As Advay walked towards Dadi’s room, Adi stopped him interim. “CM, you have to pay a penalty.”
“What penalty? And why?” Advay indulged his favourite nephew. As such, there was nothing in this world that Advay would deny to Aadi.
“You ditched me for so many days so, you treat me with ice cream today.”
“And what happens if I don’t?”
“Sansani macha doonga!”
Advay roared in laughter at his nephew’s action for Sansani. “Go and get ready. I’ll just check what Naani wants and then take you out.”
Pooja was watching this uncle-nephew convo. “Aadi, your demands are increasing day by day and you’re becoming adamant, too! .... Nothing doing. You’ll have dinner first and no ice cream today. We have travelled the whole day. You must rest.”
Aadi made a whining face at his mom though he knew his CM would never break a promise.
Advay entered Naani’sroom, “Naani, you wanted to see me?”
“Yes, Chiku” Naani was sitting on her bed, her face solemn. “How did your Spain trip go?”
Earlier when Naani had questioned about the Spain trip, luckily Chandni had intervened saving Advay; but this time there was no escape. “The trip was very nice, Naani. They kept me in a lavish hotel room. Chandni should have come. The dinner party was so huge and the food….. simply delicious. But I couldn’t enjoy much because I missed Chandni…….”
“Chiku, I know you since your childhood. Every time whenever you chat a lot, you hide important details……. Who were the people?..... Chandni mentioned Gomez.”
Advay knew Naani had trapped him completely. If he evaded, she would find everything from just one name. He took the name of the Shipping Company. “They have a huge shipping business, Naani. And they wanted me to give algorithm for managing their operations effectively. This will open a new business division for me. Let me call everybody. I shall explain.”
Advay had just opened the door to call others when Naani spoke from behind, “Chiku, you can get me all entangled in technical terms; but let me warn you something. Protect yourself!”
Advay was wondering whether it was the Universe signaling him or did Naani have some uncanny sense of knowing the truth.
Naani continued, “I worry about you, Chiku! You remember how you were thrashed when you opposed Chandani’s marriage to PP? You get carried away in hatred and then things boomerang back at you.”
Shortly, Miku, Chandni and Pooja joined in Naani’s room.
Advay started, “All of you must be remembering that I divided the company amongst the three of you for business diversification. Well, it materializes now. Our new business division will be Process-consulting. We will be offering industries business transformation. We will harmonise and optimize their processes. Finance is not an issue currently because this Spain company will finance this division. The constraint is that maximum focus of mine will go into building this new business…… So ladies, get serious about the company you own. Currently, Miku is taking the entire load but he must not be overburdened.”
Chandni and Pooja both knew that Miku’s laughter and his chirkut pranks had almost vanished recently, but there was no point mentioning to Advay because he was totally against the pranks and then he would also force them to share Miku’s workload.
“Chandni, your Mumbai unit. What’s the quarterly turnover?” Advay was not leaving any escape route for the women “Pooja, your London Skytel unit. Have you reviewed the recent balance sheet?”
Pooja was exasperated with the pressure put by Advay again and again, “Bhaiyya, I have told you already, this is not my thing. I am too scattered…..completely unfocused….Broken!” Her tone was anguished.
“Don’t say that, Pooja.” Advay was shaken by Pooja’s distress. “You are not broken; you are as intact as anybody else. Nobody will be more focused than your focus on Aadi.” His pitch rose with genuine emotion.
Chandni and Pooja sat next to Naani. Pooja urged Naani, “Naani, you explain to Bhaiyya, please.”
Naani shrugged her shoulders, “What Chiku says is right. All your focus is on Aadi. That should change otherwise, you’ll end up suffocating the child as he grows.”
“Naani is right, Pooja. You are a capable woman, I just want you to find your own two feet….. be able to make your own decisions. And Chandni, you loiter away your strengths…..start using them.”
