Chapter Fifteen
"We are the powerpuff trio,"
⧠P R E E T â§
"Your Rano is going to get a good scolding from me someday." I glared at Rano, who just kept staring back, occasionally chirping. I had woken up again because of the loud noise she was making.
It was difficult, but I managed to get some sleep yesterday. Frankly, it was all because of Deven.
"No, she won't. I won't let you trouble mera pyaara bacha," Deven said, rubbing his nose against her small beak, smiling. As annoying as Rano was, the moment was very cute. I quickly reached for my phone and snapped a picture. [My lovely kid.]
"What about your pyaara bacha waking me up every day?" I asked, and he glanced at me for a second before turning back to Rano and saying,
"Mera pyaara bacha , don't trouble my pyaari Preet." I smiled unknowingly at his words and shook my head.
I've been smiling a lot these days.
"What do you want for breakfast?" I asked him while stretching and yawning loudly like an old uncle. I heard Deven chuckle and glanced at him out of the corner of my eye.
"What's so funny?" I glared at him.
"Nothing," he said, chuckling again. I didn't believe him and threw a pillow at his face. Rano, who was perched nearby, flew to the table beside me and pecked my head.
"Chamchi kahiki" I muttered, and she chirped in response. [Little accomplice]
"She's on my team; I feed her every day," Deven said, and I nodded.
"She's very greedy." I added.
"I'll go with cornflakes," he replied, answering my initial question.
"No, please, you don't even like them that much."
"I never said that," he countered, and I rolled my eyes.
"But your expression did. After staying with you for what, two weeks? I've picked up on a few things." He bit his tongue and gave a sheepish smile. I knew he was tired of eating cornflakes almost every day.
My own family was so annoyed with me when I used to eat them every day as a teenager. It was a trend back then, but now I do it to maintain my figure. As much as I try not to be conscious of these things and focus on my professional life, it still matters to me.
It's a bad habit, but if I can't go to the gym and exercise, I switch to eating less.
"Okay, I kind of agree. I liked them at first, but now I'm fed up." He confessed.
"It's obvious. When you like something too much for a long time, you'll eventually get bored of it," I said and shrugged.
"Not always," he replied, looking straight into my eyes with an intensity that made me feel it inside out.
"But you did get bored of cornflakes," I countered.
"And you've been liking them for so many years. Why aren't you bored?" he asked, and I immediately replied without much thought.
"Because I love them."
"That's the difference." The conversation about cornflakes had suddenly taken a serious turn. "When you love something for a long time, your love only grows; you can never get bored of it."
I felt his words had an underlying meaning that I couldn't quite grasp.
"Okay, you win. Just accept the fact that you're bored of cornflakes." He nodded.
"Accepted."
"Good boy." I flashed him a smile and then stood up from the bed to freshen up. I was feeling a little under the weather, and my throat was sore, signaling that I might be getting a fever.
After a hot shower, I walked out of the room thirty minutes later, wearing a sweater over another sweater, and underneath that, a T-shirt paired with leggings to keep warm.
"Hi," I muttered as I reached the dining room, tying my hair into a bun.
"Hi, you look like a cocoon," he said, and I scrunched my nose.
"Should I take that as a compliment or not?" I asked, and he laughed.
"Of course, a compliment," Deven replied, handing me a cover from the table. I raised an eyebrow, silently asking what it was. "The fake marriage certificate."
"Oh, finally," I said, opening the cover to reveal the marriage certificate he somehow managed to obtain.
"Damn, this looks real. Nice work, Deven." I lifted my hand for a high-five.
"Also, I have something to give you," he added, picking up a small box that looked like it contained jewelry.
"What is this?" I asked after he handed it to me.
"Open it yourself." I opened the box to find a golden ring with a small star on it. It looked very simple, elegant, and classy.
"Oh my god, this is so pretty," I said, but then his words clicked. "But I'm not taking it; it looks very expensive."
"You liked it, so it's yours now," he replied, and I shook my head, closing the ring box.
"No, why did you even get it?" I asked him.
"Married couples wear rings on their hands, ma'am," he answered. He had a point. All this time, we had been going around without rings on our fingers.
"Yeah, but a fake one could have done the job." I folded my arms across my chest. The design was just the way I liked it; I wondered how he managed to know my taste in two weeks.
