The Least Expected

My first short story for a class internal assessment. There wasn't much thought that went into it as I was time-constraint. But hopefully, this will inspire me to write a lot more in the future. A special thanks to all my patient "proof readers" who helped me through this assignment.
Hope you all enjoy this for now!
 

The Least Expected

I had stayed at home all afternoon waiting for the children to come back from school, so that I could tell them the exciting news I had come to know a few hours back.

“Didi, I finished cleaning the toilet. Do you want me to also do the dishes before I leave?” asked Kansma, the servant who had been working with me since the day my daughter was born.

I was lost in my own world of happiness. Our family had been separated for the past six years now. It is not easy for children to grow up without a father. It was even harder for me.

“No, that is alright. When the children come back they will want to eat something. I will do them later. You can leave now.”

As Kansma banged the door, I heard the horn of the school bus accompanied by giggles and chatter from young people. I ran towards the gate waiting to greet them. As soon as I reached, their faces looked at me with great surprise. I could not blame them, as never in these seven years had I come to the gate of our high security building to fetch them.

“Is everything okay, Mama?” my little, ten year old son Gaurav asked me with great concern.

“Yes sweety!” Why would you even ask?”  I replied

Nihara butted in. “Mama, you never come to get us from the gate, let alone the fact that you’re not even at home most of the time when we get back. My friends are staring at me now. Let’s get inside soon.”  

I grinned like a monkey. My daughter had actually grown up! We ran up the stairs, as I did not want to embarrass her any further.

I heated some food for them and sat facing opposite to them at the table.

“So how was your day at school today, Gaurav?”

“It was okay. We had one free period and I got selected for the All India Football League.”

 

“Wow. Are you kidding me? That is great news, son! I am extremely proud of you.”

“What about you, Nihara? Do you have anything interesting to tell me?”

“Yes! Sam is throwing a party this Saturday at his place. It is more like a fresher’s party to get to know everyone a little better. If you know what I mean.” she replied with the air of a teenager who cannot imagine her parents ever being young and fun once upon a time.

“Hmm that sounds like fun. But I was referring to school…. about your classes etc.?”

B.O.R.I.N.G was the look on my poor daughter’s face.

“Okay, let me go ahead and say this. I’m sure this is something both of you have been wanting to hear for a very long time now. Your father is coming back to live with us on Saturday.” I screamed with joy not being able to control my emotions.

My children just had blank looks on their faces which made mine also become blank after a second. I expected them to shout. Break the table or something. Finally, Nihara pipes up.“Dammit! I will miss Sam’s party.”

 

Saturday came by so fast. Maybe that’s how it is when you’ve been waiting for it all week. Being a single mother hasn’t been easy at all.Running from football practice to piano class to dropping and picking up from tuitions. These kids drive me nuts. I don’t know whether I’m sitting or standing half of the time. But thank god I have the support of my mother and in-laws most of the time.

I hear the doorbell ring loudly. Both my children run together towards the door, thinking it would be one of their friends. But much to their surprise, they see their father, standing at the door after one whole year. The last time we were all together was at Bali last year for my sister’s wedding.We Skype and Face time all the time, even send pictures on Whatsapp and update our tweets and statuses but seeing him in person is a whole different thing. He looked like a stranger to me with his moustache trimmed off. In fact on the whole, he was looking more handsome now than ever before.

I jumped into his arms and I could see that he was very happy to be back too. Next in line were my children and in-laws. I had planned a small dinner party for our family and a close few friends so it was a big surprise to him.

“Son, it is so nice seeing you after so long. Melbourne really seems to be doing you good.” my mother in law said with such excitement.

My husband had been placed in the Melbourne branch of the Oberoi Group of Hotels to manage their chain there. He had always been good at his job and that is something I really

 

 

admired about him. It has taken him to great heights. Out of his passion for baking, he is now opening a cupcake shop here in Mumbai.

“Auntyji, you mean “done you good?” He is back for good now,” I smirked

“Amma, both you and Papa are not bad yourselves. I see that both of you are keeping good health.”

“ Haan… Haan... Touch wood!” She replied like a typical desi mother.

I went to bring out the snacks and came back to find everyone mingling with one another. Cracking jokes, singing medleys and laughing their hearts out. My first party in ages and it turned out to be such a great success.

The next day we all got up late. Sundays are usually very lazy in my household. Mirul sits up on our bed with the newspaper in one hand and a cup of coffee in the other. Nihara lazes around in her pyjamas either texting and listening to the latest hits with her headphones on. Gaurav alternates between a game on the play station and another one on the I-pad. And I catch up on my virtual life, updating my blog and experimenting in the kitchen while chatting to an old friend on the phone.We try not to interact with one another too much avoiding to get on each other’s nerves.

 

Six days passed…

It was a chilly morning and for Bombay standards, this is very rare. I didn’t feel like getting out of bed that morning but suddenly it occurred to me that I had to send my children off to school. Mirul was not in our bed which was a surprise to me. I went to the kitchen to make their breakfast and I saw his phone on the bar counter.

Where could he be?

I was too busy at that moment to even think, so went about with the rest of my work.

“Gaurav, please come and have your pancakes fast, the bus will be here any minute.”

“Yaaa Mama coming”

Nihara was walking towards the door. “Where are you going without eating anything?” She took the sandwich from my hand and walked out of the door.

“Bye Mama. I will be back a little late today” she shouted from below the staircase.

