Unfazed

7. Mommy Knows Best (Rohini)

Practically running into the house like a kid who'd just stolen a cookie from the cookie jar, Deeksha, I want to say had a graceful entry into the living room where I was lounging on one of the sofas. The truth is - she didn't. She stumbled upon the corner of the carpet and nearly fell face first on to the floor, before getting a grip on herself and preventing the fall.

Silently thanking our decision to send her to finishing school and training over the years, an embarrassed flush on the cheeks - she was not surprised at all when I said to her, "Good. I was honestly expecting a good laugh, but you saved yourself."

Being a parent, you learn to see and hear things by just being in the room – even if you are not looking at or engaged with your children. Looking up from the novel I was reading, ad I realized that my statement was both an insult and a compliment at the same time. Of course, I was not evil; but I do have to be the mother!

This entire time, I had seen Deeksha go from embarrassed to in awe to; the expressions on her pretty face changing to borderline comical devotion. More than parent and child, over the years, my children had become my friends – and more importantly, people I trusted. Not wanting to leave her standing there flushed any longer, I decided to break the silence.

"You know, having my own daughter stare at me for so long is equal parts strange and disturbing," I said to her – quietly closing the book I was reading. "Seeing how you were in such a hurry to get here, don't wait for New Year's to be out with it, baby", I added with a slight chuckle.

"Ma I need some intel," she said in a haste. "What is it this time?", I asked her with an amusement that I knew, showed. "Don't laugh at me, Okay?" she said. "I can't make promises, based on the kind of things you've done in the past, you know?", I teased. "Uuuggghhh.... you're so mean, no? What do you get out of this? All I'm asking for is some intel and the background of someone I bumped into at the fair today," she grumbled cutely.

"For a forty something woman with a few friends in the society, you make me sound like a secret agent who can dig up info about people, Deeksh," I said with a sigh, though secretly proud, "But tell me anyway- what do you want to know?"

And out poured the story of her day at the Start-up Fair, while I listened to her animated tale of bumping into one of Harsh's batchmates. Quite frankly, Deeksha's frustration at not knowing who the batchmate was, did not surprise me. If I had been in her place, I'd be doing the same.

So when she asked me, "Whom can you think of, when I ask you for the names of people who had come for Harshu's farewell, but we haven't been in touch with for the past few years?", I couldn't help but wonder.

After repeating a few of the names Harsh had already tried giving her, I finally said, "Mum - I already asked H and he gave me ALL these names! I was hoping you'd think of someone he couldn't..."

I was still lost in thought as when Harsh came into the living room holding a bowl of dessert. Glaring at Deeksha for not having made it in time to eat lunch with him, he ushered her out of the room to the dining space, despite her protests. I smiled at how easy Harsh had always made it for me since Deeksha was born. If I didn't know better, I would have doubted if he was her mother and not I. He loved her and she loved him – that much everyone knew, even if the years of fights over ice cream and competitions for the passenger seat of the car said otherwise.

From the dining room, I could hear Deeksha pressing Harsh for more names while he seemed distracted or unwilling to answer. I could almost bet that he was looking at his phone while he did. That, was curious. Harsh usually never ignored or lacked response when it came to Deeksha. Wait. If Harsh is behaving like this, could Deeksha have possibly met the one person Harsh didn't want her to meet? After all these years, I had heard that Dev was back in town after studying abroad. So, was that whom Deeksha met? Could that explain Harsh's unenthusiastic responses?

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Hi Everyone, 

In this chapter, we finally see what Deeksha and Harsh's mother looks like #mama_mia!

Is Dev 'The Stranger'? Why is Harsh so riled up about Dev?

Find out soon!!