Verbosity (Ansh/SagUn OS/FF thread) - New chap on page 9 - Page 4

Instant Khayali Pulao - Success or Failure

(Inspired by Jasna)

Shiv, I L LL OO VVV... Accha, I need to go now (as there is a world crisis pending), so I'll tell you E when I get back.

So saying, Anandi got into the Scorpio and drove off, waving desperately at her Collector Sahib.

Staring forlornly after her, Shiv shook his head in despondency. When will the dastardly day arrive?? When??

Anandi was going on an overnight trip to her teacherjee's house, just when Shiv had thought that "the" day had arrived.

Sighing mightily, he turned his attention towards his work, "Tomorrow's just another day, Shiv!"

After Anandi inaugurated the ashram, she spent the night talking to her teacherjee about the newfound love of her life.

As dawn arrived, she set off for Jaitsar, sure in her resolve to finally confess today.

But it was not to be. Alas, as the Scorpio drove through the jungles, she was jolted out of her sleep by the loud shout of the driver, "Sarpanch bitiya!!!"

In an attempt to save a black buck that had wandered on to the road, the driver veered off the road, slamming into a nearby babool tree. With a resounding crunch, the Scorpio ground to a halt.

The driver died on the spot. Anandi, who was thrown from the car, lay unconscious, her life slowly seeping out of her.

In Jaitsar, Shiv sat with his head bent over his files, trying to keep Anandi's thoughts at bay.

His head shot up when he heard a husk "Hello Desi Boy!" Ashima! Ashima had finally arrived'

Lunging forward to sweep her up into his arms, "Thank God you have come Ashima! I thought I had lost our friendship."

As she cheerfully hugged him back, "Never Shiv, you are my best friend. But I am so tired' can you take me to the guest house now? My flight was delayed by 7 hours."

At the guesthouse, Shiv relaxed on the sofa as Ashima changed into something comfortable.

Pulling a bottle of cognac out of her suitcase, Ashima said, "This is you favorite, isn't it, Shiv. I need to relax. Why don't we share a drink?"

Looking concerned, Shiv said, "At this time? No'"

But seeing her pouty face, he soon gave in. One glass led to another. He found that he forgot all his tensions in this way.

In the meantime, a group in a Bolero found Anandi, who had finally given up the battle after so many hours and had gone to join her mother, Bhago as a bhooth.

Hethu got off the car and seeing Anandi, he smirked'"One down, one to go'"

Picking up his phone, he started dialing Collector Sahib, but to no avail. Both CS and his friend had almost passed out on the sofa, with her head on his shoulder, and his arm tightly around her.

After trying a couple of times, Hethu started thinking of this God-gifted opportunity and quickly decided to go to the nearest Tantrik (man who practices black magic),

Shiv stirred and feeling the unfamiliar weight in his arms, turned groggily to find a soft treasure almost nose to nose with him.

Unable to ignore his bodily demands, he pressed his lips to Ashima's, who was far from unwilling.

One thing led to another and the two soon crossed the boundary from friends to lovers.

In the meantime, the Tantrik pranced around Anandi's body and summoned the nearest evil spirit to take possession of it.

Suddenly Anandi sat up, and with a crocodilian smile and rolling eyes, said "What do you want me to do, master?" An evil witch had taken over her body!

While all the others ran off in fright, Hethu stood his ground while the Tantrik said, "I want you to make Mr. ShivRaj Shekhar's life a living hell."

As Shiv and Ashima lay lost in rapture, having discovered that they liked this new activity, a knock sounded.

Shiv quickly stuffed his shirt into his pants and answered the door.

Seeing the eerily smiling Anandi at the door, he looked once and shuddered in disgust. Looking back at where Ashima lay seductively on the bed, he said, "Anandi, we need to talk."

Anandi rolled her eyes like a nervous filly and smiled again, showing 32 perfect teeth, "Shiv, I LLL OOO VVV EEE you."

Shiv backed off, "But Anandi, I have discovered that I love Ashima and she loves me. Anyway, our marriage was never consummated, so I will apply for it to be declared null and void tomorrow."

Slamming the door on Anandi's face, he returned to his long-lost love.

Hethu's plan had failed again.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

LOL, please take this in the "spirit" intended. (Pun fully intended😉)

Unedited, unreviewed...

Originally posted by: vasanthimrao

Thank you so much Gina for this wonderful thread. I so love all your and neha's writings😳. this thread is great👍🏼

Originally posted by: ayesha321

Gina you are such a brilliant and creative writer...thanks for the amazing stories and letters😊

Originally posted by: Jaymaa

Gina ji...you r wonderful writer ...🤗 I am speechless ..I like it all your stories...thanks Gina..😛

The Ride of a Lifetime (Chapter 1)

Well, I am back, just like the pesky old mosquito that never goes away.

