Preetian Tales

Wife-Sick

"Next time I see you with alcohol, I'll...blah blah blah. " Seeing Darling listening to all that she scolded with his head down, she pitied him.
"It's not good for health, Papsu. You know I don't like it." she coaxed him settling on his lap.

He slid his hand inside her saree by the waist, holding her close, showing his thirty two.

"The door isn't closed!" she giggled running her fingers through his hair.
"Fell for this innocent face." she mumbled.
"Your face!"

"Haa?"

"Yethava(Fool)! Nee moham! (Your face!) You dropped it!"

"What did I drop, bangaram?"

"The bottle. Orei, this costed a fortune ra!" Pramod smacked his forehead. "Couldn't you be more careful? Go have dinner, I'll ask someone to clean this."

"It was a dream?"

"What dream? You just wasted a whole seventeen thousand buck bottle of Highland Park. Anything wrong?"

"No no. I'm fine. Tired, that's it. No dinner, please." he shagged away to his room.

On the way, he checked on his two little boys. They were fast asleep with the light on. He switched it off and kissed them.

The pride of Uppalapathi, kannadada mommakkalu (grandchildren).
________

"Ouch, Papsu! Leave me."

Prabhas hugged the person next to him tighter and snickered.

"I know you're awake. Leave me." the voice struggled to be heard.

"Ahhh!" he yelled rubbing his shoulder. The bite was hard.
"When did you two come here?"

Pradhyuth and Prajeet, his five-year-olds, were jumping on his bed.

"Nana! You promised to take us out today! Get up! Get up!"

"Don't you two have school?" he grunted putting them down.

"Today is Sunday!" the twins shouted. "Please nanna! Take us to Bangalore."

"I have shooting, bujji. Amma will be back in a few more days. Get ready now. I'll drop you at peddanana's (Prabodh's) house."

He washed the kids and dressed them before freshening up.

The boys were playing with their plastic swords in the living room.

"I am Baahubali like Nana!" one poked the other's belly.

"No! I am Bahubali! You are Devasena like Amma." the other laughed tugging at his brother's sword.

"I am not a girl! You are a girl." the two quarreled for the same sword throwing the other one away.

Prabhas hurried to them and carried both to the kitchen.
"Let's have food first. Where's Lakshmi Amma (the old maid)."

"Nana, I'm Bahubali, right? Prajeet called me Devasena."

"No Nana, I did not! He said I am a girl!"
The boys pulled his collar and sleeves.
"Ayyo, you both will tear my shirt! I will look like a ragpicker while going to the set."

"Tell us when you will take us Thathayya's house! I want to see Amma!"

"See nanna, amma will bring home a small baby for you to play with. Don't you want a baby sister?"

They clapped their hands nodding their heads.
"But you said paapa will come home next week! We want to see her now!"

"She's still in Amma's tummy, ra. We will go when she is ready to come out." he pacified his sons whilst feeding them breakfast.

"Really? Tell Amma to take her out. Will she not feel hungry, Nana? How will Paapa eat food?"

"These two and their questions. Hayyo! My mother also had to go there like her parents, siblings and the whole village of Puttur was not enough. They used to listen to Sweety. Why not me?"

"Tell us!"

Prabhas scratched his head with both his hands.
"You two stay silent atleast for sometime ra."

"Okay. But how--"

Just then his cellphone rang displaying wifey's picture.

"Wahhh! Sweetu! Come back. I will take leave from shoot until the baby is born. Please!"

"Papsu! What happened? You know I have to stay here until the delivery. Are you crying?"

"No no. I'm Bahubali, why will I--"

"Nana I am Bahubali!"

"You are not!"

The twins started arguing again. Their father banged his head to the bubble glass wall.

"Are the kids doing good?"

"What shall I say about that?"

"Huh! W-What happened to them?"

[mv:What will happen to them? They will split me into two and fry my brain before I plan for another.]
"They are not eating or drinking anything, Sweetu. Not even water. They say they want you back here."

"Nanaaaa! Pradhyuth is climbing the stool and taking chocolate milk out of the fridge. Nanaaaa! Ice-cream too!"

Prabhas palmed his face sitting on the floor.
"I miss you, Sweetu."

Anushka chuckled. "That's what I called for. The delivery date is given for tomorrow. Guna has booked yours flight tickets already."

"Really! Ummmah! I love you, bangaram. Yesterday I'd been dreaming only about you. Your lips, hips--"

"Goodness! You're a father of three now! Stop it, Papsu."

"Let my paapa come home, I will show you who's a father of three."

The threesome flew to Bangalore accompanied by Pramod mama who was victimized throughout the journey while Darling dreamt of his darling wife.
__________

THE END