Chhokris & Coercion
She was a zombie that evening. In complete shock. She took an extra long shower despite the rain and stepped out for dinner looking dazed
“Kya hua?”
“Kuch nahi Ma… just soo tired, mujhe lagta hai Ive forgotten something for tomorrow”
“You will be fine beta”
The twins were twerking and recording tik-tok videos even tho tik-tok was banned
“LOOK at their room Anu”
“Kya karoon… paas jao to chillaati hain”
“I am happy they took classes in summer but they are so unruly”
“Kiski baat ho rahi hai?” Dadi came out of her room grumpy
Dadaji followed using a walking stick
“Bache” Akash mumbled
“I DON’T WANT Indian” Diya screeched
Anu glared at her to not create a scene in front of Dadi
“Ma I HATE it we are only eating Indian every every day”
“Indian ho na beta aap” Akash was amused
“I HATE this house”
“BATAO?” dadi was shocked
“Diya BAITHO” Anu grit her teeth
“Maaaaa… I don’t want o eat roti everydayyyy”
“Room saaf karo dono phir maangna Italian” Viveka chuckled
“YOU are not my MOM Bruh”
“Naina kaha hai?” Dadi gobbled hungrily
“Who apne boyfriend ke paas hey” Diya giggled with a fake accent
Viveka warned Diya not to cross the line
“Uske boyfriend kab bana?” Dadi wanted juicy gossip
“Arey nahi Ma… mazaak hai”
“Beta us din jo ladka aaya raha… who kaisa tha?”
Viveka stopped eating turning red
“Kyon Ma?”
“ISKO nahi karni hai shaadi abhi use ka bhala sochey rahey hum”
“Ladke ka ya Naina ka?” Anubha laughed hysterically
“Batao…. Kitna sundar hai…. Hamari Naina bhi achhi hai… jodi”
“Ma… who log bahut ghamandi hain” Anubha was bitter
“To byah Naina ko karna hai beta… rahe who ghamandi… Biveka… tu bata”
“WHO is she talking about?” Karuna whispered
“Umm.. who Parashar” Akash waved with roti and subzi held between his fingers
“Main baat karoon?”
The girls started laughing loudly
“Kyon? Ajeeb hain chokriyan”
“MA AAP baat karogi?”
“Kyon nahi… who us dine mere se EK GHANTA baat kiye raha batao”
“Amma… who… umm.. kya kahe hum… hamari pahunch se bahar hai” Akash laughed
Viveka smiled at Dadi’s naivete
“Baat to karo, Naina bhi fashion make up karey hai…. Aur kapde bhi mehenge…. Main kaun sa Biveka ki baat kar rahi hoon…. Us se sundar hai par cotton ki saree hamesha” Dadi shook her head
Anubha gave Akash a dirty look
“Ma maine aapko kaha hai ladkiyon mein dekha dekhi na karen”
“Biwi ne aankh dikhayi to Ma ko daat”
“Ma maine kuch nahi kaha” Anubha was angry
“Tum chup nahi reh paati kya?” Dadu thundered at his wife
“Karo jo mann mein aaye… bithaye rakho ghar par
Kalyani texted Viveka pictures of what was going to be displayed
“YEH kaun hai?” Diya peeked
“A student” Viveka was self conscious
“YOU TEACH ART? Bruh?”
“YEH Br* br* kya hai?” Dadi questioned the word sounding like lingerie
The girls laughed noisily
“Bruh matlab BHAI”
“PAPPAAAAA CRINGE” Karuna yelled
“Do you teach art?” Karuna wouldn’t let go
“Uffff” Viveka muttered, Papa caught it
“Kya hua beta?”
“Kuch nahi… umm… I taught her Macro I think 2? 3? Years ago… she hated it so much she discovered her love for sculpture” Viveka laughed
“Arey wah…”
“What are these pictures?”
Karuna grabbed Viveka’s phone
There was no privacy between the girls… umm. I mean none for Viveka actually
“KALYANI PARASHAR?” Karuna screeched
Akash found Viveka turn a deep red
“Unke rishte mein hai kya?”
“Umm.. niece…” she mumbled
“Arey wah… aap unko sikha chuke ho?” Akash didn’t think badly about it
Sigh!!
Viveka relaxed visibly…. Until….
