SunEclipsers just for you!: In Fairy Land - Page 10

LOvely yaar iam loving your thoughts & writing skills, Please continue soon

No Pumpkin Shell (Part 1)

From the lobby on, the space was a haven for young emerging artists to showcase their work. At long last! An art gallery for the discerning! They met in one of Rajesh Mathur's offices that was on the first floor. It was more of a suite with a conference room on one side and what looked like a lounge on the other. A glass wall allowed in both light and a view of the raised concrete structure functioning as a pond. Acquatic flora were planted such that the umbrella plants and water lilies providing an artful symphony of greens and pinks. A slight drizzle had started and the effect of the raindrops hitting the water in the pond was like another section of an orchestra adding its own unique harmony! The perimeter of the pond was encased in a raised walkway which in turn was encased in shrubbery - nested, horizontal Russian dolls. Young trees promised to grow to a magnificent height to provide cooling shade in the hot summer months.

He was no domain expert. In fact, he did not know much about the Pharma. industry at all. That was not a problem. Here was his chance to learn. Vishal would soon return - his Economics and Finance PhD in hand to be one of a team of capable people at the helm to see the company become the industry leader in the country. Having Abhi as part of the team was a steal! It was simply too bad that Taneja was being so recalcitrant. Over what?! Here was a son who was happily married to a woman he loved. He would continue be his persuasive best to make Taneja see reason, but until then, Abhi was part of MP! He had heard that Anuj Sethi was fast coming up to speed at Taneja Industries. Not surprising given Taneja as mentor! Besides, Abhi was family ... soon to be family ... Mili was to be a Mathur ... well, part of the Mathur clan since there were no aversions to the new 'trend' of women retaining their maiden names!

Abhi was introduced to a number of the executive staff. Needless to say, not everyone was sanguine about such a young fellow being given responsibility of this magnitude ... not to mention blatant nepotism! He also got a tour of the new facility. His office space was to be on the top floor with a panoramic view of the MP grounds. It would be furnished to his taste and requirements. Rajesh Mathur suggested that they do a teleconference - as a kick-off meeting - on the following day with Vishal in London to allow the MP team to get to know each other, strategize, and to begin working out the technical, financial, and contractual details of the new project with Glaxo-SmithKline. He asked Ritu Sharma his secretary to set up the meeting with everyone else who would be needed. Given the 8 hour time difference, they settled on 4:00 p.m. at these the new premises. He always smiled easily, but today was easily one of the best days of his life!! At long last!! To again be productive with a sense of accomplishment!! Doing what came so easily to his extroverted self - team building and seeing a project from cradle to grave ... although this was not going to have a grave! He had that business acumen in his blood! He wasn't a Taneja for nothing!

He could meet with the HR people tomorrow as well and get all the necessary paperwork in place. For now, Rajesh was letting him have one of the company cars to get him around and arranged for a MP employee to drive the scooter back to Karol Bagh. No MP executive was going to be seen around town in inappropriate transportation!

He called Simi and gave her the good news - bouncing off the walls with excitement! See! He was no Peter the Pumpkin Eater ... he could keep her ... and that too not in a Pumpkin Shell ... and of course he would keep her very well!

'You're being a silly boy again!'

'Oh no! Nono! Mrs. T., no more of this little boy stuff!! Only but a moment's reflection about yesterday afternoon should tell you that ... a little boy ... am not I ...'

He heard her gasp then say 'Are you looking to be spanked??!!'

'Oh Mrs. T.! I would not got there!! No siree ... I would not go there at all! As of now I can safely say, I'm not into that sort of thing, but ... I may end up liking being spanked!!'

'SHUT UP! You're incorrigible!!! You're on your way home I suppose?'

'I am!! Indeed, madam, I am!! And given where things stand, I think we should all go out for dinner ... it will be especially good for Mili - don't you think? OK ... Mommy Dearest! Your little boy will soon be in your arms ... depending on traffic!', he laughed, then ended the call before she could come back with a rejoinder.

'Beast!!' is what she said.

