The love of my life

27. Disruptions

"Mumma, I told you I do not want to get married." Daman says, as her mother-in-law shakes her head.

"You said you want to raise Tejas in India, when I send you the biodata of that NRI. He was green card in US, you remember?" She says as Daman rubs her head sitting on the dining table.

"Now, you don't want this Indian guy? He's rich, widower, has no kids of his own and..."

"Mumma, he WILL want kids of his own and may not treat Tejas as his own and then what?"

"I'll take care of Tejas, if that's what it takes you to be happy. You just have to give him, everything he inherited from his father, fair and square and you can forget that you were ever married. That is a basic condition that every man holds. Who wants to raise someone else's child?" She says, biting her tongue and realizing she had said a little more than intended.

"I will think about it." Daman said politely, but all she wanted was to shout 'How dare you, fuckin bîtch. How dare you try to take my husband's belonging from me, so you can strip and give it to your favorite son, leaving my son on his own.'

But Daman's widened eyes, gave Harmeet, her mother-in-law a hint that Daman had understood part of her game plan.

"Mom" Tejas called out from the next room.

"Yes baby." She answered trying to keep herself calm and composed.

"I spilled juice on square pillow." He says as she takes in a deep breath and looks at the screen of the Ipad.

"Mumma, I'll talk to you later." She says and disconnects the call running to Tejas' bedroom.

She looked at the crime scene and then at her son.

"We talked about not trying to keep things on uneven surfaces or was that with someone else?" she says looking at him as he held the cushion vertically down on the edge of the bed letting the orange liquid flow down on the floor rather than his favorite bedsheet.

"I... That was..." He says trying to make an excuse as I look at him with a deadly glare. "Sorry mom." he whispers blinking his widened eyes, making his cute puppy face.

"Come here." she said sitting by his side, as she takes the cushion and kept it on the floor.

He comes and sits in my lap as she gently pushed back the loose strands of hair from his overhead bun or jooda. He had very heavy curls in his hair, unlike her wavy ones.

She was reminded of Sundays with Sangram, when he used to wash his hair and she'd have to oil them. Detangling those curls that were under a turban most part of the day for a week, with his hair long and reaching below his hips made her question the fragility of her wrists.

But he was a firm believer of Sikhism and would never think about letting a scissor touch his hair, and Daman respected that.

He never expected anything from her, or questioned her decision to get a haircut when she wanted. Her own parents hated her for trimming, but after a touch and go with Cancer, she trimmed her hair from time to time. He never imposed his believes on her or asked her to, knowing how the first time she cut her hair was after her chemotherapies.

"Mumma?" Tejas spoke as she looked away from her son, blinking away tears.

"It's okay. Keep stuff on flat surfaces or it falls and don't ever lie to mumma." She says as he hugs her tight.

"Mumma, Grandma is not a nice woman." He whispers, with his head pressed to her chest as Daman frowns.

"Baby, why would you say that? She loves you..." Daman said even though she didn't believe it either.

After her son passed away, Harmeet always thought of Daman as someone scavenging on their son's share of family wealth that her husband had already split between his sons in his will.

But she never said it directly. It was Daman's intution.

She was always nice and pretended to be understanding, but not when Sangram was alive. That's why Daman felt something wrong, but always ignored her sixth sense. She was supportive. That's all she wanted to focus on.

Harmeet had brought hell over her for separating his son from her, out of the little vacation time he got from Navy.

When he passed away, she was nice and Daman felt it was because she had been where she stood.

Empathy had made her kind.

But over the years, there were things said to her that would not mean much, if she didn't have a keen eye.

Daman felt like, Harmeet wanted her family property back.

Even from the blood of her own son.

But Daman still wanted Tejas to stay in touch with his father's family and their legacy of martyrs and honorary military medals.

She knew how Sangram wanted to bring him up, and she wanted to accomplish that.

The hate and cold war between Daman and her mother-in-law had turned heated when she disagreed to move into her house after doing her PhD. She took a job at the university and stayed in the same city instead of moving with her in laws. Sangram had supported her decision, of staying away and alone. They had bought this 2bhk in a safe, upscale neighborhood and made it their home. With the wealth his father left for him.

She still wanted Tejas to respect Harmeet. Sangram would have wanted it.

"Please don't leave me with her." He says in a voice as low as a whisper.

"Ohhh... My baby... You overheard us? This is not a good habit. Is that why you spilled juice? To distract me?" She says as he looks up at her.

"You won't leave me?" He asks again.

"No, I won't. I'll never leave you. You are my life, Tejas. You are all I have buddy. Maama lives for you." she said as he smiled.

"You can marry Eyansh." He says as Daman's eyes widened.

"What?" She asks shocked.

"I'll have a dad. Like everybody at school. I'll pay cricket with him and... Watch wrestling..." He says as Daman's eyes narrows.

"I'm sure we talked about how wrestling is too violent to watch for a two year old?" She asks as he hides his face in his chest.

"But he can watch with me and make me shut my eyes when it's too violon." He says as I smile.

"And uncle Ekansh is a football player. He doesn't like cricket much." I say as he looks up at me expectedly.

"Mom?"

"It's sunday, day after tomorrow. I'll ask, if he's free. Okay?" She says as he nods with a huge smile lightening his face.