How I Married Your Mom

Chapter 22- Uff! The Work Load

"Arey Dad, it is that Jiya Mathur." Rahul screeched in amazement. The man on the other end of the phone chuckled. "Yes, she is. But, not Mathur, remember, she is married now?" Harsh cautioned Rahul. "Dad, whether she is married or not, it does not matter. What matters is that am gonna fight against her. She will now see who Rahul Oberoi is." Rahul had an ambitious glint in his eyes.

"You know the plan, right?" Harsh asked. "Yeah, I've to give her loads of work and make her tired to such extent that she will herself resign." He completed with a wide grin almost breaking into fits of laughter. "Yeah, but remember don't leave any room for sympathy or empathy or whatever. Our goal is to capture that hospital and we will definitely do that." Harsh chirped. 
"But, Dad who is she married to?" Rahul asked and Harsh silenced for a moment. He did not want to crack the news, not so soon. 

"You are now the senior of that bloody hospital. Find it out on your own, son." He covered up. Rahul sensed some tension and fear which was quite evident in his father's voice. He smiled confusedly but anyhow hung up after saying a warm 'bye' as he saw Jiya coming towards his cabin.

"May I come in, Sir?" She politely asked standing outside his cabin. "Ohh, it's just Rahul for you." He smiled and motioned her to enter. "Umm, this is your coffee. I hope you'd like to start your first day in this hospital with this." She smiled. "Very soon, very soon, Jiya. It will be your last day in this hospital." Rahul thought and smiled darkly.

"Uhh, that' so sweet of you. Well, I hope it's not black coffee?" Rahul began his plan. "Umm, it is. You don't like black coffee?" Jiya was shocked as every man she had ever met in life drank black coffee. From her dad to her husband, everyone. "I hate it. Please bring low fat soy caramel latte with an extra shot of espresso." He ordered her with a dismissive smile and went back to his work. 

Jiya stood there confused. Was whatever he told, the name of a coffee? She didn't get even one word of that. "Jiya?" Rahul tried to grab her attention. Jiya came out of her reverie and looked at him confused. "Please, soon. Thanks." He motioned her to go through his eyes and Jiya immediately left. 

"Give me one-----one, one---" Jiya forgot the name of the typical coffee. "What do you want, Madam ji?" The canteen guy asked. "Haan, woh---ek minute haan, main menu dekh lun?" Jiya asked sweetly and lifted the menu card to go through it. She found the name of the coffee and pointed out to it. "I want this. One cup." The guy nodded, bowed and left. She sat there, waiting for him to bring her the coffee.

"Woah, what are you doing here? Anyways, the senior is hot, right?" Varsha teased. "Hot, my foot!" Jiya hissed making Varsha flinch. "Language, Jiya. He is our senior." "Arey, senior gaya khadde mein. He's so strange. He drinks a typical type of coffee. What was that? Yes, 'soy caramel five star dairy mill latte espresso and all that stuff'." Jiya sounded irritated making Varsha giggle.

"You're enjoying this. Aren't you?" Jiya asked, narrowing her eyes at Varsha. "Very." Jiya managed to say between her laughs. "Should I go and tell him to irritate you instead of me? Like, should I make you his assistant?" Jiya teased this time. "I would love that!!" Varsha almost shouted and held Jiya's hand. "Can you do that?" She asked. "No, but I can ask your husband Vikram for this." Varsha's excitement fell making Jiya laugh hard.

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"Hello?" Jiya spoke into the phone. "Ahh, Jiya, please bring postmortem record for the patients of last month along with the coffee I asked for." Rahul ordered. "But, Sir the last month's file is kept in the store room. It is already examined and signed, you won't need it." The file was kept somewhere even Jiya didn't remember. She hoped he would let the topic slip. "But, I 'do' need them, Jiya. Bring them right now. It's an order. And, am your senior here. Soon." His voice had considerably raised. Jiya muttered some colorful words and went to the store room.

"Bhaiya, pichle mahine ke postmortem record ka file kahan rakha hai?" She asked the peon. "Madam, lekin woh record toh sign ho gaya hai na, toh ab kyun chahiye?" He asked, confused. "Woh naye senior aaye hain na, unko chahiye. Bataiye na kahan hai?" Jiya requested. "Rukiye, khoj ke deta hoon." The peon started searching for the reports. Jiya started searching too. After almost 20 minutes, they found the correct file. Jiya thanked the peon and went to his Rahul's cabin with the report and the coffee.

