The things I don’t say

okay all - apologies for the delay hope you enjoy this some of you know how I've been racking my brain since the last one so go easy on me please. 

The things I don’t say..

‘Pa Mom isn’t coming to the office today’ calls out Kuki stretching her voice just that little bit so it could be heard outside of the kitchen whilst mixing cake batter.

“Well thank you for taking her off my hands” Rishabh smiles walking into the kitchen looping his arms into his blazer and straightening it” 

Kuki and her Pa were certainly a tight knit team. "Your welcome" replied kuki with a smile and Rishabh gave her a wink whilst Prerna looked on.

For his wife Rishabh had a intimate sort of good morning look in his eyes which Prerna answered silently whilst Kuki reminded him that today was the school Bake off she’d be waiting for him. 

…

“Da…da… “ - Rishabh recalls the anonymous call and wonders if it was a figment of his imagination. His mind had been playing tricks. 

Dialling the number of the orphanage Mehra had linked the number to in the privacy of his office, Rishabh sits back in his chair waiting for the call to be answered. A couple of minutes in and a lady with a Bengali accent to her Hindi answers.

-“Little Hearts Children’s home?”

-“Rishabh Bajaj speaking, I received a call from this number a week ago can you tell me who it was from please” Hearing the movement of papers and some typing the lady comes back with not much

" ... sorry sir I don’t see any calls to your number on our records but the children can sometime play pranks I’m very sorry for the trouble if that’s the case."

Having put the call down, Rishabh continues to feel uneasy and suspect that there is more to this than meets the eye. 

"Calling in Mehra" he gets straight to the point.

"Mr Mehra I want the Little hearts children’s home, tell me when its done".  He instructs Mehra whilst he happens to receive a message from Prerna.

Once Mr Mehra leaves the room Rishabh opens up the message to see a picture of Kuki with a big 1st Prize badge and chocolate cake around her rosey cheeks and smile.

….

At the school fare whilst Prerna does a miserable job of pouring lemonade into cups with the breeze until a hand steadies  the cup “Thank you..” She says later picking up on the hand that bad come to rescue.

“Aap.. ? I though you’d be stuck in meetings”. She said pleasantly surprised seeing Mr Bajaj who asks her how their day had been. Prerna talked about what sounded like a lovely day.

She also mentioned that  the school mums were all asking about him. Rishabh sensed some annoyance on that last bit but used it for his amusement. 

“She looks very happy” he said after a couple of minutes, referring to Kuki.

Prernas smile only  got bigger as they looked on at Kuki with her winning cake feeding her friends, getting compliments from other parents and generally just being center of attention. 

It wasn’t long before Kuki had spotted her Pa the excitement on her face was adorable. 

Kissing her on the forehead, Rishabh looked like the proud father he certainly was.

“Taste?” asked Kuki looking up at him. 

“Sure" he replies watching her carve a piece with a fork for him and bring it up to his mouth.

.....

11pm getting close to midnight however Rishabh was restless.

 Leaving the bedside quietly as to not disturb Prernas sleep he put on the bedside table lamp just enough and walked towards the wardrobe and picking out a regular white shirt. Looking back at Prerna to make sure he hadn't woken her up.

Walking into the garage Rishabh turns on the light. His garage was a space he kept to himself. 

It had an old wooden bench and chair in the corner which he walked towards to find his glasses once he’d put them on he switched on the 90's style radio and turned towards the old Bentley who had been waiting for his attention for days now. 

This garage, fixing old cars even today was a secret he kept to himself.  Sometimes a way to escape, other times a way to reminisce.

After a hour or so of working with under the bonnet of the car he shuts it walking around to the driver side and stepping in.

If he hadn’t lost his touch then the car ought to start and it did. A sense of satirisation danced in his eyes for a moment but he could only bask in it so much much for his phone began to ring.

Noticing that anonymous number yet again he was quick to take the call. 

“Hello?” He said alert, listening carefully  and hoping for a response..

There was nothing but a scratchy sound, something rustling, a bad line. 

“Hello” he said again.

“Come on sweetheart If it’s you talk to me talk to your da ” he whispered under his breath and then gave out a sigh when the line cut off. 

…

“I’ll make you tea..”

Said Prernas voice when Rishabh stepped into Bajaj  house with car grease on his shirt and dirty hands contemplating at drink at his bar. She looked at him in a smiling daze and walked towards the kitchen and he followed. 

He still managed to look very handsome this way she thought, a scruffy shirt rolled up to his forearms, hands oil strained, this must have been the old Rishabh she thought to herself watching him washing his hands under the sink.

“Is it finished the car? she asked curiously. 

Rishabh turned his eyes to her  in surprise, she knew, of course she did to have such a comfortable reaction to him up in the middle of the night like this.

“We know” she said putting down a hot cup of tea at the table with a smile. His eyes smiled back   beneath his glasses. 

“I think it’s nice” she said looking at him as he picked up his cup saying no more to let him have his privacy. As he took comfort in this quiet moment  she noticed how the oil stains on her husbands hands had faded a little, he had the hands of a man who had a challenging life she had always thought. 

Next: 'Da'

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