Then she walked down to let her parents know. Not that it would be especially surprising news. Her mother was deep in conversation with Mrs. Khukreja from across the street - 12/25 Karol Bagh! Another Kalavati Bhalla clone!! If you missed the morning broadcast from one about the neighborhood news, there was always the afternoon version from the other to tune into! In either event, everything was made available for public consumption. And there was plenty to be had! Too bad, it was such a rich diet, the calorie conscious were left sadly out in the cold!! Too, too bad!!

She inquired after Simi in that feigned voice of interest ... hoping that Simi would bite and in would Mrs. Khukreja reel a big fish! But the Sethi girls had wizened up and Mrs. K. would have to go back home mostly empty-handed! Mostly!

Just then, the MP employee drove up with the scooter! Where was Abhi???!!!

Oh! He had no idea! He had just been asked to drive the scooter back to Karol Bagh, then get public transportation to take him to his final destination. Simi was a little confused but wasn't going to call Abhi to see what was up. There was plenty of ammunition for Mrs. K already!

Abhi, in the meanwhile had decided to take Mathura Road from MP - situated in the Okhla Industrial Estate - all the way to Bengali Market to pick up mithai and then on to Karol Bagh. That was a mistake! Stopping at Nathus in Bengali Market was always a mistake!! What was he going to select??!! Everything screamed ' take me home!!'. OK then! An assortment would have to do! And no scrimping! This was to be done in Taneja style!

There was angoori petha - white cylinders covered in varaq! Yummy, flaky patisa; dry-fruit besan laddoo; badam bati - packages stuffed with dry fruit; khoya kaju burfi - covered with varaq; Kesar Malai chop - yellow cakes stuffed with sweet, flavored malai; kheer kadam - little round balls with circles of saffron and varaq; kaju paan; kaju gujiya.

Hold on! These weren't meant to be shared with all of Karol Bagh! Chaachi and Chacha yes, but not all the neighborhood!! He asked for the rasmalai to be packed separately - everyone's favorite dessert!!

Good thing he had a car for all that load!!

Originally posted by: SValeCalGal

No Pumpkin Shell (Part 1)

He called Simi and gave her the good news - bouncing off the walls with excitement! See! He was no Peter the Pumpkin Eater ... he could keep her ... and that too not in a Pumpkin Shell ... and of course he would keep her very well!

'You're being a silly boy again!'

'Oh no! Nono! Mrs. T., no more of this little boy stuff!! Only but a moment's reflection about yesterday afternoon should tell you that ... a little boy ... am not I ...'

He heard her gasp then say 'Are you looking to be spanked??!!'

'Oh Mrs. T.! I would not got there!! No siree ... I would not go there at all! As of now I can safely say, I'm not into that sort of thing, but ... I may end up liking being spanked!!'

'SHUT UP! You're incorrigible!!! You're on your way home I suppose?'

'I am!! Indeed, madam, I am!! And given where things stand, I think we should all go out for dinner ... it will be especially good for Mili - don't you think? OK ... Mommy Dearest! Your little boy will soon be in your arms ... depending on traffic!', he laughed, then ended the call before she could come back with a rejoinder.

'Beast!!' is what she said.

I LOVED this exchange- very coy and intelligent!!

I LOVED this exchange- very coy and intelligent!!

At the cost of being repetitive, superb, great like always!! Especially the phone conversation...😉

Thanks SVG for the wonderful update,

No Pumpkin Shell (Part 2)

He hauled all the mithai boxes upstairs steadying the stack by placing them under his chin.

'Abhi ... beta ... what is this?! Someone getting married?!', said a surprised Manju.

'No Ma! These are for us! Well, 1 is to be shared by all, and the remaining are mine alone! Or maybe we should let some of our neighbors have some ... to neutralize their acid tongues!', he wasn't about to spare his minlaw his cheekiness! She laughed. Hearing her, the others came into the room.

'Hey Mili! There's rusmalai in the car ... you mind hoofing down to grab it? And listen! No sampling on your way back up - OK?! It's for after dinner'.

'What car??!! How come you have a car??!! Rusmalai??!! Oooooo ... Yummmm ... Oh ... and I promise not to just sample!'. Looked like Mili was regaining some of her original sense of humor!!