"If I can get a real one, why would I buy a fake one?" I opened my mouth to refuse the gift again, but he quickly added, "And you're keeping it, no complaints."
I didn't have the heart to deny him after seeing the happiness on his face that I liked it. "Okay, but in return, you're keeping this. I don't have anything to give you right now, nor do I have the money to buy you something at the moment. So, I'm giving you my most favorite ring."
I removed the plain gold band from my thumb, which could work for both genders without looking feminine. He opened his mouth to speak, but I interrupted using his own tactic. "No complaints."
"Okay, wifey." He called me that again.
"Now let's perform our fake engagement ceremony." I chuckled, took his hand, and dramatically went down on one knee, showing him the band that I wondered would even fit him.
He covered his mouth with one hand, pretending to be shocked. I laughed at our antics and slipped the ring onto his ring finger.
"Now, my turn." He went down on one knee, and I acted dramatically, extending my right hand instead of my left. I never wore any ring on my left hand's fourth finger, reserving it for a wedding ring.
"It's the wrong hand," Deven said, pausing.
"We're not actually getting engaged. No one will notice," I said, and he nodded. Within seconds, the ring was on my finger, looking beautiful. "Actually, I don't wear any rings on that finger. It's like I'll wear only my engagement ring there for the first time and then never take it off."
"That's romantic," he said, and I just laughed softly. We had breakfast, during which he ate some bread and butter, saying he wasn't that hungry, even though I insisted on making a sandwich for him.
Later, while discussing whether we should go out today or stay in and do our respective work, the doorbell rang. I went to the door and, as soon as I opened it, Neava's face popped up.
"Hiiiiii," she exclaimed with a bright smile.
"Tujhe kisne bulaya?" I asked, and her face immediately fell as she looked at me with angry eyes. Oops, I didn't mean to be so rude.
[Who invited you?]
"Bitch."
"I was kidding. Come inside." I welcomed her and closed the door. She went towards Deven, and they shared a side hug.
They used to stick to fist bumps before. When did they start this hugging thing?
"Hey Pipadiya."
"Hey, Mehrotra, you called me here." She intentionally said this to taunt me. "Let your wifey know that."
"Why weren't you picking up the calls yesterday, Neava?" I asked, and a scowl appeared on her face.
"Kisi ghade ki aulad ne chalte chalte dhakka mar diya mujhe. Tuta gaya mera phone. Aaj milega raat tak.]Â she explained, frustration evident on her face. "Why, what happened?"
[Some idiot pushed me while walking, and my phone fell and broke. I'll get it fixed by tonight]
"Nothing much," I lied. I would tell her the whole story when we were alone.
"Okay. Why was I called here, by the way?" She turned to Deven, who just stared back at me. Neava turned to me as well.
"I didn't ask you to call her," I raised my hands in the air, my quirky remark clearly irritating Neava.
"Yeh toh chahti hi nahi aau main." She replied in a whiny tone.
[She doesn't want me to come here]
"But wait, do I sense jealousy?" Her voice changed to teasing and mischievous in the very next moment.
"Are you in your senses?" I questioned her, only for her smirk to widen.
"You didn't deny it," she said, turning to Deven. "Be careful, boy. You're getting into a mess."
"I'm always up for a mess if it's as beautiful as her." Blood crept to my cheeks as I tried to hide my smile.
"Aw, girlie's blushing. What happened between you two, huh?" Neava asked, placing her hand on Deven's shoulder in a friendly way. I shook my head.
"Nothing," Deven and I replied at the same time with different tones. Mine was more stern, while his sounded disappointed.
"Anyway, I'll go out to meet some friends or something. You two enjoy your girl time," Deven said. As he was about to walk past me, I encircled my arms within his and pulled him back in a way he faces me from a distance.
"Why, mister?" I asked.
"Why not, miss?" He replied.
"You didn't just call Neava to kick yourself out of your house. Spend time with us."
"Yes, you're one of us girls now. We are the powerpuff trio, yay," Neava exclaimed with excitement, only for me to sigh and Deven to chuckle.
"If you don't mind, then okay. I don't mind either," he said with a half-shrug.
"What will we do, though?" As soon as I asked, the doorbell rang. I looked at Deven in surprise.
