AllFreeNovel
Share Us
‘Bhaiyya’s turn first. We will ask him five questions about you. First, you wait for him to answer and then you tell us if he was right or not.’
‘Okay,’ I said.
‘So here we go! Purva Bhaiyya, Kasturi Bhabhi’s favourite restaurant is?’ Pinki said, putting on her fake game-show-host voice that drew a couple of laughs from the audience.
‘Saravana Bhavan, Connaught Place,’ came Purva’s calm voice the next instant. Everyone turned their eyes on me. I nodded demurely, trying desperately to look shy. Images of soft, round idlis danced in front of my eyes.
‘Bhabhi’s favourite book?’
‘Villette,’ said Purva without hesitation. I nodded my head again.
‘Question number three. Bhabhi’s favourite movie?’
‘Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge,’ said Purva, smiling.
‘That even I knew!’ exclaimed Pitajee indignantly.
I nodded my head. I have seen DDLJ 126 times, the last eleven times with Pitajee.
‘Excellent, Bhaiyya! Question number four. Kasturi Bhabhi’s favourite colour?’
Purva took his time to deliberate, which surprised me. We had gone shopping last week when he had all but shot himself in the head as we hunted for a salwaar in the right shade of pink. ‘Mauve,’ he said, after a pause.
‘Wrong!’ said Pitajee the next instant with a superior smile on his face. A glorious glare from Anu, and Pitajee visibly shrank.
‘Wrong,’ I agreed, smiling.
Purva’s family let out a collective groan as if the son of the soil had let his country down.
‘And for the final question,’ said Pinki, quite the game-show host. ‘Which is Kasturi Bhabhi’s favourite Bollywood song?’
Pitajee and I giggled in chorus. Even Purva smiled. ‘Hum kalein hain toh kya hua dil wale hain,’ he said, smiling and shaking his head.
Everyone in the room – including Anju Aunty who had spent the better part of last year sending me parcels of Fem’s reputed bleaching cream that loudly promised to make you five shades fairer in the blink of an eye – laughed.
I nodded my head.
Once Pinki had finished laughing, she cleared her throat. ‘Four out of five. Great score but not unbeatable!’
‘Now Kasturi’s turn,’ said Anju Aunty, settling into her chair, as if the real circus show was finally about to start.
I gulped. What if I got nothing right?
‘I will help,’ mumbled Pitajee discreetly in my ear.
I gulped further. Even Pitajee knew I was going to need help. Purva winked at me. I took a deep breath. Of course I could do this.
‘Kasturi Bhabhi,’ said Pinki, ‘Bhaiyya’s favourite Bollywood actress is?’
Hmm … I thought hard for the next few seconds.
The mind, invariably, went back to last week. Purva, Pitajee and I had had a very animated discussion about Sridevi (mostly about the plastic surgery though). Purva seemed to have a lot to say. ‘Sridevi,’ I announced, loudly and confidently.
Everyone looked at Purva who looked a little surprised. An instant later, however, he nodded his head.
‘Yay!’ yelped Pitajee.
‘See, my daughter-in-law,’ said Anju Aunty, proudly pointing a finger at me. I could have won a gold in the Olympics and Anju Aunty would not have been this proud of me.
