IBTIDAA ابتدا

four

" Gul?" Bakhtaawar called out to his wife from the living room.

" Jee?" She stirred the onions in the oil and  peeked her head out from the little window that connects the kitchen and the living room.

" Main kal Mill se kuch files laya tha. Safaid bag mein they, tumne dekhein hain kahi?" Bakhtaawar was searching high and low for the white polythene bag.

Gulaisha rolled her eyes at her husband and waited for him to look at her.

" Dekhein hain? Ek toh tum na meri office ke cheezon ko haath nahi lagaya karo. Tumhaare saaf safayi ke chakkar mein sab idhar udhar ho jaata hain " Bakhtaawar told her in an exasperated tone when she didn't answer him even after a whole minute.

" Kal aate saath hi kya kaha tha aapne?" Gulaisha folded her arms on her chest, the strainer clutched firmly in her right hand.

" Kya kaha tha?" Bakhtaawar raised his eyes in confusion at her.

" Yahi ki Saad Bhai ke tiffin mein bohot hi mazey ki biryani thi. Tum kyu nahi deti ho mujhe aise hi achhi achhi cheezein?" Gulaisha narrowed her eyes at her husband and mimicked him, forcing him to remember their conversation.

" Gul! Biryani ka aur files ka kya lena dena hain?" Bakhtaawar was irritated as it is and now his wife decided to be funny and irrelevant.

" Toh maine kaha ki kal hi bana deti hoon biryani, waise hi Raabiya Appi aarahi hain aur Mufeesa ko bhi bohot pasand hain. Toh aapne jhat sey files ek blue bag mein rakh diye double coverage ke liye, taaki aaj biryani ka tel uspar naa girey" Gulaisha dimmed the flame of the birista and walked out to him, opened his office bag and pointed at the blue polythene bag kept inside it.

Bakhtaawar looked like someone who had just been caught red handed and he gave her an apologetic look but his wife was not having it.

" Mill mein aaj audit hain aur yeh files bohot zaruri hain..." He scratched his neck and told her for lack of anything.

" Maine poocha? Main poochti hoon ya madad karne lagti hoon toh aap toh mujhe hi daant dete hain" Gulaisha scowled at him and he gave her a small smile.

" Gul..." Bakhtaawar held her dupatta when she turned to leave.

" Tiffin mein kya dogi?" Bakhtaawar asked her cutely.

Gulaisha snatched her dupatta from his hold and kept her hands on her hips, maintaining her angry stance.

" Kareley ki sabzi!" She flared her nose in irritation, mentally enjoying his scared face.

Bakhtaawar and kareley were sworn enemies!

" Par biryani?" Bakhtaawar was dreaming of eating the decadent dish since last night and now his wife mentions his mortal enemy!

How is this fair?

" Mere chaar-chaar haath nahi hain aur na hi main bawarchi hoon joh itne subah biryani ban kar tayyar ho jaayein. Biryani toh main Mufeesa ke liye bana rahi hoon, aur woh dopahar ke khaaney me hi banegi. Abhi aapka tiffin pack ho chuka hain aur usme kareley hi hain" Gulaisha waddled back inside the kitchen to retrieve his tiffin bag.

" Gul aise toh nahi karo yaar. Tumhe pata hain na mujhe nahi pasand hain kareley" Bakhtaawar walked in behind her and his eyes widened seeing a used kadhayi and the  masala profile told that it was infact kareley that were made in it!

" Ghar mein ek hi sabzi thi aur wahi banayi hain. Ab mujh mein aur taaqat nahi hain doosra kuch banane ki" Gulaisha told him with a straight face.

" Tumhe zyaada taqleef toh nahi ho rahi hain na? Kyu maanti ho meri har baat? Biryani nahi banao tum. Main baher se order kardunga, tum zyaada dair khade nahi rehna" Bakhtaawar bent down and inspected her swollen feet, reprimanding himself for even mentioning such a tedious dish.