Moran: Every day, I love you more

Birbal ki Khichdi - 5.1

(In one of the corridors of PSAF)

Monami (whining while pulling his arm): Batao naaaa Karannn!!

Karan(trying to loosen her grip on his arm): Offfo Monami! Bola na, kadhi chawal bana lena..

Monami: Kya jab dekho kadhi chawal? Maine last 2 time same banaya tha Karan, ab kuch aur batao na !! (Dramatically) Ek min.. Are you underestimating me? Dekho.. ha last time thoda namak zyada ho gaya tha, but you can't judge me like that. Main theek theek cooking seekh gayi hu..

Karan: Main kaha judge kar rha hu baba.. I know.. main toh bas keh raha tha ki tum thak jaogi! Rehne do!

Monami: NAHI!! Main nahi thakungi! Batao toh sahi tumhe kya khaana hai.. Challenge me!! I insist (pleading)

So, it was a Saturday afternoon and the cadets and trainers were done with their drills. They had the entire weekend to them, to relax and to indulge in any recreational activities. Monami had recently taken up a new shauk (hobby) of cooking.

She was trying to learn the craft, especially for her Khadoos Shergill. Not because she thought, the way to a man's heart is through his stomach, because she already was a permanent resident in his heart. Also not because she thought women should be good at cooking.
But only because, she loved the smile on her fiancé's face when he ate his favourite food. Also, it gave her a glimpse of how her future married life would be, when they would build a home together, share domestic duties, run behind their kids to feed them their porridge. Kids? Isn't she moving too fast? Well, she knew it was a thing of the future, but these mere thoughts alone always made butterflies flutter in her tummy.

Monami: Mujhe better cook banna hai Karan. So please, CHALLENGE ME!!

Karan(with a heavy sigh): Hey bhagwan! Fine then! Lo challenge! BIRYANI!

Monami (taken aback): Biryani??

Karan: Haa baba.. biryani banao theek hai. Bhabhi se seekh lena, she'll help you. Okay, ab sawal khatam karo aur mujhe baksh do Rani Sahiba..

Their conversation was interrupted by a phone call from Col Batra and Karan quickly left, not before giving a forehead kiss to Monami.

Monami(to herself): Oh noo Monu!! Tu toh level 2 ka challenge expect kar rahi thi.. Karan toh seedha level 5 ka de gaya!
Bhabhi ko call karti hu.. Oh no!! Bhabhi toh apne parents ke ghar gayi hai weekend pe. Unko disturb nahi karna chahiye 🥺 last time jab woh gayi thi, maine kadhi chawal ki recipe ke liye bhabhi ke 3-4 ghante le liye thay.. unke parents ko lagega kitni buddhu devrani mili hai unko.. jisey kuch banana nahi aata!

Monami kept thinking for a while and ultimately realised that the best person to help her would be Dilbaghji.
She quickly went to the mess to meet him and seek his help in cooking for the next day.

Dilbaghji: Arre puttarji..aapne biryani khani hai toh main khud bana deta hu kal ke menu mein..

Monami: Nahi Dilbaghji.. maine khud banana seekhna hai..

Dilbaghji: toh theek hai phir.. main sikha dunga! Kal subah shuru karte hain, theek hai puttarji?

Monami: Thank you Dilbaghji!! woh Karan ko biryani bahut pasand hai na..

Dilbaghji: Arrre bilkul! Param aur Karan dono mundey biryani te pagal si! Woh kya din thay.. Karan chhota tha, apni training ke dino mein.. aake bolta tha ki dilbaghji, aapke haath ki Chicken Biryani jaisa maza life mein kisi cheez mein nahi hai!

Monami: Ch...hicken Biryani?
Dilbaghji: Haa, magar ab..

And even this conversation got interrupted by yet another phone call. Dilbaghji sounded worried, as he was speaking to his son-in-law. Later on enquiring, he told Monami that his daughter is hospitalized, for her delivery. There was still a week for her due date, but the baby decided to arrive sooner. Naturally, as a father, he started panicking as he had to immediately leave for City hospital to be with his daughter.