02-12-2025, 08:26 PM
## Update 133: The Hero's Return and the Chachis' Interrogation (Avi and Chachis)
We reached the Tehsil (block headquarters) at 6:00 PM. After heaving the luggage out of the travel bus, we immediately took a large taxi instead of the local bus. We had accumulated so much luggage that it would have been impossible to handle on a crowded public bus. Plus, the taxi could drop us right in front of the houses. The journey to the village took only twenty minutes by taxi.
The taxi first stopped in front of Pooja Bua's house. After climbing out of the taxi, Raj ran straight inside the gate, shouting for Bua (his mother). Sweta Didi and Sital (I made sure to think of her without the Didi suffix in my mind now) followed him inside. I started pulling the mountain of luggage out of the taxi. I brought Sweta Didi's, Sital's, and Raj's bags inside Pooja Bua's house. I quickly greeted Bua, said a brief goodbye to Sweta Didi and Sital, and got back into the taxi to be taken to my house.
Hearing the distinct sound of the taxi pulling up, Suman Chachi came running outside. I quickly took the luggage out of the taxi. The taxi driver was paid and sped away. By then, all three Chachis were standing at the door.
The moment Suman Chachi saw me, she rushed forward and hugged me tightly. Meena Chachi and Seema Chachi also hugged me one by one, their concern and relief palpable. We all went inside the house. I sat down on the sofa, feeling exhausted but happy. Seema Chachi quickly brought a glass of water for me.
"You've come back a completely different person, a hero!" Meena Chachi declared, eyeing my new clothes up and down.
"I've come back just as I went," I countered, shrugging slightly.
"Let me see closely," Suman Chachi said, squinting, stepping closer. "Oh, yes, Meena! He has changed completely!"
"Did he change only from the outside, or from the inside too, Avi?" Seema Chachi asked, her eyes sharp and suspicious, narrowing them at me.
"Chachi, I'm the same Avi I was before, I promise. I've only changed from the outside. That means I've only shed my old skin like a snake," I said, offering a playful explanation, holding up my hands.
"Nonsense! You've changed completely from top to bottom," Meena Chachi insisted, pointing at my tight jeans. "Where yesterday you used to wear simple, loose pants and a shirt, look at you today! You've come back wearing tight jeans, a fitted T-shirt, those black goggles, and these new city shoes!"
"Who got all this for you, Avi?" Suman Chachi asked, her hands on her hips, waiting for an answer.
"You only gave me the money for it," I reminded them, trying to look innocent.
"Didi, did you also give Avi money for clothes?" Seema Chachi asked Suman Chachi, surprised by the expense.
"Not only Suman Chachi, but you and Meena Chachi also gave me money," I clarified, pointing to the two women.
"But who chose such *good* clothes? They are so stylish," Meena Chachi asked, genuinely impressed, tapping her chin thoughtfully.
"Sweta Didi, Sital Didi, and Poonam Didi helped me choose everything," I said, listing the names.
"Ah! All the girls chose them. That means girls will instantly go after you now," Meena Chachi teased, wagging her finger, laughing softly.
"What are you saying, Chachi? You say anything at all," I replied, feeling myself blush, looking down at my hands.
"Is this Poonam, Jyoti's daughter—the one living in the city?" Suman Chachi asked, wanting to be sure.
"Yes," I confirmed.
"Did you bring everything only for yourself, or did you bring something for us too, Avi?" Meena Chachi asked hopefully, looking at the pile of bags.
"He must not have brought anything for us, Meena," Seema Chachi said with a dramatic sigh, rolling her eyes.
"I've brought beautiful sarees for all of you," I announced, pointing to the bags proudly.
Seema Chachi immediately pounced on one bag and started trying to open it to see the saree, tugging at the zip. The zip was jammed.
"Wait, Chachi, I'll open it," I said, quickly going over to help, pulling the zip open.
After opening the bag, I took out the three sarees and gave one to Suman Chachi, one to Seema Chachi, and one to Meena Chachi. The Chachis were ecstatic seeing the lovely sarees.
"It's been so many years since someone brought something for us, just out of affection. Right, Meena?" Suman Chachi said, holding the saree against her chest, her eyes shining.
"Yes. This is the most beautiful gift for us so far, Suman," Meena Chachi agreed, running her hand over the fabric, admiring the color.
"Whose are these small girls' dresses in this bag?" Seema Chachi asked, picking up a smaller bag, confused.
"They must be Sweta's or Sital's extras," Meena Chachi guessed, shrugging a little.
"No, they're not theirs. I've brought those for Komal, Kavita, and Leena," I clarified, pointing to the bag.
"You did well by thinking of bringing something for them too," Suman Chachi praised me, nodding with approval, smiling gently.
"Didi, now Avi is finally becoming a sensible young man," Meena Chachi noted. "Wait, if you brought a dress for Komal, then you must have given something to Sweta and Sital too, right?"
