Truce of Life; Chapter 8 on Page 60 - Page 8

Originally posted by: Avyakta

Very interesting concept Radhika !

Covering three generations , means you are dealing with Past , present and future ! Wow , sounds very very quizzical , I know you can mould it as a musical , your story telling is always a lyrical , waiting to read it further !

Originally posted by: jayshu17

for the New story dear👏👏👏Its interesting...Waiting for the update

Originally posted by: kimnana

congrats dear

Originally posted by: priya_21

congrates dear

Originally posted by: dv19

Nice

Originally posted by: Meself

Before anything else...I like heroines that are different and out to challenge the set norms! It might not always be swords and guns, it might be words but when a woman makes a stand it has a beautiful tale to tell of its own! You've already said that this belongs to your grandmother, mother and friend that is extremely close...I am guessing that these are strong women who must have shaped you as well!

The prologue was beautiful and add to it Tagore's line it was marvelous! Dariye Acho was my first brush with Rabindra Sangeet and I simply love the song as it is so beautiful with the meaning! Bring it on Proteeti!

Originally posted by: dhivyakrish31

hey dear.iam in..sorry for being late. i always like stories close to realities//so this one i am sure iam gonna love this.. the start was so good..continue soon

Originally posted by: likhaavatein

THIS IS SO BEAUTIFUL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!❤️ Only got to check it now!!!!!!!

And 'Dariye Acho Tumi Aamar Gaaner O Paare' is my favourite song!!!!!!!!!!! THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!🤗

Originally posted by: FeistyQueen

beautiful.. intriguing,...

am eagerly waiting to see how the story unfolds..

concept itself caught my attention and the prologue I read made it clear that I wanna READ this!

Keep up the good work!

Good Luck for your boards 😳

Me too having exams from march...

so adieu till April 🤗

Huggs and Love

Gayatri 😃

Originally posted by: RisingPhoenix

Pro

My best wishes with you for your board exams

Do you best

Coming to the story. I loved it to pieces

The prologue is just awesome

And the couplet is from one of my most favourite songs of Rabindranath Tagore

I luv the song very much though I don't understand Bengali much

The story is going to be very interesting

Thanks for the PM

-Manu😃

Part I

Chapter 1

Her grandma, Poornashashi used to be the 'Miss Chatterbox' of her school. She was not exactly beautiful, but had a certain sharpness in her appearance that garnered attention and appreciation from all. But it was her absolute straightforwardness that had earned her, a member of a family where two siblings had to break up a single pencil to use in school, a place among the daughters-in-law of the reputed Ghosh bari of Kolkata.

She had, all her life inculcated her dreams and her determination in her daughters, who grew up to become- well, leave that; now,

1st July, 1953.

Inside a classroom of a Government School in Solapur,
It was the day when the students submitted their school fees for the month.
"Nazmabai Quraishi?"
"Yes, Vahini!"
"Rajkumaribai Raje?"
"Yes, Vahini!"
"Rajinibai Shinde?"
The girl elbowed her friend, "E Rajjo! Vahini didn't call me again!" "Go, and ask her then, silly!" Rajkumari replied. She went up to the teacher and said in a low voice, "Vahini, I think you missed my name." The teacher said, surprised, "Oh? What's your name, child?" "Poornashashi Roy." The teacher went back through the list in her hand and shook her head, "No dear. I can't find your name here. Ask your father to speak to the Principal if it's a mistake." "I haven't a father, Vahini." "Oh! I'm so sorry, my child. Go and sit down, please!"

That day, when she returned home, the first thing she asked her mother was about the list. Her mother, Durgamoni devi fell silent for a minute. How could she tell her daughter that she was admitted to the school under the freeship quota for the financially underprivileged people! Then she smiled and told the girl, "Oh! Your dada has already paid the fees for the whole year! So, you needn't give it in class!" The girl was thoroughly disappointed. She said, "Oh! Why couldn't he not pay the fees for one month at least! I feel so embarrassed in class when Rajjo, Soni, Nazma all of them pay their fee and I don't!" she turned once again before going in, "And you promised me you'll let me pay this time! Anyways, next week I need one rupee extra to pay the sports fee. Please!" Durgamoni sighed. It was time for her old china doll to get sold.

---

Poornashashi was the sole daughter of the family, pampered by seven elder brothers and a widowed mother. Ever since her father died, her eldest brother had been working hard to support the family and continue the education of his little sister.

In all her ventures she was supported by Rajkumari, better known as Rajjo, the local businessman's daughter, who supplied her with everything- from simple pens and pencils and the school textbooks to her own cycle to reach the exam hall in time. She gave Shashi all the encouragement in all the mischief she herself dare not perform.

---

The winter of 1965.

"Dola! Dola!" The man shouted out to the little daughter of the family as he cycled fast across the street. "Dada? You're so late!" Shashi shouted back as she ran down the stairs past the little Dola with a torn book in her hand. "Can't you cycle faster?" She said. Anand took a sharp u-turn as he exchanged the torn book with the other half and sped off.

I don't know what I should have done without Rajjo, thought Shashi. Rajjo had torn up her book into half and given it to Shashi. This had been the custom since the day they had been debarred from sitting in a wooden bench under the street lamp in the evenings.

The next day was their graduation exam and Shashi knew she had to somehow pass it and get a job. However, this idea of hers was pooh-poohed at once by her sister-in-law Pushpabai who was about to take the exam herself. She countered her sister-in-law with simple obstinacy backed by conflicting excuses, "Do you even know what a job means? And in any case, jobs are for men, not women, and definitely not for a mere Economics graduate girl from such a reputable family!" Shashi tried to convince her, "But Vahini, how long will Dada bear it alone? I must help him, right?" "You'd do much good by helping me instead. Now solve this sum for me."