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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

Anu laughed at that absurd thought but fell silent soon. She liked being close to her parents’ house. And her in-laws. Unlike many others, she did not hate them. They were nice people who hosted them every Sunday for lunch. Then they kept Vicky so that Anu and Sanju could catch a movie. Her parents, her grandmother … Anu held herself back from getting carried away. She was acting as though she was dying of some illness! She would only be moving a few kilometres away. Then the thought began to panic her again.

‘Shwetha, I love working at the school. What will I do if I move?’ When Anu wanted to go back to work once Vicky turned two, her mother’s close friend Sumitra aunty had offered her a job at her school. Six months later, Anu had put Vicky to pre-school right there. He loved it, she loved it, and Sanju so far didn’t dislike it.

‘You can teach at a pre-school in Hennur too.’

‘Why are you pushing me to do this? You are my friend. You should support my loathing.’

‘I will hate it if you hate living there. Right now your loathing is only in your imagination.’ Shwetha finished her drink and patted Anu’s hand. ‘You are only thirty, Anu. Live a little.’

Images

Sameer was the exact opposite of Shwetha when Anu met him. ‘Sanju has gone mad. Don’t encourage him.’ Anu wanted to hug Sameer.

‘He has gone mad. How can we replicate the US suburban life here? All he talks about is his boss and his splendid living. The scotch he drinks every night, the barbeque parties he throws, the Porsche convertible he drives.’

‘What barbeque party does your pure-veg husband want to throw? He drinks a pint of beer once a week and curses everyone like crazy driving his XUV. So the Scotch and the Porsche don’t matter! Anu, don’t get me wrong. But Sanju is someone who can never be completely happy. Even if you move to a mansion and change your lifestyles, he will find some other reason to gripe about.’

Anu sighed. Suddenly, she did not like Sameer’s tirade against Sanju and decided to call it a night. ‘Hey, don’t badmouth Sanju. Let us see how it goes.’

‘Don’t be upset with me, Anu. I am a friend to both you and Sanju. Here, at least you are happy. If you move, I am afraid both of you won’t be.’

6

6

Images

That Saturday was their first visit to Hennur. Anu hadn’t dared tell her parents. Surprisingly, Sanju had asked her not to tell his parents either. Surprising because Sanju told them everything. They were a very matter-of-fact type of family as opposed to Anu’s, where the emotions were hyperbolic!