Behind The Door of Mannat [ON HOLD]

Khandaan in Ranthambore (1)

- Unactivated Alarm -

"Maa! Where's my army jacket?"

"Try looking in Papa's closet, son."

"Mama! My teddy bear is gone!"

"How could it have gone? It must be on your bed!"

"It's not there!"

"Then, don't bring it!"

"And where's my bucket hat?"

"Already in your bag! Re bhagwan, these kids."

"Kajol,-"

"Where's your what?!"

"No. Just asking what are we still waiting for? Let's go now. We are getting late. I've loaded the bags in the car and-"

"God! Can't you see what I'm doing? If you're done, please help the kids to get ready. Or pack their breakfast. Have you done it?"

"I haven't. Their breakfast ... Okay."

What a chaotic morning in the Khan's household. Today they will go for a weekend getaway in Ranthambore to celebrate their birthdays. November has been quite a busy month for them till they can not match up their schedules. The twins were complaining to the parents for not celebrating their day. This getaway was set to make it up for them. Both Shah and Kajol feel the need to spend as much time as they can with the kids before they go back to their work life again.

Now you are wondering what this chaos is all about? It is 6:45 in the morning and the flight which would take them to Sawai Madhopur will take off at 8. Yes, they are late! They all woke up late. Kajol forgot to activate her alarm and the house is all in a mess now. It is like a wiseman said that if a house was a person, mother is the head of it. If the head is not in function, the entire body will not work properly.

"Papa, could we bring Maula along? He would be very happy to see his great-grandparents."

While Shahrukh was busy making toast, Azran came to him with his three-months-old brown persian cat in his hands. He could only smile at the little boy.

"Sadly, we couldn't. His mama and his brothers will look for him if we bring him along." He said while his hands kept spreading the jam to the bread.

Azran gently caressed Maula as the cat meowed in his hands. "So, why don't we bring his mama and his brothers also? It would be a great family reunion."

Shahrukh put the toast in a few lunchboxes and packed them in a bag. Now he is busy with the milk. "First of all, Maula is a Persian. Second of all, there are only Bengal tigers in Ranthambore. Means, they share no direct blood relationship."

"Is that so?" Azran put down Maula then the cat ran away. "But isn't all cats and tigers shared common great-grand-"

"Do you want to ask all the time or get yourself ready? Mama will be furious if you're not ready yet." Shahrukh finished packing the milk to the bag when Kajol came in a hurry with Azira.

"Hey, boys, we don't have enough time to chat much. Is breakfast ready? Azran, why are you not ready yet?" She asked breathlessly while checking the bag.

"I'm done, Mama. I'm ready. Hundred percent ready! Look." Said Azran excitedly as he turned around.

"Your tab?"

"In my bag."

"Where's your bag?"

"In ... the car?"

"Good." Kajol zipped up the bag and looked around. "Is everyone ready? God, where's Aryan? Aryan!"

"Coming!" The young man walked down the stairs fast with his bag on the right shoulder, his guitar on the left, and a Batman water bottle in his right hand. He gave a sign to them, telling them to go now. All walked in a rush towards the car which will bring them to the airport.

The atmosphere in the car is just as the same as in the house. All were busy with their respective things and could not keep calm in their seats. The twins were busy with their toast while watching the Cocomelon from Azran's tab, Aryan chose to have some sleep after realizing he mistakenly took Azran's water bottle as his, and the parents were busy arguing about the tickets in the backseat.

"Where was the last time you put them?" Shahrukh asked Kajol in panic as he looked inside his bag to find them. They were not there.

"I put it on the table." Kajol, in the same panic mood, tried looking for them in other bags.

"Which table? We have plenty of that at home." Shahrukh got his things out from the bag to have a better look at it. He was sure he had never seen those tickets since the day they booked the flight. When Kajol asked about it a few minutes ago, he suddenly had an anxiety attack.

"So strange. I'm sure I have it. Aryan, did you see them?" Kajol was still looking into her bag when she threw the question. Of course the sleeping Aryan did not reply to her. She tried it once again, this time with a few tappings on his shoulder.

Aryan woke up from his short dream. He unplugged the airpod from his ear and turned his head to her.

"Did you have the tickets?"

He sighed heavily. "It's on your phone. Brenda sent them to you, na?"

Shahrukh in his bare face turned to look at Kajol. The wife immediately checked her phone. Sure enough, as Aryan said, they are there. She has not printed them yet. With her cheeky wide smile, she showed her phone screen to Shahrukh. The man could only sighed while packing back his things into the bag.

Fiuh. Now who will we blame for this mess?