Comedy of Confusions

Part 19. Minax: Kidnapped

"The best part of the trip is undoubtedly, unequivocally the kababs." Minax declared emphatically. "They all had weird names but they were so good, better than anything I have ever tasted before. Totally mind blowing. We all should go there sometime just for the kabab Appa."  Minax was almost drooling at the thought of kabab and was still very much hung over from the excitement of her trip. In the absence of Cheney, who was stuck at his hospital and Sam, who disappeared into his lab after dropping her home having picked her up from the nearest highway exit, Appa became her solo audience.  Appa on the other hand had missed her even more, and his heart wanted nothing more than to see his child back in her bed talking away between gulps of warm milk he had prepared for her, just how she loved it.

"As you wish Meenamma." Appa ran his palm on Minax's bed head, smoothening some of her unruly short hair.  "We will plan. For now I am happy that the mission is accomplished and that your Amma can no longer play tricks on us. Don't forget to thank your boss on my behalf for dropping you. What god forsaken place is that they don't have enough buses plying to the city. I was very worried when you called about not having a ride back home. Thankfully your boss dropped you." Appa took Minax's empty milk cup and placed a fond peck on her forehead.

"Arr .. that is no big deal Appa. I am no damsel in distress that needed to be rescued. Worst case scenario, I would have had to stay back for one more night and return early this morning. The world would not have come to an end." Minax dismissed Appa's concern only because it came with gratitude to someone she did not quite like.

"We don't do that, Meenamma. We should always acknowledge help. Your boss was god sent and I am very grateful."

Minax knew her Appa was right, if it were Chandan instead of one Mr Made in America Superhero, she would have framed it differently. She would have readily been a damsel in distress and Chandan, her knight in shining armour. Obviously, there was no point continuing that conversation with Appa when she herself was not convinced she was right, besides, the last thing she wanted that morning was to seek out his Highness and thank him. So, she conveniently diverted the topic.

"So, what's for breakfast?"

"Your Amma is still sullen that you could not meet that guy she is trying to fix you up with" Appa giggled triumphantly. "So as a punishment for all of us, she is making Upitt."

Her kebab dreams got  punctured at the thought of boring Upitt.

"Upitt is human rights violation, 5th degree torture ... why me....why us... wish I could go to a breakfast buffet." Minax put on her drama hat for a moment and Appa started laughing at her silly antics.

"Your wish granted." Amma walked straight to Minax's closet. Lost in her drama, Minax had not heard Amma's footsteps approaching and was rather surprised to see her there. Not everyday did Amma seek out Minax's closet first thing in the morning.

"You mean Upitt is canceled ?" Minax could immediately smell something fishy, when Amma started rummaging for something in her closet. Sure enough, Amma got Minax's clothes laundered and restocked the closet all the time. So it is not that Amma was a stranger to Minax's closet, just that she never did it first thing in the morning.

"Ah....yes" Amma was still looking for something. Muttering something about the closets of all three children in the house looking similar.

Minax tried to shove aside her apprehension and her Amma's strange behavior that morning and tried to be optimistic. "Appa our lucky day. Go get ready quick. I will also get ready." Minax grabbed a fresh towel from her closet over Amma's shoulder.

"Appa will eat Upitt and stay home. It is just you and me, girls day out." Amma fished out a salwar from the closet, an old one, for she had not agreed to purchase a new one in years. "Wear this."