"Ohh, so this is the file. Thanks, Jiya." He acknowledged. "Where's my coffee?" He asked, raising his eyebrows. "Ohh, here it is, Sir." Jiya forwarded the cup to him. Rahul smiled and picked it up. He took one sip and started coughing. "Don't you know, Jiya. A coffee is meant to be served hot. I like it hot. And, it's not at all hot." He barked at her. "But, Sir aapne hi toh----" Jiya tried saying something but was interrupted by Rahul. "Maine kya? Don't blame me for anything. Learn to own up to your mistakes, Jiya." He scolded her and Jiya took the coffee promising to bring him a hot one now.

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"Jiya Mammaaaaaaaaa!!!!" Pari squealed as soon as Jiya entered the house. She left her drawing book and colors on the table and rushed to Jiya. Jiya smiled seeing Pari. Her tiredness washed away instantly at one smile from her daughter. Pros of being a mother, she thought. 

Shipra chuckled as Jiya lifted Pari in her arms and kissed her. "Din bhar aapko hi khoj rahi thi yeh." Shipra informed. "Kya Mamma, aap kitna kaam karte ho. Aap mujhe aaj school se pick karne bhi nahi aaye." She tsked at Jiya's behavior. "I am sorry, bachha. Aaj na Mamma ko bahut kaam tha. Itta saara!" Jiya stretched her arms to keep her point. Pari smiled but then concern formed on her face. "Aap yahan baitho, main aati hun." Pari made Jiya sit on the couch and made her way towards the kitchen.

"Kaam kuch zyada hi tha kya, Jiya?" Shipra asked. "Haan, Maa. Woh naye senior aaye hain na. Isiliye, thoda zyada kaam de diya tha unhone. Abhi tak main hi sabse senior thi. Abhi kuch din lagenge unke kaam karne ke tareeke se adjust hone mein, but ho jaayega." Jiya smiled tiredly and looked at Pari who was busy balancing a glass of water which she was bringing for Jiya. Jiya's heart warmed and a happy smile crept up to her lips.

"Water for you. Aap thak gaye ho na." Pari asked Jiya in her babyish voice to which both Jiya and Shipra looked at each other and smiled. "Thank you!" She cooed and consumed it. "Now, am no longer tired. Magic!!" Jiya sounded amused. "My magic!" Pari sounded proud. Another person seeing the exchange was Samarth. Talking on his phone, standing at a distance, he was seeing everything and smiled while going back to barking orders on his phone.

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"Arey, tum aa gayi?" Samarth asked, his eyes glued to the football match being aired on the T.V. "Bahut jaldi aa gayi. Abhi toh sirf 9 hi baje hain. Thodi kripa kar sakti thi hampe, wahin aaj ki raat guzaar kar mujhe sukhi rehne de sakti thi, lekin nahi." Samarth hid his smile. "Achha? Bhale hi aapko mera ghar aana achha nahi lagta, lekin ghar mein aur log hain jinko mujhe dekhna pasand hai. For example, meri beti and meri Maa. Hmm?" Jiya showcased a faint smile.

She kept her bag in the cupboard. Suddenly, she winced at the pain that shot through her head. She remembered she hadn't taken tea in the whole day due to the massive work load. "Ahh!! Mera sar." She held her head in her hands. Samarth looked at her, raising his one eyebrow. She tried to ignore the pain and grabbed a towel and her clothes to go for a shower.

As soon as she came out, the pain shot through her head again and it was becoming unbearable now. She let out a light scream. She looked at Samarth who was busy watching the match without a care in the world. "Koi fikr hai apni patni ki?" She made a face. As Jiya was about to go to see Pari to her room, she noticed Aspirin kept there with a glass of water. Who would have done this act of generosity. She looked at Samarth.

"Ye aapka kaam hai?" Samarth turned around and saw Jiya referring to the tablet. "No, magic!!" He made a fake excitement face and went back to watching the match. "Sachhi sachhi, bataiye, ye aapne yahan rakha hai na? Kyunki maine toh kisi ko bataya hi nahi ki mere sarr mein dard ho raha hai." Jiya mentioned the possibility. "Nahi sach mein magic hai." Samarth dismissed the issue.

Jiya jumped on the bed and hugged him from the back. She pulled both of his cheeks and he let out a chuckle. "Arey, jaadoo aaya tha baba. Wahi rakh ke gaya." He said between his laughs and giggles. "Hmm, Mr. Samarth Jaadoo wale." Jiya laughed as she said that. "It was a magic." "Indeed it was, my Magician." She looked into his eyes, while he got busy with the football game.