Dear All…
Anticipating quite a few shouts and screams for stopping In Flight Mode where it was. I will be revisiting their vacation on a later date…
Without much ado, presenting the next SS in the series...
Part 1 - below
Part 2 - Pg 4
Part3 - Pg 5
Part 4 - Pg 7
Part 5 - Pg 9
Part 6 - Pg 11
Dil ke Rishte..
“Ji Arnavji, hum sab thaiyyar rakhenge. Aap chinta mat keejiye, aapke pohonchne tak sab packets ready karke rakhenge.”
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It was a normal weekday at Shantivan with the menfolk at work. Anjali, Khushi aur Devyani having gone to Prateeksha, it was just Manorama and Payal at home. All the associated confusions and heartbreaks post her wedding resolved long back, the past two years had brought about a sea change in the relationship between saas aur bahu. Her gentle nature, patience, and never ending sensibility having become an apt counter to Manorama’s impulsive, short-tempered nature, the eldest and youngest bahus of the Raizada khaandaan had become fast friends in addition to being a fond saas-bahu jodi.
After sending the other three off, Manorama and Payal had settled down for their routine movie session. Payal had been running a slight temperature and Manorama was busy fussing over her in between commenting at the movie. Usually, her mother-in-law’s running commentary countering all the dialogues on screen kept Payal in splits. However, today, every bout of laughter was making her feel sore and tired, not that she was showing it. Manorama only noticed that her bahu was slightly subdued, and kept gazing at her in between, cracking more jokes to lift her spirits.
It was in between this that Payal’s phone rang. Wincing slightly as she leaned forward to attend it, she looked at the caller image in surprise. It was unusual to get a call from her Jethji at this time of the day.
“Hello, boliye Arnavji.”
The smile evident in his voice as he talked to one of the women in his life with whom he shared a very warm relationship and friendship, Arnav replied, “Hi Payal, maine tumhe disturb toh nahi kiya?”
“Arre bilkul bhi nahi. Boliye, iss time pe call kaise kiya?”
“Actually Payal, I’m on the way to Prateeksha and wanted to take a few things. Maine Khushi ko subah bolna bhool gaya tha ki jaate waqt ye sab bhi le jaaye. There are bunch of packets with books for the children kept in the library. Can you please get Hari Prakash to keep it by the door. Waise bhi I’m running late, I’ll just make a quick stop and collect them on the way.”
“Ji Arnavji, hum sab thaiyyar rakhenge. Aap chinta mat keejiye, aapke pohonchne tak sab packets ready karke rakhenge.”
“Aur haan, Akash had to go for an urgent meeting at ARH Gurgaon with NK, tumhe update karne ko bolke gaya mujhe. He couldn’t call in his hurry. Woh wapis aane me late hoga.”
“Ji shukriya Arnavji.”
“Okay then, see you soon.”
Keeping the phone down, she turned, “Maaji, Arnavji aa rahe hain, Prateeksha me kuch saamaan le jaane ke liye. Hum neeche jaake sab taiyyar karke aate hain.”
“Tum hilo bhi mat, hello-hi bye-bye. Waisan bhi tabeeyat theek naahi hain aur kaam bhi karne jaa rahi ho. Sit down, Payaliya, me Manorama will paick up books for Arnav bitwa.”
Smiling at her concerned maaji, Payal replied, “Nahi Maaji, aap takleef may uthaayiye, hum theek hai ab. Waise bhi Hari Prakshji kar denge sab. Hume bus unko dikhaana hai ki kaunsa saamaan lena hai aur kahan rakhna hai. Aap film dkehiye aur hum abhi aate hain.”
Knowing full well that if she went down, Payal would accompany her anyway, Manorama sat back grumbling, masking her concern as she noticed that Payal was looking slightly pale. Deciding to call their doctor home to check on her once Akash or Anjali reached back, she waved her bahu on her way, her focus shifting back to the movie.
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By the time all the packets were sorted and kept ready by Hari Praksh, Payal was feeling decidedly unwell and dizzy. Her stomach was hurting and her entire body feeling tender to touch. She had just sat down to wait for Arnav when the door slammed open and he walked in.
She quickly got up to welcome her Jethji and smiled at him, “Aa gaye aap? Aap kuch lenge khaane ke liye, Arnavji? Ya chai bana doon?”
Smiling back at her as he walked in, Arnav replied, “No thanks, Payal, I just finished lunch. I’ll just get a file I forgot from the study and leave. I’m running really late.”
“Toh hum laate hain na. Aap ye sab saamaan gaadi me rakhvaayiye, hum file leke aate hain. Woh table pe padi blue folder hai kya?”
Eyes widening in surprise, Arnav asked, “Ye tumhe kaise pata?”
“Woh hum books lete waqt dekha tha ki ek file aisi padi hai table pe. Baaki sab cupboard me rakhe hue hain na.”
“Oh right, that why I forgot to take it. It got left out from the rest of the bunch. Thanks Payal, that’s the one.”
Payal turned and left for the study when Arnav realised that she was looking a little tired. Feeling slightly guilty as he imagined that he had disturbed her afternoon rest, he started directing the Prakashs to load everything in the car.
“Hello-hi bye-bye, Arnav bitwa. Itti jaldi me kahan daudat ho?”
Smirking as he turned to greet his Mami, Arnav replied, “I’m running late, Mami. I have to reach Prateeksha before the afternoon session starts.”
“Achcha… waisan hum sochat rahe ki Doctor sab ko bula lete hai ghar ma. Akash bitwa kab home reach karega, tum ko pata hai ka?”
“Doctor ko?! Kyu Mami? Aapki tabeeyat theek nahi hai kya?”
Smiling at his concerned face, she quipped, “Me Manorama is fit as a fiddly. Woh humri naazuk khoon-bhari-tang-wali daughter-in-laws hai na, she ijj feeling bimaar.”
“Oh Damn it. And I gave her more work. Ussne kuch kaha kyu nahi?”, grimacing as he noticed Manorama’s incredulurs expression, he commented, “Yeah I know, Payal kisi bhi cheez ke baare me complain karti hi kahan hai?”
“I’ll call the doctor now itsef, Mami. And maybe I should cancel my Prateeksha trip. Akash is in Gurgaon, aur ghar pe Khushi, Di aur Nani bhi nahi hai.”
“Nahi nahi, Arnav bitwa, I, Manorama will manage. Tum hoike aao.” Turning in a circle looking for her, she askd, “Waisan Payaliya hai kahan?”
Frowning now, Arnav replied, “Actually she went to take a file from the study. Kaafi time ho gaya. Let me go and see.”
Manorama stood for a second staring at her nephew before sitting down, only to jolt up again at Arnav’s shout. She could barely move as Arnav came running out, cradling an unconscious Payal, calling for her to alert the hospital that he was bringing her in immediately.
Author’s Note
Cliffie!!!!!
Hope you guys liked this one… let me know what you think!
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