AWTBL-Someday!Chp12(A). pg75. Jan28. - Page 9

"Paakhi jiji please lets finish this assignment and then you can keep looking at your dresses." cried Kalpi in desperation.

It had been almost 20 minutes since Paakhi had left the study table to swirl in front of the huge full length mirror that was an art by itself. Made of rich mahogany with fine geometrical loops all framing the most glittering and perfect mirror.

"How many times have I told you to stop calling me jiji.. It does not seem nice." snapped Paakhi in mock anger as she glided back to the study table.

"But...but you are older to me by 2 years and you are taller too." replied Kalpi in a hesitant tone.

"But we are now in the same class and it just does not seem nice to me. And in front of our classmates it so awkward," Paakhi said in a serious tone.

"Oh! you want me to call you Paakhi only at school? Paakhijiji! Its going to be so difficult. What will everyone say?" Kalpi's apprehension to the idea kept growing.

"But you dnt call Prem, bhaiya why do you call me jiji?" Paakhi has a logical query for Kalpi.

I dnt call him anything coz I try he does not exist for me jiji? Kalpi thought to herself

"See you did it again... stop mumbling... Okay listen take this dress of mine. this will look nice on you. I have outgrown it." Paakhi extended a very pretty frock in purple and magenta floral design towards Kalpi.

"You have not just outgrown the dress, you have grown fat too. Thats is why you don't fit into it." Laughed Prem as he entered the room in a languid manner as if he owned the place.

"Prem, stop right there, right now. And go from here. You have already been warned by mom not to come into my room when Kalpi is here." reminded Paakhi in a sever tone.

Kalpi almost shrunk down in her chair as she saw Prem walk slowly with deliberate steps towards the study table.

"Ya, sure, I just came to borrow some extra marker pens I can't seem to find mine."

"Yes you always have some reason or the other. Wait right here. I will get them for you. Don't you move an inch towards Kalpi."

All this while Kalpi wished she could disappear.

As Paakhi goes towards her stationary box to get more pens... Prem comes around to Kalpi and picks the dress that Paakhi has given and spears a compass into the dress.

"Don't say a word to anyone or you could be the next victim of this compass." he hissed in Kalpi's ears.

"Prem! What are you doing here?" Neetu Kapoor says in a scolding voice to Prem as she comes into the room.

"How many times do I have to keep repeating to you to stay away from Paakhi and Kalpi when they are studying? You are 16 years old now, when will you learn to listen to your parents?" She glared at Prem. "How many times does Paakhi , your father or I have to tell you not to disturb the girls. Leave immediately." she pointed at him.

"Come Paakhi and Kalpi," She smiles towards the girls. "The table is set. Have some snacks and then sit down again to complete your work."

Kalpi quietly put the now torn chiffon dress inside her bag and followed her Paakhi jiji. She would never be able to think of Paakhi in any other manner. She had always called her jiji. In return Paakhi had always taken care of her like a little sister.

In front of Paakhi even Kamla could not say a rude word to Kalpi. Paakhi would immediately fire up and defend Kalpi whenever Kamla raised the slightest voice towards Kalpi. And, Kalpi always felt indebted and an insurmountable amount of affection for Paakhi. She had promised to herself that she would do anything for Paakhi. She was ready to pledge her life for Paakhi if need arose.

And Neetu aunty has always been kind to her, ever since she remembered. Neetu aunty's affections had increased by many folds, ever since she had started group studies with Paakhi jiji. Paakhi's performance in classwork, tests and exams had improved and the teachers had said that she was also actively participating in class quizzes and discussions. This change had been seen since Paakhi and Kalpi had started studying together each evening.

Paakhi's tutor who was not very receptive of the idea to teach a student in tattered clothing's had also come around and had become pleasant towards sweet Kalpi, when she saw how much more easier it was to control Paakhi's behavior during tutoring. With kalpi in the room Paakhi was a totally different person. She seemed happier, alert and helpful.

