It was a good day today, because there wasn't much work to do. Shehnaaz was relieved after submitting that spreadsheet stuff timely. And now, engrossed in another project with her colleagues she got herself well occupied with work and her new favorite laptop.

Sidharth too had a fine and typical day, client meetings, contract signing and a few site visits.

"Where's Mom and Adi?'' He was home for dinner when he noticed his Mother and nephew missing on the dining table. Ajay was scrolling through his phone, refusing to answer, while Monu(house help) and Preeti were setting the table.

"Maa ji kamre me hai, phone pe baat kar rahi hai aur Adi baba apne dosto sath gaye hai." Monu answered. Sidharth raised his eyebrows at his sister, it looked like something had happened.

"Adved aur Ajay ki behes ho gayi." Preeti sighed, revealing the matter.

"Behes? Palat ke jawab diya usne mujhe, can you believe it Sid?" Ajay exclaimed, angrily.

"Kyu?" Sidharth asked.

"Apne friend ke birthday gift ke liye paise mange the usne, maine apne card use karne k liye diya tha and he spent 12 thousand! And he was okay with it, asking me not to overreact!" Ajay elaborated.

"Mai baat karungi usse, tum aise daantoge toh nahi samjhega." Preeti told her husband.

"Kyu na daantu mai? Bigad raha hai vo." Ajay replied and Preeti stopped serving him dinner in response to that.

"Khana khaoge shanti se ya nahi?" she chided, her impatient husband was blabbering too much since their son left for that party.

Sidharth sat there, being the audience for a while and chuckled when Preeti snapped at her husband.

"Has mat!" Ajay snapped at him, shook his head and focused on his food.

"Aa gaya baccha!" Rita Ji joined them, quickly picking Sidharth's head and taking her seat.

"Ha, kabka aa gaya. Kaha the aap?" he asked her, the kid inside him always longed to his mother as soon as he'd be home.

"Tere Mama ka phone tha, tum sabko bhi puch rahe the." she replied, upturning her plate and letting Monu serve her.

They were having their meal, when the doorbell rang abruptly. Monu opened the door to Adved, who marched across the hall towards his room, ignoring everybody.

"Adi, come here." Preeti called out.

"Baad me daant sun lunga Mom, mai thak gaya hu aaj." Adved replied, irritated.

"Adved, Aise baat karte hai apni Maa se?" Ajay was there to scold. The boy knew his father's tone very well, everytime when Adi changed to Adved, it meant he was angry.

"Sorry Ma!" He quickly apologized and ran up to his room. Rita Ji chose to keep quiet and let them handle it.

"See! I was talking about this." Ajay said, looking at Sidharth.

"I know Ajay, ye behavior sahi nahi hai. Baccha bolte hai lekin 18 saal ka ho chuka hai. But it's the age, I guess, naya naya college join kiya hai usne. You know, hanging out with friends and showing off. Wanting to be prominent and coolest among the rest. Mai baat karta hu usse.." Sidharth said, looking at his tensed brother in law.

"Yeah, talk to him." Ajay nodded off, in his response.

"Oye! So gaya kya?" Sidharth was in Adved's room after dinner.

"Umm-hmm.." came the boy's answer. Adved was lying on his bed under the covers with his face stuffed into the pillow.

"I'm sorry.." he mumbled.

"For?" Sidharth questioned.

"Neeche jo badtameezi ki uske liye.." Adved answered.

"Adi, all okay?" Sidharth slipped inside the covers next to his curled up nephew.

"Not all okay Mama! Nothing's OK! I am so stupid, I tell you. Mere se bada idiot koi nahi hoga. Bahar mere ghar vale mere se upset hai aur vaha mere friends mujhpe has rahe hai. I- I hate my life!" Adved ranted.

"Hate! That's a really big word baccha! Tere ghar vale hi toh hai, pyaar kar sakte hai toh upset nahi ho sakte kya? And why were your friends laughing at you?" Sidharth asked.

"Ek friend hai. Sh-she's really nice and good friend of mine. Was a good friend of mine. I threw her a surprise birthday party and asked her out. Usne mana kar diya, sabke samne mana kar diya! She just said she never looked at me that way, after all these weeks of hanging out with me! Has rahe hai sab ye bolke ki mera kat gaya! Galat bhi nahi bol rahe hai, chutiye jaise feel ho raha hai mujhe." Adved ranted, letting out an irritated breath. On the verge of crying. "Sorry.." he again apologized for the language.

"Hmm.. Do keep a filter on that tongue while talking to your parents.." Sidharth suggested, first things first.

"And, this good friend.. Yadi usne tujhe ha nahi bola, toh iska matlab tera kat gaya?" he exclaimed.

