Trials Of Fire Ongoing G

Epi 127 Ch 57 Chiku Miku meet but hide The Louvre- An experience beyond

This was just not avoidable, though both Advay and Veer could pledge a chunk of their wealth to avoid it! Both were standing across each other. Advay had always been the type to face every inevitable head-on. He also knew attack was the best defence.

“Miku, yourself awake so early?”

“I came for a drink, Bhai. Good morning!” The reply was suspiciously flippant.

"So early? With a mobile in your hand?” Advay asked warily.

Miku was expert at managing such interrogations with his multiple times practice with his Abbu.

“Oh! That! Just to check time! I was so sleepy; I didn’t realize the mobile remained in my hand.”

“You don’t look sleepy, seem quiet awake!”

Now it was getting out of hand. Miku had to retaliate,

“Bhai, what are you doing so early morning, that too here in hallway and with your mobile in your hand?”

Advay fell silent for a moment. Hell! This was getting dangerous. Miku very much had the potential to complicate things, if given too much info.

“I have my online lectures scheduled now. For that!” Advay rubbed his temples tiredly.

“In such nightdress?” Miku pointed up and down Advay's attire.

Miku was tireless! And totally incorrigible! “I am changing.” Advay shrugged nonchalantly and looked around. Sheer luck, someone had left laundry basket in the hallway at night. Of course otherwise, he would have found some other excuse! Advay picked the first shirt that came in his hand. “Here!”

Both were trying to weasel their way into each other’s secrets; but, in vain, as both were equal emissaries of their own mission!

Chandni was in front of dressing table when Advay returned having spent time in kitchen and hallway. She was demurely dressed in Indian attire.

“What are you wearing, Chandni?” There was an odd sternness in his voice.

Chandni looked up and then looked down at herself.

He always loved her dressing and smiled at her every day in appreciation. Today, she was quite taken aback with his not so happy look and his question.

pic credit to original up-loader

“What happened? Don’t you like me in this?” She whined, her head hung low.

“I love you in anything and everything that you wear! That’s just not the point.” His tone was slightly exasperated. “I passed Pooja in the hallway and she’s dressed totally western. Both you are going to look poles apart.”

“But she had worn Indian yesterday; so I thought…..”

“That was because she was going to visit Nani’s oldie friends. Go yourself and check her out now.”

Chandni made a face at his tone, “And you are wearing this shirt….. what about that?”

“I am going to change. This one needs to go for washing.”

“Why did you wear it then and where had you gone early morning? Whose call had come?” Chandni's incessant queries started.

Now he was in trouble! “Just regular, work related!.....I’ll get dressed and check out with DD.” Advay hurried away.

Advay and Darsh were seated on the lawn out waiting for the women to appear.

“The supplier’s person had called, DD. He is ready to connect us with supplier group. He was ready today but I said tomorrow.”

“Why Man? We should have gone today itself. We cannot fritter away time. Our adversary is brutal and most immaculate planning can still land us into trouble.”

A hint of mockery varnished Advay’s whisky-brown eyes suddenly hard with the mention of adversary. “You’re telling me that?..... But I promised Chandni and you promised Aadi yesterday regarding this visit to Louvre. He returned only for the bait of Louvre visit. I could have convinced Chandni; but can’t break my son’s heart. Apne bête aur biwi se maar nahi khaani hai, yaar!”

(Don’t want bashing from my wife and my son)

He was right. Darsh smiled at the reference of Aadi as ‘my son’ by Advay. In his mind, he rolled the words on his tongue. They felt very comfortable…… and good!

“Come on people, hurry up!” Pooja was calling out to all when Advay walked lazily towards her and Darsh followed suit.

“What’s the big hurry, Pooja?”

“Bhaiyya,I don’t want to lose any time of Louvre. These people have made a big programme of having brunch first and then going to Louvre. And you know how everybody is…. Dilly-dallying!” Pooja was exasperated.

“Yupp!” Advay agreed nodding his head. “My wife, the most!” He muttered to himself.

“Aaann? You said something?” Darsh caught on his words.

Advay made a face at him, “Nothing! Not to you! Saala! Chugali lagayega aur phir joote padenge.”

