City of Dreams

15.

Go find yourself so that you can also find me. There are Far, far better things ahead than any we leave behind. Shape the world of wellness. Lose your mind to find your soul!

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Silence... A way to repress something, locking it away, shoving it out. It can be taken as an agreement that people make without acting or saying anything about a specific subject or event. The reason, because saying something might have either awful consequences or awkward moment or discomfort about some set of belief, something sacred, something of social principle. Sometimes silence is the worst kind of lie. 

The dinner table was silent! Santhosh felt awkward, Sidharth was fidgeting with his nails. Mom and Shehnaaz were besides them serving food in plate.

"Yahan maun vrath ka competition ho raha hain kya?" Shehnaaz had enough! She had been busy with mom in kitchen and her father never came out of the room, though Sidharth was waiting for him in the living room but didn't dare to ask about his whereabouts. He felt it was best for him to avoid any other embarrassing encounter and discussion with her father.

"Chalo acha hain. I like it ab main bahut baat karungi, khub pakaungi... not food but baatien... heheheee, aur aap sab mujhe suno aur jhelo... Done? Ok done" she gave a thumbs up to everyone, folded up her legs, filled mouthful of portion of food and started her discourse since the day she was born and events around it.

"Toh jab main paida hui na, toh naturally bahut sundar paida hui. Mumma bolthi hain main bilkul gol matol, gori chitti, doll type lagti thi. Bachpan main bahut shant type thi, jayda rothi sothi nahi thi bas dhoodh milta rahe, aur raath ko koi khelne ko ho toh bas aur kuch nahi chahiye hota tha."

"Kyun raat ko soti nahi thi?" mom asked with a smile watching how Sidharth relaxed and how her father had a smile recollecting her childhood.

"Na... Main na puri raat khelthi aur saara din sothi. American time follow karti thi"

Her father chuckled and joined, "Pammi ki morning duty, maa ki evening duty aur meri night duty thi... Shant aur yeh? Huh! Agar roney pe aati toh purra ghar apne sar pe uta leti yeh kudi! Yeh shareef loga nu bewakoof na bana!"

"Oh, chado Papa ji... Aap na jayda chant mat bano. Aapko pata hain mom..." she filled in her mouth with dal and chawal. Her father gave a curious look every time she addressed Sidharth's mother as 'Mom'.

"Papa ne mujhe sixth month main dekha! Mera janam hua Punjab main, Nanke ghar. Papa ji ka kaam Dilli wich. 6 mahine lag gaye unhe mujhe aake milne main. Mere se Jayda important toh into apna kaam lagta tha! Uhmm..." She complained with a pout.

"Phir kabhi dur kiya tujhe maine apne se, bas mere saath hi rehti purre din, purri raat. Jahli thi bilkul. Aapko pata hain behen ji yeh ladkiyon ki tarah kabhi kapde nahi pehenti thi bas meri tarah pant shirt pehenti thi..."

"Sahi hain, hum bhi Sidharth ko frock pehenathe they, photo bhi hain. Dikhaungi kabhi aapko" mom revealed.

"Mom!!" Sidharth yelped.

"Hayee sachi... oh!! Bilkul sona bebu lagta hoga yeh toh! Cutu golu baby. Umaahhh" she gave him a flying kiss neglecting her father's presence.

"Chup, pagal! Mom, dare you show those pictures to her." He yelled, blushing at the attention he was getting.

"You can't stop me. I also have a diary where I have written all my memories of him since the day he was born. Tujhe dikhaungi baad main" she told Shehnaaz.

"Haan..." she blushed and was excited to read that.

"You have a diary?" Sidharth asked surprised as he did not about that fact.