Part 46-- Scoop of Life-- Connecting the dots

Feb 13th 2011
Sunday
Saket
11:04 AM

Radhika and her Mom are on the couch sipping chai. Gopi is watching a soap re run in the kitchen. Her Dad is reading the Sunday newspaper
Radhika is strangely quiet!
Her Mom is reviewing some class notes, she notices her daughter's silence surreptiously...........
Makes eye contact with her husband.....
Dad: So how did you like the guy beta?
Thinking of who she was at the time, a smile forms, followed by some high color..... she clears her throat..... "I dont want to get married Papa!"
Sudha: Ufffff! Phir se shuru ho gayi....
Dad silences Mom "Achha BTW did I tell you about the various things my company is planning to expand into?
Radhika understands the pointed change of topic "Haan Papa, aap apne naye job ki baat karen, its SAFE. Waise ek baat sochiye, agar MAIN chali gayi to aap ki baat sun ne waala kaun hai?" (giggles)
Mom: Baat SUN NE waala nahi, baat karne waali (firm, smacking her with paper)
Radz: Papa LOVES to hear me talk..........

Her Dad abandons his rocking chair seat and newspaper and goes sits by his daughter.....
Radhika hugs him tight..... " I am going to stay in Saket ALLLLLLL my life........ Ma, aap chahe BHU mein woh temp position lekar jaayen main to Papa ke paas"
Her Mom rolls her eyes
Dad: Haan bus Radhika ko koi khaana banana sikha do bhai.... phir mujhe koi problem nahi hai.. (grins)
Radz: Gopi hai na Papa....
Dad: uski shaadi ho gayi to?
Radhika is lost for words...........
Sudha: Gopi ki shaadi ho jaaye phir bhi woh hamari Radhu ki seva karegi (mocks)
Radhika makes a face "I will learn to cook, to please my Papa! " Index finger raised.........
Sudha: Kis se?
Rad: Mere.........(boyfriend?) meri friend ke Mom se, she is an author........
Sushil: Cook book author? (suddenly very curious)
Radhika is confused and so is her Mom........
Sushila: Too many people in our food these days..... the company's president's wife apparently is a famous author....
Sudha is not very interested in culinary arts, so she just shrugs.....
Radhika: Aapki company kya kya banati hai Papa? I saw an ad on TV a week or so ago....
Sushil: Cotton and terylene yarn, coir, machine tools, textiles.... abhi ek cotsyn compnay khareedne ki baat chal rahi hai.... a sick industrial unit....
Radhika is reading the comics page.....
Sushil: Too many of those in UP, since China came along
She jumps up at the mention of UP "UP MEIN? "Kidhar?"
Sushil: Farrukhabad, Hardoi, Sitapur etc mein mills hain.... ek aur bhi... (thoughtful)
Radz: Do you love your job?
Sushil: its a job! (morose)
Sudha raises her head from her papers and looks at her husband....
Sushil: We could have had it all Radhu..... ek time tha!
Radhika, who was  always upbeat and cheerful, never really moped for anything, was not moody or sad frequently.... was suddenly very quiet....
She stared at her Dad as he removed his glasses and rubbed his eyes..... he then looked at the huge glass covered shelving filled with brass art ware.....
Sushil: We could have been the brass kings! (proud)
Sudha: Gopi, doosri chai bana lo zara, aur bhindi la do main kaat deti hoon (changing the topic)
Radhika: I wouled have LOVED that Papa, I always wanted to be a Page 3 regular.........
Stands up and preens, walks like would on a ramp.........
She is tall and lovely..... though sleepy eyed and clumsy.......
Sushil: yaad aa gaya... ek unit Dehat Kanpur mein bhi hai!
Radhika blushes, tucking a lock of hair behind her ear..... as her insides rotate