Posted:
Hey my lovelies! I apologize for the late update! I wanted this chapter to be perfect. I hope it is, please let me know! 😃
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Chapter 8
In Mehra Mansion
"YOU STOLE HIS DIARY!!", Daasi shrieked at me with wide eyes.
"Aaliya beta! Stealing in your own home and that too from Abhi! What's wrong with you?!! Where is my innocent granddaughter?!!", Daadi said in distress pushing her spectacles up her bridge.
I managed to escape from Bhai's room, unscathed and taken his red diary with me, running back to Daadi's room as if I was chased by a two headed dog.
Gasping for air, I closed the door behind me and received two suspicious glances from my beloved grandmothers. I waved the red diary like a champion, proud of myself.
However, being elders as they are, I had left the frying pan, and landed right into the fire. Gosh! Didn't they know that desperate issues called for desperate measures!!
"Arre!! Can the two of you just calm down na?", I waved my hands coming to join them on the bed.
"Calm down?!! Aaliya, you have taken his diary!!!", Daadi said twisting my ear.
"Hai rhabba, what is happening in this house? The child has turned into a thief.", Daasi said in a highly dramatic manner.
"Ouch! Ouch! OW!! BUDHIYA!!", I screamed at her.
"WHAT?", Daadi said yelling into my ears.
"I am sorry!! Daadi!! Don't you want Bhai to get married?!!", I wailed at her clutching the diary to my chest.
At my words, Daadi released my ear and looked at Daasi, who just shrug her shoulders. Rubbing my sore ear, I glared at them. I put my butt on the line for their sake, yet I was the one who was manhandled.
"Aaliya, what are you trying to say?", Daadi asked me.
"You should have asked me that when I came in instead of butchering my ear Daadi!!", I whined at her.
"Arre meri bacche! Would you just put Indu and myself out of this confusion!", she said grabbing my cheeks, making me look like a goldfish.
"Offo Daadi, don't you know Bhai has the habit of writing diaries?", I asked her rubbing my cheeks.
"We do remember Aaliya, but how is that going to help?", Daasi asked me, still wrapped in confusion.
"People write diaries about their thoughts and feelings, be it anger, sadness, happiness, guilt, worry or love. Don't you want to know what was running through Bhai's mind when he met Pragya Di?", I asked and had successfully caught their much needed attention.
"Aaliya! What a genius you are!", Daasi said holding my face and literally shaking my head.
"She is my granddaughter na.", came another arrogant voice from Daadi.
"Arre Didi! She is mine too!", Daasi said glaring at her.
"Ohhh!! So now, I am your granddaughter??! Somebody called me a thief just a few minutes ago?!!", I said with a sneer.
"Offo meri jaan!! We are sorry na! But it's wrong to steal isn't it?", Daadi said pinching my nose.
"I didn't steal it, I just borrowed it. Besides, I am my Bhai's princess, so I have all rights!", I said with my nose high in the air.
"Accha, Bhai's precious princess, now can we read what is in the diary?", Daadi asked me and my eyebrows shot up in shock.
"Don't give me that look Aaliya!", Daadi said with a growl.
"We are his grandmothers and we have rights too!", Daasi joined in her support.
"This is so not fair. I am going to complain to Bhai.", I muttered to myself like a small child.
I opened his precious red diary and flipped through the pages to the date I had my accident. Huddling together, we read his beautiful writing in silence.
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Dear Diary,
Today was a bittersweet day. More bitter. Fearful. Worry. My precious princess was involved in an accident. My heart stopped when I got the call. I ran for the life of me, from the recording studio to the hospital. She was inside the treatment room. I didn't know what was happening and being in the dark about the situation she was in made me demented.
When you are ill, my sun goes under a cloud.
Your presence in my life is such a bright joy.
Everything seems in a shadow when you are not here.
When you are not feeling well, I feel the lack of your glowing energy and contagious vitality.
When you are sick, I feel incomplete, like a jigsaw puzzle with a missing piece.
I miss you Aaliya and want you back.
Please return to me.
The doctor came out with a news of relief. My princess was safe. Seeing her on the hospital bed, I felt a mixture of emotions - happiness and pain.
Remembering it now, I am telling you how much she means to me. For my sister, my princess, Aaliya :
Life would be full of panic,
If you hadn't been so fantastic.
Life would be a mess,
If you didn't give me happiness.
Life would have been full of trouble,
If you didn't make it special.
Life would have been a nuisance,
If not for your existence.
Life would a disaster,
Without you, my dearest sister.
The sweetness of the day came in a small package. In the shape of a simple, yet beautiful girl with curly locks and a chashma. She had the most mesmerizing eyes I had ever seen. It glowed with a charming and refreshing radiance. Pragya.
Literally crying for my princess, she sat next to me rubbing my back in a delicate and soothing manner. Her undeterred confidence that Aaliya will walk through it touched my heart. Deeply.
Her lighthearted laughter with Aaliya flooded me with memories of Mama. What a similarity. She saw me as a person, as an individual, as me, just Abhishek Prem Mehra. My status as the nation's famous Rockstar didn't matter to her. All she ever saw was just me.
I didn't think twice about leaving Aaliya in her care when I went to settle the bills. She walked with me all the way to the car whilst I had my princess in my arms. Hugging my sister and kissing her forehead just like a mother, I was pleasantly warmed to see their growing bond.
Like a partner, a wife, she came to stand by me as I was about to leave. I asked whether I could drop her home, but she politely refused prioritizing my sister's health. My heart was unhappy when she called me Mr. Abhishek. I felt distant. But, my heart fluttered with an unsaid bliss when she said Abhishek.
