Kitni Mohabbat Hai

Zubaniyaa teri jhuthi bhi sach laage

Inline comments are much invited.

Manik

"Mom.... Khaana de do" I cribbed like a baby entering home. Shoot entire day, that essay narrator and her requests and then my wife not coming back with me at home made me cribbed, sulked and wept out of grief.

"Go get fresh... dinner is ready" Mom came and said ruffling my hair. She reaches my hair without tip toeing unlike my small wife.

"Where is Dad and Nandini?" she asked when I spread on sofa like some cheese on pizza.

"Site visit" I replied sighing.

"Don't you know?" I asked sitting from my position.

"I know... he messaged me" she said sitting beside me. I gave a look any sane man would give.

"To puchha kyu?" I asked and she shrugged. I can be owner of any drama company with these people around me.

"Ja jaldi jaa take a shower and come fast... I'm starving" she said getting up and held my hand to make me stand.

"Aapne kyu nhi khaya?" I asked climbing stairs and I know her answer as well.

"I was waiting for you" as usual she said.

She had this habit of waiting for us for food. I don't find a single day when she ate before me or dad and it's not because of some tabu or ritual but it just she likes to eat with someone rather than alone. She says 'khana akele khana chori karne jesa lagta hai' even in noon dad comes to her, wherever she is, to have lunch with her that too even if he has any important meeting. I feel like my mom is in right hands of dad.

"Guess what I cook for you" she asked with a plate in her hands covered with a lid. I tried guessing tapping my pointed finger at my chin.

"Idaly?" I excitedly said but she made a bad face.

"I don't know how to cook that" she said and I again tried guessing in same position.

"Something Italian" I said with excitement again but her smile fell again.

"Manu fast na yarr... mei tujhe khaa jayungi" she said making her eyes big as if she can scare me.

"You made chhole bhature I know" I said surrendering my hands in air and she opened the lid and guess what I was right.

I knew it but just playing along not wanting to ruin her excitement.

"Are you missing Dadi?" I asked when she served me some chhole and a big bhatura.

"In your dreams" she said making a very bad face and sat beside me.

They have a common saas-bahu relationship unlike my wife and her mother-in-law. I wish they could taunt each other like my daadi used to do with my mother.

"Manu ab wapas naam mat lena unka kahin esa na ho wo yaha aa hi jaye" she said threatening me with her glares and I throw back head.

"Mom she never met Nandini... agar usko bhi unhone taane mare to" I said after sometime when she was feeding me a morsel.

"That's why I'm saying Manu.. she is fragile and so soft I don't want her to listen any taunt from Mummy ji" she said and I made a bite for her to eat. She happily took.

"You know when she called me after marriage, she said she will come soon to meet Nandini" I filled her in and she made a sad face but before she could say anything I put another morsel in her mouth.

"Teri daadi chhole bhature ke baad bas baatein acchi banati hai" she being sarcastic now.

We were gossiping like old days we used to do. Me and mom used to bitch about everyone and everything. We were the bullies when no one knows this. She used to share every taunt that Daadi thrown at her because Dad was so attached to his mother and she never like the idea of bitching about mother to her son so she chose me for that.