Love In Two Cities [COMPLETED]

15-Stay

'I can't believe you never told me about this Mom' Phelan rubs his forehead. 'All these years!'

'Oh hello! It wasn't necessary' Mrs. Clara shrugs. 'It my personal matter'

'Mom! I'm your son! And you told Pud-Ja' he tilts his head. 

'I like her, the girl's a sweetie. And, I told her because I was her love-and-marriage counselor'

Phelan goes still. 'What?'

'God! I have a doofus as a son. She is madly in love with you! And wants to marry you!' she exclaims, staring at him. 'Are you not in your right mind to see that?'

'You know about us?' Phelan's eyes widen after a long pause.

'God, what do you think I am? I have radars!' Mrs. Clara laughs victoriously.

Phelan stretches out his arms, thinking, and his gaze shifts to the open notepad on the coffee table. He picks it up.

'What's this? It's not your handwriting. Not Henry's either' he peers into it. Realization draws upon his handsome face. It is the same handwriting. The one in the chit placed atop the pink Tupperware box on the swing. 'Pud-Ja's'

'Oh, you found that too now! I'm certainly messing things up today'

'Mom' Phelan looks at her gravely. 'Speak'

In short, she tells him. He goes very still again, staring that the sheet of paper. 'I didn't know about this either'

'She didn't want me to tell you' Mrs. Clara leans back, crossing her legs. 'Give us girls some space, for heaven's sake!'

'Mom' Phelan gets up. 'I really need some space to think'

'Yea' she leans forward and thumps his back. 'Think all you want. But. You leave that girl and I'll kick your ass!'

***

'Hello' Phelan says, looking around at the make-up room of the hall he has just entered. It's filled with costumes and makeup kits all over the counter, a wide mirror with bulbs emitting soft yellow lights along its perimeter.

Pooja whirls around on the plastic stool she has been lounging on, startled.

'Phelan?' she looks nonplussed. 'What are you doing here??

But Phelan has already stopped in his tracks. He beholds the sight of her dance costume. How complicated this thing looks, he wonders. It is bright purple with red edges covered with what? Golden thread work? It's similar to that never-ending thing she wears, sari or whatever, but looks even more intricate. There's something like a red Japanese fan attached to the leg cloth. And my God! the shiny stones and pearls jewellery....it's literally everywhere, on the head, nose, ears, hands, waist...she has worn that nice-smelling jasmine on her head. Again. And then he catches sight of her radiating face.

'What the....' he begins, raising his hands. 'Why have you painted your face like that?'

'I knew you would say this. This is how it is done for Bharatha...for my dance form' she explains, visibly glad to see him.

'Are you really Pud-Jaa?' he asks, looking rather dazed.

'Whattt?!' she splutters, clearly affronted.

'Prove it'

'Ufff. Just get lost' She turns around, irritated, to pick up a red bottle on the granite counter.

'Okay. It's you'

'Huh?'

'No girl ever tells me to leave.  Except you. You are...special'