Bulbul and Anamika were discussing the client who left the party for a personal reason, Anamika was annoyed to know the reason. 

''Seriously, log shadi hi kyun karte hai? Uski wajah se hamari deal hote hote ruk gayi.'' She expresses breathing out a sigh. 

''Leave it Ana, aab toh ho gaya jo hona tha. Client bhi gaye, papa ne apne rishtedaaron ko bhi bula liya jo apne saath free ki advice aur cup set laaye hai. I just wish, aab sab kuch jaldi end kare hum.'' Bulbul says while gazing at their relatives with tivra drishti, bas chale toh abhi bahar kar de sabko par fir Girish ji ka mood off ho jaayega soch ke chup baithi hai. 

''Hmm, let's cut the cake. Ye bhookhe waise bhi kha ke hi jaayenge. Jitni jaldi cake cut hoga utni hi jaldi ye yahan se jaayenge kyunki inko dekh ke mera sar dukh raha hai. Saare aise saaj ke aai hai jaise koi shadi ho.'' Anamika scoffs staring at the ladies jo seven layer make up, gold jewellery aur chamak dhamak saree pehen aai hai while the men unka kya hi kehna, aisa laag raha hai kanya daan karke hi jaayenge sab, huhh!! 

Anamika calls the guests for cake cutting par Girish ji ka program kuch aur hi hai. 

''Beta itni jaldi kya hai, abhi toh party start hui hai sabko thoda enjoy toh kar lene do fir cake katenge.'' Girish jii says. 

Ladkiyon ko baat pasand na aai. Aati bhi kaise, jitni der party chalegi utni der sabko jhelna padega par kiya bhi kya jaa sakta tha, Girish ji ki baat ko taal toh sakte nahi. 

Bulbul and Anamika move in a corner, silently staring at their relatives and father jo jaane kya baatein kar rahe hai but Girish seems happy, shayad ko dulha mil gaya unhe. Thanks to Vaani aunty and Bindu Chachi, the jodi maker of Mittal's khair fir khudke bachon ki shadi awara se kyun na hui ho, dusre ke maamle mei tang adane mei inn aurton ko bada maja aata hai. 

Jidhar betiyan apna BP badha rahi hai udhar Girish jii saatve aasman pe hai. Bindu, unke bhai ki biwi Rishtey leke aai hai wo bhi NRI ladkon ki. 

''Kya batau bhai sab, ladke itne sundar aur sushil hai ki baat hi kya kahu. Aise ladke meine kabhi dekhe hi nahi!! Kaam yoh kaam apne parivaar ko bhi utna hi mahatva dete hai. Aap hi batao bhai saab, aaj kal kaun parivar ke saath time spend karta hai!? Bura na manna aap lekin apki betiyon ko hi dekh lijiye, saare rishtedaar yahan hai aur wo dono udhar kone mei khadi hai. Main toh kehti hoon, yeh rishta best hai aap mil hi lo unse.'' Bindu says, Girish seems positive about the boys par ladkiyon ko kaise manaye? 

Betiyon ko mud ke dekha, dono sabko dekhe jaa rahi thi, jarur kharcha jod rahi hongi maan hi maan, huhh!! 

Mann mei jaane kya aaya, unhone dono ko bula liya, fir unko aate dekh khud daar gaye. 

''Hii, Bindu Chachi!'' Anamika and Bulbul greeted the lady, mann toh nahi tha par kya kare. 

''Hello, beta jii!! Kaise ho aap dono, business kaisa chal raha hai?'' Bindu asks sarcastically. 

''Chal rahi hamari mehnat se!!'' Bulbul replies in the same tone to which Bindu makes a face and so does Girish jii. 

''Haan haan!! Wo toh sab jaante hi hai kitni mehnat karte ho tum dono. Par beta jii, aab bahut hua, aab time aa gaya hai ki tum dono apna ghar basao, kab tak akele akele cake cut karoge dono koi toh saath hona chahiye na jo tumhara haath pakad ke cake cut kare tumhaare saath!!'' Bindu Chachi states emphasising on each word. 

Bulbul smiles,''hum dono behnein ek duje ke liye kaafi hai Cha - chi!!'' She exclaims with a fake smile. 

''Haha!! Come on, business ki baat alag hai lekin har insaan ki kuch needs hoti hai jo ek partner hi puri kar sakta hai na beta. I hope you understand!" Vaani spoke gazing at the girl jo gusse mei laal ho chuki hai aur Girish ji darr mei. 

''Of course aunty! Par hamari aisi koii need nahi jisse pura karne ke liye humein kissi ki jarurat pade, we are much capable to fulfil our needs. But I really hope, aapki saari needs Sujit mama puri kar rahe ho, right na!" Anamika snaps at her, Vaani glares at Anamika sharply. 

''Girish bhai saab, ye toh hadh hi ho gayi. Kya aapne humei beizzat karne ke liye bulaya hai yahan? Aapki betiyan humein pasand nahi karti ye hum jante hai par iss tarah humei insult kar rahi hai aapke samne, badon ka koi lihaaz hi nahi hai inhe. Aur aap, aap toh kuch bol hi nahi rahe bas gunge ki tarah khade hai yahan!'' Vaani yells at Girish, jinhone ye baat bhi chup chap sun li.

Bulbul and Anamika raged with her words, they can tolerate anything but not their father's insult. 

