Once Upon a Midnight Part II - Page 5

What are your plans for today?" he asked sighing

"My parents" she said softly

"Me too.. Parul has a pooja and lunch"

"I am showing a house in the evening" she said ina tone that indicated she wa resigned

In his eyes she saw supreme contentment of someone in love.

Omg ... what does he mean by “me too”. Is it his one of his parent’s Shraddha? Is that why there is Pooja? Would Shubhra get any clue about the passings of his parents 😟😟

Closer

Parul was grumpy she kept Arya home, Nitin and Kusum were going to call in for the pooja, Gagan's Papa used to be a pandit at some neighborhood temple so he was going to do the havan at home

tapan's key fell off from his pocket at Shubhra's (Parul's men were getting into a habit of doing that) though Gagan didnt do anything hanky panky with Shubhra

Tapan had to knock the door and be let it at 5 AM

Gagan was up, making chai for his Papa as he did yoga in one of the balconies

"Kidhar se aa rahe ho?" "Janam din ki dher saari badhai"

He bend down and touched Gagan's feet

Gagan grabbed him and hugged him quick before his fingers touched Gagan's feet

He felt Gagan's whimper

"Dheerg aayu beta" Gagan whispered warmly

"Jeej Parul uth gayi?"

"Sunegi, chhutthi kar degi, Didi kaho" Gagan whispered and laughed

"Ek aur saal bada ho gaya hoon, i am going to catch up to her soon" Tapan joked impishly

"Haan didi to 35 se ek saal aage nahi nikal paayin"

"IKR

"Kahan they saari raat?"

"Sajal ki shaadi se"

"Bidai karke sasural jaakar bithakar?" Gagan laughed

Tapan did too

"Umm.. somewhat ike that" he smiled

He went in and crashed on the bed

Tried not to be upset but culdnt help it

The center had given away and his life had gone hurtling down

He had walked off bravely from her apartment

It was over long before last night/this morning

Seeing her had implanted the fetish of wanting to touch her and kiss her and be with her

He had just spent the most magical 6 hours of his life

how could anyone even match up to that?

I doubt I am going to ever meet a girl with who I shall share such fiery chemistry

Holy f---

its all gone now, get on that f----g plane and head home

Summar in Chicago, Fall in Chicago, Winter in Chicago

Nothing about it was appealing

He was going to miss this apartment and Shubhra

He was alone in feeling that

He wiped off a solitary tear from his left eye, sniffled and cleared his throat and tried to sleep

Parul woke him up at 10, with the tighest hug he had ever gotten.

Arya stood in the doorway with a gift bag taller than her

In it, were bunch of clothes and belts and his favorite chocolate, the ones with almonds

"mamaji can I open this for you, its vewwy hoddd" Arya promised "I am stonggg"

"Shore midget" he sat her on his lap as she struggled to open the european candy bar

He laughed and tore it open, and she got off his lap "Thank u" and she ran away

"Uthoooo pooja hai" Parul was dressed in her festive best

He showered and wore a pair of jeans from the bag and yellow/green check shirt

"wah, you look so good" Parul hugged him

Her in laws gave him Rs.501

Gagan told his Dad it was even $10

Uncleji gave him enough rupees to make it $11

the joy of family was unparalleled, there was halwa and pooris and aloo subzi, after the havan they all sat around to eat

Shubhra knocked on the door just as they were finishing up

"Its her birthday as well" he told Parul as Gagan opened the door

"Tumhe kaise?" Parul turned toward him

"Keys" Shubhra said nervously

Updates are very small mam

Pls try to post lengthy ones

Sorry for disturbing you

Hmmm! She told him she was going to her parents for her bday! Basically neither here nor there kind of anxiety and nervousness! Now she's here at his door with his keys ! Another 12 hrs for his flight ? In coming home to give the keys and there by let his family know of their meeting , she's risking lots going for broke! Sigh!!!!

This guy at least expresses his Love, laughter , frustration sadness to her and gets it out of his chest ! She doesn't do that even.... holding it all in ! Her actions do the talking!! Heart outrageously disobedient to the brain!!

