~ll~MOTW of the week is Simi~ll~ - Page 11

Smooth Operators!!

Time travel special

Cast of Characters:

Sherlock Holmes/SH: Akshay

Dr Watson/ Doc W: Shantanu

M or Mogambo: Father of Boo and Khanak

Khanak

Khusboo or Boo

Mrs Hudson (Sherlock Holmes' housekeeper): Madhavi their mother.

This is a story, if you call it one, which goes back in time more than a hundred years to England. Our well known Khandelwal family have been travelling back and forth in time, looking for their lost bahus Khanak and Boo. And each time they assume new identities befitting the era. The huge problem with this was they often forgot their original mission!!

Akshay bhaiyaaa!!

What? Who?...I'm the famous Sherlock Holmes..Didn't you know that?

Yaa!! and I'm Dr Watson and we live on Baker street!!

There you go..You are making sense finally! For a moment I thought I was having a nightmare!!

Oh no, I am Bro!! So you are the famous detective now, tell me how many cases have you solved so far?

No Watson, it's we, remember we always work as a team! First of all didn't we find Mrs. Hudson's, whom you insist on calling mom, purse last week?

Oh, you mean her credit card! Of course, we found it because Dad had told us where he usually hides it!!

But we remembered didn't we? And what about when we found our neighbor's dog?

Well bro he just decided to dump his girl friend and come home! What's wrong with you? I mean Sherlock, did you have a snort of cocaine again yesterday??

I do what I want to in order to keep my grey cells well tuned Watson!! For example, any moment now, a beautiful young woman is going to knock on our door!

Knock, Knock!!

Akshay, there's a young lady here who wants to see you and Now!

Mrs. Hudson you too!! Will you stop spoiling my mood like Watson did earlier or I'll dismiss you from my service!! Please show this lady in!

Mrs. Hudson, my foot! I'm your mother and don't you dare involve me in your games!! Here this is Ms. Khushboo whose father is the famous Mogambo who is bent on making Dad bankrupt!!

In stepped Ms. Khushboo into Akshay aka Sherlock Holmes parlor with her nose in the air. Well literally, she was so proud of her status and beauty that her chin was almost fixed at a 45deg angle to the horizontal, so that bringing it to a level with the rest of the population took some major effort and often required medical attention! Well, this was one of those occasions!

Dr Watson aka Shantanu Khandelwal, helped Ms Khushboo level her nose, fortunately she didn't have to look down since Sherlock Holmes head was at a level with hers. Sherlock maintained his usual indifferent expression and waved her to a stiff high backed chair before seating himself in his favorite armchair near the fictional fireplace.

So there were a few minutes of silence while everybody in the room gave each other the eye without seeming to!! Well, as you know nothing escaped 'the Eye' of Sherlock Holmes aka Akshay, not even Ms Boo's beauty. Ms. Boo stole a glance at him under her eyelashes and decided that he was not an unworthy specimen. Hmm... As for Dr Watson, he deduced that she was loaded and could definitely afford their fees!!

                                                    ~~~~~~~~~~~

Go ahead and tell us your troubles Ms Boo, I mean Ms Khushboo!

Akshay playing the role of the famous detective to the hilt, went into his usual pose of deep concentration (which was resting his chin on his tented fingers and glaring at the interviewee as if they were a particularly interesting specimen of the animal kingdom, she did look like a very large moth!) This usually was enough to drive the guest up a wall, but not Ms Boo who had gone back to admiring the ceiling (you know, nose in the air!) Another reason for Sherlock's pose today, was to prevent Sherlock's lower jaw from losing tone, I mean gaping, for that was the effect Ms Boo's beauty was having on him.

You know, I usually don't come to people for help, they come to me, but since you don't do house calls and my case is so desperate...

Go on, go on...Miss, please no formalities alright!..

Alright, well..As you know I'm Mr. Mogambo's eldest daughter and his most beautiful one too..as you can well see, but I have a younger sister too, who is a pain in the neck..But you see..

