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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

As soon as Sameer dropped her at her parents’ house, Anu crashed on the bed. She would pick up Vicky later when she felt sober. Also, her mother-in-law was like a sniffer dog (a gentle one, though) and would smell beer on Anu from a mile. And she was someone who boasted to everyone that her son, though had been to so many countries, never touched alcohol or meat. Well, the meat part was true.

Sleeping on her old bed, Anu thought about what Sumitra aunty had said, that she needed to relax for a while. Then thought about what Sameer had said. That she had to get a life. Determined to do both, she texted Sanju. ‘To our new beginnings.’ She put the emoji of two mugs clinging.

Sanju immediately sent two smilies in return. Then he wrote more. ‘Come to my parent’s place. I am here with Vicky.’

Anu felt abnormally happy. She and Sanju were back to being Romeo and Juliet! She only had to hatch a plan to live a little more now. Then it suddenly occurred to her. She could take up tennis! There were two courts in Verdant Green, according to the realtor. She had after all taken tennis coaching (though she missed more than she attended) for a year in high school. She would pick up Sanju’s racquet from her in-law’s place. That was a lot more Verdant Green-worthy than the one her parents had bought for her.

15

15

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Anu’s mother-in-law offered to keep Vicky for a few days so that Anu could focus on getting the house in order. Then, as a return gesture, Anu invited her in-laws over for dinner on Friday night. Her mother-in-law had very exacting standards but Anu had Rathnamma and her daughter who could meet those standards. Her mother-in-law looked pleased with the invite. Unlike Anu’s mother, Sanju’s mother only very occasionally showed up uninvited.

Anu and Sanju made good use of that alone time that night to watch some non-stop TV till late into the night. With the TV still blaring some episode of Suits, they collapsed and slept off on their respective TV-viewing sofas.

The next morning, as soon as Sanju left, Anu sat down to make some calls. She was going to get Sumitra aunty’s money back.

She called the first Montessori school on her list of fifty. ‘Hi, I am looking to put my son into fourth grade.’

When the receptionist chirped that they would be happy to take her on a tour of the school, Anu asked. ‘I was wondering if you have a complete kit for upper elementary classes. Materials that help children move from concrete to abstract thinking? The Dew Drops school has them.’