(Rogue! He'll telltale and I'll get bashing)

Pooja threw her head back and laughed at Advay’s comment. This kind of interaction between the three was etched in her memory from their youthful days. Darsh looked at her and then his eyes remained fixed; as the three waited for the rest to join.

Advay smiled as he watched Chandni in the car.

pic credit MB, taken from net

She had gone and dressed ultra modern in defiance to his earlier comment; but she looked happy, lovable. Advay’s heart jumped looking at her. His wife was an eclectic mix of defiance, obstinacy, genuineness….literally everything!

One thing about her had not changed at all. She never kowtowed him. That had been a part of her charm right from the early Allahabad days…….his perfect Mrs. Spitfire!....In punishment, when he had made her write sorry, this girl had gone and written all mockery of his.

What was that? Advay knitted his brows and strained his memory. Her creation suddenly flashed in his memory.

“Oh yes!” inadvertently, he exclaimed, “ASR ASR, usko maaro jute chaar!”

All heads in the car suddenly turned to him astounded. Chandni remembered her own words and wished she should disappear in thin air there itself.

“Chaar kyon? Tujhe toh das maarke ek ginana chaahiye!” Darsh made a punching action at him. “What’s the matter? Since morning, this is third time you speak of bashing.” ( why just four? You should get ten punches counted as one.)

“Don’t ask him! Bhai is so involved into Bhabhi, Tota-Maina no.1” Veer laughed happily at his own comment.

“As if you’re any less! Tota-Maina no.2, isn’t it, Shikha?” Pooja teased.

Everybody was in gay mood.

Everybody laughed and joked as the group had brunch in an open eat-out. Advay joined the chatter but his eyes got strayed again and again towards Chandni who was happily busy in female chatter.

Her hair shimmered in the sunlight, her skin petal-soft. He loved how her upper lip was nearly as full as the lower, the curves as delicate and smooth as a ripe tomato, so succulent! Staring at her mouth, he felt the hairs on the back of his neck lift in reflexive excitement.

As the meal proceeded, Chandu bent to see something that Darsh and Veer were showing on mobile. Her neckline fell low exposing her smooth creamy skin. Both immediately averted their gaze with due respect. Advay’s sight didn’t miss the mishap, though Chandni was innocently oblivious.

“Come Chandni, we have to go!” Advay jerked up suddenly, making all heads turn to him in bewilderment.

“What’s the matter?” Miku asked.

“Some temptations,” Advay said hazily looking at Chandu, “should not be resisted. Because they are so persistent that they would only keep returning, time and again. Therefore such temptations absolutely need to be yielded to—and there is only one way to be rid of them.”

Pooja’s jaw dropped in shock as she stared at her Bhaiyya. Such moments of carefree happiness were so rare with him. Shikha hung her head down trying to hide her blush. Chandni went still, her pulse thundering in her ears! She wished the ground would open up there and then and just swallow her. Advay walked around the table up to her and pulled her up holding her arm.

“Are you not coming to Louvre? Or are we all cancelling the whole thing?” Pooja asked, worry creasing her brow.

“No! Don’t! You guys proceed; we two will join you there directly. We won’t be long; should be able to catch up with you easily.” Advay assuaged her worry with his solution.

Chandni smiled at everybody for namesake and the duo left in hurry as Advay almost pulled her along.

“Lucky BastXXXd!” muttered Darsh shaking his head at the parting pair. Pooja turned to him. For just a moment, there was an alarming intensity in his gaze. Something predatory. Something dangerous!

Pooja felt suddenly very conscious and averted her gaze, in the pretext of looking out for Aadi who had gone for an Ice-cream with Murli- Shilpa.

“Honeymoon hai!” Veer smiled, not realizing the undercurrents in the group. “He’s making most of his time.”

Shikha was looking askance to Veer as colour rose in her cheek, her mind faraway in dreamland.

“Where is CM?” asked Aadi just returning with his ice-cream.

“He’ll join us soon. Let’s go!” said Pooja, standing up.

The group had just entered the Louvre, having admired the glass pyramid, when Shikha held Veer by arm and pulled him away.

