P&P Part II - Page 36

Could she be me or Could I be her?

There is no “could be”or “would be” or “should be”. These are individuals characters who can never be molded in mimicking the other

Piya Bawra & other outbursts

When she stepped back out to the courtyard after a face wash and freshening up to make people believe the flush on her cheeks was because of a good scrubbing and nothing else

Smrita was gone, Satyen was showing some paintings on the wall and and giving a tour of the sculptures lining the entryway

She tried to be as discreet as possible

Anu had to take one look of her to realize what her daughter was up to, since a mother always knew

“Chalen Veev?” she hugged her, and Viveka carried Raanav’s scent

“I am so tired I am going to take a nap” she muttered weakly

“raanav kidhar hai beta?”

“He is on the phone I think, we hung out in Rakshit’s room and I mean suite? And I freshened up”

“Of course” satyen nodded with a twitch of his lips☺️

Nobody was suspecting anything girl! You don’t have to keep talking! Her mind voice warned her🤣

He had picked her up and carried her over to a chaise lounge, when he was done, she had to fold her pallu back up again among other things

“I am planning on doing a bunch of things on every horizontal piece of furniture in this suite” he warned

“U mean resurface and varnish them all?” she muttered as he squished her giggles

“If you stay this evening, we could go see my friends”

“I just want to stay” she promised, running her long slender fingers through his smooth silky hair

“I might actually love that” he smiled bending down on her

“I read a quote”

“Hmm”

“I love you without knowing, how or from when, or where. I love you straightforwardly without complexities or pride; So I love you because I know no other way that this: where I does not exist, nor you, so close that your hand on my chest is my hand, so close that your eyes close as I fall asleep” her voiced quivered and became inaudible as tears formed on the outer edges of her eyes❤️

He captured that visual for posterity

Her dark pink saree in a disarray, she was still shy, but she trusted him, her hair flowing down the bench like a purple river, her bruised love washed lips parted invitingly

“Wow” he whispered bending down

“Mujhe ghar jaane dogey ya nahi” she giggled

“Who is it by?” he stroked her collarbone

“Pablo Neruda”

“I didn’t know you were a lovesick poet”

“In case you thought I was flippant” she moaned, arching allowing him full access to her neck

“I love your shirts” she felt the fabric burying her face on one of the open flaps

“Hide” he ordered

She did, on his heart he felt her lips rove down as his heart hammered at a distance

“My parents are outside, waiting for me Raanav”

“Why? Is the question” he groaned

“Because I am still a Mathur”

“We need to fix that”

“Did u tell ur Dad I am keeping my name?”

“Hmm… yeah… he stroked her cleft inhaling

“Ahhh” she moaned

“I don’t care” “as long as you agree to be my wife”

“Lovely” she teased lifting his head up from her chest

“Chalen beta?” Akash whispered in her ear as she stood reading the Arch Digest that featured the house, she turned left and set the book down without looking it landed on the floor

Viveka’s one of many fumbles this evening much to her parents amusement

She had walked past them earlier without stopping

Instead of saying No for something at lunch she had said yes and found herself with many rotis and many servings of dessert

“Sure Papa”

“Keh do Raanav ko” he urged

She walked back in to wish him goodbye

He was pacing the front verandah, intermittently leaning on the white marble column, his shirt not fully buttoned up yet

She walked over and buttoned it up for him and tucked the tail into his pants, he held her hand over the white drawstring, cupping it there as he listened to the call

She felt the heat rise in both their bodies

He hooked his phone on his shoulder bone, and used the free hand to stroke her lower lip

“Chalti hoon” she said familiarly

He realized he was drunk in love, his mother never spoke to his Dad in such simple Hindi

He smiled gloriously

“Kya hua?” she whispered inaudibly

He held his phone turned off the mike

“What did u just say?”

“Chalti hoon?” she asked confused pushing up her glasses

“Viveka, if you talk like that I am going to want to hang on to you” he smiled

“Ajeeb ho” she whispered

He threw his head back and laughed

“Bye?”

