PART 4
WEDNESDAY
My bedroom
3:30 p.m
Few years back I had invented a new
personalized version of the famous saying, 'man proposes god disposes'. It
happens to be called 'geet proposes babaji disposes'. Not only it fits in most of the situations in
my daily life very aptly but also helps me to connect with babaji. It usually
happens when i successfully manage to piss off babaji, or when babaji feels that
his control over me somewhat loosening. Not that I blame him, sometimes even I
feel I am losing control over my life, but no, it has nothing to do with
delusion of control; a form of schizophrenia.
So today when I reached home,
completely in a state of euphoria at the prospect of having a sleepover after
such a long time, I 'smelled' trouble in the form of pungent smell of spices. Sniffing
my way to kitchen I found mamma cooking on all the four burners of the stoves.
Two were occupied with two different dishes of paneer, most probably with
paneer pasanda and kadhai paneer , one with what looked like moong dal ka
halwa, and the last pan contained mix vegetable, if I go by the thousands of
vegetable that were tossed in it (excuse my feeble knowledge regarding culinary
related topics). And like cherry on top was my mother's anxious expression as
she violently kneaded the flour. Now, my mother is one of those woman who just
love cooking, it doesn't whether whatever she cooks is eaten by anyone or not,
infact cooking is her favorite hobby. Her hobby turns into a nightmare only
when some hi-fi guest is going to grace our home and she has too cook too much
too quickly and not to forget that it has to be utterly delicious. So as I took
in the scene in front of my eyes I knew someone important, one of daddy's
friend or colleague was going to haunt us tonight (well, not literally but
figuratively) which also meant that all the family members are needed to be
present here tonight, as one happy family cum gracious hosts, and that my
sleepover plans were very conveniently chopped off by my father and his
impending guest.
GREAT.
ABOSULETLY PERFECT.
I AM ON CLOUD NINE!!! HAHAHAHA!!!
<BREATHE IN '..BREATHE OUT>
ARGHHH!!!!!!!!!!!
'Geet have you changed??' I hear my mother
shouting from the kitchen. Sighing dejectedly I close my journal and take out
my clothes from the cupboard to change. After witnessing the horrific sight in
kitchen I was almost paralyzed with anger and disappointment when mamma had
took notice of me. Too preoccupied with her cooking, she hadn't paid any attention
to my immobile state or to my skewed face and had asked to change immediately
and have my lunch so that I could help her with preparations. Though my initial
reaction was to say 'do hell with your preparations and your guest' but then I thought
better of it and agreed to help.
I can now very proudly say that I am one of
those people who put their knowledge to practical use. In one of our psychology
lesson related to therapies used in treating disorders we were taught about differential
reinforcement.
It is a technique used in behavior therapy
wherein a positive behavior is rewarded and negative behavior is punished, or
sometimes ignored, as in a case of tantrum throwing child. Now, putting that
knowledge in my present situation I realized it was better to help her rather
than defy her. Afterall there are chances of her allowing me to go for the
sleepover when she is pleased than when she is irked. So after having apple for
my lunch (yes I am still keeping my resolution) and changing my uniform I set
out to be the dutiful daughter who helps her mother in household chores and head
off to the kitchen.
I really hope this differential reinforcement
works and my positive behavior is rewarded by allowing me to HAVE MY SLEEPOVER.
WEDNESDAY
10:30 p.m
My bedroom
OMG!!!
OMB!!! <OH MY BABAJI>
OMG!!
OMB!!
Has it really happened?
Am I getting delusional'omg'am I turning into a
schizophreniac???!!!
Okay do not panic.
Everything is fine.
<breathe in'breathe out'relax>
Ofcourse I am no mad girl. Everything is fine
with me, its babaji who wants to play games with me as if he got short of
companions up there. I mean there are more than thousand gods and goddesses in
hindu mythology, can't he share his boredom with them rather than lashing out
his bizarre game plans on me .sometimes I actually fail to understand him.
Huppp!!!
Moving on to the point.
