JWALA Akash-Gauri FF. Updated Jul 27, links on p.1

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Arti

@--arti--

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Posted: 16 years ago

Hope you enjoy the fic. Please leave your comments!

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J W A L A
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A fan fic by Arti, for Ghar Ki Lakshmi Betiyaan:IF

L I N K S

Part ONE
Part TWO
Part THREE

M A I N C H A R A C T E R S

Mayank Deshmukh

Tanya Mathur

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A request to the mods: please don't move this fic to the fanfic section. I am not writing this for fanfic readers, I am writing this for GKLB viewers. Everyone is fed up of Gauri-Akash storyline in the show, and so am I!

Edited by --arti-- - 16 years ago

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Arti

@--arti--

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Posted: 16 years ago

Part
ONE

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I

Gauri put her book away in her bag. She was almost at her stop. The older lady in the next seat gave Gauri a kind look, glancing at her book with a smile. "How do you manage to read in such a crowded bus, dear?" she asked. Gauri gave her a quiet smile in response. She was used to reading everywhere and anywhere. Her glasses were proof of how much her eyes had endured. But her eyes also held a faint sparkle, nothing very big, but a small sparkle filled with hope. This girl was a dreamer at heart.

The bus screeched to an abrupt stop, causing an ugly noise. The passengers' bodies moved ahead with a jerk. Nobody was surprised by this sudden movement. After all, this is the price one had to pay to travel in a bus in such a big city.

Gauri was from a wealthy family, but her family kept running into financial problems every now and then. Family politics, drama, inheritance, these are all commonplace problems, after all. Being a girl in a family with a very traditional outlook, she had never been given much. In any case, Gauri enjoyed taking the bus. She had mostly middle class friends, and she saw how in their families, girls were treated with more respect unlike in rich families where property became such an issue.

Gauri's sandaled feet gracefully landed on the pavement. She quickly glanced at the overcast sky. Thank God it wasn't so sunny today. She moved through the crowd slowly, barely noticeable in her simplicity. The girl always dressed in simple cotton shalwars with faint coloured dupattas. Her feet were wrapped in simple leather sandals. She never cared much for jewelry, so the small golden hoops that once belonged to her grandmother were a fixture in her ears. She never took them off.

Gauri reached her office at last. She had been working at this travel agency for over a month. She was surprised she got the job since she was so inexperienced. But the M.D., Devyaniji, must have seen something special in her. She was always kind to her. The other girls at the office hated her for her closeness to the M.D. They laughed at her behind her back, making remarks about her plain looks. Perhaps deep inside they felt such an unfamiliar jealousy for a woman who was so simple, so unadorned, yet could light up a room with her smile. They were used to beauty in the form of glamour, but never had they seen a beauty so soft and blended in that it was barely visible to the eye. After all, is it not true that mirrors sparkle more than diamonds?

Devyani's son Akash was learning to manage the business. He preferred a personal assistant that looked like she came straight out of an MTV music video, so imagine his irritation when his mother appointed Gauri for the job. He slowly got used to having her around. He wasn't too friendly with her, but he realized she was a sincere and efficient worker. At least she was better than the receptionist Tina, who spent more time chatting on the phone and making unsuccessful advances against Akash. It's not like he didn't enjoy how women were attracted to him, but he didn't like the nerve the girl had, flirting with the boss's son. Men like Akash developed a thick skin towards women they perceived as gold-diggers. No man felt an attraction to a woman who wanted him for his money.

Gauri reached her desk and uttered a soft prayer under her breath while facing the tiny Ganesh murti she kept on her desk. This is something she did everyday. This is also something Akash saw from the corner of his eye everyday with a slight sigh...uff, shuru ho gayi. He had been silently competing with Gauri to get to the office first. After all, his mother had made him painfully aware that he was prone to slacking off. He wanted Devyani to be proud of him.

Gauri's intercom buzzed.

"Gauri, I want to send the contract agreement today to our lawyers. Bring the final proofread copy."
Silence.
"You did proofread it, didn't you?"
"Yes sir," she stumbled nervously. She hadn't realized he reached the office before her, again.
He smiled.

