The Uninterrupted Suitor

Chapter 11

"Maithri, what is happening here? "
"Father...."
She mellowed her rough voice.
"Took you long."
"What is happening here? "
"Nothing father. A garden lizard attacked me. Aditya helped me getting rid of it."
"Helped you getting furious too?"

He sneered at Aditya's topless state. Aditya was at total loss at what to say.  Vikram would not allow him to speak. He was totally at Maithri's mercy.

"Oh!  That was just a misunderstanding."
"Misunderanding? "
"It is settled father. "
"Want me to mediate in settling your misunderanding? "

Mediate!? You!?
He is the devil and you are his advocate!

"I will get some diyas from the temple room. And some candles."
She exited the kitchen leaving the two men. Vikram came very close to Aditya his eyes pinched with menace.
"She saved you now. Next time I find her disturbed like this around you, I will restructure your face. "
He then looked at Aditya's finely chiseled body on open display. He was someone fit to be topless in a business magazine. Of course for most businessmen it would be a waste of time. Also there was another issue. The issue with the girls of the clan being used to seeing topless men during pooja rituals and volunteering in temples. And Aditya was no exception.
"Go and wear a shirt."

"Father!! "

Maithri's scream made them rushing to her in the dark living room.
"What now?"
The dark room was filled with the smell of burning electric wire. From below the main door they could see the lights of the unmistakable short circuit.
"That smells like a short circuit, father."
"Hmm. Our electric meter is outside on the porch."
"Shall we look into it? " Aditya went on to open the main door.
"Sure. Before the house catches fire. Duckling get the wooden roller pin. "
By the time Maithri fetched the roller pin and a wooden spatula the two men had stepped out on the porch to examine the short circuit.
"What will we do, father.? "
"First lets turn off the main switches and pull out the fuses."
"Pull out the fuses!? When a short circuit is going on? Isn't it suicidal father. "
"Hmm. That it is. But the short circuit has still not reached the fuses. So thats a risk we will take."
The three went in the living room. Aditya took the roller pin from her.  He then shut off all the main switches. Vikram took the wooden spatula and nudged the main fuse. It loosened slowly and then fell down on the floor.
"Father when is the electricity coming back? "
The darkness finally became a serious reality of the night. It was no more a tiny episode. They knew the removal of the fuse meant no electricity till the short circuit was fixed. And it was doubtful it would be fixed tonight. They stood in the flash lights of their mobiles.

"Duckling! Candles! Now! "
"Yeah, I will get them. "
"Wow! It's really pitch black." She said frozen at the sight of the interior of the house."
Aditya resisted volunteering to go with him. He sat back to see how the situation would play out. Also she didn't need protection inside the house unless if there was another stupid garden lizard around.
"Duckling, you are fetching the candles right? "

Aditya sat on the sofa. Vikram called his butler. Apparently they had removed the generator and sent it to one of their factories. There were no solar lights either. They rarely stayed overnight in this house. Hence the negligence. Tonight unless the short circuit issue was fixed they were going to spend the night in darkness. Maithri appeared with candles and diyas. Vikram explained the situation to both Aditya and Maithri.
"Duckling you and Aditya go and get me the tenant here. Lets see if he can fix our electricity problem."

Me and the locomotive in darkness.
Again!!

"Why me and him? Why not me and you?

"Because you are friendly with the tenant's wife and especially the dog. With Aditya because I can't send you alone. And not me because I have to make some calls."

Me, him in darkness with a snarling dog.
What could possibly go wrong?

"Aditya you are going right? "
"I will help. "
"And Aditya I don't want a repetition of the misunderanding that happened in the kitchen...ten minutes ago...after the garden lizard. "
"I understand."

And the tormenting memories of that accidental cuddle.
Wow father! You are doing a fine job of reminding us of each others... contours and anatomies.