seventeen
2888 Words
“Mom!”
Patty covered her ears, wearing an obviously exaggerated expression of pain, as if the scream was loud enough to stab at her eardrums.
“Who’s gone deaf?” Patty asked. “Why are you screaming?”
“What the heck are you up to?” Appie demanded.
“Pour yourself a glass of water,” Patty said. “Cold. Maybe two glasses. Drink. Sit down. Cool down. And then, talk.”
It might have sounded like a suggestion, but it was a command. An order. And Appie followed without hesitation, without pause, and without question. She gulped down the first glass. And sat at the table with the second in hand.
Patty sat across the table from her daughter. She was smiling now. The amusement was impossible to miss in the smile. “Good girl. Now, talk. Don’t rush.”
Appie gave her mother a glare before parting her lips. “What is going on?”
“What do you mean?”
“The dinner. What is that about?”
“Oh, that.”
“That’s actually my idea,” Artie said, as he joined the women at the table. He sat next to his wife, opposite his daughter. “Let me explain.”
“Please,” Appie said. “I won’t stop you.”
Artie smiled lovingly at his darling daughter. He was tickled by the frustration on her face. “Your mom told me everything. You like him. He likes you too. But not the same. Also, there is no one right now, but you do have a rival. How can I sit by? I’m helping out my daughter.”
“Dad, I don’t want your help.”
“You think you don’t. Tell me. Imagine this scenario. Your parents, his and yours, decide to get the two of you engaged. You exchange rings. An arranged marriage. You can get married after college. Or whenever you want. But you are engaged. Does that look like a nice picture? Do you like it?”
“I do,” Appie admitted. “But”
“I know,” Patty cut in. “It’s not that simple. We know. We get it. Tonight, we’ll just talk. Nothing more. Promise.”
“Just talk,” Appie said. “You promise. The both of you.”
“Yeah,” Artie said.
“Promise,” Patty said.
Appie sighed. Nodded. And let her head fall, slamming into the table louder than it actually hurt. It’s not going to be that simple, she thought.
She could only hope her parents would have an open mind. And they would be able to get it.
-
Appie was pleasantly surprised by her parents. She couldn’t be happier with the outcome of the dinner. Things couldn’t have gone better.
Their parents agreed to let Bee and her spend more time together. Agreed that the two of them were good for each other. And they were accepting of the idea of engagement and marriage.
“It’s up to you two now,” her mother said.
Appie nodded.
Bee smiled. But there was nothing in his face. And he had nothing to say.
“Take your time,” Bee’s father said.
“You two can look after each other on the trip,” Bee’s mother said.
“That would be a great place to start,” Appie’s father said. “How the two of you work socially. Just keep the idea in your heads. Let it ferment. Give it time.”
Appie and Bee nodded. With different expressions on their faces. With different thoughts in their heads. Appie’s was more obvious than Bee’s. She was all for it - both the engagement and the marriage. She was clear about her desire of wanting to spend her life with Bee. So, it was all up to Bee. And Bee was in no rush. He couldn’t be rushed. That was something everyone agreed on.
The sun was up when Appie woke up the next morning. The holidays had begun. There was no college. No classes to rush to. No schedule to adhere to. Nothing she would be late for. She was sure she would wake up at around noon, like always. And when she saw the time, she couldn’t believe her eyes. She woke up at the same time as she did when college was open.
“Wow, it’s going to rain today,” Patty said, when Appie walked out.
“Meteorological department said there would be no rains,” Artie said. “Will be something else.”
“Definitely something,” Patty said.
“You guys never get tired at the same jokes?” Appie said. “You’re getting late for office. Drop me off on the way.”
“Where?” Patty asked, with a teasing smile.
“Obviously, at her soon to be in laws,” Artie said.
“Good that she’s not dressed up,” Patty said. “Nothing will happen.”
“Bee won’t let it,” Artie said. “I’m sure that’s why she’s still in her pjs.”
“Are you going over like this?” Patty asked.
“Mom, dad, please,” Appie begged, hiding her face under her hands.
Appie did shower. She didn’t dress herself, but she made herself presentable.
The family of three had breakfast together. And they left home together. Even though it wasn’t in the way, Appie did get a ride to Bee’s.
And when Appie walked into the apartment, she saw that Bee was alone. His parents had already left. And Bee was actually studying.
“You don’t mind if I watch something, while you study, do you?” Appie asked.
