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Hi everyone,
I had to split my next update into two parts since it was getting too long. I will try to post the second part second half tomorrow. Also I my native tongue is not Hindi, so apologize for wrong hindi, feel free to correct me.
I had to split my next update into two parts since it was getting too long. I will try to post the second part second half tomorrow. Also I my native tongue is not Hindi, so apologize for wrong hindi, feel free to correct me.
Gadhodhia House, 5AM
Ragini Gadhodhia, was tossing in her bed unable to sleep at 5AM as she was still not accustomed to her new room. After all, only two weeks passed since they relocated from Delhi to Kolkata. It was by no means a sudden decision, she was made aware of it months in advance when they decided to renovate her mothers ancestral home and shift back. It was not the unfamiliar surroundings that bothered her as much as her identity crisis, which she has been suffering since childhood.
Rags was born in Kolkata to a Marwari father and a Bengali mother. Shekar Gadhodhia and Sharmistha Bose met as doctors who started their careers together, fell in love and got married. They moved to Delhi when Ragini was 3yrs old. To top up her mixed parentage, she was a Delhi girl in her head and Kolkata girl in her heart. Her both grandmothers also lived with them which created a dichotomy in her upbringing:
Her dadi, Parvathi Gadhodhia: Shekars mother was a pious & orthodox marwari
Her dida, Shobha Bose: Mishty's mother was a liberal and ultra-modern Bengali
She could not bridge the cuture gap as well as her adorable mother Dr.Sharmishta Bose Gadhodhia (mishty). Mishty was a caring wife, responsible daughter & daughter in-law and above all one of the well known gynecologist among the doctors circles. Rags always looked up to her mother as the perfect embodiment of a successful woman which motivated her to pursue medicine.
Rags thoughts were interrupted by a loud Skype call on her phone. Her sleep flew away when she checked the caller. Excitedly tied her long tresses into a high bun, grabbed for her ear phones and picked the call. She enthusiastically went on blabbering with her animated gestures, like a kid in a disneyland.
At around 7:30AM, when her mother came to wake her up, she saw Rags on phone jumping like a kid. She gave a grim look, put the coffee on the table and left. This upset Rags so much she hanged the phone instantly with a "Bye Di" and halfheartedly drank her coffee alone. She felt shitty to ruin her morning routine with her mother.
At around 7:30AM, when her mother came to wake her up, she saw Rags on phone jumping like a kid. She gave a grim look, put the coffee on the table and left. This upset Rags so much she hanged the phone instantly with a "Bye Di" and halfheartedly drank her coffee alone. She felt shitty to ruin her morning routine with her mother.
On a usual day her mother comes wakes her up either with a kiss or puts the hot coffee cup near Rags fingers so she jolts from the bed. They drink their morning coffee together (always) and gossip about anything and everything under the sun. Today was her bad day. Since Rags mother and father are very busy doctors she only gets the mornings to spend quality time with them and she could not afford to screw it up.
She freshened up, got dressed in a white kurti with red palazzos and a multi color bandhej scarf. She was hoping her mother compliments her but she was having breakfast with her face buried in the newspaper. Rag came to the table, hugged her father from behind and sat beside him. Her face dropped because: One: No one complimented her. Two: Her dadi made oatmeal porridge for breakfast.
Rags: Dadi, she shouted at the top of her voice aap sab senior citizens mujhe torture kar rahe ho.
Everyone at the table smirked and her dida was the first to comeback:
Dida: Parathe aur ghee yeh sab khaati rahegi to teri dadi ki tarah moti ho jaugi. Tum apni choti gaadi mein fit kaise karogi phir.
Rags forcefully gulped down the porridge and went out to meet her sunshine. The most precious gift she has EVER got in life, from the most precious person in her life (her di) when Rags cracked her medical entrance exam in the first go.
A stark red color mini cooper.
Rags to her car: Hi Redsie, missed me baby. She hummed as she sat in the driver seat and carelessly threw her bag, doctors coat and steth in the seat beside. She reached college at 10AM and was too exhausted by the time her labs and ward training finished by 4PM. She forcefully dragged herself to Apollo hospital since she agreed to train the children there for the children's day event which was tomorrow.
Apollo Hospital, 2PM
DP slowly opened his eyes and was feeling his senses as the anesthesia was wearing off. His hand reached the soft palm of his wife AP. She quickly raised her head and signaled him to relax. He was a giant mess of wires and hospital apparatus around him. DP signaled where the rest of the family is. She spoke to him as softly as ever.
AP: Aapke saath itna sab kuch hua aur abhi bhi aap ko ghar ki fikar hai. Mujhe khushi hai ki aapne apna parivar ka saath nahi choda, aap mauth se ladke wapas aye ho hum sabke liye. Maine RP, Su aur saarein bachon ko ghar wapas bhej diya. Aur waisey bhi doctor ne ICU mein ek se jyada family member ko allow nahi karte hai.
DP nodded understandingly. He spoke and his once commanding voice now boiled to a mere whisper.
DP: Mujhe maaf kardo Annapurna. Hum haalathon ke saamne kamzor pad gaye aur saare parivar ko itna ghabrahat pahuchayi.
