Broken promises

            It was past 9 already. Naksh stared at his computer screen. Just an hour of work left and he could go to bed in peace. He had been denying his son his bedtime stories for a week now. He thought of putting his son to sleep today with his stories. This new project had put a toll on him. Maybe he could manage to spend some time with his wife Neetu after their son slept. He realised he was already dreaming and got back to work.
           He was done with his work when he thought of checking his previous email id. He had a feeling since morning that he was forgetting something about today. Was it someone's birthday? Maybe his old yahoo id could give him the answer. There were some 599 mails! He didn't remember when was the last time he checked it. Anyway Yahoo had some serious spam issues. In the first two pages he couldn't find anything important and assumed that the rest were useless as well. He was about to open the spam box when his son called out to him, "Pappppa come sooon". He shut down his PC, stood up and stretched himself. He caught his wife looking at him. And he knew that look. She smiled and he patted her cheek, "you wait, today I will put him to sleep and be back" he said.
           He was about to enter his son's room when the landline phone rang. He let it ring. He heard the shower running. Neetu had gone for a shower. The phone rang once again. This time Naksh went to answer it. His son who was already enthusiastic to hear his story now made a face. "Paapaaa not done!" "Must be important sonny, let me answer." He wondered who must be calling on landline! It had been long since the landline rang. IT was more of a showpiece now :P
          "Hello"
           No voice from the other end. Who would think of giving blank calls!!
           "Hellooo" this time he raised his voice.
           "Hello" said a feeble female tone.
           "Yes, who is this?"
           "Naksh" she sighed almost leaving a cry. Naksh felt himself getting weak.
           "Shreya" he whispered.
           "I missed you Naksh" she said in that soft voice which could make Naksh do anything!
            He felt himself losing control and then he remembered what she had done to him. His weakness gave way to anger. He had once wanted only one chance to talk to her and today when she had called he didn't know what to say!
           "Shreya how dare you call me!" he tried to get angry but failed. Somewhere it still hurt to shout at her.
           "Naksh, I m.. I m really sorry. "
           "Sorry! That's all you say after all that you did 8 years back?"
           "9 years Naksh.. 9 years and 4 hours back. I have been counting." she murmured.
           Oh yes!! IT was her birthday.
           In the years he had changed his  phone number but the landline number was the same.
           "Naksh it's probably my last birthday.. I m counting my days. Before I breath my last I want to see you. Take it as my last wish."
            "What?? Where are  you Shreya?" He couldn't stop worrying.
            "Tata hospital. Please Naksh meet me once." she pleaded.
            He asked her the visitor's timing and agreed to meet her. As he kept down the receiver he realised his eyes were moist.
            He went back to his son who was angry. He pacified him and after much cuddling and story telling, he finally fell asleep. It was midnight when he finally went to his room. His wife was waiting for him.
"Sorry darling, very tired" he muttered.
His wife turned to the other side of the bed, furious at his behavior.
He felt guilty to have hurt her but he was preoccupied with Shreya.
            In all these years she hadn't bothered about him then why was she remembering him on her death bed? He had forgotten the tragedy this day had brought into his life but today she reminded him the pain again.
           Should he even meet her?

When rats become Yoga teachers..

               Last week I joined the yoga class. This is my second attempt. I had joined four years back, reduced a couple of kgs and gorged some more and later put on double of it :P  This time I was advised by my family physician to join yoga. The idea was to reduce stress and anger management. For those who don't know- I managed to raise my blood pressure so much that the doctor and my parents worried I will break down and the very next day I showed the perfect mercury level :P
               Because of my haywire schedule I have no fixed timings for yoga. I enter into any random batch as I please. The first day I went into early morning 6.30 batch. This batch is packed with aunties. Salwar kameez wearing fat aunties. First time in years I felt thin :D :D One of them even remarked that she wants to get to my size.. Ahaa!! The joys of getting that comment :D :D  As for the stress issues- the yoga tires me so much that I have no energy left to show my anger or take any other stress.. World peace :D
               After half an hour of twisting and turning our muscles, doing that suryanamaskar that leaves us gasping for breath, the shavasan seems like the bestttt part of yoga. The driving energy for those suryanamaskars is the awaiting shavasan.

       On the second day, while I was lying on the floor trying to restore my heartbeat to normal, suddenly a loud shriek from the lady next to me shook me. In a matter of seconds the entire group was jumping around. I was too lazy to get up but the noise brought the dead me back to life. The entire hullabaloo was over a family of rats that lived in the yoga class. 

       Apparently the yoga class was their bedroom :D These rats stayed put in the neighboring kirane ka dukaan  (grocery store) and fattened up on the food there during the day. They are 4 fat rats. 2 stay below the desktop drawer (yes the yoga class doubles up as a nursery class during the afternoon) and two stay behind the door painted with tortoise and hare wala story. Intelligent choice the rats have. 

       The rats decided to meet each other while the ladies screamed away in terror. What is it that makes women give that "EEEEEEEEEEEEek" "Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa" even though the poor rats have been considerate enough and were crossing the distance from the sides? They are not like those mindless cockroaches which get inside anywhere! 

        Since the day the rats made themselves appear, the aunties have been severely terrorized. A few have shifted their batch to the afternoon when the rats go for their meals. Few have changed their position and stand on the opposite side from where the rats travel. While the rest continue to create a ruckus everyday. 

       A little noise from behind the painted door and there is a change in alignment of all aunties. While the instructor croons, "Relaaaaaaaaaaax ho kar saas lijiye" the aunties are constantly panting. Any asan done with closed eyes is blantantly not done :P Shavasan has been dreaded.

          Today I went in a little late to see that the entire class was full. Kya baat hai! I thought they must have got rid of the rats in the  last 3 days when I had been busy and attended  the last batch of the day. I didn't notice that the place next to the door was deliberately kept vacant and stood there. 

          While I was doing the butterfly yogasan, a small rat passed from right below my thighs while my thighs were up. I swear it would have been crushed if I had brought my thigh down. Thunder thighs I have :P 

                                                   

                                                    

                                                     I m  nowhere close to this :P 

             What followed was aunties rushing all over the place. I sat there patiently and went on to the next pose. The rats decided to have a gala time today and the entire 1 hour they kept going to and fro drawing hysterical noises from the poor aunties and a few young girls who had come today. I bet they are not coming tomorrow. The rats have made them do more exercise than the yoga instructor  :D :D Aur rakho darwazewaala position khaali :P 

             While leaving they asked the instruction a shift in their batch. The funny thing is no amount of rodent control will help as these smart fellows are never around during the day. so chuhe maarne ki dawa is out of question as the nursery kids are close by. Like everything, Adjust kar lo :P 

P.S: In the batch next to mine, 3 fat girls come for yoga.. I feel soo happy to see them! I want a picture with them.. :D Evil I know.

P.P.S: Of the many things I can do, this makes me proud.. I feel like an elastic when I do this :D :D