Characters

Father: Charanjit Singh Bhatia, a partner at Wasava Singh?s and the director of Institute of Management Studies, Jamshedpur. Friends call him Cherry.

Mother: Gurpreet Kaur, housewife.

Son: Fifteen-year-old Sarabjeet, Class X student of Loyola. Dreams of becoming a hotshot businessman one day.

Daughter: Twelve-year-old Nainpreet, Class VI student of Carmel Junior College.

Scene One

On a wintry Sunday afternoon the Bhatia family laze over a cuppa after a sumptuous lunch and the discussion meanders from one topic to another...

Father: I am a practical man and so, I believe that parents should try to be their children?s best friend. Both Gurpreet and I have set the ground rules and we have instilled good values and principles in our children.

?Doting? mother speaks: Sarabjeet is a natural leader and Nainpreet is a perfectionist. My son is open to suggestions and is very obedient. He has never let us down (beams Gurpreet). This, I believe will take him places. Although I must admit he can very demanding.?

A wailing son: Never! It was just a watch that I desperately needed. But then if you have to get anything from dad you have to earn it.

Father: So, you think you deserved the watch (mock anger)?. Pause. ?What about the mobile?

Son: I had to plead for the cell phone. But eventually I got it on the condition that I share it with mom. And that?s the way it has been till now.

Doting mother again: Children will demand. But it is up to parents to judge whether their demands are justified or not.

Enter little Nainpreet.

Father and mother speak in unison: Nainpreet is a buddhu (innocent) as far as demands are concerned. Even on her birthday she doesn?t know what she wants, while Sarabjeet has his demands lined up for almost a year before his birthday.?

Son: Since I have to ?earn? it, I need to know the details of my work well in advance.? Very smart!

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Scene Two

Brother and sister battle it out under the watchful eyes of their parents. Sarabjeet is the self-proclaimed ?big boss?. But Nainpreet is no doormat. Little sis packs a lot of punch.

Son: I never hit her. Its just the usual teasing that goes on between the two of us...

Daughter: That?s a lie! He has tried hitting me, but I always put up a brave fight.

Father: Earlier, the fights were verbal. But now it is becoming physical. But I think their fights are healthy and it is necessary to an extent. I know my children will never cross their limit.

And then there is the eternal war over television. Nainpreet is an AXN freak, big bro loves Pogo (or at least that?s what mom thinks).

Son: Pogo? No way. If my four-year-old cousin is watching Pogo then there is not much that I can do. I am not into television, Nainpreet is.

The conversation steers towards food and travelling, which binds the Bhatias. Though traditional Punjabi food is always welcome, the Bhatias are not averse to other cuisine. The Regent is their favourite haunt.

Daughter: I like eating out. But I freak out on travelling to new places. The trip to Kathmandu and Pokhra was awesome and we would love to go to there again.

Son: Yeah it was a dream trip.

(God be praised! At last there is something that the two agrees upon. Everyone laughs and digs into the snacks.

A happy Savvy Soumya leaves the Bhatia residence with a perfect family portrait.

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