Sorting Out Sid

by Lal, Yashodra

  ‘Sid?’ She was sitting with him again and her voice caused him to snap out of his reverie.

  ‘Ya?’

  ‘Is that all? You came to give us this gift?’

  ‘Well…’ He fidgeted. ‘I also thought I should explain about … the other day.’

  She waited for him to say something, but he couldn’t find the words.

  She said gently, ‘Sid, you don’t have to explain anything.’

  ‘No, no…’ he began, ‘it’s just that … I wanted to say … I really like you, but I … I … Aditi told me I should be careful and not end up hurting you in any way.’

  Neha replied with perfect self-composure, ‘I like you too, Sid, but I think I’ll be fine. I’m fairly good at taking care of myself.’

  ‘Good, GOOD,’ Sid said almost before she finished speaking. ‘It’s just that you know, you’ve been there. You’re divorced … and I’m going through a divorce … I’m not ready for … anything. And you said at the Oriental Kitchen – Kippy and you don’t need any men in your lives, right?’

  ‘Right,’ Neha said carefully, ‘I guess I did say that.’

  Right. Okay. Fine. That didn’t bother him at all. He cleared his throat and continued. ‘And so … it’s something that could get a little messy. And we don’t need more mess in our lives, right?’

  ‘Definitely not,’ she agreed, but her tone was measured. ‘No mess.’

  ‘Great,’ he said. He felt relieved that they both seemed to be in perfect agreement. So what was that faint sense of disappointment that he felt beneath the surface? ‘So we’re good?’

  ‘We’re good, Sid.’ She smiled.

  Good. They were good. There didn’t seem to be any point in sitting around staring at each other now, so Sid rose slowly. This time he was determined not to rush out. He had promised himself he would leave like a normal human being. As he turned around towards the door, something caught his eye.

  ‘Hey. Is that new?’

  Neha nodded, expressionless.

  ‘Mind if I take a look?’

  She hesitated for just a split second and then rose from her chair, walked towards the studio and switched on the light. He went past her into the room. She stood in the doorway, waiting.

  ‘Wow. This has to be the best one yet. It’s beautiful.’

  Neha smiled politely, but all his attention was on the painting.

  He continued, ‘I especially love how you’ve done the Gate, the colours of the sky around it are so much brighter, but it still stands out, almost jumps out at you.’

  He didn’t see the expression on her face, but the long continued silence finally made him turn around to face her. She had moved closer; the look in her eyes was unmistakable.

  Sid’s breathing almost stopped as she reached up, standing on tiptoe to wrap her arms around his neck. He wasn’t altogether sure why she was kissing him, but he wasn’t about to ask.

  In fact, as soon as he recovered his senses, he busied himself with the only thing that seemed sensible – kissing her right back.

  Part III

  1

  The Housewarming

  ‘Hi…’

  Neha stood at her door, smiling at Aditi. It had been a while since they had met. Neha reached out and gave her friend a warm hug. Over Aditi’s shoulder, she grinned up at Krish who was lurking in the background. ‘Hey, Krish.’

  ‘Hey, Neha,’ Krish said. ‘Finally, your housewarming party, eh? After what … six months?’

  Neha laughed as she stepped back to let them in. ‘Noooo … only five. Things have just been crazy.’

  ‘Ya,’ agreed Aditi as she led the way into the drawing room. ‘Must be … considering that we’ve barely seen each other lately despite being so-called next-door neighbours.’ Her tone became accusatory. ‘What happened to our plans of catching up every day, chatting in the pool, walks in the park … all the plans we made before your shifting here?’

  ‘I know, Adu.’ Neha picked the newspaper off the sofa to make place for her guests. ‘There’s just been so much going on.’

  ‘What have you been so busy with anyway? Why have you gone underground?’ demanded Aditi.

  Before Neha could respond, Sid popped his head out of the kitchen door and said, ‘Hellos!’

  Krish only looked mildly surprised, but Aditi almost jumped off the sofa. She stared at Sid’s disembodied head, and cried, ‘Sid! What are you doing in the kitchen?’

  Sid entered the drawing room and stood next to Neha, grinning. Aditi looked at him more closely and demanded, ‘Is that … an apron?’

