Hey people...lol I am back with another one-shot....lol this one is of SidTam...I hope you all like it...and it's dedicated to Sneha baccha :P...btw I am feeling like crap today...so this might turn out to be crap as well...sorry in advance and sorry in advance for the over melodrama in this one :P
Foreign Assumptions
"Sid, I am not too sure about this...what...what if they don't like me or they think that I am not good for you? I mean we belong to different class!" Tamana tried to reason with a stubborn Sid who was driving them both to his house.
"Tamana...what is your problem? I mean class? Who believes in that anymore? This is freaking 21st Century!" Sid exclaimed looking briefly at her before turning his attention back on to the road.
"Sid, this maybe 21st Century...but people still believe in classes...what if your family does too? What if they don't accept our relationship?" Tamana's eyes started to water when she thought of losing Sid.
"First of all Tamana...my family knows about you and they are totally cool with it! Second, so what if they don't agree? I mean we are the ones in love not them!" Sid was starting to get tired of this argument.
Tamana didn't comment on Sid's argument and instead focused her energy on staying calm as she looked outside to watch the rain trickle down. She loved rain but today she felt sad looking at it. It seems as if the clouds were crying the tears she would be crying in a matter of few hours. They didn't say another word for the rest of the trip, which was an hour long.
The first thing Tamana noticed as they approached the house...was that it wasn't as big as she imagined it to be. Well it was big alright but it didn't look like a house that might belong to a NRI. Sid got out of the car to open the doors of the house and then closed it after he took his car inside the house. This surprised Tamana even more...she was expecting someone to open the door for them...weren't NRI's suppose to have security guards to open the door?
Instead of using the keys to enter the home, Sid rang the bell...Tamana was sure that some servant would open it but was shocked to see a young looking girl to open it. As soon as she saw the duo standing outside...she immediately yelled out for everyone in the house. Tamana noted that the girl had an American accent and was beeming from ear to ear.
"Tamana, this is my little sister, Priya and Priya...well you know who this is!" Sid entered the house first and put his arms around his sister.
"Hi...bhabhi!! I can call you that right? Oh my God....I am so excited to see you...please come in", Priya and Sid moved out of the way to let Tamana in.
As soon as Tamana entered the house, she was hugged (rather jumped on) by a very excited Priya. Sid gave a helpless look to Tamana...while Tamana hugged Priya back with a shocked look. Priya got out of the hug when they heard someone clearing their throat.
"Hello beta, I am really sorry about my daughter here...well actually both my kids! They are a bit special...you see", Tamana noticed that the person speaking to her looked like anything but Sid's NRI father in his punjabi man's suit and an amusing smile.
"Tamana..ignore him! I am nothing to be sorry about...right? And dude, don't scare my girlfriend like that...invite her in properly...by the way Tamana he is my father", Tamana greeted uncleji with a namaste and in return was blessed like a typical Indian father would bless.
She was led into the living room...where Dr. Abhi was already seated with another older gentleman.
"No tameez...whatsoever...right? Tamana that's Abhi bhayiya, you already know him and that's the best friend...my grandfather." Sid went and hugged his grandfather while his grandfather looked on at Tamana with a peircing look.
She was taken aback with such look and kept her gaze down...afraid to look up.
"Dadu...why are you scaring my bhabhi like that?" Priya gave Tamana a side hug and looked at her grandfather in mock anger.
Instead of replying, Dadu started to laugh...
"Beta, you remind me of Sid's mother...my daughter...she is not my bahu but my daughter! When she first came to our house, she was as scared and nervous as you are right now!", Dadu again gave a brief laugh before trying to get up.
Tamana saw that he couldn't get up properly and was helped by both his grandsons....while Priya also reached out to help. Before he got up fully...Tamana walked toward him instead and bowed down to touch his feet.
"Arre, daughters don't touch feet!! You've done it this time but never do it again!" Dadu touched Tamana's shoulder lightly to tell her to get up and looked at her with a cute dadu-like smile.
"Sorry, Tamana...Niki and Sid's mom are in the kitchen...they'll be out here in a minute...till then...you have to hang out with these crazy people!" Abhi gave Tamana an apologetic look.
