FF: Marriage on the Rebound-Entire FF P.111-3 10/4 - Page 4

Originally posted by: MichiDespo

Kash anather dought Ji based on Milind in this FF...dont get hurt...

After MICHI gets married....Mishra Kaandaan wants Waaris so will Milind say to Prachi ....Gravely seeing into her eyes....Its time to show the world how Mishra boys can makes baies...so Prachi get ready ....we have to make babies and then u r free u can sleep in any room u want.

Originally posted by: MichiDespo

Kash anather dought Ji based on Milind in this FF...dont get hurt...

After MICHI gets married....Mishra Kaandaan wants Waaris so will Milind say to Prachi ....Gravely seeing into her eyes....Its time to show the world how Mishra boys can makes baies...so Prachi get ready ....we have to make babies and then u r free u can sleep in any room u want.

Originally posted by: blind horizon

Why darling why itni jaldi for baby making let the poor woman consent to the marriage first.

CHAPTER 2

For a moment Prachi experienced a complete mind blackout and just stared at him in shock. Then, 'Have you gone mad?' she choked. 'Why? You despise the sight of me!'

'I don't despise you, Prachi. I know I am not Neev, nor ever will be for that matter. He's my half-brother, and as different from me as Ayesha is from you. Ayesha is right for Neev, she always was! They were together from their teens before a stupid misunderstanding had Ayesha flying off to live with her mother in America last year' Milind said fiercely.

'I don't want to hear any of this!' Prachi cried, trying desperately to struggle against a black cloud threatening to completely overtake her.

'All right…listen to this instead. In three days' time, your uncle and aunt should be leaving on a three week-long pilgrimage. Do you think they'll even consider going now, after what's happened to you today? You also know your aunt has a heart condition. She may not be able to withstand the shock of Neev's desertion. Then there is also the fact that your uncle's business has not been doing so well recently. In fact, he is facing bankruptcy in the next few months if things carry on the way they have been doing.'

'How do you know that?' she gasped in shaken amazement.

He shook his head, dismissing that question as insignificant. 'Let's just leave it that I do know. But the point is that I am in a position to help him out and stop him from going under'.

She stared at him, knowing that what he was saying was the truth. Her uncle and aunt had been behaving very unusually recently and she had heard them talking about the business and its dire situation. But she had no idea that things had become so bad that her uncle would have to file for bankruptcy. She had also forgotten all about her aunt and uncles' plans to make a pilgrimage in memory of her parents, who had passed away a few years ago. The trip had been postponed because of her uncle's promise to his dying sister that he will take care of Prachi until a time when she was happily married and taken care of. Her aunt had been diagnosed with a heart condition last year and had started despairing that she wouldn't be able to fulfill her wish to go on their pilgrimage and the news that Prachi was going to marry Neev had become a source of hope for solace for her.

Milind continued 'If anyone deserves to make amends, then I do. You said yourself that this was all my fault, and I damned well know it. It was me who called Ayesha to warn her about you and Neev. It was me who advised her to get back here if she still felt anything for my brother. And it was me who encouraged them to see each other at every possible moment I could arrange, to make Neev see what a dreadful mistake he was making by marrying you! I thought Neev would break off your engagement well before the wedding day and we would not have this mess to deal with.'

Suddenly, to her surprise his hand came out and raised her chin 'Listen to me, Prachi! I admit it. I feel lousy about it all. Guilty, if you want to call it that. I owe you. I am no bargain when compared to my brother. Let me help you get through this with at least some dignity.'

She didn't think she would ever get over this.

"And what will you get out of it?' She hadn't spent the last three years of her life working for the Mishra Corporation without learning very early on that their revered chairman didn't do anything without a damned good reason for doing it!

'Like you, I save the Mishra family name. It's a matter of the Mishra family honour.' he said.

'You are that concerned with family honour?' Her skeptical look made his mouth grow tighter.

'My brother should be whipped out of town for the way he used you, Prachi. It makes the Mishra name dirty.'

