The parent- 2,NEW THREAD-PG153,AUG 9,2013 - Page 102

"Yes,they are sisters.." Dadi answered little irritated with Maan's continuous questions. He was disturbing her badly with his queries since last one hour.

Savitri devi was quite surprised when he found Maan in her room at 6 am in the morning. She used to watch repeat telecasts of all her favourite serials during this early morning time because Maan never liked these telly serials. Hence she had chosen the time when her grandson used to be lost in his dreamland. Her mouth was agape in astonishment,when maan suggested to watch serial with her this morning. She was suddenly remembered of Suta's words previous night.Girl had completed her challenge very soon but how??? Savitri devi got answer of her question when Maan told her that Suta had to prepare a forty pages report on Indian daily soaps and he had promised to help her with this assignment. Savtri devi had somehow controlled her laugh.She knew very well that Suta had lied to Maan.She felt bad for her grand son but on the other hand,It was a great chance to take revenge from him for all the moments when he had forbade her from watching her favourite shows on television. Hence,she decided to play along.

"and who is their mother???" He asked again.

"Archana .." Dadi replied.

"What???? You mean that young girl,who has just returned from the hospital..." Maan asked with surprise.

"Yes.." Dadi consented.."But why are you so surprised..??"

"She has two more sons too..." Dadi exclaimed enjoying Maan's astonishment.

"Actually Archana had adopted four 13 years old kids just like you when she was twenty.." Dadi said biting her cheek to keep herself from laughing.

"Really???" Maan asked innocently.His eyes were surprised to find a story similar to his life on TV.

"No I was kidding..Story has taken 20 years leap.." Savitri devi spoke as she snatched the tiny notebook from Maan's hand.He was using that notebook for writing the information about serials from his grandmother.With much expertise,Savitri devi drew a family tree of Respective families of "Manav" and "Archana",which were male and female protagonists of the serial "Pavitra rishta".

"Its so confusing" Maan said as he read the names of characters of "four generations", shown in the serial till now.

"It would have been easy,if you have watched the serial from the first episode only.." Dadi chided him like a school kid,who had missed the school on the day when teacher had taught something very important."It was cute love story of a boy "Manav" who was an illiterate Car mechanic and girl "Archna" who had to left her studies after eight standard.." Dadi said further with a dreamy expression.

"What/??" Maan was astonished."Is he still a car mechanic???" He asked further pointing towards "Suited booted" Maanav on the TV screen.

"No..Now he owns a big business..."Dadi informed.

Maan was about to ask "How" when Nakul knocked at the door to call them for breakfast.

Maan jotted his inquiry beside the "Pavitra Rishta family tree" as both of them came to dining hall.

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Morning became more "good" for Maan as he looked at happy face of his daughter,who just wished her.She was already present at the dining table today. He himself was feeling very elated since the moment Suta had come to his room last night,asking for his help for the "daily soap" assignment.

"Good morning baby.." He said with a wide and proud smile on his lips taking a seat beside her.After Nakul,he had managed to make Suta open with him,in the family.

"Good morning sexy...!!!" Suta chirped again,now looking at the Dadi,who was coming slowly towards the dining table because of her knee pain.

"Morning my Red bull.." Dadi said in a sweet voice as she gave a soft peck at Suta's fore head.

Maan was astonished watching Suta's behaviour with his grandmother.He was more astonished with the "names",they both had called each other.

"Sexy??Red bull???" He said raising his eyebrows,shifting his gaze from dadi to suta.

"yes,we have given each other pet names..Do you have any problem with that???" Savitri devi asked shrugging her shoulders.

"No..no problem.."Maan spoke hiding the astonishment in his voice.

Smile on his lips vanished instantly as he saw Mamta coming out of the kitchen with breakfast tray in her hands.He did not want to leave the dining table without having the breakfast once again,that too when Suta had joined them happily for the breakfast for the first time. His heart cursed his mother's stubbornness repeatedly as he called Nakul in an angry voice.

He gave a fleeting angry glance to his mother,before dipping his head in the news paper.

"Parantha...!!!" Suta exclaimed in happiness as she looked at the breakfast tray in Mamta's hand.."Thank you so much dadi..." She spoke further as Mamta served a hot and crunchy parantha in her plate.

Maan who was pretending to read the newspaper,got alert immediately.

"My pleasure beta.."He heard Mamta replying to suta with contentment on her face.

Maan was amazed with drastic change in Suta's behaviour with everyone in one night.He was unable to comprehend the reason behind this change but whatever the reason was,He was happy with it,though there was certain disappointment too because Suta had called his mother "dadi" before calling him "father".

"Can I get white butter too,dadi???"Suta asked as she blew at hot morsel in her hand.

"Yes baby,why not??I have made fresh for you.." Mamta said serving some butter in suta's plate as she fed her one bite with her hands.

Maan bit his "vegetable sandwitch" harshly,as a subtle jealousy hit his heart.He was jealous because 'his mother" was feeding 'his daughter".They both were connected because of "him" and still they were avoiding him as if he was not present on dining table. He was actually missing his mother "stealthy attention" on him to check whether he was eating properly or not.He was always aware of Mamta's eyes on him,though he always pretended to be oblivious.

