A Right Turn

1.

Badi is shown, two ladies are fighting with each other. This is a daily ritual of the place for the last twenty years. This fight between Bengalis and Marwaris has slowly attained the status of tradition, being passed on from one generation to another.

"Aye, Bangalan, bahar nikal."

"Subha subha kyun chila rahi hair Marwaran."

"Thari natin ko koi aur kam nahin hai ke? Subha subha mahre darwaze ke samne machi rakh di. Kuch tameez sikha do usse. Pehle se ek ghar se bhag gayi."

"Meri natin jo kia sahi kia aur jo baat pata nahin hai uss bareme baat mat karo," Dida replied getting agitated at the mention of her other granddaughter.

"Dida chodo yes saab, ghar chalo mujhe college keliye bhi nikalna hai." Sobha Bose's granddaughter Kavya intervened to stop the fight. From the other side, Ragini also intervened.

"Dadimaa, aap bhi ghar chaliye. Log dekh rahe hai."

Both the grandmothers went with their respective granddaughters, still glaring at each other.

In Gododia house...

"Subha subha un bangalion ke mu lagna pada, ab pata nahin sara din kesa jaiga." Parvati Gododia entered her house while cursing her neighbor Sobha Bose and her granddaughters. Her granddaughter Ragini, was following her around obediently.

"Dadimaa, hum bol rahe the ki aesa kay hua tha jo aapki aur Kavya ki nani ke bich itni kadwahat hai? Humara matlab hai ki baadi ke baaki log bhi toh bangali hai." Ragini asked, meekly.

"Je sab thare ko jaane ki aabashakta na hai. Aaj thare college main jo pratiyogita hai, tum usske bareme socho. Ek baat mahari yaad rakh chori. Agar tum aaj ke pratijogita main haar gayi toh, main thare se baat nahi karungi." Parvati emphasized.

"Ji dadi maa," Ragini replied as she hung her head down in fear of her grandmother. Ragini stayed glued to the middle of the living room of their 3BHK flat while her grandmother went into the kitchen to prepare breakfast for everyone.

In Bose house...

Meanwhile, in the Bose house, Kavya was scolding her grandmother. "Kya dida, aap dono kahi bhi suru hojate ho. Main di ko bataun?"

"Agar mere bareme batayegi, toh tere karnama bhi toh batana hoga." Sobha teased her granddaughter.

"Aap na, pehle darwaza band kariye." Kavya countered.

"Thik hai. Tum ready ho jao, aaj competition hain, uss marwaran ki poti ko harana hai." Sobha said while going to close the door and Kavya moved to get ready for the day.

When Sobha went to the kitchen, she did not find the fishes. Then, she realized that in the heat of the moment, they forgot to bring back the fishes which Kavya had placed in front of the Gadodiya's.

"Kavya" She shouted her grand daughter's name.

Kavya for her part came out of her in a hurry. "Kya hua, dida?"

"Are hum toh machi bapas lana bhul gaye. Jaldi lana, isse pehle ki woh Marwaran phirse koi tamasha kare. Essa hua toh, iss baar baat Shomi tak jaegi aur ye phir Shoru ko pata chal jayega. Phir toh tujhe pata hai ki kya hoga."

Kavya was laughing at her dida's antics. "Aap di se itna darti kyun ho?"

"Are khadi kya hai ja." and she ran out of the house to get back the fishes. After some time, she came back like a scared cat, with the fishes.

"Kya hua?"

"Dekh liya."

"Marwaran?"

Kavya just nodded her head to this question. Sobha moved her head right to left in a dejected manner.