Part 1 continued'
"DEV!" Anjali yelled. "Jaldi karo!"
"Haan, Ma!" the boy exclaimed back. "Just give me a second!"
"Nahin!" Anjali ordered. "Abhi! Right now!"
Dev sighed walking down the stairs and found Anjali standing in front of him with a pooja thali in her hand. She started muttering words and ringing the small bell as Dev asked, "MA! Yeh tum kya kar rahi ho!?"
"Haan Anjali," another voice came from the back. "Yeh tum kya kar rahi ho!?"
Anjali opened her eyes and turned around. "Kya?" she asked.
"Not kya me," Atul replied. "But kya to you! TUM kya kar rahi ho?"
"Nazar utar rahi hu mere bete ki!" she exclaimed. "Any problem?"
Atul gulped. "Erm'no. No problem darling."
"DAD!" Dev exclaimed as Anjali continued. "Are you serious? Ma ko samjahiye na!?"
"Nahin beta," Atul replied helplessly. "Tumhari Ma thik kar rahi hai. Waise bhi'it's your first day of school. It's good to start your day of like this."
"Par Dad'it's not even my first year! So chill!"
"Chill kyun?" Anjali interrupted. "It's good to start your day off with remembering God."
Atul smiled and sighed. Anjali had changed so much in the past twenty-two years. At first ' she had started trying to change herself to make her more closer to Atul and to understand Atul better. But gradually, she had started believing and changing internally as well. Of course, Atul hadn't let his Anjali change herself much. She was still the same Anjali with attitude that said "Shut up Atul" everytime he said something useless.
Atul himself had also changed a bit. For one ' he had stopped talking to his plants as he had Anjali to talk to. After internship had finished, Anjali and Atul had soon gotten married happily and were blessed with a wonderful son like Dev.
Anjali and Riddhima had gotten married around the same time, they had gotten pregnant around the same time and both had given birth to two amazing boys. This had definitely brought the two families closer together. Although Karan and Dev had grown up together ' both were completely different. Karan was exactly like Armaan while Dev was a mixture of Anjali and Atul.
Dev had the calmness of Atul mixed with attitude of Anjali. He was very 'shant' and understanding at most times. But when his patience was put to a test ' his outbursts did erupt.
After Anjali was done her pooja, she served Atul and Dev their breakfast and sat down beside her son.
"Okay Dev," she started. "Listen ' mein jaanti hoon ke tum aur Karan aache dost ho."
Dev looked up at his dad and sighed. This lecture was given to Dev every year on the first day of school. He had almost memorized his mother's lines.
"Lekin ' try to make some new friends beta," Anjali continued. "Aur job hi ho ' us'.us Karan ki bato mein mat aana. Woh ladka bilkul bigda hua hai."
Yet ' Dev's reply was always the same. "But Ma ' Karan is my best friend."
"Best friend badal sakta hai!" Anjali exclaimed. "Poor Ridzi. She has to deal with TWO Armaans now! Bechari. Paata nahin woh dono uski kya halat karte hoge."
"Come on Anjali!" Atul interrupted. "Armaan itna bhi bhura nahin hai. You know that. Aur Armaan and Karan both love Ridzi so much! Woh dono uska kitna khayal rakhte hai!"
"Whatever Atul!" Anjali answered. "What more can I expect from the two of you?"
"Nothing Ma," Dev replied smiling. "You just have to deal with it!"
Anjali frowned. "Tum dono TRY bhi nahin kar sakte?"
"What try Ma?" Dev said. "Dekho'baat sidhi hai. If I have a rotten friend ' tum mujhe appreciate karogi. And if I had a goodie-good friend ' you would always tell me to be like him!"
Atul laughed. "Exactly! Aur Dev to sirf dost ki baat kar raha hai. Imagine if you told me you wanted a better husband!"
Anjali's frown deepened. "Shut up Atul!"
She turned to her son and said. "I would never want that. You're the best son in the whole wide world beta!"
"That's because I'm your ONLY son in the whole wide world!" Dev exclaimed grinning.
