Ambar POV
She drove down the highway, her eyes set on the road as I slowly wake up from my slumber. We had decided to divide the 8 hour drive into 2 sets of 4 hours each and mine was about to begin soon.
"If you're tired, I can take it from here?" I asked as Samayra turned to look at me.
"Oh, the sleeping beauty is up." She says as I take a blind shot at the reason for her crankiness.
"Already missing home?" I ask as her mouth falls open.
"Ambar, you can't do your detective thing on me. Remember?" she says irritated, as I laugh.
"You called me sleeping beauty..."
"Because you look pretty when you're not arguing."
"Atleast I don't snore." I revert back as her nose scrunches up in irritation.
"Only when I was on meds." She says as I consider keeping my mouth shut rather than arguing as the steering wheel was very much in her hands, and so was my life.
"Oh, there's this brewery I've heard about. They have the best beer in state, it's down this lane. We can stop and even change places there."
"Okay, but won't that waste a lot of time." She says as I shrug.
"I can just grab a case or two instead of sitting to drink."
"Firstly, a case or two?? 24 bottles of beer for you? We won't have place for anything else in the fridge... and where will be place that in the car?" she says pointing to the backseat of her wrangler packed to height with suitcases and bags.
We decided to not hire movers and packers and move with only very essential and basic things. Like our documents, some clothes, some shoes, a bedding or two and some books. Some photos of both of us to make the new house a little personalized. The house I got was already fully furnished and we plan to add a personalized touch to it, by buying things there instead of getting things from home. We don't plan to live here forever, so our visits home for festivals and occasions made it necessary to keep some of our stuff there.
We might decide to make this permanent somewhere down the future but right now, I tend to keep it temporary.
"We can throw that huge teddy bear Danish gave you." I answer as Samayra gives him a side glare.
"Why don't I just throw you?" she says.
"Because I'm your husband and in our culture husband is God. Remember? Pati parmeshwar."
"The teddy is my side chick and soon will be my second husband." She says suppressing a smile.
"Yeah?" I say pretending to look back.
"Yes." She says.
"I'm sorry to inform you, but it's better that you know before the wedding that... he doesn't have a d*ck. So, what do you plan to do about that? And the constitution under the Sikh marriage act prohibits you from having 2 husbands."
"Ambar, the pack of cigars in your pocket won't let you live all that long... So, why not. I'm even your first nominee in insurance... So... World trip, here I come with my teddy." She says as I shake my head.
"This is the second time you've joked about my death to travel the world since we've married."
"And what will you do about it? Maybe quit that?" She suggests.
"Or tell your mom." I say as her eyes widen.
"No... NO NO NO... You're not going there Mr. Ambar Singh Deol. Or I'll tell your mom about all your flings. Atleast the ones I know about and how you've not even left her dining table." She says as I purse my lips together.
"I never said that..."
"But I understood when you said that you would like me on the dining table too... You've done it before."
"You know I've helped your dad fill his income tax return and I know you might have enough money in your accounts to travel the world, without having to kill me."
"That's dad's money." She says as I smile.
"I like you." I say as she laughs.
"Even though I want you dead?" she says.
"What if I actually do someday?"
"Naaa... Gods hate me. Whatever I say, the reverse happens... so... you'll live a hundred thousand years. Oh and evil doesn't perish so easily." She says with a wide toothed smile as we laugh together for a while.
Then we stopped to grab 2 cases of beer, adjusting one in back and the other in front near Samayra's footrest.
"Benefits of having a short wife. Keep beer in her foot space." I say and take the driver's seat as she looks the case thinking something.
"The opener will be in the glove box. You can drink since I'll be driving the rest of the way."
"This is my car... Why is an opener..." she says finding it as I shrug.
"Priorities." I say as she shakes her head in annoyance and looks at it.
"Samayra, we promised that no more striving for something that is out of reach. It'll happen when it has to. Enjoy your life, the way you want. Drink, eat processed foods and whatever you didn't do, in this race to conceive." I had said not knowing I'll regret it in 2 hours.
++++++++++++
"I have to pee." She said for the seventh time as I look at the fuel station sign and relax.
"Just 500meters babe." I say and look at the 6th bottle in her hand.
"No... Keep that back. You're not drinking that." I say as she pouts infront of me.
"Ambbbarrr..." she pleads.
"Samayra, we aren't doing any of that. I'm not scolding you, you aren't crying and after a fight we are not taking a room for the night. You've resigned and we have to manage our finances on our own. The house help, the groceries... Mom's always done that... Everything. Let's stop wasting money on hotel rooms on our road trips." I say unconsciously raising my voice at her and regretted it the very next moment.
"Aeeeeennnnn..." she said as the waterworks started and I gave the indicator to turn left into the petrol station as the evening set in.
"Go pee and wash your face, try to sober up." I say as she opens the car door and walks out as I enter the lane to get fuel in the car. After I was done, I call Avinash as he picks up on the third ring.
"Hey bro, did you reach?" he asks trying to sound attentive and serious.
"You're with her, aren't you?" I ask knowing full well who had been taking up most of his time in the past few weeks.
"Ambar... Did you call me for something?"
"I'm still your senior, not in your area but rank wise." I say trying to tease him.
"Okay... I'll disconnect, sir." He says as I speak.
"Stop. Mail me everything we have on the drug and stolen theft case and it's link to the Sandhu's family tree whenever you have time. I'll try to convince the senior to give me this case."
"You don't have a senior. Nobody wants to be posted there. You report directly to the DIG, remember." He says as I nod.
"I should set up security for Samayra, but I think convincing her to have a guard will be hard."
"So, why are you telling this to me?" he asks.
"Sabina is very good at convincing Samayra, through a mixture of blackmail, anger and suffocating each other by cushions." I say as silence falls on the other end.
"Just give Sabina subtle hints at how dangerous it is out here." I say as I look at Samayra walk towards me.
"and I won't tell Sabina that we know." I play the trump card as he chuckles.
"It'll be done." He says and adds before I could disconnect. "but only because I care for Samayra as a little sister too." I heard as Samayra opened the door sitting in and shut it with a loud noise in anger.
"This is your car." I remind her as she looks at the poor car door while cussing herself.