2.1

"Mumma," I called my mum as I got in the home, "Mumma," I called her out again as I went inside her room, "did you sleep?" I asked peeping through the curtains and, my mum was preparing for her office.

"No, son," she replied, "where is Nivi?" she asked keeping her laptop in her bag.

"Yeah, she came down," I replied, "you called me?" I asked putting my hands behind my back as a student does in front of his teacher.

"Yes, I did call you, Vinu," she said, "please, sit," she added pointing towards the bed and, I did the same. I anyway knew what she wanted to talk about. How? In India when you're 32, you're considered an Aunite by teenagers and kids and, if they don't have an Uncle, your family is highly concerned about it. She wanted to talk about Nivi's Marriage, "listen, Vineet, Nivi is already committed to Abhishek, they will get married later if not soon," she started as she sat in front of me, "I'm not so much worried about Nivishthi and Abhishek's marriage, 'cause I trust Abhishek," she said.

"Yes, Mumma," I said, "Abhishek is a really nice guy, you know, he along with that new tenant has raised a boy," I added.

"Yeah, I know," she said, "Abhishek was asking me if I have any problems regarding Faheem, and, I said no," she added, "so, Faheem is Tilli's son?"

"Maybe," I said, "I mean, I don't know exactly but, that boy, Faheem calls Shaheera Ammi."

"Shaheera!" Mom exclaimed.

"Yeah, Shaheera," I said with a straight face.

"That same girl you met on the train?" She asked.

"Yes," I nodded.

"Abhishek is not a Muslim," mom said, "he's Hindu, isn't he?" she asked.

"He is Hindu, indeed," I said, "but, friendship has no religion and, you can't react this way, Mumma, you already knew that he's Kashmiri, he will have Muslim friends and, Shaheera, who you call Tilli is a childhood friend of Abhishek," I said, "both of them have been raised as siblings."

"Oh!" she exclaimed, "invite Tilli for dinner tomorrow," she ordered and got up from the bed and went towards the cupboard, I left for my room and, found Nivi sitting on the sofa with some files.

"What you doing?" I asked her peeping into the file.

"A client sent his files," she said not making an eye-contact with me, "for you," she whispered but, I heard and started to move away from there.

"File the papers nicely after your curiosity is over," I said reaching the kitchen door, "and keep them on my table," I added and drank water. Nivi has always been inquisitive towards my cases, she has to know each and every detail of the client

"Okay," she said, "but, where are you gonna sit from tomorrow?" she asked and I made a confused face, "your office is taken," she chuckled.

"Oh, yes!" I exclaimed, "Shaheera took my office," I said.

"Well, you both can share the place until you find a place," she suggested.

"I need to ask her about that," I said, "if she's alright sharing her place with me," I added.

"Sure," she said, "then, when are you gonna talk to her about that?"

"It's already 10, Nivi," I said looking at the clock, "I won't disturb her at this hour, for sure," I added.

"Of Course," she smirked and her phone rang, "I'll be back," she said getting off the sofa and going towards the balcony.

"Abhishek?" I asked and she nodded turning halfway back at me and leaving the place. 

'She's so happy with him,' I thought arranging the papers. 'No matter how self-sufficient you are, at some point in life, you'll need a partner's company, when I look back at my life, it's full of achievements, I scored a 10 CGPA in 10th and 12th both, and I was a National Level Badminton Player, got so many medals, in college also I was a good student and now, I'm a lawyer in the Supreme Court. Having achieved so many things in my life; I feel so incomplete sometimes, I get worried about Mumma, how she manages without Papa.' I thought once again arranging the already arranged papers and, I was so lost that I didn't realize when Mumma came into the hall.

"What are you doing, Vinu?" Mumma asked dragging me out of my thoughts.

"Yeah?"I was clueless and puzzled.

"I asked, what are you doing?" she repeated calmly.

"Oh, arranging these case papers and filing them up," I replied without making eye contact with my mum.

"Vinu, it's so tough to live a life alone," she said leaving me amused, "I know," she said and I nodded, "I was thinking of marriage," she said.

"Wow, you support this?" I asked, "I love you!" I exclaimed and hugged her, "I'm so glad to know that," I said as I detached myself from her.

"Yeah," she said, "I was thinking of marriage," she repeated.

"Yeah, me too," I said enthusiastically, "do you know some guy?" I asked.

"Guy?!" she questioned exclaiming at me.

"Yeah, guy," I said.

"Are you..?"

"What?!"

"Are you gay?" Mumma asked me.

"No!" I exclaimed, "What are you saying? What made you think so?" I asked furiously.

"You said you want to marry a guy," she said, "so, I thought so."

"I was talking about your..." I said and stopped mid-way, "wait, you were talking about my marriage!" I exclaimed, "are you serious? I'm 38, who's gonna marry me at this age?"

"I married your father when he was 45," she said, "I was just 24 then," she added.

"And, what things you're going through now?" I argued, "I don't want to ruin yet another girl's life," I declared and shook my hands, and started going to my room.

"I ain't asking you to get married to a young girl," she said compelling me to not enter the room. I turned, "what if you get married to a girl of your age?"

"And, when and where you'll get such girl?" I said folding my arms on the chest.

"You leave that thing to me," she said in the most enthusiastic way, "you just say yes and, I'll line up good Punjabi Kudis (girls) for you," she said.

"Mumma!" I exclaimed.

"What Mumma, Vinu?" she said, "you just say yes and, leave it all to me," she repeated her words.

"You do whatever you want," I said and took my file and went to my room, and slammed the door shut. Then I heard Nivishthi's sound.

"What did he say?" I heard Nivi asking Mumma.

"You do whatever you want," she mimicked me.

"Then do as you dear son said," she mocked, "start seeing girls for him," she said.

"Nivi, I know that he doesn't but, does he have a girlfriend?" she asked Nivishthi, "or does he like someone?"

"No, he neither has a girlfriend nor does he like someone," she said with a straight face.

"Then, I'll need to see girls for him," Mumma said, "really, my son will do an arranged marriage."

"Let us wait for some time," Nivi said, "maybe, he'll start liking someone."

***