An Arranged Affair

chapter 10 - forgotten memories

Phillips POV

Dinner with my mother was a painful affair, so was the food at Logan Browns.

I watched in extreme boredom at the bar, tossing back one drink after the other as my mother flittered around the room like a hummingbird, networking as best as she could, ignoring the flirtatious smiles the bartender gave me and some of the patrons as well.

Perhaps in another lifetime, I thought, but for now i was a married man with a reputation to uphold, as my mother had painfully reminded me constantly in the car.

I couldn't help think back to what was happening at home, I had walked into the kitchen to watch Victoria hand dad a plate while apologising that the meal was simple.

But it was the smell that got me, whatever she ad cooked had stirred up something, forgotten memories of my childhood, and I had wanted to try whatever she had cooked, but mother,with her perfect timing, walked in and dragged me away before i could steal a bite from Dads plate.

And now I was stuck here. Waiting to be called to my table, watching my mother, who had completely forgotten me, and my mind kept wandering back to Vicotria.

She was such an enigma. She was shy and withdrawn, but blew like a firework given a little fuel. She had this sparkle in her eyes that said there was so much more to discover about her, more than any folder on my desk, but she without a doubt, she loved her family, the way she had reacted to my mothers bombshell told me that, and I wondered what her family was like.

And then there was her defiance, any other girl, offered the life I could offer her, would have grabbed it in an instant, but she didn't want it, she wanted to study, to graduate. she hadnt yelled and screamed when i broker her phone and hadnt made any demands on my wealth yet.

And she had challenged my mother.

Not many people had the guts to do that, not many people did that and won, and she did, before knowing what was at stake.

Maybe this marriage wasn't such a bad thing.

Dinner with my mother was all buissness as usual, and for the 2 hours I sat and waited for the 6 courses, all she talked about was the Balaji's and to make good impression at the banquet.

And I kept drinking.

It was almost midnight when I reached home and stumbled back to my room. I was rather drunk and had left my car at the valet parking and taken a cab. Mother had insisted on going back to her hotel in the city and I didn't stop her. I kicked off my shoes, took off my dinner jacket and tie and slumped back onto the couch.

Except it wasn't empty.

' Owww!" the lump under the blanket screamed

' What the fuck?' I yelled out

' You sat on me with your big fat ass thats what!" Victoria yelled back at me

" What the hell are you doing on the couch? Theres a bed there to sleep! And what are you wearing?"

' Its your bed , not mine! Thats why I'm on the couch! And whats wrong with my pajamas?"

' They're hello kitty! Arnt you too old for that?"

' They are comfortable.'

' So is sleeping in the nude!"

' You wouldn't dare!"

She looked terrified in that moment and I couldn't help burst out laughing and got up, pulling the blanet off her and rolling it into a long sausage, placing it the middle of the bed.

' See, your side, my side! Now you don't have to sleep on the couch."

She got up and grabbed the blanket and shook it out. 'You're drunk and the couch is fine."

' OK fine, but dont say I didnt try, ' my stomach growled I was still hungry. ' Hey since you are up, what did you make dad for dinner?"

' Kitchari, why?"

' Can I have some? It smelled really good."

I guess she didn't have anything to say and left, but came back in a few minutes with a plate of steaming food on a tray with some side dishes.

' A little makes a lot, I was going to have the leftovers for breakfast but since your stomach is being vocal, I think you should have the last of it.' She sat the tray in front if me and I looked at the rice and split pea dish that looked like a risotto , she had garnished it with some green leaves, a white thick milky thing and on the side was a tiny red small capsicum thing.

I grabbed it and took a bite .

And I regretted it instantly.

My mouth felt like it was on fire, my ears were burning , my nose began to run and drops of sweat formed on my forehead, and I was instantly sober.

' Shit Phillip, don't you know what a chillie looks like?"

I raced to the bathroom and spat out the contents of my mouth , washing my mouth out with the cold water, but it didnt help.

'Here, have this.' She said and shoved a spoonful of the white milky thing in my mouth, and I swallowed straight away, it had a cooling effect.

' This time don't swallow so fast,' and she fed me another mouthful of yoghurt.

It look about 10 minutes for my mouth to return back to normal, although it felt like I had been scalded.

' Guessing you dont eat spicy food huh?"

' Not one bit. I moved to this country, to a boarding school when I was 10, and I've never been back to India after that. Bording school food was pretty bland.'

' Do you want me to put the food away?"

' No, I still want to eat it.' And I sat down in front of the tray, taking in a tentative mouthful, thankfully it wasn't too spicy and the yogurt was on hand to help calm my burnt mouth.

It was creamy and buttery, and with instantly I was transported back to my childhood, and I remembered being fed the exact same thing by the kamwali (housemaid) who cared for me as a child, in my parents kitchen such a time ago.

But after I had finished half of the kitchari I had to give in, the yoghurt was finished and the spiciness had defeated me.

" Here, try this.' She said, setting a small dish in front of me as she cleared the pate away.

" What is it?"

" Don't worry,' she laughed, " its not spicy, its a sweet dish, like rice pudding, its called kheer.' And she left with the tray.

The pudding was also something out my childhood, sweet and milky, with bits of nut and sultanas, it cooled my firey mouth and my the time I had scraped every last bit out from the bowl, I was stuffed, but the alcohol I had drunk earier reared its ugly head again and the room began to spin and as soon as I lay on my bed I was asleep and had no idea when Victoria came back , covered me with a blanket and turned the lights off.