After both of them left I felt good. I had the house to myself. I could pamper myself. But just then, I remembered my absent husband, and his phone beeped twice. Mirul never believed in locking his phone so I went to have a look and saw a notification that said “two messages from Diera”. Curiousity got the better of me, so I opened to see the messages.

 

“Hi love, Hope you have reached safely. Tell me all about your flight.

The second one read “ Love and miss you loads xoxo”

I had to read them over and over again and it still didn’t register in that stupid, little brain of mine that just takes things for granted. What did it all mean? I did not want to jump to conclusions, just yet, so I played along.

Later at dinner today, my husband came rushing in.

“Sorry I had an uncalled meeting with the landlord this morning. Didn’t want to disturb you all. Am I late for dinner?”

“Not at all!” I replied, smiling sweetly at him. I served him some pasta and asked the kids how their days went.

The rest of the evening I tried to hint that I knew his little secret but he remained obtuse. Finally before going to bed, I had to let him know that I’m not a fool. I had been one, but not anymore. Casually I said,“ You got two messages today when you were out.”

“Yup, I saw them later” He saw them! What? That’s all he has to say? After cheating on me this way! My insides were churning with rage. I could explode any minute.

“Who is Diera?” I blurted angrily

“Just a friend of mine from Melbourne. Why?”

“I read the messages.”

 “So?”

Seriously? What was he trying to do here? I just pulled my blanket and pillow and went to the hall to sleep and slammed the door behind me. It became my permanent bed. The idea of sharing a bed with him was just too repulsive.

The screaming and abusing did not stop for days to come and I gave back as good as I got. We would throw things at each other. I would fling whatever of his came into my hand. I was turning into a monster, a really scary one! Till I realized that I wasn’t the only one who was getting affected by all of this. So were my children. Gaurav would close his ears tightly with both his hands and Nihara would just walk out the door saying that she could not take any of this nonsense anymore and that she was going to stay with Sam. I felt helpless. Did not know what to do… But then it struck me that I had to make a decision or else I would lose my children.

This was the man I had loved for the last 18 years of my life. I did all I could to make him happy but I guess there was something more he needed or someone else . I couldn’t be that someone else.

 

The next morning I called my mother in law. We have always been quite close and not the typical saas-bahu.

I cried into the phone. “He has left me. He met Diera. It’s all over.” I could not control myself. I was sobbing like a little baby. I bet she did not even understand a word I said.

“What? Is everything okay? What are you saying? I don’t understand.” was her reply.

In the next five minutes, both of them are at my house and they really consoled me.

“Don’t worry Beta. I will talk to him. He is out of his mind. Another woman in his life it seems!” she mumbled.

“I am done too Auntyji! I cannot be treated like this anymore. I have two brilliant children who deserve better. I would probably be happy with a simple divorce rather than these hopeless attempts at a failed marriage.”

“What are you saying? How can you say such things like that?” she replied.

My father-in-law just sat there in silence.

It was this melancholic atmosphere that greeted the children when they came back from school, with me bursting into tears and my mother-in-law sympathetically patting my shoulder. I looked at them and ran to the washroom to wipe away my tears. Then I came out and told them to pack sufficient clothes for a week’s stay at my mother’s place till I sorted my life out. They quietly went to their respective rooms and after a while we left.

 

The next few days were very busy for me. I was on a job hunt. I did not want a single paisa from “that man” as I now referred to my soon to be ex-husband, although my in-laws insisted that he financially supported my children. Finally, one of my really close friends helped me get into Good Food Magazine as a columnist. I hadn’t really utilised my degree in Journalism for the entirety of my married life and these days most jobs require a certain amount of practical experience so I was really lucky to get it.

“Tina, you are officially a professional tomorrow. Are you nervous?” My friend asked me over the phone.

I did not know what to say “ Mixed emotions I think it is!”, I replied.

Contrary to my expectations, my first day turned out to be more than satisfying. All my colleagues were really helpful to me and I met a man at work who was extra nice to me, showing me the tricks of the trade. I was pleasantly surprised especially when he asked me to lunch the next day. ONLY ME!

 

 

Over the next few days we became really close. It wasn’t long before he told me that he was interested in taking things forward. I felt like a frivolous sixteen year old all over again. But wait! That’s my daughter’s age… But I couldn’t care about how silly it was at my age to feel that way because I was happy for the first time in a long time.

Ironically, the first person I told was my mother in law. I was scared at first but felt much relieved when she shared my happiness with me.

“I am thrilled to hear this news, beta! So have you’ll finalised the date as yet?” She quipped.

I had not even divorced her son as yet. That was something she seemed to forget.

“Auntyji!” I replied laughing  “ He would like to meet both you and Babaji. When is that possible?”

“Anytime! Just let me know a day before and I will prepare a nice lunch for all of you.”

That day came and we all had such a lovely time. He got to know my children much better and they actually got along with him.

“ I really love your mother very much.” he told Nihara my daughter

I thought she would be embarrassed but she actually replied back saying, “If you really mean what you say you have Gaurav’s and my best wishes too,”  with a big smile on her face.

 

I was so proud of them. They have become everything I wanted them to be. They have imbibed great discernment to judge right from wrong .My life is back on track. The past is left behind and I see the future looking good. Whatever happens from now onwards, I know I can conquer it all. I have my family’s support. That is all that really matters.