While they waited for Niki and Sid's mom, Tamana was literally told every possible story by Priya about her life...while the other men in the house would butt in and make a funny comment. Tamana was shocked to see such behaviour...she was expecting Sid's family to be classy...they were classy but they were very down to earth. She was expecting to feel uncomfortable but she was made way too comfortable by everyone in the room.
"Sorry beta...I just wanted to make sure that I make your favourite dish properly...I haven't made suji ka halwa in a very long time. These crazy people in the house all like kheer better!" Tamana turned around to see Dr. Nikita and Sid's mom coming with the snacks. She was more shocked now to notice that there wasn't any servant helping them....and his mom reminded her of her mother.
After placing the things on the table in the middle of the room, auntyji hugged Tamana and placed a kiss on her forehead.
"Sid...I never would have guessed that you had such a nice choice!" Auntyji gave her son an approval look
"You guys never believe in me! See...Tamana...what kind of torture I have to go through!" Sid faked a cry and leaned on to Abhi's shoulder who immediately jerked Sid away.
"Oye...stop your natuanki! Tamana don't listen to him...half the time he doesn't know what he is talking about!" Priya stuck her tongue out at Sid who looked ready to kill.
The rest of the evening went on with the same craziness...Tamana would never have imagined that an NRI family would be so loving and accepting of a girl who belonged to a Chawl....but why did she feel like they might not know about? When auntyji got up to take the plates back into the kitchen...Tamana offered to help and asked Niki and Priya to sit.
"Aunty...can I ask you something? Do you know about...about...do you know that I live in a chawl?" Tamana pretended to focus on putting the left over away.
"Are you afraid that we might not accept you if we know?" Auntyji stopped working and looked at Tamana.
Tamana turned around to look at auntyji but didn't say anything...
"I got married when I was ninteen years old and was taken to US a year after. I was pregnant with Sid then...I always imagined that life in the US would be of riches but it wasn't like that. When I got there I saw my husband struggling to make the ends meet. He used to fill up gases at a gas station...after giving birth to Sid...I worked as a maid. Surprising isn't it?" Tamana looked at auntyji with a shocked look. "Beta...everyone feels that people in the US, Canada...Britain...are very rich but they are not. Work that would be consider lower-class here, is just work there. And you know what I like it that way...no one has to worry about classes there! My own dad used to be really proud of the fact that we are Brahmins but once he came to the US to visit us and realized that being Brahmin does not guarantee a rich life." Auntyji sat down on the chair near the side table.
Tamana sat down across from her without a word...
"My husband...Sid's father worked day in and day out...and so did I. That is why there is a big difference between Sid's and Priya's age. I didn't have her until Sid was 10 years old! Eventually, he bought the same gas station and then there was no looking back. But you want to know a secret...Sid's dad is a doctor!", Auntyji touched Tamana's hand lightly
"But...then why did he work at a gas station?" Tamana was confused with that declaration
"Because...not all foreign degrees are recognizable there! He would have had to study again to get his doctor's degree...but he couldnt'...he had responsiblities!" Auntyji got up and went to pack some suji ka halwa in a container.
"Aunty...I...I...", Tamana struggled to find the right words
"Don't say anything beta! I know how you feel...beta...you've been brought up with these assumptions that Indians living outside don't have the same value and are just rich freaks! But believe me beta...Sid...Priya and all the other NRI kids are as much Indians as you are", Auntyji handed Tamana the container and walked out of the kitchen.
Tamana sat back down on the chair and reflected on Auntyji's words when Sid walked in.
"You okay Tamana?" Sid sat down where auntyji had sat just few minutes ago
"I just realized that the quote "don't judge a book by it's cover" is very apt and correct! Sid, your family has taught me not to believe everything I hear...I've learned a big lesson today!", Tamana got up and left the kitchen with the box she was given.
"And...I have learned a lesson too! I never acknowledged my parents struggle and sacrifice for Priya and me. I have always treated them casually...and they have never minded. Only once did they ever ask me anything....to complete my internship in India...for my own good. And what did I do...I was angry at them until I met you! I should have realized what they wanted from me because of them...not because of you! I promise today that I'll make all of you really happy and proud of me", Sid got up with a smile and walked out to hang out with the rest of his family.
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