Mixed Masala

Chapter 13

"Five ... four ... three ... two ... one ... HAPPY NEW YEAR!"

"Happy New Year, everybody!" Jayashree's voice came over the speaker phone, closely followed by Ravi.

"And to you too, my dears," Lakshmi practically yelled. She wasn't accustomed to speaker phones and always thought she had to shout at them in order to be heard.

"Happy New Year, Jaya ... Ravi," Jayashree's father said as he hugged his wife and then his younger daughter. Meera and her mother in turn embraced each other as Vishwanath poured out three glasses of sherry and handed one to each of the ladies. He held the third in his hand and raised the glass in a toast.

"Here's to a good year ahead and to the arrival of my very first grandchild any day now."

Jayashree's due date was on the 9th of January, but they all knew only too well that she could go into labour way before then. After a few more minutes of conversation, Jayashree and Ravi rung off and Vishwanath turned to Meera.

"We're so happy that you decided to join us this weekend."

Meera smiled and gave her father a kiss on his cheek. "I just didn't want you two to enjoy yourselves too much thinking that all of your kids were far away."

Meera had planned to spend New Year's with her parents some time ago. After all, Raj was still away in London, Jayashree was too far along in her pregnancy to even contemplate travelling and she didn't want her parents to make too many long-distance trips unnecessarily. Besides, they would no doubt be headed to Kuala Lumpur the moment Jayashree delivered. That trip was not too far away and there was no reason for them to tire themselves out before then. So Meera had decided that she would go to them instead.

Suddenly her cell phone and the house telephone started ringing almost at the same time. Her mother picked up the cordless telephone while Meera grabbed her cell.

"Happy New Year!" Rakesh and Kavitha yelled in unison.

Meera laughed. "Same to you, you crazy people!"

Kavitha was visiting Rakesh in Penang this weekend. In fact, Kavitha and Meera had driven up to Ipoh together late Friday evening, and then after a quick dinner (which Lakshmi absolutely insisted upon) Kavitha had driven on to Penang. Today was Sunday and as such Monday was automatically a public holiday on account of the New Year. Kavitha planned to leave Penang late Monday evening, arriving in Ipoh later that same night. Then the girls would leave for Kuala Lumpur early Tuesday morning and head straight to work, Kavitha dropping Meera off at her office first before going on to her law firm. Suresh was to give Meera a lift back home after work, something he had been adamant about when Meera had told him about her plans to spend the New Year weekend back home in Ipoh with her parents.

"I suppose it's a big deal to you all," he had said, sounding disappointed. He had been looking forward to spending their first New Year together ... together.

"What? You mean, New Year?" Meera had asked, sensing his mood. "Not really. I mean, it's not like Deepavali ... but well, what with Raj being away and Jayashree's baby about to plop out any day now ... I just don't want them to be alone."

"Well, technically, they're not alone. They're together. Ever occur to you that they might want to be alone together?"

"Eew!" Meera had exclaimed. "Now that's just gross."

Now as she watched her mother chatting animatedly away on the other phone to her brother, tears welling up in her eyes, she was glad that she had come home. She spoke for a few moments longer with Kavitha, then picked up the hall extension to talk to Raj.