  Sid looked down at the bright orange apron with a white flower embroidered on it. Completely unselfconscious, he remarked, ‘Oh yeah. Neha lent it to me. I didn’t want to mess up my new shirt. We’ve cooked up a great meal together – my exquisite Chicken-a-la-Sid to go with her lousy store-bought-wine!’

  ‘What nonsense.’ Neha giggled. ‘I’ve been trying to teach him to cook … but he’s a disaster, especially when it comes to slicing tomatoes.’

  Sid dangled a spatula at her in warning. ‘Don’t bring up the tomatoes or I’ll have to tell them about what you did with the ginger-garlic paste.’ This sent Neha into a bout of uncontrolled laughter and she placed one hand on Sid’s arm for support.

  Aditi said in an icily polite tone, ‘Well, these are all great stories, I’m sure … or they will be when we get to actually hear them someday.’ She tossed her long ponytail over her shoulder and added nonchalantly, ‘So, you guys cooked together?’

  Sid nodded and Neha said, ‘Ya. I’ve promised to teach Sid how to cook, and in exchange, he’s going to give me some general gyaan about marketing, especially why clients like him are the way they are.’

  ‘General gyaan?’ Sid piped up indignantly. ‘I would appreciate if you referred to them in the manner we agreed – patented pearls of Sid-wisdom … you may go with Sid-dom for short.’

  Neha groaned and Krish smiled, but Aditi didn’t look amused at all.

  Krish said, ‘I had an early dinner, Neha, but you’re planning to offer us a drink, right?’

  ‘Yes, but who eats dinner before they come to dinner?’

  ‘I kind of figured the main course tonight would be non-veg.’

  Neha smiled. ‘I didn’t forget you, Krish. There’s also rice and mixed veggies – I made those while Sid pretended to cook the chicken.’

  ‘Thanks,’ Krish said. ‘But I’m good with beer!’

  ‘Hear, hear … my beer-buddy’s here! So where’s the beer?’ sang out Sid. ‘I’ll get it – top cupboard, right?’

  ‘Yes, thanks, Sid.’

  Sid trotted off and came back with the beer bottle and two large glasses. ‘Neha doesn’t have any proper beer mugs,’ he complained, handing one of the glasses to Krish. ‘But we will somehow make do with these imposters. I’m also going to have only beer tonight.’

  As he sat down, Neha asked, ‘Why will you have only beer? You haven’t eaten.’

  Before Sid could answer, Aditi butted in, ‘Oh, Sid never eats dinner when he’s drinking. He just starts off with the beer and then forgets all about the fact that his stomach also needs something solid. He’s been that way for as long as I’ve known him. Right, Sid?’

  ‘Right. In reality, beer is a much underrated super-food. It’s a little-known fact,’ said Sid, as he turned around one of the dining table chairs to sit down on it. ‘Cheers!’ he said to Krish, raising his glass.

  Krish glanced towards Neha and Aditi, ‘Wait, what about the girls, what are you having?’

  ‘Oh crap. I’m sorry!’ said Sid. ‘Wine? White for you, right, Neha? And red for you, Adu?’

  Neha smiled gratefully, but Aditi was gritting her teeth as she said, ‘No, I drink white too Sid.’

  ‘Since when?’ Sid said, looking surprised.

  ‘Since forever and certainly in all the many years you’ve known me,’ Aditi snapped.

  ‘Easy, Tiger, easy,’ Sid said, rolling his eyes. ‘So I got a little mix
ed up … Sorr-ee!’

  ‘I’ll get the wine.’ Neha got up.

  ‘Sit, sit. Let me do the drinks tonight and you play the charming hostess.’

  Sid practically skipped off into the kitchen. Aditi watched him go and looked as though she was about to say something, but then appeared to change her mind. She wasn’t listening as Neha and Krish began to discuss what food went with red wine and what with white. She just sat there, lost in thought.

  Sid came back in, this time holding two wine glasses and the bottle of white wine. ‘For wine, she has proper glasses … not fair!’ he grumbled good-naturedly and then poured two glasses out, handing one to Neha and one to Aditi. He held out his glass again and said, ‘Cheers. Everyone got their glasses, right? Okay, good. Cheers! To Neha’s housewarming … and to Neha.’

