All Strings Attached

Chapter Twenty-Nine

"Oh, look at them vadina-maridi duo." I roll my eyes.

"You called me a hundred names before Vadina teamed up with me. How are you such an asshat?"

"I learnt from you." I bare him a sarcastic smile.

"Asshole."

"When you don't have a comeback, you resort to name-calling?"

I open my mouth to retort, but Sita clamps it close. "I'm telling you one last time: no more. Stop instigating Dhruv, he's already tired." Her expression is stern, no-nonsense, and I decide I'd rather listen to my wife than see what it would be like, to push her beyond this.

Nevertheless, I kiss her palm, causing her to pull away with a gasp. "Okay, let's go," I announce, "we need to sleep. Long day tomorrow."

"I love this so much," Dhruv sighs with contentment, propping his chin on his palm, and turns to Sita, "I knew you were the only one who could shut Dhushyanth up, but I never realised how much good it would do the rest of us if you married him. You are doing this nation a service."

I flip him off, and drag Sita with me before she can respond to him and the both of them turn tables on me.

~.~.~.~.~

"Every day at the campaign is incredibly important," Thathayya reiterates, for the hundredth time, "make sure you're speaking to everyone respectfully, and stay aware of how they respond to you."

"Okay thathayya," I accept his seasoned advice.

"Sita," Thathayya calls for my wife, who walks in with a steaming cup of his earl grey, I assume.

Sita smiles widely for my old man, showing off her pearly whites. "Good morning, thathayya," she wishes him, and turns to me— "pull the table closer," she orders, pointing to the teapoy.

I do as she says, observing in my peripheral vision how thathayya raises his eyebrows at Sita, presumably appreciating her ordering me around. I also notice Sita wink at Thathayya, her giggles giving away her cheekiness.

She sets the wooden tray down on the table, and moves about the room as if she knows where everything is. I watch with admiration, as she pulls the curtains apart, further, and opens a window, picking up a water dish for the birds, and filling it with water, before leaving it outside once again, and closing the window. She turns the fan up a little, and increases the temperature of the AC, "it's not good for your bones or the environment," she says.

She notices the book thathayya is reading, and comments, "is that a new one? What is it about?"

"It's Dhruv's," Thathayya says, "he lent it to me. I've finished all of mine."

"We can order new ones," she says, "we'll do it during your afternoon tea," she declares.

Thathayya smiles. "I would like that very much, thank you."

Sita scrunches her nose, and responds with a huff, "you don't have to thank me."

The old man chuckles endearingly at his granddaughter, "yes, Bangaru thalli, I know."

She lets out a tiny smile. "Should we check your BP?" She asks, bringing out the blood pressure monitor from one of the cupboards.

Thathayya nods, setting his tea down on the table. "Have you had your breakfast?" He asks.

Sita nods and glances at me, "Dhushyanth and I ate in our room, upstairs."

"It's a good way to spend some time with each other before you both get busy," Thathayya commends, nodding appreciatively at me.