Hi friends, Hope you enjoyed the festival of dasara. I am posting the next part. Hope you like reading it.
Chapter-49
The change
At the night, in Oberoi Mansion, Ishanya is turning in her bed from left to right and then again left. She is restless, can’t able to sleep.
Usually she experiences this whenever her past resurfaces as the past memories make her sleepless but this time it is not the haunting past memories which kept her awake.
She is trying to decode the feeling she felt in Omkara’s eyes when they were returning from her house. She couldn’t name it.
But it is soothing her, whatever she saw in Omkara’s eyes, it is soothing her heart.
She wants to know what it is and why is she affected by it. She closed her eyes again and she could recollect Omkara’s eyes when he was saying that he will be there with her no matter what.
She smiled in contentment remembering their convo in the car. And in these thoughts she went into deep slumber with a smile on her face which is new.
Next day in the Oberoi mansion, O’bros’ are in kitchen busy in cooking when Ishanya came to them asking for lemon water as she starts her day with it.
Rudra gave her it and she sat there on one of the chairs kept there. She saw Janvi coming there and said,
“Do women in this house are so busy that men does the work.” Loudly getting janvi’s attention.
“Nothing like that, Shivaay bhaiyya likes cooking and we likes to spend time with him that’s why we do the cooking.” Rudra said to her.
When she saw Janvi passing away from there she said, “But what about the others things? You guys have taken care of the cooking but other house works are not taken care of.”
“What do you mean?” Omkara asked her.
“This house doesn’t have good maintenance and lacks hygiene too.” She said shocking them.
“What are you saying? This house lacks hygiene?! Really Ishanya you hadn’t got anything else to complain?” Shivaay asked her in shock.
“What do you mean Shivaay? That I am accusing you just like that? I can prove that this house lacks hygiene, right here, right now.” She said challenging Shivaay.
Hearing it Janvi came inside the kitchen. Noticing it Ishanya smiled at herself.
“Really? Then prove it.” Shivaay said taking it as an insult and wants to win in this challenge.
“Ok then, I will ask you few questions and you yourself will get to know how hygienic your house is.” Said Ishanya. OmRu and Janvi were looking at them in shock.
“First thing first. I have seen this glass hadn’t been washed before pouring water in it. Do you know when is this glass washed?” She asked showing him the glass in her hand.
“This morning, I mean just a few minutes ago.” Shivaay replied.
“Really? Can you confirm it with your staff?” She asked.
“Ofcourse I can.” He said and called the kitchen staff there from the intercom.
“When is the crockery of kitchen washed?” He asked when the staff came.
“Yesterday evening, sir.” The helper said shocking them. Ishanya smiled at Shivaay’s shocking face.
“Can you say when are the cooking utensils washed?” She asked the helper.
“Day before yesterday.” The helper said shocking O’bros’ more.
“What the wuck? Don’t you wash utensils daily?” Shivaay yelled at him.
“Sir, there are so many utensils and crockery, we wash them when they are used and keep them in the cupboards.” He replied as it is a usual thing.
“You can go now.” Ishanya said to the helper and smiled at the faces of O’bros’ as they really thought it is unhygienic but she needed it to create a base to tell Janvi what she wants.
“Second one, do you know when was the hall cleaned?” She asked them.
“That happens daily, right?” Rudra asked Shivaay and Omkara while they just shrugged.
“No rudy, they clean every room of the house once a week like Monday hall, Tuesday corridor, Wednesday first floor rooms. etc, etc.”
She said shocking them even Janvi got shocked hearing this.
“Rudra your gym room doesn’t even get cleaned once in a month.” She said shocking him.
“I got to know this when I asked the helper to clean my room.” She said to them.
“Third one, Do you know how many times bed sheets of your room gets changed?” She asked.
“How many times?” Shivaay asked her.
“Just two times a week. You have these many staff and they change the bed sheets two times a week?”
“You know I have only one helper in my house and I make them change the bed sheets daily and get them washed.” She said explaining to them.
“Next one, do you know when are your aprons washed?” She asked him.
“When?” Omkara asked as Shivaay became silent listening to her.
“A month ago.” She said making them cringe.
“What the wuck!!” Shivaay exclaimed.
“Yes, the curtains and cushion covers don’t even get washed, they just change them occasionally. And don’t even ask about your clothes!!” Ishanya said.