  ‘Cheers’ were repeated all around and the four of them took sips from their respective glasses.

  After a few moments of silence, Aditi asked Neha, ‘Kippy’s sleeping?’

  ‘Yes,’ Sid and Neha said at the same time. Sid looked at Neha and added, ‘She’s out early these days, isn’t she?’

  ‘Yes!’ said Neha stretching. ‘Good thing … otherwise I wouldn’t be able to sit with you guys like this. She’s become really clingy.’

  ‘It’s the age,’ said Aditi with an air of experience. ‘Ayaan went through it about a year back. It’ll pass in a few months. You just have to be really patient about it.’

  Sid snorted. Aditi narrowed her eyes at him. ‘What?’

  Sid said, ‘Well, I don’t know if anyone would say you were patient with Ayaan. And Neha doesn’t even have full-time help.’

  Aditi looked stung. ‘I didn’t say I was patient with Ayaan, Sid. I said, “You have to be patient about it”.’

  Krish cut in, ‘Aditi wasn’t so bad. Ayaan even had me going nuts some days.’ He turned to Neha. ‘What’s happening on the help scene, Neha? Still haven’t found a full-timer?’

  ‘Actually, I’ve been thinking, I don’t really need one. My part-timer Julie is great. We’re doing fine on weekdays between her and the day-care. It’s only the weekends that drain me out.’

  The conversation turned to the situation with the domestic help in their respective households. Aditi didn’t say much, she just fingered her wine glass distractedly, her gaze flitting between Neha and Sid.

  Sid was now telling the group about the maid Rukmini that Mandira had sourced. ‘I don’t know what’s wrong with her. She asked me yesterday if I wanted roti and I told her, “Nahin, parantha.” She just stared at me, so I explained, “Tel lagakar, parantha banao.” Next I went into the kitchen and saw she was making rotis … only with some ghastly smelling oil in her hair. I’m telling you…’

  Neha stared at Sid for a second and then started to go into paroxysms of laughter. Krish protested that Sid was making it up as usual but chuckled appreciatively. Aditi only managed a distracted smile. She was still watching Sid and noticed that all his attention was on Neha. This, she thought grimly, was all very interesting.

  Sid was out in the balcony having a smoke and staring thoughtfully into space when Aditi appeared next to him. He turned his head to acknowledge her. He hoped she wasn’t going to lecture him on the smoking again. ‘Smoking zone … I thought Krish was coming.’

  ‘I asked him to help Neha lay the table,’ said Aditi breezily. ‘Thought she might need help. You were so concerned about all the help she needs.’

  ‘Huh?’ said Sid blankly.

  ‘Never mind,’ said Aditi leaning against the railing. After a couple of seconds, she said in a deliberately casual manner, ‘So … what’s up with you?’

  ‘Nothing.’ Sid blew a few smoke rings. ‘The usual: busy at work; been meaning to call you but just didn’t get around to it. Things good with you, Adu?’

  ‘Yes, yes,’ she said impatiently. ‘I meant … what’s going on with you and Neha?’ She bit her lower lip – she hadn’t meant for it to sound so blunt.

  Sid looked at her coolly and said, ‘What do you mean?’

  ‘You know what I mean,’ said Aditi sullenly. ‘I deserve to know.’

  ‘And why do you deserve to know?’

  ‘Because I was the one who was trying to … who introduced the two of you,’ said Aditi, the frustration clear in her voice. ‘And you were the one who said something like, “If someone more interesting comes along, you’d rather be with her.” We talked about this, Sid! If something is going on and you’re going to end up hurting Neha, it’s hardly fair and…’

  Sid snapped, clearly irritated, ‘Adu, first of all, it’s none of your business. Second of all, I’m not going to hurt anyone. And third of all … it’s none of your business, in the first place.’

  Aditi fell silent. After a few moments, she replied in a sullen voice, ‘You already said it’s none of my business. And, “third of all, in the first place” doesn’t even make any sense.’

