Bhalla House - three days later, Friday, 20th Dec, 9 pm
"Aaja mera bhachungda, tenu baal mein tel laga du," Toshi beckoned to Ruhi as she situated herself, cross-legged on the sofa. "Mere baalon mein lagane be baad ab bhi aadhi katori baaki hai." [Come dear, I'll apply oil to your hair. There is still some left over from when I oiled my hair.]
Ruhi dropped her dolls in the middle of the living room where she sat and sighed. "Do I have to, dadi?" she pouted. "Mujhe apne hair oily nahi karne hai..." [I don't want to get my hair oily...]
"Aaja na puttar," Toshi pleaded. "Tujhe teri maa jaise lambe ghane baal chahiye ki nahi? Aaja, baith idhar." She patted on the empty space in front of her on the sofa. [Come na child. Don't you want long thick hair like your mother?]
Ruhi pushed aside her dollhouse and plopped down in front of her grandmother. Toshi undid Ruhi's braids and began applying oil to one section after another.
"Dadi, aap kabhi Ishimaa ko oil kyun nahi lagati? Aap aur mumma sirf mere baalon ke piche padi rehti hai," Ruhi complained. [Dadi, why don't you ever oil Ishimaa's hair? You and mom are always yapping on me about my hair only.]
"Lo bolo. Mushkil se to tere baal mein hafte main ek baar tel lagaate hai hum, aur complain to aise kar rahi hai jaise har din hum tujhe tel mein nehelate ho," Toshi chuckled. [Oh come on. We barely oil your hair once a week, and you're complaining as if we bathe you oil every day.]
"Oil mein to papa naahaye the Diwali par, remember? Kitne funny lag rahe the," Ruhi giggled. [Remember papa bathed in oil on Diwali? That was so funny.]
"Haan, baat to teri sahi hai. Bada funny lag raha tha mera puttar." [Yeah, you're right.]
Toshi continued massaging oil into Ruhi's scalp and hair.
"Dadi, don't distract me!" Ruhi exclaimed. "Answer my question please, aap Ishimaa ko oil kyun nahi lagaate?" She turned around to face her grandmother. [Why don't you oil Ishimaa's hair?]
"Arey, tu saamne dekh. Sar itna hila mat." Toshi grabbed Ruhi's chin and turned her head back to the front and continued her oil massage. [Face the front. Don't move your head too much.]
"You didn't answer my question, dadi." Toshi couldn't see her face but chuckled at hearing the pout in Ruhi's voice.
"Which question betu?" another woman's voice asked.
Toshi and Ruhi turned their heads to see Ishita emerge from her bedroom in her night clothes - a short black kurti and white leggings. She dropped into the armchair opposite Ruhi and Toshi.
"Kya puch rahe the aap dadi se?" she asked her daughter. [What were you asking dadi?]
"Yahin ki woh kabhi aap ke hair mein oil kyun nahi lagaati?" [That why doesn't she ever apply oil in your hair?]
"Are betu, main apne hair mein khud oil lagaati hoon, isiliye." [Dear, that's because I can oil my hair myself.]
"Oh nahi Ishita," Toshi intervened. "Aaj main tere baalon mein tel lagaati hoon. Yeh Ruhi ke baalon ka ho jaaye, phir tu bhi baith ja." [Ishita, let me oil your hair today. You can sit after Ruhi is done.]
"Nahi nahi mummyji, uski koi zaroorat nahi-" [No mummyij, there's no need-]
"Karne de na puttar! Maa ko kabhi mana nahi karte." [Please let me dear! You don't say no to a mother.]
"Lekin-" [But-]
"Dekh puttar, maa ke liye bacche kabhi bade nahi hote. Aaj main teri mast tel maalish karti hoon." [Look dear, for a mother, her kids never grow up. I'll give you a nice oil massage today.]
YOU ARE READING
Connected: A YHM Story ✔️
FanfictionFour separate souls -- Raman, Ishita, Ruhi, and Adi -- in four separate cities; but somehow CONNECTED. How? Read to find out.... Ishita Iyer has been dreaming of a life as a dentist, wife, and mother, but destiny plays a cruel joke on her, as her dr...
