& Then They Wed (Ampersand Love #2)

2. A Boy and a Girl

2

A Boy and a Girl

Rian

W hat an annoying woman with her big eyes and matter-of-fact observation, as if she knew everything! As if she would unearth his problems even though they didn’t know each other. How dare she make him feel like his vulnerabilities and heartbreak were accessible for her to dissect and judge?

“If I were in your place, I’d cut my losses and channel my energy elsewhere.”

The sound of waves cresting at the nearby beach could not drown the spike of anger at her words. He leaned in, trapping her warm hands under his, hating that this woman had seen something in a few minutes that he had not allowed anyone else to see for years.

Fear for Kaya’s safety, worry for Nanamma’s health, and irritation post his altercation with Arjun had not yet abated. Rian lost the battle to be polite to this stranger. Doctor or not, she had no right to diagnose him when he had not asked for it.

“I didn’t realise that gossip mongering, and conjecture were taught in medical school these days,” he had caustically replied. “No wonder the quality of care is dropping each year.”

“You!” Aditi exclaimed, jarring him out of his memories. “It's you.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he lied smoothly, belying the curious panic bubbling within him. What the hell was this woman doing in his house?

“Remember me? That night! Late at night. When you and I met!” she insisted, nodding her head at a dizzying speed.

“You met with my grandson late in the night?” They heard Nanamma’s shocked question. Both Rian and Aditi looked towards the older lady, seemingly surprised that they had an audience.

Chitra stared at the two children on the floor, neither moving, both speechless. She pointedly glanced at her grandson and jerked her chin towards him, bringing his attention to the fact that he was still lying on top of a person.

Embarrassed, Rian scrambled to his feet, slapping his clothes to rectify them and praying that his grandmother didn’t suspect him of doing anything indecent. He glanced to the side when Aditi stood up, the blanket falling off her body to reveal shapely legs in short pyjama pants with the most blindingly bright citrus print on them. She bent down to pick up the blanket and on her rounded posterior were the words ‘squeeze me’. The nearly faded message glared back at him like a dare, and Rian’s mouth dropped open.

Throwing the coverlet onto the couch, she spun to face him, blinking rapidly when she caught him staring.

“Do you know her, Rian?”

He shook his head, releasing a breath he hadn’t realised he’d been holding in.

Keep looking at Nanamma. This is safe. Nanamma is safe, he coached himself, still a little taken aback by the coincidence of seeing a woman he had never expected to .

“Were you two in some type of relationship, meeting late at night?” Nanamma questioned, her features etched with suspicion.

“No!” they exclaimed simultaneously, shaking their heads in unison as though they were a pair of school-going children who had colluded together to lie to their parents about the same incident.

Chitra was confused by the rapid shift in the atmosphere. They’d gone from yelling to awkward staring and silence within seconds. The Aditi she knew was never silent. The Rian she knew was never awkward.

Aditi cleared her throat when the wait for someone to speak got too long. “I met him once, a few months ago. When I was in Velas. I was. . .”

“It was nothing,” Rian interrupted. He strode towards his grandmother and put an arm over her shoulder, rounding out to look at the young woman again. “She was going down the wrong road and I corrected her. Isn’t that right?” He raised a single brow, a quiet but clear indication that told her to keep the discussion of that night to herself.

Aditi’s gaze darted between grandmother and grandson, no longer sure what she was allowed to say.

“So, you don’t know each other?” Chitra clarified.

“We kinda know each other,” Aditi admitted, at the same time as Rian said, “I don’t know her at all.”

“I’m Dr. Aditi Krishnan. See?” she replied with a little tilt of her head. “It’s so easy. Now we can get to know each other.”

Rian peered at her, not sure what to make of her offer. Either she was truly friendly or was pretending to be so. Regardless, getting to know each other was not part of his plan.

He spun towards Nanamma, questioning her instead. “What is she doing here?”

“I told you we’re hosting a guest for a few months. How come you’re back so soon?”

“Restaurant troubles,” he answered carelessly, sliding a sideways glance at the woman who stood near the couches, listening to their conversation with an unabashedly curious gaze. He leaned in towards his grandmother, gesturing to Aditi with a jab of his thumb. “I thought it was a boy. You kept saying you’re bringing home Adi.”

Nanamma nodded. “That’s her name. Aditi.”

“No, you said Adi. Adi is a boy's name. This,” he pointed to the person across from him, “is a girl.”

“Not to put too fine a point on it, but I’m a woman,” Aditi clarified, completely unfazed by the look of incredulity he shot her way. He wasn’t sure that it was a relevant correction but apparently she thought differently. “My family and friends call me Adi,” she continued, hoping that an explanation would resolve whatever frustration he had with her name. “Adi. Aditi. Same same.”

