A Brother and a Sister
'Ramona!! No!! Do not bring any ice!! Anita is going home!!!', shouted Anusha, still furious and irate at her daughter's behavior. Maami just looked on in continued stunned silence!
'Stop being so interfering mother!! I am in my father's house and will stay to do as I please!', screamed Anita.
'NO you won't! You will return home RIGHT NOW!! RAMONA!! Tell Anita Ma'am's chauffeur that she is ready to return home!'
'NO!! I'M NOT!!! I'm staying right here until Dad returns!!'
'Anita dear! Please don't be so rude to your mother!'
'Vidya Maami .. please do shut up!'
That's when Suresh Mama walked in to witness his wife being berated and wondered about the commotion!
'She's been drinking', whispered Vidya Maami in Punjabi ..
Anita heard her aunt whisper and suggested tersely to her Uncle that he might take his wife home!
Anusha exchanged quizzical glances with her brother.
'Has she been drinking?!', he asked his sister, also in Punjabi. Instances of crisis inevitably meant that conversations would descend into the native tongue almost as a way to ameliorate the tension!
Anusha just held her head in her hands and sat down. Mama-ji tried to cajole Anita to return home only to be rebuffed.
'Daaaadd!!', said Anita noticing her father walk in as confusion swept over his face.
'She's been drinking! I've never been so ashamed in my life before!! You should have seen and .. just ask Charu here .. just ASK her!! Harish!!! It's all your fault!!!! You have indulged her ..'
'SHUT UP MOM!! DAD!! You wouldn't believe that Mom had Abhi and that senile wife of his ..'
'DO YOU SEE WHAT I MEAN??!! TELL HER SHE NEEDS TO RETURN HOME NOW!! SHE'S NOT EVEN THERE TO TAKE CARE OF HER HUSBAND WHEN HE RETURNS HOME'
'DAAADD!'
'HARISH! i'M WARNING YOU! EITHER SHE GOES OR I DO! I'M LEAVING TO STAY WITH MY BROTHER ..'
'HOLD IT! HOLD IT! Anita! Sweetheart! Why don't you go home?! Tell you what! I think you need a vacation! Go home! Get some food! Get some rest! Then pack your bags! You're coming with Anuj and me on our Malaysia/Indonesia trip! We're leaving the day after .. the 10 days will be good for you .. maybe you and Anuj can stay on a few days longer ..'
'Daaaadd! Anuj is an absolute BORE!! He doesn't like any of my friends! Doesn't like the clothes I wear! Doesn't like the music I listen to! Doesn't like the books I read! Doesn't like the food I eat! I mean .. Mom's worried about his food??! He's probably going over to his mother's for her Daal-Roti!! Daal-Roti!!'. She cackled in her drunken stupor.
'And who do you think you are??!! That's what I raised you and Abhi on!!'
Anita just ignored her mother.
'We'll talk about that later! I don't think this is the right time baby! He's really not as bad as you paint him out to be! Besides, you're going to have to learn to get along with your husband .. but we'll talk about that later .. Anusha, will you have Ramona pack some dinner for her to take home? I'll call Anuj and let him know that Anita and dinner are headed his way'.
She was packed off home by a doting father. It was pretty late, so Suresh Maama, and Vidya Maami stayed for dinner where any discussion of Anita was studiously avoided.
'You know Harsih .. that girl of yours is headed straight into hell! I am ashamed to think that that is what we have for a daughter .. I suggest you look into checking her into an alcoholic's rehabilitation place .. her marriage is going to end up on the rocks .. a first in the family .. what a matter of pride it will be!!'. She berated her husband as they prepared for bed.
He listened to her in silence knowing that Anita could have a potentially serious problem but not wanting to lend credence to what his wife was saying.
'If you're listening to me half-heartedly, you will do that daughter of yours ..'
'Oh?! She's not your daughter?!'
'You will do that daughter of yours a great disservice! You should have seen her tonight! SUCH a disgrace! Thank goodness it was only Vidya here .. Incidentally, you had best make note of my intentions! I am SICK and TIRED of your obstinacy getting in the way of me seeing my baby boy and d-inlaw whenever I please!! From here on, I am having them over here .. there .. everywhere .. as I see fit!!!! Starting with a birthday bash for him .. you can come if you wish .. sulk if you wish! Remember also .. one day he's getting part of this empire of yours .. empire of ours .. it's not all going to Anita .. and Anuj!!'