“What about our clothes?” Rudra asked in confusion.
“The ones you have changed today gets to washed after a week, this whole week they just pile your clothes in the laundry room.” Ishanya said shocking them.
They got shocked hearing all this and Rudra whispered, “Bhaiyya, we are living in this house and we don’t know any of this, she just came yesterday and got so much info!!”
“That’s how smart she is!!” Shivaay whispered to him.
“Don’t even ask me about the kitchen and your cupboards maintenance!!” she said getting their attention back.
“Now tell me, how hygienic your house is?” Ishanya asked smiling slyly at them.
“I am going to fire them all!” Shivaay yelled in anger.
“Why? They are doing this even without anyone’s orders. They just need an incharge who can control all the staff and let them work efficiently.” Ishanya said.
“But there is the head of the staff, what’s his name? Salim, I guess.” Rudra said.
“I think we need more staff to get the works done.” Omkara said.
“Then too this will only happen. You are guys, who doesn’t think about all this and the women who should take charge of this entire are lost in their own worlds.”
“So, even if you increase the staff count the works won’t be done efficiently till a woman of this house take charge of everything.” She said explaining them.
“She is right.” Dadi said making them turn towards the door, who was few feet away from kitchen and heard everything. She came inside the kitchen.
“Janvi bahu used to take care of all this work before.” Dadi said looking at Janvi.
“Can’t you take care of all these again, aunty? Are you that busy ‘in your world’?” Ishanya asked Janvi in her attitude without showing her hope.
“Yeah, I am sorry maji. I have started to drift away from my responsibilities. I will take care of them again.” Janvi said making everyone smile.
“But how? After getting drunk?” Ishanya asked Janvi making everyone shock.
“Ishanya!!” Omkara yelled at her.
Janvi looked at her in shock but she understands that whatever Ishanya was saying it is true.
In her disappointment with her husband and it’s depression she not only ignored her kids but also the responsibilities of a daughter-in-law of the house.
“What Omkara?” Ishanya asked raising her eyebrows.
‘She can’t get back the time she lost with her children or bond with them again in one night but she can take care of the house’s needs.’ Janvi thought
“Ishanya you are a guest in our house…….” Omkara was about to say something but Janvi stopped him saying,
“Omkara, please….she is right. From now onwards, I won’t drink in the day time. I will keep myself busy in my responsibilities.” Janvi said making every one smile.
“Thanks Ishanya, unknowingly you made me realize my mistake.” Janvi said not knowing that she did all this purposely and went from there to instruct staff.
O’bros and dadi are happy hearing that Janvi won’t drink in the day from now on. ‘In just a day, she brought such a big change in this house, what if she stays permanently?’ Dadi thought looking at Ishanya who was enjoying her lemon water and went from there to do her morning walk.
ShivOmRu stared at her lovingly, thinking about the positive change she just made in their house.
Omkara’s happiness knew no bounds seeing his mother take the charge of house and when he heard the promise she made about not drinking in the day time.
He wanted to just hug his mother and cry his heart out but controlled himself to not make her over whelmed. She just took a step towards her betterment and he doesn’t want to overwhelm her.
He just wishes to see her mother like before, like she was in his childhood but he lost the hope as he always found her mother weak and depressed because of his father.
But for a change Ishanya brought a positive change in her that too at this short time, he is proud of her, his love right now.
“Ishanya….” Omkara called her when she was going out of the kitchen.
Ishanya and ShivRu looked at him. He got conscious and said, “Voh….” And he looked at ShivRu who were looking at him with raised eye brows and teasing smile.
“What?” Ishanya exclaimed to him from the door.
He looked nervously at his left and right and then looked at Ishanya and said, “Get ready after breakfast, I will take you to my art gallery as you will feel bored in the house.” He said in one go ignoring the teasing glances of his brothers.
“Oh! That’s great!!” I will really have good time in your art gallery.” She said and went from there.
As soon as she left ShivRu pounced on Omkara with their questions, “What’s happening?” Shivaay asked.
“Are you planning a date with her?” Rudra asked.
“Please my brothers spare me, I just wanted her to be busy with something rather than sitting in house idle.” Omkara said but they continued with their teasing anyway and had their moments.
Thanks for reading, please comment.