He looked around at the dining table to find everyone busy.Mamta was busy serving as well as occasionally feeding suta,where as Savitri devi was drowned in the newspaper article,"Fashion for Monsoon..". He coughed loudly to gain everyone's attention. Mamta's worried face thinking Maan had choked on his food,gave strange calm to his slightly jealous self. He controlled his lips from carving a smile as he shifted his gaze from Mamta to Suta..

"Baby,I have started working on your assignment..." He said in a happy voice.

"Thank you so much .."Suta exclaimed licking butter from her index finger.."Maan..Its Abhi's birthday tomorrow..She has invited you too.."

As soon Maan heard Suta's words,Name "Geet" started ringing in his heart and brain as her face from the picture in his wallet flashed infront of his eyes.

"Are you listening me Maan???" Suta asked in confusion on finding Maan lost somewhere.

"Don't hesitate suta,Say it clear..." Maan encouraged her.

"It would be better,if you dress a little different for the party..Since I have "youngest Father" in my friend circle,My friends would expect you to look "Cool"..Suta said air quoting the word "Cool".

Maan gave an awkward smile to Suta as he looked at decent Navy blue shirt he was wearing.."and what kind of clothes would make me look "Cool"??? He asked.

"Wear a "cool" tshirt with colourful denims.."Suta suggested."and yes,please shave your stubble.It makes you look older..."

"and hot.." Maan thought in his mind as he nodded his head like an obedient student.

"I already have some tshirts in my wardrobe baby..I would show you..." Maan spoke.

"Do they have "cool quotes" printed on them???" Suta inquired twitching her eyebrows.

The word "cool" had started irking Maan's ears.."No baby..But they are classy..."

"I don't want "classy"..I want "cool"..."Suta said with certain stubbornness in her voice as if Maan was the one who was forcing her to wear something against her will.."But its all your choice,Maan..If you don't want to dress cool,you can wear whatever you want.."Suta spoke further making a puppy face.It was her last attempt for saving the "bratty plan" her mind had woven to trouble her "brat father".

"No beta..I would wear whatever you would choose..."Maan said immediately as he thought of rescheduling his day's plan.There were a lot of telly serials to be watched on youtube.He had to steal one hour from his busy schedule for purchasing "cool tshirts".

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Maan stretched his arms as he yawned.Clock was showing 2 of the night and he had finished watching two famous shows from Zee tv named "Punar Vivah" and "Qubool hai" on Youtube. He picked up his tiny notebook from the table as he prepared his mind to write down something "Positive" about both the shows as per Suta's teacher's instructions.

Maan felt his head bursting with pain as he read the "nonsense" his pen had produced on the paper.He had not taken his dinner today because each and every cuisine was cooked by his mother as per Suta's request. Hunger, sleep and irritating "daily soaps" were taking a toll on his body.He discarded the notebook as he got up from the couch to cook something for himself.

Maggi did not seem that appealing to his empty stomach as he entered the kitchen.He needed something heavy and proper.His gaze went to container of "Rice" as he decided to apply his culinary skills in cooking "Vegetable fried rice"

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Mamta who was coming towards Kitchen to have some water,stopped in her way as she watched Maan coming out from the kitchen with steamy hot plate of Fried Rice in his hands.She felt the familiar pain in her heart. Maan had preferred to take the trouble of cooking himself rather than eating the left over food in the fridge,just because his mother had cooked it.She hid herself behind a curtain to watch her son pouncing on food greedily.

Maan was eating as if he had seen food after ages.Even extra amount of "Black pepper" was not able to stop him.His tongue was extra sensitive for "Chillies" since childhood.He could not endure even sight amount of chillies in his food but tonight,despite having watering eyes and red nose,his hungry stomach did not let him abandon the rice cooked by him.

Mamta who was silently watching her son,easily guessed the extra amount of chillies in food,despite being at suitable distance from him.For world,he was a grown up and responsible father now But for her he was still her four years old Maan who could not eat spicy food..

Mamta wiped lone tear that escaped her eye as her brain freshened an old memory.There was a time when her son was ready to eat food 'licked' by her and today,he did not want to see the food touched by her.Maan's eyes had started watering very badly till now.It was impossible for Mamta to see him this way but on the other hand,She could not stop him from eating too.

Maan who was wiping his eyes was astonished as he found Mamta near the dining table.Next he saw Mamta keeping a bowl of "curd" near his plate.He knew,Mamta had brought curd so he could mix it in his "extra spicy rice" to mellow down the effect of chillies.

"I don't want curd.." Maan spoke pushing the bowl of curd away from his plate.

A subtle anger captured Mamta's conscience watching useless stubbornness of her son.She did not know what came over her as she poured the whole curd from bowl in Maan's plate next minute.

"You spoiled my ri..." He could not complete as his eyes met with furious eyes of his mother.Several years had passed since he had witnessed his mother's anger.It affected him more now because he knew,this time it was his mistake.

"Finish it right now.." Mamta ordered in an angry yet low voice.

Maan immediately sat down on his chair as he commenced eating once again.

"No one eats Fried rice with curd.." He mumbled.

"I am your mother and I know better..." He heard his mother saying,as she left the dining hall with hurried steps.

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PS-Sorry for silly mistakes.😛 and Thank you for your lovely wishes..I am much better now..😊

PPS-Next update would be after 10th july..I am going out of town...😊

Suta is such a brat..😆