II

Four months later

Gauri glanced at her desk clock. It showed 8 pm. How late! She had never stayed at the office this late. Now that she had her own cabin, since Devyani promoted her, she lost track of time far too easily. She also got more work done without any distractions. In a few months, she had been promoted to Junior Advertising Manager. Devyani had joked that if she keeps progressing like this, they will have to get her a new PA to help her with her duties. She had smiled gratefully and with shy reverence. She had come to respect Devyani a lot, but since their relationship was strictly professional, she hadn't dared ever told her how much regard she had for her. But it always showed in her work.

It is not always easy for a girl to find a role model she truly respects. And for Gauri Garodia, this had been a struggle from the start. Her sisters were close to her and she respected them, but this job gave Gauri a chance to prove her worth outside the house. She wasn't constantly tied to family worries anymore. In fact, she felt proud that she had inspired her sisters to start their own publishing house. Saraswati stayed on with the family business, but everyone else had moved on to brighter futures. No longer did they need any crutches. They also buried the bitter resentments of the family. A fire in the prison caused Rasik, Yuvraj, and Kajri's death. A sad end, but perhaps deserving.

Gauri made a quick call home to let Savitri know she was late. Savitri used to dread these calls, but she had slowly gotten used to it. Her daughters taught her something new everyday. Gauri was a flame growing brighter each day. She was surprised to find Gauri talking back to her Chhoti Ma's insults one day. Where did all this strength come from, Menka had wondered.

Gauri gathered some layout posters to look over at home. She needed to get these to the printers tomorrow. She had developed a keen acumen for advertising. She eagerly read up on the latest articles, kept in touch with the travel industry in every way possible. Devyani liked Gauri's drive. She saw in her more dedication than she did in her own son.

Gauri walked down the empty office corridor. She made her way to the parking lot, smiling briefly at Vivek, the night watchman. Seeing Gauri approaching, he quickly hid his bidi. Fumbling in her purse, she found the key to her two-wheeler. She kick-started and drove away, cutting through the night's darkness.

III

Akash traced his pen over the lines in the margin. He was so bored with the meeting that he had unconsciously begun doodling on his file. Devyani had already noticed this. Gauri hadn't. Gauri kept talking animatedly, describing the company's latest TV ad campaign. Akash's new PA, Mayank, had been making diligent notes.

Towards the end of the meeting, Akash paid attention to one of Gauri's posters, raising an objection with her. His eyes sharpened with a thinly masked jealousy of Gauri.

"Why did you commission Ratna & Co. to make these designs? They are a new and inexperienced ad company," he said.
"Well Akash, they are a new company, yes, but they have talent. Isn't that what matters? They are also a socially responsible organization and they employ a lot of rural women. Since we are also a socially responsible--"
"Wait a minute, when did you decide to start doing charity?" he cut her off angrily.
She sighed. She was used to this from him. Their relationship had changed drastically over the past few months. She met him as a timid Gauri Garodia, calling him "sir", and speaking only when spoken to. Now she worked with more confidence, shared her opinions with others, and carried herself with more dignity. None of the other staff called him "sir," including his own PA, so why should she?

"I asked Gauri to develop the social aspect of our company Akash," Devyani interjected. "This helps our business stay connected to people. After all, we have to know our consumers for our business to progress."

"I rather like Gauri's contributions to our ethics and social responsibility portfolio," said Mr. Verma, another senior board member. "Before she came, we hardly had a role to play in our local community," he continued, "but look how much profit that has eventually brought us."

Akash became quiet. Why did he ask such a stupid question, he wondered. Was he really jealous of Gauri? No, there was something else. Something else about the way she didn't care for him that pricked him. She didn't shower him with needless flattery like the other women in the office. She barely even looked at him most of the time, now that her office was on a different floor. A girl that used to be at his beck and call, his PA, now giving him advice. He couldn't tell if he liked this or hated it. This was how he felt about her, he knew not if he liked her, or if he hated her. Their interactions rocked from one extreme to another.

