For the first time in a long while, silence filled the house—not the silence of exhaustion or uncertainty, but the kind that comes before everything changes forever.
But suddenly turned out as comedy because of her brother.
Brother (slowly putting down his phone, staring in horror): "sis... did you—did you loot a vegetable mandi?"
Bani (wide-eyed, hands on her hips, mouth agape): "What?! Loot a mandi?!"
Brother (shrugging, pointing at the pile of veggies): "It's a reasonable assumption, don't you think?"
Bani (staring at him with exaggerated disbelief, then throwing a tomato at him): "Oh, sure, because clearly, I'm just out here robbing vegetable markets like some kind of veggie villain!"
Brother (dodging the tomato, grinning): "Well, you do seem to have a bit of a... vegetable problem."
Mother (whispering, half-praying): "God save us... our daughter has become a criminal!"
Bani, trying to explain, raises her hands again—BOOM! A massive bag of basmati rice lands with a heavy thud, sending up a puff of dust.
Brother (jumping up from the couch): "We're done! The police will knock any second now!"
Mother (grabbing Bani's arm, whispering urgently): "How much did you steal? Just tell me, we'll return it before anyone finds out!"
Bani (shouting, exasperated): "I DIDN'T STEAL ANYTHING!".
Brother (pointing at the growing pile of vegetables): "Oh really? So cauliflower just falls from the sky now? What next, Bani? A tractor?"
Bani glares at him, then—just to prove a point—POOF! A whole sack of toor dal appears out of thin air and lands squarely on the couch, making her brother jump back in terror.
Brother (crossing himself like he's seen a ghost): "We're doomed. We are officially DOOMED."
Father (grabbing mother's hand): "Pack the bags, we're moving to another city before the police come!"
Mother (teary-eyed, touching Bani's forehead): "Oh my God… is this black magic?! Did someone put a spell on my daughter? Bani, did you step on a holy site by mistake?!"
Bani sighs, rubbing her temples.
Bani: "LISTEN! I have a farm! A secret farm! I didn't steal anything!"
Silence. The family blinks at her.
Father (suspiciously): "Where?"
Bani (muttering): "Somewhere."
Mother (narrowing her eyes): "You expect us to believe that?"
Brother (crossing arms): "Let's be logical here. Our sister can now vomit vegetables and rain dal sacks out of the air. And she's saying she has a secret farm?"
The family stares at her, expecting a better answer. Bani sighs.
Bani (grumbling): "I should've just said I inherited a farm."
Brother (sniffing a tomato): "At least the quality is good. If we go to jail, we won't starve."
Bani throws a spinach at him.
Father Trying to Understand Something Beyond His Comprehension but Willing to Listen
"Bani," her father said gently, his voice steady despite the confusion swirling in his heart. "What is all this? These vegetables… they weren't here a moment ago. Can you explain what's going on?"
Bani glanced at the freshly harvested produce, her mind racing for the right words. She could feel her father's gaze, heavy with curiosity and concern, waiting for an answer that made sense.
It's vegetables I grew said bani.