𝕍𝕚𝕣𝕒𝕙

《 One - A New Leaf 》

"Main ab teen tak count karungi! Ab agar tu nahi utha na toh aaj ka football class cancel!" Akshara yelled from the kitchen as she made some fresh paranthas.

"Oh no! Football cancel?" a young boy whispered while flinging away the blanket, "Nahi main toh uth gaya!"

"Yeh sahi hai! Janab ko football ki dhamkiya do toh seedha line par!" Akshara said to herself, laughing at her son's antics.

"I'm here," Abhir said, rubbing his eyes and trying to drive away sleep.

"Good morning, baby!" Akshara hugged her son tight and peppered his face with a million kisses.

"Bas karo, Mumma! Subah subah kiss attack?" Abhir said, trying to get out of his mom's hold.

"Oye! Mumma ki kissiyon se na tu kabhi nahi bach payega, thirty years ka ho jayega na phir bhi!" Akshara said while planting a few more kisses on Abhir's squishy cheeks.

"Offo Mumma! Meri girlfriend kya sochegi?" Abhir said innocently while fixing his spectacles.

Akshara's eyes widened at her son's statement, "Heinn? Abhir? Teri girlfriend hain? Meri bahu tune abhi se dhoondh rakhi hain?"

"Hehe, you are so funny, Mumma! Not abhi, but I will have one someday, no?"

"Kahaan se seekha hain yeh sab?"

"Buddy ne kaha!" Abhir said matter-of-factly.

"I should have known! Wohi kehta hai tujhe yeh sab. Kehta bhi deewana, sunta bhi deewana!" Akshara said with her hands on her hips.

"Mumma, Buddy ko kuchh mat kaho," Abhir said, imitating his mom by keeping his hands on his hips.

"Buddy ka chamcha kahi ka! Kuchh nahi keh rahi main tere buddy ko! Now go and get ready for school. Abhir tu na pakka late karwayega!"

"Jaata hoon," Abhir unwillingly replied.

"Abhir!" Akshara uttered sternly, trying to stop her son from throwing a tantrum to miss school.

Abhir bit his tongue and sprinted to the bathroom. Just then, Akshara's phone rang, and a bright smile graced her face as she read the caller ID.

"Sau saal jeeyoge! Abhi tumhari hi baat ho rahi thi," she said to the person on the other side.

"Wow. Subah subha kya khushkhabri sunai hai! Sada khush raho beti!" an effervescent Abhishek Gokhale teased.

"Very funny! Waise subah subah kyun call kiya?" Akshara enquired.

"Last minute changes batane they isliye. I have edited the presentation for today's meeting; please have a dekko at it before the meeting. This needs to go well. I am so nervous. Damn it. Aau has a lot of expectations. What if I fail to impress the client? What if the presentation is not up to the mark? I will-" Abhishek said all in one breath, his heart racing.

"Oye oye rajdhani express shaant ho jaa! Abhishek, you've worked so hard on this! You'll be good. Don't worry. You got this." Akshara assured her best friend.

"Yaar tu hogi na conference room mein?" Abhishek asked, "I need all the moral support possible today. Anu is gonna be there too."

"I will be there. Itna tension mat le! If you want, we can do a quick run-through before the actual thing. Sounds good?" she said, hoping to ease some of Abhishek's tension.

"Sounds PERFECT! Yeh sab tu hi soch sakti hain! Thanks, yaar Aksh!" Abhishek expressed his gratitude, a little relieved now.

"Ab agar tu itni chhoti baat ke liye tu mujhe thank you bolega toh phir mujhe toh tujhe kitne thank you bolne padenge? Pichhle chhe saalon mein tune mere liye jo-"