In the last one year Paakhi has improved by leaps and bounds. She was still nowhere as good as Kalpi in maths who had a special knack for numbers and geometry. But her aptitude in literature and social science had picked up. She had scored almost 69% and Sahil Kapoor's happiness knew no bound.

Sahil Kapoor was so elated and proud of his daughter that he had thrown an extravagant party for the whole school. He had booked four halls in the Pacific Mall PVR, for the whole day and all the students of the school were invited for special screening of all the complete Madagascar series. There was a pizza party with unlimited popcorn and soda for all.

The Sahil Kapoor had inherited the blossom Hill Orchards from his father. The orchard consisted of close to 40 acres of fertile active fruit lands. But at a very young age Naveen understood that simply fruits would not be enough to complete with the changing times of entrepreneurship and globalization.

During his college days in the 1960's, while traveling abroad he had been fascinated by bottled water. He was fascinated the people bought just plain water for such an amount. Then there was sparkling mineral water and fruit flavour infused water. His business mind wondered if that could be a profitable new venture in the budding indian market.

When he joined the business he bought a tangent stream close to Sahasra-dhara streams and began planning a mineral water plant. It was an ambitious project which sucked a lot of money from the fruit and dry fruit exporting business. But in the 1990s the trading policies became lenient and markets were opened for free business. That helped the business to stabilize itself.

And, the last 15 years had brought the the Kapoors immense wealth and prosperity. The mineral water bottling plant became their most profitable venture. Along with it Kapoors had also started the fruit infused packed mineral water which was now sold at all the trendiest places within the country and talks were in progress to import it to other countries. Both the projects together was more than the dry fruit business and the transport business that they had started to sustain during the in-between years. All the three business combines in the last 15 years has put them in the list of top 100 billionaires of the country.

And Now that Prem was 16 years old. it was time that he understood the serious responsibility of running such a large financial empire. Sahil Kapoor had to take the strict decision to send him abroad for further studies. This was his last year in Neo Orizon Grammar School after his grade X boards he would go to study abroad.

Singhania's and Kapoors were very good friend and since Raghav was already studying in London. It was jointly decided by the families that Raghav could be a good mentor for Prem. However, Prem chose to go to BrilliantMont School in Switzerland. Although, the Kapoor's were worried about sending Prem to a new country where they did not know anyone other than the Bank where there large chunk of money was in a safe deposit then had to relent under Prem's demands.

The Kapoors had however decided to keep their princess close to themselves. Till now they were worried about her educational development but Kalpi and her calm presence had done a world of difference to their little princess, Paakhi was the apple of her parents eyes. For Sahil Kapoor she was their good fortune personified that God had blessed them with and for that reason he went to Vaishno devi pilgrimage every year to thank the almighty Maatadi for the good fortune bestowed upon him and his family. They could not never in their wildest dream think of ever sending Paakhi away from home.

Dehradun schools are rates among the top elite schools in the country. They did not see the point of sending they precious possession, their delicate baby girl to any place where they will not be able to see her within 15 minutes.

So it was a decision that everyone agreed on that Paakhi and Kalpi continue their studies together in the same school like friends, like sisters.

Kalpi was only too grateful for the kindness and love that was bestowed on her by the Kapoors. She felt lucky that Paakhi and Neetu aunty loved her so much. Neetu aunty was the closest that she had experienced of a mother's love and so her Paakhi jiji staying at home also meant seeing Neetu aunty's smile everyday.

Kalpi lived for such small happiness.

Kalpi's baba was always very nice to her but the nicer her father treated her the harsher Kamla's behavior got towards the tiny frail girl. So finally Nirmal had to backed off and stopped taking sides when Kamla was in one of her violent moods and ready to spew fire on anyone who fell in her way. But mostly the worst of her wrath was saved especially for Kalpi.

Nirmal at any given opportunity would sit with little Kalpana, make her sit on his lap, smooth her uncombed hair with a loving hand and make her lovingly understand, that her mother is not so bad but the harsh penniless times had made her rude and insensitive. He was trying his best to make ends meet but his handwork was not enough.