“IS THAT the cute guy that came over the other night?” Diya screeched
Viveka grabbed the phone… lunged at it
“Phone do mujhe”
“Dee…. DID u go to their house?” Diya shouted standing up
“Ufff”
“She low key kidnapped me” Viveka sat down defeated
“Who kaha mili?” Anubha was curious
“Habitat… she is doing some high end art gallery thing” Viveka ate shrugging
“Vadhera?” Anubha asked shocked
“Aapko kaise maloom?”
“I got free tickets to a gala…” Anubha responded
“Her sculpture is part of some high end event? Woww” Akash nodded and sipped water
“Paisa ho to kuch bhi khareeda ja sakta hai”
“Mujhe dikhao” Dadi grabbed
Viveka smiled at the pandemonium shaking her head
“Dikhao mujhe” Anubha reached for the phone
“their house is amazing” she said grudgingly
“Ek chamak to zaroor hai un sab me” Akash mumbled finishing his meal
The girls were on their phone snuck it in in all the commotion and hadn’t eaten a bite
“Nahi khayi na tum? You can go to bed hungry… I am going to lock up all sandwich fix its and pasta ingredients” Anubha whispered softly
“Papaaaaa”
“Anu”
“Stop it… Akash”
“Main aaj taq bauji se aisi baat nahi kari hoon” Amma twisted the knife
“Achhi baat hai Ma”
“Bache uski jaan le rahe hain who nahi dekh pa rahi ho tum?” Dadu growled
‘Naukri karegi to ghar, bachon ka samay kaha milega isko”
“Ma dilli mein guzara nahi ho paayega” Akash was furious
“Arey Bauji keh rahe hain aapse… wahan makaan hai… khet hai”
“Nahi Ma”
Akash got up
Anubha just cleaned up after dinner
“Who Naukri Naukri lagi hai… ab yeh shaadi ko mana kar rahi hai”
“Dadi mujhe padhna hai” Viveka spoke sweetly with a smile
“Tumhara pati padhne nahi dega?”
“KYA Pata” she chuckled
“Na Ma baat suney hai na beti”
Anubha and Viveka giggled in the kitchen
“Just get married beta… Abhishek ko bulao aur khara kar do Daddi ke saamne… main pak gayi hoon” she gasped in between laughing
She could not bring herself to say anything
Tongue tied she just loaded the dishes in the dishwasher
“Friday ko bula lo” Anubha didn’t think anything of it
“Umm.. I will see”
“Kyon?” Anubha paused
“Pasand hai na tumhe?”
“Hmm” she said unenthusiastically
“Bruh…. You cannot seriously be comparing Raanav and Abhishek.. so unfair” her mind warned
“Kya hua beta” Anubha stopped and turned from pouring leftover dal into fridge containers
“I don’t know… he might be busy”
“U still like him right?”
“I guess”
Akash came in “Bulao yaar apne dost ko” he said it too as if on cue
“Umm” Viveka
“Kya hua? Lovers tiff” Akash chuckled stacking the dishes she was rinsing
“Nah”
“Koi aur pasand aa gaya kya?” he turned to wink at his wife joking
“Stop it… ek to Amma oopar se aap” Anubha smacked him
“I am all for someone else”
“I am betting you she will marry Abhishek no one stokes her brain cells as much”
“Like brain has anything to do with it” Viveka thought letting the water fill up the sink mindlessly
A thrill went up her spine as she reimagined his kiss
He is a lawyer no wonder he is a smooth talker…
Back to parents…
“Lag chuki necklace ki to” Anu smiled wickedly
“Kitne ki lagi shart” Akash demanded
“Chaliye uske ooopar Rs. 1 lakh”
“hahahahah” he laughed and reached for a hug
“I love you”
“No romance… haan ya na?” she demanded dodging him
“Haan” he nodded
“I cant wait to get my money” “AND my necklace”
“No coercion OK?” akash warned
“Arey zaroorat hi nahi padegi” Anu was cocky
“Raat ko jab who article likh rahi ho ya test papers correct kar rahi ho… baalon mein tel maalish ke bahaane uske kamre mein jaakar koi maska nahi samjhi tum?”
Anu laughed heartily!
“I am telling you Akash… she WILL want to marry him”
“Something tells me she wont” he said
His phone was ringing on the dining table Satyen was calling…
Anupamaa
