05. In Search of Love - Sandhya

When Prabakar reached the dining hall, his wife Pallavi had everything properly arranged for him. She has been promptly doing this for five plus years now… He could not remember a single day when she had been late.

A couple’s life can’t be successful without that ‘little’ extra from the wife. Prabakar has realized this in his five plus year’s marriage life and has always admired his wife…

Though theirs was an arranged marriage, he had fallen madly in love with Pallavi mainly for her lovely character.

Daily morning, while going to his work, Prabakar will drop Akshita in her pre-school and Pallavi in her mother’s house. Pallavi will pick Akshita in the afternoon and will come back home on her own… This is a daily routine that they have been following for the past year or so…

Pallavi was feeding their three year old daughter Akshita…

“Thanks Pallavi!” he said with a smile and waved at his daughter.

While Akshitha greeted him with her baby talk, Pallavi just smiled back.

“So what do we have today?”

“Nothing special Praba, its poori and potato…”

That’s Pooja’s favorite food item!

Prabakar and Pallavi looked at each other for a few seconds. Both of them can guess the thought going on in the other’s mind…

As if to divert his mind, hurriedly Prabakar turned his eyes towards Akshita and asked

“So how is the food Akshu?”

“Ok…” said Akshita with a giggle.

“Ok??? I spent almost 2 hours to prepare breakfast and you say just ok?” asked Pallavi.

Akshita continued to giggle…

“Come on darling, don’t you understand? Our daughter is like me! She wants to make you angry and admire your beauty…” said Prabakar with a wink.

Now Pallavi gave an angry stare at him.

“Praba, Akshu is not a baby, she can understand what we speak… How many times I should tell you not to talk like this in front of her?”

“What did I say? I didn’t say anything wrong, did I Akshu?”

Akshita shook her head as if to say no…

“Uff… whatever I do, finally you both get together and let me all alone…”

“Who said so? No darling I am always in your side…”

“Me too mom! I love you mommy!”

That was more than enough for Pallavi to melt…

“Thank you Akshu baby…” she said in a happy tone and kissed her daughter.

Prabakar kept looking at them with a smile in his face.

“Bye mommy… Bye Dadddy…”

“Bye Akshu…”

Prabakar and Pallavi kept looking at their daughter till her image disappeared from their eye sight…

Prabakar started the car and Pallavi looked at her husband and said,

“Praba, I think it’s time that we stop this routine…”

“What?”

“I don’t want to visit my mom’s home daily…”

“Why?”

“I know why you started this… But frankly this is not doing any good…”

“hmmm…”

“Do you really think I will forget about Pooja just because I have some company?”

Prabakar was silent.

“I am sorry Praba… But I should say this… You shouldn’t have done what you did… You should have forgiven her…”

Prabakar clenched his fist as if to control his emotions… 

“I know you don’t like to talk about this… But you know what, I sometimes feel as if I don’t know anything about you at all… Is there anything that you are hiding from me? Please… Please share it with me…”

Prabakar didn’t say anything…