I have switched my usual narrative style in this one. So the story appears to be a blend of the thoughts of both Ishita and Ruhi (I usually write each part from only one person's point of view). The majority of this story, however is about Ruhi & her thoughts.
"Ruhi beta, please finish your homework" her grandmother gently prodded her.
"But daadi, tomorrow is Sunday. I can do it tomorrow no?" the kid replied. She was focussed on combing her doll's hair and was wondering if she should dress her up in a skirt or a lehenga for the weekend.
Toshiji didn't push Ruhi too much. She had never been a strict parent. She had given her kids too much 'dheel' as Mr Bhalla would point out regularly. It wasnt like they'd turned out criminals, she would retort. She was happy with the way her kids had turned out. If not for the Shagun chapter in their lives, the Bhallas had largely been happy. Toshiji looked at Ruhi and thought to herself "I suppose I should be thankful even for Shagun being in our lives in the past. Otherwise I wouldn't have my precious grandchildren". She then told Ruhi it would be OK to not do her homework and she could play with her doll for some more time before dinner.
Ruhi played around for a while and got bored soon. She looked around to see if her Romi chachu or Rinki bua were around. It was a Saturday, so they'd all gone out shopping or watching movies. Ruhi didn't mind being alone at home when they all went to watch movies. She was happy in her own world with her grandparents for company. Saturdays were usually quiet at the Bhalla home, and the best part of that day for her was the weekly phone call with her dad. When she remembered, she dropped her doll on the couch and went running to her room. She opened her school bag and took out the pretty certificate that announced "Ruhi Raman Bhalla - Best Student" and smiled widely. She couldn't believe she'd forgotten to tell her grandparents about it. She ran into their room and found them quietly whispering something.
"Daadi" she screamed at the top of her voice.
"Kya hua bacchha?" Toshiji and Mr Bhalla replied in unison. Whatever they were discussing didn't seem important anymore.
When Ruhi showed them the certificate, she went on to tell them about how she'd regularly excelled at school and how her closest friend was jealous at her. "She didn't speak to me again today Daadi. She always does this when the teacher praises me. See daadi, this one is even better than the last one. It has a picture of a pink ribbon on it. Daadi, do you think in the next standard they will also give me a prize with the certificate?" She didnt notice her granparents' eyes welling up. She wouldnt know why they were emotional. The Bhallas weren't just happy over her achievements, she'd always been good in school. But every few months, when she'd proudly display her 'awards', Ruhi would talk like there was no end to it. She was a very quiet child, but these moments made her talkative.
"Congratulations beta, why didnt you show me this earlier? We could have asked daadi to make some kheer to celebrate. Acchha, koi nahin, when your chaachu comes back, we'll ask him to go to the sweetshop and get whatever you want. You want Jalebis, Gulab Jamun or Rasgulla?" her grandfather asked her.
Before she could reply, her daadi said "oye nahin Bhallaji. Aaj toh icecream mangwaayenge. Romi ko aap call kar do. Woh halwai badaa hi nikamma hote jaa raha hai. Mennu pata hai, aaj kal desi ghee nahin, Dalda istemaal karta hai mithaiyon mein. Maine toh usko acchhe se sunaaya us din. Bolta hai Auntyji, mehengaai bahut hai. Maine kahaa agar ghee nahin daalte to mithaai ka bhaav bhi kam karo phir."
Mr Bhalla looked with fondness at his grand-child, and mock irritation at his wife. "Aap bhi na Toshiji! Mohalle mein aise hi sabse pange lete rehte ho. Ab mithaai lene main jaaonga toh mujhe aur chaar baatein sunaayenge Agarwalji."
"Rehne do ji, aap toh bas mujhe hi bolte rehte ho." his wife replied with mixture of anger and sadness. NOt that it affected Bhallaji; he was now used to drama from her.
The two of them had to stop their bickering the moment they heard Ruhi say "Aaj papa ko phone karenge na ? Unko bhi bolungi main... mujhe koi prize ya sweet nahin chaahiye daadi. Bas Papa ko boliye na ki jaldi waapas aaye. Promise main Good girl banoongi aur roz apna homework theek se karoongi" This time Toshiji could not stop her tears, and Bhallaji had to distract his grand-child with questions about her teacher and friends. The weekly phone call with her father turned out to be like how it was every week. She'd told him about her achievement, he'd congratulated her and told her to get Daadi to buy her a present. Ruhi went to bed again that night not knowing when she'd see her father next.
Sunday morning was the laziest time at the Bhalla house. The maid was responsible for the breakfast. Romi & Rinki slept in because they would have been 'tired' from the Saturday night-outs. Toshiji, although she wouldnt admit it, would sleep in, because at her age, even a couple of loaded colas were more than enough to give her a hangover. And Mr Bhalla used to keep her company in the mornings so she didnt feel like an old-maid who got drunk even on a single drink. He didn't have the heart to tell her that it was their age getting in the way of their fun.
