HM stood frozen at her spot… Her voice dead in her throat… “Are Haseena Beta…” Maa said excitedly… “Nam… Namaste Aunty Ji… Kaisi hai aap??” HM finally found her voice… “Hum bilkul thik hai… Aap kaisi hai Beta…?? Bohot dino baad aayi hai…” “Hum thik hai Aunty Ji… Woh… woh…” she fumbled while looking down… She was thinking hard for an excuse to justify her presence at this time in the day… Her eyes fell on the file in her hand, “Sir… Sir ne hume ek case discuss karne ke liye bulaya tha…” HM tried to reason her presence… When AS had heard the doorbell, he was taking a shower… He immediately rushed out, changed into a vest and tracks and rushed downstairs… Half way down the stairs, he found Maa at the door talking to HM… His eyes widened, when did Maa come home?? He thought… He quickly stumbled his way back to his room to put on a shirt… “Hum bhi darwaze par panchayat lekar baith gaye… Andar aao beta… Baitho…” Maa said… “Thank you Aunty ji…” HM said and sat down on the couch… AS had told her Maa wasn’t home… If she had returned, why didn’t he inform her? She thought while waiting for him to arrive… “Aunty ji… Sir kaha hai??” she asked… “Anu shayad abhi ghar nahi aaya hai…” Maa replied… How was it even possible?? Didn’t he leave HQ an hour ago?? She was lost in thoughts when, “Are Maa… Aap kab aayi?? Aur Haseena ji… Aap yaha kaise??” AS asked… (Imagine Lag gayi for HM)
“Hum abhi 10 min pehle aaye… Tum ghar par hi the?? Hume pata hi nahi chala…” Maa responded… “Acha... Hume bhi nahi pata chala aapke aaneka… Lekin aap toh kal aanewali thi na??” He asked again… “Haan… Lekin tumhare Mausaji ke koi dost bimar ho gaye… Toh unhe aur tumhari Mausi ko waha jana pada… Isiliye hum aaj hi aa gaye…” “Ohh… Waise Haseena ji aapne bataya nahi aap yaha kaise??” He asked looking at HM who was throwing daggers at him through her eyes… “Kaisa sawal hai yeh Anu? Tumne hi toh use yaha bulaya hai na??” Maa asked confused… “Humne???” he questioned worried… “Sir aap bhul gaye?? Commissioner Sir ne hume ek naya case diya hai… Ussi ke bare mei discuss karne aap hi ne toh bulaya tha hume…” she said glaring at him… “Ohh… haan… hum toh bhul hi gaye the…” he said understanding her intentions… “Aaiye… kaam shuru karte hai…” he said… “Anu… yahi sikhaya hai humne tumhe?? Haseena ko paani, chai… kuch puchoge ya bas kaam karne lag jaoge??” Maa scolded AS causing HM to smile… “Maaf kijiye Haseena ji… Aap coffee lengi??” AS asked politely… “Ji Sir… Thank you…” HM replied with a smile… “Thik hai… toh aap dono kaam karo… hum coffee bana dete hai…” Maa said… “Aap kyu kasht le rahi hai Maa? Hum bana dete hai… Aap vishram kariye… Abhi aai hai na aap” AS said trying to send Maa to her room at the earliest… “Pakka hum jaaye?? Bana loge na coffee??” Maa asked… “Ji Maa… Hum bana denge…” AS assured her… Maa smiled and left for her room…
Both heaved a sigh of relief… “Aapne bataya kyu nahi ke Maa aa gayi hai??” HM hissed… “Hum khud nahi jante the toh aapko kaise batate??” he whispered back… “Waise aapne bahana acha dhunda…” he complimented her… “Aur aap uspe pani pherne wale the…” she said glaring at him… “Woh sab rehne dijiye… Hum coffee banakar le aate hai… Aap baithiye…” he said, last two lines a bit louder for Maa to hear… “Hum bhi chalte hai Sir… Aapki help kar denge…” she too said loudly… Both moved to the kitchen… He pulled her wristed and engulfed her in a hug… She too wrapped her arms around him and dug her face in his neck… “Aise hi rahiye… Bohot sukoon milta hai…” he said pulling her more into himself… “Mann toh humara bhi nahi kar raha aapse dur