‘That’s what you think of me. Don’t you?’ my mother said as we reached the
first floor. She paused to catch her breath.
Shipra masi’s expensive sandals could be heard four seconds before she
arrived the first floor.
‘See this stupid sister of mine. She said no to any big gifts,’ Shipra masi said
to me.
‘You did?’ I said to my mother.
My mother looked at me.
‘You will never understand how much I love you,’ my mother said.
I hung my head in shame. My mother smacked the back of my head. I deserved
a slap.
Shipra masi waved her hands as she spoke.
‘You and your mother, both the same – impractical. She tells him, “I sent my
son to do one MBA, I am getting two MBAs in return. Ananya is the best gift,”’
Shipra masi said, ‘OK, she earns a lot, but Kavita, why say no if someone is ready
to give. Why not grab it.’
‘Because we are not that kind of people, Shipra masi,’ I said and gave my
mother a hug, ‘she is all talk. But she can never behave like Duke’s mother.
Never,’ I said.
I came into my hotel room where ten cousins, six aunts and four uncles sat on my
bed. I sat on the floor as space was at a premium. We had twenty rooms to
choose from, but my relatives would rather be cramped together than miss out on
juicy gossip session.
The younger cousins battled for the TV remote. I repeated the schedule to my
aunts.
‘They are big bores. How can they do puja the whole day?’ Kamla mami said.
‘They don’t even have sangeet?’ my mother said.
nora
(Nora)
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