“Inaki gaadi ab mujh pe fisalegi….. pata nahi kya khila pila diya Spain vaalone” Chandni mumbled under her breath.
“What did you say?”Advay challenged her.
“Nothing….. Just my regular badbad.” Chandni took an escape route and appealed to Naani hugging her from the side, “Naaaaannnniiiiii……”
Naani pushed her away, “Don’t you Naani me! Mark my words, Chandni. If you put your heart to this, one day you will outshine your husband.”
Everybody’s mouth fell open. What was Naani saying? Did she get some premonitions? And outshining Advay??
Miku broke the silence, “I’ll be very happy to show Bhabhi and Didi all that I learnt. We can start from tomorrow morning. Bhabhi, I’ll teach you everything!”
“Bola Bhabhi ka bhakt, laxman ka avatar!” Pooja muttered under her breath and Naani laughed.
But concurrently Advay spoke aloud over Pooja’s voice. “That’s like my bro. Keep it up, Miku. From tomorrow every day!” He put a thumbs-up sign to his brother and left the room.
As soon as he left, Chandni took the chance to divert the topic. Enthusiastically she hugged Naani.“Naani, you tell us about your trip. What all you saw?”
“Oh yes! Strasbourg was beautiful. Call everybody. Murali has the photographs.” Naani smiled.
“I’ll call Murali.”Miku ventured, “Don’t know what Shikha’s been doing. Naani, I’ll spend some time with her.”
“Invite her here itself!” Chandni sat comfortably on the bed.
“No! ..... Why you want to be kabab mein haddi?” Naani and Pooja admonished Chandni simultaneously smiling at Miku. Finally, the lad was understanding that his girl needed special attention.
“We stayed in la-petite….. it looked so very beautiful in the golden hours of the evening…… and the climate was nice and mild…… There was Gothic style sandstone cathedral that I loved most….. Beautiful architecture!” Naani was describing her experience, while Murali projected the photographs.
“Wow, Naani! This is such a beautiful picture.” Pooja exclaimed in pleasure at a photograph
Just then Advay called out to Chandni from out and she left. The picture-watching continued. Suddenly in-between a picture of Murli and Shilpa crept up on screen. The two looked at each other with love and care in their eyes lost to the entire world.
“Oh Oh! What’s this? Shilpa? Murali?” Pooja laughed teasing both. Shilpa blushed and Murali averted his face.
“What else? Do dil mil rahe hain, magar chupake chupake….. Sabko ho rahi hai khabar Chupake Chupake.”Naani joined in the merriment happily smiling and quoting a song. “These two were making up for Tota -Maina pair of ours there.” She pointed to the door where Chandni had just left. “These two thought nobody saw them….. but all the time the oldies on the dining table only talked about these two and reminisced their youth…….. Murali, tu bol de haan mujhe Shaadi kab karni hai. Main jhat mangani pat byaah kar doongi tera.” Naani’s eyes twinkled and everybody laughed.
Advay was all dressed up to go out as Chandni entered, “Where are you going at this time of the hour?”
“I am taking Aadi out.”
“He has to eat his dinner. Don’t spoil him.”
“He is my son; I’m allowed to spoil him. We shall have dinner out.”
Chandni was exasperated at Advay’s curt replies. “And then what about all the preparations we did for dinner….?”
She wanted to complain further but Advay stopped her pressing his lips perfunctorily on hers. Out of her own volition, Chandni responded, all her senses coming alive from last night’s memory. Advay sensed her immediate arousal and threw his head back and laughed. The smoky sound of his laughter felt like a wizard casting a spell. Chandni felt dazed forgetting all her objections to his taking Aadi out and Advay took the chance to sneak out.
Chandni returned back to Naani’s room when all were laughing.
“What happened….. tell me!” Chandni queried in excitement her cheeks still feeling the heat after Advay’s kiss.