Touching my arm, I realized how delicate and supple her fingers were, yet it had an unknown strength in them. It was like a reassurance. I subtly placed my hand over hers, but she didn't falter. She didn't brush it off. Why? What was she thinking? Did she feel a connection just like me? I couldn't tell.
The beauty of a woman is not in the clothes she wears,
The figure that she carries,
Or the way she combs her hair.
The beauty of a woman must be seen from her eyes,
Because that is the doorway to her heart,
The place where love resides.
The beauty of a woman is not a facial mole,
But true beauty in a woman is reflected in her soul.
It is the caring she lovingly gives,
The passion which she shows,
The beauty of a woman over passing years - only grows and grows.
I didn't see her after that. But there was something in this girl which enthralled me. I wanted to know more about her, to talk to her, to see what she was like and to be her friend. Perhaps, in the hope of something more? I didn't know.
How was I to contact her without creating a ruckus? Aaliya, my angel with a little devil inside her would submerge in suspicion and go undercover, dragging along the rest of the family.
She knows that I am not interested in girls, relationships and marriage. But this girl, Pragya, made me have second thoughts. Why? I have no answer.
I wish I could see her again. That's it for today. Perhaps I will have more to indulge you about her if there is a chance, a small faint of hope.
Good night Diary!
That's Rockstar Abhi signing off!
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The three of us finished reading at the same time. We stared at each other through our tears. Daadi and Daasi had decided that Pragya Di would be the perfect bahu and most importantly the perfect wife for Bhai.
Daadi had firmly told both me and Daasi not to tease Bhai or act suspiciously around him. Her puttar has had the first taste of love, without realizing it. As for Pragya Di, we knew she cared and understood him from the conversation I had with her.
But did she like Bhai? That we didn't know. Daadi wanted to finish the marriage proposal for Purab on Friday. After that, she had assigned me an undercover job of finding out Pragya's Di family, at the same time creating opportunities for them to meet.
Undercover job? Mischief? That was right up my alley and I happily accepted her assignment. Anything for my Bhai. Daadi and Daasi teared probably because their grandson had liked a girl, paving a possible way for his future marriage.
As for me, I cried because of how affected Bhai was by my accident. I didn't realize the extent to which I played a part in his life. What were to happen if something actually happened to me? Dismissing those bad thoughts, I promised myself to do everything I can for Bhai's happiness, even at the cost of my own if it came to that.
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On the roads of Mumbai City
The sun was blazing hot with its burning rays. It was literally mayhem in the Aurora household. Ma had barely slept, so did the rest of us, all thanks to her. She had allocated everyone jobs to do, only the special girl and baby escaped her clutches, Bulbul and Purvi respectively.
Ma asked me to purchase new clothes for everyone, even though it was just a marriage proposal. She was too excited that Rockstar Abhi's family were coming and she wanted all her princesses to look extra beautiful. But my Daadi didn't let her off easily.
"You want the girls to look beautiful and have us look like BEGGARS?", Daadi glared at Ma.
"Beeji, they are young girls! We are old and our times have passed.", Ma said scurrying around the kitchen.
"SARLA, WHO ARE YOU CALLING OLD?!!!", came an irritated reply.
"Beeji!", Ma whined.
"Didi, how can you call us old? Rockstar Abhi is coming here! Even I want to look good!", Jhanki Ma voiced out from the bedroom.
"Arre, theek hai na! Stop attacking me!! Pragya, meri bacche, please buy your Daadi and Jhanki Ma new clothes as well.", Ma said sounding exasperated.
"Yeah, while we wear new clothes, you will look like the MAID in the house, instead of the mother. What a fantastic idea na Sarla!", Daadi hissed at her with sarcasm.
"Accha accha, I'll buy everyone new clothes. Don't fight na!!", I said before taking my handbag and running out of the soon to be madhouse.
So, here I was, making my way to the boutique which had newly opened, in the heart of city. The auto ride was bumpy as usual and I held my bag tightly. On reaching the place, I paid the fee and came to stand in front of the boutique.
I stood there for a few minutes, flabbergasted at the sheer size of it. Drawing in a breath, I was about to push the door to enter when I heard a voice and my heart soared.
"Pragya?", the deep voice came.
"Abhishek?", I said turning around.
"Hi! It's been a long time. What a surprise!", Abhishek said coming up the stairs from his car.
"Yes! What a sweet surprise! I didn't expect you here! Shopping?", I asked in delight as he came to stand next to me.
"Yeah, my family is having a small function tomorrow, a marriage proposal for my brother. So, I came to buy new clothes for everyone at home.", he said happily.
I laughed internally, he was coming to my house for Bulbul's hand in marriage. He was oblivious to it, but I kept silent as I wanted the cat out of the bag only tomorrow.
"I came for shopping too. I saw the advertisement and promotions for this new boutique. We are having a family function at home as well.", I said resisting the urge to spill the beans.
"That's great! Can I ask you a favor then?", he asked sweetly.
"What is it Abhishek?", I asked curiously.
"Aaliya was supposed to do the shopping with me, but she bailed out at the last minute. Can you help me choose clothes, especially for the ladies? I am not too good with traditional attire for women.", he said so innocently making me almost die in happiness.
"It will be my pleasure Abhishek. Shall we?", I asked immediately.
He beamed at me with a beautiful smile, enough to hypnotize a person and opened the door to the boutique. I was ecstatic beyond believe.
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18