"Yes. I gave one dress each to Sweta Didi, Sital Didi, and Poonam Didi. I also gave a shirt to Raj. And I gave one saree to Jyoti Bua," I accounted for all my purchases, ticking them off on my fingers.
"You did very well by giving dresses to Jyoti and Poonam," Suman Chachi said, satisfied with my generosity to the city family.
"And this small box is for Chacha," I said, setting it aside on the table.
"Leave that for now. Tell me what all you've bought for yourself, Avi. Show us everything!" Meena Chachi demanded, practically bouncing with excitement, grabbing a large bag.
"Wait, I'll check this bag," Seema Chachi said, pulling over a large, stuffed bag. "This whole thing is full of clothes!"
Seema Chachi opened another bag and started looking through the new clothes, one by one, examining the labels.
"So many clothes! You don't need to buy anything for at least one or two years," Seema Chachi exclaimed, holding up a pair of new jeans in disbelief.
"Yes, so many clothes! Meena, how much money did you two give Avi, exactly?" Suman Chachi asked her sisters-in-law, her voice low.
"I gave him 20,000 rupees," Seema Chachi admitted quietly, looking guilty.
"I also gave him 25,000 rupees," Meena Chachi confessed, covering her mouth.
"That means you bought clothes worth 60,000 rupees! If his Chacha finds out about this huge expense..." Suman Chachi worried, her hand flying to her mouth in shock.
"We'll just say that Jyoti Bua gave them to him as gifts. He looks like a good boy now, she must have helped him," Meena Chachi quickly came up with a cover story, nodding decisively.
"Wait, Avi! What is this strange thing?" Seema Chachi asked, holding up a pair of my new boxer briefs, perplexed by the modern design, wrinkling her nose. "Who did you bring this tiny thing for?"
"For me, Chachi," I said simply, feeling my face heat up.
"What? Will you wear girls' underpants now?" Seema Chachi gasped, holding the fabric away from her as if it were contaminated, her eyes wide.
"Chachi, in the city, boys and men wear this kind of underwear now. It's much more comfortable," I explained, slightly embarrassed, wishing she would put it down.
"Nothing happens, Suman Chachi. Let him wear it. Sweta must have told him to buy them," Meena Chachi said, waving it off, taking the underwear from Seema Chachi.
Saying this, all three Chachis burst into laughter. I took the remaining bags and quickly put them in my room. After a while, Chachaji came home. After giving the gift to Chachaji, we all sat down and ate dinner. After eating, all three Chachis immediately followed me and sat in my room, their curiosity burning. They started asking me every single detail about the city and what I saw. Our conversation continued like this late into the night.
---
We reached the Tehsil (block headquarters) at 6:00 PM. After heaving the luggage out of the travel bus, we immediately took a large taxi instead of the local bus. We had accumulated so much luggage that it would have been impossible to handle on a crowded public bus. Plus, the taxi could drop us right in front of the houses. The journey to the village took only twenty minutes by taxi.
The taxi first stopped in front of Pooja Bua's house. After climbing out of the taxi, Raj ran straight inside the gate, shouting for Bua (his mother). Sweta Didi and Sital (I made sure to think of her without the Didi suffix in my mind now) followed him inside. I started pulling the mountain of luggage out of the taxi. I brought Sweta Didi's, Sital's, and Raj's bags inside Pooja Bua's house. I quickly greeted Bua, said a brief goodbye to Sweta Didi and Sital, and got back into the taxi to be taken to my house.
Hearing the distinct sound of the taxi pulling up, Suman Chachi came running outside. I quickly took the luggage out of the taxi. The taxi driver was paid and sped away. By then, all three Chachis were standing at the door.
The moment Suman Chachi saw me, she rushed forward and hugged me tightly. Meena Chachi and Seema Chachi also hugged me one by one, their concern and relief palpable. We all went inside the house. I sat down on the sofa, feeling exhausted but happy. Seema Chachi quickly brought a glass of water for me.
"You've come back a completely different person, a hero!" Meena Chachi declared, eyeing my new clothes up and down.
"I've come back just as I went," I countered, shrugging slightly.
"Let me see closely," Suman Chachi said, squinting, stepping closer. "Oh, yes, Meena! He has changed completely!"
"Did he change only from the outside, or from the inside too, Avi?" Seema Chachi asked, her eyes sharp and suspicious, narrowing them at me.
"Chachi, I'm the same Avi I was before, I promise. I've only changed from the outside. That means I've only shed my old skin like a snake," I said, offering a playful explanation, holding up my hands.
"Nonsense! You've changed completely from top to bottom," Meena Chachi insisted, pointing at my tight jeans. "Where yesterday you used to wear simple, loose pants and a shirt, look at you today! You've come back wearing tight jeans, a fitted T-shirt, those black goggles, and these new city shoes!"
"Who got all this for you, Avi?" Suman Chachi asked, her hands on her hips, waiting for an answer.
"You only gave me the money for it," I reminded them, trying to look innocent.
"Didi, did you also give Avi money for clothes?" Seema Chachi asked Suman Chachi, surprised by the expense.
