"To phir kya hasil hai zindagi ka," I asked Aunt as she walked into my living/dining room taking seat on the wooden rocking chair by the kitchen counter where I once studied my books out loud while Amma had cooked in the kitchen.
"Tum abhi se ye sawal kiyun kar rahi ho?"
"Kiyun, sawal hi to hai."
"Ye sawal to mainay khud se apnay 40s mein karna shhoro kya tha," she told me in a plain manner. I think she turned forty last year. She just recently got the hang of the 'plain manner'; it was her dissipated interest in my life that I know she maintained out of sophistication because of the relationship we hold. Neither she had the time to spoil me nor did I spend enough time with her. "Tumne to abhi dekhni hai duniya."
"Shayed," I told her putting two cups of water to boil for tea.
"Tumhara kaam hai abhi, parhna. Ye waqt irtiqa ka hai, mustaqil o musalsal agay barh rahi ho tum, hasil abhi nahi hai, is koshish kay baad hai," she dug into the packet of masala Chana-Choor I had handed her.
"Sahi keh rahi hain, Aunt Baji, aap."
"Aur qurbani kar li tum logo ne, hogaya sab kaam asaani se?"
"Jee, Allah ka ehsaan hai."
"Gosht kisnay sambhala," she asked with a little interest now, perhaps it was genuine.
"Honey Mamu ne kasaee aur zibah ka kaam dekha, Mania aur mainay gosht ka hisaab kiya."
"Baantnay batanay ka kaam?"
"Daadi Jaan walay saray to main Hamu Dada kay haan le gaee thi, aap ka bhi tha wahan," I meant to ask.
"Haan, woh wahi Chaachi kay haan rakhwa diya tha." She got up and asked me if she could peep into the fridge. I motioned her ahead.
"Sana! Itni tameez se chits laga kar hissay bana-ay hain tum nay, I am impressed," she exclaimed.
"Shukriya, waisay sachi baat hai, mujhay ye kaam itna mushkil nahi laga jitna logo se suna tha," I shared with her.
"Haan, koi bhi kaam tareeqay se kiya ja-ay to mushkil nahi hota, beharhal tumhari Ammi ko bataungi fone per, bohat khush hongi."
"Hahaha, please thorha aur barha charha kar kay bateyega."
"Ammi se baat howi?"
"Nahi, woh log rastay mein thay Chicago se wapis aarahay thay," I told her.
"Meri baat howi thi to ro rahi theen," she waited for my expressions.
"I know she does that a lot."
"Tum abhi se ye sawal kiyun kar rahi ho?"
"Kiyun, sawal hi to hai."
"Ye sawal to mainay khud se apnay 40s mein karna shhoro kya tha," she told me in a plain manner. I think she turned forty last year. She just recently got the hang of the 'plain manner'; it was her dissipated interest in my life that I know she maintained out of sophistication because of the relationship we hold. Neither she had the time to spoil me nor did I spend enough time with her. "Tumne to abhi dekhni hai duniya."
"Shayed," I told her putting two cups of water to boil for tea.
"Tumhara kaam hai abhi, parhna. Ye waqt irtiqa ka hai, mustaqil o musalsal agay barh rahi ho tum, hasil abhi nahi hai, is koshish kay baad hai," she dug into the packet of masala Chana-Choor I had handed her.
"Sahi keh rahi hain, Aunt Baji, aap."
"Aur qurbani kar li tum logo ne, hogaya sab kaam asaani se?"
"Jee, Allah ka ehsaan hai."
"Gosht kisnay sambhala," she asked with a little interest now, perhaps it was genuine.
"Honey Mamu ne kasaee aur zibah ka kaam dekha, Mania aur mainay gosht ka hisaab kiya."
"Baantnay batanay ka kaam?"
"Daadi Jaan walay saray to main Hamu Dada kay haan le gaee thi, aap ka bhi tha wahan," I meant to ask.
"Haan, woh wahi Chaachi kay haan rakhwa diya tha." She got up and asked me if she could peep into the fridge. I motioned her ahead.
"Sana! Itni tameez se chits laga kar hissay bana-ay hain tum nay, I am impressed," she exclaimed.
"Shukriya, waisay sachi baat hai, mujhay ye kaam itna mushkil nahi laga jitna logo se suna tha," I shared with her.
"Haan, koi bhi kaam tareeqay se kiya ja-ay to mushkil nahi hota, beharhal tumhari Ammi ko bataungi fone per, bohat khush hongi."
"Hahaha, please thorha aur barha charha kar kay bateyega."
"Ammi se baat howi?"
"Nahi, woh log rastay mein thay Chicago se wapis aarahay thay," I told her.
"Meri baat howi thi to ro rahi theen," she waited for my expressions.
"I know she does that a lot."
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