SunEclipsers just for you!: In Fairy Land - Page 2

Originally posted by: SValeCalGal

Whose job are you after this time ???

Do you think I'll give the SunEclipsers a run for their money? Hell, I'm going to continue doing this gratis ... if they have even a neuron left in their brains, they'll incorporate some of this or come up with a suitable equivalent!

For beginners who are these Achala .* Ramona* and the Vineeta* just the characters of your imaginations or introduced earlier in the serial

I cannot remember if that one time Anusha had referred to a Ramona (she was going to ask her to serve tea or something) ... I've made up a housekeeper by that name ... cannot imagine how someone living in a veritable Taj Mahal cannot have a retinue of minions ... those damn Dagars do! The other names are from my past ... high school days in Delhi ...

Kadji/Chaval te paneer di sabji....and the cold cold mango di lassi...now whose heart are you after not this Casanova.........?

Now you tell me, which Panjabi household does not do Kadhi?! One of my favorites (right behind kali daal and white rice) ... there was no Mango lassi at lunch ... it was fresh mango (I'm assuming the first of the crop is in the market) ... whose heart?! You mean you haven't treated yourself to the war of words over who was the rightful 'owner' of Abhi?!! The wars between a bunch of us gals, where everyone else except oneself was a Bhains (Mujj in Panjabi)?! Oh the odes that were dedicated to our very own Abhi (then not quite a hubby) and the barbs directed at the 'competition' 😆

Strictly sepaking, he's not a Casanova ... who in his time was infamous for his 'womanizing' ... so far, hubby Abhi is very monogamous (in my story he always will remain so)

at the time of ROKA like any other normal punjabi family would do ??

What Roka?! Simi never had one ... she did have a circus for a wedding tho ... replete with clowns! I'm not going back to change the past that has been 'wrought' by imbecilic hands 😔

BUT WHY SIKKIM D.

It's a place I have wanted to visit ... I was mesmerized by it many many moons ago after coming across an article on it (along with the Chogyal & his American wife) ... might have been in the Nat'l Geographic ... there's another reason as well ... I'll elaborate on that later ... and it's no longer an independent kingdom ... was annexed by India quite some time back!

Tsomongo lake

I did a whole bunch of research on Sikkim yesterday ... everything is authentic ... including the description of the hotel suite ... I'll try and add pictures ...

Simi called and made reservations for 7:15. She was going to wear one of her casual sulvaar suits ... she thought back to the day before the trip. Anusha had taken the 2 of them to the Spa at the Oberoi Intercontinental. There was the massage, the facial, the manicure and pedicure ... the works. All she and her sisters ever did was get their eyebrows threaded and that sort of thing. Even fashion conscious, narcissistic Neetu! Then Anusha had taken her shopping. 'You will need some sensible clothing and shoes. It will be cold there, and in case the 2 of you have a dress-up dinner ... or something'. She got a couple of stylish jeans, T-shirts, and sneakers. She could not remember the last time she had been in pants of any kind! Had she ever?! Well, she was going to now! Anusha wanted to buy her a dressy Sulvaar-suit as well. Simi had always wanted something lovely from 'Anokhi' and had shyly wondered if her mother-in-law would oblige! She had long admired their clothing. It was often worn by her colleague Lalita. That sort of thing was never to be seen in Karol Bagh! The Sethi girls were in a sense, obligated to shop at the family store - which catered to a different taste and sensibilities. They drove to the 'Anokhi' in Greater Kailash. She bought some beautiful hand-printed cotton tops, which she preferred to the T-shirts. She had been aching for one of their quilted jackets, but there would be none until the winter. There were no dressy things, so Anusha suggested the 'Ritu Kumar' boutique in the Archana Shopping Complex. They were sure to find something suitable there. Maybe too much! She chose a nice black suit. With a dupatta that had a zardozi border and butis embroidered on the body - something understated. She wasn't one for that over-the-top 'glamorous' Bollywood look where the amount of fabric on a suit was minimized and the embroidery maximized - enough glitter to light up all of South Delhi for a month! Then there was that exquisite night-gown. The palest of pinks. Silk chiffon over a silk lining. The bodice cut low, ruched and the rest flowing out. The spaghetti straps crossed in the back, to leave a good portion of her lovely back showing. Is that what 'sexy' feels - she had mused, her eyes sparkling, fingering that divine creation? She was so touched by Anusha's sensitivity of not foisting her own taste on Simi. She could see why Abhi loved his mother so! She was so different from her own mother - who she loved in her own way of course.

