Mera Rangsaaz

Chapter 22

Tara

In the morning we decide to tell everyone the news. Oh my god I feel so shy.

I quietly serve the food to everyone and then look at my husband urging him to say it. Bade Thakur and Chacha have already gone to their rooms. I guess we'll just tell Amma first.

"Tara kabse dekh rahi hoon Veer ko kya ishare kar rahi hai jo isse samajh nahi aare" Amma asks me.

"Kuch nahi Amma wo bas aise hi" I say, trying hard not to blush but failing miserably.

Asha bhabhi looks at me smirking.

"Amma wo pett se hai" My husband finally says looking towards me.

"Kya?! Ek aur Veer bhaiya!" Sanjay says shocked, making me giggle.

"Hum toh gaye bhai" Daksh continues.

"Lagta hai bohot samay se tum dono ko khurak nahi mili hai" My husband says glaring at them.

"Aree wahh bhaiya hum chacha banne wale hai" Daksh says covering up.

"Haan bhaiya. Kitna accha hoga na" Sanjay says giving him a nervous smile and then lowering his volume says "Bas baccha Tara bhabhi par jaye. Ek aur Veer bhaiya seh nahi pauga mein"

Amma stands up from her khaat and gives me blessing, keeping her hand on my head. I bend down to touch her feet but she stops me and says "Bas bas sada khush raho"

She takes out a bundle of cash from her purse and rotates it around my head.

"Aaj bhi apni aish hogi" Sanjay says looking at the cash.

"Chup bewkoof" Amma says to him and then turns to my husband "yeh paise gareebo mei dedena. Duao se badi aur koi cheez nahi hoti"

My husband takes the money nodding.

"Ab toh hassle thoda" Amma says nudging him.

"Ji Amma" he says but keeps that frown on his face.

"Sanjay ja apne papa aur chacha ko bhula ke la aur lalita ja nazar utar bahu ki" Amma says to Sanjay and my mother in law respectively. Sanjay immediately goes to call Bade Thakur while I pull my ghunghat. My mother in law quietly follows Amma's instructions.

While mother in law removes any evil eyes from me, Bade Thakur and Chacha arrive.

"Aree ma kya hua?" Bade Thakur asks.

"Khush khabri hai. Humara Veer baap banne wala hai" Amma says.

Bade Thakur pats my head and says "khush raho"

I think he also patted my husband's shoulder, I could only see blurly from my ghunghat.

"Sanjay ja mitai le aa" Bade Thakur says.

"Par kisiko bol mat dio. Abhi nahi batate logo ko" Amma says warning him.

"Haan Haan Amma pata hai mujhko. Asha bhabhi ke samay bhi yahi bola tha" Sanjay says taking the money from Bade Thakur. I look at my husband through my ghunghat.

The rest of the male population leave for work. Taking a last glance at me and then at my stomach my husband also leaves with Vijender bhaiya.

"Idhar baith" Amma says taking me along her and making me sit beside her.

"Ji Amma?" I say keeping pallu on my head.

"Ab tujhe apna acche se khayal rakhna Hai."

"Ji"

"Mein tujhe sab bata dungi. Kya khana hai.. kya nahi.. Samjhi?"

"Ji Amma" I say nodding my head.

"Sabash. Jeeti reh." She says and goes to her room.