LMLMs and Yummies - Nostalgia

Leher heard the song too, as she explained to Ankur the method to resolve a math sum he was having difficulties solving. She knew Abeer was waiting at the chath, and smiled inwardly she thought of all the jokes Abeer would crack if she walked out to that song. She must remember not to laugh too much, she thought. Coz once you laugh at Abeer's jokes, he'd keep cracking PJs after PJs just to make you laugh.. She chuckled as she thought of his PJs and how he made her laugh... earning a confused/curious look from her bespectacled cousin. "Uh.. did you get how to use that formula, Ankur?"  she asked, trying to keep a straight face. "Yes I did Guddan didi, but I have a question. Do you think that---"  Her cousin carried on, oblivious to Leher's urgency to get this over with.

Bansi kaka's radio however, wasn't so oblivious. It went on to sing "Aajare O mere dilbar aaja" to "hum intezaar karenge" to some more songs that were filled with longing and passion. Currently it was singing "yeh duniya, yeh mehfil, mere kaam ki nahin". Great! A telepathic radio.. but thats no time machine,Abeer thought tapping his foot impatiently as he sat on the divider wall of their chaths. All those minutes he killed waiting couldn't be fast forwarded. What was taking her so long? he wondered as he looked at his cell phone, that showed the time as 10.30. She was taking so long to get here... and before they spent 15 minutes together, she'd want to go back as she had classes early in the morning. All this time he spent waiting wouldn't mean anything at all to her... Girls have absolutely no time sense, he decided. They never understood how important it is to be on time, and not make your lovers wait... "whr r u? Im waitin" He texted her. His impatience grew to apprehension when there was no reply. He walked back and forth, rubbing his forehead, hoping everything was allright at Mathur house.

Leher would've been proud of the way Ankur expressed his doubts and asked for clarifications  any other day. Any other day,but today. Today she was exasperated, and struggled to keep a clam appearence as she answered his doubts and end their discussion. Her nerdy cousin, however, was determined to be the next pythagoras or archemedis and he shot questions at her with a speed that would put an AK 47 to shame. Was Abeer still waiting? what must he be thinking? was he calling on her cell phone? Oh god, her cell phone! She mentally smacked herself for leaving it in her room... "Uh, Ankur, its getting late and I have classes early morning. can we continue this tomorrow?" She asked, acting like she was stifling a yawn. "Sure guddan didi, just explain this one, and then I'll go" he said. He seeriously needed friends, she thought as she proceeded to look in the book while mentally calculating the time needed to explain the solution.

Bittan was getting ready to bed as she noticed Abeer's name flashing on her sister's cell. She went outside of the room, and found her sister was still helping Ankur. She waved to get her attention, but failed. After a bit of indeciveness, she picked the call. "Abeer bhaiya?" 
"Bittan, tum?" Abeer straightened.. "Where's Leher? is everythingOK?" 
"Um.. yeah. Didi is helping Ankur Bhaiya with Math.."
"What? Oh.. I, uh.. well she told me she'd meet me at 10 tonite.."
"She did? oh, she's stuck now... let me see if she's done"
"Dont bother. I'm going to sleep now, so please tell her-"
"Oh, but she's done, and she's coming upstairs!"
"Then please tell her I'll be here exactly for another 5 minutes, then I'm gone.. ok? bye now" Abeer hung up as Leher walked in. One look at her sister with her cell, she asked "What did he say?"
"He said he's waiting for another 5 minutes and then he's going.. Didi, I think he sounded upset.." Bittan said.
"Do me a favor Bittan," Leher said as she ran a brush in her hair and took a peak at the mirror. "Can you keep a watch and alert me if someone's coming? I'll quickly go talk to him..."
"Sure! I dont think anyone'll come, though. But if someone will, then I'll cough ok?" Bittan said, as she sneaked out with Leher. Leher smiled gratefully at her sister and squeezed her hand before hurrying to chath.

Abeer stood there, his back to her, his arms crossed on his chest, and it didn't require rocket science formula to know he was fuming mad. She took a few steps towards him and called tentetively..