He got into bed still ignoring his wife.
'Poor boy! He had no wedding to speak of! Such a sedate affair for a wedding reception .. and such simple birthday parties!! He's a SAINT .. that boy of ours .. that boy of mine .. no more! I'm putting my foot down!!'
She turned over and snuggled into bed to sleep and dream of throwing her darling boy a party he deserved.
Anusha called Simi once the coast was clear. She was ready for that birthday party. This time she was holding a full scale soiree. It wasn't going to be a grand, formal affair, just chock-full of people who loved him. That might as well have been half the city! Every uncle, aunt, and cousin was wrested out of hidden nooks and crannies! The Sethis were invited along with Surinder Chaacha, Dolly Chaachi and Simi's cousins. Omi and Neetu were invited. The Mathurs were invited. Goofy was invited.
The Golf-Links home would be overwhelmed, but the grounds at the Taneja farm house would be perfect! She called Aleesha the daughter of a good friend who had started an event planning business. If people could spend millions on 'destination weddings', then, by jove, Anusha Taneja could spend it's equivalent on a birthday party for her flesh and blood! They decided on a party with a Thai flair! From the food to the decor to the general ambiance. Aleesha had full rein to fly things in from Thailand for the occasion! Fruits?! Get them! Vegetables?! Get them! Flowers?! Get them! Decorative items?! Get them! People?! Get them! And it was to be done within a week!! This was her only son's birthday and no stone was to be left unturned in ensuring it was to be a fun-filled evening. It was Anusha's way of righting the wrong, atoning for the sin inflicted by her husband through his continued refusal to entertain any thoughts of a rapprochement with his one and only son as well!
She took Simi to DLF Emporio for a forced shopping spree from clothing & shoes, to handbags and hair-clips at the European designer shops. She wanted to see her in a pair of designer jeans and shirt from Burberrys. There was a brief tussle over the shirt. Anusha wanted her to wear a diaphanous cream organdy with a silk bra underneath. Simi felt that to be too risque and given that her own mother and father would be there, they would never understand! Well, the organdy shirt it had to be, but she could wear a full camisole underneath. She also chose a pair of gunmetal Gucci ballerina shoes and matching handbag. They bought a new wallet for Abhi as a birthday gift! Simi felt that the one he had now was so worn, it was an embarrassment!
The evening rolled around soon enough.
'Ready?', asked Abhi absent-mindedly, making sure that Goofy's bow was put on right. He, himself, looked very chic and comfortable in a pair of dark navy linen pants and cream linen shirt with its sleeves rolled up just below his elbows. Suede navy blue loafers were on his bare feet. The two of them would certainly be color-coordinated tonight! And the golden retriever made a tremendous trio!
'Yes' .. she looked divinely stylish in her ensemble. Anusha had given her a three-strand south-sea gray pearl choker to wear around her neck. Her hair was in a pony tail, held in a mock tortoise-shell barrette.
He looked up at her and then away casually. Then snapped back in shock and surprise at how beautiful she looked. He whistled slowly as his eyes widened. She smiled shyly, and Goofy wagged his tail sitting on his haunches. He too was smiling and the tongue hanging out of his mouth reflected genuine admiration!
The grounds were lit up in a manner reminiscent of a bridal home. The rest might have been a piece of Thailand flown in!
'Hey! Mili Puttar!', teased Abhi reaching over to peck her nose. She brushed away his hand in mock disgust!
Abhi felt himself being pulled from the back. It was Anusha, asking him to behave and stop teasing his sister-in-law!!
Vishal smiled to see the exchange. He was delighted to see Mili there .. as was Vasu. He had not told his parents that Mili was holding off on the engagement because of her desire to go overseas for further graduate level study and research. Nor did they know that the two had not seen each other for some weeks now. There was the hint of something not being quite right and the Mathurs thought they were picking up on it. He wanted to deflect any suspicion on that front, so he kept deliberately close to Mili and asked that she play along.
Uncles, aunts, cousins, in-laws, friends, dog, fell all over each other .. into the wee hours of the morning.
'Fun-filled' could not have begun to describe the party. Another year had passed for him.
Fan Fictions
