P&P Part II - Page 106

Personal

They arrived back in Delhi around 8 PM, she slept all the way to Delhi and on the way home

When the car headed towards Delhi instead of turning left towards Rohini, after exiting the airport it struck her that she wasn’t not going to Rohini

In the stress of Satyen’s illness and the rush to get married she hadn’t gotten proper closure to her life as a single person, then the visit to Bangkok, and the wedding and honeymoon her life was wrapped up in 10 days

“I forgot we are not going to Rohini” she thought starting out the window

Wondering what Ma was up to

“Oh yeah they are not home yet”

“Phew!!

For some reason that made her feel better, a wave of homesickness took over as the car slowed down inside the gate, and slid into the portico

Smrita was walking the lawn on her phone

Rakshit was pointing to the dense foliage of exotic plants in the east compound of the estate

He walked over eagerly to give Raanav and her a hug

Lekha went on her phone

“Where is Dad?”

“Oh they are discharging tomorrow, AM, I leave after dinner”

“I can go” Raanav promised

“Oh no… not again” “I hope Kalyani is here” Viveka worried

“Where is everyone

“Mamaji and mami are at the hospital, Inder arrived this afternoon” rakshit said pleasantly

“Oh” Viveka tried not to react

She had texted Naina after she had boarded but there was no response

She prayed Naina was not with him

She wasn’t back for even 5 minutes her real life began to chase her on high speed.

Smrita hung up on her call, and ran up to hug her son, Viveka got a polite hug as well

She did give Viveka’s outfit a second glance tho. If that counts for anything. The bright red linen sleeveless linen kurta and a brown and green ikat pencil pants, and a heavy handcrafted fabric necklace with discs all around her neck, and a dark green shawl

She also noticed the rock on Viveka’s finger

“Oh wow, how lovely” she smiled

“thanks” Viveka nodded

“Lekha, yaha aao bacha” she cooed to her DIL

Lekha ambled lazily, dressed in shorts and a tee, in the freezing Delhi winter evening

“Arent you cold?” Viveka brrred

“Oh no, this is so Spring like, Ive lived in Europe in the winter so this is blazing hot” Lekha was chatty when she wanted to brag

“Beta this is the ring I talked about”

“I can take it off if you want to give to your sweetums” Viveka thought amused

Raanav and rakshit caught up on Satyen’s health status and tests and physio etc

“I don’t think its set right,” Smrita announced fingering the pink sapphire

“Oh? I wouldn’t know” Viveka shrigged matter of factly

Smrita looked at her in wonderment, she hadn’t met ANY 20 or 30 something that could be unfazed by a 3 carat ring

What was she made of

“raanav, did you not tell him about the one stone by the pinkie?” Smrita lifted up Viveka’s arm and waved

“I think I did” he nodded from a distance

“Oh?” Um” Smrita didn’t know what she could do now, she was hoping she was catching Raanav off guard

“this is a jeweler that used to make jewelry for the Rajasthan royal family” Smrita coached her noob DIL

“Oh wow”

“When, we, when you visit Jaipur you should go to the haveli” she informed

“I think I have been” she smiled slowly

“Oh?”

“I like my ring better” Lekha informed her

“As you should” Viveka nodded

“Its like you loving Rakshit… I wouldn’t want you to love Raanav” "Its personal like that" Viveka chuckled

Smrita looked at her dumbfounded

Viveka was always polite and said it like it was

"Were you out of town? the rooms were closed" Lekha waved toward the door

"Umm.. yeah my brother got married"

"how nice"

"Yeah I danced like a umm.. (insert word here)"

"Oh wow" Lekha nodded and quickly exchanged a look with MIL

"I am going to go get ready to go see him in the hospital"

Viveka didnt know if she shud say "dad" or Mr parashar

"Oh u dont have to bother, my family is there"

"Is Kalyani around?"

