The love of my life

25. Bedsheets

She walked in the mall with a shopping bag from bath and body works containing her body mist and 2 large 3-wick candles and another with a new pair of warm kids shoes in it.

"Mom, bedyeet..." He spoke pointing to a store catering to cartoon printed beddings.

Tej like his mother was precise about his bedsheet, pillow covers and curtains.

As much as Daman preferred plain satin and silk, Tej always wanted the print in his room to be of the latest cartoon he was obsessed with.

"Baymax" he announced as Daman rolled her eyes.

"None of your bedsheets has been used more than twice... Three washes, Tej... That's it. Then you don't want it anymore. That is not fair." She said as Tej stomped his little 4 inch feet in anger.

"Noo..." He said as she heard a familiar clearing of throat.

"Do you know around 400 liters of water is required to grow 1 kg of cotton... That's... 40 buckets of water... Then... 100 litres more for processing cotton ball into cloth fabric... Then... 200 litres for dying it into your favorite print... So when you don't use your bedsheet properly... you waste 70 buckets of water..." Ekansh said looking at Tejas as his head tilted at the sight of his mom's friend who sent her flowers.

"Hiiii..." Tej squealed and ran towards him as he picked up the little bundle of joy and kissed his plump red cheek.

"Hey chotte sardarji... How are you?" He said as Daman tried her best to not roll her eyes, and failed at it.

Ekansh did notice the eye roll but didn't comment on it.

"I'm fine. Thantoo for the fuyavers..." He says as Ekansh nods.

"You're welcome. Did you like them?" He asks.

"Mom like Sunfar and Lily... I like roses and otters..." He says as Ekansh frowns looking at Daman.

"Orchids." She says crossing her arms over her chest as Ekansh nods looking back at Tej.

"So, Roses were for you and Sunflowers for your mom." Ekansh says as Tej shows his little teeth and grins.

"Let's go, we still have a lot to do." Daman says holding out her hands for Tej who looked comfortable in Ekansh's arms.

"No walk..." Tejas pleaded and hugged Ekansh tighter.

"Tejas, you promised you would walk if you wanted to come here... This is very bad on your part." Daman says as Ekansh smiles making an eye contact with her.

"I'm done with my shopping, I can tag along and carry him." He says, pointing to a bag from Armani he held in his hand, his expression of genuine care.

"No, he'll get down right now." She says sounding angry, which would usually work on Tejas and drive him to tears but he just faced away from her, his both hands around Ekansh's neck looking behind them.

"Tejas, you're upsetting your mom baby..." Ekansh says as Tej turns to look at both of them and frowns.

"Mom... Peeeeezze..." He says as Daman takes a deep breath looking up at the almighty, blaming him for taking her husband away as she nodded.

"Okay. We need a new tumbler for you than you'll be in the car." she states as he shakes his head.

"You said McDonals happy meal..." He says as Daman noticed how clearer this little cunning fox's language becomes when he is having a logical arguement instead of purposefully messing words to sound cute.

"You also promised to walk and not force me to pick you up halfway." She stated.

"Mommmyy..." He said giving her the pouty lips, doe eyes and scrunched. up little nose making her shoulders fall.

"Fine, let's have the happy meal first." She said as Ekansh chuckled.

"What are you laughing at?" She asked.

"He has you wrapped around his little finger." Ekansh says.

"But unlike you, I'm sure he won't leave me because of commitment issues in the next year or so." She said with a shrug as Ekansh's lips were parted in awe, thinking of a reply.

She walked forward as Tejas put his little hand under Ekansh's chin and pushes it up, to close his mouth.

"It's okay." He said patting Ekansh's back with his other hand as Ekansh shakes his head forcing himself out of the daze.

"You understood that?" Ekansh whispered walking after Daman.
"No, but I know you got... Slayyyeddd..." Tejas said and put his one hand straight and the other folded around his head in a 'Dab'.

Ekansh wondered if this was what pre-schools taught these days.

"I have no idea what this means." Ekansh says shaking his head as Daman reaches towards the door. Ekansh quickens his pace and opens it for her.

"Milady..." Tejas says cutely still in Ekansh's arms, with reach a little above Daman's eye level.

Daman pursed her lips together to enclose a smile as she walked towards a table in the corner. Ekansh followed and dragged the chair for her, making way for her to sit.

"What would you like, I'll go and order for us?" Ekansh asked as she nodded and picked up the pamphlet pointing to a burger, fries meal and looks up.

"And a frappé." She said as he nodded and went away.

He ordered for himself and Tejas joined in, wanting almost everything as they finally decided, ordered and came back to sit across her.

"So, how was your weekend?" Ekansh asked Tejas.

"It was fun. Sammy maasi nd Ambar celebrated 3rd weddin annivasry." Tejas said as Ekansh made him sit on the chair beside himself as Daman decided to keep her bags on the one empty beside her.

She knew feeding Tejas is hard and requires patience. Ofcourse, Ekansh will have to give him back to her.

But that wasn't the case.

As Ekansh went and collected the order, she sat there not wanting to move.

As if she moved and this dream will break.

She had always loved being independent. If Ekansh ordered, she'd be the one to fetch the meal, but today she just wanted to be cared for.

She was tired. Tired of carrying Tejas and herself.  Tired of answering the world.

It had been two years of paying all the bills, doing all the work, taking care of a toddler and his learning, of monitoring his nutrition and growth, of keeping her career on a track that she always dreamed of.

But... Sangram?

Who was she kidding? Sangram would want her to be happy with someone else...

But did she want to be with someone else?

Did she want to be with the man who sat in front of her, feeding Oreo Mcflurry to her son?

The man who left her shattered and bruised, the narcissist who broke her again and again until she was a shadow of the happy person that she used to be.

But what of the good times? The ice cream parlour and the mornings he cooked breakfast for her in his apartment...

The days he helped her fight Cancer with her, becoming her strength even when she was scared to get a proper diagnosis.

In some ways, she did owe him, her life.

But that would not make up for the emotional torture she had to undergo, hoping to be with him...

And He left... She begged and cried but he still left her...

"Daman..." Ekansh says looking at her, as she looks at him clearing the daze in her brain.

"Yeah?" She says as he points to her chin.

"Ketchup." He says as she picks up a napkin and cleans it off.

He smiles and nods as Daman looks away trying to suppress her tears.

He doesn't deserve her.
He doesn't deserve another chance.

She can't afford to be weak this time not when a three year old relies on her emotional and mental well being.