85 years have passed since the tempestuous romance between Duke and PIku made them leave their motherland.
India in 2025 is unrecognizable.
Everything is different with sweeping social changes that began with the country's independence. But what h...
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Chapter 16
Dadua and his Weirdness.
The next morning Patty woke up at 5 am out of habit .
He sauntered around the apartment while Avi made some tea .
Then he sat looking through Avi's childhood photos.
Dadua woke up around 6 am . Avi brought him a buttered toast . Breakfast in this household was a late affair , so morning tea was always had with some toasts .
Avi sat chatting with Dadua while the old man munched on his toast after dipping it in his tea . He hadn't put in his dentures yet .
Most of the toast turned soggy and fell into the tea as was the norm , turning the tea into a buttery , bready soup .
Avi smiled at this familiar sight and asked, 'how are you feeling today ? '
'I'm feeling just fine . Your Baba always overreacts . There was nothing wrong with me . ' Dadua said grumpily .
He started on his catalog of complaints .
'Staying in that hospital stay could have killed me . I hated the cold room . I don't understand why they keep people half frozen in hospitals . And there was somebody crying in the next room the whole night . I couldn't get any sleep .'
' Dadua , cold minimizes chances of bacterial growth . It's necessary to keep hospitals cold because there are so many nasty bacterium floating about there . I'm sorry you had to suffer like that . But now you're home . And we got a thorough check up done and have a very clear picture of the state of your health . So that's one positive isn't it ? '
'Hmp. ' came the bad tempered response .
' Umm , Dadua , do you remember the friend I told you about ? ' Avi wanted to introduce his boyfriend to his grandfather even though he couldn't say so . He wanted these two important people in his life to know each other . He needed his Dadua to give his approval for his choice and show off his Patty to him .
'Who ? ' asked the old man .
' My good friend , Pratik . He's here , would you like to meet him ? ' Avi asked .
'Sure , why not . But I just drank tea . I'll feel the pressure soon . Let me finish with the shitting and get fresh . Afterwards you may bring him to me . We'll have a nice long chat . Today's Sunday right ? Aloo paratha day . ' Dadua said humming tunelessly .
'No dadua , we are all getting older . No more fried parathas for us . Plain chapatti perhaps . ' Avi said , trying to be diplomatic .
'It's that young fellow's doing . I know . Kept on and on about my diet . Called me dadu too . That asshole . Who's his dadu ? Not me ! ' Dadua's reply was loud and clear .
'Dadua ! He's a good friend of mine and an excellent doctor ! Please no more foul language ! Ma will be shocked . ' Avi said laughing .
' Hmp , your ma is no better . Do you know what she fed me yesterday ? The water of chicken stew . No chicken , just the bloody water . I'd rather die than live eating this shit . ' pat came the old man's response .