honeka… Lekin Maa aa jayengi…” she said snuggling into him… They reluctantly broke the hug, “Aap fridge se dhoodh de dijiye…” he requested her… “Ji…” she replied and brought out the Milk container… “Coffee kaha hai?? Hum nikal dete hai…” she asked… “Woh upar wale shelf mei…” he said pointing towards the shelf… She pulled out the coffee jar and found sugar just beside it… “Yeh lijiye coffee aur sugar…” she said placing the jars on the platform… He back hugged her and kissed her cheek… “Yeh kya kar rahe hai aap??” she said surprised… “Aapka dhanyawad kar rahe hai…” he said as a matter of fact… “Kis liye??” “Hume coffee aur chini dene ke liye…” he replied and kissed her cheek again… “Acha thik hai… abhi bol diya na toh chodiye…” “Nahi…” he said snuggling into her hair… “Anu…” Maa called out and he left her with a jerk… Both composed themselves swiftly when Maa walked in…
“Anu… Tum Haseena se kyu coffee banva rahe ho??” Maa scolded… “Nahi Aunty Ji… Coffee toh Sir hi bana rahe hai… Hum bas unki help kar rahe hai… Akhir senior hai humare… Acha nahi lagta woh humare liye coffee banaye aur hum baher baithe rahe…” HM answered making Maa smile at her sweetness… “Waise Maa aap kuch keh rahi thi??” he asked… “Haan woh hum yeh Kaju dene aaye the… tumhari Maasi ne bheje hai…” Maa said handing him a huge packet of Cashew nuts… “Aunty Ji… itne Kaju??” HM asked with wide eyes… Maa chuckled… “Hairan mat hona Beta… Yeh aapke Sir hai na… Unhe bohot pasand hai Kaju… Aur yeh jo packet hai woh toh ek hafte mei khatam ho jayega… Kyu Anu??” Maa said teasing him… HM looked at him with surprise… “Sir ki fitness ko dekh kar toh nahi lagta woh is tarah Kaju khate honge…” HM said… “Are woh toh police mei bharti hone ke liye bana li isne body… Nahitoh bachpan mei bohot mota tha… bilkul golu molu…” Maa said pulling his cheeks… “Kya Maa… Humari junior ke samne toh aisa mat kijiye…” he said irritated… “Thik hai baba… abhi hum ja rahe hai aaram karne… Kamwali aayegi toh usse khana banva lena…” Maa instructed… “Lekin humne toh use aane se mana kar diya tha… Hume kya pata tha aap aane wali hai…” he said… “Toh ab khana kaise banega??” Maa asked worried… “Aap chinta mat kijiye… hum bana denge aur fir aapko utha denge… Abhi aap jaakar so jaiye…” he assured her and Maa left for her room…
He turned to her and found her smirking at him… “Kya??” he asked… she took a step ahead and pulled his both cheeks… “Aap golu molu kitne cute lagte honge na…” she said… he held her hands and she let go of his cheeks… “Aap sach mei bachpan mei mote the Sir??” she asked again… “Aap Maa ki baaton pe dhyaan mat dijiye… Coffee…” “Ban gayi… bataiye na… Aap mote the Sir??” “Aap Sir mat bulaiye hume…” “Toh kya bulaye?? Golu??” she teased him and laughed… he narrowed his eyes at her and moved out of the kitchen… She picked the coffee mugs and went behind him… He picked the file from the couch and walked towards the study room… She kept following him smiling at his cute antics… She placed the coffee mugs on the table in his study and turned only to find him standing dangerously close to her… “Bohot hasi aa rahi hai aapko??” he said moving closer and placing his hands on the table behind her; one hand on her either side… She took a step back and leaned on the table… His intense eyes caused her to bite her lower lip in anticipation… “Subah se bohot masti sujh rahi hai na aapko??” he whispered… She could only nod her head in a ‘no’… “Saza toh milegi…” he said with a smirk… She gulped but soon recovered… Two can play the game, she thought with a smirk forming on her face…