AP susshed him.
DP: Mujhe Adar, San aur Laksh se milna hai aaj.
Apollo Hospital, 4PM
Adarsh comes to meet his father. AP warns him not to stress his father out and excuses herself from the ICU saying she will go to the hospital canteen.
DP: Dekho beta mujhe tum par bahut garv hai. Lekin abhi hamare business bahut uljhano mein fas gayi hai.
Adar: I know papa. Chachaji bata rahe the ki kal kaise hamara saara cargo ka ship samundar mein doob gaya. Abhi 4Cr ka nuksan hai.
DP: Mujhe lagta hai ki abhi Sanskar se behtar hamara business aur koi nahi sambhal payega. Lekin khandan ka bada beta tum ho, tum hamari raay se sehmat nahi ho to abhi humko batao. Agar tumhe khud par bharosa hai...
He hold his father hand to stop talking.
Adar: Papa mujhe pata hai mein academics mein aur achievements mein Sanskar jitna qualified nahi hu. Jis din mainey apna B.Com se drop liya ussi din mainey decide kiya ki mujhe hamare mills mein kaam karne mein jyaada maza aata naa ki leadership mein, na apne international clients ko sambhal ne mein. In fact mujhe behind the screens hi rehna hai zyada matlabi nahi ban na hai. So aap jo bhi decision loge mein sehmat hu. Lekin apne ek baar ke liye bhi Laksh ko consider kiya hai?
DP is silent. Adar understand the silence, waits till his mother is back and leaves.
Apollo Hospital, 6PM
Rags sped into the hospital basement and she had to do parallel parking. She took a deep breath and swerved to the right when at once she heard something break.
Rag: No, no no. Redsie, sweetie not you cannot get hurt.
She got down the car and started shouting at the top of her voice like a rowdy.
Rag: Kaun hai woh andha jo mere Redsie ko peeche se maara.
In the white Honda Sedan behind, it was none other than La behind the wheel and San was sitting beside him.
San: Lucky (this is what San calls Laksh, pyaar se) yeh tune kya kiya aur who bhi ladki ke gaadi ko. Ab koi scene create hoga toh log hame hi blame karenge.
La: Bhai, don't worry. Girls don't know how to drive and this girl is a maniac. Aur yeh Redsie kaun hai.
La steps out of the car, removes his shades and bangs his head against his car when he sees whose car he dashed. Rag on the other hand comes and stars punching him really hard on his shoulder.
La: Ouch..
Rag: Peekar chala raha tha kya
La: Mein din mein nahi peeta. Omg Dr.Ragini aap doctor kam aur daayan jyada ho.
San observes the ruckus and comes out of the car.
San: Shit lucky, tune iss mini cooper ki haalat kharaab kardi
Rag: Don't worry I will send the bill to you only.
La: Doctors ki kaam hi yehi hai, bill ke naam se logon ko darake rakh te hai.
San and La start giggling. San goes to Rag asks her for the keys. She reluctantly gives him. He parks her car properly and returns her keys with a smile.
San: Lucky, mein bade-papa se milne ja raha hu. Be nice to her.
La: Agar tumhe park karna nahi aata toh Nano le leti. Itni mehengi gaadi ki kya zarurat hai.
Ragini starts punching him again and La shouts "ouch" once again. San hears their silly arguments as he was walking away and smiles to himself. His smile disappeared at the thought of when was the last time he behaved so silly.
Rag: This car is very sentimental to me.
La: Kaun Redsie, winks. Chill maaro and on a serious note repair ka bill San ko bhej dena.
Rag: You are hopeless. Tell me your phone number, I will watsapp you my bank details and repair bill.
She says that with a friendly smile, La reciprocates the same. They say bye to each other and disperse.
Sanskar in the ICU
Sans went and stood beside AP, and put his hand on her shoulder.
San: Bade-papa aapne bulaya.
DP: Baitho San.
San: Bade-papa, Adar bhaiyya aur papa ne bataya mujhe aapke faisley ke baare mein. Mein aapko promise karta hu, I will take care of all the problems in our business today. I will struggle just as hard to give all aish-aram to the family just like you and papa struggled. Lekin mera ek condition hai. Aapko bahut jaldi thik hona padega aur kabhi bhi mujhe aapka jagah dene ka mat sochna. Mein apne hero se inspire hona chahta hu, unhe replace nahi karna chahta.
AP takes San hand and gives him an assuring smile.
San: Lekin mainey aur Adar bhaiyya ne decide kiya ki kal se Lukcy bhi office ayega. Bahut ho gaya uska natak in the name of freedom and masti. Sorry ki mein aapko itna bluntly bol raha hu. Mein Lucky ko apna life aur apni padhai waste nahi karne de sakta. Mein usse Maheshwari textiles run karne layak banaunga. Mein chahta hu aap usko ek chance do. Adar bhaiyya bhi yehi chahte hai.
DP and AP nod to San. He tells good night to them and was about to leave when Dr.Sh comes for his rounds. San shakes hands with him asks about his bade-papas recovery and leaves hearing the happy note from the doctor. San sees Lucky waiting outside the ICU and sends him in.
Book Talk
Cricket