'The car is the one parked downstairs silly and I'll bore you with the details over dinner! As for that other quip ... I'll have your just desert waiting for you ... smart Alec!'

The boxes were taken to the kitchen. Then plans for dinner got underway. There was the usual fuss about why the 'elders' were being asked to join in the fray. They'd just be in the way. Much better the 'youngsters' went on their own. Papa-ji had to be so careful about what he ate! Yadda, yadda, yadda. They finally relented and it was agreed that Dolly Chaachi and family would also be invited. This was surely an occasion to celebrate!!

Not wanting anything formal, they all agreed to convene at a Dhaba type place not too far off. All freed from the heat and dust with showers etc. they met and regaled each other over good traditional Punjabi fare. The rusmalai was waiting to be eaten, so it was back to 12/24. Everyone fell down onto the various couches and chairs, with an air of indolence that comes from being sated. A cup of tea would really round things off, so off went Simi to the kitchen insisting that all the other women of the Sethi clan not assemble there - as was their wont! Dolly Chaachi was rattling on about this, that, and the other in her characteristic ditzy, but jovial way!

'Abheeee! Could you come help me with the dessert and tea?! ... Abheee!'

'Say Mili Puttar, could you go help your sister?! I've had an exhausting day!'

He was being facetious with the 'Puttar' part because while he understood Punjabi without difficulty, it hadn't been the language he and Anita spoke growing up. That was left for the earlier generations! Most of the conversation between the children and parents at chez Sethis was in Punjabi of course - no KB Punjabi could hold their head up otherwise. Amongst the Sethi kids though, it was the usual argot of Hindi and English - 'Khichdi-fied' at will and taken to new savory heights!!

'Uh ... last time I looked, my name was spelt M I L I ... not A B H I! I suggest you do as you're told!'.

'Oh Mili Puttar! Do go on ... go give your sister a hand. There's a sweet girl', said Rajinder Sethi, chuckling at the friendly banter.

She grimaced, made a face at her b-inlaw and went to the kitchen.

'Where's Abhi?!'

'He subcontracted the job to me! My hourly rate is cheaper - nothing!!'

They walked out into the living/drawing room with 2 trays of dessert and tea.

'Say, how come you don't do as you're asked?!'

'Papa-ji, do you have forms I could fill out and submit? I wish to file a grievance against your daughter ... she uses me ill ... very ill indeed ... ALL the time!! Did you hear how she just yelled at me?!'

'I didn't yell AT you, I yelled FOR you!!!'

'With you I can't tell the difference!!'

Of course that elicited laughter and some more teasing.

'That's OK Buster! I'll take care of you later!!'

'Uh ... Mrs. T. as long as it's not what you were threatening to administer when we spoke earlier!! THAT was truly scary!!', he smiled and winked.

'What's that?! what's that?! what did she threaten?! C'mon Abhi .... tell me ... tell me! Tell us ... tell us!!'

'You had best ask your Simi-di, Mili!'

Simi was blushing but managed to stifle the conversation from going any further. He did get the requisite glare that made him chuckle silently!

Dolly Chaachi suggested that given her own keen sense of humor, that Abhi and she open up a school to teach the humorless! Had she but known how he silently roared at her confidence in her own keen sense of humor!

It was a little past 11:00 when the party broke up. They trooped back upstairs to the Bursaati to call it a night. Tomorrow was going to be an inexpressibly busy day for him. A change of clothes and then it was into bed to snuggle. This was fast becoming a loved ritual - the warm intimacy stemming from both the physical and psychological. Abhi broached the subject of a place of their own.

'I think we really need to make a move in that direction Simi'

'Abhi ... I don't know ... see, Mili does fine when she's surrounded by people - like she was tonight. But has trouble when she's by herself ... Ma was telling me that she has found her raging or sobbing uncontrollably many a time ... I feel her pain and anger ... to think of a fiend such as Nakul getting away with impunity ... and Papa-ji with his heart ... I just feel we're needed a while longer ... '

'Simi, you know we're working the Nakul thing. Besides, we cannot stay here indefinitely! I'll do anything for the family of course ... they're my family too ... but I have my needs ... I'm used to living a different life-style ... and I want us to have some privacy. I mean, today we've been busy, so it's OK, but I would like to come home to be able to discuss personal issues in an unfettered way. Not that your parents are an impediment to that, but there is a difference in how open we can be with each other ... it's not easy to yell across the dining table at times of disagreement!' He chuckled. 'Is that too much to ask? We can have Mili come and stay with us on and off ... that way she's not here by her lonesome for long stretches of time. As for Papa-ji ... you know, he should consider selling the shop and joining forces with Chacha-ji ... best of both worlds ... he does not need the stress of running a business single handedly ... we need to sit every one down for a discussion.'

