O Saathi Rey

Chapter 10

Month 6

"Mai keh rahi thi na Shiva, baby is fine. I am fine. Mujhe nahi pata hoga kya? Doctor ne bhi kaha." Raavi assured him, as he held her hand and made her sit on the sofa, slowly as she held her back.

"Tu behosh padi thi. Mujhe nahi pata tha kya hua hai, kaise giri, kyu giri. Darr lagega na." Shiva argued, getting her a glass of water.

"Arre par doctor ne kaha na, blood vessels dilate hote hai toh thoda giddiness hoga. Tension mat le na itna Shiva." Raavi patted his head.

Just then the bell rang. It was currently 1 PM and the only person they were expecting is Kavita.

Shiva opened the door, only to find Jai, her son, standing at the door.

"Arre Jai, tu yaha, andar aa bacche!" Shiva called him in, closing the door after he had entered.

"Hi Shiva Uncle. Woh actually mumma ne kaha ki school ke baad yaha aa jaau, aur aapse sorry bolne ko kaha." Jai answered innocently.

"Sorry?" Raavi asked, confused. "Kyu baccha?"

"Woh mumma ka koi job interview tha jo mere school time pe hona tha, par woh mere school ke baad ho gaya. Mai aur mumma yaha akele rehte hai, mujhe ghar pe akele nahi chod sakti thi, toh yaha aane bola. Sorry Raavi Aunty." He answered, so purely.

Jai was barely 10 years old, and somehow he was so mature and still so child-like.

"Arre, why sorry, Jai? It's okay! Tum yaha aao, fresh ho jaao jaake, mai kuch banati hu khaane ke liye. Tum khichdi khaaoge?" Raavi got up slowly and took his school bag from him.

Jai nodded and went to freshen up, while Raavi went to the kitchen to fix up some lunch for all of them.

"Help karu?" Shiva came from behind, taking out the heavy vessels from below the cabinet for her.

"Bas bartan nikalke dede. Baaki mai manage kar lungi." Raavi answered, washing the vegetables.

"Pakka?" Shiva asked, placing a chair for her in the kitchen just in case.

Raavi nodded and asked him to talk to Jai and keep him occupied while she cooked for all of them.

10 mins later, Jai had washed up and changed into his spare set of clothes, and was sitting at the coffee table with Shiva.

"Shiva Uncle, bhook lagi hai. Par mai Raavi Aunty ko pareshaan nahi kar sakta, unke paas toh chota baby hai na." Jai pouted, wondering what to do.

"Hmmm kya kar sakte hai?" Shiva pretended to wonder. "Chalo jaake Raavi Aunty se puchte hai ki unhe help chahiye ya nahi. Fir jaldi jaldi khaana bann jayega."

Both of them skipped to the kitchen, and Raavi had just put everything in the cooker, all it had to do was cook.

"Raavi Aunty, aapko koi help chahiye?" Jai asked eagerly.

"Haa, Raavi Aunty, batao na, tumhe koi help chahiye." Shiva teasingly asked.

Raavi narrowed her eyes at Shiva, before  turning to Jai, "Nahi Jai, bas counter saaf karna aur bartan dhone hai. Utne mein khaana bann jayega."

"Mai counter saaf kar du? Toh Shiva Uncle bartan kar denge na!" He replied, enthusiastically, and Raavi couldn't say no.

She sat down on the chair, legs aching a bit from standing this long, as she watched the two boys create havoc of her kitchen.

Water was flying here and there, the ends of the vegetables that were to throw, were on the ground. And she just smiled at them. Double work. Karo tum hi.