Tanhaiyan | neirohi

11. first

Opening the shelves, she found nothing except a few maggi packets. Even the fridge was empty barring the cauliflower bunches which no one wanted. Tearing out a piece of paper, she jotted down a quick shopping list.

Why couldn't she be granted one Friday without any tasks to be completed?

Pinning the pencil into her makeshift bun, she strutted to the drawing room and thumped down on the cushion. The only noise which filled in was of the intense typing, owing to a certain chamgadar. Peeking at his laptop screen, she voiced out.

"Did Harsh uncle send the working experience certificate?"

"Yes he did, thanks for that."

She nodded briskly, convincing her father-in-law to be of some help was a tough job. She had to coax him over how mutually beneficial it could be, for more than two hours. While Neil had given up on it, she had guaranteed that she would get it done. Job hunting was tiring for sure. Even she would've been suffering had it not been for the Birlas taking her in as a temporary addition.

Three months she spent in Udaipur at Birla hospital after her MS as a temporary employee. She simultaneously worked on paving her way back to Founders as a senior resident, the same hospital where pursued her masters. And then came this marriage like a bullet, literally out of nowhere. The paper piece flicked in her hand, reminding her of why she was sitting there.

The tousled head which leveled her knees belonged to the person who was trying to get an interview fixed. She was tempted to run her fingers through it. She hated mess. And that head, outside and inside alike was a mess, she thought chuckling. He sat on the carpet, leaning against the leg of the sofa. Knocking her knees to his shoulder lightly, she got his attention. He knocked his head back against her bare knees, goofy as ever.

"Tired?"

"Are you going to be a nice partner and bring me a cup of tea?"

"No."

"Chipkali, be a bit considerate yaar."

"No milk left, no tea powder left. I almost thought that the ants stole it away. Phir yaad aaya, sabse bada cheeti toh yahi par hain! Be ready in five. We are going shopping."

More than a month in Mumbai yet he never stepped out. This was so unusual of him. Then again, he had been busy settling in. The adjusting was a real deal. Locking the bedroom door, he started getting ready. Time to have some fun.

°

She sat on the driver's seat, her fingernails tapping restlessly on the steering wheel. First time in three years that she was touching her car. The car, other than being occasionally sent to the garage, was never used. She had brought it with her to this city, but never used since the hospital was at a walking distance and she never really went anywhere.

Her shopping was usually online but today she heard from the neighbor upstairs that there was a sale. So why not? She had to buy things anyways. And she couldn't leave the car back in Udaipur. It was gifted to her by AG when she got her license, a late congratulations present for cracking her entrance.

And so, now that she was about to drive, she couldn't. She was not able to get the car out of the parking lot, forget driving on the main road. Trembling, she jumped out of the seat.

"Here are the keys. You can drive."

She dropped the keys into his hands, who accepted it wordlessly. Sitting next to him, she gave him the directions to the nearest supermarket. Her nervousness ceased as she saw the store approaching. Ten minutes later they were strolling through the aisles, dropping in whatever was there in the list.