MPbGD thread # 2, part 70 on pg62 on 18/4/12 - Page 22

Nice update Di.. really hoping that this trip will clear out all misconceptions in their family :)

xoxo

Part 59

Karan looked dumbfounded at his perima. He couldn't believe what he had just heard. How could she be such a simpleton? People had taken undue advantage of her goodness and she wasn't even complaining. On the contrary she was justifying what she had done.

In his mind he just compared the two women. One, who had been selfish enough to grab another woman's happiness to fulfill her own desire, without any consideration for the other's feelings. And the other, having handed over the most prized possession of her life, to someone else and happy about it too. How could two women be so different and yet love the same man, he wondered.

He remembered how in the beginning, hearing his grandma referring to his perima as 'that woman', he too had thought that she was the 'other woman' in his parents' life. Every month whenever his father spoke about transfer of money, there would be a huge argument in the house. His mother questioning why they had to send money to the ungrateful woman when she wasn't even acknowledging it and his father arguing that it was the least they could do for all that she had done for them. He had always wondered what his dad referred to, but had never dared question his parents about it.

He was in his teens, when after one such argument, he had picked up enough courage to corner his mother. Since his grandma was away then, he had managed to get the truth out of her. Only then he had come to know that his mother was actually the second wife. That was nothing new to him as many of his friends' parents were divorced, remarried etc. But he wondered why his mummy was against his father paying alimony to his first wife. When he questioned her about it, in trying to justify her actions, his mother had inadvertently revealed the truth to him; that his father had never divorced his first wife.

For several days after that, he had tried to recollect the time he spent with his perima and only her love and caring ways came to his mind. He could remember how she doted on him and Arun, how she'd go out of her way to fulfill each of their wishes. How she never uttered one angry word for them, whatever mischief they did. He had recollected so many small incidents which only brought her sweet nature to the forefront.

He recollected how once Arun had slipped and fallen down while crawling and cut his lip. She had asked Karan to fetch the dabba of sugar and pressed some on the cut lip. Then she had picked up the little one and showered him with kisses to soothe him and stop his crying. This hadn't gone down well with him, the elder one, and in his anger he had picked up a bottle of water and poured it into the sugar dabba. But then he got scared and quietly lay down on the sofa, pretending to sleep.

When his perima came back after putting the baby to sleep, she had picked up the dabba and gasped seeing it full of water. He had thought he would get a good thrashing or at least scolding for it, but she had just rubbed his hair as he continued his pretence.

When he had woken up suddenly, not knowing when he had actually fallen asleep, he went to his perima and apologized saying "I'm sorry perima." She had picked him up in his arms and asked "Why are you saying sorry, you only helped me." Then she had handed him a cup with 2 gulab jamuns saying "You helped me make the sugar syrup for the gulab jamuns." He had hugged her and showered her with kisses, not only for making his favourite gulab jamuns, but for not taking him to task for his mischief. And sure enough his parents had also enjoyed the gulab jamuns, without any knowledge of the story behind it.

As he recollected more and more such incidents, his regard for her grew. Soon he had started cross questioning his mummy about her actions towards his perima. Each of his questions pierced his mummy's heart and pin-pointed that she was the offender and not the other way around. But she couldn't come to terms with the fact, and this had created a discord between mother and son. Seeing her son speak in favour of the other woman, who wasn't even present in their lives anymore, made her depressed. Once he moved to the hostel for his college studies, Karan had drifted further away from her and the whole family as such.

Feeling let down by her elder son, his mother had withdrawn herself from Arun also. His father was busy with his clinics and rarely interfered in household matters as it only ended up in a quarrel between husband and wife. Though Karan had tried to guide his brother, he wouldn't heed to him as he was overly pampered by their grandmother, who covered up all his mistakes. The teenager had fallen into bad company and dropped out of school. Only when they were summoned to the school did his parents' eyes open.

They had taken Arun for counseling sessions and had themselves attended it too. That was when his music talents came to the knowledge and they were advised to let him follow the career of his choice. The counselor felt there was no point in making him attend school which he totally disliked, when he had so much hidden talent. That's when Arun had started formal music lessons. And see what a rockstar he had become, Karan thought proudly about his little brother.

He was brought back to the present, by his perima asking him, "What time will you be leaving Karan?"

K: Why are you bent on packing me off perima? I was actually planning to stay here today, that's if you'd have me.

R: What are you saying kanna? I'd be happy to have you with me all my life. But right now Linda needs you most. You can't leave her alone at this stage of her pregnancy. You never know when she'll go into labour. That's why I asked.

K: Perima I understand. But here, thanks to the advanced technology, the doctor can say precisely when she'll go into labour. We had gone for a checkup only yesterday. The doctor was sure she wouldn't deliver at least for another 10 days. Linda herself sent me here today, saying I needed to say a nice goodbye to the house which holds all my childhood memories. Moreover she's not alone. Her best friend has come over to spend two days with her.