"Abeer..."
"Oh, teacher ji, thanks for coming. I was wondering whether your star pupil was going to take all night to learn what you were teaching. Thank god, you could make time for the likes of me here.."
"Abeer, I'm sorry.. I really tried to get out fast, but-"
"Oh sure, but that Gochu needed more time.. thats ok, I have all the time in the world to sit here and listen to songs from Bansi kaka's antique radio.. but please, let that Gochu not miss his lessons because of me.."
"Abeer, you've no idea-"
"Of course I do! Kamal karti ho Leher! How could you let him do this to us, haan? Is it not enough that he constantly puts on his Karamchand jasoos act and tags along wherever you go in college, bus stand and library, now he has to do it in home too? and.. and.. why do you let him? Haan? why cant you tell him to go mind his business? "
"Abeer, its not his fault.. its chachaji who's told-"
"Now you're siding with him??? Really, Leher? "
"No, Abeer-" 
"I cannot believe you actually defended him... Know what Leher? It kills me to know that that Gochu has more power over you than my love.."
"You know its not true... c'mon Abeer!" Leher said, as she saw him look away, still mad. "Nothing," she said softly,"Nothing in this world has more power than your love..."
"Well, it wasn't enough to pull you away from Gochu" Abeer said, still looking away.
"Well, it did pull me away.. I'm here now, aren't I?" She said. "I came here, so late in the night, risking everything just to see you.. and are you going to be mad at me the whole time I'm here?" 
When Abeer didnt answer, she tried to look at his face for any signs of truce, but he deliberately turned away.
"Well, too bad then, you wont be listening to the song I wrote for you..."
That got his attention..."What song?" He asked, without turning.
"Its just this song.. do you want to listen?" She asked, hoping he'd give up and look at her. He didnt. He just said "Maybe".
She sighed. This was going to be tough.. but she was determined.
"Ok, here goes" She cleared her throat, and said in a serious tone..
"Kitne bhi tu karle sitam, has has ke sahenge hum... yeh pyar na hoga kam, Sanam, teri kasam"
"You didnt write that song!!" Abeer accused, trying hard not to laugh.
"Yes I did, in my notebook!! and I wrote it for you... do you like it?"
"I dunno" He looked up, down, sideways, anywhere else but at her.
"Okay.. maybe you'll like it when I sing it properly... here it goes:

Abeer looked at Leher, standing very close to him, her arms around his neck..
"If you think that is going to make me forget that you made me wait here for more than an hour..." He said, with a naughty smile on his lips "Then you're so right!!"
He hugged her tight, and grinned as she squealed in surprise  "I missed you so much.." 
Leher laughed too and looked at his smiling face as he held her, but she heard something else.. coughing... someone was frantically coughing!
"Bittan!!" She said. Abeer looked confused.. "What?!?"
"Oh, its Bittan, someone's coming up, I have to go.." She got out of his embrace and dashed towards the door, but heard Kul Chacha's voice and knew she couldn't go in there.. she rushed back to Abeer. "Its Chachaji! What do we do now??"
Abeer looked at her like she was out of her mind.. "Chachaji? Are you kidding me?"
"Abeer, no time to kid around.. quick, over to the clothesline.." She pulled him towards the clothesline and hid behind a bed-spread, covering them both.
Abeer couldn't believe the situation he was in.. "Leher, do you feel like this has happend to us once before?" he joked, but Leher shushed him and frantically looked through the corner of the bed-spread.Ofcourse, history repeats, he thought. Only this time, Leher was in love with him as much as he was in love with her. He smiled as he looked at her, clutching his arm in one hand and slightly parting the bedspread in the other, looking so worried. He wished they'd get locked up here, just like the last time. Now that'd be fun.. he grinned wickedly.

