CHAPTER 3
Its 1 PM. I was thinking abt calling juno. Bahut din ho gaye usse baat karke. Aur abhi toh school mein lunch break hoga na. Toh woh phone bhi pakka utayega.!!!...
(I call him)
Juno:"He...(yawn) lo? Raghav tu kabhi nahi sudhrega! Raat ke 12 baje ko (yawn) phone kiya!"
Me: "12? Par abhi toh 1 PM hai!"
... "6th standard mein agar tune geography ke sare classes ko bunk nahi kiya hota toh tujhe yaad hota ki US aur India mein 10:30 hrs ka time lag hai... (yawns)"
..."Chod na woh sab. Tu bata, kaisa hai?"
..."Main toh theek hoon. Aur aunty kaisi hai?"
..."Waah mere dost! Mujhse ye poochne k bajaye ki mein kaisa hoon tu pooch raha hai ki aunty kaisi hai"
..."Best buddy ka heart hai. Iss heart ko pata chal jaata hai ki usska best buddy kaisa hai. Aur meine tere new number ko bhi aisa hi guess kiya.. Ab bolega bhi ki aunty kaisi hai?"
..."Mom's fine. Kal unki pehli chemo session hai. She's nervous. Aur mein bh nervous hoon; bt, I've gotta build her confidence toh mein apni nervousness haide kar raha hoon, you see..."
..."Raghav dude, don't worry. I'm sure it'll go fine. Aur hum sab yahaan pray kar rahe ki tumhari mom jaldi theek ho jaaye aur tu waapas jaldi aa jaaye. Raghav v all really miss u..."
"Main bhi tum logon ko bahut miss kar raha hoon. Waise ek baat bata ki... uh.."
..."Pushpa.. Oops I mean Sia bilkul theek hai. Aisa ek bhi minute nahi hai jab ussne tere baare mein baat nahi ki."
... "Usse kehna ki mein bhi usse bahut miss kar raha hoon. N that I love her"
..."Main kyu kahoo? Tu use phone kyu nahi karta? Woh bahut khush ho jayegi"
..."I don't think I'll be able to face her..."
..."Kyu nahi! Usse bhi toh pata chalna chahiye ki tu theek hai aur teri mom ki pehl chemo session kal hai aur..."
..."Par juno..."
..."No par var! Ya toh tu usse call karega ya phir mein usse call karne ko boloonga"
..."Juno yaar, mein ... Hi usse call kar deta hoon. Par abhi nahi. Abhi meri Pushpa so rahi hogi. Thodi der baad call karoonga"
.."achcha chal. Mujhe bhi neend aa rahi hai. Gn. Kal baat karta hoon..."
..."gn"
Apne best buddy se baat karne ki baat hi kuch aur hai! Specialy juno jaise buddy ke saath! Uske saath agar mein silently baith bhi jaaon, toh woh samajh jaata hai ki mujhe kya baat karni hai. He can hear my silence!
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Dad: "Raghav?" as he knocks and enters my room
Mein:"Ya dad!" as I look up frm my pile of albums
..."Tum PADHAI kar rahe ho!" 😲
..."No way! Mein toh bas apne album dekh raha tha!"
..."Oh! Achcha mujhe tumse bahut zaroori baat karni hai"
..."Haan' as i keep my albums aside
..."As you noe, kal Naina ki pehli chemo theropy hai aur woh bahut nervous hai. Usse lagta hai ki koi bhi treatment usse nahi bacha sakta. She's loosing out on her confidence. Aur isske vajaye se woh khana bhi theek se kha nahi rahi. So her health is..."
..."Dad, aap tension mat lo. I'll go cheer her up"
..."Ok. Mein tab tak ek meeting attend karke aata hoon. I'll be back soon" (smilingly)
...
I go to the room next to mine. Maa is sitting on the bed, her eyes full of tears. She is abt to cry any minute.
"Maa..." I say, knoking the door.
Hearing me, mum wipes away her tears and turns back
Mom:"Ragh, tum udhar kyu khade ho? Ander aa jao."
I sit down in front of her (kneeling) and hug her. She hugs me back.
Me: "Ma, mujhe... cake banana sikhaoge? Wohi cake jo aapne uss din dessert ke liye banaya tha?"