"Aacha'ho gaya. All I can say is that they are so lucky to have best friends like you two. And May God save you both from those two idiots."
The three burst out laughing as Dev got up to go change.
"Kahan ja rahe ho?" Anjali asked.
"Ma'mein kya school mein apne pajamas mein jao?"
"Not a bad idea'lekin phir'woh Karan tera kya haal karenga? Go change."
Dev smiled as he hurried up the stairs.
"Yeh bilkul tum pe gaya hai," Anjali said grinning at Atul.
"Haan lekin'he got his looks from you." Atul replied back. "Tum pe jitna ladke line martete na'utnihi ladkiyan Dev pe line marti hai."
"Shut up Atul," Anjali retorted. "Itne bhi ladke nahin the."
"The Anjali."
"Nahin Atul."
"Haan Anjali."
"No Atul!"
"Yes!"
"NO!"
"Anjali dekho '"
"Shut up Atul!"
"Okay Anjali."
The couple starred at each other for a while and then burst out laughing.
"Hum dono kitne alag hai ek doosre se'aur phir bhi'we're so meant for each other," Anjali said slowly.
"Haan'" Atul continued. "Yaad hai the first week of internship?"
"I hated you so much!" Anjali exclaimed. "Mujhe laga tha ke tum sab se weird ho."
"Aur aaj'" Atul continued smiling.
"Tum sabse special ho," they both said together.
"You guys make me sick!" Dev interrupted. "I swear'yeh sab mushi baata mat karo! It doesn't suit you like Riddhima Masi and Armaan Chachu!"
"Woh tumhare Masa ha!" Ajnali said blushing and trying to change the topic.
"Chachu mein kya bhurai hai?" Atul said. "And besides'he is like my brother!"
"Haan lekin tumhara bhai to nahin hai na!" Anjali argued.
"So what?" Atul replied. "Usse kya faraq padta hai!?"
Dev sighed. "Shut up guys! I'm gonna be late."
Anjali and Atul stopped arguing as Dev started walking out the house.
"Good luck beta!" Anjali called out.
"Haan'make us proud!" Atul added.
- - - - -
"Dekho Poonam. Medical has been in part of our family for a long time. Mein aur tumhari Mom doctors hai. Your grandfather was a doctor. Your Nanaji was a doctor too! Tumhare Chacha doctor hai. And your Chachi too! Aur humare saare dost bhi doctor hai! So tumhe bahut mahnat karni padegi! You have to get the best marks and the best ranks. Humare pariwar ka naam roshan karna hai tumhe!"
"Abhi CHILL!" Nikki exclaimed. "Woh sirf college ja rahi hai! She is not getting married. Woh sasural nahin jaa rahi!"
"Pata hai'" Abhi replied. "Par uske liye doosa lecture hai."
"So anyways'" Abhi continued. "Yaad rakhna'you have to make us proud."
"Dad I get it!" his daughter exclaimed. "Mujhe aapka lecture nahin sunna. I've been listening to it everyday for the past week! Aaj ke din to rehne do!"
"Poonam!" Nikki exclaimed. "Aapne Papa ko aise mat bolo!"
"But Mom!" she argued.
"Nahin beta. He is your Dad'you have to respect him!"
"Calm down Nikki!" Abhi interrupted. "Waise bhi'meri beti meri best friend hai. Woh mujhse aisa baata nahin karengi'to aur kaun karega?"
Nikki smiled. "Thik hai'tum baat aur beti jeet jaye. Aura b Poonam beta'jaldi karo. Its getting late."
"Haan Mom," Poonam replied smiling. "Oh haan'isn't it Rahul Uncle's and Muski Aunty's anniversary today!?"
Nikki smiled. "Haan'"
"Tumne unko wish kiya?" Poonam asked.
"Of course beta," Abhi replied. "Tumhari Ma humari anniversary bhul sakti hai'lekin aapne pyaari doosto ki kabhi nahin."
"Oh come on Dad!" Poonam argued. "That's not true. Mom aisa nahin karti. She never forgets your anniversary."