Kulcha had woken up a few minutes after he went to sleep, with a bloating sensation in his stomach. He should've listened to his Bhaisaab when he'd warned him to go easy on those mooli ke parathe...Those darn mooli ke parathe, they were tasty, but eat a couple of them and your stomach felt like you'd swallowed iron bricks for dinner. He paced to and fro in the room before deciding he needed some serious relief. He looked in his cupboard and looked at the various dibbas there. he considered "Kayam churna"  or Hajmola, but decided against it. Finally, after popping a couple of dabur Hingolis, he stepped out of his room towards the chath. He stopped in his track as he spotted Bittan fiddling with her cell. "Bittan?" He called out..
Bittan looked like she needed some emergency medical care.. She suddenly went into a coughing fit, scaring him. "Beta, tum thik to ho?" He walked towards her.
"haan haan chachaji..(cough cough) mein theek hoon.. (cough) I felt so.. uh, sooo suffocated in the room...(cough cough) I had to get out to get some fresh air..(cough cough)I walked for a few minutes in the chath.. now I feel allright.." She just prayed silently that Guddan heard her, and had enough time to go hide someplace.
"What? If you felt suffocated then you should have opened up the windows or turned the fan to high na? Which "sanskari" girl in the right frame of mind goes alone to the chath at this hour? please go to your room and open up those windows.."
"Uh.. sorry chachaji, I'll go do that..." Bittan said lamely as she thought of other ideas to hold him a little bit longer.. "Um.. uh, what are you doing up so late chachaji?"
"Oh, my stomach is a bit bloated beta.. I think its the mooli parathas from the dinner. I'll do the same thing you did.. walk a bit in the chath. Hope the fresh air does me good too"  He started walking up the steps.. Bittan closed her eyes and prayed hard.

Kulcha walked out on the chath, and felt something was not quite..right. He walked to and fro once, and couldn't find anything wrong.. but he felt it in his guts that something was wrong. Or maybe it was just gas... he continued to pace the floor, and noticed that the light was on in his neighbors room. What was that boy doing up so late? he wondered. Those rich, spoiled kids.. if they stay awake at night, they'd be either watching TV or playing games on the computer.. He tried to look in, but the door was closed, so he continued with his walk.

Leher saw him glancing towards Abeer's room. Did he notice he wasn't there? Would he doubt anything and search for him? They might finally get caught today...Oh god! She turned and hid her face in Abeer's  shirt. Please god, let chachaji suspect nothing, and walk away and go back to sleep...She bit her lower lip as she prayed. Abeer's heart was beating faster, she noticed. Was he scared too? she looked up and saw him looking at her, but the look in his eyes was... well, it was not fear, for sure. He looked with such aching intensity, she blushed and lowered her eyes, unable to meet his look. Abeer raised her chin with his forefinger, forcing her to look up. When she did, she saw his eyes shimmering with so much love, so much yearning.. like he was saying something very deep, so deep that there were no words to say it, just that look in his eyes...and she couldn't look away at all. She was barely aware of her own heart beating to match the beat of his heart.

2 things happend at once. Sharbati Dadi appeared, carrying a glass of milk and calling out "Lallaa..."  and Kul chacha let out all the bad effects of the mooli parathas he'd had in a loud, noisy fart. 

Dadi looked astonished by the sound, and as soon as she saw Kulcha, immidietly stuffed her pallu to her face. "Chi chi chi chi... Yehi jagah mila tha?? Poore vatavaran ko maila kar diya..." She

contorted her face like she had experienced something very horrible.
Kulcha, who was gobsmacked,  didnt know whether to be embarassed because Dadi, of all people had witnessed his relief from discomfort or to be furious because of her accusation of him polluting the environment. He decided to be the latter."Hum apni chat per jo marji kar sakthe hain.. aur vaise paadhna koi jurm hai kya? Aapke Vakil bete se pooch ke batayiyega.."

"Kya? Kya kaha tumne? He Bhagwaan!!  Are, sharam nahi aati, buzurg logon se is tarah badtameezi se baat karte huae?-"

"Badtameezi shuru kisne ki thi?? Hum yahan apni chat par khade hokar paadh rahe the, aapko isse kya taqleef hai?"