"Ok" Riddhima said hesitantly, but Karan put his arm around her shoulder saying "Perima, I keep calling her often. If I feel she needs me, I can be there in 2 hours. So don't worry." Riddhima smiled and nodded at him. Just then Armaan's phone started ringing. Picking the phone he answered "Hello Shekar, how are you?"

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A: Yes, I had. As I told you earlier I'm planning to put this house for sale. Before I do so, I've to dispose all the unwanted things. I called the boys over, to take whatever they wanted to. And they only suggested that I should ask you and Kalpana also over. In case Kalpana wanted something of Karuna's.

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A: Yes, both are here. That's why I thought instead of me and Riddhima coming over, it'd be good if you both could.

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A: They are both planning to leave tomorrow.

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A: Hello Kalpana, how are you?

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A: Oh that would be very nice. Yes, you could meet them also. Fine, let's know the flight timings, we'll come and pick you.

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A: Bye take care.

Turning to the boys he said "Your Kalpana Perima and Shekar peripa are coming tomorrow, especially because your perima wants to meet you two. She says you haven't even spoken to her for over a year, since your mummy's cremation." Both the boys hung their head down. Then Karan spoke up "Dad actually we were upset at the way perima spoke at that time. It was as if she blamed mummy for the accident. So I had stopped taking her calls. And after sometime she'd stopped calling."

Arun: You know me, I rarely take any calls besides my friends'.

Armaan looked at them for sometime as if he wanted to tell them something. Then changing his mind he smiled and said "Come on, forget all that. A lot of water has run under the bridge now. Had it not been for Kalpana and Shekar, we wouldn't have stepped on the American soil."

K: Perhaps that would have been for the best.

R: There's no use digging up the past. Forgive and forget.

K: That's the policy you follow isn't it? But we are not all like you perima.

R: Just tell me one thing. What will you gain anything by harbouring bitterness and anger against anyone? You'll only spoil your own mood.

After hesitating for sometime, Karan just nodded. Thinking there had been enough of serious talk, Arun intervened asking "Perima, would you like me to prepare dinner like I did yesterday?"

Hearing Arun, Karan exclaimed "You? Dinner? No, no perima, please don't put me through the torture." Riddhima shook her head saying "No Karan you are mistaken. Arun had prepared an amazing soup and a very special salad yesterday. Wasn't it lovely athaan?"

A: Yes, even I never expected anything so tasty. But it was very good.

K: Ok I accept you could make the best soup and salad. But perima I want feel like eating something sweet and that too made by you.

R: Kanna, why didn't you tell me earlier when we were out shopping? I'd have got your favourite gulab jamun mix.

K: It's ok perima. You can make anything. It's fine.

A: Riddhima why don't you make paal payasam (Kheer)?

R: I know that's your favourite but for that I need thick milk. The 1% milk we have won't be good for that. I give you all a choice of two things, rawa kesari (sooji halwa) or aval kesari (sweet poha).

Arun: We had rawa kesari at Saravana Bhavan. So aval kesari it is.

K: Let's all make it together. Perima will direct us and each of us will do one task.

All of them had an enjoyable time in the kitchen with one roasting the poha, the other cutting the nuts for the garnishing and the third one powdering cardamom. By the time the three finished their chores, Riddhima had quietly switched on the rice cooker and got the 'ven pongal' (Khichdi) cooking. There was some sambhar left over from the previous day, to go with it.

When she set the table after half an hour, the three males wondered when she managed to get the pongal and sambhar ready. They had an enjoyable meal garnished with a lot of teasing and laughing. Tasting the sweet Arun said "This is really amazing perima, and so easy to make too. I should try it sometime. I'm sure Anjie will love it." Then realizing his slip he bit his tongue but his astute perima caught him.

R: Oh so your girlfriend's name is Anjie, is it?

Arun: Perima, Anjie is only my co-singer.

R: Never mind even if she's just your co-singer, show me her pic.

Arun: Actually I don't

Even before he could complete, his bro had picked his cell phone which had been lying on the dining table and said "Here, have a look perima." Arun tried to snatch the phone from Karan but Riddhima took it and saw a cute black girl in the pic. Showing it to her athaan she asked "she looks very cute na?" he too peered in and nodded with a smile. But what Riddhima said next left the three males open mouthed.

R: I wish we could have met her also, na athaan? God alone knows when we'll get a chance to meet her, if not this time.

amazing update

awesomely beautiful update

The past memories were too sweet!!!!!
So now ridhima in on misson for arun :)
gr8 part
cont soon :)

wow.
lovely post.
only if suja saw them doing so much fun..
i wonder how she'll feel!!

thnkew for pm.

continue soon.

Beautiful update...
You wrote this part so well...spl when karan recall his past about Riddhima... loved it.
I really like the way you write their sweet family bonding.
Wow... now Riddhima in on mission Arun, i think Anji is an Indian.
I really love this part. 🤗
Update next part super soon.
Thanks for the pm, take care.

thanks dear(i dn't know ur name da) ,awesome part dear,just loved the confrontation

woowww nice update dear:)
love it:)

nyc part. Lvd the bonding of karan arun nd perima.
Good one.
Cnt soon