Bombay Romance ♡ COMPLETED

[ 39 ] Is this a Proposal? ■

'You cannot talk to your wife that way,' Gauri crosses her arms and puts her nose in the air.

'Then what?' a man stands before her, arms on his waist, chewing paan. His wife and child stand behind him, looking sullen. 'I should leave all my work and walk slowly like a snail with her?'

'She's pregnant for god's sake; she's carrying your baby!' Gauri exclaims. 'What the hell is wrong with you?!'

It is the long corridor of the government school building converted into a makeshift children's medical camp for the residents of Dharavi. The corridor is flanked by a muddy courtyard on one side and a wall painted with bright portraits of writers, freedom fighters and poets on the other. Each classroom is allotted to various doctors and medical assistants to conduct health check-ups and administer vaccines. Volunteers sit at tables near every classroom door, registering names and handing out tokens.

Gauri curses herself for the hundredth time for being stuck in this morbid place with this uneducated crowd. Even the IPC Sections will not work on these stupid people. She draws a deep breath and looks at the insolent man.

'Alright, that's enough. Maybe I'll have to call the police.'

'Arre, keep quiet madam!' the man snorts. 'I'll also see, which police will come! As if nobody in this world has been pregnant before her! And who are you to tell me? She's my wife, I'll do whatever I wan-'

His loud speech is cut short as Amarnath slaps him across the face; he stumbles and dashes against one of the old pillars of the corridor. Gauri steps back, blinking.

'Say that again,' Amarnath's eyes gleam dangerously as he yanks the man's collar back and forth, and slaps him again. 'What did you say? Say that again.'

'S-Sorry Saab, Sorry Saab!' the man looks terrified.

'Lagada hain cholesterol bahut zyada ho gaya tera. If we give you some treatment, you'll be fine.' Amarnath unbuckles his belt.

'No Saab! Saab, please, Saab!' the man shrieks, falling to his knees, pleading.

People crowd around the scene, murmuring. A few doctors peep out of the classrooms. Amarnath pulls the man up by his collar. 'Say sorry.'

'Sorry, sorry Saab!'

'Mere lai nahi, behe-' Amarnath halts the swear word midway.

But Gauri doesn't miss it. She frowns, deciding to talk to him about this, later.

The man looks at his wife. 'S-Sorry .... '

'I'll peel your skin and send it to the tyre factory if you behave the same way with your wife again.'

The man walks away slowly with his wife and kid, thankful for coming out alive. Gauri smiles, looking at Amarnath. He gets so angry if some stranger isn't looking after his wife well, she thinks. How much he might care for me when we both get married?

'That's why you wanted to come here!' Murali says in Amarnath's ear. 'To meet your best friend.'

Amarnath turns to him with an indignant reply.

'No! No need to explain,' Murali shakes his head serenely, eyes closed. 'I understood everything.'

'Murali, I didn't kn-'

'Murali, I didn't know she was here! How will I know? I'm with you since morning!' he mimics Amarnath. 'That's your dialogue na?'

'It's the truth!' Amarnath says fiercely.

'And I've decided to stop believing you,' Murali says decisively.

Amarnath ignores him and turns to Gauri, his eyes shining; not at all like the menacing look they displayed a few seconds ago. 'I didn't know you would be here.'