Vishal turned towards Dipika's lane…. He drove to her house and slowed his car even before he reached her house, because his car's head lights had picked out something…. Even Dipika looked surprised at it…. Vishal immediately looked at her suspiciously as she said… 😈
Dipika: I really don't know…. Maa ne to kuch nahi kaha….
Vishal: Yeah… Yeah… Maine maan liya! 😳
He parked the car and both of them got down….
Dipika: (Running up to him who had walked fast to the gate) Vishal! Main such keh rahi hoon…. Maa na nahi kaha tha….
Vishal opened the gate and stopped short hearing voices from the garden… Dipika came behind him and looked towards their left….
Everyone was seated there…. Dipika's mom, Sri, Vishal's mom and… Aryan! 😉
They looked at each other and walked over to them…. They were even more surprised when they saw that all the three adults were playing carom! 😛
Seeing them Sri leaped up from Aryan's lap and ran to Dipika….
Sri: (As Dipika bent down to kiss her) Mamma! Hum sab moony dinner karenge!
Dipika smiled at her and up at the full moon… Oh! So they had planned to have a moon light dinner… She knew her mom loved eating out in the full moon…. She darted a glance at Aryan who was looking at the carom… Something said he had looked up at her! 😳
Vishal: (Walking up to them) Wow! That's a nice surprise…. (Going over to Dipika's mom) Hi aunty! Kaise hain aap? (Hugging her down from behind)
Mrs.Gosh: Bahut achchi…. Tum kaise ho? Kaam kaisa hai?
Vishal: Sab badiya…. Me and my work…. (To his mother) Maa! Aapne bataya nahi ki aap yahan aa rahe ho?
Mrs. Malhotra: Kyun? Mujhe tumse kehke hi sab kuch karna hai? Main kya… 😡
Vishal: (Sitting down beside her removing his coat) Nai maa… Aap jab chaho, jahan chaho jao… Main aapse kuch nahi poochne waala! Aap bas shuru mat ho jayiye!
Mrs. Malhotra: (Ruffling his hair) Pata hai ki mujhse seedhe jawaab nahi aayenge to pooch kyun raha hai? (Hitting his hand) Kya kar rahe ho?
Vishal: (Retreating his hand which had gone to pick an apple) Ouch! Maa…. Bahut bhook lag rahi hai!
Mrs.Gosh: To pehle soup piyo… Dinner ke liye abhi waqt hai… Tab tak, ek aur khel ho jaye? (To Aryan) Kyun Aryan? Pata hai Dipika, jab se khel shuru hua hai…. Aryan aur Sri hi jeete hain!
Dipika looked a little surprise because Sri couldn't place a coin properly on the board… And of course she couldn't place her fingers in a striking position to strike…. She knew that Sri was just Aryan's partner for sake… She must have missed strikes but Aryan must have compensated for it and of course if she had striked Aryan would have helped her… And she knew both the mothers didn't mind it! 😳
Vishal: (With a evil smile sipping his soup) Achcha… Lo… Ab main aa gaya hoon naa… Let's have a game… Is baar main dekhta hoon ki Aryan kaise jeetata hai… Kyun Aru? College ke sports din yaad aa gaye naa?
Aryan: (Smiling and applying carom powder on the board😊) Hmm…. Jab main hamesha jeetata tha!
Vishal: (Shocked) What?! Tu nahi main jeetata tha! Yaad dash kab se tumhari itni buri ho gayi hai!?
Aryan: (Arranging the coins) In your dreams must be…. Senior junior match me sab ko pata hai junior jeeta… Aur vo main tha!
Vishal: Phir to theek hai… (Wiping his hands) Ab ek game ho jaye… Dekhenge koun jeetata hai! 👏
Aryan: (Passing him the striker) No problem…. Shuru karo! At least ek chance to khelne milega tumhe….
Vishal: (Pushing back the striker) No modesty…. Tumhi shuru karo… Dekhte hain ki kise chance nahi milta!
