Mohan reached Megha's home at the time for breakfast as instructed by Mahi. Mahi and Nanhi welcomed him at the door and lead him to meet the birthday girl. The few guests apart from him seemed to be Megha's colleagues and they ogled at him and the paper cover in his hands, probably wondering why a gardener has been invited. Megha stood talking to them, who were departing and didn't notice him at first. When she finally bid them farewell and turned to face him, he was stunned.
She looked breathtakingly beautiful in the salwar which complemented her figure and complexion. Her hair was let loose, apparently still wet, but styled away from her face with a few hairpins. She was wearing a simple chain and matching danglers on her ears. The dash of kajal on her eyes and the bindi on her forhead completed the look.
A broad, knowing smile lighted up her entire face when she noticed him at last.
"Finally, the misunderstanding is cleared, I hope." Mohan thought and felt relieved. He really did miss her earnest smiles, that made her eyes twinkle alongside. She came near him and asked teasingly:
"Won't you wish me, Mohan?"
"What?!" Mohan broke out of his reverie and hastily replied:
"Of course! Many many happy returns of the day!" He extended the paper cover in his hands towards her.
"Oh, you brought gift for me." She exclaimed, apparently unable to hide the happiness.
"Is it Nishagandhi?" She asked as she took the plant out and observed it carefully.
"Be careful, the leaves have tiny thorn-like regions!" Mohan warned.
"I know, we had it in our home back in Kerala. It's really unpredictable when they would bear buds and when they would bloom. Even our neighbours used to come to our home during those nights." Megha reminisced.
"How many times did it bloom?" Mohan enquired eagerly.
"Only a handful number of times. During my post graduation time, when Ma and Papa had to come here, it withered away. Even cactus species plants can't escape the summer heat if left unattended for more than a week. Thanks for getting this for me." She thanked him with a smile.
Mohan felt happy that he had chosen the right gift. Before he could reply, Mrs Vyas ushered him off to the dining room to have breakfast.
All the other guests had left and it was just the Vyas family and himself. He was supposed to be awkward among them - being a gardener and all that - and he tried his best to look so. But soon, he fell at ease with the family - the fussy Mrs. Vyas, wise Mr. Vyas, fun and friendly Mahi, adorable Nanhi and the beautiful birthday girl soon wound him down and he found himself enjoying their company.
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Eventhough all other guests except Mohan had their breakfast and left, Nanhi and especially Mahi were enough to create an equal racket.
As they settled down around the dining table for breakfast, Megha observed that Nanhi sat with Mahi, instead of planting herself near her Green Uncle like she always did.
"There is some planning going on between Mahi and Nanhi. I wonder whether they have any more surprises for me." She thought as she settled down near Mohan.
"Now that your scholarly, uptight guests have gone, we can start the real celebration." Mahi told Megha.
"Hey! They are not that bad." Megha defended weakly. But the defence sounded feeble even in her own ears.
"Ha! You don't believe that even yourself!" Mahi pointed out the obvious.
"He knows me too well." Megha thought defeated and stuffed her mouth with the special breakfast her mother made as an excuse for not replying.
"Mahi, don't be so outragiously disrespectful." Ved chided.
"Sorry, Papa." Mahi mumbled with as much honesty as he could muster. Nanhi giggled and almost choked on her food.
"Now, don't giggle Nanhi, especially when your mouth is full." Ved continued, but in a softer tone, not to hurt the little girl. Nanhi nodded obediently and tried to take a sip of water from the glass. Vidya immediately aided her and held the heavy, water-filled glass while she took small sips.
"As much as one tries, it is difficult not to surrender to the pair of you - Chacha Mahi and Laadli Nanhi. And you are their latest prey, Mohan. The next time they order you around, come to me at first." Ved commented.
"It was honestly no trouble, sir." Mohan brushed it off with a polite smile.
"But Papa, if we had let you buy the dress for Deedi, you wouldn't have accepted our pocket-money. And we wanted to get this particular dress for her, that too before anyone else bought it." Mahi repeated the explanation the umpteenth time.
"And they got it also. What lies Mohan made up for not letting me buy that!" Megha remembered how bad she felt that day.
"And I didn't mind getting it for you people, either." Mohan declared happily, without even a single glance at her.
"And he didn't mnd lying to me also. For his girlfriend, indeed! I'm ninety percent sure that the girlfriend was just a figment of his imagination. But still, I shouldn't let him off the hook so easily for lying and upsetting me like that. Let's see." Megha plotted when she could confront Mohan.
"And Chachi liked the dress a lot." Nanhi piped in.
"She was even dancing with it in front of the mirror this morning."
Nanhi's revelation was greeted with utter silence. Everyone turned to look at Megha. She was totally appalled.
"How-how do you know that, Nanhi?" she asked, dreading the answer.
"Did you honestly think that we'll let you open the gift alone in your bedroom, Deedi? We woke up even before you, placed the gift in your room and Nanhi slid under the bed so that she could record your reaction on seeing the gift. A few portions are not visible as she was under the bed, after all. But your victory dance has got recorded quite nicely, I should say." Mahi told slyly.
Her Papa and Ma broke out laughing and Mohan was trying his best not to laugh out loud. But the mirth in his eyes and silent shaking of his shoulders betrayed the truth. Megha felt as if her whole face and neck were on fire from the amount of blushing.
"Don't you dare show it to anyone, Mahi! Where's my mobile? Give it to me right now!" Megha ordered frantically.
"You should be thankful to us that we didn't show it to anyone else, Didi. Instead you are threatening? This strategy won't work Didi." Mahi told slyly.
"Fine. What is your demand?" Megha asked, completely irritated.
"Hmm, that's a good strategy. Come on Nanhi, what shall we ask for?" Mahi asked his partner's opinion.
"I don't know, Chachu. Chachi has already taken us out on outing, bought us ice-cream and new clothes..." she replied honestly.
"There will be something left to do, Nanhi, let's think harder." Mahi suggested and the two troublemakers began murmuring among themselves, trying to find new ideas.
One sideways glance at Mohan made her realise that he was still shaking with pent-up laughter. Megha chose that moment to take a sweet revenge:
"But Mohan, didn't you tell me that this was for your girlfriend?" Megha asked loudly. Mahi and Nanhi didn't seem to hear her among their own private discussion, but her parents froze in their action.
"What?! When did I say that?" Mohan sputtered.
"You told that she had specifically told you to buy this particular one for her when I offered to help you select something else. And then, as I conceded, you thanked me for saving you from her wrath. So, are you saying that it was just a figment of your imagination? Or do you really have a girlfriend?" Megha asked smugly.
"Oh! That girlfriend. She's in this very room." Mohan replied, staring at her with a knowing smirk.
"What does that mean? And why is he looking at me like that?" Her heart skipped a beat and she felt a strange fluttering helplessness. She felt her cheeks burn again. Her parents were yet to voice their opinion, but by the stunned look on their faces, they weren't likely to do so.
As Mohan got up from the table and picked up Nanhi, she realized who the person was.
"How could I refuse and disobey the little princess? She's the one who rules my heart right now." Mohan said affectionately, with a chuckle.
Nanhi enjoyed being molly-coddled by Mohan and started giggling. Megha relaxed back, releasing the breath she never knew she was holding, scolding herself for thinking improbable things, even for a short period of time.
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