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Back Meet Me In the Middle
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

‘I am not a finance whiz, Sanju. But something in me says we will be downgrading our lives with this upgrade. We won’t be able to afford even a decent dinner or a vacation if we pay so much in rent.’ Anu’s eyes started welling up. ‘Why do you hate our house? Is it because my dad gifted the apartment to me? I can change the ownership. Right away. I will make you the owner. Please let us stay here.’

Sanju looked wounded. ‘Hey Anu, is that how much you have understood me? I have no problem that this house is yours. I want to try living differently. We are too young to settle down yet.’

Before she burst into full-blown tears, Anu put on her shoes and stepped out. A good run might fill her with some happy hormones. She had to pour her woes to someone and who better than Kavitha?

Abandoning the run, Anu walked with Kavitha digging into a bag of Potato fritters from their favourite street vendor. Managing not to burst into tears, Anu narrated her tale of two localities, the one she loved and the other she dreaded.

Kavitha took the news much better than Anu had anticipated, at least for the first five minutes. ‘Anu,’ she spoke swallowing the fritter and taking a sip of Pepsi. ‘I will miss you, Anu. You know how much I love you. I love you more than I love myself, much much more than I love my husband. I love you as much as I love my son and my dog.’ She stopped for some extra effect. ‘But this will be good for you. You are a princess and you deserve to live in a castle.’

Okay, that was the thing about Kavitha. When angsty, she became overly dramatic. ‘Go, my love. Go. Rule your kingdom in Hebbal. Leave this place for peasants like us.’

Then she started sobbing. The good thing was, Anu in the process of consoling Kavitha, forgot her woes.

Kavitha recovering after a good ten minutes scrunched up her face. ‘I feel queasy, Anu. From almost a week. As terrible as when I was pregnant with Adi.’

Anu gasped. ‘Kavitha! Maybe you are pregnant again! Go get yourself checked.’

Kavitha smiled in delight. ‘Oh Anu! I never thought of that. You are a genius! If you are right, my treat at Jake’s!’

9

9

Images

Cliché, but the next ten days passed like ten minutes in Anu’s life. Even before she could properly lament her fate before Shwetha and Sameer, they were sitting on their old sofa in the new house, with their furniture looking like tiny lilliputs in that large space.