I get this feeling that Something's gonna give .

Shubhra is here to drop off the key. She is always dropping by with one thing or another. Their story is full of that.

Is Jaschick's guess right? The puja is for Tapan's parents?

No Coderlady, its for his birthday, some traditional families in UP Brahmins usually have a havan to celebrate birthdays

Glittering gifts and Senior passion

"ANDAR to aao" Parul ran up to drag her in

She was back to wearing her unnoticeable garb, in jeans and a grey chiffon shirt with her silky delicious hair tied high up top freeing her ears for dangling diamond solitaires

"No I have to go"

"EK SECOND"

"Aaja beta" MIL called out

"Hmm" she entered nervously after taking off her grey pumps outside the front door

"Tumhare joote to ekdum match kar rahe hain kameej ko" MIL commented

She was quite fashionable you see

Shubhra smiled spontaneously

"I guess... haan.. aunty?"

"Haan haan aunty kaho maasi kaho" MIL smiled patting the spot by her on the sofa

"Woh mukhwas dena beta?" she urged Shubhra to hand her the mouth freshner from the dining table

She looked at Tapan who was finishing up lunch with Parul's FIL

Gagan was in the balcony still talking on the phone

Arya and Parul were fighting over why she had to ruin her new dress by spilling kheer all over, Arya was sobbing loudly

The Panditji was snoozing on another couch

The havan was still glowing with leftover embers

The house smelled like pooja or wedding with lots of flowers and smoky scents

Tapan picked up the mouth freshner jar and waved to her with a smile

Shubhra walked over to grab it

"they call it mukwez"

"Mukh-waas" he gesticulated

"Ah"

Parul reappeared with Arya outfitted in yet another new outfit, Mamaji had bought a bunch of new clothes

"shubaaaaaa" she sobbed running towards Shubhra

"Dekho din mein 10 baar kapre badle hai yeh" MIL complained

"Dekho dadi kya keh rahi hai"

"Bad Dadi" Arya explained

Shubhra hid a smile

"Dekho kya seekhi hai" Dadi was not happy

"Midget.... NOPE" tapan warned

"Mamaji baddd" Arya yelled

"Hang on a minute" Tapan fisnihed took FIL's plate and his own and took it to the kitchen

Shubhra noticed the middle class life was so spontaneous, nobody cared the pandit was lounging in a corner

Long after his job was done

FIL began talking to panditji about Lucknow and Etawah

Loudly... intersperesed with burping and grunting and loud yawning

"Maharaj ji aap so jaayen" MIL urged

The pandit yawned and rubbed his belly

Gagan finished his call and came in

"Arey wah doosri dress?"

Parul came out with dahi vade and kheer and gulab jamun for Shubhra

"Yeh khao abhi garam garam poori banati hoon"

"no no" Shubhra got up

"Panditji aap jao so jao" Gagan coaxed the guy

He got up stretched, lifting his kurta to expose his rotund belly, chewing his pan loudly and proceeded to Tapan's room

Shubhra watched in horror

"really?" Tapan's bed

"Dont say a word Tapan laughed through his eyes

"He will sleep in Mmaji's bed" Arya explained to Shubhra

"Thanks I bet Shubhra didnt know midget" he hoisted her as Shubhra ate quickly

"Arey khaana to khao" Gagan yawned

"MNahi, mujhe jaana hai main keys dene aayi"

"Achha yeh to batao ghar ki chabi waha kaise pahunchi"

"Oh, Nidhi Dewan is her best friend, Sajal married her"

"Oh achha achha" Parul was happy to hear that

"Beta hum bhi soyenge... tumhe aisi lal rang ki miley to le lena meri bhanji hai uske liye" MIL placed an order for red hot pumps

"Jee aunty" Shubhra nodded

"Tumhari tarah sundar nahi hain uske pair... to to do size badi le lena"

Parul was ROFL near the dining table

Gagan eye signaled her not to laugh so loud

Shubhra nodded dazed... nobody had ever proprietorially asked for a pair of shoes before

"Parul I am goingt o leave" she walked over to her

"Ruko, ek second, tumhara birthday hai na"

