Perfect Mismatch

Ch 70 - Nazar

"Sana, baccha please stress lena band kar. Ravi hain uske saath. Aur its okay...they are on their way back" Preeti Di consoled a crying Sana, who refused to stop worrying. She nodded at looked over at Ma, who acted calm, but anyone who knew her well could tell - she wasn't fine.

"Maa...woh theek nahi hain" she whispered to Didi who nodded. She was the anchor holding up the three of them together.

"Mom, its okay - Ravi texted, they will be back in 5 minutes. Idhar hi hain dono. Chemist shop pe hain ab bas" Preeti Di updated and Mom sighed.

"Sana, beta, muh dhoke aa..aise nahi karte" Ma smiled at her softly.

"Aap theek ho?" She asked, scared herself of the response.

"Haan baccha...ye chote mote problems aate rehte hain. Itna nahi pareshan hote hain...chal, jaldi jaa, woh aa raha hoga bas" Ma told her and she nodded, running to wipe her face and look a little better. She didn't feel better though. There was a sense of guilt and ...fear about what had happened the last day. Was it bappa's sign for them?

Preeti Didi opened the door as the doorbell rang and in came a grinning Sidharth with a plastered hand, with a sling worn on his neck. There was a plaster which was covered by a blue thick cloth sling. Preeti Di worriedly examined his hand and then looked up to him.

"Wassup!" He grinned at her, making her roll her eyes. Ravi Jiju followed with a bag of medicines and his x-ray report.

"Sidharth - kya bola doctor ne? Kitne din ka plaster hai, beta?" Ma joined in as the three of them entered, locking the door behind.

"8 weeks Ma...theek hai. Apne ko kuch feel nahi ho raha hai" he said, casually sitting down. Ma sat down next to him, gently caressing his broken right hand with worry.

"Paani nahi lagne dena hai. Abhi kaccha plaster hai, 10 din mein wapis karenge pakka wala. Ye medicines hain saari. Doodh pilao apne bacche ko aap" Jiju joked, earning a giggle from his sister. Ma smiled as well.

But there was one person in the room, who stood silent and just kept looking at the family from a distance.

"Tumko kuch nahi poochna hai?" Sidharth joked, looking at her stand so awkwardly staring at them. She nodded vehemently in a no but said or did nothing else. Sidharth could read her worry and ... something which he had never seen before  - fear.

"Darling, theek hun main. Itna toh mereko bachpan me khelne koodne mein lag jata tha..." he told her with a chuckle and Ma finally laughed.

"Chal - abhi andar jaake rest kar le. Teeno bacche iske room me jao - main khaane ko laati hun kuch" Ma said, but Shehnaaz stayed back and went to the kitchen with Ma to help out. She said nothing as she poured the Aloo tamatar sabzi into bowls for all of them. Ma tried striking up a conversation, but failed.

"Sana, beta, he is okay, kya hua? Aise itna nahi pareshan hote bacche" Ma finally had to stop her from mechanically layout the food in their plates and make her look at her. Her eyes filled up instantly.

"Meri wajah se ho gaya usko" she whispered, her face crumbling into tears as she cried quietly.

"Pagal hai tu? Thappad padega tereko...kya bol rahi hai tu? Kuch bhi mat bol aise..." Ma said, hugging her closer and she kept her head on her shoulder, leaning downwards to the shorter woman, while always looking up to her in life. She stayed still, as Ma rubbed her back gently, wordlessly.

"Hua, kyunki hona tha...in fact, kya pata kuch aur bura hota. Woh toh bappa ne bacha lia beta" Ma explained but she refused to budge. She was to be blamed for this, she kept thinking.