Rab Rakha

Chapter 28

"Ha Aunty? Ha, abhi ek ghanta ho gaya humko aaye.." Sheena was talking over a phone call while arranging the kitchen in her friend's newly rented apartment in Mumbai.

"Aa gaye aur bataya nahi. Kaha shift huye Sana log?" Rita Ma asked.

"Arey Aunty, mai na iss building ka naam baar baar bhool jati hu. Ruko, Sana se puchti hu." Sheena replied and both of them chuckled.

"Aye Sana, ye konsi-" Sheena was asking when Rita Ma interrupted her.

"Sunn, usko puchna hai toh lunch ka puch. Mai banwa deti hu sabke liye khana." The lady suggested.

"Ha Aunty. Ek second na.." Sheena replied and walked into the bedroom to talk to her friend.

"Sana, Rita Aunty lunch ke liye puch rahi hain. Ha boldu na." Sheena asked.

"Arey nahi! Kyu unka kaam badha rahi hai?" Shehnaaz refused, not wanting to bother the lady about it.

"Aunty, Sana mana kar rahi hai." Sheena told Rita Ma.

"Ache se nahi bol sakti?!!" Shehnaaz took the phone from her hands to talk to Rita Ma.

"Namaste Aunty! Sana bol rahi hu." She greeted.

"Namaste beta, kyu mana kar rahi hai? Aaja na khane. Aaj hi toh shift huye ho, kaise manage karoge tumlog khane ka?" Rita Ma replied.

Shehnaaz couldn't help but smile because the lady on the other side was just so sweet and considerate. She really wished she could make it but she had to set up the entire place and that was a lot of work to do.

"Aunty, aa jayenge lekin kaam itna hai yaha. Ghar jamana hai. Woh packers and movers wale ne sara packed saman na ek room me rakh diya, sara furniture living area me dump karke chale gaye." Shehnaaz told her what the problem was.

"Oh ho. Toh khud se kar rahe ho?" Rita Ma asked.

"Sara nahi Aunty, ye Gurjot aaya hai na. Damad babu, isse karwa rahe hai. Ladies thodi kaam karengi?!" Shehnaaz joked as she walked by Gurjot in the living area.

"Thik hai." Rita Ma chuckled.

"Aunty, aap bura nahi maan na please. Ghar set ho jane do, mai abhi se aapko dinner pe bula rahi hu." Shehnaaz mentioned, not wanting Rita Ma to feel otherwise.

"Zarur. Tu bhi apni Mummy ko leke aana ghar. Thik hai? Kisi cheez ki zarurat ho toh bolna, number le lena mera Mickey se." Rita Ma replied.

"Hanji aunty, pakka." Shehnaaz answered, how could she deny such a sweet lady.

"Sasu Ma se pategi teri." Gurjot commented as he walked past her, arranging the glass plated centre table in the middle of the room.

"Kya?" Shehnaaz didn't get his innuendo.

"Sidharth Bhai ki mummy thi na?" He asked her and that's when it hit her what he meant.

"Bhakk kutte. Kaam kar." She snapped at him, fishing out her phone to order lunch for everybody.

"Mummy, simple khana order kar rahi hu na. Idhar pass me ek average salary restaurant dikha raha hai." She told her mother, taking a seat next to her in her bedroom.

"Hm. Thik hai." Madhu nodded.

"Thik ho aap? Thak gaye ho?" Shehnaaz asked her.

"Nahi. Nahi. Bas thoda naya lag raha hai. Apna ghar khula khula sa tha aur yeh 12th floor. Mujhe toh lift me dar laga tha jab wo chali ja rahi upar." Madhu shrugged, she had never been in any building before.

"Hm. Koi na Mummy, hum settle ho jayenge." Shehnaaz replied, looping her arms around her mother.

Madhu's smile faltered, she was missing her home town, her home and her husband already but she knew this change was necessary for them, especially for her daughter. Jagjit was going to stay with them, within them and to remember him, they didn't need to stop living for themselves to think about him.