Love is never far from us. Hopefully, we begin our journey conceived in love. We are nurtured through parental love before growing up and finding our own romantic love and life partner or maybe multiple partners. We may then create our own family so experiencing parental love as the caregiver and nurturer and thus the cycle endlessly perpetuates itself. We still have the enduring love of our parents whilst they remain alive and other family members such as siblings and grandparents. Love is at every turn.
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Shehnaaz was tired after a long day. She was hungry and wanted to clean herself before she went to kitchen to cook dinner for herself and Karou.
"Sunn na Karou, tu bindi kat dega aur atta bhi maad de, main jaldi se naha ke aayi phir aake subzi aur roti bana dungi." She requested him with assertiveness.
"Kya hain Naaz... kitna kaam karati hain tu..." Karou sulked, slouching down in sofa with exhaustion dropping down the two reusable grocery bags he carried up the floor to their apartment. It was an old style-built apartment which did not have elevators. They must walk up to their floor, which they were thankful that it was just one floor up.
Keeping the bag in the kitchen slab which Shehnaaz was carrying, she drank a bottle full of cold water from refrigerator and walked to the living room with another chilled bottle for Karou. It was a wet, humid June month in Mumbai. Sweating and exhaustion comes in package with this weather especially if you are commuting by metro and by foot to home.
"Please na bhai... I need to shower! Bahut tak gayi huin aur bhook bhi lagi hain. Fresh hone ke baad, dekh kitni mast subzi banaungi..." she added not having an ounce of strength to argue. Grabbing the bottle, he gulped down the full bottle. "Jaldi aana" he ordered, wiping his mouth with his collar, and agreeing to her request.
"Main humesa jaldi hi aati huin woh toh tu hain jo ek ganta lagata hain naha ke aane main, patlu Ram. Jaa rahi huin main aur jaldi se apne haath per chalaa aur kaam katam kar jo bola hain... come on come on... get up get up" teasing him with animatic actions, she ran inside her room and shut the door before he could chase her for a banter.
She kept her phone charged as it was showing low battery, not before checking if there was any message from Sidharth. But to her dismay there was none. He had not even bothered to read any of them. She typed in 'Reached home' message to him, no smileys or with any catch, hoping he will get the cue that she was upset of his cold behavior. With an overturned lip she glanced a look on suitcase, untouched from Kailash trip, making her more anxious! She had so much to do, with that thought she grabbed towel and clothes, she wore in the morning for few hours and exited out of the room to the common bathroom she shared with Karou in the apartment.
Karou had completed chopping, kneading and sorted the grocery items out from the bag when Shehnaaz returned after having a cold shower getting much needed relief from the heat.
"Oye, jaa aur naha ke aa.. main tezi naal khana pakanga" rushing towards the stove she started to chop onions and cook vegetables. She heard him yell from his room, "Kya hain?" she screeched while making balls from the dough for roti.
"Stupid, tera phone baj raha hain kab se, behri ho gayi hain kya?" he screamed, taking her phone to the kitchen. Her heart skipped a beat expecting it to be Sidharth's call but his next words ruined her hope, "Aunty ka call hain."
She swiped the icon right to attend the call, it was a video call as she expected.
"Mumma, kaise ho? Aajo khanna kha lo... Meri subzi main tuhade haath wala taste kabhi nahin aata par! Aapka secret batao mujhe" placing the phone in rack she started to roll the roti, chit chatting with her mother and her brother. She was eating bites in between making roti's as well, finishing one completely. Karou made a plate for himself and served a few roti and subzi grabbing the phone to talk to Baaz and walked to sit in the couch. She also made herself a plate and joined him in the living room.
"Papa kahan hain mumma?" she asked chewing the food down.
"Woh.. tere papa... ummm..." Her mother hesitated a bit and looked at her son. Shehnaaz saw the skeptical glances they shared between each other.
"Kya hua, inna kya soch rahe ho" she inquired waiting for a reply. "What is he up to now? WAIT.... Don't tell me he is looking for a groom again!!" dropping her plate down she doubtfully asked.
"Arre nahi pagal... Papa toh tujhse..."
"Baaz chup" Baaz was about to disclose something but was stopped by her mom.
"Mumma aap kuch chuppa rahe ho... Bolo kya hain, aapko meri kasam" she coerced this time.
"Puttar kasam vasam na khilaya karo... ab main toh phas gayi dono naal vich! Kya karu is baap beti ka!" Heaving out she palmed her forehead.
"Motto... Papa aa rahe hain tere se milne, teri car leke. Shaam ko nikal gaye, Shera bhaiya ke saath. Maybe by tomorrow night he will be in Mumbai. He said not to tell you as he wanted to surprise you." He disclosed his father's plan to shocked and surprised Shehnaaz.
"KYA?? You are lying right... Mumma yeh meri le raha hain na.. Papa kyun aayenge yahan woh bhi car main? Pagal ho gaye hain kya? Iss umer main why is he taking this tedious journey to visit me by road. Aana tha toh flight main aate!! Waise bhi kal hi toh wapis aayi huin yahan... Papa ji ko ho kya gaya hain??" She was confused, excited, happy, panicked, jittery! She was overwhelmed, anxious with all mixed emotions building in.
"Naaz, paani pe le... it's ok. Tension mat le" Karou tried to calm her. She drank the whole half bottle of water. The first thought that came to her was Sidharth! What if Papa and Sidharth accidentally meet each other. Will Papa accept him? Will he be cordial to him. Why was he visiting her?
