The Rivals (Rewriting)

Shot-18

Rishabh gloomily entered his dimly lit bedroom after the very hectic ride from Sanvi's parents house. It was already three in the morning and he had a little over two hours to catch on some sleep before getting ready for practice in the morning. Still in his jeans but tired out of his bones, he was just about to slump down on his bed, when he startlingly jumped up on his toes at the sight of the silhouette of a woman sitting on the rocking-chair near the balcony door. It took him a few seconds to register that he was in big trouble.

"Is this what you do now, Rishi? Sneak out of the house in the middle of the night when I am not home?" Mrs. Rani Singh Rathore's stern face came into light as she switched on the table lamp like any 80s brooding mafia boss.

"Mom! You gave me a start. Why do you always have to sneak up on me?" He complained as she stood up and walked to him.

"I am your mother. I possess the sixth sense of sniffing out any trouble my son stirs up. And I also enjoy catching you in the act, so that's a surplus."

"Mom!" He scrunched his nose up as his mother settled beside him on the bed.

"Stop whining. You didn't answer my question yet. What new trouble are you upto? Where did you go?" Rishabh somehow couldn't muster up the courage to meet his mother's eyes. She was usually the first person he'd go to when he was in any kind of trouble but this was the very first time that he hesitated.

"Ah...hah. Nothing, Mom. Not any trouble, per se... I don't even know what I am doing..and I barely have any words to explain the whole thing." His mother sighed at his calculative demeanor.

"Look at me Rishi..." He was cut off in his speech by his mother's finger on his hesitating lips. He looked up to see his mother's ever strict face transition into the usual sombre expression that he had seen on her everytime she talked with him after a long day.

"Son, I can understand how difficult it must be for you to confide in me. I know I haven't been around a lot eversince your father had to shift to the L City. The work load has been burdening, with all the changes happening around in the Company." Rishabh grimaced with the hint of where the conversation was going. His mother caressed his shoulder while pouring her heart out. "I have been having a lot of issues managing these people at the Company. With your father gone, they still seem to be adjusting to being lead by a woman on the Big Chair. Amidst all these, I can barely make out time to have a full meal with you. We don't watch movies or play around in the backyard like we used to. I don't even ask you how things are at school..."

"Mom, mom please. Why are you making this your fault? You have done nothing wrong. And I completely understand how hard it must be for you at the Company... Hell, you have bags larger than a bee hive under your eyes, for god's sake! If I don't understand your plight as your son, then who even am I? You are working so hard and I am proud of how you are so strong and resilient! It's not even with Dad's departure but you've always been so. Don't try to put yourself down just because you can't spend some time with your grownup son and go get those suckers that underestimate you."
His mother's lips curved into a smile as he spoke.

"Honey...I like spending time with you." Rishabh matched the smile at his mother's reply.

"I know. But now it's time for you to work. We can have our mother-son time when you manage to get the hang of it all and everything settles down. So, no slacking.." His mother hit his shoulder playfully as he imitated her stern expression.

"So...as I was saying. I hope you wouldn't drift away from your poor mother because of our situation. I would seriously drop my work and let the whole company go to hell if I see that this distance between us is making you stray in anyway..." Rishabh banged his palm on his head as his mother crossed her arms against her chest.