Hey Dad! Meet My Mom (7 page)

Chapter 9

Every night,
You wander in my dreams.
Like a fallen angel,
Subdued & serene.
Bestowed with exotic charm,
A beauty rarely seen.
Your presence makes me fumble,
Afore you I lose my reign.
Touch me o goddess!
And take me where I’ve never been.
Lend me some purity,
Cleanse me, clean.

T
he next destination for our mission was a watch showroom. According to Rishi, ‘A watch not only tells the time but also tells the ‘time’ of the bearer.’ In short, I had to get a replacement for my present wrist watch. I was in no mood to argue with my future son, so we simply decided to head straight to the showroom.

I parked my car outside the nearest Titan showroom and rushed inside with Rishi accompanying me. The moment I opened the front gate of the shop, I felt something inexplicable. It was like something appeared in front of me and then crossed over my body. The feeling was meant to be scary but it felt soothing. I remained glued for some time, trying to figure out what had just happened, when I heard Rishi.

“Come on, dad!”

I shook my head and followed the over-excited Rishi. We reached the display counter of the showroom and started admiring the shining, metallic and stylish watches. Rishi was looking at it all with his mouth open. I patted his lower jaw to close his mouth but it again fell down. Maybe that was the reason why he used lollypops.

“Can I help you, sir?” A very sweet voice forced me to turn around. I turned and as I saw the lady I instantly lost all control over my legs and got totally misbalanced. I was about to fall down when she held me. It was a magical moment. She was holding me, saving me from the fall and I was admiring her beauty. She was my girl. Everything seemed to be happening in slow motion and I was absorbing the beauty of that moment in my soul when Rishi took charge of the situation.

“Cadet, stand up on your feet and behave like a soldier!” Rishi was still performing the role of the General in our ‘Operation Mom’.

As I came back to my senses, I tried to gather myself and stand straight. In the meanwhile my eyes fell on her eyes; she looked worried; worried for me.
How caring!

“Are you alright? Do you want something? Water or anything...... ?” She asked in her worried, sweet voice.

“No, I am fine.” I said and smiled. She too followed suit and smiled. After that there was a long awkward silence between us. I kept looking in her eyes and she tried to steal her glance from me and simultaneously tried to put one lock of her hair behind her ear. That sight was amazing and I knew that I would cherish it forever.

“So you are here to buy a wrist watch, I guess.” She said and tried to break down the ice of awkwardness between us.

“Yup, with the motive to impress you”, said Rishi instantly.

“Just shut up! Don’t listen to him.” My second sentence was for her.

“To whom? Are you alright?” She was totally confused about something. Then I figured out that she couldn’t hear or see Rishi and from her point of view I was looking like a complete idiot.

“Yes, I am fine. Can you please help me choose a wrist watch which suits me?” I said with a big smile on my face.
For hiding your stupidity, a charming smile is the best cover.

“Dad! You are going to spoil everything. Repeat what I say, girls like flirting and currently mom also lies in the same category. Flirt a bit, grab the opportunity.” I behaved as if I didn’t hear him and paid no attention but somewhere I felt he was right, most of the movies depict that flirting does help.
Let’s give it a try.

She nodded to what I had said and turned around to take a few watches out of the showcase. She was looking hot in her uniform. She was wearing a white shirt and black fitted jeans. Her sleeves were little folded up which were somehow adding beauty to her overall look.

“Dad! Do I also look hot in my school uniform? See, I am wearing a half shirt so I can’t fold it up.” I felt embarrassed. I didn’t know why he behaved like that. Sometimes he spoke so sensibly and sometimes he was totally annoying.

“These are our best pieces.” She placed some of the watches in front of me. Each one was brilliant.

“I think the best piece of this showroom is standing in front of me.” Rishi said and signaled me to repeat. I felt afraid to do so but had no other choice.

“I think the best piece of this showroom is standing in front of me.” I said while stammering a lot in between.

“Excuse me?” She seemed to lose her temper.

“I.... I mean, I was talking about the wrist watch of that dummy behind you. It looks like the best piece.” I tried to do some damage control and was successful too.

“I am.... I am so sorry, sir. I totally misunderstood you. I am so sorry.” She rushed to take that wrist watch out for me.

I took out my handkerchief to wipe the sweat on my forehead and found Rishi laughing his heart out.