Bee passed her the remote in reply. They were in the living room. Bee was studying. Appie searched for something to watch. Found a movie. She was next to Bee, lying down, with her head on his lap, watching TV while he held a thick book in hand and studied without getting disturbed by the TV. She was so comfortable, she drifted off to sleep. And it was a good sleep. She felt rested when she woke up two hours later. He was done reading, or maybe taking a break. The book was sitting by the side. He was watching TV. And gently brushing her hair.
Her eyes were open. But she didn’t move. She was enjoying his touch. She was feasting on the warmth. She was drowning in the feeling of warmth, the feeling of being loved. She couldn’t be happier. And she didn’t want this moment to end.
“I know you’re awake,” he said, after a while. “It’s fine if you want to remain like this. I’m not complaining. Just get up when you’re hungry.”
On cue, her stomach growled. She sprung up to a sitting position. She was blushing. She couldn’t look at him, couldn’t meet his eyes. And she wanted more than anything to shut her ears, so she wouldn’t hear him laughing.
“Enough already,” she said after a minute. “You laughed. It was funny. And now, it’s over.”
“Alright,” he said. But he was still laughing.
“What’s for lunch?” She asked.
“Mom didn’t know what you’d like. She didn’t prepare anything. Said we can just go out. Or order something. Or, cook something ourselves. What do you prefer?”
“Let’s go out,” she said decisively. “I’m in the mood for noodles. Spicy. And fried chicken. And I know just the place.”
“What do you want to do afterward?” He asked.
“Do you need to pack?” She asked.
“I wouldn’t need a lot of time. You?”
“I do need to pack. And I will need a bit of time. How about this? We’ll eat. And then, we’ll go home. You can help, or just watch, as I pack. And then, I don’t know. We’ll find something to do.”
“Okay. We’ll do as you say.”
Appie’s choice was an eatery that had in its name a kitchen. Jamie’s Kitchen. It was located in an old building, on the ground floor, in the corner. There were only plastic four legged stools for sitting. The food was served in disposable plates. It was an open kitchen. It was more like a food truck than a restaurant. But it was popular. In fact, it constantly featured in the places one must visit in the city. And attracted only foodies. The menu was limited too.
There was only noodles. Prepared in three styles. And fried chicken. And sodas for drinks.
“I’ll tell you the story another time,” Appie said.
And Bee nodded. He understood the second he laid eyes on the menu painted on the wall. Appie was thinking about this place when she listed out what she was in the mood for. He had never heard of the eatery. The food was delicious. He immediately agreed that this would be a favourite.
The eatery was open only during lunch, and only as long as the ingredients lasted. That was one of the special things about the place. Wouldn’t be easy bringing his parents over. And since takeaway was not offered, there was no alternative.
After the delightful feast, they were in a much better mood. Appie’s home was a short walk. They went over. He sat on the bed, and watched, as she packed.
The trip was five days long. Including the travel, it was one week.
“I’m going to need to pack at least twelve sets of clothes,” she said. “Thankfully, we’re not going to the sea. Or that would be a few more sets. You know what, I think we should do that in the next holidays. Go to the sea. Maybe just you and I?”
“You do realise that most hotels would offer laundry service,” he said, making no effort at hiding the fact that he was avoiding the question.
She didn’t mind. In fact, she expected it. “Yes. But how can I give my clothes to someone I don’t know to wash. Do you know that they sometimes wear the clothes they take to wash before returning them? I don’t mind that someone else wears my clothes. But I do mind that they do it without asking me. That’s not nice.”
“You pack all that, your suitcase is going to be as heavy as you. And I’m telling you right now, I’m not going to help carry your luggage.”
“You’re not the only one who’ll offer to help.”
“Just pack light. Isn’t it easier? You can just take complete responsibility for your bags and suitcase.”
“Ooh, I’ve got an idea,” she said after a minute of thinking. She was hopping excitedly. “We’ll just pack your t-shirts. They’ll be one size up for me. But that’ll be fine. You’re so modest, they won’t reveal anything even on me. And, that way, my luggage is directly halved. Actually, more than that. I’ll just pack my underwear. And a few pairs of jeans. And we can go shopping. Markets and malls will definitely be on the itinerary. We’ll buy t-shirts. If you just got thinner quicker, we’d be the same size. And it would be so much easier. Anyway, this time, I’ll be in oversized t-shirts. And you’ll be just right. Perfect, isn’t it?”
“Pack your t-shirts too,” he said.
