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Aman was apprehensive about the whole situation. He titled his head to sniff the oven and he could swear to God that something was burning.
"Are you sure abhi aur bake karna hai?" He asked Roshni, highly doubtful, while she was busy filing her nails, sitting on the platform.
"Ohho ab kya Khan Baba mujhe nankhatai banana sikhayenge?" She asked, raising her head. "Abhi toh sirf... haaye tauba! 20 minute ho gaye!" She screamed. "Sirf 10 minute rakhna tha!" She jumped off the platform in a single leap and rushed towards the oven.
Aman wasn't sure but he could sense that it would be pure charcoal that would emerge out. She opened the oven door. Smoke puffed out of the nankhatais.
She hurriedly touched the red hot tray and yelled yet again, along with coughing. Both of them felt blinded and gasped for breath.
"Ooo jal gayi jal gayi!" She panicked, jerking and sucking her fingers, letting out sighs.
"Dikh raha hai jal gayi" Aman said, rolling his eyes and feeling pity for the nankhatais.
"Meri ungli jal gayi, haaye Ammi!" She screeched back, coughing still.
The contagious panic absorbed him as well, as he dragged her to the pot and dipped her fingers in cold water, bringing relief. But the minute the cold water touched her half burnt fingers, she felt a current run through her body and as she jerked her hands off, the pot very conveniently emptied itself on Aman's shirt.
"What the heck!" He shouted. "You idiot!"
He scanned the scene around him. There was flour on the floor, burnt sweets on the platform and chilled water on his shirt. Wow!
Ignoring his condition and words, Roshni, whilst still rubbing her fingers, started packing the Nankhatais.
"Wait wait" he said, hopping all the way to her, to prevent himself from slipping, "Tum yeh jali hui nankhatai khaane layak samjhati ho?"
"Excuse me? Jali hui? Umm... aapko kya pata, ise smokey Nankhatai kehte hain, market mein naya trend hai"
"You mean Bubblegum Mint flavored 'smokey' nankhatai?" He taunted.
"Hasiye mat. Log marte hain meri nankatai par" she said with quite an air about the fact.
"Obviously. Koi bhi khaakar marr jaayega" he replied, laughing even more.
"Shut up" she muttered and handed him a box. Before he could protest, there was another box on top of it and then yet another.
Finally, there were four boxes piled on top of each other right on his hands, blocking his visibility.
"Kahin aapko help toh nahi chahiye, Mr. Bhoori Aankhon waale Nawab?" She taunted him.
"Chahiye toh bata dijiye" she said, raising her arms and flexing her 'dole'.
"Rubbish" he said and took a step ahead. It had been quite sometime till he had done some physical work and the towering boxes weren't helping.
"Baazigarrrr" he called out.
He took another step ahead but his shoe got stuck in the sticky flour beneath and he tripped.
The boxes flung out of his hands. Just then, he felt Baazigar in his grip.
"Kiya Mifaaaaa!" He roared and everything went still, save him, who had landed on his back, on the floor.
He made sure every box landed safely, unlike him.
"Oh my God!" Roshni ran towards him.
"I'm okay, don't..." he signalled her.
"Meri itni keemti, no, priceless nankhatai!" She kneeled in front of the boxes, ignoring Aman.
"Keemti?" He thought, ridiculing the fact. They weren't even worth 2 cents. Not even worth eating it free of cost.
Chotu came rushing into the kitchen, hearing the screams and thuds.
Aman got on his feet, visibly irritated and flustered.
"Chachu aapne Chachi ki nankhatai gira di!" He gasped, as if it were a big crime. "Hawwwww" he chuckled, and joined Roshni to examine all pieces.
Aman dusted the flour and dirt and water off his coat. He felt like a sack of wheat flour, beaten against a rock.
"Thank God kuch toota nahi" she finally said.
Before Aman could take credit for that, she turned straight to him and shouted-
"Aapke paas bungalow hai, paisa hai, gaadi hai, Bazigar hai! Phir bhi ko fayda nahi. Gira di naa nankhatai!"
"Ab mujhe hi karna padega."
Aman was too shocked for words.
She chirped like a bird and in a minute, the kitchen was filled with birds, small brown and sweet. Bazigar whistled in happiness and started staring at the nice little birdlings.
Soon, the birds went round and round the boxes and quite surprisingly, the boxes were lifted up in the air, magically.
"Mera jadoo aapse 100 times better hai Khan Baba!" she said and turned around to leave.
"Khan Baba ka naam kharab kar diya!" Chotu left behind her, not before feeling disappointed in Aman.
Baazigar too left soon after him.
Aman crossed his arms and stood there, stunned by the dunderhead walking in lead.
"Nonsense" was all he could say.
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Part 2 coming up soon.
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