"Not only Suman Chachi, but you and Meena Chachi also gave me money," I clarified, pointing to the two women.
"But who chose such *good* clothes? They are so stylish," Meena Chachi asked, genuinely impressed, tapping her chin thoughtfully.
"Sweta Didi, Sital Didi, and Poonam Didi helped me choose everything," I said, listing the names.
"Ah! All the girls chose them. That means girls will instantly go after you now," Meena Chachi teased, wagging her finger, laughing softly.
"What are you saying, Chachi? You say anything at all," I replied, feeling myself blush, looking down at my hands.
"Is this Poonam, Jyoti's daughter—the one living in the city?" Suman Chachi asked, wanting to be sure.
"Yes," I confirmed.
"Did you bring everything only for yourself, or did you bring something for us too, Avi?" Meena Chachi asked hopefully, looking at the pile of bags.
"He must not have brought anything for us, Meena," Seema Chachi said with a dramatic sigh, rolling her eyes.
"I've brought beautiful sarees for all of you," I announced, pointing to the bags proudly.
Seema Chachi immediately pounced on one bag and started trying to open it to see the saree, tugging at the zip. The zip was jammed.
"Wait, Chachi, I'll open it," I said, quickly going over to help, pulling the zip open.
After opening the bag, I took out the three sarees and gave one to Suman Chachi, one to Seema Chachi, and one to Meena Chachi. The Chachis were ecstatic seeing the lovely sarees.
"It's been so many years since someone brought something for us, just out of affection. Right, Meena?" Suman Chachi said, holding the saree against her chest, her eyes shining.
"Yes. This is the most beautiful gift for us so far, Suman," Meena Chachi agreed, running her hand over the fabric, admiring the color.
"Whose are these small girls' dresses in this bag?" Seema Chachi asked, picking up a smaller bag, confused.
"They must be Sweta's or Sital's extras," Meena Chachi guessed, shrugging a little.
"No, they're not theirs. I've brought those for Komal, Kavita, and Leena," I clarified, pointing to the bag.
"You did well by thinking of bringing something for them too," Suman Chachi praised me, nodding with approval, smiling gently.
"Didi, now Avi is finally becoming a sensible young man," Meena Chachi noted. "Wait, if you brought a dress for Komal, then you must have given something to Sweta and Sital too, right?"
"Yes. I gave one dress each to Sweta Didi, Sital Didi, and Poonam Didi. I also gave a shirt to Raj. And I gave one saree to Jyoti Bua," I accounted for all my purchases, ticking them off on my fingers.
"You did very well by giving dresses to Jyoti and Poonam," Suman Chachi said, satisfied with my generosity to the city family.
"And this small box is for Chacha," I said, setting it aside on the table.
"Leave that for now. Tell me what all you've bought for yourself, Avi. Show us everything!" Meena Chachi demanded, practically bouncing with excitement, grabbing a large bag.
"Wait, I'll check this bag," Seema Chachi said, pulling over a large, stuffed bag. "This whole thing is full of clothes!"
Seema Chachi opened another bag and started looking through the new clothes, one by one, examining the labels.
"So many clothes! You don't need to buy anything for at least one or two years," Seema Chachi exclaimed, holding up a pair of new jeans in disbelief.
"Yes, so many clothes! Meena, how much money did you two give Avi, exactly?" Suman Chachi asked her sisters-in-law, her voice low.
"I gave him 20,000 rupees," Seema Chachi admitted quietly, looking guilty.
"I also gave him 25,000 rupees," Meena Chachi confessed, covering her mouth.
"That means you bought clothes worth 60,000 rupees! If his Chacha finds out about this huge expense..." Suman Chachi worried, her hand flying to her mouth in shock.
"We'll just say that Jyoti Bua gave them to him as gifts. He looks like a good boy now, she must have helped him," Meena Chachi quickly came up with a cover story, nodding decisively.
"Wait, Avi! What is this strange thing?" Seema Chachi asked, holding up a pair of my new boxer briefs, perplexed by the modern design, wrinkling her nose. "Who did you bring this tiny thing for?"
"For me, Chachi," I said simply, feeling my face heat up.
"What? Will you wear girls' underpants now?" Seema Chachi gasped, holding the fabric away from her as if it were contaminated, her eyes wide.
"Chachi, in the city, boys and men wear this kind of underwear now. It's much more comfortable," I explained, slightly embarrassed, wishing she would put it down.
"Nothing happens, Suman Chachi. Let him wear it. Sweta must have told him to buy them," Meena Chachi said, waving it off, taking the underwear from Seema Chachi.
Saying this, all three Chachis burst into laughter. I took the remaining bags and quickly put them in my room. After a while, Chachaji came home. After giving the gift to Chachaji, we all sat down and ate dinner. After eating, all three Chachis immediately followed me and sat in my room, their curiosity burning. They started asking me every single detail about the city and what I saw. Our conversation continued like this late into the night.
---
![[+]](https://xossipy.com/themes/sharepoint/collapse_collapsed.png)