Aditya strolled in the family room to see his mother and Mrs Sharma perusing something in a magazine.
Nandini engrossed in a book, extended on a recliner. ‘What are you reading, Chicken Soup for
the Fool?’ mocked Aditya, dropping down on the
plush ottoman next to her.
‘Nope. I am reading 101 ways of recognising a nut!’ Nandini shot back, still reading.
‘Self-awareness! That’s good reading!’
For an answer, Nandini, slyly, rubbed her chin with her middle finger. Grinning, Aditya turned to his mother. ‘Mom, I’m going away for three months!’
‘Finally some good news! What are the charges?’ Nandini piped, slamming the book shut.
‘Attempted murder of a brainless wonder!’ ‘Ooh! You mean suicide!’
‘Will you both please stop this nonsense?’ Vibha interrupted.
‘Nandini, let Adi speak,’ Shruti said, her tone sharp.
Nandini opened her mouth to protest, but Aditya cut her off. ‘Dad and AB want me to spearhead the new project for our manufacturing sector. For that, offices have to be set up in Big Apple and Dubai. There will be a lot of travel back and forth, so staying here doesn’t really make sense. I’ll be working out of our Mumbai HQ.’
‘When do you have to leave?’ Vibha questioned, her expression glum.
‘Tomorrow morning. Mom please, don’t look like that, it’s just few months.’
‘You won’t understand what a mother feels when a child goes away,’ an empathising Shruti offered. Namit and Meghna had recently moved to Mumbai.
‘Badi Maa, it’s no big deal. GRBR yaar! We’ll have more fun without him.’ Nandini added.
‘GRBR? What does that mean?’ Aditya asked. ‘GRBR means, good riddance to bad rubbish,’ replied Nandini, her tone condescending.
Aditya shook his head. ‘You are so lame! Why do I even talk to you?’
‘Because you’re so needy and pathetic! And because no one else will talk to you. I am just doing charity.’
‘Needy and pathetic! Big words for someone like you. Charity is what I do when I let you sit next to me or touch my CDs and blue rays, which you literally beg for!’
‘The only thing I’ll ever beg for is a knife, so I can do you-know-what- to-you—’
Aditya cut in, ‘How about, I first demonstrate you-know-what-to-you with a knife then?’
‘Enough, both of you!’ Shruti and Vibha hollered simultaneously.
‘Do you both even realise that there are other people around you?’ said Vibha, ticked.
for days without a break,’ said Shruti, shaking her head.
Nandini experienced some awkwardness, so did Aditya. He got to his feet. ‘Mom, I’ll be in the gym. Bye Aunty, bye brainless wonder!’ he said, exiting. This time I win the ‘last insult’ contest, thought Aditya. He broke into a brief victory dance on his way to the gym.
Next day, around 9 am, the phone in the Sharma household rang.
‘Chotu, it’s Adi. He wants to talk you,’ Nirbhay broadcasted to his daughter.
Nandini was engrossed in seeing a sea sponge beat the dear life out of a squid while a squirrel with her head stuffed in a glass bowl, looked on. Sponge Bob Square pants sillies! Nandini watched either cartoons or news while having breakfast.
‘Adi wants to talk to me? He’s on his deathbed or what?’ she whispered, grabbing the receiver from her father who always saw humour in her silly jokes.
‘I heard that!’ Aditya retorted.
‘Why aren’t you here yet? I am leaving in twenty minutes!’
‘Your highness, am I supposed to carry your bags to the car?’
‘Not for me, for mom!’ Aditya barked, hanging up.
‘Papa, I’m going over to the white house (Nandini’s nickname for the Sarin mansion). Aditya is leaving for a few months and I think Badi Maa is depressed.’ Nandini hurried out.
‘Ask her over for lunch. After that maybe all you ladies can catch a movie or something,’ Nirbhay shouted.
‘That’s a great idea!’ Vibha, Shruti and Nandini, did not miss a single movie in the theatres – Hindi, English or with subtitles. No amount of teasing and mocking by the rest of the clan could encumber the movie struck trio.
On entering the living room, Nandini spied Aditya hauling his luggage down the stairs. He looked up on hearing footsteps.
‘Where’s Badi Maa?’
a few things laid on the dining table into his suitcase. Nandini observed him, bemused; she had assumed the servants packed for him or lugged his stuff around.
Aditya looked up. ‘What?’
Nandini shrugged her shoulders and looked away. On cue, Vibha and Paresh appeared from their room. ‘Hello Nandi,’ Paresh warmly greeted her. ‘You’re ready to leave, son?’ he asked Aditya.
‘Yup, where’s AB?’
‘We’ll pick him up from the office. Let’s go!’ Seema bhabhi got a small bowl of dahi and cheeni, which she handed to her Vibha.
‘Take care of yourself; make sure you eat your food on time. Come back soon Adi,’ Vibha sniffed, feeding her beloved son.
‘Mom please! You are so filmy,’ Aditya hugged her.
Next, Aditya hugged his sister-in-law. ‘Seema, take care of yourself... for me.’ In good humour, he received an elbow in the ribs.
Nandini standing next to Seema bit her lip. What should I do if he hugs me, she thought.
Aditya gave her a quick side-glance. He stepped towards her. Nandini stiffened.
‘Take care!’ was all Aditya said and did.
‘You too,’ Nandini murmured, slackening; the fleeting disappointment confounding.
The servants carried the bags to the awaiting car. Everyone except Aditya, who was yapping on his cell, headed outside.
Few minutes later, his father impatiently said, ‘Seema beta, see what is taking Adi so long?’
Seema, a serious horticulturist, was at some distance inspecting the newly laid grass with her mother-in-law.
Poised close to the main door, Nandini offered, ‘I’ll go and check.’ She ventured inside and glanced around. There was no sign of him.
‘Aditya, Aditya, Uncle is calling you!’ ‘I’m right here!’ sounded Aditya’s voice.
Startled, Nandini whirled around. Aditya stood close behind, his eyes fixed on her.
‘Uncle is calling you. You’re... getting late!’ Nandini stuttered, unnerved by the sudden proximity.
Aditya languidly hooked a finger under Nandini’s chin, tipping her face to his. Wary, she stared back.
After a few, kind of like waiting-for-the-needle- to-pause on the weighing scale, breathless seconds of Nandini’s life, Aditya murmured, ‘Try not to miss me too much!’ Briefly, his thumb caressed her chin, the touch so brief that Nandini felt she had imagined it.
Speedily Aditya headed out. Nandini touched her chin, struggling to comprehend the melancholy stoking her.
‘What nonsense! It was nothing!’ Nandini challenged the empty hall, shaking her head trying to free it of someone. When she finally emerged outside, Nandini saw the car leaving the driveway. Her eyes fell on Badi Maa who forlornly gazed at it.
‘Badi Maa, it’s time to open the champagne bottle!’
‘Adi has been away for so many years, I was just beginning to enjoy being a mother to two sons. Now, he is gone again.’
‘It’s no big D, four months will fly like this,’ Nandini snapped her fingers, ‘plus you have me to keep you busy. Remember ME?’
‘Even you’ll get married and go away one day. Then again I’ll be alone!’ Vibha grumbled.
‘Please, now you are purposely thinking of reasons to get sad. Let us go home. Mom is waiting for us. We all are going for a movie after lunch. Shahrukh’s Khan’s latest, Main Hoon Na,’ Nandini said, imitating the ‘hair flicking shoulder touching’ immensely popular move.
‘Oohhh! I like Shahrukh Khan,’ Mrs Sarin, squealed, like a giddy headed teenager.
‘Oohhh! I like him too!’ Nandini squealed right back.