“Let’s go separately by ourselves. We’ll join them when Jiji and Jijaji come.”

“Why Shikha? Let’s all be together.”

“The group becomes big and difficult to track. Let everybody have their own enjoyment. It’s better that way. Then even Pooja di can enjoy whatever she likes rather than hanging around with us.”

She couldn’t possibly tell him that she was feeling euphoric after Jiji and Jijaji had gone away. Now she wanted to hang on to Veer and enjoy physical proximity without having other members hovering around.

Veer looked at Pooja a little away and already engrossed in something she noticed on wall. “You’re right!”

He walked to Di. “Di, we two will just go this way. Something Shikha wants to see. We shall meet you near Mona Lisa. Bhai should arrive by then.”

Pooja smilingly gave the permission; but only after she had teased the pair as lovebirds!

“It would have been nice to have sir around. He must be knowing so much about all these things.” Shilpa commented to Murli, her eyes sparkling with excitement.

“Arre Matar ka dana! Why are you worried? Bhaiyya has already brought me here earlier. I know everything; I can tell you!” Murli said pompously.

“Really? Will you?” Shilpa was all moon-eyed at Murli, her best companion.

“What the hell are you trying to do?” Chandni was flustered with Advay’s actions.

“Not a word! We go straight home!”

What’s the matter with him? His mood doesn’t seem usual romantic one. Why is he taking me back?

As soon as they reached the apartment, Advay almost ordered her, “Change your clothes. Wear traditional as you did in the morning.”

“But you asked me to change from traditional in the morning?” Chandni was hiding her smile.

“Yes! And now, I am only asking you to change back. So do it! This dress looks nice but has a low neckline and we are going to be in a group in a public place.” Advay tried putting reason into her though exasperated with her winning smile.

“But if I change, you must change, too! Otherwise, I’ll feel odd, the only person changing.”

Chandni was making the most of her small win, extracting every pleasure out and rubbing it hard in.

“Ok fine! Pass me a shirt. I’ll also change” Advay gave up.

Pooja wandered little ahead, leaving the group behind. She stood near the statue of “Psyche revived by Cupid’s kiss” by Antonio Canova. The Italian had captured the most poignant moment of the Psyche-Cupid classic love story with immense tenderness. The work carved delicately from marble pulsed with romance and intense eroticism.

The story pulled at her heart strings while the delicate beauty of what love should be left her mesmerized.

Psyche was a princess so beautiful that goddess Venus became jealous of her. In revenge, she instructed her son Cupid to make Psyche fall in love with a hideous monster. But looking at her beauty, cupid mistakenly pricked himself with his own arrow and fell in love with her, himself. He became her unseen husband visiting her only at night. Once Psyche disobeyed his orders not to attempt to look at him, and in doing so she lost him.

In her search for him, the young Psyche fell under the power of Cupid’s mother Venus and is given four tasks. The final task was to bring back a vial from the underworld that would return Venus to her younger more vibrant self. After retrieving the vial, curiosity got the best of Psyche and she opened and breathed in the fumes and fell into a deep sleep. Cupid found her and rushed to her side, took her into his arms and revived her with a kiss. He pleaded his cause with the Gods and she was made immortal as goddess of soul. The two were married in heaven.

Having suddenly realized Pooja's absence, Darsh left Aadi in care of Murli-Shilpa and looked around for her. When he saw her, he stood transfixed.

Head tilted slightly, her gaze held the dreamy, rapt expression of one caught in another realm. Her eyes emphasized her strength and beauty as the light from above reflected from her irises.

An oneiric moment!.........A moment so purely human, so emotionally deep……Darsh’s heart expanded in his chest. It was a moment caught in time that defied the past, the present, and the future.

With such absolute purity of soul, Pooja was truly the goddess of soul. It was then, in their youth, that she had been waiting for love’s reviving kiss……. and it was now, when destiny had her under its power, that she was still waiting for a kiss of life to bring her out from stupor.

Her bottom lip parted from the top.....in longing!—just a fraction—and everything inside him heated in an instant. A soft inhale reached his ears as he approached her softly. Emotion lodged at the back of his throat as he registered the wistfulness on her face; while she came down from the dream realm and gazed back at him. Then the shutter slammed down and the moment disappeared.