“See?” Nanamma chimed in, smiling warmly at Aditi before turning towards him again. “Same same.”

“No. Not same same,” he mocked.

“The ending of that name makes a huge difference. Adi sounded like a chill dude whom I could have a beer with,” he explained, feeling no shame for lying despite the fact that he had fully expected to avoid said chill dude. “Aditi is. . .” He trailed off, at a loss for words, waving one hand in the air uselessly when his eyes met hers. She smiled. The barest tilt of her lips and he lost track of whatever he’d wanted to say.

“I can have a beer with you,” she offered sweetly. “I don’t enjoy the taste, but I could do it if it's that important.”

She glanced from Nanamma to him, shrugging delicately, as though to indicate that she was willing to make this sacrifice for the sake of the greater good.

“Excuse us,” he bit out, holding Nanamma by her shoulders to manoeuvre her down the hall. His bedroom was closest.

“She’s got to go,” he announced as soon as they stepped in.

Nanamma frowned. “Why? ”

“Because. . .” He opened his mouth, closing it ineffectually when he couldn’t think of a reason.

Hands on his hips, he tried to maintain a look of surety when really, he had no clue why he was reacting this way. Just that something about her put all his senses on alert. Like it had that night in Velas.

He couldn’t help but remember how easily she’d deduced that he had had unrequited feelings for his friend Kaya, a patient she had just treated, and that he had needed to let it go.

If I were in your place, I’d cut my losses and channel my energy elsewhere.

“Because?” Nanamma prodded, twisting her wrist, palm facing up in a commonly used gesture to form her question, waving it impatiently when he couldn’t answer fast enough.

“Because!” he started, wishing for some brilliant reason to make itself available. “She’s a girl. And I’m a boy.”

He winced even as he said it, the voice in his head cackling at how lame he was being. He was tired. And the shock of finding Aditi under him hadn’t worn off. That’s why he couldn’t form a better argument, he decided. This was not his fault, it was hers.

“She’s a girl,” Nanamma repeated, watching him with an impassive look.

He nodded.

“You’re a boy,” she deadpanned.

He nodded again.

Nanamma clicked her tongue.

“That’s your reason?”

Rian felt his ears heat. He knew he sounded silly, but he couldn’t take it back.

Nanamma’s deep sigh was that of an old woman about to embark upon the uphill journey of trying to understand a fool .

“I didn’t need gender lessons, kanna. It's almost 2:00 a.m. I’m an old woman and I need to sleep. Can you please tell me properly what the problem is?”

He scratched his head for a second, letting out a breath before trying again. He held her hand and brought her with him, sitting her down in an armchair before kneeling in front of her.

“Nanamma, how can you be okay with a girl living in the same house as me? I’m an unmarried man.” He pointed to himself, widening his eyes in mock horror at their situation. “She’s an unmarried woman. What will society say?”

He held his grandmother’s gaze, trying not to cringe. If his friends saw him like this, they would lose all respect. Not that he was making himself proud right now, but at least his embarrassment was private.

He saw Nanamma’s face scrunch in thought. Slowly, she brought a hand up to gently cup his cheek. He tilted his lips downwards in a small frown, a picture of troubled innocence. Without a warning, she smacked him lightly, surprising him.

He shot up, dramatically holding onto his cheek, the shock of her reaction having hurt more than the gentle tap.

“Did you eat one of those Korean dramas you like for dinner? I will slap these stupid dialogues out of you, Rian. What will society say?” she mocked, picking the edge of her pallu and wrapping it over herself like a shawl before sitting back and assuming a stance befitting a mob boss.

Dammit, he’d thought his reason was genius. He should have known Chitra Shetty was not cowed by society’s wagging tongues. He pouted as he rubbed his cheek. The judgement on his K-dramas was a low blow.

Nanamma shook her head. “Kanna, I don’t understand you. I’m not telling you to live in the same bedroom. I don’t see a problem.”

Rian’s eyes narrowed at her nonchalance. “This is not an attempt to fix me up with a woman, right? It’s taking it a bit far, bringing a girl to live under the same roof as me. ”

Nanamma tilted her head, pursing her lips thoughtfully. “It's not a bad idea. You are thirty.”

“I'm only thirty.”

“Perfect age gap with Adi. I'm not averse to setting it up if you're interested. She’d make a great granddaughter-in-law. I really like her."

"I don’t,” he cut in shortly, walking backwards towards his bed.

"Are you sure? She’s a doctor.”

“I can afford to pay for medical services without having to marry a doctor,” he dryly stated, shucking his jacket off and throwing it carelessly atop his mattress.

“You seemed very friendly when I entered the room, or am I meant to forget that I found you on top of her?” Nanamma accused, holding back a snort at the way her grandson spun around to face her, jaw hanging.

