My Brother's Bride ✔

33. Nostalgia

Published on 12 November, 21
Words Count- 3400
Attached Song- Photograph
_____________

[ Surfraaz Mehta ]

The silver steel grill creaked open with a slight push of my fingers. It wasn't just a door to any house, but a getaway to all the secrets, galas and maladies of my life.

The door to my heart!

The furniture laid where there were earlier, untouched and unperturbed. There was a time when my heart used to reside in this place, but presently this abode seems barred from life.

The stack of newspapers kept in stacks on the tea table, caught my attention.

"Raaz, call Jun and come. I have made your favourite kaju katli, honey jalebi and your honey coffee."

"Pa, I am sure he is going to call his wife as honey bunny. See, how much he loves honey!"

"No, I am not calling Neha as honey. I will call her Poco loco."

"Pa, are you listening ? A lady named Neha."

"Yes, I heard about my son's crush -slash- his poco loco."

"Don't you dare tease me, or else, I will also tell Pa about Urmi Bhabhi."

"Huh, who is Urmi? What Bhabhi? I don't know, Pa."

"Wait, let me call Urmi to let her know you don't know who she is! She should know that it's time for her to find another boyfriend."

"Dare you touch that phone. You are not saying any such stupid things to my Urmi."

"Pa, did you also hear the use of certain possessive pronouns by Jun before some girl?"

"Shut up, idiot."

"I know, you will call your Urmi as kaju or else, Kishmish. Given, how addicted you are to dry fruits!" I winked.

"Paa loves pumpkin pie and bitter gourd fries. Does that mean, Pa will only address Maa as kaddu or else, karela?" He argued and we had a joyous mirth, thinking about Maa's expression if Paa calls her pumpkin sweetly.

"Enough both of you. Come and eat before it gets cold. I am not reheating it and I can bet on my life that you two idiots can't even light the stove to reheat it."

"Paa. He started it." I argued, but Paa's one glare shut me up.

We both sat on the sofa on either side and kept a folded newspaper between us with all the sweets kept on it. As always, I ate my share of honey jalebis and only two kaju katli.

"Paa, can you give me another newspaper? This one is already wet with the syrup." I shouted on the top of my voice.

"Paa will be busy in the kitchen. I will bring." As Jun went away to bring the newspaper from the stacks, I brought two jalebis from his share and replaced them with two kaju katli.

He came back and as soon as he noticed his plate, he glared at me. Taking it as a clue, I ran to the kitchen to ask for help from Paa.

I hid my body on the side of Paa and sighed, only to feel something sticky all over my face. Tasting it with my tongue, I realised it was sugar syrup. As I opened my eyes, I saw Jun standing with a newspaper, partially dipped in sugar syrup. Snatching it from him, I too shoved it on his face and laughed hard, seeing his incredulous look.

We kept on tearing and throwing old newspapers at each other until the kitchen was a big dump bin for torn pieces of paper.

"I need the kitchen properly cleaned in 30 minutes before I return from the market with groceries and veggies, got it." Paa sternly warned and walked away. We were laughing seeing the condition of the kitchen, our shirt and our face.