CHAPTER 7 LOVE OF MOTHER IN LAW S itting around the dining table with her mother, younger brother who just came when we reached, and Mamaji was enough to make me nervous. However, I didn’t have cold feet and doubts about my decision; if they asked me to marry Ria, I was prepared to say a happy yes but this wasn’t going to happen as I had thought. It was uncomfortable for me sitting in front of them and just being the centre of attention. ‘Doctors say we should eat properly and without any obligation. Why aren’t they concentrating on their plate instead of looking at you?’ my mind asked. Because I’m the scapegoat , I thought and passed a fake smile to her Mamaji . ‘Feeling nervous about eating around people is common among men, women, and children. Social notions tell us that it is not nice to be seen eating in public, mostly for fear that people will think we’re eating too much, and will look fat or undesirable,’ my mind said, I re-worded inside again and ...
CHAPTER 5 A MELTING SUNRISE WITH HER I dialled the number she had mentioned in the mail. One…two…three…four rings later the call was picked. What to say? I felt nervous. ‘No need to feel nervous. You know her,’ I motivated myself. She picked my call, ‘Hello.’ I didn’t reply because this was the time to have fun. ‘Hello. Who is this?’ she asked again. ‘May I talk to Ria?’ I just said this, though I knew she was on the call. ‘Hitesh!’ the voice came from the other end. I didn’t speak a word in response and remained silent. She repeated my name again and I responded in my style as I used to— Tu door hai aur pass bhi, teri kami hai aur ehsaas bhi, Jeena chahta hun har lamha tere liye, tu zindgi hai aur ek aas bhi. Chadar ki andheri silwaton me teri yaadon ko gale se lagaya, Juda na tha kabhi ek pal tujhse, tujhko hamesha apne kareeb paya, Yun toh log bahut the is rah par sath dene ke liye, Apne apne hote hain, yeh tujhse milke is dil ko samaja...