"Who else have you called?" He shook his head in denial. I went to open the door and found a man standing there in black pants, a plain white t-shirt, and a brown overcoat.
"Is Miss Pidapiya here?" I looked at him, confused. Who was he referring to?
"I think this one's for me," Neava said, rushing to the door after hearing the man's voice. "And it's Pipadiya, how many times should I tell you. "
"It's weird anyway, go get your surname changed. And Here's your phone. Now get off my back," he said arrogantly. I glanced at Neava, expecting irritation, but she looked happy.
Um, what?
"Rushaad!" Deven shouted, grabbing our attention. He walked towards the man, and they hugged.
"After a long time, how are you?" Deven asked Rushaad. I raised my eyebrows at Neava, silently asking how she knew him.
"Who is he?" I asked when she didn't catch my signals.
"Meri mummy ka hone wala damad." she replied after winking at me first and later covering her face shyly.
[My mother's future son-in-law,"]
"Tumhari sundar behen hai? Dimag wali, haan." Rushaad retorted sarcastically.
[Do you have a sister? One with a brain?"]
"Main hoon na," Neava said, and Rushaad rolled his eyes. Why is she flirting with him, and why isn't he reciprocating?
[I'm here.]
"Then I definitely don't want to marry into your family," he shot back.
"What's up with you two? How do you know each other?" Deven interrupted, thankfully.
"Through a blind date."
"I don't know her."
Both spoke simultaneously, making me burst into laughter. It was a funny moment.
Neava excitedly explained their connection, while Rushaad denied knowing her. Neava glared at me as I chuckled.
I noticed Deven looking at me with an unknown yet endearing expression. He chuckled when our eyes met. Neava nudged him, and it was then he looked away.
"You're very mean, Ruru," Neava sighed in disappointment. "Also, come inside. I won't bite you."
"Ew. Just ew," Rushaad responded with a disgusted look at her nickname but stepped inside after Deven's insistence.
"Okay, tell us what happened, Ruru" Deven reminded them intentionally adding the nickname she was calling him by.
"Aye, mera nickname mat chepo." Neava hissed.
[Don't use my nickname for him.]
"Wo nickname hi mat chepo." Rushaad added and later as if some realisation hit him he made a face and muttered something under his breath.
[Don't use that nickname only.]
"She came as a substitute for her dumb friend on the blind date. So childish. And such a liar," Rushaad said, running a hand through his hair. Excuse me? Did he just call me dumb?
"Such a dumb friend," Deven said, looking at me mischievously.
"I know, right? Who does that? Just say you don't want to meet. And liars like her, I just can't," Rushaad continued. I bit the inside of my cheek.
"By the way, who are you?" Rushaad asked me, his face softening into a charming smile. He extended his hand for a handshake. Deven placed his hand on Rushaad's before I could.
"No," Deven and Neava shouted simultaneously, making me turn to them.
"What, no?" Rushaad asked.
"Don't even think about it. I know your charming smile routine," Deven said, and Rushaad shrugged.
"And you never smile like that at me," Neava added, to which Rushaad immediately replied,
"I don't smile at liars."
"Then you won't smile at me either," I interjected awkwardly. Rushaad looked at me, and before he could ask why, I said, "Well, I'm the dumb friend, Preet."
"Uh," Rushaad looked embarrassed. I chuckled and said,
"It's okay. I get your point. Don't be embarrassed. I'm sorry for pulling that stunt, but I had my reasons." He nodded thoughtfully. At this point I just wanted to stick an excuse to cover my stupid action.
"Are you guys dating each other?" Rushaad asked after an awkward silence while looking at the pictures hanging on the wall. He was switching his gaze between me and Deven. I shook my head vigorously.
"No, they are what we'll become in the future." Neava's statement made all of us look at her, confused.
"Husband and wife." I clicked my tongue. Why does she always advertise our fake relationship in front of everyone?
I'm ashamed to even add the word "fake" every time.
"What? You're married, Deven? What about the girl you lo-" Deven cut him off mid-sentence.
"We are not. She likes to spread lies." Neava gasped audibly at this.
"I'm aware," Rushaad said, leaving Neava speechless. I dragged her to a corner before she could respond extravagantly. Deven explained the whole situation to Rushaad; I could hear specific words.
