BooksBarbecue
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

‘Who told you about that?’ Sanju knitted his brows. ‘I never got it delivered. Cancelled the booking after you left.’

Anu smiled indulgently. ‘You couldn’t enjoy it without me, right?’

Sanju started laughing. ‘What are you expecting, woman? A full-blown love confession like in the Karan Johar movies?’

‘Yeah, do you mind? Would it kill you to say “Anu, life without you isn’t life at all. Anu, life without you—”’

Sanju stopped her with a finger on her lips. He looked into her eyes and declared. ‘Anu, life without fighting with you, groaning at you, rolling my eyes at you … isn’t life at all.’ Then he hugged her and kissed the top of her head. ‘Not to mention laughing with you.’ He always ended things rather nicely.

Before Anu could reply, Vicky got wind of a good moment between his parents that did not include him. He ran towards them, pulled Sanju’s hands off Anu and wedged himself firmly between them. ‘Don’t touch Mumma, Daddy. Not nice.’

Anu picked up Vicky and chastised Sanju. ‘Not at all nice, Daddy. Go to your room for a timeout. Vicky gets his TV with dinner because he has been a good boy. I will bring your dinner to the room. No TV for you.’

‘Yes, ma’am.’ Sanju stretched and smiled. His timeouts were how they stole time for themselves.

Anu asked him before he left the room. ‘What about the orange sofa?’

Sanju groaned. ‘I said I would answer three questions, Anu. Your quota is over.’

Anu pursed her lips. ‘If you don’t bring that couch back, I can reduce your timeout.’

Sanju shook his head. ‘No. Sorry. The couch is coming.’

‘More timeout for Daddy then! Mumma, more timeout for Daddy!’ Vicky’s excited squeal soon got drowned in Anu and Sanju’s laughter.

Wiping at her eyes, now watering in mirth, Anu texted Pete quickly: ‘Trouble over in paradise!’

Acknowledgements

Acknowledgements

Images

Abhijith Ramesh for being my reading, writing, and ideation companion. This book was born only because of our coffee evenings.

Neethi Mahesh and Akshara Mahesh, for being the first readers of everything I write and for your smart feedback. And for making me look good as a mother.

Shinie Antony for being my constant friend and for finding this book a home. Thank you for making me rewrite the first chapter.  Took me five attempts but when you finally approved it, it was my Eureka moment.

Preeti Shenoy for reading my draft and for giving the book such a beautiful blurb. Thank you for all the handholding through my writing. I cherish our friendship.

Pradeep Sriram, my brilliant cousin for pointing out that I had too many parenthesized sentences. I have removed most.

Ravinder Singh for accepting the book for publication.

Swati Daftuar and the rest of the editorial team at HarperCollins India for such superior editorial work.

My parents, Nagesh and Ramamani, and my husband, Mahesh, for always letting me be me.