At last I decided on a wrist watch and paid for it with my credit card. She took care of all the formalities. I could sense that at that moment that I was losing her.
I had to do something!
Rishi was constantly giving me various ideas but I rejected each of them.

“By the way, I am Puneet.” I said as she gave me the package containing my purchase.

“I know you, I met you at Maya’s cafe and then at the vegetable market.” She replied with a sweet smile.
She knew me. God! If You ever wanted me to die, this would be the best moment.
“I am Myra.” She said and put forward her hand for a shake.

Finally I knew her name. Now she was no longer a nameless dream.
Myra.

Our hand shake continued for a bit longer than usual. Suddenly she realized something and took her hand back. I wanted to ask her out for coffee but was finding it difficult getting the right words.

“Ah.... Are you... I mean if you.... ” Rishi mimicked me which made me feel annoyed with him. When he felt the seriousness of the moment, he decided to help. “Ask her directly.”

“If you are free on this Sunday, can we meet up at Maya’s cafe? I want to make up for the last time when I had to rush away in the middle of our chat.” I said in a go. I was really afraid of what her reaction would be.

“Okay. Let’s meet up at 4 in the evening.” She said and I felt delighted.
Finally!

Where the hell was I? I was standing in the middle of an enormous crowd. Everyone was running around for their own purpose, the only one there who had no purpose was me. I tried to gather my thoughts to figure out what was happening but my mind was blank. I could hear nothing. I could see everything but no one else could see me. I should run, I thought.

I started running but the place seemed to have no end. I was sweating. I shouted but no one heard me; I cried, no one heard me. I was panting heavily.

Then slowly, the voices around me started falling on my ears, I could hear the crowd Nothing made any sense. Then I heard a very loud honk of a train. I was on a plaform. But how had I reached there? And which platform was this?

I tried to talk with some people but no one answered me, they were all in a hurry. I was about to lose my temper when suddenly in a flash, everyone around me disappeared. There was no one else on the platform except me and the train.

The train honked again, it was about to leave. I started searching every coach of the train to find anything that could help me make any sense of all this but I found nothing. I was feeling afraid and devastated. I had a feeling that if this train left, I would lose something. But what?

“Dad!” I heard him cry from somewhere. Rishi! Where was he? I got more impatient. I had to save him.

The train started to move. I continued my search. With each passing coach, the train started picking up speed I couldn t lose Rishi. I had to find him. My heart beat was rising and my blood was about to burst out of my veins.

I searched every coach but Rishi was nowhere to be found. The train left the platform but my eyes were stillfixed on it. Then all of a sudden, I saw Rishi in one of the coaches. He waved out to me. He seemed to be crying. Some lady was also with him. When I focused on her, I came to recognize her; she was the same girl I had seen in my dream at the barber's shop.

“Dad!” Rishi cried again.

“RISHI!” I woke up shouting his name. Rishi was in the bathroom. His face was covered under shaving cream and he was enjoying spreading it using my brush. He got terrified when I shouted out his name.

“Okay, sorry. I’ll not use your shaving kit again.”

I had never before waited for a Sunday so badly. Time is a pretty strange concept actually. When you waited for it, it seemed to stand still and when you wanted it to stay, it flew away quickly. Since the day I asked Myra out for coffee, I started my preparations for the upcoming evening. Rishi too helped me; well I was bit confused about whether he actually helped me or was helping make my situation worse. Every idea he gave seemed to be the most idiotic thing of the era to me. But I had no other choice either.

Finally the D-day arrived. The clock was showing 10am and I started to choose what to wear. I didn’t want to rely on Rishi for this important decision, so invited my mother to help me. She continuously asked me about the specialness of the occasion but I kept it a secret, although she got a hint from my anxiety to look great that day.
Whether or not you tell her, she’s your mother and she knows everything about you!

After a 2 hour discussion and trying almost every piece of clothing I had, we finalized the best one. My mom wanted to stay longer with me to dig out my secrets but somehow I managed to send her out of my room. She was really happy for me. Before going out, she said,
“Khali haath na jaana,
do buy some gift for her.”

When she left, I looked at Rishi in amazement.
How did she know?
We were silent for a while and then Rishi decided to break the silence.

“So...... A gift.”