Prologue

Prologue

Doing a job in Mumbai is worth a challenge! I’ve been experiencing this from months, but it feels like decades have passed and I’ve been repeating the same cycle of events every day. Like, rewinding and playing them. Sundays are good for a change and though only for a day, I come across a new date full of things which are not done every day. Life used to be more fun when we were kids and therefore simpler. God, why did we have to grow up?

I work as an investment banker at the SBI bank, Mumbai and we get one day off each week. It’s a strenuous job but being a part of this bank is a great deal. And after all the effort, I earn a good salary so the pains are worth it. After finishing my shift and avoiding the night shift for the third time this month, I reached home before dinner luckily. For the first time in my entire life the hectic traffic of Mumbai didn’t act like a problem for me. As my bike wasn’t in a good state, I had to take an auto rickshaw. I used to be very fond of riding it as a kid, it used to be something different and I inured to find it awesome! But now that I’ve grown up and faced the ugly truth of this fascination I had as a kid, I hate to even hear its sound as it goes by. You literally vibrate when you are sitting in it and it is very uncomfortable!

I reached my colony at last. I paid the auto-driver and advanced towards the colony gate. As usual Divakar Singh, an aged security guard, stood there and greeted me with a warm smile, “Good evening sahib! It’s good to see that you are on time today.”

“Yes, job keeps me bound in it and I can’t keep track of the time.” I smiled back at him. I feel sorry for them. They have to do so much to earn bread. Their life is way tougher than ours and still we blame God for our problems.

“Ram-Ram sahib.” he said and I waved him goodbye.

I took the elevator to reach my apartment on the fourth floor. ‘Quick…quick…’ I repeated in my mind. I reached there and rang the doorbell. Jeet, my elder brother Dhruv’s son, stood there who opened the door, “Oh wow! How come you’ve arrived so early?”

“Magic.” I grinned.

“Magic, you say? Come on in uncle, grandma has some real magic for you.”

“Is it? I sure am excited then.” I said as I entered in. Ah! How happy I was to reach home. But my happiness was short lived. On realizing my arrival mom called out for me, “So you’ve come? If dad isn’t there it doesn’t mean that you won’t greet us all. Come out of your room kid, we need to talk.”

“Coming….” I mumbled.

So this is the magic I was being told about, huh? Great! Now I get it. This is why the Mumbai traffic was being so grateful to me. My mother, Mrs. Disha Singhania, is a thin framed woman with wavy black hair. She has a whitish complexion and just like what every child thinks of his mother, I too feel that she’s the most beautiful woman in my life. She sure has manly linguistics and is what we call tomboyish by nature. And I like such girls, just like a love my mother.

I went outside to the living room where she waited for me. No matter how much old you grow up, you will remain a child to your parents and would still receive lectures. She gestured me to sit on the chair across hers. Jeet and bhaiya stood there while bhabhi was busy in the kitchen. I feel bad for housewives sometimes. They have to do all the household jobs so as to keep the house in balance. Do they marry the ones they love or the kitchen?

Jeet is just like his father- both of them are always there when I’m being scolded. They find it amusing. I like bhabhi the most as she’s always there to defend me. For her, I’m a sweet, innocent little brother- advantage!  After keeping my mind tangled in suspense, mother finally spoke, “Mr. Kapoor called this afternoon. He told me that you aren’t regular these days and it’s been a week since you have been taking longer breaks than usual.”

“Wait, I can explain!” I stammered.

Mom gazed at me critically, “No explanations required. Who is it?”

“Mom?” I was taken by surprise. Was she spying on me? Or has one of my colleagues told this to her? Let me reach their collars once!

“Come on. I’m your mother Yash. Who is it? Tell me.” she insisted.

I sighed, “Vani. It’s Vani Malhotra, from my school days.”

“Seriously??” my brother chocked out in shock.

“What do you mean by that? She’s way better than that Ekta whom you introduced to me in your college days.” I blurted out; making sure that bhabhi hears it by all means. And she did. She came out of the kitchen and stood there, staring at Dhruv bhaiya emphatically, “I’m serving dinner in five minutes. After that, someone’s got justifications to give.”

I chuckled. Mother shook her head in disbelief because of me. She does that quite often. “You concentrate here.” mother commanded, “I do remember this girl. She has been a trouble ever since you met her. You were the one who once named her ‘trouble’. But she proved you wrong. She was a darling! But how come is she with you after so many years?”

“It’s a long story. To cut it short, she means a lot to me and you know it very well ma. She has come from Delhi in search of a job. I was just assisting her!” I explained. “That’s alright, but please Yash, don’t compromise with your job. This position in SBI bank is very important for you. So concentrate there as well.” I nodded as a response.

The dinner went on in silence. Only bhaiya and bhabhi’s eyes did the talking. Bhabhi’s eyes were filled with questions while that of bhaiya’s with fear. I’m a happy bachelor right now but I bet my married life won’t be bad either. I’ll have a great life even thereafter!

As soon as the dinner got over, everyone went to their respective rooms to sleep. We all sleep early. I went to my room and lay down on my bed. Resting my elbow on a pillow, I watched TV for a while. Just then, Jeet entered my room and closed the door. He grinned at me and asked exactly what I had presumed, “Vani, huh? Why don’t you quit burning your eyes in the TV and tell me the story of this ‘trouble’ instead?”

That tall teen of 16 years had a strategic mind like an adult. His bony body resembled his mother but the remaining was totally like his father. Only I know how I manage to tolerate these two identical minions who keep bothering me. Still, Dhruv’s my brother and this little guy too is my family. I do argue with them, scold them, but in the end, we all know that I love them. But at that moment, I really wanted to talk about something else. Anything, but not Vani.

“Not now Jeet. Go and sleep. Don’t disturb your uncle.” Dhruv bhaiya said as he too entered my room. I got it that he wanted Jeet there as to prevent bhabhi from scolding him. And that was something I wasn’t going to allow, “Don’t worry bhaiya. Jeet will be sleeping with me tonight. You go and relax.”

And to my luck, bhabhi called out from the room, “Dhruv, come here right now! Let Jeet stay there.”

Bhaiya gave me a terrified look and departed reluctantly. It wasn’t going to be a fierce fight and would be back to normal after bhabhi will have finished her questions.

Jeet quickly closed the door and turned off the TV. Then he sat cross-legged in front of me, “Now you’ll have to narrate it to me or else I’ll go and sleep there. And so, your plan would turn out to be a flop. It’s your choice.”

I sighed in helplessness and disbelief.  Jeet was indeed like his father from every angle and habit. So, I had to agree, “Alright then. It’s not so special like a perfect story or a movie but, it is a part of my life. And your grandma had specified that I had kept her name ‘trouble’ for a short time, it’s true. She led me into trouble the very first day we met!”

Reviews

[Anuj kaushik]

First, you have written "Prolugue" by mistake. Second, your story kept me reading the whole prologue without break but in between another mistake broke my flow of imagination.
"I chuckled. Mother shook her head in disbelief because of me. She does that (quit) often. “You concentrate here.” mother commanded, “I do remember this girl. She has been trouble ever since you met her. " and in last line there is something missing in between "has been" and "trouble". Just try to proof read before posting.
finally saying.. your story's prologue is fantastic and I am eagerly waiting for the next.

[Anushka]

Thanks for specifying what you found wrong. I'll definitely get back on it...
and, the 'Prologue' was meant to be there...it is the prologue of the book.

[Anuj kaushik]

I admit 'Prologue' is meant to be there. But you have written at one place Prologue and at another Prolugue.

[Anushka]

My mistake! :P