“Alright. Just the t-shirts. And the jeans. That’s not a lot.”
That really wasn’t a lot. She had five pairs of jeans. And only three t-shirts.
“How come so few t-shirts?” he asked.
“I never really liked t-shirts,” she said. “Kurtas are a lot more comfortable. Dresses. Blouses. Never did like t-shirts. The first one I ever bought was on our first date. Mom and dad had me buy the other two last time we went out. I’ll have a lot more tees from now.”
“How? Do you like them so much now that you’ll start buying?”
“No.” She shook her head strongly. “I’m not buying any t-shirts. I’ll just wear yours. What’s yours is mine, anyway.”
He had nothing to say to that.
She didn’t need the suitcase now. The trolley bag that was two thirds the size of the suitcase was enough. She was blushing, but the embarrassment didn’t stop her, as she packed the underwear into the bag in his presence. She couldn’t bring herself to look at him until the bag was packed. The jeans went in. A pair of sneakers followed.
“I’ll pack the smaller stuff in the morning,” she said. Finally, after zipping the bag shut, she looked up at him. “I’m done.”
“You’re coming back with me now, aren’t you?” He asked.
“Yes. We need to pack the t-shirts for the both of us.”
“You didn’t have to be so embarrassed. I wasn’t looking, when you were packing.”
“That’s fine. Next time, you can just watch. I’ll have to get used to it.”
“What do you mean?”
“We’ll be together a lifetime. When we start living together, we’ll just pack one bag. Since we’ll be wearing the same t-shirts. Then, you’ll be thinner. And we’ll have the same size too. You’ll get used to it too. We’ll both have plenty of opportunities to see each other’s underwear. It’ll be boring. Except, of course, the sexy underwear we buy for special occasions. You know, celebrations.”
“And you’re off the rails again.”
So much had changed in just a few months. From hardly seeing each other outside of college, to treating the other’s room as their own, they had come a long way. And it was all her. She walked the distance. And she dragged everyone along. She had brought their lives closer together. And she wasn’t going to stop until she made sure their lives were one. The thing was, he wasn’t sure he was against it. He could see that he wasn’t putting up any resistance. He was getting used to it. He was getting used to her. To her being in his life. To her being everywhere. And he was starting to feel like he would soon like it too.
He shook his head. Smiled.
“Let’s go,” he said.
And he didn’t even realise that he took her hand, of his own accord, as they walked out.
She was smiling the widest she could. And she wasn’t going to speak a word about it. This was a miracle. And she was going to enjoy it to the fullest.
Back at his home, in his room, she helped him pack all of his t-shirts into the suitcase. She divided the t-shirts into two categories. Tees she liked. And tees that were going to go away. The tees she liked would return from the trip. The other tees would be given away after wearing them one last time, whether it was her or him doing the wearing.
His parents came back home just as they finished packing. She stayed for dinner. And then, she had him drop her home.
“Why doesn’t he stay over?” She asked. “We’ll be leaving tomorrow in the morning. He has to come over anyway. He could just stay over. We have an extra room. It’ll be easier. Tomorrow, we’ll just go to the station together. I’m sure mom and dad won’t mind. Do you? Aunty? Uncle?”
Bee was stunned. He looked at his parents, who were surprised but got over it quickly and beamed at Appie. He saw them nod, and knew it was over. Appie had won them over. She was almost at the finish line. Everything was changing so quickly. His life was changing. And, maybe, for the better.
His parents gave the permission. They sent him and Appie off happily.
“Have a good time,” his mother said. “Take care of each other.”
“Be careful,” his father added.
“I’ll take good care of him,” Appie promised. “Don’t worry, uncle, aunty. Maybe, I’ll get him to make up his mind by the time we return.”
“That’ll be wonderful,” his parents said.
“Bye,” was all Bee said at the end.
“We were expecting it,” Appie's parents said as they welcomed Appie and Bee home. “Trust our darling daughter to realise the unthinkable.”
“It’s like she’s a different person,” Patty said. “I never knew she had it in her. This courage.”
“It’s good that she does,” Artie said. “Are you sure you two don’t want to be in the same room?”
Appie blushed. She hung her head down.
Bee sighed and looked upward. Why was everyone turning into Appie?
“No, that’s okay,” Bee said. “I’ll sleep in the extra room, thank you.”
And that was how Bee spent his first night at Appie’s home. And he felt like this wouldn’t be the last time.
- Writer