Ruhi woke up the earliest on Sundays. It was that typical habit of a school-going child; up early on holidays and picnic days, but struggling to open eyes on school days. Once the maid fed her breakfast, Ruhi was on the couch, trying to decipher the complicated world of the Maths-Homework. Although she wouldnt admit it, Ruhi was jealous of her best friend too. Ruhi excelled in almost all subject except Maths. She could never add anything that took more than 10 fingers, and the only tables she could ever remember we the ones for 2 and 5. When her teacher used to ask questions in class, Ruhi would sub-consciously slide down so she could avoid any eye contact with the teacher. Her grand-parents had tried, Romi had too, but no one could help her that much. Even Rinki, the nerdiest of them all was usually too busy and serious-looking, so Ruhi would avoid asking her for help. She'd once asked her Simmi bua for help. Simmi had laughed out loud, saying she was the worst among the Bhalla kids, and that Ruhi's future would be brighter if she didnt ask her any math-related questions. Simmi bua however, did provide Ruhi with a crucial bit of information once. She'd just got of the phone with her husband, Param uncle, and wasnt in her usual jovial mood. Ruhi had chosen that inappopriate time to ask her, ""Bua, 7+5 kitna hota hai?""
"Why don't you call up your papa and ask him? He was the Maths star anyway. Your daadi used to feed him almonds every day. She used to give him my share and Romi's too. She used to say, among all my kids, my Raman puttar is the only one who'll every amount to anything. " Simmi had regretted immediately, she hadn't meant to remind Ruhi of her father, but she was amazed by the kid's innocence. Ruhi had gone on to ask her more about her father, and how he did in school. Ruhi seemed amazed to know that her father was studious and won more Best Student awards than her. And to top it all, he was also a math-wiz. Since that day, Ruhi had stopped complaining about Maths and put all her energy into learning it. Not that it helped. She came to the conclusion that she needed more fingers!
She stopped day-dreaming when she heard noise outside. The maid had gone out to throw the trash, and Ruhi could hear some strange noises. She didn't know how to read the clock for time yet, but she knew it was too early for anyone to come to their house. She went to the door and slowly peeked out without stepping outside. She saw a couple of strangely dressed men outside. They had some kind of white garment around their waist instead of pants, and they had some kind of white teeka on their foreheads. They spoke in a language Ruhi didn't understand. They seemed to be looking down the stairs and calling someone.
Ruhi then turned around to see who was coming up the stairs. There were two women, dressed in colourful sarees, with jewellery and flowers in their hair. They had pretty matching purses in their hands. The older woman was mumbling something, and the younger one said in mix of Hindi & English, "Amma, please, let's see the flat no. Like the agent said, at this price, this flat is a steal. You won't get anything cheaper and better Amma. Please, and it's also close to our house, imagine we can see each other more". That seemed to have placated the older woman a bit. Ruhi was instantly reminded of her teacher when she heard the younger woman speaking.
They were soon followed by a man who looked nothing like them. He looked 'normal' to Ruhi, he was wearing pants, and was speaking in Hindi, telling the men "Mr Iyer, chalo andar chalein, aapko flat dikhaa deta hoon. Waise bhi aaj dhoop nikli hai to you will be able to see how the house looks in natural light. And you call tell me if you want it repainted, with whatever colour of your choice"
"Aiyyo Vishwa, wait na. Ishu is still parking her car. Let her come and we can go in together" the older lady said in Hindi.
"Vandu, get your Amma inside. Otherwise she will wait for a muhurtham to do everything and we'll never find a new home. I only have a few weeks before I retire" the older uncle said.
Ruhi was still standing inside her home, but watching these new people keenly. She realised that she'd get new neighbours soon and she wouldnt want to miss the new faces. She was a bit disappointed that they didnt seem to have any kids or pets (she'd secretly wished for pet, and someone older than Ananya to play with), and moreover didn't seem to speak Hindi very well. She mentally noted all their faces, their expressions and their attire, for she was sure her Daadi would want to know all the details later. Her daadi's curiosity about neighbours was legendary. Daadi was very close with the people who lived there earlier. The aunty was in Daadi's kitty party group, and Ruhi would also go play with them whenever she felt like it. The doors of both flats used to be open and Ruhi used to come and go into both homes as she pleased.
She was startled when she heard someone suddenly "Hello beta, kya naam hai aapka?" Ruhi hadn't even realised that everyone had gone into the flat and someone had walked up the stairs. She immediately stepped back, embarrassed that she was caught. But she couldnt take her eyes off the newest arrival. She seemed youngest in that group of strangers, and she wasnt wearing a saree but a salwar suit. She wore minimal jewellery and had a small bindi on her forehead. What amazed Ruhi was the length of this lady's hair and the size of her smile. Ruhi couldn't help but smile dreamily at the woman that looked like an angel. A part of her wanted to close the door and go back in, Daadi wouldn't like it that she spoke to strangers. But the other part of her wanted to find out more about her possible new neighbour.
