Jiya Jale
“No no dancing” Anubha whisperedinaudibly
Harshu’s engagement was coming up soon,the girls wanted to dance , as usual swept away by pop culture
“Its OK Anubha”
“NO Akash, can you imagine Amma’sexpression?”
“Oh I very well can… but it’s the trend”
“Trend aap kehte ho isne kya kiya?” sheplayfully smacked Naina
“TIME OUT TIME OUT Peepul” “This has NOTHINGto do with Inder” Naina screeched
“Dadi ANDARRR so rahin hain” Anubha did aface palm
“I cant believe everyone is so afraid ofher
They were all crowded on Viveka’s bed,she was working and twirling in her chair dancing steps seated munching on atrail mix with M&M’s Anubha had bought, she loved pecans it had a bunch
“Tum bhi beta?”
“What do u think I am made of? Wood?” Ofcourse I will dance”, “We should do the Deepika Holi song” Viveka laughed
“Balam pichkari?” YES YES YES… Deeeplease I CAN choreograph… pleez di”Karuna begged
She was on stage for everything atcollege
“OMG…. No way” Anubha smacked Akash, hewas leaned on the headboard, just like his daughter, his glasses perched on hisgrey hair as he scrolled thru the ipadyawning intermittently
“Aaap SONA band karogey?” she flung apillow at him
He let go of the ipad and settled withthe flung pillow in his arms, hugging it and yawning again
“Ma…. Lets do it na? Its been ages sincewe went to any wedding”
“Well you don’t want to go to any weddingoutside of Delhi” Anubha scolded Viveka
“Aap yeh dekho, I will be gone soon” “Letsall dance into the wee hours of the morning? Night?” she giggled
“I cant believe YOU are championing forthem”
“What do u mean?”
“Matlab… umm.. yahi”
“Oh yeah I get it… Dee is a nerd so shehates dancing, and we are all losers so we love it” Diya shouted
“Dheere bologi aap?” she grit her teeth
“Oh sorry sorry”
“Diyaaa betaaa… ek chai bana de, neendnahi aa rahi” Dadi whined
They had Naina’s bedroom (because they couldn’tfit Dadu’s motorized wheelchair with the 10 book shelves in Veev’s room, and a light over the study desk neverturned off because she was afraid of completely dark rooms… and spiders
She could fix cars and toasters and puttogether furniture but she was terrified of spiders and dark rooms… and oh! Shewas a sick dancer.
The second the girls heard Dadi theyburst out laughing
Loud squeals
“HAS RAHI HO HUM PAR” dadi whined
They immediately became quiet
Akash woke up and sat up
“Rude beta”
“MA bhi haseen” Naina accused
“I mean who drinks chai because they cantsleep?”
Akash smiled a little
“Main banal eta hoon”
Diya jumped on him squished him pulledhis cheeks and went off to make it
“Bachi hai” Akash blushed with pride
“I am begging u, NO dance” Anubha wentback to it
“I already told Harshu’s friends we aredoing 3, the guys are doing three and there will be a duet
“SHAADI HAI Dance India Dance nahi”
Akash began to laugh
“Ma… pleez?” Naina begged
“Dadi will crucify me, already she toldme in the evening “bachon ki shaadi waadi karogi ya yoon hi apni hi CURRY VERpar dhyaan dogi?”
The girls began laughing again
Akash smacked Naina on the shouldergently with a rolled up Econ journal “She cant say career”
“But she can insult Ma” Viveka mumbled
Akash smiled
She was a warrior
He wondered how she will have the curryver talk with her suitable boy
“Akash ko bulaogi beta?” he asked gentlybending down pretending to be “cool” as he tried to read an upside down book
“Dad journal ulti hai… NO… Dadi will makesure I do pheras right there, and have Suhag raat on Bua’s chhath”
The girls laughed again
“GROSS” Viveka shuddered
“I can go… in your place” Naina whisperedgasping for air
“Sickkk”
“With Inderrrr” Naina was offended
Anubha had stepped out to help
“Uffff” “U guys are SO loud”
The girls giggled over YT song videos
Anubha went back near Akash and leaned onhim smiling
“I love my girls”
“If they are not dancing you mean” helaughed wrapping his arm around her
“Umm.. I guess… suniye…. Aap kya sochrahe ho?”
“Arey wah. SUNIYE mil raha hai mujhe?”
She punched him and they laughed
“Do you ever wonder if Viveka will findsomeone like you?” she yawned leaning
“Galti se maang nahi lena, phir meri Majaisi koi bhi aayengi saath mein” he kissed her head long and hard
She took a lot of brickbats for having 4daughters and continuing to have a career, go on business trips and manage ateam of 47 engineers, and two M3 level managers at the company
She was always upbeat and ambitious
He took her hand and linked his fingers
“I hope whoever it is treats her betterthan I DO YOU” he said choking up
“Stop it” she wrapped her ahnds aroundhis arm and squeezed
“Aapka romance khatam ho gaya ho to songselection sunengi
“Nooo betaaa” Anubha sat up worried
“MAIN karta hoon Ma se baat” Akash saidfirmly
“U know she will harass me secretly don’tu?”
“No she wont” he growled
“Batao beta”
He heard the choices and nodded
He didn’t listen to new songs much
The girls cackled well past 1 AM when theparents went to bed
Naina grilled Viveka if she had “made outwith Abhishek yet”
We kissed” she said firmly
“BASS?” “Is his Dad home all the time?”
“No… no actually”
“PHIRRR? You could break the cot”
“Ewww”
“I would never leave the apartment” Nainasighed
“Don’t go all slobbery over Inder at theengagement OK?” Viveka sat up warning her sister
“AND YOU TOO” Naina warned back playfullythey had a slapping match in bed
Viveka had a far away look as shecontemplated if she should share the secret she had been carrying for weeks now
She lay back in bed and groaned as thebutterflies revisited in the thick of the night. She put her arm across hereyes and sighed… arresting what would have been a physical ache
He probably is over it now!
I was never UNDER IT
Gucci fam! She repeated the teens’ words
“What do u think will u bring Abhishek?”Naina whispered turning to her side and whispering
“Veev and Abhishek… what was that one… KISSING?” Naina cracked herself up
“Haver you been meeting with Inder”
“Hmm…” she lay back down whispering
“Kaisi besharam ho tum DADI HAIN ghar par”
“Well I am not doing it in front of her”
“Do you even know if he loves you?”
“We both love each other” Naina declaredflippantly
“Nice”
“You wont know… you are a saint” Nainasaid smugly
Viveka almost wanted to brag
But didn’t
“You think Dadi will flip out when shesees us dance to Jiya Jale?”
Naina began to laugh
“Yeah she will probably tell Ma we cannever get married now that we danced on stage”
“U know in Papa’s family they only danceon ladies sangeet nite” Viveka muttered
“Yeah when no one can see us” “Dude I amgetting a backless and frontless choli” Naina laughed
“I am thinking of going risqué as well topay back Dadi for bashing Ma constantly” Viveka declared viciously
Current Affairs
