Chapter 15

2 years ago

Queen0fDarkness

@Queen0fDarkness

MafiaQueen

@MafiaQueen

Maan stared at the two women banging on his door as he slowed down his car. He wanted to drive past but he knew that these two crazy women will not leave. He turned into drive and parked up.

“Mama” he said as he climbed out and closed the door. “Nanima…”

“Don’t mama us” Shalini, his mother, snapped crossing her arms. “Do you know how many times I’ve knocked?”

“You do realise I go to work, right? You could have called”.

“And you would have tried avoiding us” Savita pointed out. “And make up some excuse or something for not wanting to see us”.

“I don’t know what you mean” he responded walking past them to unlock his front door. 

He pushed open the door and stepped aside to allow them inside first. 

“Aargh!” Savita cried out when Pepper bounded out wagging his tail. 

“Why haven’t you tied that monster up?” Shalini went to her mother’s side wrapping her arm around her and ushered inside. 

“Pepper!” Maan whistled seeing Pepper bounding into his neighbour’s garden and rolled his eyes when his mother slammed the door locking him out of his own home. 

Pepper looked over his shoulder wagging his tail and barked before he continued skipping up the steps and scratched at Geet’s door. 

“Pepper, not now” he called and whistled. “Come here”.

Pepper whined and turned when the door opened. 

“Papa!” Nyra squealed wriggling off her uncle’s arms and crouched down hugging Pepper. 

Yash scrunched his nose and stared at Maan. “Geet’s not here so we’re not baby sitting your dog” he informed. 

“I wasn’t asking”.

“Good. Varun bhai tells me how you take advantage of my little sister. We’re not good suckers like her” he stated. 

Maan looked amused. “Are you saying your sister is a sucker?”  

“What else do I mean then?” Yash rolled his eyes. 

“Oh really?” 

Yash turned his head and saw Geet stood a couple of feet away with Aman in her arms. 

“You know I didn’t mean it like that” Yash said warily as she walked forward. 

“How else would you word it?” she questioned. 

Yash scowled at Maan. “Take your dog back” he snapped. 

“Noooo” Nyra exclaimed shaking her head. “He mine”.

“Nyra let Pepper go” Geet told her and stretched her hand out for Nyra to clasp and stand up. 

“No, no, he mine. We play” she pouted up at her mother.  

Pepper whined and barked as well at the same time. 

Geet looked to Maan and said, “You’ll have to pick him up later then”.

“So, you’re not going to even ask me?” 

“Well, you don’t ask when you decide to make my house your restaurant” she replied. 

“Well… you both are spoiling him” he said pointedly. “I am not spoiling you when I come over. I humble you by making you feed me as well”. 

“Maan” Geet called. 

“What?” 

Geet glanced at Nyra who was busy dropping kisses and cooing with Pepper and she lifted her hand flicking her middle finger in Maan’s direction. 

He laughed and shook his head as she’d smiled and ushered Nyra and Pepper into the house. 

Before she followed them inside, the door opened next door. 

“Maan, what are you doing?” Shalini questioned wondering why he had not come inside yet. She glanced over and smiled seeing Geet on the stairs. “Oh hello. You must be Geet, right?”

Geet looked befuddled but nodded. “Yeah, I am”.

“Gurvinder and Kiara spoke about you. I’m Shalini” she introduced herself. “Maan’s mama” she added and looked to Yash with a scowl. “Are you the horrible ex-husband?” 

“No!” Geet, Maan and Yash quickly corrected. 

“I’m her brother” he added. 

“Oh…kay” Shalini replied and nodded her head. “Is that the new baby?” 

“Yeah, Aman” she answered. 

Shalini descended the porch steps and walked across to Geet’s side climbing the steps and looked at Aman. “He is adorable” she cooed. “Can I hold him?” she asked. 

Geet smiled with a little confusion and nodded scooping Aman and handing him over to Shalini who’d hugged him close to her and rocked. 

“I’ve been waiting for Maan to give my grandkids, but he refuses to listen to me” she informed. 

Geet chuckled. “I believe he has allergies to them” she agreed. 

“Hey, I don’t. I basically look after your rugrat” he argued. 

“Giving Pepper over to play with her is not considered looking after” she explained. 

“It should be” he responded thoughtfully. “I’m also responsible and teaching her responsibility”. 

“She’s only 3”

“I’m going to be 4, mama” Nyra corrected from behind walking back out onto the porch with Pepper feeding him her cucumber sticks.  

“Yeah baby” Geet agreed caressing her cheek with her fingers and looked at Maan once again. 

“I don’t think you appreciate me enough, Geet” he stated. 

