yun hi tu mere saath rehna

Chapter Six

“Badi Maa, are you sure? Yahaan khaana hygienic toh hota haina?” Armaan made a face as the four of them sat down for dinner at a roadside eatery in the city.

“Okay, Mr. Hoity Toity,” Mishti snorted. “Itna munh mat banao. Yahaan itna achcha khaana milta hai ki tum apni ungliyaan chaat’te reh jaoge.”

“Haan, agar khaana nahi bhaya toh ungliyaan chaat kar hi pet bharna padega na!” Armaan commented. “Main aapse keh raha tha ki woh lakeside pe jo naya restaurant khula hai wahaan chalte hain. Pata nahi kyun aapko yahaan aana tha!”

“Yeh mera favourite spot hai, Jamai Sa!” Mishti answered and was rewarded with the widening of Armaan's grin. Whenever she or Abir jokingly referred to him as their son-in-law, Armaan's smile would rival the sun, while Abhira's blush, a rose. 

“Khadoosmaan!” Abhira exclaimed, wanting to escape their teasing. “Tum itne nakhre mat dikhao aur chup-chaap baith jao yahaan. Samjhe?”

“Arre, lekin Abhira…” Armaan tried to  defend himself but seeing as the other three had had no issues taking a seat, he gave up. He would never be able to win against them anyway. It was next to impossible to win an argument against one of them. But when all three of them were on the same side? Yeah, he wasn't winning. 

Mishti ordered for everyone since she was the only one who knew what was good. As they waited for their food to arrive, Mishti said, “Mujhe kuch important baat karni hai.”

“Haan, boliye na, Badi Maa,” Abhira encouraged. “Kya baat karni hai aapko?”

“Main aur Abir Udaipur shift ho rahe hain,” she stated. 

“Kya?!” Abhira exclaimed. Armaan wasn't overly surprised. The errand he'd gone with Abir the other day had been to read through the paperwork of a house and make sure everything was in order. 

“Badi Maa… Yeh sab achanak kaise?” Abhira asked.

“Achanak nahi,” Abir replied. “Mishti aur maine bohot soch-samajhke yeh faisla liya hai.”

“Haan, Abhira,” Mishti agreed. “Yehi sahi hai.”

“Lekin kyun?” Abhira wondered.

“You silly girl!” Armaan rolled his eyes. “Padosi ke liye shift ho rahe hain. Of course they're doing it for you, Ira!”

“For… For me?” Abhira stammered. They would upend their entire lives, leaving behind their family… For her?

“Tere liye nahi karenge toh aur kiske liye karenge?” Mishti questioned. “Tu humaare saath Rajkot nahi aana chaahti toh theek hai, hum yahaan tere paas reh lenge. Okay?”

“Lekin, Badi Maa… Aise kaise? Aap… Aap dono yahaan kaise reh sakte hain?” Abhira fumbled.

“Kyun? Hum kyun nahi reh sakte? Yahaan koi law hai kya? Abir and Mishti not allowed?” Abir harrumphed. 

“Bade Papa!” Abhira scolded. “Aapko har time mazaak hi soojhta hai. Lekin… Main aap dono ko aise baaki family se alag nahi rehne dungi!”

“Achcha, woh tujhe dikh gaya ki woh humaari family hai. Par, tujhe yeh nahi samajh aaya ki tu bhi humaari utni hi family hai jitne ki woh sab?” Mishti questioned. 

“Meri wajah se aap dono sab se door rahe, yeh main nahi chaahti,” Abhira stated. “Logon ko lagta hai ki mujhe family ki value nahi pata, but sach mein family ki kya value hoti hai, woh mujh jaise anath se better aur koi nahi samajh sakta.”

“Abhira!” Abir exclaimed, raising his voice for the first time in front of Abhira. Both Abhira and Armaan were taken aback by it. “Aaj keh diya hai, aaj ke baad kabhi yeh mat kehna. Tere Badi Maa aur Bade Papa abhi zinda hai, samjhi?”