OS - Kuch Toh Log Phirse Kahenge Concl Pg 14

"Yeh le Sagi, taste karke bata kaisi hain!"

The fingers typing away rapidly on the keyboard stopped for barely a second before resuming. "Yuck! What is that? Mujhe nahi chahiye Nikki. Ja! Tu aur tera low cal food! Yeh toh dekhne mein bhi ajaab hain!"

Nikki picked up one dark green ball from the bowl and happily bit into it. "You should try this one. Your would-be sasurji's favourite dish." And giggled helplessly.

Sagi saved the word doc before shutting down the laptop with a snap. "Shut up Nikki!" Then curiosity won. "What's it called anyway? And how do you know it's his favourite?"

Nikki extended the bowl to her sister once again. "Welll..his favourite is actually called hare chane ki kari with methi muthiya. But then I found it way too fattening for my taste so modified and baked the muthias instead. And what do you mean mujhe kisne bataya! Of course, mere honewale pyaare jjijjaji ne!"

Sagi shuddered. "Yeeks! You are welcome to them." The next sentence was literally growled out. "And don't call him your jija!"

"Oye! Why? He said I love you..tere ko. Dikhne mein smart hain..mere hero jitna nahi par.. chalega. Cute hain akka. Haan bolde na. Bechara do saal se tere peeche pada hain."

"He is younger than me Nikki! Aur yeh pyaar vyaar mere bas ki baat nahi. It all sounds weird to me. How can he say all that without knowing anything about me?"

"You don't worry about all that. Mein hoon na. I am telling you that he loves you. The previous guy who was after you? Yaad hain? Usko meine maar maarke.."

"Nikki ab ja mujhe disturb matkar. I need to finish this book and send it to the editor."

In another part of the city, a conversation on the same subject was just about to take place.

"Mom?"

Nidhi turned her head and smilingly removed her glasses. "Yes beta, waha kyu khade ho? Andar aao. Everything OK?"

He went inside and fidgeted a little before perching on the edge of the table. The rapid repeated tap of his fingers indicated his obvious nervous state. He took a deep breath and held it. "Mom, I am in love."

Shock, surprise greeted Nidhi before delight took over. "Wow! Really? That's..thats great beta! Who is she?" A slash of red tinged his cheeks making his mother bite her lip to stop the spontaneous burst of laughter. A rare sight it was indeed to see her normally outgoing brash son blushing like a teenager! He looked like his father but had her temperament. The girl must be someone special indeed!

"Arre, itna sharmata kyu hain? Who is she? One of your colleagues?"

"No."

"Oh! Hmmm..someone from your college days then?"

"Mom..no. Actually I met her for the first time a couple of years back. Mom, she is special." He got down on his hunches and took both of his mother's hands in his. "You should meet her mom! I am sure you will love her!"

Nidhi laughed and pulled her son's ear. "Woh sab teek hain par kaun hain woh, yeh toh bata!"

About half an hour later, Nidhi barged into her husband's study room. "Suniye, your son is in love."

The now retired Neurosurgeon nodded distractedly, his complete attention rooted in the pages of the book in his hands. This girl sure knew how to write horror. He had been sweating and had almost screamed out loud a couple of times before sternly controlling his impulses. He was a renowned doctor for God's sake! He was not supposed to get scared at the mere description of a shadowy skeletal figure in a mirror! But that's exactly what he was doing until his wife decided to destroy his peace and solitude.

Nidhi, exasperated by the lack of response to her vocal chords, decided to add physical force. She caught his shoulders and shook him. "I am talking to you! Listen na for once!"

He sighed and closed the book after bookmarking it. "Kya hain Nidhi?"

"Your son is in love."

Ashutosh blinked. "He is too young to be in love Nidhi."

Nidhi crossed her arms. "Excuse me, he is 24."

Ashutosh scratched his head. "24? Already?"

"Good God! Yes. He is 24 already and in love."

"With whom?"

Nidhi looked like a cat with a bowl full of cream. "You know her!"

"I know her? No! don't talk in riddles now. Just tell me who it is." She picked up the book that he has just put down and showed it to him. "What? Why are you giving my book back to me?"

"I am not giving the book to you. I am saying..that..the girl your son loves and the author of this book is one and the same!"

"What?! That's..no. Not done. Not possible. Forget it."

Nidhi got riled. "Why? Why forget it? Sagi is great.."

"Her name is Sagarika!"

"Well yes, but he calls her Sagi. And so does her family apparently."

"No."

"But why no? She is one of the most renowned authors in India, Goodreads has already nominated her book under the best horror category and another of her books was under the best humour category last year, you yourself love her writings, you already know and met her father..problem kya hain Ashuji?"

"I don't like it. Tell him no."

"But why? Give me one reason!"

"She is elder than him Nidhi! And don't tell me you don't know this!"

"You got to be kidding me! You are actually objecting to that? I am younger to you by 18 years!"

"That's..thats different."

"Oh pray tell how?"

"It just is!"

"Well, he doesn't have an issue. And the gap is not that big anyway. Stop sounding so..so..so.."

"So what?"

"So old..traditional..and..well..typical and boring!"

"Log kya kahenge Nidhi?"

"Whatever they said when you married me, they would say it again probably." Nidhi had had enough. "Now, come on, get ready fast. Today is an auspicious day. We will go and talk to Dr Rajeev."

"Does he know?"

"I think so. If not, we will tell him. Simple. And then he can convince Sagi to say yes."

Ashutosh blinked and shook his ear as if to clear it. "What? You mean to say she hasn't said yes yet?"

Nidhi grinned. "Nope. Not yet. That girl has grit. I'm impressed. Not many can say no to our son once he decides on something. Now, enough talk. Get ready fast. I am going to change."

Ashutosh looked down at the book in his hand. A thoughtful smile played on his lips. A writer! And not any writer either! His favourite one! He silently applauded his son's taste. May be he should take his copy along and get it signed?