INTROVERT ED

A JOYFUL DANCE

'Welcome...beta,' my mother said, she stopped in between as she saw Tania with me. She looked at me.

'She is my friend, from college days, she even works with me in office, she is here to have food, we have not eaten our lunch, she would go back home, make her own food, it would take time, so called her here,' I said.

'Come, beta,' she said and welcomed us both. We got in, sat on sofa, the house was fully clean by now, mom had worked hard doing this all, the floors were clean, no chips packet fallen on sofa, or cold drink bottles on floor, the sofa covers were clean.

'You both have a talk, I will serve the food,' mom said and went to the kitchen.

'Your mom did not even ask a single question? If it was my mom and I would have brought you home, her questions would never have stopped,' she said quietly.

'They are being a bit open now, I don't know why? They were never such open, even my parents were like yours only,' I said.

Mom came up with two plates in both of her hands, she kept on the table front of us, dal, it was ladyfinger today, also a sweet, kajukatli and one more vegetable and that was panner. I know ladyfinger and panner does not match, but for me it was damn normal, my mom always made the opposite things together.

We started to eat the food, while mom sat beside us on the next sofa, Dad was busy with something again I think.

'Mom, where is Dad?' I asked.

'He is busy reading his newspaper, I told him to spend some time with his son, but he never does that,' she said.

'It's okay, it always has been,' I said, Tania stopped to have a look at us, she did not know what was going on.

'Continue with your food, this is our daily drama,' I said and smiled.

My mom asked me to come close to her, with her sign language, I took my ears near her mouth.

'This is your girlfriend, I think,' she whispered.

'No, just a friend,' I said slowly.

'You sure?'

'I am not his girlfriend, aunty, he is just my good friend,' she said, once again, it always have been, we are like cats, we drink milk with closed eyes thinking that no one will see us, but every time someone hears us out.

'I was just asking, if you both are in a relationship, don't worry, I am very much open to love marriage,'

'Even I am,' Tania said.

'You even look so good, this pair feels good to me,'

'Ma, stop it,'

'He does not want to marry me this early, we are just being together since past 2 years, we are in love,'

'What are you talking, Tania?'

'If she is speaking the truth, I accept this relationship,' my mom said.

'Can you both stop? Tania you know we are just friends and mom she is not my girlfriend, you always said that no relationship and all now you are like let us both get married?'

Tania started to laugh while mom and I looked at her.

'This was a joke, right aunty?' she said and stopped to laugh.

'No I was seriously into this,'

'He is speaking the truth, we are just friends and nothing more than that,' she said and looked at me.

'Okay, good, have food...' she stopped in between as my Dad came in wearing a shorts and a banyan.

'Yes, we are in Pune, we will try to come, okay, talk to her,' he was saying this all on call, he gave the phone to my mom.