Chapter 9

Queen0fDarkness

@Queen0fDarkness

MafiaQueen

@MafiaQueen

Chapter 9

Geet had found a friend in Indu, they’d exchanged numbers and promised to meet up soon.

When Geet returned home, she remembered about her own close friends and dialled Nupur’s number after she settled Nyra down for a nap.

“Geet! Finally, you called” Nupur shrieked over the phone. “Yaar, it’s been 3 weeks since we’ve last talked”.

“I know, sorry. I’ve been busy” Geet brushed her fingers over her daughter’s curls and pressed a kiss before walking to her desk with the phone. “Between moving and the divorce, it’s just been mad”.

“How’s Nyra?” Nupur questioned in concern.

“She’s adjusting better than I could hope for. Rahul pulls out the victim card when he comes to visit” she sighed heavily.

“He’s an ass!” Nupur muttered.

“Amen, sister” Geet chuckled softly.

After she caught up with Nupur, they promised to meet this coming weekend and then cut the call. Geet booted up the laptop and sat down filling in the colours of the sketches she’d created for her clients.

Geet slumped on the sofa after she finished her work wincing at the pain in her back from sitting in the uncomfortable chair for so long. She yawned and closed her eyes hoping to catch some time relaxing before her ball of energy jolted awake. Geet had just dozed off when Nyra rolled awake and yawned rubbing her eyes.

She smiled tiredly throwing her little blanket off of her and climbed off the sofa. With Geet asleep, she had free reign apparently. Nyra skipped to the kitchen pulling open the drawers and smiled when she found a bag of crisps hidden behind the pots and sat on the tiled floor ripping open the bag and munched on them. She tugged and tried opening the fridge but failed. She dragged the stool and climbed up turning the tap on for the sink and ducked her head underneath the running water with her mouth open and licked at the running water as if she were a dog and grinned widely.

Leaving the water running, she carefully trotted down the stool and looked down at her dress. She was now wet so she proceeded to tug off her clothes leaving herself only in her knickers.

Nyra tried opening the back door and puffed angrily when she found the door locked and went in search for the keys. She soon lost interest however when she saw the basket of dry laundry.

She reached in pulling out various clothes trying it out before pulling it off and trying another.

It was how Geet found her. Nyra had pulled on Geet’s bra as a top and a second bra as her shorts.

“Nyra” Geet laughed seeing her daughter rooting through the basket.

“Mama I look nice” she asked eagerly turning around and facing Geet.

Geet hummed nodding her head and laughed as she grabbed the strewn clothes and tossed them back into the basket.

“Baby girl, come here” she pulled her daughter close proceeding to pull the bra straps and untangle Nyra from them.

“Dem mine, mama” Nyra pressed her palms to her chest shaking her head.

“Mama is going to get you dressed properly, this is mama’s” she answered smoothing her fingers through Nyra’s hair and popped a kiss to her forehead.

“Mama I eat” Nyra informed as Geet untangled her and clasped her hands standing up.

“I can see that” she chuckled noticing the empty packet. She walked across switching the water off. “Did you climb to drink water?” she asked noting the stool.

“I eat like big girl” Nyra responded grinning widely.

Geet hummed nodding her head and tugged Nyra along climbing the stairs and into the bathroom to wipe her down and change her. “Next time, you wake mama” she told her gently.

After Nyra was changed into a pair of shorts and t-shirt, Geet freshened up and took her downstairs to feed her properly.

“Vawun!” Nyra squealed when Geet opened the door and let her brothers inside.

“Uncle” Geet corrected as she walked back into the kitchen to continue preparing dinner for them. Varun swung his niece into his arms and cuddled her tightly peppering kisses before she was snatched up by Yash and showered with kisses and attention from them.

“What smells so nice?” Varun sauntered into the kitchen and halted noticing the mess on the floor where there was a scattering of crisps and water. “What happened here?”

“Nyra entertaining herself when I dozed off. I’ll clean after I get some food in her” she told him. “And its pasta” she added gesturing to the boiling pot.

“Have you considered getting a sitter for a couple of hours a day?” he asked as he grabbed the broomstick from the pantry and brushed up the mess then wiped up the tiled floor with the mop.

“I can’t afford it right now” Geet answered. “Babies are expensive so everything I’m doing is being put towards the mortgage and footing the bills and food. I’m only managing to put away enough to save for clothes, nappies and stuff” she added.

“If you need money…”

“Don’t even think about it, bhai” Geet held up her hand sternly. “It’s my life and my mess”.

“We’re family” he circled his finger from her to Yash then himself.

“And I am an adult” she responded brushing off his reply and focused on her pasta sauce.

“You can rely on us, you know” Varun wrapped his arms around her and rested his chin on her shoulder kissing her cheek. “We’re all there for you”.

“And I appreciate it, bhai. But I need to do this by myself” she answered. She turned facing him clasping his hand. “I need to be able to show myself that I can manage” she added. “Rahul already pointed out that I’m a rubbish mother, I don’t want Nyra ever thinking that I couldn’t provide for her” she said softly.

“What?” Varun tensed and narrowed his eyes. He leaned forward after a quick glance to see Yash walking with Nyra to the sofa and switching on the tv. “When did the f*cker come here? How dare he?” he hissed.

“Don’t worry about him” she told him shaking her head.

“I’m going to kill him” he grunted.

