I so remember me turning all red when I accidentally met my aunt and cousins at New Road gate when I was with my boyfriend (it was when I was studying in grade 12). I still can imagine how I felt at that moment, like I was caught in a crime. I was so so nervous to answer when my aunt asked whom I was with. I was like “Ah, sathi sanga.” I was burning like wildfire, her wicked teasing smile and gleamy eyes made it worse. Lucky I was that she was sweet enough to not report that event to my parents though she did question me a great deal about him and his whereabouts then. I asked her not to tell that to my mom (I am sure though she promised she wouldn’t she did tell my mom, though mom never questioned me anything).Well, this is the scenario four five years back!

It was mush worse when I was in school. My school days were deprived of mobile facility, there was only landlines (tyo pani with mom dad ko supervision ma). All my kta sathi haru were afraid to call me at home cause dad was like “HELLO???” (In his meanest tone) and then when my friends gutsily asked “Nija cha?”, he be like “Ko boleko ? Chaina Nija!!!” If he were to find me hanging in phone for more than two minutes he would question “phone ma bhaneko chainey kura matra garna lai ho… k nachahiney guff gardai bascha”. “kati ghanta bho school bata farkeko? Eti chadai kura garney kaam parcha?” blah blah blah… (haha…samjhera ni hasuthcha ahile)

To be talking about the present stage of my life; my same aunt be like “jo bhaye ni ramro kta khojera boyfriend bana. Ali huney khaney khalko, gyani kta, intercaste bhaye ni kei chaina ailey ko jamana ma chalcha.” Just to get into her nerves I answer “koi chaina, khojdinu na ek jana kta… dui tin barsa ko lagi boyfriend ek jana khojdinu, man paryo bhaney chai pachi tei sanga bihey garamla.” Or if I really am in mood to eat her brain out, I answer “ma ta bihey nai nagarney bhaneko. kasto cha bichar? Euta flat kinney pachi, ani timi haru pani auu kailey kai ani party garnu parcha” Then she looks scarily (not really).

Even today, I asked my mama “mama malai gaadi chalauna sikaidinu na” and he goes “kina siknu paryo, gaadi bhako kta sanga love gar”… then he sees a sajha bus and he be like “sajha bus ko driver bihey gaar” (ah! I want to mention a deal we have with our mama, he has promised us to gift a house to whoever marries a guy from another caste and ghar ma mom dad le bhitrayena bhaney.). My mama was so mean from the beginning, as a kid I loved panipuri ani jailey ni Mangal Bazaar gayera pani puri khanthye and he used to say “yelai tei pani puri ko madhisey sanga bihey garidinu parcha… timi haru pani puri khana jau, paisa ni tirnu pardaina, timiharu ko jwai ta ho ni”

Well, I am sharing my personal events with you guys just to tell you how time and everyrthing changes as you grow. Pahila kta sathi haru sanga hidna pani dar hunthyo, had to be real careful about people seeing us together and dar of koi manchey le kura katla bhanney ani that resulting to mom ko etro lamo lecture on behaving like a proper lady. And look now! They are sad that I don’t have a boyfriend. Oh how they wish I was in a relation with a good guy proper to be their jwai!!!

I am surprised how the way my family treats(talks) me now and then contrasts so much.