"Haan haan'" Abhi replied. "Jaanta hoon. Because you know what?"
"I've got the best wife in the wholeee wideee world!" Abhi continued as Poonam sang it with him.
Nikki got up from the table blushing. "Beta'aaj shyam ko Rahul ke ghar party hai. Tum aa jaungi na?"
"Of course Mom! I'll be home before it begins. Hum saath mein jaenge."
"Okay beta."
"Aur papa'." Poonam asked biting her lip. "Ek sawal hai'"
"Kya hai?" Abhi asked.
"What if'mein yeh nahin keh rahi hoon ke aisa kuch hua hai'but just'what IF I fall in love in college!?"
Abhi almost choked on his morning coffee. "PYAR?"
Nikki laughed as she saw Poonam wink at her.
"Haan Dad!" Poonam continued. "Just a what if!"
"To mein us ladke ki tang tood dunga!" Abhi replied angrily.
"Dad! That's mean!"
"To kya hua? College ke baad mein pyar vyar karna hai to maybe I'll allow it. Lekin AFTER college is over."
"Lekin dad! Love just'happens! We don't decide when and where!"
"Ek minute Poonam'yeh sari baate tumne party mention hua phir kyun kahi!?" Abhi asked teasingly.
"What do you mean Dad?" Poonam questioned confused.
"Party mein se koi ladka to nahin hai na?"
"EW! DAD!" Poonam exclaimed.
"Well'let's see. Avinash tumhara bahut aacha dost hai. Dev is kind of like you brother. To raha sirf'"
"EW DAD! DON'T EVEN MENTION THAT NAME!" Poonam yelled.
Abhi sighed. "Phew. I thought ke tum bhi aapne mom ke jaise nikli. Malik lover. That Karan and his dad are good for nothing."
"Yeh to mujhe bhi pata hai," Poonam exclaimed. "Woh Karan to pata nahin aapne aap ko kya samaj ta hai! I swear! Aagar mein kabhi bhi use pyar karu to mere hi tang tood dena!"
"Oh shut up both of you," Nikki interrupted. "Armaan and Karan are so sweet. Riddhima ka kitna khayal rakhte hai. Dono bahut hi samajdar hai aur both are so smart."
"Whatever Mom," Poonam said. "Karan aisa nahin hai. Woh bilkul stupid hai. He is too full of himself."
"Anyways Dad'" Poonam continued. "Thik hai'mein koi ladke wadke ke pyar mein nahin padungi. Lekin'what if I fall in love with a girl?!"
Abhi starred at his daughter with a blank face as Nikki burst out laughing and Poonam prepared to run. "TO MEIN USKI DONO TANG TOOD DUNGA!"
"Oh be quiet jaan," Nikki laughed. "Aur waise bhi'tumne kya kiya tha college mein?"
"ME?" Abhi asked. "I got good marks and I chilled with my friends!"
"Aur'"
"Aur kya?"
"AUR MUJHSE PYAR!"
"Haan to kya? Is me mere marks pe koi asar nahin hua tha."
"Haan haan'pehle semester to tumne top kiya tha na?" Nikki questioned trying hard not to laugh.
"What do you mean mom?" Poonam asked.
"Maatlab tumhare papa se pooch."
"Papa'?"
"Errmm'" Abhi fidgeted. "Well'thik hai'Nikki se milne ke baad mera pehla semester thoda weak tha."
"THODA weak?" Nikki laughed. "Your average dropped like 20 per cent!"
"WHAT!?" Poonam asked shocked. "Seriously Mom?"
"Haan'" Nikki smiled. "Tumhari Dadi se poochu. She was so mad at Abhi that he was forbidden out of his house until he told her why his average had drastically dropped. And that's when she found out about us."
"Didn't Dadi get mad?"
"Haan'thodi maraz thi Ma. Lekin I promised her that Abhi's marks would increase in the next semester."
"And did they?"
"Oh your mom made sure they would," Abhi said smiling as he held Nikki's hand.
The three laughed as Abhi and Nikki wished Poonam all the best for her first day of college.
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