Spies & Spice (Completed)

Chapter 11

DJ's Mansion
Dhaula Kuan.

DJ waited patiently for his mother to finish the Pooja (prayer). Suman offered Aarti and Prashad  to their family deity first and then beckoned to rest of the family to join so that they too can offer Aarti.

After everyone took their Prashad, Suman invited Tanvir, Suraj Chacha and rest of DJ's men, to sit with DJ and served them sumptuous breakfast along with many special dishes and sweets, that she had made to celebrate Loki's arrival.

"Maa, you have outdone yourself today. Every dish is so tasty and I am trying hard to control myself. Otherwise I would probably finish this whole lot and then end up in such a state, that I can't get up from this chair. Hahaa!"DJ said as he eyed the leftovers.

"DJ Bhai, they call it food coma." Raju, one of the younger members of DJ's gang chirped in, and everyone laughed hesitantly. DJ often joked about his obesity but no one ever dared to comment on that.

"Thanks Raju, I have no idea about all this internet language. Maa, you will never admit it but I know for sure now, Loki is your favourite son! You would never do all this things for my birthday!" DJ began to chuckle loudly, but stopped, once he noticed how stern his mother's face had become. Suman left the room and after few moments, DJ followed her, with a guilty stricken face. As always, Tanvir and others were stunned to see how their otherwise terrorising boss becomes a little kid in front of his mother.

DJ found his mum sitting in the lounge, her head resting against the back and a lost expression on her face. With some difficulty, DJ sat on the ground at the feet of her mother, and Suman turned her gaze to him.

Suman touched his cheek with her hand.

"Dhanu, never talk like that again. You are my blood. And for a mother all her kids are the same. You are big, just like me. It is in our genes Beta, we can't help it. Loki got his genes from his father. That's all. And I made all this, as a family celebration, not just for him. Did I ever treat you any less than Loki? I know you said this all jokingly, but Beta, sometimes we try to pass off our innermost feelings as casual comments. So I never want you to feel that way, ever ! The only thing I insisted on, and forced you to agree, was to keep Loki away from all this... the sinful dirty deeds of this house and this family."

Suman sighed and continued, " The moment I entered this house, as your father's bride, I knew what my destiny was. I had no other choice at that time, and I tolerated all your father's sins and his biggest one, making you follow everything he did. You remember how merciless your father was, right? He would have hunted me down and killed me if I had ran away from the house. And now, you have expanded his criminal activities to such a scale that you have become the so called king of underworld. But your failings are my failings too. I failed to protect you from your father. If I had, you would have become a brilliant person, given your intelligence and resilience. And then it was too late. Whatever dirty deeds you do in your business and otherwise, you will face HIS judgement either here or up there. Who am I to judge you? Whatever your failings may be, you bore the responsibility of this family and you put our happiness first, above everything. And no matter how or who you are, as a mother, I will never stop loving you. Always remember that."

Both could hear a loud horn from a passing lorry outside their mansion, but it failed to break the somber mood between them.

"I never told you this, not because  I am ashamed or anything, but I never wanted to have another child after you. Why bring another innocent into this hell hole? I told every possible lie to everyone. But your father came to know that I was using pills, thrashed me black and blue and made sure I was pregnant again. And that's when I decided...." Suman's eyes welled again.