Aryan shook his head passing back the striker and Vishal passed back… Both their fingers on the striker pushing towards each other…. After the passing of the strikers was still not over…
Mrs.Malhotra: Oh ho… Ab bas bhi karo… (Hitting on both their fingers 😉) Toss karke dekhenge… Head aaya to Aru shuru karega…. Tail aaya to Vishal! (Taking out a coin from Vishal's pocket) Chalo!
Saying she tossed the coin and Aru won…. Vishal passed the striker to him and the game began!
Vishal: (Watching Aryan study the direction) Hey Dipika! Chalo… Tum meri team…. Aao!
Aryan just then glanced up at her and he missed the striker… Vishal smiled at this and took the striker and kept it in position…. Aryan looked back down at the board not looking at Vishal's strike!
Dipika: 😕 Main… I'll get fresh and come…. Dinner bhi to laana hai!
Saying she hurried of from there and looked back to see Aryan watching her… Smiling she turned back to the house and looked down at the jamuns in the sweet bag! ☺️
Dipika had just deposited the bag on the table when Mrs.Gosh came in…
Mrs.Gosh: Ye kya hai?! (Indicating the sweets) ❓
Dipika: (Turning around) Sweets…. Waise maa aapne kyun nahi kaha ki Aryan bhi aaya hai?
Mrs.Gosh: Bhool gayi Dipi…. Kuch baatein kar rahe the to dimaag se nikal gaya!
Dipika: Kab aaya? ❓
Mrs.Gosh: Shaam ko hi…. Kaha ki Sri ko dekhne aaya tha… Sri bhi use dekhke khush hui…. Phir hum paas ke garden me walking gaye the…. Aaye to Vishal ki maa bhi aa gayein thi…. Phir humne socha ki aaj kyun naa bahar dinner karein…. Sab ke pasand ke items bane hain…. (Going into the kitchen) Lekin kuch meetha banana ke liye kuch nahi tha ghar me!
Dipika: (Smiling hugging her mom from behind) Aapne socha… Aur maine kar diya…. Meetha bhi sabke pasand ka hai!
Mrs.Gosh: (Casually yet) Aryan ka bhi?
Dipika: Haan….
Dipika paused moving away from her mother as she turned around to watch her daughter's face turn a slight pink….
Mrs.Gosh: Lekin maine tumse nahi kaha tha ki Aryan aaya hai!
Dipika: (Thinking of some excuse) Vo… Bas… Jaise aapne nahi kaha tha ki main meetha laaoon…. Waise hi! Mom! Don't look like that! Ab sab kuch ready kijiye… Main change karke aati hoon… I'll help you take the dishes out!
Saying Dipika hurried out from the kitchen to change…. Mrs.Gosh saw her daughter go and thought of all that Mrs.Malhotra had said about Aryan when they were making dinner…. In the less time Aryan was here… She had liked him very much… He was really good from heart and liked Sri very much… That was more important in the present circumstances… She sighed thanking God for Dipika! 😛
Wishing she could hear the good news soon enough she turned back to arrange the food items in the dishes! 😳
Dipika came back soon and helped her mother with taking the dishes out…
They had a wonderful time below the open sky and twinkling stars with the moon shining full silver!
They played two rounds of matches…. Aryan won in the first and Vishal in the second…. Mrs.Malhotra banned a third match blackmailing them that they would not get any dessert if they insisted on playing and both the cousins had dropped the idea…. Secretly vowing to get back soon! 😈
Dinner was delicious… Both the mothers had wonders in their hands….. As said the dinner found one favorite of everyone there…. And Aryan finally realized how Dipika was a good cook! 😳
After dinner, it was dessert time…
Everyone talked, laughed, joked…. No one remembered any sorrows or problems they might have had…
It was late eleven o'clock by the time everyone finished their dinner, helped in the cleaning process and left home! Everyone's stomach and heart was full! ⭐️
When Aryan had opened his mouth to thank Mrs.Gosh had shook her head and said he was ever welcome to the home! Aryan felt a little emotional inward because it was ages after which he was hearing such caring words…. After his Maasi Maa! 😭 😊