“No, you’re not and you won’t be approaching him to give any warnings either” she stated narrowing her eyes in warning. “I do not need him turning up and throwing a fit outside and embarrassing me”.

“The b*stard needs to die”.

Geet looked at her brother in disappointment and quirked her brows mockingly. “I’ve still got 2 children with him. He’s nothing but the father of my children so, play nice” she pointed out.

“Still a b*stard” Varun countered.

“He’s good with her when he’s not being an ass with me. Nyra loves him so we’re going to be cordial with him” Geet explained and focused on the pasta. Varun assisted with the remainder, he drained the pasta and poured it into the sauce and Geet stirred. Once it was ready, she plated it up and called over Yash and Nyra to join after washing their hands.

As always, Geet sat beside Nyra with her own plate and helped her daughter stab her pasta with the fork and eat whilst managing a few bites here and there of her own plate.

Geet spent the remainder of the evening with her brothers, they pulled out the ludo boardgame and played. Nyra tried cheating but failed when Yash caught her. He tickled her until she confessed and tossed the dice harder in an attempt to get her sixes.

Varun opened the windows to allow the cool air in when the room had gotten stuffy before he re-joined them on the living room floor surrounding the coffee table.

Geet pumped her fists in the air when she arrived home with her counter pieces and clapped her hands. “I won!”

“No fair” Nyra screamed shaking her head. “Mama” she complained climbing onto Geet’s lap and burrowed her face into her mother’s bosom.

“Aww” Geet giggled wrapping her arms around Nyra and squeezed and rocked her. “You’re in mama’s team, ok. You and I won”.

“I win?” Nyra perked up happily.

“You win” she nodded popping a kiss to her forehead and brushed her fingers through her daughter’s wayward curls.

Nyra jumped up doing her happy dance which was instantly halted when a scream came from outside. Nyra leaped into Varun’s arms and wrapped her arm around his neck tightly.

“Are you doped?” Maan shouted from the upstairs window seeing the woman throwing tomatoes on his beloved car.

“I probably am! Asshole” she yelled back throwing the tomatoes one by one and none too gently. She was ensuring the small red bauble smashed against the windscreen and stained it. “You are such a dick! I can’t believe you walked out on me! Me!”.

“Well…” he muttered.

“Shut the f*ck up” she glowered tilting her chin up in warning daring him to say another word.

“Are you done?”

“No, I’m not f*cking done!” she screamed and lunged another couple of tomatoes. This time she aimed for his door.

“Hey, I just cleaned that the other day” he yelled. “If you weren’t on your periods, I would have gone out but you are so I’m not getting any tonight so there’s no point of us hanging around” he reasoned.

“You… f*cker” she looked around furiously and picked up a stone that seemed to weigh heavily as she held it with two hands.

“Hey woman. Put that down” he called.

“Come down, I’m going to smash your head in” she snapped.

“Do I look crazy to come down?” he called back rolling his eyes and widened them just as quickly as she tossed the stone across his window. Maan’s chin dropped. She smiled satisfied and tossed her hair over her shoulder and stropped away with her head held high.

“You crazy witch!” he yelled as he leapt downstairs opening his front door and looked at the damage. His window was in indeed cracked. Not with a hole but one of those spider cracks which means he’s going to have to replace the whole window.

As he stood examining the damaging and cursing the woman, the door opened next door garnering his attention. He watched as 3 heads popped out one after the other before the door fully opened and Geet stepped out walking across and stared at the damage.

“Ouch” she said looking at his window and then stared at him. “Have you considered moving?” she asked.

“Be quiet, don’t you start” he grumbled rubbing his fingers through his hair and eyed the young men hanging by the door with Nyra. “I’m not night-time entertainment” he told them.

Varun smirked and stepped out. “You sure? That entertained us” he told Maan. “Varun” he introduced holding his hand out. “That’s Yash” he gestured to his brother who held Nyra on his hip. “You’re the playboy stranger with crazy exes, right?” he asked playfully.

“Geet!”

“What?” she smiled sheepishly.

“They’re not exes” Maan corrected. “I don’t date”.

“No, he only dips his toes in and has crazy women at all hours of the night cursing him” Geet joked teasingly. “You must have a magical… cucumber”.

“I want cumber” Nyra called out. “Mama, give me cumber now”.

Geet’s eyes widened and Maan now howled with laughter.

“There’s no cucumber, Nyra. Yash, give her some carrot sticks” she told her brother.

“You say cumber. I want cumber” Nyra complained pouting her lips.

“Respond to that, mama bear” Maan chuckled nudging Geet teasingly.

Geet’s brows wrinkled in annoyance and she smacked his arm before looking at Nyra. “No cucumber, there’s carrot sticks. You can eat that or nothing” she stated.

“I have cawot sticks” Nyra sighed patting Yash’s cheek. “Get me cawot sticks”.

“Please” Yash replied.

“Palease” she copied. He smiled and carried her inside to search for carrot sticks.

“Did you really bail on her because she’s on her periods?” Geet asked Maan when Nyra and Yash disappeared inside.

“You heard that, did you?”

She nodded.

“I was looking for fun, not emotional clinginess” he reasoned.

“You just keep proving you’re a pig” she laughed shaking her head.

“So not cool” Varun agreed.

Maan rolled his eyes. “Whatever saint siblings. You need to just let go and have fun” he told them. “Try it some time”.

“There’s other forms of entertainment in the world. Sex isn't everything”.

“You sure?” Maan looked down at her belly.