''Enough aunty!! Kiski izzat karni chahiye aur kiski nahi ye humein aapse sikhne ki jarurat nahi hai!! Hum jaise bhi hai par aapke bachon se toh behtar hi hai jo yahan bhi aa ke sharab pine mei laage hue hai. Aur rahi baat beizzat karne ki toh wo toh abhi humne suru bhi nahi kiya hai, par kar jarur sakte hai!'' Bulbul warns the lady, rolling her eyes in anger. 

Vaani claps her hand in sarcasm and shouted at the top of her voice to gather the attention,''waah!! Girish bhai saab, aab kya baaki reh gaya hai hamare liye? Aapki betiyan iss kadar gir gayi hai aur aap fir bhi chup hai, kyun?? Kuch samjhate kyun nahi unhe? Ohh, haan aapki toh khud phati rehti hai inse, aap kya kahenge!?''  Vaani taunted Girish. 

A complete silence followed, Sujit mama tried hard to control his wife but it was of no use. He knows what's gonna happen now. 

Anamika steps forward towards Vaani, Girish tries to stop her but Bulbul pulls him aside. 

''Beta aisa na karo, wo family hai hamari. Family mei chote mote jhagade toh hote rehte hai!!” Girish keeps on chanting those words but Anamika seems deft to his statement. 

She stood before Vaani with her arms crossed around her chest. 

''Only because Dad keh rahe hai aur yahan unhone aapko bulaya hai issliye bas ek warning deke chod rahi hoon aapko Aunnntyy!! Warna aap bahut aache se janti hai aapke pass khone ko kya kya hai!!!'' Anamika scoffs gazing at the lady angrily. 

Vaani stood silent hearing her cold words. Yeah, she has many things to lose. The house she lives in, the place where her husband and son works and of course all the luxurious. It all belongs to Girish or say to the girls. On Girish insistence they help Vaani, waise karna toh chahti nahi thi par karna pada aab pita ke baat ko taal bhi na sakti thi. Vaani ye baat bhool gayi thi par aab unhe aache se yaad aa gaya hai sab issliye wo ek side mei chup chap khadi ho gayi. 

Anamika ordered their servant to bring the cake, itne kalesh ke badh cake toh kha le aab. 

With the not so happy note, cake cut kiya gaya. Pure hall mei darr ka aisa mahaul tha ki kissi ke muh se happy birthday ka gana tak naa nikla bas Anamika aur Girish ji gaa rahe they. Well, Bulbul ke liye yahi do log maine rakhte hai baki ho na ho kya fark padta hai!! 

A pin drop silence covers the hall. Only Anamika's and Girish's cheerful voices echo as they sing the birthday song for Bulbul who cuts the cake with a wide smile and feeds them. Girish thought of putting some cake on Bulbul's face but realizes she doesn't like it, not even Anamika. They like cake, they like to eat it, nothing else. 

Guests came forward and gifted Bulbul with the present they had brought. Vaani aunty and Bindu Chachi are making faces, aab toh apna gift bhi na dena chahti wo fir yaad aayi wo beizzati jo abhi abhi hui hai. Yahi soch ke laaya hua gift de diya aur chup chap dinner ke liye chali gayi. 

Bulbul and Anamika let out a deep sigh, finding them heading towards the food. 

''Itni beizzati koi meri kare toh uss insan ki sakal na dekhu fir kabhi par ye log toh itne pe bhi thusenge lagta hai.'' Anamika commented, gazing at them. 

Girish glares at her,''ye khana ka fhekne ke liye banwaya hai tum logon ne?? Ek toh bewajah itni si baat ka batangad bana diya upar se abhi bhi bewajah bole jaa rahi ho.'' Girish scolded her. 

''Dad please, aap apne rishtedaaron ki tarafdaari karna band karo. Ye hamare status ko match tak nahi karte, wo toh aapne inko bula liya warna hum inko apne ghar ke bahar na khada kare.'' Bulbul stated rolling her eyes. 

Obviously, who would invite such a person to their home knowing they will only talk nonsense and try to show you down. Okay, they did help them in a time memorial par ye kaise bhool jaaye uss help ki kitni badi keemat chukaai hai inhone. 

Vaani aunty used to scold them every single minute. Anamika was just 7 and Bulbul was 10, their mother lost her life in a car accident. Their father had a huge loss in business which left him bankrupt such that he had to sell his house and factories to pay the loan he had taken from investors. 

At that time Sujit mama offered help, unhone apni company mei Girish ko job di aur Bulbul aur Anamika unke ghar rehne lage until Girish doesn't find a house or an apartment. 

Vaani aunty never liked the girls, she finds them a burden on Girish and on herself too. She never left a chance to scold the girls, she had even slapped Anamika twice for eating something from the fridge without asking. Being a child herself Bulbul couldn't do anything at that moment but she had determined to change their destiny. 

And now, Bulbul and Anamika have everything jiski toh kabhi kalpan bhi na ki hogi Vaani aunty ne. 

''Tum dono se baat karna hi bekar hai.'' Girish says and moves towards his mahaan rishtedaar, jaane unko kya aachai dikhti hai unmein. 

''Dad aur unke rishtedaar!!!'' Anamika let out a deep sigh. 

''Let it be, chal hum kuch khate hai.'' Bulbul says as she holds Anamika's hand and leads her in a side. 

The party is still on, after all!!

.....

Happy Birthday Di 😘😘😘

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To be continued..