The Lieutenant part 7 - The cold

The Lieutenant Part 1: Meetup at the beach

The Lieutenant: Part 2: She takes him home


The Lieutenant Part 3: At the Bar

The Lieutenant Part 4: Comics

The Lieutenant Part 5: Shopping

The Lieutenant Part 6: ‘Mom’

The Mumbai rains had come, in their entire splendor. While most of Mumbai enjoyed the downpour Arvind sulked big time. He was a Sun guy, the kind of rains he liked were the ones which lasted no longer than 4 hours. Mumbai rains ofcourse never entertained his pleas for mercy.


This was one of those days Rahul was with his newly adopted ‘mom’. He was at his suburban home sipping tea reading a book on his couch with Major by his side. Like any other boy Rahul was spending most days with his mom. Arvind would see him in between the week sometime or he would come over for a few days every other week. Not that Arvind was entirely happy with this situation, but well a child needed a mother and he felt happy for his kid, he really looked livelier these days as if he had found heaven.

Major started barking suddenly, it was a low deep growl. Arvind who was engrossed in his book looked at Major. Major rarely barked in that tone.

Oh Shit he thought and fumbled for the phone. He called on Rahul’s number. He could hear him sneezing, wildly, barely able to talk. He made a dash for the door like any other worried father. In the morbid weather, that had probably taken a lull to let him pass, he tried to cross the sunken streets as fast as he could, which meant a lot of walking, buses, autos, taxis. After two hours he finally managed to reach Kiran’s house.

Arvind entered the house with his key, The two of them mom and son were sneezing away to glory. She was taking his temperature but he could see she wasn’t much better herself.

“Thank God, you both at least changed into dry clothes” Arvind said to make his presence known

“Daddy!!!” Rahul screamed and rushed into his arms. Arvind lifted him up and held him tight.

He kept him back on the couch. “Now you two, sit” He got them a woolen blanket from the bedroom. Gave them the tv remote. The two of them cuddled each other shivering.

He went into the kitchen and made them, chicken soup, the instant variety, right now was not the time for culinary finesse but fast relief action. As an after thought he added noodles for the slurrpy effect and also to add some weight to the food.

He gave one big bowl each to the shivering mother and son, busy cuddling each other, teeth chattering and yet giggling away to glory while watching tom n jerry.

“Daddy I’m feeling cold” he said making his cute little pleading face

“And so am I” she said, imitating his cute little pleading face

“Kids!!” he said “Pehle ek hi thaa, ab do do hain!!!”

He sat down between them on the couch and they both folded into his arms, wrapping themselves to his chest. Whether it was the effect of the chicken soup or just the moment, but the cold fell away and there was warmth in that living room, and soon three beings were fast asleep, cuddled in each others embrace