Forever yours

Sapnon ka Saudagar

Ok dearies! I have to apologise for making you wait long again. But trust me, this story is so close to my heart that I don't pen or publish it till I feel I did adequate justice. So, hoping to not disappoint you and without further ado, here it is. Please read and enjoy and don't forget to comment, good or bad.

Part 30

The early morning routine was like any other holiday on a Saturday. Sameer had just returned from his customary jogging and exercise cooling off under the fan. Chachiji was bustling around doing her usual household chores preparing breakfast and tea. Naina had just woken up and was fidgeting with brush and toothpaste tube with one hand unsuccessfully as Preeti wasn't paying heed to her sister's wake up calls.

Naina walked out to the hall to ask someone's help. The toothpaste tube was almost over and had been pressed out and the remanants almost exhausted that usual human power would not be able to extrude out anymore of the White Colgate paste from the metal tube which now had more wrinkles than a 100-year-old bipedal mortal.

Naina, with the tube and the big scissor in one hand, sought Chachiji's help "Chachiji, brush karna hai, isko please kat do".

"Haan...la...par bruce bhi toh le aa...".

"Uhh haaan...Naina was scampering away to fetch the brushes when Chachiji hollered "Arre apna aur Preeti donon ka le aana".

When she came back with both in hand, Chachiji's tea water was on a boil and the oil was almost sizzling for tempering to make poha in the breakfast.

"Chachiji...." Naina was waiting impatiently.

"Bhagwan jhooth na bulvaye beta, ruk ja, mere dou hi haath hai...woh Kumbhkaran ki Nani ko utha...chutti ke din jab tak sar par paani na pade uthegi nahi", Bela berated her younger one.

Sameer walked behind Naina and picked the tube and scissor from the kitchen platform, gently snaking an arm around where she was standing without startling anyone "ah..b...main karta hoon".

"Haan haan...ja beta, Sameer ki hi madad le le. Tere Chachaji toh Pooja ke baad jab tak paudhon mein paani nahi dalenge, nashta bhi nahi karenge".

Naina followed Sameer outside in the hall. He was holding the tube in left and the scissor in the right but had no clue as to what to do with the equipment.

Eyeing his confusion, Naina advised "kaichi se tube ke side pe kaato, par aadha hi kaatna, dou tukde mat kar dena".

He cut exactly as she directed. Then, she forwarded the brushes close to the cut and asked him to squeeze a small amount on both the brushes. He was amazed at this new technique of salvaging the left over product, which he observed was a substantial amount. All he knew was that the tube is squeezed to ooze some paste on the brush and when squeezing stopped yielding the desired quantity of the product, it is discarded. Neither he had seen nor anyone had ever told him that a wrestling match with the tube is warranted which would help in building biceps and training for deep breathing contorting all the facial muscles.

"Aaj fir tumne mujhe kuch naya sikha diya...toothpaste ko tube se bahar nikalne ka naya tareeka", he cocked his brows in appreciation.

Naina immediately corrected his assumption "bachi hui toothpaste...jab aisa lage ke tube khatm ho gayi tab bachi hui aise nikal sakte hai...waste karne ki kya zaroorat hai!" (the promo scene indeed needed some credit). She gathered everything from his hands and scampered away to wake up her sister and complete the morning rituals as Chachiji was already hollering that tea and breakfast were almost ready.

A while later Chachaji switched on the radio for morning news, which announced the oath-taking ceremony of the new PM, Mr. Chandrashekhar.

Chachaji commented "fir se Pradhan Mantri badal gaye. Ab Chandrashekharji naye Pradhan Mantri hai".