Although I said I would never write on SidYusha again; I lied to myself it seems. An idea has been playing in my mind for some time now - based on the offscreen antics of SY.

I hope you like this FF, which I have started with good intentions.

Hopefully, it will see a conclusion, unlike our real-life onscreen SY.

PS: I have taken the liberty of changing the names somewhat because I cannot call these two AnSh or Siddharth and Pratyusha. Both seem weird to me. However, I have used similar locations and characters in my story.

Request: Those who don't like Sid or his Yusha, kindly don't comment here. This FF is not for you.

Story Index:

Chapter 1: Page 1

The Ride of a Lifetime

Chapter 1:

Roaring down the road in his Jaguar XK, Siddhanth glanced impatiently at his watch. He was running late. The old codger he was going to meet would throw a fit! By his calculations, he had another hour to drive, and that would be cutting it short!

His musings were interrupted by a muted grunt from the softly purring engine. As he cast a look heavenwards, the car shuddered a couple of times, groaning some more. "Not now, baby! Please don't do this to me now'" Heedless of his plea, the car's purr turned into a cough and the engine started seizing. Thumping the steering wheel hard with the ball of his hand, he cursed hard and long as the car ground to a halt.

Unfolding himself from the depths of the car, he studied the inert and smoking car with bafflement. Why he kept such a difficult-to-maintain car was a mystery to him too. It cost more to maintain than his apartment!! His mechanic was the best-paid (and most-coddled) man in the business! What to do? His love for his dream machine knew no bounds. But, the question was, how to get his car to his mechanic, or vice versa, in the back of nowhere? He was sure no mechanic worth his salt would exist in this backward highway to Jaitsar. Damn it! And what about his appointment with Bhoomi Singh?? He needed to be there like yesterday!

Chucking his jacket into the car, he looked up and down the steaming tar. Like a mirage, there seemed to be a small shanty about a kilometer up the road. Gritting his teeth, he rolled up his sleeves and started pushing his recalcitrant monster down the road. About 15 minutes later, he rolled the car to a stop in front of the shanty. Wiping his brow on his sleeve, he moaned with relief when he read "Best Mekanic - All Repair Works Done!"

Spotting a mangy old man digging his nose next to a grimy old fridge, he shuddered inwardly. Could this be the mechanic and how could he let the dirty old man touch his baby?? Sighing inwardly, he called to the man, "Bhaisahib, idhar mechanic kaun hai?" <Who is the mechanic?>

Lumbering to his feet, adjusting his dhoti, the old man walked slowly to Sid. "Main hoon, beta. Koi shaq hai kya? Umar dekh kar tajurba ko nazarandaz nahin kiya karo." <I am. Don't doubt my experience by looking at my age.">

Sighing heavily, throwing a what-have-I got-myself-into look heavenwards, Sid opened the bonnet of his car. "It just stopped all of a sudden..." Seemingly ignoring him, the old buzzard poked around for a bit, hmming and hawing all the while. Hovering around like a protective father, Sid only got in his way. Tutting impatiently, the mechanic yelled out, "Bitiya, inko zara thoda pani ya kuch do..." <Daughter, please give the man some water.>

Looking around, Sid spotted another, so-far-unseen, living being sitting on a khaat <cot> under the shade of a tree. As he stared, a miniature sprite unfurled herself into a sitting position, licking furiously at an ice-lolly. Not more than 14-15, the girl was dressed in tiny shorts and a full-sleeved checked shirt. A glorious mane of pitch-black fell in luxurious waves to the small of her back. Wondering what such a modern teen was doing in this back of beyond, Sid waited till the girl sauntered over. "Hey! You want water or a Coke?"

"Err, do you have Sprite?" Smiling impishly around the lolly stuck in her mouth, the girl opened the cooler and pulled out a grimy green bottle. "Ta da! Here you go!" Watching as he poured the liquid down his throat without ever touching the mouth of the bottle, she smiled and licked furiously at the lolly, which was melting down her fingers faster than she could catch up. Rolling his eyes at the mess the kid was making, he smiled. "Thanks, what's your name?"