Why is she a pain in the neck? This came from Dr Watson aka Shaan.

Well, Dr. Watson, she is my father's favorite, though she doesn't deserve to be! She is not half as pretty as me, she hardly has any admirers though she's already 16 and she hates to go to parties and wear pretty stuff!! Besides she treats the servants as if they are her friends and she cooks!! Tell me sir, why would any father like such a daughter!!?

Any father who didn't wish to go bankrupt..Thought Watson, while SH said:

Perhaps your father is a 'Smart' man Ms. Boo, but please goes on!

But look at me!! I define beautiful!! Alright...my little ugly sister is up to her tricks again, she is behaving strangely!

Doc W: Some normal people do. Is this unusual for her?

Boo: Well for once she has stopped cooking, which is awful, since I had gotten used to her food. She also has started talking back to me and calling me nasty names which used to be my prerogative and it hurts really badly!!

Dr. Watson smiled and thought..Good for little sis!

Boo: And last but not the least she disappears from the house for hours at a time and comes back looking disheveled! This is completely unlike the creature that used to excuse herself every time she used the restroom!

SH: Alright, calm down Ms. Boo, I get it that your sister is not all there!.But what do you want us do? I think that you should take her to a good Wacko Doctor!

Boo: No sir! I think that someone has cast a spell on her and that's the reason I have come to you. To find out who and why?

Dr W: But what's in this for you Ms. Boo, looks like there's no love lost between you and your little sister!..

You are right! The reason I want her found is because my Dad, the great Mogambo of Mogambo industries is threatening to no longer pay for my clothes and jewelry which I'm so desperately in need of! You see, I am coming out this season and I have to look my best to attract my Prince Charming! She wiped nonexistent tears from her eyes.

But Sherlock aka Akshay was hooked! Had he seen her somewhere before?

SH: Your beauty needs no more add-ons, it's just perfect! (grinning sheepishly.)

Doc W: So what do you want us to do ?( Quite unfazed by her acting.)

Boo ignored him instead looked at SH and said coquettishly, I want you both to come to dinner at our house tonight and observe her behavior and may be then you can find out what's wrong and fix it! This evening at 8 sharp! See you then!

She swept out of the room without even waiting for an answer. SH picked up his chewed up pencil (Pretend pipe,) and put it in his mouth and stared after her looking befuddled.

Doc W: We can't go there bro, what a stupid case!

SH: We will and we must! No case is stupid enough for Akshay Khandelwal aka Sherlock Holmes! Besides we get free food!

House of The Mogambos! (In keeping with my story it's a huge villa in the country, with large grounds, stables, etc, etc.)

SH and Doc W arrive 10 min before the appointed hour and rang the bell. They rang again and again and again and again'and then just as they had given up and turned away disappointed, the door opened and there stood Boo in another of her outrageous costumes. She looked like a bird of paradise.

Boo: Welcome to my house!

When SH and Doc W simply stared at her without replying, she said,

We just don't let anybody in before the clock strikes the hour! It bothers our father's mental stability. She said somberly.

SH and Doc W looked at each other with trepidation, this was turning out to be not a very pleasant case.

The house inside looked like a huge cavern with a high ceiling and dark alcoves where light couldn't penetrate. In fact there were very few windows and those too were boarded up.

Boo: Sorry for the grim look, but Khanak, my sis doesn't like natural light! This has been a change in her ever since the past few weeks. She likes to live in the dark now and only goes out at night.

Welcome! Welcome!

They turned around to see Mr Mogambo come down the huge spiral staircase, his face wearing a sad smile.

M: So you are the two unfortunate bandaas who have come here to fix some of our problems! Boo beti, are they here to clean the toilets?

Boo: No Dad! They..

M: Then they are here to replace the cooks? ( Hopefully.)

Boo: No Dad! They are not here to do any of those things; they are here to figure out what's wrong with my crazy sis!