“What should I be appreciating? Your laziness? Buffalo wings that you call muscly arms? Your allergic reaction to my kids? Treating my house like a restaurant” she replied sarcastically. 

Shalini looked between them and laughed seeing Maan frowning. “You both are so funny”. 

“Nothing about this is funny. She’s insulting me” he argued. 

“You’re losing to a girl” Yash informed shaking his head. 

“Oh, shut up” Maan narrowed his eyes and looked at Geet who’d smiled back in amusement. “I am never going to come to your house again”.

“Please don’t. I’ll save on my food shopping” she called out as he stalked away to his house. 

“Mama! Come” he yelled. 

Shalini rolled her eyes and handed back Aman to Geet. “Coming!” she called. “Nautank kahin ka” she muttered. 

Geet snickered and waved at Maan who scowled and flipped his middle finger in her direction. 

“Pepper!” Maan called. 

“Pepper, come on in” Geet spoke over him and opened the door gesturing Nyra inside with Pepper. Pepper barked at Maan and bounced on his paws into her house wagging his tail with Nyra. 

“You Traitor!” Maan yelled just as Geet closed the door behind her. 

“Geet is interesting” Shalini remarked when her son returned inside muttering under his breath. “Maa, she’s sassy and doesn’t take crap from your favourite pota”

Savita raised her brows in amusement and chuckled. 

“That’s good. We need to find someone like that for Maan” Savita agreed. 

“Don’t you both start now. I am not getting married”.

“You’re 28 now. How old do you want to be when you get married?” Savita replied.

“Why does my age matter? I’ll get married when I am ready. Not before that” he countered. 

“Am I supposed to wait for you to get ready? In our days, we didn’t wait around. Wedding and kids happened within a year. We didn’t waste time” Savita snapped. “Are you seeing this Shalini? I won’t be getting great grandchildren at this rate”. 

“Nanima, go say that to Kiara or Vicky. They’ll happily give it” he grumbled. 

“You’re the eldest and getting married first. Until you don’t get married, I am not going to give Kiara or Vicky away” Shalini informed. 

“What?” Kiara asked having entered and heard the last sentence of her mother. “You better find someone to marry quick because I am not staying single or becoming a spinster because of you” she said pointedly. 

Maan scowled and looked between his mother and grandmother. “Do whatever you want. I am not getting married. If you don’t get Kiara or Vicky married, then you won’t be getting any sort of grandchildren” he stated puffing his chest out as if he had won this conversation. 

“Something has possessed him” Savita informed. “We have to do a puja here to get rid of whatever it is brainwashing him”. 

“The line of women does that to guys” Kiara muttered. “Stop the revolving door of women and he’ll straighten up”.

Maan shot her a glare. 

Kiara smirked and said, “Nanima, why don’t you stay here for a couple of days to see what it is that could be possessing bhai?” she suggested sweetly.

“You b*tch” Maan growled turning to Kiara. 

Her eyes widened and she ran. 

Maan ran behind her. 

“Kiara is right, maa. You should stay here for a couple of days” Shalini informed ignoring her two adult kids running around like kids screaming. 

“Are they actually fighting?” Yash inquired staring out the patio doors seeing Maan and Kiara seemingly in a wrestling fight out in the yard. 

Geet squinted curiously and walked over. She stared open mouthed in surprise then nodded. “It seems so” she chuckled seeing Kiara locking Maan’s head in her arms and tugging him down. He lifted her up and shouted something incoherently before she reached down and tugged on his boxers. 

“Ouch! Wedgie” Yash winced seeing Maan squark in protest and releasing Kiara. 

Kiara took advantage bending and thumped her head on his stomach before throwing him onto the grass. Yash opened the door nosily wanting to hear. 

Kiara lifted her foot and aimed for Maan’s crotch. “Say sorry or I’m kicking you right here” she warned. 

Maan was holding his stomach and winced. “Ok. Ok. B*tch”.

“That’s it” she muttered and he grabbed her ankle pulling her swiftly and making her fall on her bum. 

“OW!” 

“Hit me once more and you watch, I’m going to stuff grass into your mouth” he warned. 

Kiara grumbled and stood up rubbing her bum. 

“Maan” Shalini called out gleefully. She didn’t even bother asking why he was lying on his back outside and clutching his stomach as if he were in pain. 

“Yes…” he groaned. 

“Maa is moving in with you for a week or two. We’re going to drive away whatever spirits is hanging around stopping you from getting married”.

Geet and Yash looked at each other in amusement and burst out laughing. 

Maan squeezed his eyes dropping a hand over his face.