• Second Chances •

21. Persuasion

"Did you see this?" gushed Sandy while talking with Sara. 

"See what?" asked Sara. 

"This!" Sandy excitedly showed her mobile to Sara. "Someone posted a picture of RK!" 

"Show, show!" Sara took the mobile in her hands. She looked at the picture and swooned. "Wow! He is looking so dapper! London really suits him." 

"I know!!!" nodded Sandy.

Sara then nudged Sandy. She eyed Priya whose eyes were glued to the papers she was assessing and said, "Show it to Priya too."

"Of course, of course!" jumped Sandy and glided over to Priya. She shoved the mobile in front of her eyes and wiggled her brows. "Look at RK! Any comments?"

Even though Priya had half the heart of slapping Sandy's arm away, she didn't do it. She was seeing their happy faces after a long time and she didn't really want to disrupt that. So she took a small peer at the picture on the phone. 

Rolling her eyes, Priya went back to the papers. She remarked with a shrug, "He needs to cut his hair."

"Oh, shut up!" Sandy frowned. She stared at the phone and swooned, "He is perfect." 

"So inappropriate. You are swooning over your brother-in-law..." chastised Meera. "Don't do it." 

"Ew! He is RK for me!" Sandy protested. 

"Sandy!" Sara glared at Sandy and warned, "Don't call him RK. Call him Jiju." 

Sandy gave her a noncommittal shrug and continued to scroll on Instagram. Shaking her head, Sara walked to the dining table where Priya was perched and questioned, "Waise Priya, did you call Ram?" 

Priya pulled a face. "Huh? Why should I?"

Sara grumbled. "Arre why not? After all, he is going to be your husband."

Priya clicked her pen close and took a deep breath. "Listen, I am marrying only for you guys. Don't put these weird obligations on me. I won't do anything of this sort. Mr. Kapoor isn't a child and he does not need the annoyance of a stranger calling him and asking his whereabouts."

Meera vigorously scrubbed the cup she was washing and remarked, "Tujhe toh kuch bhi bolna bekar hi hai." 

"What?" Priya asked her. 

"Nothing!" chuckled Sara who had managed to hear her mother's words. "Ma said that the weather is great today."  

Priya was not a fool to not understand them and their disappointment. She gathered the papers and rose up. "Fine then. Enjoy the good weather. I am in the bedroom if you need me." 

With that, Priya moved into her bedroom. She had to draft pointers for the upcoming lecture. And then she had to think of a book to give to the students to read and assess during her leave. Then, she had to check 56 more papers and mark them too. She didn't have the time for small talk.   

Sighing, she lay down on the bed. Wondering which book she could give the students, she opened her mobile. Priya diligently went through the list she had personally curated. She went through all the book titles and frowned. She had exhausted the easier ones. If she gave them the tougher titles, Priya needed to be there physically so she could assist them in case her students hit a roadblock.   

Tapping a finger on her forehead, she thought of surfing the internet. Maybe she could find some recommendations? Straightening up, she pulled out the laptop from the side table and powered it on. For the next few minutes, she went through a lot of lists and synopsis but couldn't really find a good book.