Then turning to Akshay and Shan, I'm sorry ever since my sis has gone for a toss all the servants have flown the coop. They couldn't stand my father's constant droning!..

M: Jab Dil hi toot gaya,

jab dil hi toot gaya,

hum jee ke kya karenge,

hum jee ke kya karenge

waaahhh, waaahhh!!!! ( wailing)

Boo: He thinks that he's a clone of K.L .Sehgal. Daaadd!! Stop it, you are scaring our guests!

Shaan rolled his eyeballs at SH, it was getting weirder and weirder.

They all sat down at the huge dinner table. When Shaan asked about Khanak, Mogambo told him that she eats rarely if at all now and he was afraid that soon she'd vanish.

M: She has already started to float, I think she lives on air. Oh my Poor child! Waaahhh! Crying loudly.

Boo: Father! Perhaps it would be for the better if she floats away like a hot air balloon.

M: Wicked, wicked child! Mogambo whacked Boo's knuckles with his spoon.

Boo: Awww! Lets eat!

M: What is for dinner?

Boo: Your favorite noodles father!

M: What Maggi Noodles again?! Couldn't you make Macaroni and cheese for a change?

Boo: Maggi takes only 3 minutes while Mac and Cheese takes 8. How could I wait that long?

M: Please excuse us gentlemen, I cannot offer you better sustenance. My Khanak used to cook so well!

At that time the clock struck 8: 30 and as was a routine with the rest of the members of the family, somewhere upstairs a door banged shut and someone small wearing a gown of shimmering white floated down the stairs, without making a sound. As she grew closer they could see that her small face was pale, looking almost white in contrast to her long jet black hair. She had a fine face with huge luminescent dark eyes and as Shaan gazed at her in admiration something stirred in the deep recesses of his skull.

She stopped at the bottom and looked around as if lost in her own home. Mr. Mogambo gave a big cry and rushed to hug her in his huge arms.

M: My daughter, what has happened to you? The one who used to make and feed me parathas, samosas, and kachoris with so much love! Where is that Khanak?

Khanak burst out laughing and Shaan could see that she had sparkling white teeth and ruby red lips. She ignored her father and floated to the table where she looked closely at the guests.

K: So what do we have here Boo? A few more namoonas? Though this one is as cute as can be!

And she pinched Shaan's cheeks which suddenly made everything fall into place. He jumped out of his chair and grabbed her by the shoulders.

SHOOT ME! Bro tell me I'm not dreaming!

Akshay taking some time off from watching Boo who was batting her big eyelashes at him'

Yes Shaan you are not dreaming and sorry I didn't bring my pistol with me.

What's wrong with you? Are you mad? Khanak said as she struggled to free herself.

No I'm not mad, it's you who have forgotten everything Mrs. Khanak Shantanu Khandelwal! Have you forgotten your kitchen and the lovely Gujju food you used to cook for us? Dhoklas, Khaman, Khandvi, were my favorites. You can't cook Punjabi food even if someone held a gun to your head, I know you can't!

How do you know that? Are you a magician?

No, silly! I am your husband Shantanu and I adore the ground you walk on. We have been desperately searching for you and finally here you are in the 19^th century!

I don't remember anything! She said shaking her head in confusion.

Kiss her Shaan! She'll surely remember that! Akshay said grinning.

So Shaan pulled Khanak closer and kissed her smack on her lips. Almost right away she stopped struggling and relaxed, putting her arms around his neck and kissed him back.

I remember everything now! Somehow this evil Mogambo fell for my cooking and kidnapped me in to the past. But you came and rescued me! Thank you my sweet handsome husband!

Shaan smiled and lifted her in his arms and Akshay followed suit with Boo who did not resist.

Let's go home and to bed!

                                                            xxx

😆😆😆 Okay that's it!! Please if you are able to think after reading this, do comment!! Your opinions about me may change drastically but that's fine!!