"Maine humesha tumhara saath diya hai, aai ko bhi maa ke barabar darja diya hai par phir bhi tum mujhe sunane se pehle ek baar bhi nahi sochte ho. I know meri family nahi hai itni achi but they're everything to me for god's sake. Main baar baar ek hi baat nahi sun sakti hoon ki mera bhai kharab hai, badtameez hai, rude hai." Naina poured out her frustration, her wild crimson eyes slaughtering his moist steel ones.
"Main tumhe suna nahi raha hoon," Sameer said in a soft voice.
"Tum suna hi rahe ho mujhe, baar baar tumhara bhai aisa, tumhara bhai waisa, tumhare bhai ne yeh kiya, tumhare bhai ne woh kiya, wagera wagera. Enough yaar. Kisi ko sunane ki bhi koi hadh hoti hai, I always supported you and your family in this matter. Apno ke against chali gayi because I knew they're wrong and you're right, par woh meri family hain Sameer. Main ek hi baat roz nahi sun sakti hoon repeat mode pe." Naina scolded him in a feeble yet scorching tone, making him sigh and look at her in stupefaction.
"Toh tum kya chahti ho ab ki main tape laga doon apne muh pe taki tumhara bhai jo kuch bole woh chup chap sunta rahu kyuki woh rishte me mere saale sahab hai, haina?" Sameer asked her, sneering at his wife for taking a stand for her oh-so-loving brother.
"Tumhe na kuch bhi samjhana matlab pathar ke aage sir phod na, karo jo karna hai, but aaj ke baad I'll try my best ki tum aur mere dada kabhi aamne saamne na aao. Kyuki tum dono jaani dushman se kam nahi ho." Naina replied to her husband in a stern voice, her hands kept on either side of her waist as she peered at him, visibly fuming in resentment.
"Main ache se hi pesh aata hoon tumhari family ke saath." He corrected her.
"Oho, meri family? Aur woh log tumhare kya lagte hai? Nahi matlab tumhari aai meri aai, tumhari behen meri vaini, par mere gharwalo ki baat aayi toh Tumhari Family?" She taunted him with a look of fury, her disappointment growing harder at her husband's unanticipated replies.
"Yaar please, baat ka kuch bhi matlab mat nikalo. Tum bhi ache se janti hoon I consider your parents as mine but woh log hi taiyar nahi hai mujhe accept karne ko toh isme main kya karu? Agar tum mujhse yeh expect karti hona ki woh meri jitni chahe beizzati karle phir bhi main unke liye kuch na kuch karta rahunga. Then sorry, I have self-respect." Sameer said in a loud but controlled tone, aware of his anger which was at the peak of reaching its enduring border.
Naina annoyingly stared up at the moving fan, her every tooth quivering as she deciphered how her husband was trying to masquerade naivety when in reality even he wasn't less than a powerful and wise man who is well aware of when to taunt someone and when to treat them respectfully. She whistled out a deep breath and replied to him with a gentle look - "Maine tumse kabhi nahi kaha hai Sameer ki tum unke peeche peeche ghumo, I just want you to treat them nicely aur main janti hoon tum ache se pesh aate ho sabhi se. But tumhara attitude bhi kam nahi hota hai, tum bhi kitni baar sarcastically reply dete ho unhe, par main kuch bhi nahi bolti hoon kabhi. You call my brother Mogembo, is that good? Koi bhi behen yeh bardasht nahi karegi ke uske bhai ko uska husband ajeeb naamon se bulata hai. Pehle tum mere baba ko bhi Amrish Puri bulate the aur aai ko bhi kuch naam diya tha but I never said a word. Kyuki main peace maintain karne me manti hoon, mujhe nahi pasand hai bewajah ladaiya karna."
Sameer calmed down himself and drew her attention by grasping her both hands, gently yet firmly, staring intensely into her upset eyes. He ran his thumb on her left cheek and asked her - "Agar tumhe ladai karna nahi pasand toh ab kyu kar rahi ho jaan? You're uselessly fighting with your husband because of your family. Yeh achi baat hai?"
"Main tumse ladai nahi kar rahi hoon, tumhe kuch samjh kyu nahi aata hai?" Naina feebly yelled at her man for showing a lack of understanding.
"Nahi aata mujhe kuch bhi samjh, main hi pagal hoon jo tumhare baba ke liye mall me ghum ghum kar itna unique advance birthday gift le aaya taki unka dil jeet saku. Main hi pagal hoon jo unki beti ki har choti badi khwahish puri karne ki koshish karta hoon. Main hi pagal hoon jo tumhare bhai ki itni rough tongue hone ke bawjud uske saath frankly aur friendly hone ki koshish karta hoon. Main hi pagal hoon jo tumhari aai ka itna beswaad khana bhi smile ke saath khata hoon taki unhe bura na lage. Main hi pagal hoon jo pari ke saath bacha banke khelta hoon taki use entertainment mile. Main hi pagal hoon jo tumhari bhabhi aka vaini ke haathon ke saare weird baked kiye hue cookies try karta hoon bina kisi complaint ke. I am the worst son-in-law. Happy now?" Sameer lost his temper, berating the girl in front of him with nothing but unadulterated despondency in his voice.
