A Big Fat Indian Wedding

2. Bad News

Kolkata, India.

The flight touched down the runway of Dum Dum airport, Kolkata. I rushed to the cab stand as soon as I exited the airport premises.

I have been away from my birthplace for a year. Some other day this may have fascinated me but the news that I got last night dejected me to an extent that I wanted to reach home in no time.

"Dada, Salt lake please." I said to the cabbie throwing my bag at the back seat and hopping into the cab.

The cabbie was an old man with grey hair and wrinkles all over his face. With his trembling hands he held the steering wheel and started the engine.

"Oh God, I should have checked the driver before taking this cab!" I muttered, when I noticed that the driver was quite aged.

"What? What did you say sir?" he asked.

"Nothing dada, let's go." I replied.

We drove out of the airport lane and reached the main road.

"Will you please drive faster? I'm in a hurry." I said, noticing that the needle of the speedometer was stuck exactly on 30 kmps mark.

"Worry? Please don't worry sir, I'll drop you safe." He replied looking at the traffic ahead.

I hit my head against the co-driver's seat, realizing that this dullard was also hard of hearing.

"Not worry. I said hurry. I'm in a hurry. Did you get that?" I elucidated.

"Okay, no problem. I'll get you there soon." He replied, still gazing at the traffic ahead.

15 minutes later.

We had hardly travelled a few kms by now. Not because there was a huge traffic in the way, but for the only reason that the old man was hell stubborn to go above 30 kmps! Gosh!

"Dada, can you please drive at least on 50 kmps? It's a legal speed for all the cabs in Kolkata." I requested him.

"I know that son, but the problem is that my granddaughter broke my glasses last night. So without them I can't see the road ahead, clearly. This is why I'm not speeding." He replied calmly, still got his gaze fixed at the traffic ahead.

I fainted at the back seat as I heard his reply.

Anyhow, I reached safely at the entrance of my home. I heaved a sigh of relief as the cab stopped at the gate. I quickly took my bag and got out of the cab.

I handed the old man Rs. 500 note. He took it from me and started browsing all his pockets for the change.

Ugh! Not again.

"It's okay, keep the change." I said, comprehending that it would cost me another 15 minutes which I couldn't afford to waste at that moment.

I hurried through the entrance and rushed to mom's room.

"Maa! Maa! Where are you?" I called out as I didn't find her in her bedroom.

I checked the kitchen then the drawing hall, but she wasn't there either. I went to the lawn hoping to find her there and saw her sitting on a chair and cutting lady's fingers. Dad sat opposite to her reading a Bengali newspaper.

"Welcome my dear son, welcome." My dad greeted me as he saw me entering the lawn and stretched his arms to hug me.

But all my attention was on mom because last night dad called me and gave me the news that my mom met with a road accident and fractured her leg with bruises all over her body.

"My goodness, you seem absolutely fine!" I said, seeing my mom in utterly good shape and size.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Why? What had happened to me?" she replied, smiling.

"But last night dad called me that you had an accident and got your leg fractured!"

Listening to this my mom and dad laughed aloud.

Not able to withhold my curiosity I interrupted their laughing session and asked: 

"Will anyone tell me what is going on in your minds?"

Controlling his laugh my dad replied: 

"Actually yesterday, while returning from the market an over speeding motorbike lost its control and hit a cart which stood beside your mom. Seeing it your mom got so frightened that she couldn't see the drain at the corner of the road and stepped into it, which sprained her left foot."

My mom confirmed my dad's statement by showing her left foot which was wrapped in a bandage.

"Oh God, so much drama for just a sprain!" I exclaimed.

"This was your mother's plan." My dad dumped all the blame on my mom.

"But what was the need to lie?"

"It's been a year since we saw you and we were missing you a lot, son. So when all this happened we thought that we could exaggerate it to call you here." My mom replied, holding my face in her hands.

"Is this the only reason why you called me here?" I asked my mom, raising my brow.

My mom exchanged a glance with my dad and replied: 

"Err... of course this is the only reason. We just wanted to see our son."

I looked at their faces. It seemed as if they were hiding something within their fiend minds. And I was nerd enough to catch that so I smiled and replied: 

"Nevertheless, now as I've already taken a 4 days leave from my office, I'm going to utilize this vacation to meet all my friends." And I picked up a lady's finger from the table and headed to my room.

"Where are you going now? At least go after having the breakfast." My mom evoked.

"Don't worry about that." I said and went into my room.

"He won't listen to you anymore." My dad replied staring at his newspaper.

"Yes you are right. He's not going to listen to me anymore. So, it's time to act upon Plan B now." My mom answered and smirked.

My dad shifted his gaze from newspaper to my mom and joined her with a smile.

~*~