Back In Time

~fifteen~

Rishi staggered to his feet from the ancient sofa the very instant she walked into the living room with her tiny suitcase in tow. Meera pressed her lips into a thin line, trying to supress a laugh seeing the obvious panic she could see take over him.

Tugging at the suitcase, she had only taken two steps in when he rushed to her in quick strides and offered, "I'll take it."

Meera gazed his way disapprovingly and felt something caustic at the tip of her tongue when she was interrupted with,

"Oh it's Meera! Come come." It was Rishi's mum and her Badi Chachi, obviously trying to diffuse the situation.

Rishi rolled his eyes to that for some reason, and Meera sent a forced smile her way in greeting.

"I want to sleep in Dadi's room." she declared to no one in particular.

Her Mother walked out of the kitchen now, wiping her damp hands on the homely, sorry excuse of a night shirt which Meera had once owned. 'SWEET DREAMS', it read, and she found herself recall how much she had had to beg her Father to buy her that shirt from the mall when they'd had an obvious financial crisis at home.

He'd conceded eventually, and she'd ended up wearing that top everywhere but at home, too proud to have bought apparel from a branded store. Back then, it had been a huge deal for them.

"Why? What's the problem with our room?" her Ma posed, showing absolutely zero signs of any happiness at seeing her after nine months.

Her Chachi too, folded her arms before her clearly braless, busty chest in silent agreement with her Mother.

Meera sighed loudly, her gaze shifting to Rishi's nervous disposition. But to her complete surprise, he cut her before she could interrupt with,

"It's okay nah Chachi. She's come back after so long. Let her have her way."

What part of his requesting tone made her Mother drop the subject was a mystery to her, but she didn't object when Rishi dragged Meera's suitcase through the living room and into the balcony, which had been taken inside of the house and converted into a compact room for Dadi after renovation.

"Thank you." She mumbled, when Rishi placed the suitcase along Dadi's old, wooden cupboard which she'd apparently got from her parents back when she'd married into the Modi household.

Rishi shrugged for response and she took that as an end to their futile attempt at striking a conversation. Bending over the suitcase, she began rummaging for a change of clothes before she headed back to the hospital to switch with her Father but Rishi stood lingering at the threshold.

"Want something?"

He took little steps in at that and seated himself on the neatly done, single bed. Taking that as a cue for the start of a conversation, she flipped shut the suitcase again and plonked herself on another end of the bed.

The seconds' hand of the clock ticked audibly as they both sat in a surprising companionable silence.

I think it's safe to say he really means no harm. He misses you, you know. Vedant's words played in her head and she watched him fidget with his fingers. This was something he did when he was nervous, and she wondered what could be the reason for his discomfort. They hadn't looked eye to eye in years, but surely her presence didn't intimidate him. Right?

"I got this for you."

Meera watched as he got up on his feet and disappeared from the door. One minute later, he returned with a brown paper bag.