That Is Where My Heart Resides.

21.Mahoor

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It hit me like a heartattack.

"Mama ji we are going out for dinner", Omer informed Phuppo who was busy watching indian dramas.Its been five minutes since Omer was trying to grab Phuppo's attention but she was so engrossed in watching the drama serial that she didn't even notice Omer neither me standing at the door.

"Mama jiii!!", Omer finally said loudly feeling like driven up the wall.

"What is the problem with you Omer?Can't you see I'm busy?Go now I'm busy,you can talk to me after couple of hours when I am done watching this episode,how can I miss when the mother in law just shows her attitude to her badtameez bahu?", she said nagging.

It was apparent that she was getting infuriated and was jealoused because Omer was taking me to dinner for the first time and how can Phuppo just miss the opportunity of her being my mother-in-law?
She can never think of the betterment of others.Seeing others happy makes her hot under the collar and she just shoots those deathly glares,and just suddenly becomes choleric.
I wonder why is she an acid tongued woman?
Why can she just let things go with ease,without any disturbance?
The answer is obvious because firstly according to the desi thoughts she is a typical saas (mother-in-law) secondly she is my Phuppo (father's sister) so there remains no doubt of her being a spawn of Satan.

"Mama ji I am taking Mahoor for dinner so we won't be eating dinner with you and I guess we'll be late too,I brought the movie tickets and I was going to buy for you but you said you don't like Hollywood movies", Omer explained and finally Phuppo had her eyes off from the tv and was even listening to Omer.

I know without an argument we won't be going for dinner and movie so I asked Omer to first ask Phuppo before even getting ready,so we could save time.
And he was just saying to Phuppo like she prepared dinner,it was me who did and today she had to.

Soon her face turned into a frown.

"What Mama Ji?You said to me that day you don't like Hollywood movies and if you say we'll bring dinner for you too", Omer suggested scratching his head.

"You never took me to a movie or dinner,and taking the one who just got married to you a couple of days ago,I thought I was more deserving,I am your mother,who helped you in every phase,but you,you care for her", she complained.

I was totally aware of all this drama.Obviously she won't cook for herself,so either I have to cook or we had to get something for her.There was nothing else that I could do but bear her.

"Mama ji you want to go with us?", Omer questioned sighing loudly.

She was silent but that frown was no more.

Ya Allah please please please I don't want Phuppo to come between us,please do something.

"I want to but you both can go today,but bring me those", Phuppo ordered finally rejecting the idea of going with us and I just took a sigh if relief.

"What?", Omer asked getting annoyed.

"Whatever you both will be eating", she said blissfully.

"Okay", Omer replied and then we walked out of her room.

••••••

"What do you want to eat Mahoor?", Omer questioned me while I just couldn't take my eyes off that tikka biryani.

Ofcourse how could I just tell that I want to have that,I felt to embarrassed and he was a burger bacha so I just needed to create a good impression on him that I was just his parallel.

"What about Thai or chinese?", he asked getting cheery.

I swear I hated chinese food.It was never spicy enough and it didn't have those mouth burning and fiery spices added in it.It always had an odd flavour which was just preferred as something less than good,something eatable.So I always enjoyed the spicy desi,Pakistani foods and the cold drinks always had a great compact with those hot and spicy foods but how could I just say all this to him.He would say that I am too paindu (someone from village,rather considered as illerate,non modern and other things associated)

"I guess its fine", I replied looking hopelessly at the biryani on the menu card.

"I guess chinese and Thai are too mainstream,lets eat something else today", he suggested to which I reluctantly agreed.

He then called the waiter and then placed his order,which made me sick and I felt like puking.

He just ordered those seafood items out of which I only preferred fish,which he refused to order as according to him we eat fish everyday.He ordered those shrimps,prawns and crabs and even lobsters and before I could stop him the waiter already noted it down and trailed off.

"Now just don't say you don't eat seafood and you hate it", he chuckled.

I wish I had just opened my mouth before.This was the worst day ever.How can he just eat those disgusting things?I mean all of that.I guess he isn't sane.

Now I was just trying to manage a fake smile on my face,to pretend as if there was nothing better than seafood.To just eat it was the same as participating in fear factor.It was close to eating the cockroaches and animal's brains.And was not even eating it but also enjoying it,complimenting about the type of flavours involved and how well it was cooked.

"Try the lobsters they are better than all of those", he called.

"Mahoor is there something wrong?", he questioned,
confused.

"You aren't eating anything,is there something wrong with the flavours?", he asked again.

"I was....I was just going to tell you that I don't like all of these but you just...I'm sorry I should've told you before", I said my voice cracking and he could even sense that I was just so embarrassed and was about to die right now.

"No problem so tell me what you want then?", he asked handing me the menu card.

Before I could even say something Omer's phone rang.

"Tell him that papa will be here soon", with that he placed his phone back,a smirk plastered on his face.

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