“ This stain is so stubborn, I wonder what to do for this,” frowned Simita, as she rubbed the rust stain that looked very dark against the white frame of the kitchen shelf. Making a mental note to get some paint to conceal it, she covered her nose and mouth with a handkerchief and sprayed some pesticide inside the cabinets, so that she could arrange the items inside the next morning.
Simita and her husband Nikesh had just moved into their new home ten days back.
It was a two bedroom apartment which they had managed to procure on rent after searching for almost a month.
With both of them working and short of leave, it had taken them almost a week to get their home organized and arranged to suit their tastes. Only the kitchen cabinets were left ,as Simita wanted to arrange them to her convenience.
“Simi darling, where are you?”, Nikesh came into the kitchen, locking the front door and bringing in the next week's supply of vegetables and fruits.
Simita turned to look at him with the pesticide in her hand.
“Oh, so you have begun the cleaning, finally !”, Nikesh teased her, as he carried the purchase to their bedroom to avoid the pesticide, leaving Simita to resume her work.
“ Hey, Simi, you know what…Ma called me just now, she’s reaching here in the morning tomorrow. She’ll be here for a month !”, Nikesh announced excitedly from their bedroom, after a few minutes.
Simita smiled to herself. She was looking forward to having her mother-in-law at their new home.
“Oh, she’s going to be my new guest”, she said, turning back to look at Nikesh who had appeared at the kitchen door, adding, “ I’m almost done with this pesticide”.
Nikesh stared at her for a few seconds without answering. His jaw was set, his face was flaming in anger and he didn’t make any attempt to talk.
“ Hey, what happened ? Why that look?”, Simita asked.
He just hissed at her angrily, “How dare you say that? Married for just four months and so much of impudence. I shan’t stand this cheek from you, Simita. ”
Before she could say or ask anything, he stormed out. A few seconds later, she heard the door slam shut.
Simita couldn’t understand this now. What did she do?
Nikesh just gave her a happy news and she responded happily. Wasn't that all?
Theirs was a love marriage. Nikesh’s mother had supported their love, as had Simita’s parents. The marriage had been a lovely family affair, but Nikesh’s elder brother Bhavesh hadn’t liked it. Bhavesh wasn’t married yet, and he felt Nikesh’s marriage would actually mar his wedding prospects. Nikesh had been angry and hurt at this, and he had vowed not to go to their ancestral home until Bhavesh relented. So after their wedding, Nikesh and Simita had moved to a rented home at Bangalore for three months, without visiting Nikesh's home at Mangalore even once. Commuting to office wasn’t easy from that location, so they had rented this new flat.
Now, lying down on her bed, Simita recounted how good her life so far had been. She knew her mother-in-law liked her a lot. She wanted to stay with her and create a bond with her. Only then, she felt, she would really be a part of the family.
She was happy about this plan of Ma coming to stay with them. She would love spending time with her.
Still, Simita couldn’t understand why Nikesh had flared up and gone out. What was her mistake ?
She had made rotis and vegetable korma for dinner; that was Nikesh’s favourite, and he would melt over that, she told herself.
She waited for him to have dinner, but Nikesh was nowhere to be seen.
She tried his mobile twice; he didn’t attend.
A few minutes later, his message flashed on her mobile ,“ I shall be late tonight. Don’t wait for me. Have your food and go to sleep. Shall talk tomorrow. I have the keys.”
Not even a smiley on the message to show that his mood had lightened.
So this guy was seriously angry and annoyed with her.
Simita lost her appetite.
She suddenly felt dizzy ,tired and weak.
She went to bed, consoling herself that she would sort out the issue the next morning.
She couldn’t open her eyes, even when she heard Nikesh come in and lie down on their bed, late at night.
She woke up with a dizziness the next morning. The night’s sleep had not done her enough good. Nikesh was nowhere to be seen.
She checked the time on her mobile.
It was 7.30 AM.
Nikesh had sent a message at 6 AM.
“ Going to the railway station. Ma coming at 7.”
Simita got up, brushed her teeth and had a bath.
She was in the kitchen preparing breakfast when the door bell rang and Nikesh came in, with Ma.
“ Oh Maa, so happy to see you,” Simita went in and hugged her mother-in-law happily.
“ So am I , beta…how are you doing?”, Ma asked.
Nikesh went out to the verandah to bring the rest of the luggage inside.
“I’m fine Ma. I’m so happy you are here. You will help me set up this home, na?”
“Sure, beta…but tell me, why’s Nikesh looking upset? Did you both fight for something? You know, my son is really short-tempered at times,” Ma said, turning back to look at the direction in which Nikesh had gone.
“I don’t know , Ma. I didn’t do anything. Yesterday, he came and told me of your plans to come and stay with us. I was so happy and I said you’re going to be my new guest. Then he just came and said something about me being impudent and all, and went away. He didn’t come home till late night. I’d made his favourite dinner, too. I don’t know what happened Ma. He didn’t tell me anything this morning also. He’d left even before I woke up.”, Simita was on the verge of tears now.
“ Oh…it wouldn’t be anything big, dear. I’ll talk to him. Now, is that why you look tired today ? Aren’t you well ?”
Simita blushed.
“ Oh, no Ma…. it’s just that….oh Ma, I’ve missed my dates this time. So, may be….”, Simita looked at her with shyness in her eyes and her cheeks glowing in excitement.
Ma’s eyes widened in surprise and happiness, as she kissed Simita on her forehead.
They turned to the front door at the sound of footsteps.
A surprised Nikesh stood there, as if words would burst out of his mouth the next minute. Ma looked quizzically at him.
He grinned sheepishly and looked at Simita, “ Oh…I….you said she was your guest, right….but I thought…like you had a pesticide can in your hand, so may be…you know…you meant....”
“Pest? Oh, Nikesh….. so silly,you are ”, Simita threw the chair cushion at him in mock anger and amusement, her eyes suddenly filling with tears of relief.
She had said guest. He mistook it to be pest.
Ma had a hearty laugh as Nikesh dodged the cushion and ran around the room to avoid further bullets from Simita.
She went to him, twisted his ears and said, “ Aaha, you think I’ll leave you scot free for mistaking my daughter-in-law ? No way.. Go, take her to a good gyneacologist now itself.”
Simita giggled with a blush on her cheeks, even as Nikesh beamed at her in a surprised happiness.
These pests of confusions were good, at times :-)
They made happiness even more precious :-)
This post is a part of Write Over the Weekend, an initiative for Indian Bloggers by BlogAdda
A good story that brought smile in the face
ReplyDeleteThanks a lot, parthasarathi sir :)
Deleteyup!!! lovely story...with a smiley ending. loved it :) all the best for the wow!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Preethi :)
Deletegood article. liked the ending 'pests of confusion :) '
ReplyDeletehttp://amarnaik.wordpress.com/2013/10/06/confusion-created-as-a-result-of-the-miscommunication/
Thank you, Amar :) Thanks for the link too !
DeleteNice one. :) Good luck!
ReplyDeleteThanks a lot, Sakshi :) I loved the 40 potty story too :)
DeleteSometimes these words can be exchanged per se :P :P a guest can be a pest and a pest can be a guest :D :D
ReplyDeleteRicha
haha so true, that is ! :D
DeleteNeed I say where I got the idea from :D
Wow Sreeja, this is a fabulous story.Humour, suspense, romance,affection..... all in one.
ReplyDeleteThank you for the nice words, Ma'm :)
Delete