The "Best" Librarian
Akka hadnt called Amma until later that Sat evening to get her shopping updates
Sam had taken II back to Shanti Niketan, after bringing Amma Appa back from South Ex
Appa drove his new Hyundai home, which they had left at Sam's to go shopping
II took a nap upstairs with Lasya on her side, Sam fretted over Lasya kicking II's belly while asleep
"Its fine" "I will just pretend this is my second" II smiled rubbing her belly
"Cho chweet" Sam kissed her forehead
"You can take her home with you if you want. She is what you would call "Rakshasi"" Sam cooed kissing her sleeping darling
"Shes like me she talks too much and has an attitude" II said without laughing
Sam burst out laughing
"You are a trouble maker" she warned, kissing II on her forehead
"Your mother is so intelligent and mature" Sam sighed sitting down by II
II slid up, leaning on the head board
"Appa's like me emotional and impulsive, Amma is practical... mostly" II sighed
"Mostly kyon?"
"When it comes to us, she lets it slip" II chuckled
"Must be niice" Sam tried to fight tears
II reached out and hugged her
"I am sorry"
Sam wiped her tears "silly me" "Meri khud ki beti hai ab" she laughed at herself
"So what? u cant miss your Ma?" II argued
"Ma had no sense of pragmatism when it came to the three of us, like if we asked her at 2 AM to bake a cake, SHE WOULD DO IT" Sam said
"DO BAJE?" II asked
"She made cookies frequently past midnight when it was summer vacation. She would drive 40 kms sometimes to get Manya's fave leechis" Sam gushed
"She sounds adorable"
"Tum jo saara din bolti rehti ho. Ma would LOVE THAT" Sam said
"R&B tells me, I cud have made Ma do anything" II sighed
On January 15th, II had organized a Guru Granth Sahib paath at MM
She had gone off to the Vasant Vihar Gurudwara opposite the Sankara Kendra and made arrangements
She had invited Chachu & Co and Sam
Only Chachu and two of his sons had come Samar and Trehaan
The meal was all vegetarian with rasamalai
When Chachu had left, Ranjan Sam and her watched home videos on the first floor theater
R&B had gone upto the swing and went off to read
She had gone to get him
Standing exactly at the same spot she stood a year ago
Clutching the curtains
"Wont u come watch with us?"
"I cant" he said looking at her... troubled
He was married now, his wife was pregnant, he shouldnt be watching
home videos of his Mom, it was a Friday, they should all be readying to take II to her Doc visit
No matter how many years go by, "It will still not be OK" for him
II walked over and sat by him wearily
She had cooked all the food, with Mahavir & Co
She looked tired but wouldnt admit it
She was eager to please, she wanted to make it known to everyone, that a woman she had never met meant as much to her as it did to her husband and two kids
Manya had left well before Jan 15th, She couldnt bring herself to "celebrate" "offer prayers" to her Ma though it was five years
Not being in MM, she could some how fool herself into thinking it never happened??
Ranjan hardly spoke that day.. just listened to the paath, paid the Granthi, and generally wandered like a lost child
Pacing, sitting down and pacing
"You had a swagger in 9th grade" she chuckled
"Did u see how disrespectful we were to our Modern School uniforms?" R&B chuckled
"I always wondered why the Modern School kids wore their shirts like that, untucked and crushed" II smiled
"She would always say "When u have kids I am going to make sure they wear their shirts this way too" he chuckled
"She was OK with it?" Ii asked startled
"She was OK with anything I did" he sighed, leaning back
Gathering her close...
"Awww!!" II groaned
"Do u know how many vacations you took?" II quizzed
"100s? 1000s?" he shurgged
"She has them all catalogued, she says" II said startled
"She would get teased about being a unpaid Librarian" he said laughing
Sam came up with chai... II pulled away slowly
"She made the best chai no?" Sam said handing him his cup
Sam had just shut off a video of Ma making chai, she had to go make some, to relive those moments
"Best" he said as he sipped
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