"Nahi feel karti tere liye, toh isme galat kya hai? It's not necessary ki aap ki feelings ko har koi reciprocate kare, haina? Aur isme humiliating kuch nahi hai, it's just the truth. Chutiye vo log hai jo kisi ki feelings pe haste hai. And I'm not sorry for my language." he explained then. Adved chuckled before nodding in agreement.

"Aur Mumma Papa? Nani? Unlog naraz hai na?" he asked innocently.

"You know that. Aur unko kaise manana, you know that too. Right?" Sidharth raised up his brows.

"Hmm, I know. Jata hu neeche. Aap ruk jao na aaj, we'll binge watch Friends? What say?" Adved asked.

"Nahi yaar, kal office hai Adi! Save it for the weekend!" Sidharth replied, slipping out of the bed.

"Mamaaa!" the boy whined.

"Friday night! Pakka promise meri jaan!" Sidharth promised, dropping a kiss on Adved's head and walked out before he could begin with an emotional blackmail.
Ah, work call had really taken away his free time with his family.

"So?" Preeti asked him, as soon as he was in the living room.

"Aa raha hai thodi der me!" he said, before leaving shortly.

Making his way towards his apartment and expectedly, Shehnaaz wasn't asleep, she was watching TV.

"Paani nahi aa raha hai!" she told him, getting up from her seat, turning down the TV volume, panicking.

"Kya?" he didn't get her words.

"Paani, water. Khatam ho gaya hai!" she elaborated, worriedly.

"Oh, ok. Kal tak aa jayega." he replied.

"Nahi, kal subha ki koi guarantee nahi hai. Actually pipe hi fatt gayi hai." she informed him.

"Kal tanker ayega 11 baje, Vidya bhabhi ne bataya. Tab tak kaise manage karenge? Khana banana hota hai, nahana-dhona hota hai, kapde kaise dhulenge? Office bhi toh jana hai kal!" she asked, more to herself.

"Ek idea hai." he said.

"Kya?" she gained some hope.

"Mat nahana, deodorant spray kar lena! Simple!" he shrugged, watching her amused reaction.

"Kuch bhi? Aur fresh kaise honge?" she asked further.

"Hmm.. Tissue paper!" he answered, like he was waiting for the question.

"Kya?" Shehnaaz pondered over what he just said and took a couple of seconds to grab the meaning.

"Chhii! Bakwas mat kar tu! I'm serious Sidharth!" she almost shouted.
He wanted to laugh out loud, she had literally shrieked in disgust.
"Kya chhii? Foreign me log tissue paper hi use karte hai. Google karke dekhle!" he assured and saw her actually googling about it on her phone.

"Kaise kar lete hai yaar? Yuck! Maine nahi use karna tissue paper!'' She made a pathetic face, thanking God that they were blessed to have water to wash themselves off. Sidharth couldn't help but laugh at that moment, damn this cartoon! She was really a kid inside.

"Dekha, aisi karte hai log bahar. Even tere Masterchef Australia vale bhi. Tissue se pochh liya phir chale usi hath se khana banane!" he added fuel to her thoughts.

"Ah! Chhii! Kutte! tere jaise gande nahi hai vo log! Papi! Tuna bakwas band kar Sidharth! Tabse bakwas mari ja raha hai." she spat, slapping his forearm for talking such deceitful things about one of her favorite shows.

"Papi!" he laughed and just laughed, covering his arm with his other arm and stepping back because she seemed dangerous for a moment.

"Has mat yaar! Pani ka jugad kar!" she whined, plopping down on the couch.

"Ajayega pani! Water pump chalu kar dete hai building vale! Kuch ghante me ajayega!" he finally told her. He knew how the system was there, but wanted to have some fun before revealing it to her.

"Do ghante already ho chuke! Abhi tak toh nahi aaya?" she complained.

"Arey baba, apan 7th floor pe hai. Pani chadhne me time toh lagega na! Soja! Subha ayega pani, dekh lena." he replied, reassuring her.

"Pakka na? Pani nahi chadh paya toh?" she doubted.

"Toh kya? Tissue paper hi hai phir!" he shrugged, running towards his room because she started chasing him with a sofa cushion.

"SIDHARTH!" she shouted, seething and throwing the cushion, which didn't hit him because he successfully ducked and closed his bedroom door before she could throw another one.

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Do vote and comment all!

I thought, we needed a family time too.. There we have shukla family dealing with their teenager's mind conflicts..
Apart from there.. We've a sidnaaz banter upcoming 😂😍 Tom and jerry they are!
What are your thoughts regarding Shehnaaz's worry regarding the water problem? Because that's how my Mom panicks everytime! 😂 Lols..

Also, my dear readers.. Vote kiya karo yaar.. I updated every alternate day.. Regularly for you all..