Uljhe Hue

2. Hum saath saath hain!

Gargi POV

"Where were you people, we have been waiting for the mangoes since ages" says my drama queen papa. "Ask your pari, she had to fight with every vendor on her unreasonable pricing skills. I'm telling you papa iska pati bohot pareshan rahega isse" and again Guddu spewed nonsense.

"My pati would present 51rs prasad to Gannu ji for gracing him with such-"

"Not again, GuriDi... beautiful, smart, intelligent, gorgeous, charming, incredible, kind, calm, elegant, graceful, brave, responsible, loyal, hot-" Jalebi blabbered absent-mindedly as if she she was reading Kailash de Dhaba ka menu.

"Haw-mey, haan haan homeyy, veryyy homeyyy papa" I controlled the situation while deathly glaring at this Jalebi ki bachhi.

"I veryy well know your hawminess" mumma said, giving light tapli on my head.

"Why just 51rs betaji? Yahan bhi kanjoosi" papa said, giving me impossible look.

"It's not kanjoosi Ahuja ji, what's the need to bribe god, he toh knows everything na, he's creator after all. And it's on our shraddha how much we wanna present."

Yupp!!! I inherited this trait from my mother only.

"Okay chalo, Guddu get the chataai, I don't want you people dirtying my dining table mat with your mango hands. I changed it last week only. Also, guests will be coming tomorrow."

"Guests??? Who guest??? Don't tell me Binni bua is giving her annual visit. Ek minute kaunsa mahina hai yeh, January??? No, it's not January. Is she planning to torture us twice a year now. Jalebi chal bag pack krte hain, bas aam khaate hi nikalte hain nani ke ghar." Mumma gave a stern look to Guddu on his poetry for our not so lovely buaji. Actually, it's not his fault, Binni bua hain hi aisi, she visits us every January not even asking us before, that too for proper 10-15 days. That used to be our winter vacation period, we couldn't travel to other places just because BINNI DIDI is gracing us. Once she stayed at our house for whole 2 weeks with her kitty friends just to enjoy the wedding of one of their's bhaiya ki beti in Dehradun, and Jalebi's boards were going on, imagine! That trip of hers was no less than punishment for us, specially mumma. She's too good for them.

RELATIVES!!! You know the rest.

"Yess bhaiya, on it! Or we can pack the mangoes too." Jalebi saluted him.

"DONE?" mumma asked with done face.

"Don't worry bachhon Binni didi is not coming, even I don't want her here" said papa murmuring the last part.

"Arrey, my college friend Bhoomi, you remember Ahuja ji? I met her in market last Friday, you know we met after soooooooooooo longggggggggggg. And the interesting part, she has been living in Dehradun ever since her marriage. I CAN'T BELIEVE we never met shaadi ke baad!!! 27 years Ahuja ji, 27 years, MY GAWWD!!! So I invited her family on lunch tomorrow", excitement is justified but her exclamations were way too loud, nevermind she is MY mom after all.

"Achha toh only Bhoomi ji's family is coming over, she is not coming???" Papa laughed proudly cracking lame 'pappa joke'. What is it with papas and their jokes. Jalebi as usual gave him awkward smile (such a papa pleaser), Guddu made a frown (still understanding his words, he literally buried his IQ deep under the ground), me and mumma were standing emotionless.

"You silly people don't deserve to be my audience, SO BORING. Only my Jalebi has sense of humor" he huffed.

"Nevermind. Toh Bhoomi WITH her family is visiting us, so I don't want you people to misbehave infront of them. Just don't be yourselves. That's all you have to do, especially Guddu and Guddu ke papa aap" she said giving papa a no-nonsense look.

And then we all busied ourselves in the most important work 'diving into the flavours of Langra AAM'. Mumma insisted to keep some for 'guests' but we denied unitedly. I don't even share my worries with strangers how can I share my langra, no... not a chance.

I wonder how they would be, coz meri maa ko to sab achhe lag jaate hain, but then Bhoomi auntie is her college friend she has to be amazing.

*****