CHAR KADAM SAFAR ABHI JAARI HAI

Part 8 (c)

"Ye lo ji. Aagayi meri hanson ki jodi" said Maa on seeing us in her room.

"Happy Anniversary puttar. Jiyonde raho" she blessed us.

Amma and Appa too came forward to bless us "Khush raho Aabaad raho"

"Aaja puttar mere kol baith jaa" said Maa to Ishita patting the spot next to her on the couch.

"Santoshi...ye kya baat hui? Roz to wo tumhare sath hi baith ti hai. Mai aaj itne dinon baad aayi hun. Aaj use mere paas baithne do na" Amma argued.

"Samdhan tu mujhse itna jalti kyun hai? Ishita mere paas baithegi to tera kya jayega?" Maa countered.

"Jaloon kyun nahi? Shadi ke baad to jaise meri beti mujhe bhool hi gayi hai. Hamare ghar rehne keliye ana to door, milne keliye bhi taras na padta hai. Sab tumhare wajah se hi hua hai" Amma accused.

"Maine kya kiya? Maine thodi na roka hai Ishita ko maayke jaane se. Use maine poori choot di hai apni marzi ke mutabiq jeene ki" Maa stated.

"Yahi to asli samasya hai. Saas ho na toh saas ki tarah raho. Itna pyar aur apnapan deke Maa banne ki kya zarurat thi. Mai hoon na maa, ishu ko ek aur maa ki zarurat nahi" Amma lamented.

Appa and I observed silently the verbal tiff as if in a table tennis match we were watching the ball move from one court to the other, while Ishita decided to play the referee.

"Arre arre shaant shaant" her shrill came like the long whistle of the referee indicating time out.

All of us turned towards her now.

"Aap donon apni apni jagah par sahi ho. But koun zyada sahi hai ye decide karne keliye hum game khelenge" she announced.

Game? Seriously? I gave her that look.

Every other person in the room carried the same look too.

"Mere paas ek album hai. Isme sabke bachpan ke photos hain. Toh mai aap donon se guess karwaungi ke ye kiske pictures hain. Jo sabse zyada sahi jawab dega, wo winner hoga" she explained.

I mentally applauded for her quick wit. She had smartly tackled the situation and lead it into a direction where her earlier plans could be put in action too.
Ek teer se do nishana...wah wah...

"Ok" agreed both the warring ladies in unison.

"Appa aap Amma ke scores ka hisab rakhoge aur Raman aap mummyji ke" she instructed.

We nodded and gathered around the table where she placed the album.

She sat in the centre with the album, while amma and maa sat in two corners facing each other.
It looked like a typical face-off.

"First picture hai amma keliye. Guess karo ye koun hai" Ishita said showing the first picture in the album.

It was a photo in black & white of a chubby little girl in police dress with fake moustache and a stick in hand,  giving a stern look.

"Arre ye...." maa began to speak.

"Mummyji aap jawab nahi de sakte. Warna Amma ko iska score mil jayega" she informed.

"Oh...sorry sorry" said maa.

Amma watched the picture keenly "Ummmm....Ye to pakka santoshi hai" she said.

"Arrey waah Samdhan. Tune to badi jaldi pehchan liya" Maa was surprised.

"Bahut asan tha. Aisi photo to tumhari hi ho sakti hai. Bachpan se hi khatarnaak" Amma commented.

"Khatarnaak? Ruk dikhaati hoon tujhe Khatarnaak hona kya hota hai" said Maa extending her hands to strangle amma.

"Maaa" I said holding her back.