"What is happening between you two?" I asked Neava, who looked disinterested.
"Nothing," she said dejectedly.
"Then why are you flirting with him? You never told me what happened on that date." She nodded.
"I was going to give you the tea today until the tea showed up at the door." I let out a soft chuckle at her statement. "Also, I'm flirting because it's fun to see him get pissed and irritated."
"Do you like him?" I asked. She only acts this way when she likes someoneâtrying to annoy and irritate them.
"Are you mad? Of course not."
"It looks like that, though." She rolled her eyes and was about to walk away, but I asked another question.
"But wait, how does he know you're here?" She had told me her phone was broken.
"I kind of told him yesterday. Deven called him, and I was with him at that time, so that's how I'm here. Otherwise, how could Deven contact me?" It made sense.
"What were you doing with him?" She clicked her tongue in annoyance.
"I'll tell you everything later." I pouted and showed her a thumbs up. She has things going on in her life and she's not even informing me. That is sad.
"Damn," I heard Rushaad say as we walked back to them and sat on the couch. Deven and Rushaad were sitting on opposite couches. "I'll leave now."
"Why, RuRu?" And there he ignored her.
Who the hell calls a guy RuRu? That just sounds cringey. And I'm sure that's why Neava picked this name, to irritate him with something cringey.
"Stay a little longer. We're all friends now," I said politely, mentally hoping he wouldn't respond with something like, I don't befriend liars.
"Yeah, stay for a while," Deven added. After a good pause of ten seconds, Neava's RuRu nodded, adjust in the glasses on his nose. I could see why Neava liked him. He was her type.
"Okay." He was clearly feeling awkward, as shown on his face.
"How are you guys friends, by the way?" I asked Deven.
"We were buddies in university. Later, job and work pressures built up, he moved to a different city, and we lost contact. But then he was here in Canada for a long time, so when I decided to come here, I contacted him again."
"Oh. That's nice," I replied.
"Now, what are we going to doâ" The doorbell rang again. I was about to stand up from my seat until Deven indicated for me to stop, and he answered the door.
"What do you want?" Deven asked the person. I tried to peep through but could only see Deven's back.
"Preet." It was Aniketh's voice. How come he's back again?
"Already booked, what else?" Deven snapped. I immediately stood from my place and walked over to them.
"What happened?" I asked Aniketh, and Deven stepped aside, letting me take over.
"I want to talk to you," he said.
"Talk. Who's stopping you?" Deven interrupted, and I gave him a look.
"Are you Preet?"
"Her husband," Deven replied with a winning smile, showing his hand with my, now his, ring. I sensed the tension between them, making me wonder if they had ever spoken without my presence.
I bet they did. They weren't this cranky the last time.
"I want to talk to you alone, Preet," Aniketh said.
"Not happening," Deven interjected again. As much as I wanted to glare at him, it might look wrong, so I held back. What was the need to be so rude?
"Can you please shut the fuck up?" Aniketh's voice was louder than usual, and anger was evident on his face.
"Can you please get the fuck out of her life?" Deven retorted, taking a step toward Aniketh. I held Deven's hand to stop him from towering over Aniketh.
"Who are you to speak between us?"
"Do you have the memory of a goldfish, or are you just stupid? I'm the one she's officially in love with and married to." By this time, Neava and Rushaad had come over to see what was happening. Their voices were getting louder with every passing second.
"Getting married to someone doesn't mean that you're in love with them. She might have married you for some unknown reason, but I can bet she doesn't love you. I know her when she's in love, and right now, she's not," Aniketh argued. Deven clenched his fist so tightly that his veins were visible.
I held Deven's hand in mine, causing him to turn toward me. "You don't get to decide if I'm in love or not, Aniketh."
"Preet, don't joke with me on this. You loved me for, what, six months before I made that mistake, so I know you well enough. You don't love him, and even if he loves you, he can't do it like me. I know you far better than he does."
"You sure about that?" Deven asked him.
"Yes."
"How about we test that?" Deven challenged him, causing all of us to turn and look at him.
What was this? A game?
â§
A very long chapter? I was going to cut it down in two but I thought let it be.
A new entry Rushaad, what are your thoughts on him?
Neava and Rushaad, sounds IT, doesn't it?
Do let me know about your views on the chapter and don't forget to vote.