So, I was very effectively and efficiently
helping mamma (if you chuck out the part where I almost added salt in the kheer
or the part where I was about to add milk in biryani rather than curd'but never
mind these minor little mishaps as they don't count if you look at the broader
picture) and we were almost done, just the salad remaining, when the front door
opened and I heard the sounds of people talking in the hall. It seemed that
whoever the guest was, had arrived and the tirade was to begin so I practiced to
assemble my features into what looked welcoming and gracious. Then the noise
somewhat subsided, so I presumed everyone was settled in the living room, and
maybe by babaji's grace I won't have to face them soon enough. (I am tired of
putting fake smile on my face when what I actually want to do is sulk.) So I
got back to task in hand, that was extruding mayonnaise from the tube for
dressing the salad, when again, yes again I heard some footsteps proceeding
towards the kitchen. And while still trying to squeeze the mayonnaise out of
the tube( as it was almost depleted), I turned around just to see who had
entered my safe paradise when I came face to face with'..the hunk himself'.MAAN
SINGH KHURANA. And if you think that was enough to make my eyes pop out of my
sockets and to embarrass me to core
(hello I was dressed like a zombie in my faded shorts which made my butt
look broader and my XXL size superman t shirt which made me look like a hanger,
not to forget my curly hair which looked ropes hanging from my head), then
think again, because the next thing I knew was mayonnaise spluttering all over
my face. it just so happened that while I
was busy trying to conjure what he was doing in my kitchen or whether I was
dreaming or not, the tube decided that the pressure of my fingers were just
enough to let its content come rushing out and land on my face( well it was
then I realized that the tube's mouth was in the direction of my face).
Once again I made a fool of myself in front of
him. Though he didn't laugh at my condition or even cracked smile <instead
he apologized for scaring me'.can you believe it!!!!>, but I am sure he must
be thinking what a clumsy little dumdum I am.
p.s did I tell you that the look in eyes, when
he had apologized for scaring me, was well a bit familiar'.
'Geet, have
you changed'? I hear mamma banging on my door.
'Umm..yea
mamma'just coming out' I reply hastily as I close my journal and run to the
washroom to check myself in the mirror ( I look better in washroom mirror than
in my dressing table mirror'. light effect I guess). Making sure that there are
no remnants of mayonnaise on my face I dash towards the door but then stop
short as panic takes over, paralyzing me.
What is he doing at my home?
How am I
going to face him after that mortifying situation'??
Suddenly I
am not interested in anything, the dinner, the sleepover, his mysterious
presence at my home or the strange familiarity of his eyes'nothing. All I want
to do so lie under my duvet and stay there forever.
'Geet, beta
come out I need your help' mamma voice again jumps in through the door and I
resignedly realize that I won't be getting the comfort of my bed after all.
*****'
'Hello
uncle' I smile as I keep the refreshments on the center table. Maan is sitting
on a sifa opposite to me but I dare not look in his direction. I keep my eyes
resolutely fixed on the curtain behind him, as they all continue to chatter. I am
still clueless about the reason behind his presence tonight.
I was
studying the pink grey pattern on the curtains when dad's question boomed into
my ears, 'Geet, do you remember viraan uncle.'
This is a
question which dad asks me everytime any of his special friends arrives. He
claims that I have met his EVERY special friend in sometime in the past, and
everytime I am at loss of words. The time to which he seems to refer is almost
like dark ages to me. Now, how am I suppose to remember all the uncles and aunts
that I have met when I was possibly five or six years of age!!!!
'Ummm'no' I
give my usual answer.
They all chuckle
at me, including maan and I don't know what it is that they are finding so
funny. Did I crack a joke?
'Areee..Geet
beta don't you remember me???' viraan uncle asks this time, disbelievingly. I nod
my head in negative. If he only he knew that I wasn't even aware of his name
until dad has mentioned it.
Uncle and
my dad laugh again, while maan just smiles, a knowing one.
Now am I missing
something??? They all are laughing and smiling as if he practically lives in my
home and I am feigning that I haven't even seen him once.
'Okay I will
give you a clue' viraan uncle says excitedly 'a jug of water and daal'.
A jug of
water and daal??? Is he trying to play the da Vinci code with me??
Is it
supposed to be an anagram or something'.wait'..a jug of water and daal!!!
A distant
memory suddenly resurfaces in my consciousness.
I dart my
eyes towards him and then at maan'
It can't be'..oh shit!!
******
PART 5
OKAY GUYS HERE IS THE FOURTH PART, HOPE YOU ALL ENJOY...
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Edited by richiiiii - 13 years ago
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