“Oh Oh! Tota- Maina…..every time in real! ..... Look at her cheeks, all red!” Pooja teased laughing at Chandni. Chandni blushed all the more. “Apne ghar mein na, ek se ek Pyaar vaali Tota Maina jodiyan hain….. Hain na, Shilpa?”
Now, Shilpa blushed and ran out of the room. Murali sheepishly followed suit while Pooja and Naani’s laughter subsided.
“Fairytales are all very nice, but that’s not real life. Real life is what happens after Cinderella marries the prince……. After that, there are arguments like Chandni and Bhaiyya always have.” Pooja suddenly became solemn.
“In spite of all arguments, love still finds a way to thrive. I know it!” Naani encouraged Pooja.
“Oh Naani, tell me about Nanaji. I saw his photograph earlier in your Ramayan. Was yours a love story?” Chandni asked in excitement as if on cue.
“Not possible! Naani’s time there were only arranged marriages.” Pooja soothed Chandni’s excitement.
“Who told you so?” Naani spoke smugly crossing her hands over her chest. “What do you think? You have a monopoly over love stories?” She laughed mockingly, “Pooja beta, love stories have thrived since Rama-Krishna’s ancient times in India…… The path of love is never easy….. But in the end, it’s all worth every struggle.” Tears shimmered in Naani’s eyes in memory of her husband, in total contrast to her smug mood a moment ago.
“Naaaniiii……. ” Pooja felt emotional watching Naani, “You never shared your story earlier….. tell us today, Please Naani.” She urged.
“Was he also a mahant like Dev’s baba and My baba.” Chandni came and sat next to Naani, both Pooja and Chandni crowding Naani and urging her.
Naani gave a deep sigh and smiled getting lost in her memories as she narrated her own life story.
“Not initially. He was an England-educated barrister. His family had approached my father with the marriage proposal. My father was the highly reputed Mahant of our Shiva temple……He was highly revered in the village but very orthodox and very very strict…..I was his only daughter born after Shiva Mahapooja and Abhishek’s blessings……So he wanted to marry me to some Shiv-bhakta who could then take on his own mahant-ship……He refused the alliance because the groom was abroad educated…….. But this man……..He would not relent……. He came over to our house when I was plucking flowers in the garden and we directly looked at each other. He acknowledged my presence with his eyes and it was love at first sight for us.”
“My family was thoroughly shocked by such bold move of groom coming over alone to see the girl……And my father thoroughly displeased with his Western attire of shirt and pants….. But in my eyes, he was the most handsome man I had ever seen. I had given my heart to him and it would be most inappropriate to marry anyone else…….. But my baba was in complete opposition…..There was no chance we could meet or talk…… But God helps every true love in this world….. I used to sing bhajans every Shivratri night in the temple. He started coming to the temple to listen to my voice……..Since everybody used to be there, we couldn’t talk in that temple crowd.
Somehow once he caught a moment alone with me and asked me about my heart’s desire……..
I was so very scared but my love gave me courage…… I told him I loved him but I would never ever go against my father and he wanted a son-in-law to take his mahant seat in future.
This man transformed himself completely for me; though his heart was in England where a lucrative career awaited him. He had short stylish-cut hair but he grew those ….. changed his Western attire to completely traditional ……Believe me girls, not an easy sacrifice for a young man to completely give up his style, his aspirations….everything for love alone!
He even started learning Sanskrit hymns from the temple’s junior priests…… Chiku inherits his intelligence from his grandfather…. A man of very sharp acumen….. Within a few months, he mastered all hymns and prayers and became a regular for every morning and evening pooja in the temple…… my Baba was quite impressed by his changeover and his mastery of temple culture…….So finally Baba gave approval for marriage with the condition that he would become the next Mahant after Baba……And he kept the promise when Baba passed away……though he could have taken me and flown back to London……I imbibed all his progressive thoughts... When my daughters were born, he doted over the girls. My baba wanted the tradition to continue that son-in-law becomes Mahant. To fulfil my Baba's last wish, my husband groomed Chiku’s father who was the son of a junior priest to become the next Mahant. That’s how Chiku’s Maa-Baba were married…….. And later in Leela’s case, my husband fulfilled his UK urge and married her to UK based businessman…….First Chiku was born…….We were all so happy, The whole village loved my husband….. But God loved him too and called him away in a few years. He succumbed to injuries while trying to save a poor villager……. I felt like my life had come crashing down.