She walked up to the swivel mirror in the room and put on her simple gold hoop earrings. She smoothed down her kurta and her attention was caught by her hands. She looked again at them, spread out in front of her. A smile lit up her face. They had never looked so good before. Her nails, cut to a suitable length - she wasn't one for the 'talon' look - with a pale shade of pink nail varnish. She glanced at her feet, soon to be in a pair of juttis. Ditto there - they were surely not her feet! Then the guilt streamed in. Her little sister. Her baby doll of a sister. Brutalized. Physically and psychologically broken and bruised, and here she was, reveling in the good life. She caught herself. Anusha had admonished her about that very thing. Her loyalty to her family was exemplary. Everyone should have daughter such as she. But at this point, her marriage was paramount. Her mother-in-law was right. Anyway, they would be back soon enough and she could hold and comfort her little Mili. That demon Nakul had to be taken care of! This was the first time when she was going to insist that the Tanejas use their influence to see that justice be done. The Dagars had clout, she knew that, but was sure that Abhi would be amenable to asking his mother to intercede with her cousin, Shiv Kumar Anand, Delhi Police Commissioner. She was right. He had been thinking of that same issue since the incident.

She was dressed and ready to go when he emerged from the bathroom. He took off his robe and began dressing. For some strange reason, she became terribly shy and walked to the adjoining room to wait for him. They had been virtual strangers for the better part of a month already! So, this emotion was not unusual. She gasped as he came in. He looked drop-dead gorgeous! No! That wasn't a term reserved for women anymore. There was no other way to describe him and his effect on her. That sweater tied around his neck completed the look! 'What time are the reservations?' '7:15'. 'Oh, we have a good 1/2 hour yet. Hey Simi, isn't this view of the town out of this world? Come look!' She walked over to the floor-to-ceiling window and gazed down at the glittering lights of Gangtok town. It competed with the starry sky above and somewhere in the far distance they merged into each other. Two sheets of black studded with diamonds and rubies! He was standing right behind her. He placed his left hand on her right shoulder, marveling at the scene. He thought nothing of it. She did.

There was a knock at the door. Abhi walked over and opened to see a huge bouquet of flowers. Mom! She was such a stickler for detail! The person holding them introduced himself as the hotel manager, Khosla. He always personally saw to the hotel's Royal Suite clients. He should! At Rs 20,000 a night! They sat and chatted for 10 minutes or so and then Mr. Khosla left. They still had 15 minutes. 'Let's go down and walk out for a bit'. They walked to the front courtyard, down the steps. She looked back to see the hotel all lit up! It was almost as beautiful as her husband! 'Is that how the other half of the world lives?', she thought, never having had an inkling of this sort of thing!

Originally posted by: Laila2009

Keep writing! What I like about your style of writing and since you have a wide vocabulary we get a more vivid picture of the emotions and scenes. I'd like to see Simi and Abhi do some else other than eat and feed each other (and other things but I sent that to you in another email). I think you didn't realize you might have a hidden talent for written fan ficition 😉

Originally posted by: SValeCalGal

I think you didn't realize you might have a hidden talent for written fan ficition

Laila - you really know how to hurt a gal! 😆

The Reconciliation - Day 2

He did not see or hear Simi in the suite when he woke up the next morning. Still groggy from the sleep he called her on her cell. 'Where are you?' ... 'I'm walking down the road from the hotel enjoying the morning sights. Are you finally up?'. 'Un-hunh. I guess I better get washed up. Do you know if the jeep is here already?'. 'I didn't notice anything. I thought you had asked for it be here at 9:30. Should be coming up pretty soon. I'm starving, so hurry. I'll meet you in the lobby. How long will you be?. 'Gimme 20 minutes'.

She walked back to wait for him. There was a loud commotion at the reception. A guest was complaining about the lack of hot water and the poor service. He demanded to speak to the manager. The receptionist was trying her best to assure and calm him. 'I guess we should all ask to stay in the Royal Suite. Good thing we've not had any problems', she thought. Nevertheless, she felt the poor man's plight.

Breakfast was done so they walked into the lobby. Abhi went up to the front desk to enquire about the picnic basket that he had ordered the night before. They probably would not have a lot of time to tarry so this was a good option for lunch. Today was going to be a full day of sight-seeing. He was inordinately elated! Oh the photo opportunity! He returned and sat in an armchair opposite Simi. He set the camera on the table, and took out the manual, softly humming some inane song. He wanted to check some stuff on the new lenses. 'It'll just be a few minutes. They'll bring it out', he said, then started paging through the manual. Simi sat with her hands between her knees and watched her husband. He looked up to see if the basket was here and casually glanced to see her admiring look. Teasingly, he did that thing with his eyebrows that said 'Aha! caught ya!' then smiled and went back to his reading. She blushed, just as she had so many times before.

