Dor Jo Na Toote (Sloth Updates)

18

By the time Kartik wrapped up the monthly review of their company exhaustion was seeping into his bones which was fine by itself, however, not when one considered he was still stuck in the office for more than half a day. Something he remembered as his hand accidentally reached out for the water-filled jar on his table in the middle of  comparing two near-identical designs for the jewelry. One with a more rogue-ish sharp cuts and the other a little rounder with the minute details. As his hand touched the cool glass, though, it woke him from the trance.

Kartik (shakes his head)- Krishna ji, ye din kab khatam hoga aur pooja kab hogi?

Naira (chortles)- Vrat bhi rakh rahe ho aur shikayat bhi kar rahe ho.

Kartik (looks up, finds Naira standing with her back rested at the table's edge)- To ab insaan ko bhookh lagegi to vo chidchidayega na.

Naira (shakes her head with a smile)- Par vahi to agar tum vrat nahi bhi rakhte to bhi chal jata.

Kartik (stares, breaks into a sad smile)- Haan, aakhir tum to bachkar chali gayi psr iski wajah se ab mujhe to tumhari taraf se bhi fast rakhna padega na (scrunches his nose before smiling), kitni yaadein hain na, Naira? Us waqt smajh nahi aata tha ki hum kya kar rahe hain par ab aata hai hum yaadein bana rahe the aur ab har teej, har tyohar par bas tumhara hi khayal rehta hai.

Naira (leans towards him with a smile)- Bas tabiyat ka dhyan rakhna. 

He returned to comparing the designs before him to present a short-listed version to Manish and Akhilesh for further reviews, aware of Naira's departure. It was always a bit nerve-wrecking because no matter how imaginative Kartik tried to be their workers almost always brought those to life in a surreal manner. Moving on the the next page his gaze fell on a pair kangan which surreptitiously brought forth in his mind image of Sirat. Something about it... Just felt as if it would compliment Sirat's vivacious self, although that was still to return full force as it used to be before everything. He unceremoniously arranged it into a scarcer file which was to be considered for final production. A smile bloomed unbidden as he opened his phone to drop Sirat a text estimating it to be the half-time for her.

Slow day.
Tum? 

Somehow, the habit of staying in touch this way fell ever between the marriage and the strangeness that arose between them since, but Kartik didn't want to let it go. To his great joy neither did Sirat.

Sirat- Pata nahi sab ki sab ke khake aayi hain, par aaj to inhone manne paseena-paseena kar diya.
Par ek bhi knock-out na kar paya ab tak.
Achcha, coach sir bula rahe hain.

All the best.

Aapko bhi.

***

Swarna (opens the door with a smile)- Aap log aa gaye?

Manish (humming follows her into the decorated house)- Haan, humein aaj bahar nikalna hi nahi tha par aaj hi designs select karke aage bhejna bhi zaroori tha.

Akhilesh (frowning checks his watch)- Bhabhi, Surekha, aap logo ne abhi tak pooja shuru nahi ki? Muhurat ka time to ho gaya hai na? Aur maan to pundit ji ke bataye time mein zara kotahi bardasht nahi karti.

Surekha (closes the magazine, placing it on the coffee table besides sofa)- Haan par (a tight smile surfaces) aapne gaur se dekhna nahi, Maan ji ne ab tak pooja shuru nahi kari kyonki ghar ke sabhi log yahan nahi hain.

Gayu (makes eye contact with Kartik)- Hum vo Sirat ke lautne ka wait kar rahe the, abhi tak uski pratice khatam nahi hui.

Surekha (stands up with a sigh)- Ab jab tak vo vapas nahi aa jaati Maan ji hum sabko bhi pooja nahi karne dengi, aakhir uski pehli teej hai. Keerti milne aayi thi usse, aise hi laut gayi (shakes her head). Khair aap log bhi thak kar aaye honge, main nashta laga deti hoon...