But just before his last breath, he had taken a promise to stand by our children and grandchildren till my last breath…… When Pooja was to be born, I came to England to support Leela……and somehow ended up staying here…..Darsh’s Ammi became my very close friend. My husband and Chiku’s father had helped a lot to bring them to England and have them married…So Ammi respected me a lot… For a few years, everything seemed to be going well….. here in India, Miku was born. I lived with the satisfaction that both my daughters had loving husbands and complete families….. but that satisfaction was also short-lived……. As if God was putting me in a Trial of Fire!
Seventeen years ago in Allahabad, that horrendous calamity happened. All our happiness was destroyed. Somehow, we salvaged Chiku and brought him to London……. But he was like a living fireball…..Had it not been for love from Ammi and Darsh and sisterly love from Pooja, it would not have been possible to educate Chiku and manage his well-being….. The lad had just turned twenty-one when Pooja’s father lost all his fortune in business and passed away……. Leela was filled with all bitterness…..It was for Chiku alone who worked day and night and amassed all the wealth back……. I was always so worried for Chiku…… on one side his heart was full of love for Pooja, Aadi…. All family….. but on the opposite side his heart carried that deep-seated betrayal and hatred for Chandni……. So, when he bolted to India for his revenge, I had to come all alone following him ……. So that he would not cause another calamity in his hatred and anger…….Today, it’s simply God’s grace that things now seem to be OK……. Par voh kehate hain na, doodh ka jalaa, chhaas bhi phoonk kar peeta hai……. I am too scared to feel completely happy and relax away…..Perhaps God wants me to go through this trial still further.”
Both Pooja and Chandni had been listening to Naani’s mesmerizing love story with tears streaming down their eyes. Behind Naani’s smiling face was the sad wife who lost her loved husband. “Oh Naani, this is so very beautiful.” Both girls hugged their Naani.
Chandni thought, ‘This is the real history of my family and thanks to Naani for sharing it with me….This knowledge gives me a real sense of belonging…… now I can understand my Dev better.’
Pooja thought, ‘I had never thought about Naani having been young and having loved against all odds. This story gives me hope.’
Chandni was the first one to speak, “ No wonder Naani, you were so supportive of me even when Dev and I were on war terms. Thank you so very much. You gave me my love back...... as you mentioned all goodness of nanaji's pure heart has flown to you as well.”
Pooja queried, “Naani, in spite of all these troubles you are so positive. Maasi was such a happy loving caring woman…… why is my Maa so bitter?”
Naani smiled, “Pooja, it depends on the person how to respond to life challenges posed for him by the universe. Leela has responded with bitterness but she is not vile at heart. After all, not all flowers on the tree are the same.”
At night after family dinner, as Pooja was saying goodnight to Chandni, she gossiped softly," Chandani, now think how to avoid Mikus boring tution. Unless the brothers are kept engaged, they won't leave us free."
Chandni agreed. As Darsh had mentioned something had to be done.
_-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Felt nostalgic reading Naani's story, didn't you? please, Do share your views in comments.
In the serial, suddenly a new family had erupted without a backdrop. In this chapter, the story gets all its links.
If you remember the earlier chapters, Advay had done business division and was planning to diversify. He was encouraging Pooja. So now it has come back.
What did Naani say? Her words to Advay and Chandni could come true.... Keep reading.
While managing other love stories Murali Shilpa had gone silent after initial banter. Now they come back in full force.
How will Chandni avoid Advay's given task?
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