She was wearing one of the jeans. Her feet in socks and sneakers. She carried the one sweater she had brought with her. The clothing felt comfortable, just a bit unfamiliar. Her hair was pulled back in a barrette. Anusha had said that the braid made her look 10 years older, particularly with her unstylish sulvaar-suits. So her long tresses were shorn to just above her shoulder blades. This morning, she had even played around with the blush, just as the aesthetician had shown her at the spa. The mascara and all that other goop would have to wait for another time. Maybe Neetu could give her a crash course. She confessed to looking and feeling the difference. Did not think that anyone would now refer to her as Abhi's older sibling. That dolt of a boss! No loss, Abhi's dismissal from that job. He was meant for better things anyways.

'Mr. Taneja Sir, here is the basket', the young woman said, setting it on the table. 'Oh, good! Thank you! There's enough food there for three - right?'. 'Yes sir, just as you ordered. Sandwiches, fruits, juice, water, and 2 thermos flasks of hot tea'. Simi looked bewildered. 'Three?! Why three?! I'm not pregnant y'know!'. 'Ha .. ha .. very funny! ...'. 'And not very likely to happen given how things are going', she muttered under her breath, interrupting him mid-sentence. He was busy gathering all the stuff so he said distractedly: 'Did you say something?'. 'No ... nothing'. They walked out to the front where the jeep was parked. 'There's the third person ... the driver'. Then whispered 'Gosh Simi, forgot his name! Do you remember?' 'I'm pretty sure it was Baichung - just like the soccer star'. 'Oh yeah! Morning Baichung! Ready?' he chirped ... 'Oh yes, sahib!' Baichung looked at Simi who had the sweater on her arm. 'Is that all you're taking madam?! We're going up to an altitude of 12,000 feet! There's snow up there!'. 'But the only other thing I have is a shawl', she lamented! 'I guess, I better go get that!'. 'Hang on, you wait, I'll go ... I'm the young one remember? I can sprint there faster and back ... besides your days of running up and down are kind of over - no? I mean ... at your age?'. There was that mischievous smile and gleam in his eyes. He chuckled in that familiar teasing way. Smart-Alec! she thought, then crunched up her face and stuck her tongue out at him! He laughed then ran back up the entrance stairs to retrieve her shawl. He came back with that and another sweater of his. 'There, now you can wear both sweaters and the shawl'.

He opened the back door and gave her a helping hand onto her seat. He sat in the front with Baichung. She felt a perceptible change in his attitude towards her but was still fearful that disaster could strike. But she hoped.

They stopped along the way to let him take pictures. She would step out for a whiff of the scenery and became conscious that he was not asking to photograph her. She need not have worried. He was no amateur! None of this stand or sit poses, or poles and trees growing out of heads, or 'say cheese' type portraiture. She did not remember when he had shot pictures of her at Qutub. He was doing the same today. Photographing her surreptitiously - in his eyes, at her most flattering!

They visited a couple of monasteries then returned to town to see the 'Arts and Handicrafts' center for souvenirs. Beautiful stuff! He saw her fixated at the jewelry counter and walked over to see what had attracted her. 'Abhi, wow! Look at those gold rings of a dragon's head. Those are just beeuuttifull' Each was undoubtedly a piece of the most exquisite workmanship. The dragon held a pearl in its mouth and the eyes were of coral. 'We'd like to see these', he said to the woman behind the counter. 'What are you doing?! We cannot afford them! We've just spent a bunch on the souvenirs already! Abhi, Stop!!'. 'Well, my dear, if I did, I'd be setting myself up for a sound thrashing from your mother-in-law. I have strict instructions to buy something special for you as a present from the family. So, would you want me to be humiliated so? I know I'm still young, but ...', he smiled ... again in that teasing way. She came away with one of the smaller ones even though he had wanted one of the others. But the thaw was definitely underway. Her heart began to sing.

Dinner was to be at one of the restaurants in town. They took a taxi to and back since Baichung had been sent home for the night. What an exhilarating day! Baichung had said that tomorrow portended rain, so their activities might be a bit limited. But, weather forecasts are not always right!

Originally posted by: SValeCalGal

The Reconciliation - Day 2

He did not see or hear Simi in the suite when he woke up the next morning. Still groggy from the sleep he called her on her cell. 'Where are you?' ... 'I'm walking down the road from the hotel enjoying the morning sights. Are you finally up?'. 'Un-hunh. I guess I better get washed up. Do you know if the jeep is here already?'. 'I didn't notice anything. I thought you had asked for it be here at 9:30. Should be coming up pretty soon. I'm starving, so hurry. I'll meet you in the lobby. How long will you be?. 'Gimme 20 minutes'.

She walked back to wait for him. There was a loud commotion at the reception. A guest was complaining about the lack of hot water and the poor service. He demanded to speak to the manager. The receptionist was trying her best to assure and calm him. 'I guess we should all ask to stay in the Royal Suite. Good thing we've not had any problems', she thought. Nevertheless, she felt the poor man's plight.

