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Back Meet Me In the Middle Save as PDF
Chapters (45)
  1. Cover
  2. Title Page
  3. Dedication
  4. 1
  5. 2
  6. 3
  7. 4
  8. 4
  9. 5
  10. 6
  11. 7
  12. 8
  13. 9
  14. 10
  15. 11
  16. 12
  17. 13
  18. 14
  19. 15
  20. 16
  21. 17
  22. 18
  23. 19
  24. 20
  25. 21
  26. 22
  27. 23
  28. 24
  29. 25
  30. 26
  31. 27
  32. 28
  33. 29
  34. 30
  35. 31
  36. 32
  37. 33
  38. 34
  39. 35
  40. 36
  41. 37
  42. 38
  43. Acknowledgements
  44. About the Book
  45. About the Author

‘Given the number of sweets we are gorging on, it is more like Anu’s Weight-gaining Yoga!’ said Anu remembering that one of the women had brought Rasmalai that morning.

Pete raised his coffee cup. ‘To unpronounceable yet delicious Indian sweets.’

Anu walked home feeling happy and contented only to spot a large truck parked in the driveway. Sanju came scurrying out. Oh god! Did Padzilla buy them a truck as a surprise? Anu stepped inside the house fearing what awaited her. A large seven-seater sectional sofa stared at her in the living room. It had a matching centre table and two side tables. And, the whole ensemble was bright orange!

Anu’s jaws dropped. Sanju chirped in excitement. ‘Look at this Anu! So perfect for our living room. Padma aunty has spent close to a lakh on this.’

Anu found her voice with great difficulty. ‘But we can’t accept such an expensive gift from her. She is retired and she needs to keep her money.’ Anu prayed fervently for that logic to work.

Sanju looked thoughtful for a moment. ‘You are right. I should pay for it.’

Anu was horrified. ‘Sanju, we don’t need a new sofa now. Where is the money? It is almost the first of the month and have you thought of the bills we need to pay?’

Four delivery men stood around looking uncomfortable. If those men left, Anu knew she would be stuck with the orange monstrosity forever.

Before she knew it, her pleasant reasoning tone got replaced by a brutally honest one. ‘I don’t really like that sofa. Our living room looks like an orange setting sky!’

Sanju looked shocked at first and then hurt. ‘Hey, what do you have against Padma aunty? She tries to win your affection but you keep rejecting her.’ He added after a pause. ‘I lived in the house your father gave you! So you can accept the sofa my aunt is giving me.’

Anu felt incredulous. ‘My father did not have an orange house delivered to you, Sanju. You need not have lived there.’

‘Well, your father had a little chat with me and explained how it made economic sense not to rent a place but live in the one he already had! So, yeah, no pressure there!’

Anu started to feel drained. ‘Fine. You want this sofa so badly? Then we will keep it. But it is going to the basement.’

Though Sanju tried to look hurt and stern, Anu swore what she saw in his eyes was a relief. As the sofa got moved section by section, Anu wished she could return it for money.

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