"She is in GERMANY" Smrita informed

"Oh? "Umm"

Dang it! I have to stay up tonight

She went to the suite from the lawn, it was locked

Smrita did not tell her it was locked

"Viveka its usually locked, unless you release a latch from the inside" Raanav gave a shout out

"Oh" "Thanks"

She walked inside confidently

Mahesh greeted her with a polite smile

"Khaana lagaoon ya chai Ma'am"

"Chai" she giggled

When Raanav showed up

"Suno, main bhi chaloon tumhare saath?" "Kalyani chali gayi" she said nervously

He walked over to her and felt the sleeveless shoulder fabric

"Stay up all night on the recliner?"

"I am so far behind on writing that article"

"Sure" he nodded "But dont say you werent warned" he winked

"Nahi kahoongi" she smiled somberly

They both realized they both were drawing the same inference from that statement, and it was not about the recliner

He went in to take a shower

It seems Smrita is finally getting to know her DIL...love how Viveka told Lata. It’s personal. Lol.

Wonder if Ranaav heard that part of the conversation where she said loving him is her personal right and hers alone.🤔

Naina, Smrita and Lekha kya kaam thee. Inder bhi aa gaya 😐.

But am happy that Satyen will be back home.

Dekhten hain kiska palada bhari hai. Satyen or Smrita?

Viveka is pulled into her married life right after coming back from the honeymoon. Now Inder is also in town, wonder what is going to happen next.

"Were you out of town? the rooms were closed" Lekha waved toward the door

Lekha asking the above like she did not know Viv and Raanav were on their honeymoon and Smrita pretending to not remember Viveka or her name all the time, these women might think it makes them look classy, busy and others unimportant. But fact is it is making them look so cheap. I hope someone told them someday to stop acting like this.

It does not make the others look insignificant, it makes them look cheap and disgusting.

I am just glad that Satyen will be back home tomorrow. There will be someone in the family who would sincerely care for Viveka.

Raanav would just shrug his shoulders even if Viv told him all this and say he did not do anything.

Nice update but too short .

Nisha can we get one more update to brighten our day in this gloomy weather..please l......

Smrita and Lekha have not met the likes of Viveka. She is cool as a cucumber and refuses to get perturbed. They will not know how to deal with her. Instead of getting put down by these two, she will make them feel their own inadequacies.

Strands

“Yeh designs aap pehle pooch lo ki bana lenge kya Dilli Haat ka jo buyer hai, who bas yahi designs ko lekar keh raha tha”

“Didi usne to kaha kala aur neele ka mel nahi hai?” Suhani grumbled

“Dekho Dilli Haat mein bahar ke log zyaada aate hain” Viveka bent down to pull a knock like irregularity from a rug

“Main khari hokar dekhti hoon mujhe dikh raha hai kya”

Iqrar one of her other craftsmen, opened the rickety door to the tiny box like room

“Yeh to dikh raha hai” Viveka groaned

Visesh one of her other guys, pulled out another rug in a similar color combo

“didi aap yeh dekho”

“Hmm” she wiped sweat off her forehead it was a Dec afternoon but felt like it was June

There were 7 people crammed into the tiny room

A couple were on their phones, the other five were trying to fix the loom in the corner

They had finally brought the loom over from Rajkot

Ishwar and Ratna and Halima had made the trek over to Rajkot with Iqrar and Suhani to bring it to Delho

Viveka had promised them she would “showcase it” soon at a craft fair at a five star hotel

It was expensive to bring it

It caused a dent in Viveka’s finances

She knew Ishwar and Ratna and Farha anD halima didn’t make much to begin with

She apologized to Mr Ansari in the morning about the delay in writing the article and had headed over to Shahpur Jat

Satyen was home for 3 days now, he needed weeks if not months of PT to get back on his feet

But he was back working remotely

His sons were back and forth to Aurangabad and Singapore

At home Papa had spotted Naina with a “guy” he didn’t tell Ma if it was Inder

Ma knew or suspected but didn’t ask

Naina was not talking to Viveka so there was little Viveka could do

Harsha and Varsha were in Australia for honeymoon

Dadi wanted to know when Viveka was handing her good news

“Zaroor dadi abhi ek do hafte mein” she nodded pleasantly

“Really?” Anu was shocked when she heard that, she asked Viveka to confirm inaudibly

