"Tum kaha le jaa rahi ho hume bala?" Sarita curiously asked her impish daughter for the fourth time in half an hour for blindfolding her and her husband and taking them to an unknown place.
"Gappa basa tumi aai," Naina said sternly but a playful smile was dancing on her lips while driving to the location.
(Chup baitho aap aai)
"Yeh kaisi beti hai tumhari Nish, itni ziddi ki bata bhi nahi rahi hum jaa kaha rahe hai," Sarita complained to her husband for dotting the young stubborn girl more than needed.
"Woh tumhari bhi beti hai if you have forgotten, tum bhi kuch kam ziddi nahi ho." Nishikant accused his wife instead of saying anything to his pretty princess, and Naina was having fun hearing their blame game on each other.
"Maine kab zid ki?" Sarita asked him in a disgruntled tone.
"Sabko zabardasti healthy food khilane ki tumhari zid nahi toh aur kya hai?" Nishikant said thoughtfully, making Naina chuckle as her father was right, her mother always forced them to swallow down tasteless edibles.
"Theek hai ab se main tum sabki health ka dhyan hi nahi rakhugi. Khao jo khana hai." Sarita announced in a strident voice, offended by her husband's cruel statement when he should be thankful to her for being concerned about their health.
"Ab waada kiya hai toh mukarna mat," Nishikant said mischievously, smiling through his mustache.
"Tum milo mujhe gharpe, phir dikhati hun." Sarita threatened her husband for testing her patience, and Naina wasn't able to stop giggling, driving through the wide extended bridge simultaneously checking time on her wristwatch to make sure she wasn't running late.
"Naina batao toh tum hume aise aankh par patti band ke kaha lekey jaa rahi ho?" She heard her mother asking her again in worry.
"Aai please relax. Main aapko kidnap kar ke nahi leke jaa rahi hoon jo itna panic kar rahe ho kabhi se." Naina laughed euphoniously, glancing at her birth-giver through the rearview mirror to see her scowling at her.
"Tumhari aai ko kidnap kar ke waise bhi kya milega tumhe? Oatmeal ka upma, bitter gourd ka soup, palak ka juice, pudina rice, aur pata nahi kya kya." Nishikant expressed his concealed detest for the endless healthy food he had consumed in these thirty-one years for the sake of his wife's efforts, hard work, and happiness, and Sarita slapped him on his wrist for speaking more than needed.
"Nish, I think tumhe na aaj room ke bahar sone ka bahut mann ho raha hai isliye kabhi se chapad chapad kar rahe ho." Sarita oh-so-lovingly threatened her husband, and Naina couldn't stop laughing at the cute couple fighting like kids and making adorable grumpy facial expressions.
"Oh Saru, I was just joking, tum bhi na choti choti baatein dil pe le leti ho." Nishikant repaired his blunder and said with a tight-lipped smile, palming her left hand which she reluctantly tried moving away in vain.
"Aai Baba, you both are the cutest couple, seriously," Naina said with a bright smile, pleased to have such beautiful people in her life as her mother and father who are live example of how to endlessly love your partner and accept their flaws and imperfections with diligence.
"Hum cute hai isliye toh humara product bhi itna cute nikla." Nishikant's double-meaning reply caused his wife to turn scarlet in acknowledgment, pinching his thumb to express her vexation for having no shame while talking about such a not-to-be-said thing in front of their grown-up daughter.
Naina shook her head, silently guffawing at her parents who were in different moods today, teasing each other, making fun, and giving mischievous answers.
After fifteen minutes. They reached Hotel Radisson, and she stationed the car at the parking lot, getting out of the vehicle while continuously grinning, waiting to see their precious reactions after unfolding the biggest and unanticipated surprise of their lives. She opened the glassy doors from their respective sides, holding their hands and leisurely taking them towards the entrance gate, catching a glimpse of ebullient humans standing there, ready with a beautiful plan to make a couple of the night feel special.
