"Yaar...abhi na drive kar raha hun, baad mein call back karta hun", he spoke sweetly and hung up. He was out with his sisters and without letting them know, he had to convey the message to her. It took him a moment's extra effort to not call her "Baby" or use her name, but he could not afford to be leg-pulled by a car full of his sisters and nieces, whom he had taken out on an ice cream treat.
He liked her. He liked her a lot. He liked her more than a friend. Fuck it, he could at least say it out loud to himself, he loved her. But there was a lot to be said, felt, tested, analysed and understood before he could jump on to that boat. And after getting drowned by the sailors of the previous boats, he wanted to take his own sweet time and jump on only when he knew, this was going to be the last ship he would be sailing in.
"Mama, aap ek baar mein sunte kyun nahi ho...", Anya, Neetu Di's younger one yelled from the back.
"Anu, kyunki peeche se na baby, mujhe aapke alawa bhi 4 awaazein aa rahi hain..and mama is driving also na baccha...toh mujhe samajh nahi aa raha hai ki main drive karun, ya pehchanu ki tum me se kaun baat kar raha hai aur phir sochke uska jawab dun...", his sweet sarcasm wasn't understood by the 8 year old girl who thought about it in confusion for the next whole minute.
"Ya phone pe baat karun...?", Vaanya, the older one quipped, sitting next to him at the front. Sidharth smirked looking at her.
"Tum log ab apna boriya bistar baandhoaur niklo sab ke sab...mera event hai, mujhe nikalna hai aadhe ghante me, utho...ghar aa gaya, main yahin park kar raha hun...", he pulled over under his building wing.
"Sid, at least basement tak toh chhod de, warna itna chalna padega...", Neetu Di commanded.
"Sorry bro, chal lo utna aap log, ice cream ki calories burn ho jayengi....Abhi main neeche se wapis nahi laa raha gaadi, mujhe nikalna hai half an hour main...", he said, getting out of the car.
"Sid, what non-sense is this...", Neetu Di argued, but he cut her short with an unrealistically sweet smile.
"Arrey...hamare ghar ki saari ladies are strong, independent women...apne pair chalao ab sab aur niklo. Bohot ghuma diya tum logon ko aaj, ab chalo... bye!", and he brisk walked towards the lift.
Anya, the youngest one and also the mama-ki-chamchi ran towards him "Mamaaaa.....Anu bhi aayegi..." and he ran backwards, amusing her and then, picking her up on his shoulders.
"Bye kar do baaki monsters ko...", he yelled intentionally to irritate this sisters and nieces.
"Oye...no, bad manners Anu", Neetu Di corrected as soon as Anya screamed "bye monsters" to them, but the lift door had closed by then.
"Naaaaniiiiiii..."Sidharth and Anya yelled together entering his home and his mother came rushing out.
"Kya ho gaya...arre, Anu aaya hai!", her face lit up seeing her youngest granddaughter.
"Any, jao ab Nani ka sar khao beta, mama has to get ready woosh woosh woosh...", he handed the child over to his mother and kissed her noisily. He then moved over to give a noisy kiss to his mother as well.
"Shehnaaz ka phone aaya...tune uthaya kyun nahi?...", his mother asked.
"Accha, aapse shikayat lagai?...Arre, gaadi me ye mastano ki toli thi, kya baat karta...abhi late ho raha hai, award function ke liye nikalna hai...aapka kya plan hai raat ka?...", he asked her, quickly untying his laces.
"Main jaa rahi hun bas tere jaate hi Neetu ke ghar...aaj main wahin rukungi...tu bhi aa jana, wahi nahi toh?...", she asked him.
"Haan Mom, main aa jaunga, ghar pohonch jaunga wapis 7-8 baje tak...dinner ke liye wahin aa jaunga...", he said and left in a rush.
