All Strings Attached

Chapter Four

Sita

I wake up the next morning and skip down the stairs, getting ready to go shopping with Meera, when I see my mother at the dining table.

"Morning, ma," I call out on my way to the kitchen, so I can tell the chef to make me a stuffed omelette.

"Sita," she calls for me, walking into the kitchen anxiously as if I were going to disappear from here.

"I was going to come sit with you," I tell her, "why do you look so worried?"

"I'm not worried," she responds, consciously relaxing her forehead and straightening up. "Have you heard from your father? He didn't come home last night."

Didn't the news channel telecast him, yet?

"He told me he was flying to Delhi yesterday, in the evening."

"Oh," she realises, her expressions faltering for a minute second before she regains her composure. "What are you having for breakfast?" She asks.

"Omelette stuffed with mushrooms and cheese please," I direct towards the chef, and turn to a maid, "bring it with some apple juice."

I follow my mother out of the kitchen. "I'm going shopping with Meera," I let her know, "I won't be home for lunch."

"It's already 11," my mother protests, "let Meera come home, both of you can have lunch and leave. I haven't seen her in so long."

"No, mummy," I turn her down, "she has to buy some traditional clothes for Veer's cousin's wedding, and she doesn't have much time until her flight back to Delhi."

"She's buying clothes from Hyderabad to take back to Delhi?" My mother questions. "Clothes in Delhi are so much better. We always got your traditional clothes from Delhi, didn't we?"

"She wants a Kanchi saree," I explain.

"I see," my mother finally understands. "Will you both have lunch outside, then?"

"I'm only having breakfast now," I tell her, "I don't think I'd have space for lunch anytime soon."

"Don't skip meals, Sita," my mother disapproves, "are you going to the gym?"

I barely hold back the groan that escapes me. "I don't want to talk to you about my fitness goals," I tell her, "I'm happy with how I look."

"I'm only asking about your wellbeing," my mother refuses to back down, "am I not allowed to enquire about my daughter's wellbeing?"

"By implying that I look fat and need to lose weight? Absolutely not."

"I'm not saying you're fat," my mother says, "I haven't even said anything yet."

"You'd better not," I warn.

My mother seems to know what's best for us, she does not argue further and I begin to eat my meal.

"How was the party last night?" She asks. "Did you see any friends?" Her eyebrows raise with hope, as though I may have decided to marry someone I met at the party.

"No, just Meera and Veer," I answer. "I did see Dhruv."

"Suma told me Dhushyanth was there as well," she gets to the much anticipated topic of discussion.

"He was," I answer.

"You didn't mention him," she comments, raising her eyebrows as if teasing me.

"We're not friends," I let her know, passing her a tight-lipped sardonic smile.

My mother glares at me. "There's no need to be like this about Dhushyanth," she says, "you could be nice."

"Ma, we're not friends," I clarify for her. "I don't want to be friends with Dhushyanth. Please wipe off any expectations about me and Dhushyanth- it's not happening."