"Saans le le bachey. Tu janthi hain na Papa nu. Bahut pyaar karthey hain tere se. Itney saal tere se door reh liye ab nahi ho raha unse. Tu yahan rahi bhi to thodi hi der unke sang. Bas tere jaane ke baad bahut miss karne lage tujhe. Itni chintha kar rahe the... Woh sab jaante hain teri struggles ke baare main. Sabki kabar rakthe the. Tuje car ki jaarurat hogi karke, teri car leke aa rahe hain wahan" Pammi revealed her husband's intention, the reason he took obstinate, rough ride.
Shehnaaz's heart melted with her father's action. The effort he was putting was so gigantic. Though he won't validate that often, but his unconditional actions showed how much he loved her. A daughter's relationship with her father can play a key role in their psychological development. In fact, when fathers are present in their daughters' lives, girls grow up with a healthy sense of who they are. They are more confident and self-assured and have a clearer understanding of what they want in life, that was the reason that she is so confident and headstrong for what she wanted to be in her life. She always had a strong bond with her father, but her silly actions to revolt him had created a distance between them. She knew she was the culprit, but he was mending it and working to improve the bond.
"Moti, tu na jab Papa aaye toh surprise hone ki acting kariyo... Unko pata nahi lagna chahiye ki humne tujhe sab secrets bol diye" Baaz pitched in.
"Hmm... Papa aa rahe hain" she asked again getting emotional with a teary eye.
"Haan... aur tere naal bahut kuch bijwaya hain" Pammi said in excitement.
"Mumma aap bhi aa jate na" she asked wiping her eyes.
"Next time, pakka aaungi"
"Kal papa ki favorite Kadi Chawal banau?"
"Bana le, jo tera mann kare"
"Teek hain love you mumma... ab main jau bahut saare kaam karne hain. I need to clean the house, clear up my clothes... Hayoo rabba.. so much to do!" excitement, nervousness, everything kicked in just thinking about the arrangements she had to do before her fathers' arrival. All the exhaustion and worry took a back seat at that moment and just her father's smiling face roamed around her mind.
Keeping the phone to charge again, she started to clean her room, with music in full blast in speakers. By 10:00pm she was done sorting and cleaning everything around and was relaxed to see the clean house. Exhausted she laid down in the bed with her legs down the bed and hand up above her head, halfway down her pillow. She drifted off to sleep in that position!
It was around 11pm, Karou called her when he felt no moment around the home but when he received no response, he went up to her room to check and saw her sleeping dead tired. He switched off the music and lights and slowly closed her room door when he heard her phone ring. He picked up seeing Sidharth's name.
"Hello" slowly he walked out of the room not to disturb her sleep.
"Karou... It's me Sidharth. Where is Shehnaaz?"
"Hey hi Sidharth. She is sleeping. She was so worked up, so she fell asleep cleaning the place, I guess!" he replied.
"Oh... Ok ok ok... Can you open the door?"
"Yes, I can open any door, why? Do you want me to open some door for you? But you are the hero, you can open any door, haina... like that movie where you drove that taxi and crushed open the garage to save the heroine from gangsters... wow, I love that movie.. Taxi no.1212... wow! My all-time favorite movie. But I don't mind helping you in real life, akir kar I am also your very big fan... Lol!"
"Hogaya? Abhi jara apne ghar ka door open karne ka kast karenge? My big fan" he chuckled.
Karou ran towards the door, "Oh... you are here again! This is my luckiest day, I guess.. two-two times I saw you!"
Sidharth came inside fast, "How much of a muchness you guys can have? Yeh Shehnaaz ke ghar main sab tere jaise hi hain kya? No doubt that you are sibilings! Ek thali ke chate bate. Ab aadat dal le meri, two-two times nahi hundred-hundred times bhi dekh sakta hain mujhe ek din main" throwing the cap off from his head to sofa he walked towards her room. "Kahan hain?" he asked Karou looking back.
"Wahin, apne kamre main, yunn so rahi hain" spreading his arm up he showed her posture.
Sidharth slowly opened the door, room was dark and hot too! With a whisper he stepped out and glanced back to Karou, "AC nahi hain?"
"Nope... sorry..." he replied.
"It's ok..."
He pondered on something and closing back the door halfway he walked towards Karou and asked, "Is it okay if I stayed here with her in her room? Do you mind"
"Why will I mind? You guys love each other, you don't need my permission, it's cool man! Waise aapne yeh mujhse poocha agar Shehnaaz ko pata laga na she is gonna have a laughing riot!" he giggled.
"Thanks man!" Sidharth was glad to hear that. He liked Karou and he got good vibes from him.
"Sidharth, just a request man! She has gone through a lot. She deserves the best! Keep her safe, she is a girl to keep and please don't ever hurt her" he said in an assertive tone.
Sidharth gave smile with nod and gave a hug to him, "I will, I promise, saaley sahab!"
He gave a giggle for the hug and answer.
"Oh, and man I wanna a tell you a shocking surprise we got this evening... Uncle is coming here, tomorrow..." he gave Sidharth all the information about the events that happened in the evening and expected approximate time of her father's arrival.
"Hmmm... interesting! Thanks, man, for the info"
"Anytime man... it's cool!" with prominent east Asian face Karou gave him a hand sign for cool.
"This... Shehnaaz's phone and do you want an extra fan? We have an extra pedestal fan." He inquired.
"No, that's ok. Good night!" greeting him, he grabbed her mobile and opened the door slowly to her room.
He was amused the way she was sleeping half body up and half down. With white T-shirt and shorts riding up her thigh she was snoring a bit with lightly open mouth. He clicked a picture of her having a smile on his face. He slowly pulled her up to the pillow and laid down beside her in the small bed. Nothing seemed to bother him at that moment. Space, heat, thoughts, worry, society... everything seemed less important. Only the girl sleeping in his arm, on his chest, comfortably was important, nothing much! By far, she was the most important of all and rest can wait... maybe for the next day!
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