"Saale rajput," she gritted her teeth, glaring like a tigress in rage. The entire family stood around her with a mix of shock and amusement painted on their faces.
"Baby, what are you doing?" Aakash asked cautiously.
"Shhhh!" she snapped at him with a piercing glare and turned her burning eyes back to the man who stood in front of her.
The family, who had just thrown their slippers in comic disbelief, now watched silently - jaws dropped.
"The great nalayak, Aadarsh Singh Rajput," Shashi said with venom in her tone.
Gasps echoed through the room, but not one soul dared to utter a word. The man - Aadarsh Singh Rajput - stood frozen, as if lightning had struck.
"Darsh..." a soft voice called as a woman gently placed her hand on his shoulder.
Shashi didn't care. She removed her other slipper.
"Shashi, chappal nahi..." Aadarsh stammered, trying to protect himself.
Too late. The second slipper flew with perfect precision and landed square on his chest.
"Dusht aadmi!" she screamed. (You wicked man!)
"Sh... Shashi-"
"Chup. Bilkul chup. Papi, nishthur, nirlaj, murkh, kapti, asur..." (Shut up. Completely shut up. Sinner, cruel, shameless, idiot, fraud, demon...)
Aadarsh, panicking, quickly placed his hand over her mouth to stop her from throwing more abusive words.
But she bit him - hard.
"Jungli billi!" he yelped. (Wild cat!)
"Tera gadha, nalayak..." (Useless, good-for-nothing...)
"Bas bas! Explain karne de!" he pleaded. (Enough! Let me explain!)
"Explanation gayi bhaad mein!" she shouted. (To hell with your explanation!)
"Sun to-"
"Do saal. Pure do saal! Ek aadmi - Aadarsh Singh Rajput - naam ka rakshas achanak se gayab ho jata hai. Phone band. Contacts band!" (Two years. A whole two years! A man named Aadarsh Singh Rajput disappears like a demon. Phone off. No contacts!)
She took a deep breath, trying to control the volcano inside her.
"Do din. Sirf do din ke liye main Banaras gayi thi... Aur tu pure do saal ke liye... Kya bhaad mein marne gaya tha?!" (I went to Banaras for just two days... And you disappeared for two whole years... Did you go die in some gutter?!)
She grabbed his collar and shook him.
"Bro... sun to..."
"kya sunu? Tu bata kya sunu main? Zindagi mein ek sirf ek insaan se attachment thi mujhe - par woh khud gayab ho gaya jaise sab kuch ek mazaak tha!" (Should I even listen? You tell me what I should hear. There was only one person I was emotionally attached to - and he vanished like everything was a joke!)
"Tujhe andaza bhi hai main kya kar rahi thi jab tu nahi tha? Main pagal ho gayi thi!" (Do you even realize what I went through when you were gone? I went mad!)
She slapped him hard across the face.
"Ab bol na, saale chamu jaisa khada hai... Bol!" (Now speak up, you fool standing like a dumb statue... Speak!)
"Sorry," he whispered.
"Wah. Bohot sahi. 'Sorry.'" she said, clapping mockingly. "Chiz point to point abhi bata!" (Wow. Perfect. 'Sorry.' Now explain point by point!)
"i..i got m.. married " he said softly.
Silence.
"Great," Shashi said, laughing bitterly. "To matlab... aap ab single nahi hai. Great!" (So that means... you're no longer single. Great!)
"Koi hume batayega yahan chal kya raha hai?" the whole family asked in unison - except the woman behind Aadarsh.
"Ek minute. Sabse bada sawaal to maine pucha hi nahi..." Shashi narrowed her eyes. "Tu yahan kar kya raha hai?" (One minute. I haven't asked the biggest question yet - What the hell are you doing here?)
"Yeh toh main bhi puch sakta hoon," Aadarsh shot back.
"Jawab de! Nahi to ek aur chappal padegi!" (Answer me! Or another slipper is coming your way!)
"Tu marne pe lag jati hai har baar..." (You're always ready to kill me...)
"You deserve it. Ab bol. Tu yahan kya kar raha hai?" she demanded.
"Sweety, bhai hai mera woh," Aakash finally spoke up.
Her eyes widened. "Aadarsh! Tu thode-thode shock diya kar yaar. Itna sab kuch mera brain handle nahi kar sakta!" (Aadarsh! Give me these shocks in pieces, okay? My brain can't take so much at once!)
"Pata chal gaya main yahan kya kar raha hoon, ab tu bata tu kya kar rahi hai yahan?" Aadarsh asked.
"Biwi hai main," Aakash replied calmly.
