Vaaste (short stories)

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Izan was working on a report his father had given when he heard someone knocking on his door "ji?" He called out. The door slowly opened revealing his mother standing on the threshold with an envelope in her hand. "Ji mummy?" He asked confused.

His mother stepped in taking calculative steps towards the table where he was sitting "kaisa hai mera beta?" She asked chirping with a big grin on her face. Izan gave her a smile "kuch hona hai?" Her smile quickly fell off and a blush rose up on her face "mera beta mujhe kitne ache se jaanta hai" she wiped her imaginary tears and sat beside him. Izan chuckled "ji itne ache se ki aapki smile dekh kar pata chaljata hai ki aap yaha neik irade se nahi ayi hai. Bataye kya hua?" He shook his head and went back to the files.

His mother glared at him before fluttering her eyes and forwarding the envelope into his face (literally). Izan stared at the envelope before looking at his mother "ye kya hai?" His mother stared at him "kholo fir pata chal jayega" she blinked. Izan was creeped out by that so he quickly took the paper and opened it. "Ye sab kaun hai?" He said looking at the various pictures of different girls. All of them looked same with powdered faces and creepy smiles. He stopped functioning when he found someone familiar. His eye's widened.

"Ye sab aapke rishte ke liye hai" his head snapped so fast that he nearly injured his neck "JI?" He couldn't help but shout, it was such an absurd situation. He was only 25 for god's sake. His mother gave him a impassive look "ji kya, aap 25 ke hogaye ho ek saal fail but that's okay par abh jab aap kaam karna shuru kar rahe hai toh maine soncha shaadi kyu na karadu" she mentally gave kudus to herself.

Izan looked at her with a wtf face "mummy mujhe Abhi shaadi nahi karni mai uni mai hu abhi! Itni jaldi" he couldn't fathom getting tied to another person for the rest of his life. "Isme se koi pasand nahi ayi? Koi baat nahi mere pas ek aur ek hai" she quickly gave him an other brown coloured envelope. Izan sighed deeply "mummy nahi karni shaadi mujhe aur aap ye envelopes kaha kaha se nikal rahi hai?" He was shocked.

His mother softly slapped his face "ye aapke bhai ke liye thi" she stated with a small smile. Izan was dumbfounded yet again "aapne mere saath saath bhai ko bhi nahi chordha?" He shook his head and opened the second envelop to satisfy his curiosity. His mother's words were muted in the background when he found another familiar face smiling at him. His eyes widened. He held that photo of hers and picked up the another familiar face.

His mother happily eyed the two photos he held in his hands "ye dono pasand ayi?" She asked eager to find out. Izan's heart pounded against his chest, beads of sweat forming on his temple "ye pheli waali" he gave her photo to his mother staring at the other. His mother reached her hand out "aur ye?" Izan looked at her and back again at the smiling face in the picture "ye bhai ko pasand hai" he gave that photo and clenched his jaw. His heart tightening with an unknown feeling.

His mother clapped in excitement "mujhe pata tha aap na nahi bologe aur ye kya mere Isaad ko ladki phele se pasand hai?" Izan dejectedly nodded his mind filled with a million thoughts. His mother shriked in joy and got up "mai Abhi Isaad ko bata kar ati hu" before he could stop her she practically ran out of the room leaving him with his drowning thoughts.

His clutched his hair in frustration.

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Isaad was on his phone when he saw his mother entering his room with a wide grin. He automatically knew something was cooking in his mother's dramatic head. She pulled out the photo without even seeing it and said "ye ladki pasand hai na aapko?" Isaad stilled for a moment before nodding his head, his heart ready to lunge out of his throat. "Lekin aapko kaise pata chala?" He asked bumfuzzled.