Used….Yes, Neev had used her; all along the line he had manipulated and deceived her, with his declarations of undying love and promises. Milind was wrong about one thing if he thought himself no bargain compared to his brother. He was worth ten of Neev – and that had nothing to do with his looks or his charm. It had to do with his deeply inbred sense of responsibility he possessed. The kind that had made him warn his brother's ex-fiance about what Neev intended to do. It had to do with this – this need to put right what one of his own had messed up.

Prachi just bowed her head and closed her eyes. She sat there in mute silence with her mind racing. Her life – her uncle's promise, her aunt's health, her uncle's business and the Shah and Mishra family name. Their mutual honour! The words just keep on going round and round in her head. Then, in the end she took a deep breath and the words started to sink in and she started to think more clearly. She thought about how her aunt and uncle had sacrificed so much on her behalf to bring her up. She thought about her aunt's health and how upset she would be when she learnt about Neev. She thought about her uncle's business and how devastated both of them would be, especially as this was their only source of income. She thought about the trip that her aunt and uncle would have to put off because her wedding had been cancelled. They would never think about leaving her behind and alone in this emotional time of her life. She didn't much care about the Mishra name, but she did care about how this would effect her aunt and uncles' standing in their society. It would be seen as a mark against Prachi and it would be very difficult to find a good match for her in the future. Put like that, it made it easier for her to make the decision. In the end, she just looked up at him and nodded her head in agreement. He took a deep breath and got up.

'Just one more thing…I would prefer it if you could change your wedding outfit to another one. I don't want to be reminded that you were supposed to be marrying Neev in the one you are wearing now, nor do I want you to wear any outfit which is part of your wedding trousseau. I know Neev paid for all that and it wouldn't look right for you to be wearing anything he has paid for.'

Prachi just stared at him and said 'But who would know?' He gave her a dark forbidding look and said tightly "I would know!' He walked over to her wardrobe and opened it. After flicking a hand through some outfits he picked out a red and green lengha with a red veil. He walked over to Prachi and handed the outfit to her. There was dead silence and then he said 'Go into the bathroom and change into this. I will go and tell your family about your decision while you are changing but I will be here by the time you come out. There is very little time. Can you be ready in 20 minutes for the ceremony? I will send somebody in to help you.' and then without waiting for a reply, he pushed her into the bathroom and closed the door. Prachi just stood staring at the closed bathroom door.

Five minutes later, her aunt came rushing in and Prachi could see that she was upset and had been crying. Mindful of her heart condition, she went to hug her and reassure her that everything will be all right. She confirmed to her aunt that she had indeed agreed to marry Milind and told her that this was the best course of action for her to take considering the situation and she had very little time to get ready for the ceremony. She told her aunt that Milind wanted her to wear an outfit that was not part of her wedding trousseau. Faced with her niece's calm and resolute attitude, her aunt helped her to put the chosen lengha on. Just as she had finished dressing, Mamaji knocked on the bathroom door and her aunt went to open it to let him in. He walked in and closed the door behind him. Then he just looked at Prachi and then at is wife who was looking at him pleadingly. Mamaji walked towards Prachi and then took her hand in his 'Are you sure that this what you want, Prachi? Tell me now, because if it isn't, we can cancel the whole thing. I don't want to see you ruining your life and being unhappy'.

For a second Prachi hesitated then she said, 'Yes Mamaji, I have made up my mind. This is what I want.' Her aunt and uncle looked at each other, then her uncle shook his head. Prachi held on to his hand and said 'I m ready. Shall we go?' and all three walked slowly out of the bathroom and into the bedroom where Milind was waiting for them. He gave them all a shrewd look and then took Prachi's hand from Mamaji's. Holding Prachi's hand, Milind proceeded to walk out of the bedroom and down the stairs with Mamaji and Mamiji walking behind them.

Milind led Prachi to the mandap where the priest was waiting. He sat her down and then sat himself down next to her. In a voice that allowed no argument, he then told the priest to start the wedding ceremony. The priest started the puja and so the wedding ceremony began.