Breakfast was done so they walked into the lobby. Abhi went up to the front desk to enquire about the picnic basket that he had ordered the night before. They probably would not have a lot of time to tarry so this was a good option for lunch. Today was going to be a full day of sight-seeing. He was inordinately elated! Oh the photo opportunity! He returned and sat in an armchair opposite Simi. He set the camera on the table, and took out the manual, softly humming some inane song. He wanted to check some stuff on the new lenses. 'It'll just be a few minutes. They'll bring it out', he said, then started paging through the manual. Simi sat with her hands between her knees and watched her husband. He looked up to see if the basket was here and casually glanced to see her admiring look. Teasingly, he did that thing with his eyebrows that said 'Aha! caught ya!' then smiled and went back to his reading. She blushed, just as she had so many times before.

She was wearing one of the jeans. Her feet in socks and sneakers. She carried the one sweater she had brought with her. The clothing felt comfortable, just a bit unfamiliar. Her hair was pulled back in a barrette. Anusha had said that the braid made her look 10 years older, particularly with her unstylish sulvaar-suits. So her long tresses were shorn to just above her shoulder blades. This morning, she had even played around with the blush, just as the aesthetician had shown her at the spa. The mascara and all that other goop would have to wait for another time. Maybe Neetu could give her a crash course. She confessed to looking and feeling the difference. Did not think that anyone would now refer to her as Abhi's older sibling. That dolt of a boss! No loss, Abhi's dismissal from that job. He was meant for better things anyways.

'Mr. Taneja Sir, here is the basket', the young woman said, setting it on the table. 'Oh, good! Thank you! There's enough food there for three - right?'. 'Yes sir, just as you ordered. Sandwiches, fruits, juice, water, and 2 thermos flasks of hot tea'. Simi looked bewildered. 'Three?! Why three?! I'm not pregnant y'know!'. 'Ha .. ha .. very funny! ...'. 'And not very likely to happen given how things are going', she muttered under her breath, interrupting him mid-sentence. He was busy gathering all the stuff so he said distractedly: 'Did you say something?'. 'No ... nothing'. They walked out to the front where the jeep was parked. 'There's the third person ... the driver'. Then whispered 'Gosh Simi, forgot his name! Do you remember?' 'I'm pretty sure it was Baichung - just like the soccer star'. 'Oh yeah! Morning Baichung! Ready?' he chirped ... 'Oh yes, sahib!' Baichung looked at Simi who had the sweater on her arm. 'Is that all you're taking madam?! We're going up to an altitude of 12,000 feet! There's snow up there!'. 'But the only other thing I have is a shawl', she lamented! 'I guess, I better go get that!'. 'Hang on, you wait, I'll go ... I'm the young one remember? I can sprint there faster and back ... besides your days of running up and down are kind of over - no? I mean ... at your age?'. There was that mischievous smile and gleam in his eyes. He chuckled in that familiar teasing way. Smart-Alec! she thought, then crunched up her face and stuck her tongue out at him! He laughed then ran back up the entrance stairs to retrieve her shawl. He came back with that and another sweater of his. 'There, now you can wear both sweaters and the shawl'.

He opened the back door and gave her a helping hand onto her seat. He sat in the front with Baichung. She felt a perceptible change in his attitude towards her but was still fearful that disaster could strike. But she hoped.

They stopped along the way to let him take pictures. She would step out for a whiff of the scenery and became conscious that he was not asking to photograph her. She need not have worried. He was no amateur! None of this stand or sit poses, or poles and trees growing out of heads, or 'say cheese' type portraiture. She did not remember when he had shot pictures of her at Qutub. He was doing the same today. Photographing her surreptitiously - in his eyes, at her most flattering!

They visited a couple of monasteries then returned to town to see the 'Arts and Handicrafts' center for souvenirs. Beautiful stuff! He saw her fixated at the jewelry counter and walked over to see what had attracted her. 'Abhi, wow! Look at those gold rings of a dragon's head. Those are just beeuuttifull' Each was undoubtedly a piece of the most exquisite workmanship. The dragon held a pearl in its mouth and the eyes were of coral. 'We'd like to see these', he said to the woman behind the counter. 'What are you doing?! We cannot afford them! We've just spent a bunch on the souvenirs already! Abhi, Stop!!'. 'Well, my dear, if I did, I'd be setting myself up for a sound thrashing from your mother-in-law. I have strict instructions to buy something special for you as a present from the family. So, would you want me to be humiliated so? I know I'm still young, but ...', he smiled ... again in that teasing way. She came away with one of the smaller ones even though he had wanted one of the others. But the thaw was definitely underway. Her heart began to sing.

Dinner was to be at one of the restaurants in town. They took a taxi to and back since Baichung had been sent home for the night. What an exhilarating day! Baichung had said that tomorrow portended rain, so their activities might be a bit limited. But, weather forecasts are not always right!

Part of what they saw on Day 2:

Preview, Day 3: The big drama ... stay tuned 😊