“NO” Viveka shook her head as Dadi was bent over the remote trying to change channel

It saddened Anu, she tried not to show it

That was Satyen’s first question when he had entered the house “Kaun mujhe baby news dene waala hai”

“Not ME Dad” Lekha told him off

Viveka just smiled

“Iska matlab dono se ummeed kar sakta hoon” he had joked

“She hasn’t even settled in” Smrita spoke for Lekha

“How much more?” Viveka thought, Raanav had told her that Rakshit and her were “Seeing” each other for years

“She has been coming for years, aap inko comfortable karo” Satyen reached for Viveka’s hand

Viveka turned a bright red when everyone looked at her

“I agree, she knows more about this house than I do” Rakshit was sheepish

“Have you met his friends beta?”

“we are meeting some tonight”

Satyen looked at Raanav

“I am gathering 25 max” he laughed

“You need to put a upper limit, he has too many friends, he needs to share with him” Satyen pointed to Rakshit

Rakshit threw his hands up in the air “Hey I have enough”

“My son is popular he is like me” Smrita hugged Raanav

Raanav caught Viveka’s expression and she looked away self consciously

Smrita was civil with Viveka but that’s about it, there was nothing more to that relationship

She was beginning to weaponize her love for her son, Viveka noticed, she didn’t fear it, I mean what use would fear be? She had married Raanav knowing fully well how much of a Mama’s boy he was

“Kya soch rahe ho beta?” satyen prodded

“I am going back to work tomorrow” Viveka giggled and made a face

“You have a job now?”

Smrita had heard Mrs Gulati was back and the few classes she was guest lecturing were gone at JNU

“I do, at the NGO, and subbing at JNU and being Prof Ansari’s knockoff version” she laughed disarmingly

Satyen watched admiringly, she didn’t need anyone to fight her battles, she was smart, honest and proud, what a fantastic combination

“Is Prof Ansari a woman?” Smrita didn’t even get the point

“No he is one of the leading authorities in the area of labor, econ dev and social security” Viveka said reverentially

Raanav was a bit jealous but he hid it, but his mother noticed, she would use it at some point for sure, remind her son how he will never be her “equal” and how Viveka is too “nerdy and arrogant” for him

“I would be thrilled if they knew about fashion or style” Smrita said blankly

“none of the people I know care about such things… M..”

Viveka bit her lip as she accidentally addressed her as Ma?”

‘Oh God! I HATE MA… I sound like I am 80”

“So? Give her a choice Smri” satyen urged his wife gently

“Umm… UH…” Smrita tried her best to take urgent calls and texts

A couple of family friends swung by to check on Satyen

Rakshit and Lekha were at a dinner at her parents’

After all that he put her on the spot anda sked her “So? What should she call you? What are the choices here?” “Mumma? Ma?” “Mom” “Momzie” satyen counted laughing

“Oh… MOM’S FINE” smriti said primly

“Mom it is beta” Satyen reminded Viveka as they ate an very early dinner, around 6 ish so raanav could bring her along to meet friends

“Thanks” Viveka ack inaudibly

“What about me?” “Papa to kahengi nahi aap, is janam mein” he said wistfully

That brought some tears to Viveka’s eyes

She had no idea he would want to be called that

“Aur Akashji jitney hum ache bhi nahi hain” he laughed

Viveka laughed as tears glistened in her eyes

“Dad to keh hi sakti ho beta”

“Jee” she nodded

“you don’t have to make such a big deal Satya” Smrita was horrified Viveka would get so much limelight

“Oh but I have to” he squeezed her hand

(There were over 25 friends gathered at the pub that evening, she didn’t enjoy the noise really or the music. He was very rowdy around them, she just watched in awe at the transformation.)

Satyen 🥰 Vivekas guardian angel is back - addressing as mom and dad fixed. Meeting Ranaavs friends checked. discovering more of each other - in progress.

Surprising that this guy can be rowdy also 😉.

Happy to have Satyen back. Viveka is more emotional than she will ever accept. Hope Ranaav is able to see through her as Satyen does.