The doorbell rang, and a woman in her cooking apron ran from her kitchen to the door as she turned all the gas knobs on low. Hurrying to the door, she opened it thinking it was the laundry guy who usually rings her doorbell at this time of the day. She blurted out the same line she spoke everytime the laundry man showed up.
"How many times do I have to tell you? There are no clothes for me to give you, not today, not tomorrow. People in this house iron their clothes themselves." The woman in her late fifties spoke as she shut the door on the person's face.
Ranting to herself she made her way back to the kitchen but to her utmost displeasure the bell rang once again.
Irritated by the sound of the bell she stormed back to the door and flew it open.
"What now!?" the woman asked, in her most annoyed tone.
"Well, I was hoping you'd give the laundry man my clothes because all I'm going to do here is rest." The lady on the other side of the door spoke as she held up one of her bags to cover her face.
"No way!" the old woman said, not believing that her own daughter was standing out of the door.
"Hi!" The daughter spoke cheerily and hugged her mother tightly as she dropped her bag beside her.
"Gauri! I've missed you baby!" Gauri's mom, the woman in late fifties, spoke, hugging her daughter ever so tightly.
"I've missed you too mum." Gauri said holding onto the hug as she took in her childhood home's view and the amazing smell of the food that her mother was cooking.
"How'd you like the surprise?" Gauri asked as her mother released her from the hug.
"Surprise? Huh? You clearly gave me a heart attack!" Gauri's mum said, hitting her arm lightly.
"Sorry, but see! We've got proof now that a heart attack won't kill you!" Gauri joked and her mother rolled her eyes at her.
Gauri took her luggage inside her house and looked around.
"It's not changed a bit. It's still the same." Gauri said to herself and walked further in.
"So, where's my favourite person?" Gauri asked her mother as she walked into the kitchen looking at her mother's cooking skills.
"Bold of you to ask that question when I'm standing right in front of you." Gauri's mother, Janki, joked with her. Sarcasm, and joking ran around in the Sharma household.
"Well, you are my all time favourite, but where's the other one?" Gauri asked, taking out a chocolate bar from the fridge.
"Well, Ms. Architect is out for a field visit in South Bombay; should return by evening." Janki informed her and Gauri formed an 'O' with her mouth, acknowledging the information she received.
"I'm just going to go and place my things in my room." Gauri said, picking up her luggage and taking it to the room that once belonged to her.
"Oh, hell no! Absolutely not! Unacceptable! Mom!" Gauri yelled from her room, sounding like a literal teenager.
"What now?" Janki asked from the kitchen, but she knew why her daughter was reacting this way.
"I haven't returned for two years and my room is sharked up by Ms Architect!" Gauri whined, storming out of the room and coming to where her mother was working.
"Gauri, Isha needed the space. Her models were taking up all her space in her room so she took your room." Janki told Gauri informing her that Isha, Gauri's younger sister, had taken up the room that once belonged to Gauri.