  ‘Did I say that?’ Sid barked out a short laugh at himself and took a long drag to buy himself some time. He knew what she was thinking – she had always known the details of his life and his relationships better than anyone else. Even better than Mandira. So how come now, this was something he wasn’t willing to talk about? Sid didn’t fully understand this himself, but then, everything was different with Neha. He wanted to keep it between the two of them. Aditi would just have to accept the fact that this had nothing to do with her. But then he didn’t want to hurt her in any way, of course.

  He put his arm around her stiff shoulders. ‘Look, I’m sorry, Adu, I didn’t mean to be snappy. I just think you need to give some space to other people. We’re adults, right? We can handle it. So, please, stop with the probing and let’s just have a good evening, okay?’

  ‘Okay,’ said Aditi softly, not looking at him.

  Sid was trying to think of something to say to lighten the mood when Krish’s voice rang out from behind them.

  ‘Uh … Neha says dinner’s ready.’

  Sid dropped his arm from Aditi’s shoulders, almost in a reflex, as Krish came through the balcony door. Aditi spun around to face her husband. ‘Krish, why don’t you keep Sid company till he finishes his cigarette? I’ll go in. You two are anyway not eating.’

  Krish looked surprised – his balcony visits with Sid were usually not encouraged like this.

  Aditi was gone in a flash.

  Sid held out a cigarette, Krish shrugged and accepted, bending his head a little to let Sid light the cigarette for him.

  After a few puffs in silence, Sid said, ‘So…’

  ‘So.’

  They usually didn’t feel the need to converse when they smoked. But for once Sid felt like they should talk. He was suddenly aware of the fact that Krish was now the closest thing he had to a male friend. It would be good to have a sensible, man-to-man conversation … engage in some male bonding … except that he couldn’t really think of anything to say.

  ‘I think Aditi’s bugged with me.’ Now why did he have to say that? It’s just that the conversation had left him mildly disturbed; had he been too abrupt with her? Krish didn’t respond immediately. He took a drag and then said, exhaling, ‘Aditi can be a little … inquisitive.’

  Krish clearly knew his wife better than anyone else.

  Sid found himself getting defensive even though he knew he didn’t need to be. ‘Well, everyone doesn’t have to know everything all the time, right?’

  ‘Right,’ agreed Krish.

  After another pause, Sid muttered, staring straight ahead into the night, ‘She was also like this.’

  Krish didn’t say anything for a while, but when he spoke next, he looked directly at Sid. ‘So how are things … at home?’

  Sid hesitated and then thought, what the heck. ‘Kind of crappy, but I think it will get better once she leaves.’ He thought this didn’t sound too good and so he added quickly, ‘It’s just that … it’s time we both moved on … you know?’

  ‘Sure, you should move on.’

/>   Sid thought he heard implicit approval in Krish’s statement. Encouraged by it, he mumbled, ‘Not all women are difficult, you know.’

  Krish considered this while taking another thoughtful puff. This time, he exhaled the smoke from his nose, a feat Sid always envied, as he said, ‘If you don’t find yourself difficult to live with, you’re unlikely to find anyone else difficult.’

  Sid stared at him. ‘Are you getting philosophical on me, Krish?’

  This earned him Krish’s trademark easy grin. ‘Not at all. Anyway.’ He tapped his cigarette against the rim of the cup that Sid was using as a makeshift ashtray. ‘Don’t worry about Aditi. She has to accept that she can’t always be in the centre of everything.’

  Krish did understand, Sid realized. He looked at him with new respect and said, ‘Thanks, man.’

  ‘No problem. She’ll be fine, it’ll be good for her to learn to let things go.’

  ‘So, what’s going on with you and Sid?’

  ‘Hmmm?’ said Neha, sighing as she poked with her fork the remnants of food on her plate. ‘That was good chicken, no?’

  ‘Yeah, it was great,’ said Aditi, looking around. Krish and Sid were still out in the balcony. Neha and she had eaten dinner together mostly in silence but Aditi couldn’t resist any more. ‘So … Sid and you seem to be … getting along.’

  Neha laughed. ‘We do. He’s funny.’

  ‘Okay, so what is it then? Are you seeing each other?’

  ‘Aditi…’ Neha cast a glance at the balcony. ‘I really don’t know if we should be discussing this.’

  ‘You guys are supposed be my best friends,’ Aditi burst out, fuming. ‘And now neither of you is even talking to me about this.’