Deciphering His Love

34 | The One With The Changes

20th July 2017

Lewisham, United Kingdom.

"I like this place better than your campus hostel." Devi says looking around Shree's newly rented apartment in Lewisham, a quiet and peaceful suburb outside the busily bustling London. It was a slightly warm day when Devi, Lakshmi and Shyaam had visited Shree in her new apartment, unannounced.

"Yeah and you have like one whole room for yourself!" Shyaam says stretching on the sofa.

"The old 2-bedroom apartment had four occupants: two girls in each room. I had to share my hostel bedroom with another girl. It was already well occupied. You'd probably need more space for the baby's things and a baby isn't going to be quiet." Shree says as she brings a plate of cookies from the kitchen.

Shree was almost six months pregnant. Her stomach was round but rock hard, with over a million nerve endings. Her body was now curved in places where it never had been. Her baby bump was very visible through her clothes- which hardly fit her anymore. Thankfully, she had enough money to buy a few maternity tee-shirts and stretchable jeans. Shree had also cut her hair short, very short much to the shock of Lakshmi and Yashoda.

"So, somewhere around May, I did a favour to all of them and moved out. Olivera moved out with me as well. She needed space and I needed some form of company- also I don't have to worry about paying the full rent. She pays half and I pay the other half."

"True. It's a bit expensive than the campus rent but we have so much space and independence. And peace! I no longer need to tolerate my roommate's snores. The entire apartment wakes the second Helga Thornberry starts snoring." Olivera says bringing a tray of hot cocoa.

"Ma, you remember Olivera right?" Shree asks Lakshmi as she takes a seat beside Shyaam.

Olivera Jiménez was one of Shree's old roommates. She was a twenty-three-year-old Spanish lady with dark curly hair and a fair complexion. Her protruding nose and the emerald green eyes are the most significant features of her large rounded face. She had a passion for sea life and is currently doing a degree on marine biology at the University of London.

"Of course! You've told me so much about her!" Lakshmi says eating the cookies laid out on the coffee table. "These cookies- God! They taste so good! Where did you-"

"Shree made them!" Olivera says. "She has a business of her own, Happy Cookies, and she supplies cookies to almost all the groceries of Lewisham."

"It's nothing. Just a temporary business venture to earn more money!" Shree shrugs. "Do you like the cookies, Ma?"

"Like?" Devi exclaims with a mouthful of cookies. "They are fucking amazing! Devuda, we were wrong to label you Maharashtra's worst chef! What else can you make?"

"I can make a good Gazpacho soup and a traditional Spanish paella. Olivera's mother thought me when she visited us two months ago. A decent turkey soup and some tortillas too." Shree says shrugging. "I made some rice with minced chicken and a spicy lamb stew for dinner."

Shree struggled in the first few weeks at the campus hostel in London. She no longer woke up to a warm cup of tea near her bedside table. She had to make it herself- and that too she struggled a lot. It took her several failed attempts before she could make a fine cup of tea. She realized that she herself had to provide herself with everything.

She would call Madhav so many times per day; sobbing and hoping he would pick up. He declined most the calls, while he let the a few calls ring until it got cut. He didn't see her emails or the messages she sent on Whatsapp, Facebook and Instagram.