'Well .... '

'Simi! No! Wait! Even Mom asked that you give this high priority! We need to talk with everyone soon. No ... seriously!' He felt her nod her head in agreement - however reluctantly. 'Oh! Speaking of Mom! Hey, give her a call tomorrow and let her know that we'll have to defer the get together over tea for a while.'

'Ummm .... yeah ... OK'

Gawd, I'm dog tired!! Tomorrow, I'm going to come face to face with 'frenetic' ... well ... good night Mrs. T!!'

Downstairs, another married couple had discussions about matters familial.

'We are all extremely fortunate to have that young man as part of this family ... my happiness knows no bounds to realize that my darling daughter has a soul-mate of that caliber. You remember Manju-ji? Your aversion to the match? This boundless happiness of mine is stretched just a little bit more knowing that you have accepted things.'

'He is indeed a gem ... I'll never love anyone as I do my Anuj, but Abhi could come dangerously close.'

'Speaking of Anuj ... how long has it been since we've heard from him? It's completely unthinkable of course, that that wife of his would call.'

'Sethi Sahab, there you go, criticizing our son again ... our only son ... I'm sure he's neck-deep in work with his f-inlaw ... just you wait! One day people will be speaking of Anuj Sethi in hushed tones of awe! Our son! Our only son!'

'Yes ... of course ... Manju-ji ... will that be with or without your Matarani's intervention?'

Clearly, he was not the only man under the roof at 12/24 these days who liked to pull his wife's leg!

'There's no use talking to you! All the children are grown up ... even Neetu to an extent ... now I just wait for the same to happen to you!!'

'I suggest you not ask Matarani for that boon! Manju-ji, did you notice how Mili was showing signs of recovery tonight? Oh the anguish a father to see his child suffer so! I feel so helpless! I AM helpless in bringing that perpetrator to justice!!' His pain and suffering were palpable!

'It will all turn out well ... I know it ... in my bones ... Matarani will make sure that the days of the evil remain numbered! Besides, Simi and Abhi's presence here will continue to be salutary'

'Of course! Manju-ji, the next time you have a chance to speak to your beloved Matarani, do ask her the reason for this catastrophe to have befallen an innocent like our Mili in the first place ... yes ... indeed ... your Matrani's ways are enigmatic! In the meantime, if it's OK with you, I will rely on Abhi's intervention with his Mama-ji to send that man to jail for a long, long time. And please don't begin counting on Simi and Abhi being here indefinitely! They have their own lives to lead. In fact, I would encourage them to get going on that front.'

SValeCalGal,

LOL !! Dudette, if you're writing for a Kors, then there has to be some SERIOUS Simbhi action going on to make me happy...there are too many dry and dreary months of our onscreen jodi to compensate for....😆 !

But seriously, I love the relationship between Abhi and Simi you portray, more in line with Abhi's generation and in line with earier episodes of this couple. Here, I really liked the way Abhi spoke to his SIL- the right kind of language and appropriate interaction. Unlike the current ambigiousness straying to alarming downright inappropriateness onscreen between these two. I also enjoyed the content of the conversation between the older jodi, something intelligent to think about and not just token philosophy in passing and you captured RS's humor so accurately here!

You're giving it away and for our sake, I wish the writers for Karol Bagh would take tips from you!!

Oh yes, nearly forgot, I REALLY appreciated the comment of Abhi giving importance to HIS Mom's wishes by telling Simi to make this a priority because his Mom also wanted this ( referring to getting their private digs). You have totally been listening to me in other posts, LOTS of brownie points on this one, SVCGal!!!👍🏼