Mahir's Pov-

I poured a glass of water for myself as soon as I entered my flat.

I could finally sigh in relief,breathe freely after that torturous time in that blasted lift.

I didn't even want to get in that lift in the first place,I was trying to save that puppy who had escaped his owners but that stupid little dog ran out and I got trapped inside instead.

And after that whatever happened is forever going to embarrass me infront of her.

Now thinking about it,I had never thought of bumping into her in such circumstances.

And now remembering the way I had clutched her,made me even more embarrassed.

How was I ever going to face her again?

I sighed.

And on top of all this,she turned out to be my next door neighbour.

How has life turned this way?

Me living next to Bela Singhaniya!?

The most quiet and serious girl of school.

The ringing of my phone broke my chain of thoughts and I instantly smiled seeing the caller id.

"Hellllooooo"I singsonged as I accepted the call.

"Hello ke bacche! Time dekha h tune?? 11 baj gaye h aur tujhe teri maa ko ek call krne tak ki fursat nhi h! Aur ab hello kiye jaa raha h!"I heard my mumma yell at me from the other side but that just made me chuckle.

"Arre yrr abhi abhi hi aaya hu ghar pr,just bethke paani piya h,aapko call krne hi wala tha ki aapka call aa gaya"I said.

"Yeh koi waqt h ghar aane ka?? Tu bht manmaani krne lag gaya h aajkal Mahir! Agar yahi teri harkatein rahi h na toh band krwa dungi tera uss flat pr rehna mein!"She said and I just continued smiling.

"Patients thode zyada the mumma, isliye late ho gaya"I said but that obviously didn't help.

"Tujhe pata bhi h mera kya haal hota h jab tu yeh aadhi aadhi raat ko ghar aata h! Raat ko safe hota h kya akele aise gaadi chalakr aana?! Kitni baar kaha h time se ghar aaya kr,pr tune toh kasam khaa rakhi h meri baat na sunne ki"She continued lecturing me and I just kept listening as always.

"Ho gaya aapka?"I asked and she huffed from the other side.

"Kyu itna tension lete ho aap?? Mein sahi se aa jaata hu flat pr, 3 saal se reh raha hu mein yahapr,ab tak kuch hua h kya?? Aur baccha thodi hu mein,aap faltu tension lena band karo"I said but she didn't say anything and that only meant one thing.

She won't stop her worry.

"Acha yeh batao,aapka din kesa tha aaj ka?"I asked,changing the subject.

"Mat hi puch! Inn nalayako ne toh bura haal kiya hua h mera! Do hafton mein final exams h,aur inke toh paas hone ki bhi ummed nhi h mujhe! Itna sunaya meine aaj,kaha ki padhai kr lo,pr yeh h ki sunne ko toh taiyaar hi nhi h"She said and I chuckled hearing that.

"Chodo na yrr,aapke husband dekh lenge inko toh,aap kyu hrr kisi ka tension lekr beth jaatein ho?"I said and she sighed.

"Tere dad se kuch hone se raha! Krna toh mujhe hi padega na sab!"She said.

"Coaching mein daal do yrr,koi na koi teacher hoga hi jo do hafton mein inka syllabus cover krwa de"I suggested.

"Shivaay ne dhundhi h ek teacher,woh karega kal jaakr unse baat"She said and I hummed at that.

"Yeh sab chod,tu bata Tera din kesa tha?? Kuch khaya?? Dinner bhi nhi kiya hoga na ab tak?? Isliye kehti hu mat reh akele! Ab iss waqt khana banayega tu?? Na toh tujhe koi cook rakhna h! Na help! Sab khud se krna h! Tujhse nhi ho raha h na toh tu wapas aaja Ghar,hamare saath hi reh,kam se kam yaha tujhe ghar ka khana toh milta h na pure din ki thakan ke baad"She said the same thing she has been saying since the day I left home to stay in this flat.

"Nhi thaka hu,aur mein parcel lekr aaya hu bahar se,wahi bethkr khaunga,aur aapko hazar bar bola h mujhe nhi h zarurat chef ya help ki,akela toh rehta hu mein,kya hi kaam h mere sarr pr? Bana leta hu apna khana mein khud.....aap same cheez bolna kab band karoge mumma?"I asked at the end,with a sigh.

"Jab tu apni zidd chodkr wapas ghar aakr rahega"She said and I sighed.

She knows why I can't stay at home.

It wasn't as if I don't miss home.

I miss everyone as much as they do.

I miss my mumma as much as she does.

And I know she just wants me to stay close to her, infront of her but that can't be possible.

"Iss Saturday ko ghar nhi aaunga mein,sirf Sunday dinner ke liye aaunga, Saturday ko kaam h mujhe important "I said and heard her sigh.

"Ek weekend pr hi saath rehta h tu hamare! Ab usmein bhi tujhe kaam krna h!"She said and I sighed.

"Mumma, zaruri kaam nhi hota toh toh kya mein aapke saath time spend krna miss krta?"I asked and she didn't say anything.

"Mujhe teri fikar hoti rehti h! Pure pure hafte shakal nhi dikhata h tu! Sirf Saturday raat ko rukta h ghar pr aur Sunday wapas chala jaata h! Upar se akele rehta h uss flat pr! Aur woh bhi 16th floor pr! Jab tujhe claustrophobia h toh kyu itni ucchi manzil pr flat lena?? Roz 16th floor tak chadke jaata h! Apne khane peena ka dhyan nhi rakhta h! Mujhe calls bhi nhi krta h itne! Bata mein kya karu?"she asked and I made a surprised face hearing that.

