After a few days, Sid felt slightly better than he had been in a while, though the pain still lingered.
As Sid was feeling slightly better than he had in the past few days, he decided to try going back to the office. Though the pain lingered, he was determined to get back to his routine. Dressed for work, he sat on his recliner with pillows propped up behind his back, mentally preparing himself for the day.
The kids, full of energy, were buzzing around, and Sid knew he had to lay down the law before leaving.
"Sunlo tum log," Sid started, looking at Miu, Rey, and Vansh, who were gathered around him. "Ghar mein koi shor-sharaba nahi hoga, aur na hi koi gadbad machaoge. Jab main wapas aaoon, ghar bilkul saaf hona chahiye."
The kids, with their innocent faces, nodded in agreement. But Sid knew better—his so-called little angels were often the source of most of the chaos.
Just as Sid was about to get up, Vansh piped up, "Mamu, matar belwa puri aur sabji khana hai!"
Sid sighed, knowing well that whenever the kids were on holiday, it meant extra work for him. His sister, Vansh's mother, would conveniently send Vansh over to Sid's house for the entire break, leaving Sid to manage the trio's endless demands.
"Phir se demands shuru," Sid muttered under his breath. Then, louder, he addressed the kids, "Agar matar belwa puri khana hai, toh aata gundho jaake. Main nahi kar sakta. Yaad hai na tum logon ko, meri fractures abhi tak theek nahi hui hain?"
The kids nodded innocently, but their eyes were still full of mischief. Sid knew this was going to be interesting. He led them into the kitchen, handing them some flour and instructing them on how to knead the dough with warm water.
As the kids took turns kneading the dough, Sid watched them with a mix of amusement and affection. They took their task seriously, but it was clear they weren't used to the effort involved.
"Chalo, puriya belna shuru karo, main tal deta hoon," Sid said once the dough was ready.
The kids groaned in unison. "Yeh bhi humein hi karna padega?" Miu whined.
Sid looked at them with mock exasperation. "Mujhe toh yaha khada bhi nahi rehna chahiye iss dard ke sath. Phir bhi main tum log ke liye sabji bana raha hoon, khade rehkar. Toh itna toh karna hi padega tum log ko."
Miu shot a look at Vansh and whacked him on the head. "Tujhe hi itni mehnat wala cheez ka demand karna tha, ab itna kaam karna pad raha hai teri wajah se!"
Vansh rolled his eyes, retorting, "Jaise ki sirf main akele khane wala hoon, tu khayegi hi nahi."
The kids bickered playfully, but Sid just shook his head, smiling. He knew they were getting a taste of their own medicine, understanding just how much effort went into fulfilling their food requests.
Eventually, the kids began rolling the dough, and Sid fried the puris. Once everything was prepared, they sat down together and enjoyed the meal. Despite the effort, there was something comforting about these moments, even if Sid was the one bearing most of the burden.
After they finished eating, Sid's driver arrived to take him to the office. Sid called out to Rey, "Rey, beta, ek cushion aur mera heatpad gaadi mein rakh do. Mera back kaafi dard kar raha hai."
Rey quickly fetched the items and placed them in the car, arranging them to make sure his dad would be as comfortable as possible during the ride.
Sid stood up, wincing slightly, and walked towards the door. He turned back to the kids, warning them one last time, "Ghar saaf rakhna aur koi gadbad nahi. Main wapas aake check karunga."
