Popcorn

12. Parallel perspectives

Aditi quizzically looked at her grandfather who was bargaining with the shop keeper over the price of onions. Shaking her head, she looked across the open market that was busy bustling with people moving here and there with bags, some testing the quality of vegetables in bizarre ways and some were headed in heated bargaining arguments with the vendors. Her grandfather was far better than them.

"Its just twenty rupees Dadu. He also has to make a living. Give him Dadu ." Aditi whispered to her grandfather

"Its not about twenty rupees, Adi. I'm paying exactly the amount what the vegetables deserves. He is doing his work and I'm doing mine." Amitosh tried explaining to his granddaughter. Aditi knew her grandfather was a kind and righteous man who understood the difference between empathy and work. After paying the exact price for the onions, they both moved across other stalls.

"Adi, you wait here. I will get you jalebis."Amitosh told her granddaughter and moved to the sweet stall. Placing the bags on a bench, she sat and looked at her surroundings. Her eyes rested on a couple who were mostly in their seventeen's. And from the picture, she could see they were in love. Instantly, her mind began accelerating with questions.

Will their love falter when they find someone better in their college?

Will their love endure when reality of life strikes?

Will they stand together through thick and thin?

Will they fall out of love?

Aren't they too small to understand love?

Well dear, do you know the meaning of true love?

Her thoughts were disrupted by her grandfather who held out a plate of hot jalebis before her. Smiling she took the plate from her grandfather and gave him one jalebi.

"Wah! These are the best jalebis." Amitosh exclaimed munching the jalebi.

"Dadu, tell me the truth you bought me here so you could have jalebis right?"Aditi asked chuckling at her grandfather antics.

"A half of it is true. You are the only one who allows me to eat a little bit of sweets and also gives me company." Amitosh said sheepishly.

"Half truth?"

"Well, I missed my granddaughter so thought of stealing some time of her's for myself." Amitosh replied feeding a piece of jalebi to her. Amitosh missed his partner in crime with whom he used to hide sweets from Malini, went on grocery shopping and parks on weekends and told stories about his life to her. Aditi gave a tender smile to her grandfather and gave him another jalebi as a treat. She had difficulty in handling with I miss you and I love you.

"Dadu, don't you think Dadi won't know about this?" Aditi said pointing at the jalebis.

"Its going to be 50 years of our married life. Don't you think she doesn't know this?"Amitosh guffawed.

Aditi's mind registered the words '50 years of married life.' Placing the jalebi on the plate, she blurted her doubt, "Dadu, have you ever fallen out of love for Dadi?"

Amitosh smiled at his naïve granddaughter.

"Adi, I have thought the same question many times but each time I have got a new reason to love your Dadi. From the first time I had seen her, I have loved her. When she supported my dreams and stood beside me I loved her more. When she took care of my parents as her own, when she grew as a successful business woman, when she gave birth to our sons and when she pampered her granddaughters, I had always loved her. Despite knowing that I would be eating jalebis here she allowed me. Again, she had given me another reason to love her. Adi, I have always loved your Dadi."Amitosh replied eating the last piece of jalebi.

"Okay Dadu."

Amitosh chuckled looking at his granddaughter whose mind was trying to decode the logic of love.

"Adi, don't worry your man will teach you what is love."

Aditi swallowed the jalebi piece she was eating and looked at Amitosh with a horrified expression. The old man had a heartily laugh at his granddaughter's expense.

******

Dheeraj had a simple plan. To go on a stroll with his younger grandson and catch up with him but fate had decided to backfire him. He cursed himself for setting his foot in the medical camp.

"Raksh you know that I'm not a morning person." Dheeraj whined looking at Rakshan who was looking like a strict teacher.

"Dadu, you listened to what the doctor said. You need to do some exercises and morning walk for a healthy life."Rakshan tried to pacify his grandfather.

"Raksh five is too early to wake up." Dheeraj complained. Waking at five was never his cup of tea. Rakshan amusingly looked at his grandfather who was behaving like a school going toddler.

"Ok Dadu! From tomorrow sharply at half past six we both are going for a walk." Rakshan commanded sternly.

"Sometimes I don't understand whether I'm your grandfather or you're my grandfather." Dheeraj slapped Rakshan on his back and moved faster faking anger. Rakshan chuckled at his grandfather's antics and walked up to him.

"Dadu, you were the one who taught me health is wealth."

Rakshan cared for his family and wanted to be there for them. Being in Bangalore away from his family and with a tight work schedule, he tried his best to give them his time but work caught up with him. He knew he had done the damage once and did not wanted to take any chance again.

******

Dheeraj and Rakshan came home after their stroll. Dheeraj was still complaining how his grandson was being cruel to him. Rakshan not paying any heeds to the old man's rants made his way to the kitchen and was surprised to see Suchitra and Malini cooking there.

"Dadi, Dadiji you both have been cooking from afternoon. You need to get some rest." Rakshan said picking the water bottle from the kitchen counter.

"Rakshan beta, you have come. We are just going to finish. Can you please break these coconuts?" Malini asked taking a pan. Rakshan nodded and began breaking the coconuts.

"Malini, why do we need coconuts?" Suchitra quizzed as they had almost finished cooking all the stuffs.

"To make coconut sweet, Suchi. I will grate those Rakshan you don't need to."

"No Dadi, its completely fine." Rakshan began grating the coconuts.

"Malini, I don't remember anyone asking that." Suchitra voiced her doubt placing the sweets neatly in the container.

"Aditi loves it. She won't ask for it because she feels it's a crime to make her grandmother work so hard to make simple coconut sweets."Malini sighed shaking her head.

"Dadiji, that's because she cares for you. She wouldn't have wanted to make you tired." Rakshan expressed his point of view and began frying the grated coconut with liquid sugar in the pan.

"Like minded people." Suchitra pointed out to Malini as both the ladies looked at Rakshan who was carefully pouring the hot coconut liquid on a plate to become solid.

"Its sweet of you both but you both don't understand that its our way of showing our love and Rakshan thanks for making the sweet." Malini said as all three made there way out of the kitchen.

"Its nothing Dadiji it was a simple sweet." Rakshan excused himself and made his way out to get some office work finished.

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AUTHOR'S NOTE

Hi guys!!

Got a bit between work. Will update next chapter soon.

Till then, bye and don't forget to drop your thoughts about the chapter in the box below.

: )