“I will go with you” he held her hand as she dragged him out with her

Her parents saw them that way, she gently let go of her hand much to his disappointment

“Chalen beta?” Anu asked

Viveka nodded

“Thanks for coming” Raanav reached Akash for a hug much to his surprise

Anu was shocked too when she got a hug from him

“Where’s Mom?” he asked Satyen

“She had to leave to go see a friend” Satyen did not look very happy

“Ah” Raanav probably knew, so didn’t react so strongly

He walked out to the gate with the Mathurs

Waved to Viveka one last time before hitting unmute on his phone walking across the lawn to his own en suite veranda

“Do you feel any better?” Akash turned to Viveka as she drove

“U mean about his Mom?” she asked

“Usko abhi kyon pooch rahe ho” Anu wanted her daughter to savor her dreamy state peacefully

Viveka was always grounded and pragmatic to see her fumble and be nervous was a treat for Anu

“Chalo theek hai”

“thanks” Anu sighed leaning back

The “return gifts” were carefully packaged gifts for each one of them

“Ghar to dekho” Anu sighed

“AAP batao what is your prognosis”

“Umm.. I don’t know they are OK I guess”

“Anu didn’t want to express her shock and fury when Viveka was listening

“Satyen is a good man don’t u agree?” Akash carefully steered the convo toward Satyen

“Yes yes totally

U guys are acting like I am not in the car”

“HO AAP?” Anu teased her

“Hey that’s not nice Ma” “I am driving” Viveka laughed content

“Sorryyy”

“Their house is so white I am hoping to see some intense colors on my drive home” she laughed

“Lekha wahin ruki kya raat ko?”

“I guess” Viveka giggled

“Tum itna chillayi Naina ko” Akash said bluntly

“What do u mean Akash”

“There was nothing wrong”

“There is everything wrong, he dumped her yaar” “Is ladki ki shaadi honey waali hai Rakshit se” Shaayad TUMNE nahi suna par Lekha usko Moomma? Mooomma?” Aur who USEY Bebu baby betu” “Kahe jaaye baar baar” Anu switched to her thick UP accent in serious anger

“Ma… rehne do”

“Yeh MOOH MA MOOH MA kya hai?” “I am sick of hearing these rich kids say MOOHMA”

“Anuuu” Akash tried to calm her down

Anu was almost teary eyed

She watched how Smrita discriminated, she had observed her own daughter being shunned she couldn’t take it

“They’ve known each other for 5 years or something, she wanted to build an empire so they waited” Viveka was matter of fact

“KYA HAI empire? Kerala Ayurveda se churakar apni label lagana?” Anu was vicious

“Anuuuu” Akash warned

“Isne PhD, karna hai abhi P f-----g Hd Akash” Anu shut her eyed and rolled her window down allowing the smoggy breeze to sweep her teary face

“is se to behtar tha tum apni baat hi keh deti beta, your opinion u know…” Akash cracked himself up

He was cautiously avoiding talking to Viveka about Smrita

But Anu had blown a gasket

I think the biggest feat of any mother in the position of anu is having her daughter expected by her in laws. Anu having it seen first hand how the two future daughter in law's are treated differently hurts Anu. Viveka is very confident and determined but constantly dealing with resentment and hate from smitra is not going to be easy.

Mother always feels strongly for their kids. Can’t blame Anu for getting upset. The good thing is that they are going in knowingly. Only for their daughter.

Not at all surprised about Anu’s outburst....😒

It is two families marrying each other no matter how much in love the couple are. Now Raanav has said what is important to you, is important for me to Viveka. Her parents respect is important to Viveka, so how will this be handled by Raanav?

Lmao that MOHHMMYY MOMMA 🤣🤣

But damn what a position to be in. The parents worried so much that who will.marry their overachieving grown up daughter and now that they got one the MIL looks similar like how anu had.

It's interesting how this upcoming wedding is tiring to the mathurs and there is this undercurrent ki ye shadi na ho to acha hai and yet parents are trying hard. Not like actively talking to veev saying to break this up .

Anu launched a gasket and the soup spray is all over . But this is that kind of a mess that even after you have tried cleaning up, months or years later you will still find evidence of the disaster in nooks and corners leaving you irritated .

The sonnet of Pablo Neruda speaks isn't it? It's so moving, one feels the overwhelming emotion of that intimate moment. You can be a hard nosed lawyer, you can be all calmly persuasive socialist but at the core we remain at heart moved by tenderness of the love you find yourself blessed with.

No mother can stand to see her daughter being sidelined while another girl gets the best treatment. She would have never accepted this situation if she had an option. But when Viveka wants it, she is stuck going along.

Nisha can we get another update ...