Slurping up an escaping drop of sticky orange liquid with a tiny, pink, cat-like tongue, the girl winked and stuck out her hand, "Pratishtha, but you can call me Prats!" Wondering why the sight of a teen licking her lolly had made his heart go thump, Sid grimaced at the sticky goo covering the teeny-weeny hand. Taking it gingerly, he stalled as a current seemed to arc between his hand and hers. "Get yourself together, Mr. Shrivastav. This is an underage girl here!" The girl smirked when he surreptitiously wiped his hand on the side of his pants, and slowly meandered back to collapse on her khaat.

Dragging his eyes away from the tiny bombshell, Sid turned his attention to the mechanic who was wiping his hand on a dirty rag. "Sirji, this car needs a new gear plate. I can do it if you want, but it'll take a few days to order the parts and then, I'll try my luck." Horrified, Sid said, "No, no, not that I doubt your capability, but I need to send the car back to my mechanic in Jaipur. Can you arrange a truck or something?" "Sure beta, whatever you say. But, it will take a couple of hours for the truck to get here ..."

Swearing to himself, Sid said, "Well, that'll have to do, but I have a bigger problem here. I needed to be at a place called the 'Badi Haveli' in Jaitsar about half an hour ago. Any taxi service around here?" The old man smiled, "Sure sahib, but same problem, the taxi will get here in two hours too. However, I have a solution. Bitiya rani is going to Badi Haveli herself. Maybe she can give you a lift. If you give me the address, I will arrange the transport for you after you go." "Bitiya, can you take sahib with you?," he yelled at the top of his voice.

Throwing the stick in the general direction of a grossly overused bin, the teen wiped her hands on the back of her shorts. "Sure, that is, if 'sahib' here doesn't mind my transport." Taken aback, Sid growled, "You are allowed to drive? Do you even have a license?!" Grinning she smirked, "Yeah, of course," and disappeared around the back of the shack. Following behind her, cursing the direction his eyes were taking, Sid paused when a dirty-green, open-top Gypsy, with more rust on it than paint shot around the corner. "This??? This is what you are driving??!"

Giggling naughtily, she chirped, "Yeah! You coming? I'm off otherwise." Grumbling some more, "As if I have a choice! Give me a minute to grab my stuff." As she stomped on the accelerator, he quickly grabbed his overnighter, laptop, briefcase, and jacket from the Jag, stuffed money and his business card, after scribbling the contact name on it, into the old man's hand, and made a beeline for the passenger seat.

Cheerfully pushing sundry items of the seat, Prats cooed, "Hold on tight for the ride sahib!" Stomping with all her slight weight on the accelerator, she steered the Gypsy in a wide arch, waving at the old man. "See you soon, Kaka." Forced to bid her heeding, Sid grabbed the frame and one side of his seat to stop himself from sliding off. As his fingers brushed hers on the gear stick, he shifted uneasily as the shiver streaked through him again. What was up with him? Thirty-two years old and with the hots for a 16 year old!

Chapter 2

As Prats careened down the highway, almost skidding off the road a couple of times, Sid held on for dear life, his feet frantically working away at imaginary brakes and accelerators. Curse his darn luck for getting stuck with the only lunatic kid on that dratted highway! Lost in his curses, he lost hold of the frame at the next hair-pin bend, sliding sideways onto the gear stick and halfway onto Prats. Feeling the soft curves pressing into his arm, he mentally taplied <biffed in the head> himself. "Control, Sid' Control!" Diverting his mind, he yelled "Who gave you a license anyway? I am surprised your parents let you out on the road alone! Look at you, using a cushion to see over the steering wheel!!!"

Turning slightly towards him, Prats grinned. "The government gave me permission to drive. And, I'll let you know that I am one of the safest drivers around here. And, why the heck would I need my parent's permission to be on the road? I'm way too old for all that! Righting himself after another spill, he roared, "Like 16 going on 17? Who did you bribe to get a license?? Prats eyes sparkled gleefully as she peeped a look at his set face. "16? Well, you do believe in judging things based only on appearances, don't you?" Affronted, Sid mumbled, "When did I do that?" "Well, for starters, you took one look at Makhan Kaka and decided he was a useless mechanic; you looked appalled at my Dhanno and decided she couldn't move an inch; and now you think I am 16? Come on Sid sahib, take a closer look. I am almost a decade older than that - 25!"

"You're joking!" Sid said, deciding to take the invitation to heart. Turning slightly more in his seat, he cast a firmer eye over the little minx. Thankfully, the traffic had gotten a bit heavier, keeping the minx occupied for a bit and "Dhanno" a bit steadier. As he watched the tip of her tongue protrude from the corner of her mouth, belying her claim to age, he saw the small, tell-tale signs of age written on her face. Slight frown lines on her forehead, a few laughter lines etched near her eyes, a slight solemnity in her eyes, usually so covered by her twinkling eyes. And as his eyes dipped further, he took in the slight curves, delicate, yet mature, proclaiming her to really be what she was ' a tiny, but definitely not an underage, woman.

