It was the weekend after the first lockdown release. It was a usual warm may evening. Sana and Maa was making some pickle. The shukla household was never fond of pickles. But sana was obsessed with pickles. Sidharth was coming back from terrace after his usual home workout.
"Moti.... lemon juice dena yaar" he called out for her from the door. Maa and she was in the small kitchen balcony.
"Tu aake le.... table pe rakhi hui h" maa said.
"Mom... moti kahan gayi???" He asked without looking at the kitchen.
"Achaar bana rahi hn...." maa said to him. "Nahaakar aaja". Maa said.
"Yeh chup kyun h moti..... jo bhi h.... change karke jaatha hun..." he walked to the room.
He returned after the shower. He walked to the balcony. He saw the two ladies were sitting on the floor and making the pickle. Sana was slitting the top of lemon and maa was filling the masala. They were putting them on white cloth on a mat that spread on the floor.There was some videos playing on her nearby placed laptop.
"Tu chup kyun h moti" he smacked his leg to her bum. She looked at him and rolled her eyes. Seeing that maa laughed hard.
"Neembu dekhte hi muh mein paani aayi h... isliye" maa teased her. Hearing that sidharth laughed hard throwing his head back. They were on last batch of lemons. Suddenly their landline rang.
"Montu dekh kaun h ???? Shayad neeche se hoga" Maa said. He walked to the living area.
"Bacha tu jaake haath doke aa.... phir ye laptop yeh sab udaake le jaa..." . She walked to the kitchen. A tensed sidharth came from the living room. She washing her hands and face in the wash basin.
"Shehnaaaz......" he shouted.
"Kya h... kyun chilla raha h" she reverted.
"Mission Private on call" he said with a grin..
"Amma kaun aaya sidharth.... " he pulled her hands and walked towards door. Maa also reached the living hearing sidharth voice.
"Papa k cousin k family aaya h... mom ne call nahin udaaya tha na isliye woh log neeche aaye toh irfan ne call kiya" Irfan was one of their security guard.
"Mein woh sab rakhke" shehnaaz words cut by Maa.
"No...bacha... tu chal uper.... unke saath koyi aur bhi ho saktha h... waise woh chuglikor bhi h..." maa said.
"Tu phone leke aa mere saath... kuch aur chahiye toh mein laake dunga" he picked her phone from the sofa and walked with her out of the home. The climbed up the stairs to next floor, to avoid bumping with the guest. He pressed the lift button to neethu di's flat. They rang the bell. Neethu di opened the door.
"Kya hua??? Itna tensed kyun h donom..."
" hamare pyaare kavitha chachi aur family on the way home." He said.
"Oh my god...." neethu di covered her mouth.
"Mein chaltha hun". He said.
"Mein bhi one hr k baad aati hun.....yehan aane keliye encourage math karna" neethu di said. Sana has no idea what was happening around her.
"Di... tumlog kyun dar rahe ho unhe???" They settled on the sofa.
"Bacha dartha nahin hun... but they are like some pricks... if we didn't handle them carefully, it will give us cut"
"Ap itne mote mote english chodke ache se batha do"
"Woh papa k chacha k bete k family. Chachaji bahuth close the papa k saath... Unko na dusare logon k matter mein ghusne k buri aadath h... Jealous soul. Yehan tak ki family pictures bhi famous hone keliye share karthi h .. Zaroor tu sid k ghar pe h...yeh news sunke unhe proof karne keliye aaya hoga" neethu di said.
