Under The Mango Trees

Chapter Sixteen : In Between Ooh And Ah

I had texted Jaspreet about cancelling the shopping plan in the mall because of the trip and her reply oddly came after a day- Going with Anthony? Have fun.

I immediately responded a yes, slipped the phone in my pocket and kept the trolley bag against the wall, ringing the bell to Lila's apartment. I didn't realise when I had acquired the annoying habit of cracking knuckles from Anthony, but I couldn't refrain from doing that now. I applied pressure on my shoes to stop my feet from bouncing as I waited restlessly for someone to open the door. Maybe, I could just turn back and go home, telling my mother that they had left without me. But that pertinacious woman would probably drag me to Tarkali herself, lecturing all the way about how I slept like Kumbhkaran.

The door opened and loud, frolicsome music blasted- I recognised the song instantly- Ik Junoon from Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara (the only bollywood movie that Lila ever liked). Lila was right in front of me, dressed in grey sweatpants and a taffy pink tank-top. Whenever the lyrics came to "ooh-ah" bit, she lipsynced in an exaggerated way towards the ceiling. She threw her arms and legs out at "ooh" and brought them back in at "ah" as if she was doing some PE exercise. But unlike PE exercises, she was brimming with joy and I didn't feel agitated anymore.

"Sorry, the music is so loud. She just doesn't listen to me," her mother spoke with a smile, not affected by the music at all and I had to stoop down to hear her. She was wearing a blue midi-dress with flowers on the slightly puffed sleeves and had dark red lipstick on (I had never seen her bare lips). When I stooped to her height level, I could see her thick gold hoop earrings with little diamonds dangling from the curvy swing.

Suddenly, Lila's eyes connected to mine and she excitedly did a little wiggle and her mother and I both facepalmed, smiling and chuckling at the floor.

"She's so happy to go somewhere! She has been complaining all the time that she's stuck at home. She makes it sound like living with me is a torture." She laughed good-naturedly at her own joke and before I could contradict her and tell her that Lila loved her the most, she continued, "She wouldn't let go of me till I convinced your mother to send you on this trip. She said something like, if Tulsi isn't going then I'm not. You know how stubborn she can be at times. She really loves you."

"What?"

"The music is too loud, right?" She marched towards the speakers to lower the volume, but mid-way, Lila micheviously caught her hands and spun her around, making her laugh. "You trouble me so much! Go trouble Tulsi, I need to call Manu to pick you both up. Then I can finally be at peace."

Lila's eyes flashed to me and with an impish grin, she crept towards me and I vigorously shook my head. "No, no, no, no. I'm very tired, Lila. I barely slept last night."

She shouted over the music, "Why? Were you excited like me?"

"No, I was helping my mother pack the chaklis and banana chips for my relatives and us---"

"Blah, blah, blah, blah!" And she retreated back on the undesignated dance floor to recommence her PE exercise when suddenly, she stopped shaking her body.

Her father entered like a dark, grey cloud in a warm afternoon sky, the upbeat music now sounding hollow, foolish and devoid of any meaning like honking in a deserted street. Lila nonchalantly walked to the speaker and switched it off, the house turning eerily silent. Even her mother who had stalked off to the bedroom peeped outside, sensing a shift of mood in the atmosphere.

Her father was wearing a grey dress shirt and black trousers, his handsome features resembling Lila's. In spite of his tall and athletic build, there was nervousness in his dark eyes that made him appear meeker than he was, but no less frightening since he had the capability to draw attention to himself and make the onlooker feel uneasy. The presence of the two bubbly women in his life- Lila and her mother further caused him to stand out like a kangaroo in the streets of mumbai. Absurd.