"Din mein 15-20 call krta hu aapko mein! Agar itne calls mein kisi ladki ko kiye hote na toh aaj girlfriend hoti meri koi! Yeh toh galat baat kr rahe ho aap ki mein aapko calls nhi krta!"I said, dramatically and she sighed.

"Ha toh phone pr teri aawaz sunne se mere dil ko tasalli thodi milti h!"She said and I immediately switched to video call.

"Lo ab aawaz ke saath, shakal bhi dekh sakte ho aap meri"I said and she narrowed her eyes at me.

"Tujhe hrr cheez mazak lagti h na?"She asked and I just smiled.

"Itna serious mat hua karo aap,chill karo yrr mumma"I said and she shook her head at my words.

"Acha chalo agar aapka daily dose of lecture aur gaaliya dena khatam ho gaya ho toh ab thodi pyaar mohabaat ki baatein kare?"I teased her and she chuckled hearing my words.

"Tujhse kyu karu pyaar mohabaat ki baatein,mere pati h bhai"She joked.

"Jese aapke sadu pati ko pyaar mohabaat ki baatein Krna aata bhi h"I said and she chuckled with me.

"I can hear you"I heard dad's voice from beside her and chuckled harder.

"Aap agar thode bhi romantic hote na dad toh mumma abhi aapse baat kr rahi hoti,naaki mujhse"I teased him.

"Teri mumma ke liye,Mahir ke upar kuch nhi aa sakta h kabhi bhi"He said and I smiled hearing that.

Now that was true.

"Haa toh maa ke liye toh uska beta hi sabse pehle aayega na?"She said and I nodded with her, agreeing with her.

"Acha batao agle Sunday movie chaloge mere saath?? Apne pati se puch lijiye kahi unka kuch plan na ho aapke saath"I said, teasing them as always.

"Arre inko chod tu,yeh kaha kuch plan krte h! Tu bata konsi movie lagi h?? Achi wali h koi?? Mujhe maar dhaad nhi dekhna h bilkul bhi Mahir pehle hi bata rahi hu"She said.

"Arre ekdam cult movie h! Thodi si maar dhaad h,pr ekdam aapke type wali movie h,bht emotional h,meine trailor dekha uska,aapko acchi lagegi,boli ticket book kr du?"I asked and she nodded at that.

"Thik h subah 9 baje pick kr lunga aapko mein,dono milkr pehele kulcha land se chole kulche khayenge,phir movie dekhenge aur uske baad Hotel Sai Krupa mein lunch,sahi h na?"I asked and she agreed,as it a ritual sort of for us to spend our day in this order.

"Ab tu baatein mat kr mere saath aur khana khaa pehele! 12 bajne wale h"She said and I nodded.

"Thik h rakhta hu,byy love you"I said and she gave me a flying kiss.

"By,love you beta,good night"She said and I ended the call.

I sighed,but a smile made it's way on my lips,it always does whenever I talk to my mumma.

I got up and quickly plated the chole rice I had brought for dinner.

Switching on the TV,I sat eating my dinner on the sofa itself,watching TV.

My phone again rang and I sighed seeing the caller id.

"Hello"I said and received the same from the other side.

"Ghar chala gaya ya abhi bhi bhatak hi raha h tu?"I heard his gruff voice.

"Mein bhala 12 baje kyu bhatkunga kahi bhi?.....aa gaya ghar,abhi dinner hi kr raha tha"I said and heard him hmm.

"Aapne lunch kiya??"I asked.

"Wahi kr raha tha"He said from the other side.

"Pichle do weekends se ghar kyu nhi gaya tu?"He asked me.

"Toh complaint aa hi gayi aapke paas"I said knowing it was mumma who had complained him.

"Koi complaint nhi aayi h,fikar h teri teri mumma ko, isliye bola mujhe"He said.

"Come on papa,jese mujhe pata nhi h aap usne meri khabar lete rehte ho,bichari meri bholi bhali maa ko khabari banakr rakha hua h"I taunted him and that made him chuckle.

"Teri maa ko bholi bhali sirf tu hi samajh sakta h"He said but I know it was a humorous comment.

"Chale jaya kr ghar kabhi kabhi,Sumitra pareshan ho jaati h wrna,usse pareshan mat kiya kr"He said and I sighed.

"Aapko pata h mujhe kyu nhi jaana pasand waha"I said with a huff.

"Teri mumma ki galti nhi h iss sab mein"He simply said that.

"I know, isliye compensate krne ke liye agle Sunday movie pr lekr jaa raha hu unhe"I said.

"Acha h,aur yeh raat ke 12 baje ghar aana band kr de ab"He said and I just hummed in response.

I know they all are worried for me.

"Sirf aaj late hua hu mein"I defnened myself.

"Jo bhi ho,7 baje ghar poch jaana chahiye tu kal se"He ordered and I just agreed.

"Thik h,ab aur kuch baaki h jo mumma mujhse krwana chahti thi? Ya aaj ke liye list mein bas itni hi complaints thi?"I asked and he chuckled at that.

"Tu phone nhi krta usse,aisa keh rahi thi mujhse"He said,even though he himself knew it was a lie.

"Drama krti h woh"I said and he laughed hearing that.

"Khana khaakr soja"He said and I nodded.

"Good night"He said.

"Aapko toh good afternoon bolna padega mujhe"I said and then he ended the call.

I sighed as the call ended.

If only he could stay with me.

Not that I am complaining but I just want to be able to spend more time with my papa too.

I quickly brushed these thoughts away,there was nothing I could do about it.

I quickly got up from the sofa,washed my plate and spoon,took a bottle from the fridge and made my way towards my bedroom.

I just wanted to sleep for now.