"Bilkul!" cheering up immediately. If there's one thing mum ikes, then it's baking. Even if you wake her up in the middle of the night and ask her to bake, she'll be ready! 😆
Both of us head down stairs to the kitchen.
Mum:"Chalo. First, hum..."
...
Uff! We've been in the kitchen for 3 hours now! Actually, I burnt the cake 4 times. This is my fifth cake! I just hope it comes out well!
Tnnn
The oven rang. I cautiously walk over to the oven
Mum:"Cake hi toh nikaalne jaa rahe ho! Koi bomb toh nahi" (laughing 😆)
I turn back and laugh and wink at her.
Before removing the cake, i close my eyes and slowy take outthe cake and keep it in frount of mom.
Me (eyes closed): "Kaisi bani hai?"
Mom: "Raghav, apni aankhe khoo" (strictly)
I first open one eye. Then the other. Then, I stare wide eyed at the cake!
"Kya ye waisi hi dikh rahi hai jaise isse dikhna chahiye" I ask her. When it comes to baking, mum is very particular abt the cake being perfect! If it isn't, she'll nt rest untill it is! That's why she made me bake 5 cakes!
"Haan bilkul hai!" says dad as he enters the kitchen. "chalo. Abhi mujhe thoda bhook bhi lagi hai. Cake khaate hai" as he takes out 3 plates frm the shelf.
Mom:"Aap nahi khaoge! Aapko diabetes hai!"
Dad looks at me as if to telling me to support him
Me:"Mum, meine iss mein sugar-free sugar dala hai, specially for dad"
Mum (eyeing me suspiciously): "Pakka promise?"
Me: "Haan"
..."In that case, aap kha sakte ho"
All of us walk over to the sofa and sit down with our peices of cake and switch on the TV.
Its been such a long time since all of us watched TV together. I really missed those days!
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It's 9 PM. Meaning its 7:30 AM in Delhi. Ab mein usse call karta hoon...
(Pushpa has a mobile)
Pushpa:"Hello?"
Me: "Hi.. Pushpa... Kaisi ho?"
..."Ra... Raghav! Tum... Kaise ho? Tumhari mom kaisi hai? Wahaan pahunchne k baad tumne hum sab ko call kyu nahi kiya? Aur..." and she starts sobbing
..."Pushpa, I hate tears. Please don't cry! Achcha bataao tumhari practice kaisi chal rahi hai?"
..."Woh sab chodo Raghav! Tum batao, tum kaise ho? Aur aunty kaisi hai?"
..."Main theek hoon. Kal..."
..."Kal? Kya?"
..."Kal mom ki first chemo session hai..."
..."Unhe meri taraf se wish kar dena. I'm sure ki after a few sessions woh theek ho jaayegi aur tum mere paas wapas aa jaaoge... Aaoge na?"
..."Of course aaonga. I can't live without u. I love you pushpa"
..."I... love you too Raghav"
After talking for a while, we cut the call. I wish I could keep talking to her... Be with her for y entire life... Par... Pata nahi mein kab Pushpa se kab miloonga...
"Naam kya hai uska?" asks mom
"Humein uske baare mein kabhi bataya kyu nahi??" asks dad
I look at them and smile.
"Smile hi karoge ya uske baare mein kuch bataoge?" asks mom
"Abhi batata hoon..." I take her photo frm the cupboard
I show it to them.
"Ye hai Pushpa... I mean Sia. Sia Dhillon..."
They listen carefully as I tell them abt her. And abt us. I tell them everything frm the start. Our first meet in Adarsh colony, then her entry in elite. Then abt Sally's allegation that she's a theif and how every one started hating her. Then abt me getting to noe that she's a boxer, her date night ditch and how angry I wason her. How she tried to manaao me; then abt the junge night, our friendship when v got lost, Juno's "Rescue mission", then i told them abt Juno nd my fight... Everything till the last time I saw her in the railway station...
-AFTER I TELL THEM OUR STORY-
"Hmmm... Bahut intresting love story hai, tum dono ki." says dad
"Toh, kab milva rahe ho humein, humari BAHU se?" says mom
Me: "BAHU! 😳 Uhh... Mom..."
Mom: "Arre wah! Raghav Oberoi blush kar raha hai??!!!!" (sarcastically)
The three of us laugh... 😆😆😆
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That's the end of the chapter guys. Hope u all liked it. Do hit the like button and leave behind all your comments!!
Cricket
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