Story of Our Life

Chapter 9

Prerna was surprised at her father's silence throughout the time she was narrating her successful office trip.

Rajesh was never a quiet man in front of his family, especially Prerna. So it bothered his eldest daughter to see her father sitting silently on his sofa, drowned in his own thoughts.

As soon as her family members moved to different parts of the house to continue their work after Prerna completed her story, she quickly went to sit beside her father.

"Baba." She said slowly but Rajesh was too deep in his thoughts. "Baba!"

"Uh...haan beta? What happened?" He suddenly looked up and sat straight, looking at Prerna with a fake smile.

"You tell me, what happened? Why are you so silent?" Prerna frowned as her father chuckled.

"Silent and me? Bilkul bhi nahin?" He lied and looked sheepishly at Prerna, who was rolling her eyes.

"Baba you know na you are a terrible liar? Batao mujhe, kya hua?" She asked and Rajesh sighed while nodding.

"Promise kar, tu gussa nahin karegi?" He said and Prerna nodded. "Waise bhi, kuch fix nahin hua hai, bas baat hui hai. Jab tak tu nahin bolegi, kuch fix nahin hoga."

"Baba, aap pehle mujhe batao ki baat kya hai." Prerna said. "Phir main decide karungi ki gussa karna hai ya nahin, fix karna hai ya nahin, you know?"

"Haan haan, of course!" Rajesh cleared his throat again and held his daughter's hands. "Kuch din pehle, Moloy ji ne ek baat boli mujhse...wo kuch soch rahe hain."

"Kya? Kahin wo aapko nikal toh nahi rahe? Oh my god, kahin uss Mohini Basu ne toh kuch nahin kaha? Ya wo Nivedita, usne-

"Priyu, relax, kisi ne mujse aisa waisa kuch nahi kaha. I was saying that Moloy was thinking of Anurag's wedding." Rajesh said and tried to observe his daughter's expressions as he said the next words. "With you."

"What?!" Prerna pulled away her hands as quickly as possible and looked shocked and surprised at the same time. "What are you saying!"

"He was saying ki wo ye baat kaafi time se soch rahe hain." Rajesh continued as Prerna struggled to understand. "Anurag ki padhai khatam hone wali hai, tu bhi job kar rahi hai...par wo sab baat important nahin hai. Pehle tu bata...do you want to?"

"No baba, I can't...I mean, I know wo bade log hai and...and I know ki aap unki bahut izzat karte hai lekin-

"Priyu, meri baat toh sunn-

"Aapne haan toh nahi kar diya na? Baba, please, I'm not ready for marriage, nor with Anurag, not with anyone! And you know na, I don't like that Anurag at all! I don't like him as a person, pati toh bahut door ki baat hai!" Prerna shuddered and almost looked that she would cry any moment.

"Priyu sunn!" Her father shouted a bit and she stopped talking, looking at him with teary eyes. "Koi decision nahi lia hai maine. Moloy bhaisaab ne bas baat rakhi thi. I've clearly told him that I won't decide anything for you."

"Really Baba?" Prerna asked and Rajesh nodded.

"Priyu, I wanted to ask you something. And I promise I won't say anything." Rajesh said and his daughter nodded at him, gesturing him to continue. "Kya teri zindagi mein koi hai, jiske baare mein tu mujhe batana chahti hai?"

"Huh?" Was all she could utter as her father looked at her with love. "Nahi Baba."

"Hmm." Rajesh nodded. "Dekho beta, ye shaadi ka matter bahut sensitive hota hai. I would like ki jisse bhi teri shaadi ho, usey yaa toh tu bahut acche se samajhti ho yaa toh hum bahut acche se jaante ho. Isiliye, agar kabhi bhi, tu mujhe batana chahe...ya kisi se milaana chahe, toh usse ek baar zarur milunga main. Promise."

"Thank you Baba." Prerna's tears flowed and she wiped it. "Agar aisa kabhi hua toh...main aapko bata dungi. Phir aap jo decision loge, I'll do that."

Rajesh nodded with a smile and patted his daughter's head with love. He was relieved to know what was in her mind and at the same time, was confused whether he could tell Moloy about Prerna's decision.

"Baba." Prerna bit her lip and cleared her throat. "Aap abhi Moloy uncle ko mat batana ki maine manaa kar diya hai. Keh dena ki... Priyu apne new job mein bahut busy hai...usse baat karne ka mauka hi nahin mila."

"Haan, abhi nahin bolunga. Baat ajeeb ho jayegi." Rajesh nodded, agreeing with his daughter.

"Waise, what do you think? Anurag ne haan kia hoga kya?" Prerna wondered and her father looked at her with pride.

"Agar usne naa bhi kia hoga toh uska loss hai. Aur agar haan kia hoga, toh bhi. Dono hi situation mein tu usey nahin milne wali." Rajesh said and Prerna scowled.

"Never. I really don't like him Baba. Mujhe toh ek dam hot and dashing ladka chahiye!" Prerna said  and sighed.

"Acha? Aur kaisa hona chahiye tere sapno ka rajkumar...no, I mean, king?" Rajesh asked and Prerna crossed her legs, wondering out loud.

"Jo bahut smart ho, intelligent ho, just ho, kind ho...jo smile kare toh dimples aayein." She mumbled as Rishabh Bajaj's smile flashed in her head, those dimples making him look very, very cute. "Aur jab wo mujhe dekhe toh main...kuch aur soch hi naa pau."

"Kaafi specific requirements hai teri." Rajesh said a little loudly and pulled Prerna out of her daydream. "Kahin koi hai toh nahi-

"No... no baba! Aap bhi na...kuch bhi!" Prerna tried to clarify and stood up. "Main toh bas aise... generally bol rahi thi. Ladkiyon ko aise hi ladke ache lagte hai na!"

"Of course! Of course!" Rajesh said and stood up as well. "Chalo, phir, khaana khaye?"

"Chaliye." Prerna suddenly appeared a little out of breath. "Aaj main plate lagati hu, you take a seat."

Saying so, she almost ran towards the kitchen, leaving her father wondering.

"Aaj hi bata deti uske baare mein toh acha rehta." He said to himself and chuckled. "Chalo koi baat nahi, wo din bhi aa hi jayega. Shayad jald hi mulakaat hogi, dimple wale ladke se!"