Taiji somehow managed to prepare two vegetables and some chapatis by dinner time. Sweating, she huffed as she brought the bowls to Bela's house.
"Yeh kya? Aisa rookha khana banaya hai... dal tak nahi hai... jaa, salad toh kaat ke laa kam se kam." Buaji made a face the moment she saw the minimal spread.
"Bela, zara salad toh kaat le." Taiji ordered as per habit.
"Bina, tujhe kaha hai na... jaa, phataphat leke aa... Bela ko aur kaam hai." Buaji strictly ordered.
Wiping her face with the pallu, taiji carried her heavy body back, muttering under her breath.
By the time dinner was finished, buaji had made her run back twice again... on some pretext or the other.
"Ab jaldi se Naresh ko bula ke laa... kehna mujhe bohot zaruri kaam hai." Phulla bua said after cleaning her hands.
"Lekin buaji, woh Anand babu... agar ek baar..." Taiji tried to remind her that Anand had to go and plead with her husband.
"Anand se baad mein baat karungi... ghar ka bada beta toh Naresh hai na... ussi se pehle sab kuch tay karna chahiye... bula usse... ya fir tu nahi chahti ki main usse bade hone ka haq doon... sunega toh tujhi se naaraaz hoga Naresh." Buaji didn't look at her.
Taiji was in a fix... if her husband came now, it would leave them in a lesser position as according to her plan, Anand needed to apologize and request his elder brother.
"Ab jaa bhi Bina, itna khati kyon hai ki jisse hilne layak bhi nahi rehti." Buaji commanded.
Having no option, she slowly walked to her house... coming back a few minutes later with her husband.
"Buaji, main..." He started the moment he came in... but Phulla bua cut him short.
"Dekh Naresh, tune badappan dikhate hue shaadi mein shaamil hone ka faisla leke bohot achha kiya... mujhe tujhse yehi umeed thi... kyonki ghar mein sabse samajhdaar hai tu... choti choti baaton pe bawaal khada karna toh iss Bina ka kaam hai... tu aisa kar hi nahi sakta... aakhir itna padha likha, jaana maana wakil hai, thodi apni izzat pe koi daag lagne dega apni hi beti ki shaadi se door rehke... chal ab baith yahan... kal subah sagai ki rasm ke liye kuch baatein tay kar lete hain."
Tauji looked dumbly at Phulla bua... he was not left with a choice after what she said... and sat down dejectedly to discuss the program.
"Anand, kal ka khaane ka kaam toh tune halwai ko bata diya hai na?" Buaji waved at Anand and Rakesh to come and sit with her.
"Jee buaji, sab ho gaya hai... woh subah saat baje se shuru kar dega... barah baje tak sab taiyar ho jayega." Anand confidently informed her.
Phulla bua breathed in relief, "Chalo achha hai... Rakesh, tu sab saaj sajawat dekh lena... phoolon se bhar dena poora shamiyana... har taraf khushi nazar aani chahiye."
Rakesh nodded, a small smile on his lips.
She looked at tauji and taiji, giving a piece of paper, "Ab tum dono ko sabse aasan kaam deti hun... yeh lo list... sab mehmano ke naam ke lifafe bana do... har ek ke liye jitne paise likhe hain utne hi daalna... aur haan Naresh, subah jaakar mithai ke dabbe le aana... har lifafe ke saath ek ek dabba dena hoga."
The two people she was addressing stared at her with pale face.
"Arre list pakdo... aur haan Bina, mujhe pata hai tu kitni bhulakkad hai... isliye saare lifafe taiyar karke mujhe dena... ek baar dekh lungi ki tune sahi paise daale hain ya nahi... kuch theek nahi hua toh pehle hi dekh lena chahiye, beti ke sasuraal walon ke saamne naak thodi katwani hai." Buaji said sternly.
