Tanhaiyan | neirohi

22. comes around

"Ma, why did you send Neil away?"

Manjari looked at the man in his late thirties and smiled, feeling slightly dejected herself. Absence did make the heart grow fonder. They were so used to having him around, that smile which never dropped. It felt hollow to not have him here. Tenderly she brushed her elder son's hair, as he lay on her lap.

Three in the morning and he had sneaked out of his bed. Abhimanyu Birla never wanted to grow up, not willingly at least. It was difficult to slip out of his Methi Dana's clutches, she was surely one with an iron hold even in sleep.

"Usko jaana hee tha Abhi. Home is where your heart lies."

"Exactly! I'm here! Then why is he going and sitting there?"

"Chal badmaash," she pulled his ears lightly. Stroking his curls near the neck, she stared at the family photo longingly.

"Abhi, hume yeh photo update nahi karna chahiye?"

He followed her line of sight and realized that she was right. The photo did require some changes. The very fact that the most important person in his life, Akshara was not there got him upset. "Haan ma, Akshara nahi hain," he replied woefully. At that Manjari's smile fell by the slightest. Not only Akshara, even Neil was not there. Nor was Aarohi.

To each their own.

Drawing in a deep breath, she smiled and continued patting his head, watching him fall asleep.

°

She waddled through the dining area with her heels in hands. Holding her loose off-white pants by the tip of her fingers, she knocked the bedroom door. On hearing no response, she tipped it open using her feet and saw no one. Meanwhile the front door lock clicked open with haste, as the man she was looking for came in sight.

The looks were shared between them, the floor and them again.

"Sorry," he grinned sheepishly, bringing his hands to touch his ears. An apology. Cute. Too bad, she was not in a very cute mood today. He found his way through the bubbled water sheet as well, treading carefully so as to not fall or have his bones broken.

"What do we do about this? Waise, white suits you."

"Quit the maska. Washing machine off karke jaane nahi aata?"

Shrugging away his hand which rested on her shoulder, she handed over the mop to him and stood by the side. He squatted on the floor, sighing and getting to work. Wouldn't want to upset the boss of the house. Inspecting was her job. And that's when his phone rang. Trying to escape he ran towards it, only to be stopped by the doctor in the room. It was a video call. Accepting the call, she crouched in front of him, holding up the phone.

"Neil mere yaar, I need your help!"

She squinted her eyes on hearing the urgency.

"Haan Vansh bro, bol naa."

"I have a date with Reem, kaunsa suit pehnu? And wait a minute, you're mopping the floor? Joru ka ghulaam already huh?"

He snickered as she had her mouth agape. The sheer audacity, she mouthed. This is what their calls were about? Bitching about her?

"Vansh bhaiya, you were saying something?"

She popped in which got him laugh out loud, as Vansh bit his tongue knowing that his sister was not sparing him easily for this one. Neil had to cover his mouth to not piss her off more. Her hand rested on his shoulder, trying to give her full view to the call. Suwarna who was passing by, stopped at the sight of the smiling young couple.

Hand placed against his shoulder, she had her head rested next to his placing her chin over the crook of his neck. She did ask him to remove his chamgadar size head, which only got her scolded by Badi Ma who, without a doubt, was on his side. The banter went on with which suit to be chosen as Badi Ma and Neil went for the maroon one, while Vansh and his loveliest sister opted for the classy black.

"Chamgadar, if you choose a maroon one like that ever, I'm ditching you."

"Oh ho, hum date par jaa rahe hain?"

To say that she was glad that Badi Ma got a call and Vansh bhaiya's date came home to pick him up, was an understatement. The call wrapped up in a minute or two. As the phone cut with a beep, he leaned back. No escaping this time. Her eyes caught hold of the looks which drifted down, not that she wasn't doing the same thing. She managed to make out his incoherent mumbling as he whispered.

"Shouldn't we continue what we left?"

The air thickened as she got her lips brushing the back of his ear, nipping lightly. He held onto his breath. Patience, the key. The colder her touches got, the warmer he felt. He could feel that finger tapping under his ear, she clearly knew what she was doing. Matching his whisper, her raspy voice got him going.

"Filhaal you sort out this mess. Nahi?"

To say that he landed in deep waters wouldn't be a mistake, literally and metaphorically as well.

Removing herself from the tangles, she made her way to their room, not without looking back of course. The stare she was getting told her many things, all which she shut up in a blink. "This woman will be the death of me," he muttered under his breath as he watched her wink, incidentally remembering something close as such.

Leaning against the closed bedroom door, she recalled one as well. Eyes cast downwards, she bit her lips to stop the smile. Raw and real. That is what it was.

It always comes around. Doesn't it?

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