Kissmet

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Nithees

By the time we reached home, Malini's sneezing was insistent and she could only open her eyes halfway.

But still, she was stubborn about having the meeting today.

Before we left the park, I had to make a few calls to make it happen.

It was ...well let's not describe it. Because going out of my way to reschedule the meeting only to request it at the same time, is not an ideal behaviour of a professional.

But that God, since it is a private meeting, it does not require the presence of any senior partners, only the managing ones aka our fathers.

And that sets me on edge, because what is the urgency to have this meeting all of a sudden? What has gone wrong?

That brings me to why I am in here an hour prior to the meeting, sneaking inside Dad's home office, the one he step up in our vacation house with only the necessities, shuffling through the mountain of documents for anything amiss.

After half an hour of canoodling with the pile of papers, I found nothing suspicious. Exhausted, I arranged back everything to the way it was and started making arrangements for the meeting.

That's when I noticed a bunch of documents peeking out of the copier.

I already stayed too long here and Father would be here any moment, so I made a copy of the document and closed the office, making sure everything was in place, and left to go through the stack of papers in private.

On the way to the room, I saw Amma sipping tea in the hall watching a soap opera.

I poked my head inside holding the paper in the crook of my arm, "Amma, Malini is sick, can you please check on her?"

An alert expression came over before she tilted her head and a sly smile appeared.

I groan, "Amma, please don't."

She raises her palm innocently, "I didn't say anything."

Oh, she doesn't have to say anything at all. I see it all over her face.

I close my eyes praying for patience, "Maa, I swear if you mess anything up, I am following Brahmachariyam." Eternal celibacy

She simply waves away my threat with a hand, "That's why I have two children."

My jaw drops open and she ignores me completely, yelling for Malini's amma and they discuss something in hushed voices and giggle.

I shake my head at them, they are worse than teenage girls. Since I am unwanted anymore, I left to get some work done before the meeting.

***

I see Malini standing outside the office door in wearing a woolen coat, sneezing.

I came beside her, getting her attention and I could clearly see the weariness in her face.

Her nose is a slight pink from all the sneezing. Though it's not anything serious and she would be perfectly alright if she had some rest, my heart squeezes at her fragile state.

"You should be resting Malini." I say to her softly, concern thick in my voice.

She gives me a weak smile, "I couldn't rest without knowing what this is about."

I understand where she is coming from. But her priority for work rather than her health doesn't sit well with me.

I graze her cheek slightly and she closes her eyes leaning into the warmth of my fingers.