On his way out from the board meeting, he walked past her office. The door was open, but Gauri's face was turned away from him. She was busy scanning the file in front of her. Soft strands of her hair framed her round face. She was not a woman of sudden angles. Her thin white cotton dupatta flirted with the slight breeze coming in through her window. The ends of her dupatta danced a little bit, as if trying to distract her. But she didn't look away from the file. Her forehead was slightly burrowed in concentration. Akash's eyes landed on the same small Ganesh murti on her desk. A small smile crept onto his face without him realizing it. She suddenly turned around, her eyes coming squarely into contact with his. He froze, suddenly shrinking his smile. Only now did he realize that he had been smiling. Her face was warm, she smiled politely. It wasn't in Gauri to hold grudges. Sometimes he wished she did. Sometimes he wished she would get angry with him, do or say something impolite.

He was stuck in a moment of minor panic. Should he walk away, should he go into her office? What would he say? Was he supposed to apologize now? But his question at the meeting wasn't all that unfair, was it? Her phone rang, relieving him of these questions. He briskly walked away as she answered it.

"Gauri Garodia," she said confidently as she picked up the phone. She who used to only speak in a hushed tone. If she ever spoke, that is.

He was a few feet away, but somehow her voice traveled through the open door, into the corridor. Her voice was faint by the time it fell into Akash's ears, but the pitch and degree of confidence in the voice remained.

Edited by --arti-- - 16 years ago

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@h&rblock

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Posted: 16 years ago

This is awesome! How I wish the creatives could read this...you've got me hooked! Very well written!!👏

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Rachna

@Chaccha

Dazzler

Posted: 16 years ago

Quicker than a ray of light, she's flying.............😳

I wish the real Gauri would be like this Gauri and that duffer Akash would be like this Akash.

You've done a marvelous job!

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Arti

@--arti--

Voyager

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Posted: 16 years ago

Originally posted by: h&rblock
This is awesome! How I wish the creatives could read this...you've got me hooked! Very well written!!👏

Originally posted by: rachna789
Quicker than a ray of light, she's flying.............😳
I wish the real Gauri would be like this Gauri and that duffer Akash would be like this Akash.

You've done a marvelous job!

Thanks h&r and rachna, your encouragement means a lot! Glad you guys enjoyed it. I hope future parts will also entertain you. 😊

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@h&rblock

Navigator

Posted: 16 years ago

I am really looking forward to the future parts, right now, reading this FF is far better than watching the show. Way to go - keep it up!

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nancy

@nancy_loveSK

Voyager

Posted: 16 years ago

hey its really good and i love that pic of akash gauri...........awesome.....

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Aradhna

@Anhdara13

Rocker

+ 3

Posted: 16 years ago

That is utterly brilliant. If only the show had taken this direction, showing the growth of Gauri as a woman, and of the family as well. Instead, they seem to suppress the woman's voice, despite claiming to be a show about women. This was how it should have gone. I cannot wait to read more from you.

Love,
Radz

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Arti

@--arti--

Voyager

+ 2

Posted: 16 years ago

Originally posted by: nancy_loveSK
hey its really good and i love that pic of akash gauri...........awesome.....

Thanks Nancy. You know, I had to edit Gauri's pic for a long time to make that banner. First I removed her big, big earrings, then I made her shalwar look really simple and faded the colours in it a lot, including the colour of her dupatta! In the story I wanted her sense of style to be simple, to match her personality, and to also show her concentrating on other things than jewelry and chamakte hue saris!
Glad you liked it.

Originally posted by: Anhdara13
That is utterly brilliant. If only the show had taken this direction, showing the growth of Gauri as a woman, and of the family as well. Instead, they seem to suppress the woman's voice, despite claiming to be a show about women. This was how it should have gone. I cannot wait to read more from you.

Love,
Radz

Thanks Radz! Yes, I totally agree. The creatives of the show are against women if this is how they portray them. Will post the next part as soon as I get some time.

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Arti

@--arti--

Voyager

+ 2

Posted: 16 years ago

#10

Originally posted by: h&rblock
I am really looking forward to the future parts, right now, reading this FF is far better than watching the show. Way to go - keep it up!

Thanks yaar! I am trying to plan some storylines right now to make it a bit interesting and not predictable like the show! 😉
So will post as soon as I get some time to write it out.

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JWALA Akash-Gauri FF. Updated Jul 27, links on p.1

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