The woman understood Ruhi's hesitation. "Don't be afraid beta. Let me start, I am Ishita Iyer. Aapka naam kya hai? and how old are you?"
"Ruhi, and i am somewhere between 5 & 6 years old. I don't know exactly. Mujhe count karna aata nahin hai", the kid replied with the innocence of a child who's not afraid to declare she is not good at something. Or maybe it was the kindness in Ishita's eyes that made her open up like that.
Ishita looked at the kid and forgot what she was there for. She didn't realise her parents, sister and jeeju had gone into the flat, and she was supposed to go in to. Any way, her parents wouldnt decide anything without knowing of her wishes. But she couldn't move away from the shy kid. In her mind, Ishita convinced herself that she was delaying going into the flat because it was important for her to know her neighbours more than checking the flat out. She smiled at her logic and went on to question the child "aapke ghar mein koun koun hai beta?"
"Daada, daadi, Simmi bua, unki baby Ananya, Romi chachu aur Rinki bua" Ruhi said, involuntarily counting her family members on her little fingers, as if she would forget someone.
"aur aapke Mumma Papa?" Ishita prodded naturally. She wasn't prepared for the change in the little child's face. She suddenly felt sick, recognising the loneliness in Ruhi's eyes.
"Mumma Ashok uncle ke saath rehti hai Adi bhaiyya ke saath aur Papa Mumbai mein rehte hain" Ruhi said, visibly ashamed of her family dynamics.
Ishita knew better than to force such a delicate subject, so she changed the topic "acchha aap kounsi class mein padhte ho? aapka favourite subject kounsa hai?"
Ruhi became more animated now "saare subjects mere favourite hain, but not Maths. Maths mujhe bilkul acchha nahin lagta." Ishita saw a familiar expression on Ruhi's face when maths was mentioned. Before she could say that Math wasnt her favourite either, Ruhi added "but Simmi bua kehti hain ki mere papa Maths acchhe se karte the. unko maths mein first aane ke liye school mein prize bhi milta tha"
Ishita couldn't help but smile at the innocent child, who was shy to introduce herself but not shy enough to stop bragging about her father. Ishita felt a similar pride for her father too. That reminded her, "Aiyyo, I have to go in now. It was nice to meet you Ruhi beta, and acchhe se maths padhna, bahut useful hota hai" Ishita turned her back to the child and was just about to get into the empty flat when she heard "Ishita aunty, aap rehne aaoge kya idhar?"
Ishita was sure she heard a tone of pleading in that voice, and she couldn't deny her own heart's acceptance of that plea. But she coulnd't, in her right mind, promise anything, so she just said "Dekhte hain beta."
When Ishita went into the flat, she found her mother mumbling about the lack of kitchen-storage space. Her father was silently checking all the taps and door hinges as if those were the most important part of the house. Bala jiju was asking the agent about the previous owners, and about the history and age of the building. Vandu akka, bless her heart was actually looking at all the walls and talking to herself about where everything would go and how it could all be arranged. Ishita went through the motions with all of them. She asked questions about the building, the maintenance charges, the security, the brokerage, the registration charges, the traffic into and out of Mayur Vihar. She mentally counted the time it would take her to drive to her clinic, she enquired about the nearest markets so her parents wouldnt have to walk too far, and they wouldn't have to haggle with the auto-drivers for short-distance fares either. She asked all the right questions, but didnt really register any of the answers. She'd been conflicted about visiting flats, she was very attached to the govt quarters they lived in. She knew they had to move when Appa retired, but some how, none of the flats they'd seen earlier seemed good enough. For some reason, Appa had liked the location of this one, and there wasn't really anything that said 'un-livable' about this flat. Somehow, none of that seemed important enough anymore.
When she was driving her parents back home, she heard them talking to each other. Appa went on about how the area was good, but the asking price was 5 lakhs above their budget, he wouldnt want to dip into the kitty they'd made up for their daughter's marriage. Amma had an 'Existential' problem, "the society is full of Punjabis" she said with the corner of her pallu automatically making its way over her nose, as if the mere mention of Punjabis evoked the smell of chicken and what not. Ishita smiled, she didnt really care. She'd felt at home in that empty flat. "Appa, if and when I do get married, I'll take out a loan for 5 lakhs if my dowry falls short. and Amma, Delhi is full of Punjabis. You want an Iyer-only society, then maybe you'd have to move back to Mylapore (a predominantly conservative Iyer area in Chennai). But you'd have to go alone, because I am not coming with you."
Her parents looked at her incredulously. It was unlike their daughter to make grand declarations of any sort; let alone dowry and leaving Delhi."what are you saying Ishita?" her father asked.
"Appa I am saying I like the place. Even if they don't budge on the price, we should seriously consider buying it."
Appa just nodded, glad for such a decisive daughter, he'd never missed having a son. and Amma was secretly happy her daughter had said "If and When" to marriage, and not just "If"
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