Free I don't Wear Sunscreen by Kavipriya Moorthy Page A

company. What
can I do?” Laksha’s mind popped all these questions again and
again, and her heart raced like a drunken person driving a car on
the empty ECR route.
    As soon as she heard the door shut, she
rushed towards her mom and asked what happened.
    “ Why are you so bothered?
Calm down first, this is the first time I am seeing you so anxious
about something,” Laksha’s mom asked with a suspicious
expression.
    “ No, just curious mom,” she
was expecting an immediate answer.
    “ They are moving, handing
over the home to the debtors. They signed an agreement that if they
don’t return the amount, it will leave their hands forever. She
just came today to inform us and share her worries. Now you don’t
take this to your dumb heart,” her mom spoke in a flat tone, with
thoughts on Laksha’s behavior.
    “ That’s awful, to where are
they moving?”
    “ Back to their hometown, but
Pallavi will continue to study in Coimbatore till she finds a job.
Don’t share this with her, if she tells you, just nod and don’t
comment,” Laksha’s mom kept talking while working with the vessels
in the kitchen.
    “ How will she know that I am
nodding? If we talk over the phone that is, mom,” Laksha asked
playfully, popping her head into the kitchen door.
    Her mom looked around for something to
hit her with, and ran out with a whisk.
    “ Thank God, I don’t know why
I turned so anxious all of a sudden, phew,” she mumbled and walked
past the hall.
    “ Aye, come for lunch,” her
mom pulled her braided hair. “Thought of asking you days back, your
hair looks shinier and softer than ever, how come?” she
asked.
    That question reminded her instantly
one of her best days with Sai.
    “ Do I smell breakfast?” he
asked.
    “ What?”
    “ I smell eggs, where? You
have them hidden?” he pulled her handbag.
    “ That’s my hair, I applied
an egg to give it some shine,”
    “ Oh man, I will take you to
a nice parlour this weekend Dolly,” he smiled.
    “ Huh, no way, I don’t visit
parlours often, just for haircuts and that too once in a
year,”
    “ I know, that’s why I am
taking you this weekend,”
    “ No, I don’t want,
please,”
    “ Come on, how will they make
money then? They depend on us, let’s buy them food,” he
chuckled.
    “ What’s your brain made up
of, Sai? How can you come up with such an excuse to visit the
parlour?” she laughed.
    “ Hellooooo,” Laksha’s mom
waved her hand, bringing Laksha back to the present.She said dully,
“Egg white, I apply egg white,” and walked to the table to eat
lunch. She kept fidgeting with a spoon, and her mom kept watching
the change with widened eyes.
    “ What’s bothering you,
Laksha?” she asked her finally.
    “ Nothing, just not in the
mood to eat,” she took a few seconds to get back to normal. She
realized it was no longer right to stay home, since it would reveal
the battle she was fighting within.“Mom, I want to leave,” she said
in a blunt tone.
    “ Where? Back to work,
Mumbai?”
    “ Yes, I have left all my
assignments and taken a big break. Since it’s a startup and the CEO
is happy with my work, he let me take the liberty. I don’t want to
extend it and take advantage of them,” she clarified.
    “ Hmm. Let dad come, I will
let you know,” for the very first time, her mom considered
postponing a decision and that scared Laksha.
    What if she is against me
going back to Mumbai? Why she is suddenly going to consult dad?
What they are going to discuss? They might ask me to stay back in
Chennai and find a job. That is not what I want, I can’t afford to
lose my job,” she kept thinking things like
over and over again though another sleepless night, with tears
assisting them all along.
    ***
    “ How would you like to
travel? Flight or train?” Laksha’s dad asked her while she kept
staring at the row of red ants walking across the old
wall.
    She didn’t respond, so he touched her
shoulders and she turned swiftly, alarmed, to