"No, dont make a big deal"

She chased Parul to her bedroom

Parul's FIl was already snoring loudly on it, matching the Pandit's snoring in Tapan's room

"Dekh rahi ho na hamara ghar" Parul chuckled

"Its so funny he took off to sleep in Tapan's room"

Parul paused and turned to her

"Did he drop you home last night?"

she nodded and lowered her gaze

"i am sorry for whatever it has come to between you two"

"Don't worry I am fine" Shubhra said not at all feeling it on the inside

Parul opened the Godrej and brought out a gauzy silk pouch, and another red velvet box, the Godrej was in disarray with sarees and dresses overflowing, and expensive gifts received from Dubeys all stuffed in there in a haphazard manner

"dekho yeh to halat hai ghar ki" arul moaned

"I like it, my house is always so organized I dont like that after seeing your house" Shubhra suddenly didnt like the deathly silence in her apartment or her own impeccably organized closet

Nobody depended on her, nobody took her bed,nobody swallowed her time, her saree was not soaking wet upfront, there were still mithai boxes lined alongside the corridor

"Mujhe Kusum ki mummy ko kuch dena hai pata nahi kya doon" Parul muttered

"You have to do all that right?" Shubhra made small talk

She was not good at it

She had no idea birthdays were such a big deal in this family

Her mother was not even home during the day she was told, too afraid to face up to the fact that she had a 31 year old unmarried no-relationship daughter now. Every birthday of Shubhra reminded Tara of that

Her father wouldnt be home until 7, so there was going to be dinner

Saurabh was interviewing for a job in Bangalore so he wasnt home either

There would cakes or some other from scratch dessert, expensive gourmet meat

white glove service

And pricey champagne

And some over priced gift

"

"Tumhari best friend hai Nidhi?" Parul asked as she sifted through the locker

"Parul no dont give me anything I cant take anything from you"

"To theek hai Kusum ko kehti hoon gift return karegi"

"Dont be silly"

"Silly to tum ho"

[Parul noisily shut the door

FIL grunted and warned "dheeme beta, thoda so lete hain hum, Amma soney nahi deti raat ko"

Shubhra burst out laughing

Parul too

But FIL was long gone

the woman gasped their way to the service balcony by the kitchen

They laughed until they teared up

"He is a hoot" Parul said grimly

And they laughed again

Parul hugged her and handed her the two things

"yeh tumhari return gift" she pulled out the silver gauzy pouch and showed her a silver coin

"Aur yeh birthday gift... aisa boring tohfa tumhe kabhi nahi mila hoga" Parul was ashamed

Out came the red velvet box inside was a tiny pendant with baby krishna

"Sorry ab to yehi hai" "14 ya 16 carat hai zyaada mehangi nahi hai" Parul grimaced

"Parul" "Its beautiful" Shubhra hugged her

"Mujhe yaad tha Arya ne mujhse kaha tha jab tumse hum miley miley they, ki tum Krishan Bhagwan ko manti ho aur uske liye phone par Baby Krishna ki story padhi tumne"

Tapan had ordered non spicy food last night, Parul remembered somethings he hadnt even told her directly

shubhra tried not to cry

"I don't tell anyone its my birthday usually, I dont want anyone to know I am 31 and unmarried"

"Pagal" Parul hugged her

"thanks for not making a big deal in front of your MIL" Shubhra smiled with gratitude

Tapan entered with Arya on his shoulder

"I am going out for a walk, just tell Midget she cant go with me"

"I AM HEAAAH HEAAAHH" Arya giggled throatily

"She gave me these" Shubhra wanted to show off

"Nice... I just got kheer" he lied

Parul chased after him

This family is going to be the death of me Shubhra cried ot herself

Parul is such a sweetheart. It is Parul who attaches subhra to Tapan all the time...

"Her mother was not even home during the day she was told, too afraid to face up to the fact that she had a 31 year old unmarried no-relationship daughter now. Every birthday of Shubhra reminded Tara of that"

😶😶😶

Awww I guess she fell in love with not just Tapan but his fam too.

Sometimes all u want is pple to just a copy u with all your small quirks