The group met Chandni and Advay in one of the corridors. Pooja looked at them and teased, “Is it some fashion parade?”

“Don’t ask me, Di! Ask your bro!” Chandni laughed.

Bhaiyya has been doing fashion show since early morning today! Looks like some bashing is on!” Miku teased.

“Gaanth bandh le, Miku!(mark it in your heart) Wife is always right!” Chandni laughed happily while Advay kept getting agitated with everybody pulling his leg!

pic credit to shivrun fan1

“What's so funny? You guys have come to see me or see Louvre! Have you seen the Mona Lisa? Come let’s go there.”

The Mona Lisa room was pretty crowded leaving Chandni and Shikha surprised. Advay carefully manoeuvred the group towards Mona Lisa and started explaining. Mona Lisa is world’s most valuable painting by Leonardo Da Vinci. Mona is short of My Donna meaning my lady…..The name that we famously know today, Madonna comes from that.

It’s the portrayal of Lisa Gherardini. Her husband made Leonardo do the portrayal for their new house. It is the most visited, most talked about painting. It was even stolen once…….Advay was speaking enthusiastically, but poor Aadi was shifting his weight from one leg to another.

“CcccccM, my legs are hurting. This museum is so huge.” Aadi moaned.

“Why are you telling AD when your buddy is here?” Darsh came and crouched by Aadi’s side, “Come on my back, I’ll carry you. Let AD tell everybody. This one is his favourite room.”

The rest of the museum Aadi saw from Darsh’s shoulders enjoying his high position.

The next he maneuvered the group to the majestic painting of the Wedding at Cana by Paolo Veronese right across from Mona Lisa.

The group was left spellbound by the vibrant play of figure, light and colour. Advay continued to explain that it’s one of the first miracle contributed to Jesus when he converted water into wine. The wedding is celebrated in a courtyard surrounded by Dorian and Corinthian columns. It emphasizes human figures of ideal proportions, balanced composition, and beauty. Just observe the asymmetric and unnaturally elegant arrangements…… The pictorial space is flattened and the human figure is distorted as an ideal preconception of the subject, rather than as a realistic representation.

Advay was so engrossed explaining each and every detail of the painting. The group got pulled into his narration as if in trance.

It was quite late by the time they came out…..It had been an enthralling experience…. Advay proposed going out for dinner but Murli-Shilpa and Veer- Shikha both opted out. The two pairs looked like they were in another realm and wanted their own time. Aadi felt tired and also chose to go back home. So just the foursome of Advay- Chandni and Darsh along with Pooja were left there.

While they waited for their cab to arrive, Chandni spoke wistfully,

" There was Shahjahaan who created Taj Mahal for his wife...... when I come here, so far away..... still there is such beauty created as Mona Lisa because a husband loved his wife."

Suddenly her eyes shimmered with held back tears, "Aapne Dev, mera ek akela portrait bhi tod diya na?"(You, Dev, broke my one and only portrait, right?)

It wasn't a complaint..... neither was it a demand.....it was just expression of sense of loss. Advay looked sharply at her. He couldn't turn the clock backwards but surely, those tears could be turned in her shy smile. A resolution was made!

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Sab Dil Mil rahe hain magar chupke chupke

Humko ho rahi hai khabar chupke chupke

(All hearts are meeting, but stealthily, without telling anybody

Yet we are getting to know, don't go and tell anybody)

Truly, this second season is turning out to be colourful!... Did you gals notice? There are five love stories in the Saga currently..... each having its own colour, its own challenges......let's keep reading and see what happens ahead!

While the others bloom, the story is inherent Adni Saga, the story of our hot Mundwa..... just look at his Bikhari bikhari jhulfein

"What's so funny" is his dialogue from the show when he brings a wet Chandni back carrying her in his arms and Murli Shilpa see him.... One of the most dreamy episode.

Memories! Memories! Another very initial dreamy episode was when he first called her katto and she visited his room at night. The way, both these actors nail the scene, truly mind boggling!

Do go n enjoy episodes on hotstar, you'll love it!

Adni will always stay in my heart along and equal with Arshi and Hyra!