"Satyanaash! Hum apne pothe ko doodh dene aayi thee, aur tumne jaan boojhkar yehi mauka chuna!! chath tumhara hoga lekin hawa ki disha uttar ki taraf hai, to tum jo bhi karoge, pradushan toh is taraf hi aayega... "

Abeer's shoulders shook with his silent laughter as he heard his granny taking Kul chacha to task... "Abeer!!" Leher tried to admonish him, but couldn't help herself in joining in the laughter... This was hilariously rediculous. Chacha and dadi, they just waited for an opportunity to go at each other's throat... but what if it got serious and TN and her dad got involved? Laughter vanished from her face as she thought of the last time it had happened. The stakes were high this time, she and Abeer were together, and were hiding! She wouldn't be able to deny her feelings for Abeer, and her dad might.. he might have a heart attack! She tightly shut her eyes to het the disturbing images off her mind.

Bittan, who watched all the drama from the stairs,also had similar thoughts.. she wringed her hands as she thought of ways to break it up.. There was no way she could let her dad or anyone else get involved in this fart-fight between her chacha and Abeer's dadi...Rama cahchi, only she could contain Kul chacha and help break this fight without much damage. She ran to get Rama chachi.

Kulcha and Dadi, meanwhile, continued with their tirade.

"Dekhiye, yeh sab shareerik gathividhiya jo hain, usse koi control nahi kar saktha.. mein koi mauka nahi dekh raha tha. Yeh to samyog ki baat hai, ki aap ussi time pe aayi!"
"Tumhare shareerik gathividhiyon ke liye koi aur jagah nahi dhoond sakthe the?"
"Achcha, toh phir aap hi batayiye ki aap paadhne kaha jaateen hain.. agle baar hum wahin chale jaayenge!"
Rama chachi came running.. "Suniye, yeh kya kar rahe hain? 12 baj raha hain aadhi raat ke.. padosi jaag jaayenge.." She started to pull him towards the door by his arms
Kulcha strated protesting and complaining.. daadi kept answering back too,keeping the dualing match alive till the very end, as Kulcha and Rama chachi disappeared behind the doors. 
"Let go of me! I need to show that lady her place! who does she think she is!!" Kul hissed angrily. 
"Please calm down.. Bhaisaab and didi will wake up, and there will be a bigger mess. Its already late, lets just go and sleep. Dont you have to go to work tomorrow? please come now.. Bittan, beta please close the door upstairs" Rama chachi said as she dragged Kul into their room. Bittan noded, and went up the stairs.

Dadi looked at the doors for a while to see if Kul would make a come back.. when he didnt, she slowly started downstairs, muttering to herself. Abeer and Leher let out a sigh of relief. Bittan waited till she was out of sight, and looked around, and saw Leher and Abeer emerge out of the shadows of the clothesline. She gestured Leher to come soon, and went in.  Leher started towards the door, but stopped as Abeer held her arm. "Abeer!! Let go of me!" She tried to pull off her arm half heartedly.
"What, no goodnight?" 
"After our narrow escape from death, it is indeed a goodnight" She said, as she strated towards the door
"Wait.. um, dont we get to..uh, celebrate the escape?" He persisted.
 "Some other time.. now leave me before your dadi makes a comeback!"
He reluctantly loosened his grip."Well, I may let go now, but a day will come when I'll hold your hand permanently.. then I wont care if dadi comes or chacha.."
"Promise?" She smiled sweetly. Abeer was so awestruck by that smile, his eyes turned intense..For the second time in the night, his heart beat increased.
"Promise!" he said, and gripped her hand tighter. Then he turned it over and kissed it, before he let go. Leher smiled again, and waved him bye before she got in and closed the door.
Abeer stood there, smiling at the door and running his hand behind his head. Love is strange, he surmised. It made you long for some more time with your beloved, even after narrowly escaping a catch and persecution. He would've stood there for some more time, if he didnt hear his daadi downstairs. "I  went to give him a glass of milk, but he wasn't in his room! I thought Lalla was studying! Where did he go? cant you even keep an eye on your son's whereabouts?? its almost midnight!!"
Abeer reluctantly started downstairs, to rescue his Amma from his daadi's third degree. Things never were dull in his life, with people like Kulcha and Dadi.

Oh the nostalgia!!! 🤣