Aadarsh's eyes nearly popped out of his head.
"Ab aap dono batane ka raaz kholenge ki yahan ab tak kya ho raha tha?" Aakash asked.
The whole family leaned in, eager.
"We were together in college... for almost four years," Aadarsh began.
"Aur yeh gadha ek din gayab ho gaya." (And this idiot disappeared one day.) Shashi slapped his back again.
"Tu marna band kar yaar," Aadarsh groaned.
"Abhi toh maine shuru bhi nahi kiya. Soch agar main sach mein marna shuru karu toh..." (I haven't even started yet. Imagine if I really begin to hit you...)
"Devi, hume kripya kshama kare..." he said, folding his hands. (Goddess, please forgive me...)
"Aap jaise nirlaj prani ko kshama prapt to ho hi nahi sakti. Asur!" (Creatures like you don't deserve forgiveness. Demon!)
"Tu koi kam nahi hai. Main bhi gaya tha Dilli tujhe dhoondhne," he defended.
"Main Pune wapas aa gayi thi tab," she countered.
"Shashi... I'm really sorry," he said, his voice thick with guilt.
"Tu mere samne emotional mat ho. Aur rona toh bilkul nahi," she warned. (Don't get emotional in front of me. And absolutely no crying.)
"Chal be... tere liye royu main?" (Yeah right... should I cry for you?)
"Wapas apne Yakshas wale roop mein aa ja na," she mocked dramatically. (Why don't you transform into your demon mode again?)
"Bro, tere gaal kahan gaye? Mast chubby cheeks the tere toh," Aadarsh teased.
"Abhi bhi hai. Bas tu andha ho gaya hai," Shashi replied.
"Oye gadhi, khud ki purani photos dekh, compare kar," Aadarsh shot back. (Hey idiot, look at your old photos and compare.)
" cupcake!" came a sweet little voice, interrupting the bickering.
"Yes, my pie?" Shashi smiled.
"Why were you shouting at chachu? He's a nice man, cupcake," asked Aarav.
"My pie, your chachu is a very nice man... but sometimes he does very foolish things. So I had to scold him," she said gently.
"Can we please have breakfast now?" a boy in his twenties asked Aadarsh. "Par aadu bhai , aap rehne do. Itni daant aur maar kha li, bhook toh nahi lagi hogi ab."
"Hi, Agastya," Shashi greeted.
"Hi, bhabhi," Agastya replied.
"Please, call me Shashi," she smiled.
Agastya gave her a thumbs up. "Adi mummy-papa kaha hai ?" she asked.
"Idhar beta," came two voices from the couch.
"Khama Ghani, uncle-aunty," Shashi said. (Traditional Marwari greeting)
"Hame ghani beta," Aadarsh's parents - Suhani and Abhiraj - replied.
"Why did you call us uncle-aunty? Chhote mummy-papa bolo," Abhiraj said, smiling.
"Papa..." a tiny, sweet voice echoed from behind.
"Yes, my munchkin," Aadarsh picked up the baby from the woman standing beside him.
"Aadi..." Shashi whispered. "Is he...?"
"Your nephew," Aadarsh replied.
"Hello, chhote Rajput," Shashi said warmly to the giggling child.
"By the way, Aadi... where's Apsara?" she asked, confusing everyone.
"Ishita," Aadarsh called, and the woman stepped forward.
"No wonder he called you Apsara... you are a beauty, bhabhi. Even a poet would run out of words," Shashi said, admiring her.
"Hey, don't flirt with my wife," Aadarsh said.
"Even if I try to stop, I can't help myself," Shashi winked.
"Ishita, stay away from her," Aadarsh warned.
"Why? Don't forget, I gave you tips to propose her," Shashi replied smugly.
"Mehnat toh saari meri hi thi..." (All the hard work was mine...)
"Bas bas, ab tum dono phir se ladna shuru mat karna," Aparna said.
"Ha chalo, mujhe bhook lagi hai. Nashta karte hai," Sarthak added.
After breakfast, Shashi and her nephew played together in the living room.
Just then, Abhishek came running in. "Shashi!"
"Kya hua? Itna bhag kyun rahi ho?" she asked.
"Where's your phone?" he panted.
"In my room," she replied.
"Bro, there's an emergency. Come fast!"
Shashi ran out.
"Shashi! Your clothes!" Aadarsh shouted after her.
"Mujhe kon dekh raha hai ? Chal bye!" she shouted as she ran.
"Yeh abhi bhi waise hi hai," Aadarsh chuckled. (She's still exactly the same.)
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Hope you all liked the chapter and their reunion
I liked the way she hit him with a chappal.
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