Meera sighed. "No my child! You are getting it completely wrong." 

"Wrong?" Priya paced around the room in circles. "Now, I am the wrong one. You guys lied to me. I was sent on a date with a man I have met only once. I sat there, completely clueless, whilst he thought that it was a date. I was the one humiliated. I was the one who was embarrassed and even then, I am the wrong one?" 

Sandy lightly hit her forehead and fell back on the couch. So did Sara and so did Akshay. When Priya got hyper, she really could get a handful. 

"You are just being very unreasonable now, Priya!" Meera glared at her. "We just thought that what Brinda was suggesting was fair. There was no harm in sending you on this date. So we agreed."

"Also," Sara pipped in. "Even if Akshay and Ma had told you the truth, your reaction would have been pretty much the same. At least now you have gone and spent some time with Ram." 

"I was told that she had half a plate of upma..." Meera filled them in.

"Really?" Sandy squealed. 

"Yes, Brinda told me..." Meera laughed. 

Priya massaged her temples. She had no idea what had suddenly gotten in her family members. Why were they acting so desperate was beyond her. 

"But I deserved to know the truth. What I did with that information was entirely my prerogative. Like how Brinda told Mr. Kapoor the truth and he decided for himself. You guys cannot assume things and decide me!" argued Priya. 

The family knew that she was right. No one dared to open their mouth. Meera nodded. "I agree. I apologize."

She then got up and caught hold of Priya's hands. Priya calmed down a little. "I am sorry." 

"Ma..." Priya trailed off. 

Her mind unknowingly went back to Ram's words. She knew that at times, she was unnecessarily harsh with her family. Sometimes, she really needed to think from their perspective. Whatever they did was crazy but not completely unforgivable. 

So she huffed. "It's fine. But please don't do it again. Just be truthful with me. You guys do know how much I hate it when you hide things from me." 

"Yes..." Meera smiled and patted her hand. "I promise." 

"Now, let me call Mr. Kapoor. Because of you guys, I left the restaurant like that..." Priya mumbled and walked into the bedroom leaving Meera and the rest of the family very puzzled. 

***********************************************

Ram was already in the middle zone between sleep and consciousness, between the happy thoughts about his father, sweets, sea breeze; when his phone rang. He lazily sat up on the bed. When he glanced at the flashing screen of the mobile, he almost dropped his mobile. 

"What? Why the hell is Priya calling me now?" groaned Ram. "Wait...I did pay the restaurant bill and as far as I remember, she asked me to not go after her. Or did she?" 

Ram panicked. He didn't remember what exactly had Priya said. The mobile screen went blank and he sighed in relief only for it to ring again. He flinched. 

Taking a deep breath, he steeled himself. She was just another woman. She was not going to eat him up.   

"Hello..." Ram spoke into the phone. 

"Am I disturbing you?" asked Priya without any preamble. 

"Dis...no!" replied Ram. "No. Why?" 

"Look," she let out a breath. "I am sorry. I shouldn't have left the restaurant like that. I am not going to defend myself. It was very unfair for you." 

"Ah..." Ram was relieved. At least she was not scolding him. "It is okay. Don't worry about it." 

"Thanks..." said Priya. "But listen. Let me make this up to you. Can we meet now?"

"Now?" exclaimed Ram. 

"Yes. We can meet at my sister's bakery. I really do want to talk with you..." answered Priya. 

Ram's ears perked up on hearing that she was inviting him to a bakery. He tried to keep his voice normal and not squeaky like a child. "Yes. Okay. Just text me the address. I will be there."

"Okay, see you then..." said Priya and cut the call. 

Ram let the phone slip from his hand and he also fell back on the bed. He didn't know why had he agreed to meet Priya in the first place and even now. Life was indeed taking him to very strange places these days.