two stories of marriage

chapter 4

The noise blaring from the tv accompanied by roaring laughter, pissed her off as she went ahead to stop it,

'purvi! Yeh kya raawan ki tarah hass rahi ho? Aur yeh , tv ka volume kam karo! Mera toh sar dard karti hi ho, dekh nahi raha didi kaam kar rahi hai, disturb nahi karna chahiye unhe.' Yelled their mother as purvi rolled her eyes as she replied,

'yaar di koi problem nahi hai, unhe mat ghaseeto ismein. Kyun di batao, disturbance ho raha hai kya!' finished purvi, while ishita just face-palmed herself as she thought,

'hey bhagwaan, ink eagle jhagde se pehle, uthalena mujhe!' while she composed herself to look at them as she said,

'mom woh sahi keh rahi hai, koi problem nahi hai mujhe.' She finished with a smile as usual, helped her keep calm.

'dekh liya, saaf-saaf bolona aapko nahi bardasht ho raha ki mere hote hue meri beti has kaise rahi hai!' exclaimed purvi, only to her mother's dismay,

'haan, teri maa hi teri dushman hai, woh toh tera bhala chah hi nahi sakti!' yelled their mom, while purvi just got more enraged, so ishita decided to send their mom away for the best,

'arre mummy, aap kaise bhul gayi!' she intervened

'kya bhul gayi?' asked a confused mother

'aaj Sunday hai, shanty aunty ki kitty party hai, teen ghante padhe hain bas, taiyaar hoke nikalna bhi toh hai aapko..' said ishita dramatically enough to panic her mother into leaving,

'acha kiya tumne yaad dela diya, bas teen ghante pade hain, hey bhagwaan, kitna kaam hai! Tujhse toh main baadmein baat karti hoon, jab dekho time waste karati hai mera!' said their mother as she left in haste while purvi just had a 'really' look on her face.

'chali gayi na ab, just let it go!' said ishita getting back to her work.

'aap na ho, main aur mummy ek dusre ka murder hi karde!'

'bas yahi dar hai joh mujhe office se ghar bhagata hai, aur Sunday ko bhi, ghar mein on duty hi rakhta hai...' she said making them both chuckle.

'hey, aap painting kar rahi ho? Arre, chupao mat, dekh liya maine..' said purvi as she jumped off her bed and walked to the study table, her sister was sitting in front of on a chair.

'dekhao na, mujhe pata hai aap kaam nahi kar rahi ho, abhi tak waise hi ho jaise bachpan mein thi, drawings aur paintings chupate rehna bas..' remarked purvi as an helpless ishita gave in, an took out her painting.

'wow, it's so pretty! Although yeh kuch dekha-dekha lag raha hai..'

'abstract yahi hota hai, very subtly it's a familiar thing that you can make out what it is, but not really.' Ishita explained as purvi just gazed at her,

'tumhe na artist hona chahiye tha, pata hai?'

'hmm, aur ideally, artist hone se ghar bhi chalna chahiye tha. Aur waise bhi, i still have a job i like where i can be creative, so it's not that bad..' ishita expressed, trying to convince herself deep down she might be happy.

'kya aap khudh bhi ye baat manti ho?'

'kya?'

'joh aap mujhe convince karne ki koshish kar rahi ho...'she said as she sat down on her knees and grabbed her sisters hands,

'kya aap sach mein khush ho?' purvi asked, looking straight into ishita's eyes, leaving her off guard, but she still convinced with her usual smile,

'tu meri life mein haina, main khush kyun nahi hongi.' She said so lovingly, but they both knew that it was half the truth.

                                                                 ***

Dushyant had his gaze fixed on the laptop as he was reclined on the couch, only for his mother sitting next to him remarked,

'tujhe pata hai tu kitna bada jhoota hai!'

'kya?' he exclaimed with utter shock.

'aur nahi toh kya, waise kehta rehta hai maa Sunday aap ka day hai, i'm completely free for you.'

'maa, i'm free for you..'

'hmm, baitha mere paas lekin dhyaan laptop pe hai.'

'arre itni si baat, lo ab mera pura dhyaan ap pe hai.' He said as he kept his laptop aside.

'beta, mujhe chinta hoti hai kavin ki..'

'kyun? Kya hua usse?'

'kaam pe dhyaan nahi deta hai, aur upar se uski woh tinder dates, beta i don't want to be old fashioned, but tumhari generation shaadi karke settle kyun nahi ho sakti?'

'mom, kavin is doing great at work, trust me. Abhi toh kaam seekha hai usne, abhi kuch clients aur deals khudh hi initiative lekar handle kar raha hai, just give him some time, mujh se bhi aage chala jaayega, and i will be the happiest that day. But haan uske liye thoda hard time deta hoon usse, but it's for his own good warna jab sab kuch aise hi mil jaata hai na, toh insaan apna potential use karna band hi kardeta, i don't want that for kavin.'

'chalo, agar tumhari baat maan lo par..'

'ab woh tinder dates pe nahi jaa raha hai, relax. Ab toh usse zaroorat bhi nahi padegi.' Said dushyant with a smugness in his face that made his mother glow up,

'kavin ko koi ladki pasand aa gayi hai kya? Aur mujhse jhut mat bolna..'

'agar main naa bhi bataon, aapne Sherlock holmes bankar kavin ke phone se sab nikal hi lena, which reminds me, you really think just because main so raha hoon, mujhe pata nahi chalega aap mera finger se phone unlock kar rahi hai.'

'tu toh aur bhi kameena hai, uske upar bhi password lagaya hua hai?'

'privacy mangne mein kya kameenapan hai?'

'arre kavin ka toh kam se kam pata hai woh tinder pe tha, tu toh kuch batata hi nahi hai, dekh dushyant, mere se chup ke chakkar mat chalana samjhe, and especially, don't sleep around, huh?'

'mom!' said dushyant as he glared at her mom.

'i try to be open minded beta, par mujhe yeh baate samajh nahi aati..'

'arre yaar mom i'm not sleeping around, aur mera koi chakkar nahi chal raha hai, you think i have time for that nonsense?'

'arre beta dar lagta hai na, ab dekho na shanti aunty ke bete ko...'

'woh shanti aunty ka beta hai, aapka nahi! You know what mom, mujhe aap se baat hi nahi karni hai...'

'dushyant!' said his mother as she pulled his down.

'main kavin aur tera acha hi chahti hoon, ab chalo mujhse nahi, tu kavin se baat karna, hmmm, ki woh serious hai ki nahi iss ladki ke saath..please!'

'you know after this, I'm not free for you on Sundays.' He said as he agreed, unwantedly.