"I had promised to keep your mother in the lap of luxury but I was unable to keep the promise and now she has to work outside the house. Please bear it beta and soon everything will be just like before." pleaded Nirmal

But to kalpi's innocent eyes and mind there was never a difference between before and now. This is the life thats she had always seen. What did her father mean by things will be like before. Before what?

******

Yadhavs were a distinguished landowner family with ancient roots in Mathura and Vrindavan region. Nirmal's father wanted to expand his business from growing just wheat, rice and corn kind of food grains to fruits and dry fruits and high revenue affective crops.

He also wanted to have a summer home for his family somewhere cooler within driving distance to Mathura. Dehradun was an attractive option. And it was also close to Haridwar and Rishikesh the pilgrimage spots for devotee Hindus. The Lands around the Doon Valley is extremely fertile and the weather suited all kinds of fruits right from mangoes, apples, oranges, plums, figs and leeches. He bought 50 acres of land on the Rajpur road. And, also decide to build a jam and canning factory.

Yadhav Sr. became great friends with his neighbor the Singhanias. Raghav Singhania Sr. and lalan Yadhavs were bosom pals. They became inseparable, like one family.

Every year the first box of packaged fruits of the season went to Mathura as an offering to Lord Krishna, the second one went to the Singhania mansion and only after Raghav Singhania Sr. tasted the fruit did the fruits leave for the wholesale market and the export material reached the docks to be shipped to far lands.

Young Madhav Singhania and Nirmal Jadhav grew up together as bothers and following their fathers footsteps became best of friends and closer than brothers.

The Singhania's along with fruits export diverted their business into timber and lumber. And gradually came to hold monopoly in the business. When Madhav Singhania, young Raghav's father, joined the business he wanted to apply his Architect degree to use so he ventured into real estate business. He began by attaining small government tenders and then ventured into bigger more ambitious projects of hospitals and Housing projects. In the beginning of the millennium when the Mall culture was just beginning he took the risk and now most of the Malls in Dehradun were made by his company.

Being an architect he also enjoyed restoring old buildings and his company bought many of the old buildings and bunglows in and around the Mussoorie Hills. Many of them were in depleting conditions and dire need of a repair. So for mere pennies he bought these old homes from the old retiring anglo-Indians who could not maintain them. He carefully restored them to their old glory and reopened them in its new avatar as Hotels and Lifestyle residences.

Madhav Singhania's each business was like he had struck gold. They had now moved from being just wealthy millionaires to the strata of top billionaires of the country.

As the Singhania's prosperity grew by many-folds the Yadhavs business ventures began to plummet and their wealth continued diminishing. They were unable to keep up with the changing times. Yadhav's business plans although looked great on paper never saw the brightness of the days.

By the time Kalpi was born the condition of the Yadhav's was already in bad shape. But in the last 13 years, they had deteriorated to such levels that Nirmal was reduced to become a farmer and vegetable seller in his own lands. He did not have means to even keep a help.

He worked in the fields during the day and twice a week he went to sell the produce. They had kept a cow for the milk and some chickens for the eggs.

His land was mortgaged to the Singhanias who let him decide if and when he could afford to pay. They were willing to assist their old friends at anytime, and at all times. But this wide rift in their social and economic status has brought a rift between the two friends.

Nirmal Yadhav was not ready to face Madhav Singhania as a friend in his current status.

Their link was now Kamla who was always willing to take whatever help or advantage came her way from her rich friends and neighbors. Kamla thought that if things had gone the way she wanted then she would have been living a similar luxurious life just like the filthy rich Singhanias and the Stinking wealthy Kapoors.

So she saw nothing wrong in taking whatever they gave. And if nothing at least she can be friends with them!!

The contrast between her parents behavior had made Kalpi a shy and quiet young girl. As she entered her teens. She has just one wish on her list.

She quietly took out her pen and dairy and wrote a silent prayer -

Dear Kanha,

Please give my amma whatever she desires.

Take my happiness instead and make my amma happy.