A day
He was sleeping till late
evening, he got up, Mom: “Varun, beta
neend poori ho gayi?”…. She caresses his careless streaks of hair falling
on his forehead, says: “Bachhe soja, kal
raat ko late aaya tha”. Varun dozes off.
Shivani was sleeping till
late in the morning, she gets up, Mom: “Shivani,
dopahar tak uth jaati tab tak mein saara kaam akele hi kar leti”….A loud
thumping on the floor while mom walks and her tone takes a sharp turn. Shivani
gets up at once, rolls her bedding quickly and moves to the wash basin.
Another Day
He was studying in the
afternoon, Mom: “Varun, bacche khaana kha
kar rest karle, garmi me kahan padhai hogi”…. She hands him over a glass of
Roohafza and says “peele relief milega”.
Shivani was watching a
matinee laying on a couch after the exhausting 2 hours of cleaning the almirah,
sipping nimbu-paani she had made herself to relax…..Mom : “Humein rest karna hai…aankh me light lagti hai….TV band kar”.
Another Day
He announces, “Mom, mere friends bula rahein hain, sham ko
ayunga”, Mom: “Bete…. Kuch kha toh le…aur
ye le bijli ka bill jama kara diyo”. Varun, is already gone, and the bill lays
unattended in the drawer. Mom smiles, says: “Buddhu
Baccha.”
She asks, “Mummy, meri friend aa rahi hai, aap kuch
bana doge”, Mom: “Itni badi hogyi hai,
khud kab seekhegi…”. Shivani calls
the friend, “yaar, mom ke sath kahin
jaana pad gaya hai, phir milte hain kabhi….sorry”
Another Day
Varun’s birthday. Mom: “Le bachhe (hands over cash), happy birthday….kam
pade toh le liyo aur”. Varun is too excited, calls his friends and is off
to a pub.
Shivani’s 12th
standard result is out. She is very happy, she just bagged 93.7% in
Commerce. Mom hugs her, says “Very Good….. ab kal se khaana seekh ab
college jaane lagegi”. Shivani either had no expectation for a gift or
money. She is satisfied, “Shayad aaj
mummy kheer hi bana lein”.
Another Day
Mom is sick today… “Varun, bete ye medicine laade, papa toh
late ayenge”. He raises eyebrows looking at the heat outside and says “Yaar abhi so jao, dhhoop kam hogi toh laake
de dunga”.
Mom: “Haan, me thik hu….bahar garmi bohat hai”.
Shivani rushes to
almirah, gets her cotton stol, wraps around her face and head. Picks money that
mom had put beside her pillow where she lay.
Returns with a pack from chemist and hands over with a glass of lukewarm water.
Shivani: “Varun,
awaaz kam kar T.V ki, mummy ne abhi dawai khayi…so rahi hain”.
Mom gathers herself somehow: “Bechare ko dekhne de, me thik hu…varun awaz
nai aa rahi beta…dekhle tu”.
Shivani picks up the
empty glass of water, puts the pack of medicines in the drawer, notes the time next for the next doze for mom.
She moves to the kitchen.
Just Another Day
……….