“We were almost killing each other!” he insisted, pointing in a general outward direction. “I was surprised to find a girl in the house! And she thought I was a thief! I'm not interested in her. I’m not interested in marrying anyone!”

“I know, Rian,” she accepted with a disgruntled sigh. When she stood up and glanced at him, he saw signs of sadness that made his guilt stir up once more. “Though I am still going to hope and pray that I get to see my great-grandchildren before I leave this earth,” his grandmother continued, “I don’t expect you to marry Adi.”

“You don’t?”

“No.”

“Why don’t I believe you?”

“Rian!”

“Don’t be shocked, Nanamma. You know it is well within the realm of possibility when I think you’ve manoeuvred things to suit your goals. You’re a scarily smart woman.”

Chitra couldn’t hold back a pleased smile at that .

“See!” he accused immediately, pointing at her as though he’d won a big argument. “You’re smiling. I knew it!”

“Hush, child. You don’t know anything.”

“You’ve been after me for months. You’ve tricked me into blind dates. I wouldn’t put it past you to plan something by bringing a girl to live two doors down from me just to tempt me to change my mind. Which I won’t,” he added sternly, lest she begin to read between the lines.

“Okay,” Chitra shrugged, unbothered by his statement. “But you should know that she’s in the room right next to you, not two doors down. The other bedroom has a vent issue that needs to be fixed. It is too stuffy for a person to stay there.”

Grandmother and grandson stood there facing each other, both locked in a daring game of who would blink first.

Rian lost.

“Nanamma, whatever you are doing, just stop. Please.”

“I am not doing anything,” Chitra softly pleaded, her downturned lips pulling down even further. “Why would you hurt my feelings like this?”

“I won’t fall for that pout,” he scoffed. “I know you.”

Having given up on trying to convince him of her innocence, Chitra rolled her eyes. “Is that so? Then do you know that I am setting up Adi to meet with other eligible bachelors too?”

That stopped him short.

“That’s right,” Nanamma revealed triumphantly, correctly guessing his reaction.

“Her family has selected a long list of marriageable men for her to meet while she is in town. And I’ve suggested a few myself,” she added with a satisfied look. “So you can rest assured, you are definitely not in consideration.”

Rian didn’t know what else to say.

“Now that we have put this particular concern to rest, do you have any other objections to that sweet child living with us? ”

Rian shook his head. Nanamma approached him, her gait slow. He recognized the signs of age on her, suddenly feeling terrible about having kept her up to have this discussion now. She took both his hands in hers and patted him.

“Aditi is a good girl,” she said, all traces of humour gone. “I have promised her family that she will be safe with me in Mumbai. I hope you treat her with the same respect that you would give to your friends.”

“Yes, Nanamma. But that’s all I can give her, okay?”

“I am old, Rian. Not deaf. I heard you the first time you said you were not interested. Do not insult my intelligence by repeating it again.”

“Sorry,” he mumbled immediately, chastised. A moment later, Chitra hugged him, an awkward endeavour considering Rian stood towering over her by nearly two feet. Rian tensed for a moment before softening, standing straight, and letting his grandmother hold him as she wished.

“It’s good to see you back, kanna,” she said, patting his arm before leaning back to look up at him. “I missed you.”

He relented at last, cracking a half-hearted smile.

“Missed you too, Nanamma.”

With that, Chitra left Rian to himself. As she passed the room next door, she smiled at the sight of Aditi, who was slumped in exhaustion at the edge of her bed.

Sweet child , Chitra thought fondly as she closed Aditi’s door for her. Many years ago, she had chosen to look after Kaya when the troubled girl was attempting to figure out her path in life. She had not expected to play guardian to yet another young lady after Kaya had reconciled with Arjun.

A serendipitous encounter in Velas many months ago had reunited Chitra with her childhood friend, Gomati, leading to an introduction to Aditi. Time spent with them revealed that Aditi was trying to convince her parents to let her live in Mumbai for an extended work rotation. Too fearful of letting their daughter stay alone in an unknown city, they had refused.

Until Chitra had offered them a solution.

She had not thought much more beyond helping a young girl whom she’d taken a liking to, which is why it surprised her to see her normally polite grandson react this way to someone he insisted he did not know.

Chitra settled into her pillow, recalling how Rian had immediately put his walls up, almost wary of Adi. She smirked in the dark, the memory of her grandson’s gobsmacked face causing her to let out an involuntary snort. Attraction often began with fear and refusals.

Rian deserved someone good and kind, more so because her sweet grandson seemed to believe the opposite. Even today, when she showed him care, it took him a minute to accept it.

Perhaps Aditi, with her cheerful and open personality, would finally win Rian over.

Perhaps.