Sending a prayer upwards, thanking God that he really wasn't a pervert, his eyes twinkled at the possibilities. Maybe this trip to Jaitsar wouldn't be just for business after all. Thrown out of his pleasant reverie by the sudden stomp on the brakes, he righted himself to see Prats staring at him accusingly. "You didn't have to take my words so literally, sahib. I said "look," not "check out." And in case you are getting any ideas, don't! I am not interested."

Smiling, Sid said, "Don't go getting an inflated ego. When do we reach this Badi Haveli anyway? Just so you can go your way and I can go mine'" Still frowning suspiciously, her only answer was to speed up and turn on the music full blast.

As the board Jaitser 0 kms came into view, Sid pulled out a comb and started putting his hair in order. Her good humor restored, Prats crowed, "Vain and all, huh? Who cares if your hair is a bit mussed up?" Drawing up in front of an ancient, magnificent yellow haveli, she ran her hair through her long, wind-tossed hair, "OK, sahib, you can enter through the main door. Someone or the other will be there to let you in. Nice to meet you'" "Don't call me sahib' I said you could call me Sid'" But he was left talking to thin air as the minx had run off around the side of the haveli, presumably to some side entrance. Perhaps she worked here??

Rapping on the big, old knocker on the main door, he waited a couple of minutes till a safari-suited, bespectacled mad threw the massive doors wide. "Bhoomi Singhji?" Putting out his hand, the man said, "No! I am Bhim Singh. Bhoomi Singh's PA. You must be Siddhant Shrivastav? You are late, sir." As Sid launched into a long-drawn account of his misfortunes, he fumbled a bit as he spied a pair of never-ending legs flashing past the far door. "Well, as that may be, sir, since you couldn't make it on time, Bhoomiji has left for another urgent meeting. He will be back in a short while. Till then, I suggest you freshen up. Lakhan here will show you to your room, sir."

Craning his neck to catch another glimpse of the elusive one, he was ushered up a grand set of staircases. Unfortunately, the lackey didn't give him enough time to eye the imposing portraits gracing the stairwell. Entering the huge, lavishly decorated bedroom, he plopped down on the four-poster holding center stage in the room. What a roller-coaster the day had been! Oh, well, Sid, get on with what you are here for. That old khadoos better be pleased with his proposal; else, he would have to research all over again.

After taking a refreshing shower under the copper-based utilities, he slowly readied himself again for the discussion. The business-like thoughts were knocked from his head as he heard a peal of familiar laughter through the open window. Peering out, he saw a cute heart-shaped bottom sticking out from under a cow! A gaggle of maids surrounded her, all chattering away to their hearts content. Interrupted in his pleasant viewing by a knock on the door, he flung it open to see Lakhan, inviting him down to dinner. Bhoomisa was waiting, it seems. Not wanting to mess things up again, Sid walked rapidly downstairs to the formal dining room. Seated at the head of the table was a formidable sight; a middle-aged man, with white sideburns and a turquoise-blue sherwani and gold buttons. As Sid approached, Bhoomi Singh stood up with folded hands, "Khamma Ghani! Welcome to my humble abode." Shaking hands, Sid was bid to sit in the chair to the right. An even-older man sat across from him. Probably Bikramji, Bhoomiji's older, but quite useless (from all accounts) brother.

As Sid started to apologize, Bhoomiji said, "Later Siddhant. Business comes later. Let's eat first. Tell me more about yourself in the meantime." A couple of older ladies walked in with some servants pushing trolleys of aromatic food. Sid perked up, looking around for his new muse. But, the one he looked for wasn't there. The two ladies were introduced to him as Bhoomiji's and Bikramji's wives. Another petite old lady rushed in. "Maaf karna <forgive me>, I got busy with some unforeseen work." This was Bhoomiji's even more formidable mother ' maasa. As Sid rushed to touch her feet, she caressed his hair with a feeble, yet strong hand, "Let's eat. The food is getting cold."

"No maasa, we have to wait. She hasn't come yet." Maasa sighed, "This girl will be the death of us yet. Arre o, Pratishtha!" As the house reverberated with the call, Sid's head shot up. "Pratishtha?" "Coming dadisa," preceded a dainty vision in a sea-green sari into the room. Showing off a slim waist, hair tied in a loose knot, a simple gold chain on her neck and gold drops on her ears, there she was. Prathistha.