Chapter - 12

                                        

                                              
"This is not done Mishka. This is the third time in this month you have missed the school bus." Ragini was furious. She was dragging a little girl inside the house. "How many times have I told you to get up early?"
"Sorry Aunty but you were packing my lunch...." Miskha was on the verge of crying.
"Again a lame excuse. I am tired of your excuses." Ragini taped her head. "Now go to your room." 
She entered the kitchen to witness raised eyebrows from the other ladies of her house. They had already heard about the chaos.
"What happened?" Annapurna asked, breaking the deep silence of the kitchen.
"Nothing Ma. Mishka again did not wake up on time and then she missed her school bus." Ragini shook her head annoyingly.
"But she had woken up at 6:30 and was here by 7:30. It's you who was preparing Laksh's protein shake from the last half an hour when she was asking you to accompany you till the bus stop." Sujata intervened, fumbling Ragini at her place.
"I had asked Swara to prepare Laksh's protein shake but she left saying, Sanskar will get late for his office." Ragini twitched her nose to cover up.
"What happened, Ragini?" Swara entered the kitchen after getting her husband ready.
"Shona you should have helped Ragini, see today Mishka missed her school bus." Sharmishtha intervened.
"Mishka missed her school bus again?" It was a news for Swara. She raised her eyebrows. "Ragini, this is the third time she missed her school bus this month. This is not good."
"Yes, if you would have helped me with Laksh's protein shake, I would have gone to drop her at the bus stop. He was also getting late for his office. He had a meeting with a municipality officer." Ragini's raised voice earned attention from everyone.
"Ragini, Swara had already steamed Idlis and grinded Chutney for breakfast before going upstairs. You only needed to prepare Mishka's tiffin and Laksh's protein shake. Me and Jiji were preparing for puja and lunch. We had already divided the work. If you cannot do your work on time, you should get up early." This time it was again Sujata to support her daughter in law. 
Swara was awestruck looking at her mother in law, after a long time Sujata argued in her favour.
"Sujata, let it be." Annapurna remained calm and tried to sort it out. "Ragini, check with Laksh if he can drop Mishka directly to school or not."
"He is already late, Ma." Ragini held her head.
"I will drive her till school." Swara suggested. "I don't want a little girl to miss her school occasionally. And Ragini, I suggest, from tomorrow, ask any one of the drivers to come early to drop Mishka to school."
"Did you get the licence? When?" Ragini asked, remembering her and Sanskar's everyday's sneaking out on the name of  driving lessons.
"Yes, recently." Swara bit her lip. She left to escape from any further questions from others.
Annapurna along with Sujata and Sharmishtha left outside to look for puja and breakfast preparations.
"Laddoo, you saw how she went away with her nose high! If she had helped you one day, would the sky have fallen on her? But no, she only cares about herself." Parvati added fuel to the already lit fire.
"No such thing Dadi." Ragini ignored as usual.
"You are very innocent. Don't understand anything. This is all her trick." Parvati could not miss a single chance to badmouth Swara. She could never accept Swara as her granddaughter.