THE BROKEN ROAD! (Arshi)

CHAPTER 5

"At times, our own light goes out and is rekindled by a spark from another person. Each of us has cause to think with deep gratitude of those who have lighted the flame within us." – Albert Schweitzer

"Every bite I take from a jalebi - Hahaha- every bite - Hahaha -  I can't say that, because I put the whole thing in my mouth. The Syrup from the jalebi goes straight to the heart.  The heart responds: 'I thank you'.  There is also Rabri. Mm-mm the creamy -"

  I  halt her speech with  a raised eyebrow.  Ever since we sat down—her sitting across from me — she has been going on and on about sweets.  Strangely the conversation started with the weather.  I'm not ready to hear anything again.

"Sorry. Apart from eating sweets, I get so much Joy talking about them. My dream is to open a sweet shop in the near future. I shall call it, Khushi's sweet tooth adventure," she says proudly. 

She throws a strawberry in her mouth. Her action draws my attention to her lunch.  There is a pie, vertical slices of  cucumber,  strawberries, a bottle of water, a small carton of strawberry juice and two medium cups of wild berries yogurt . No sweet.

 I lift my head at her in a questioning manner.

 She is now chewing the slices of cucumber. 

"Four years ago, I was banned from having Sweets from Mondays to Fridays. Unless It's a  birthday or we are having important people over," she says.  "It was a big argument when this happened."

She gets rid of a serviette that was tucked inside her pullover. 

"Mum had won her first big case. So we decided to celebrate. Dad and I thought it was wise to  decorate the table with piles of sweets.  You should have seen the table; it was heaven on earth, I tell you. Before the little celebration began I had already finished a box of laddoo .  Mum was shocked with the decorations. Then she became furious when she realised I had eaten an entire box of laddoo by myself. I was scared. Mum and dad  argued. Mum ended the argument with: 'Imagine what the streets of Mumbai will be singing, Aarti's daughter walks around with yellow - decaying teeth. Not my daughter! Let it be true of some else's child. Not my only child.' Mum gave away all the boxes. My nine- years -old self cried, but mum's words were final."

I stare at her in amazement.

Khushi changes her W-sitting position to sitting flat on the grass. 

"So are you from Mumbai? And is your mum a lawyer?" I ask.

 She beams excitedly:  "Yes and yes. Living in Mumbai since I was two. Originally from Lucknow.  Mum, Aarti, is a criminal lawyer, working  at 'ZZZ' law firm. Dad, Raman, is a surgeon. He works at 'Sir Ganga Ram Hospital'."

"That's nice," I comment.

"I guess. You know Dad's job is the reason why we moved from Mumbai." 

"Is that so?" 

"Yes." She  gives her pie some attention. "He got a promotion. Dad is now a chief surgeon."  She bites the pie again.  "Silly me. I almost forgot." Her eyes sparkles. "I have two boyfriends!"

 I nearly choked on the Rice, I was munching on.  She quickly passes me her water bottle. 

"WHAT?!" I exclaim.

"Don't act so surprise. It's normal," she says casually. 

"It is?" Confusedly I ask.

 "Yeah. The first one is Rajiv Hari Om Bhatia, best known as Akshay Kumar and Shah Rukh Khan(SRK)."