Apne ghar ane ke liye mujhe khabar bhi dena parega? The lady snapped at Ayi Sahib with her eyes flashing, face sternā¦
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Smiling inwardly Leela asked Kanta to carry the luggage to the rooms prepared. Leela did not need to put much effort, she received them in the station, purposely entering the platform a little lateā¦Chhoti Tai Sahib was predictably furiousā¦.
What is wrong with you Leela, you were so punctual beforeā¦.
Sorry Tai Sahib, no drivers, all given off and you know how traffic has increased and I do not drive regularly nowadaysā¦.
You mean to say we need to take a taxiā¦
No no I will manageā¦.ei coolie, follow me, ayiye Tai Sahibā¦Leela led the way to the carparkā¦her's was a small car and luggageā¦well Tai Sahib did not believe in travelling with less luggage, sitting cramped in the car did the restā¦.by the time they arrived in the Haveli and got down in the portico no butler coming running to open the door, Tai Sahib was already boilingā¦
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Tai Sahib scanned the room, Kalavati, I heard Gaurav and you are having problemsā¦..
Yes Aatyaā¦I have left him?
Raja Bhau ke naseeb hi phute haiā¦..the poor man did not get any happiness from his marriage and now his daughter has left a man like Gauravā¦aur Duttaā¦how are you, Tai Sahib made herself comfortable on the chaise loungeā¦
I am fine Aatya ā¦.
Yes of course I do see you fine but then Raja Bhau was telling me there is a lot of work pressure at Serumix so what are you doing home, sitting holding the apron strings of your mom and sistersā¦.
Dutta's face burnt, he looked the other wayā¦.
Aur Roops ā¦..no college ?ā¦..she askedā¦.Nakusha started feeling uneasy, she shifted towards the corner
ā¦..and who is this girl?
There was pin drop silenceā¦nobody repliedā¦..
Madhvi?
Her name is Nakusha, my teacher, Kal
Oh yes that woman who is now serving in the jail....a criminalā¦and I did hear her niece is the big VIP hereā¦..so you are at home all of you and nobody went to receive me in the station, I had to come sitting cramped in a dingy car when there is atleast 100 cars standing outsideā¦..
We were not awareā¦.
Of course I heard you Madhvi but how will you be aware, when I called up it was Leela who answered the call, you all were busy having picnic on the whims of a girl who comes from questionable backgroundā¦tumhare apne logo ke liye you simple do not have timeā¦.Madhvi I am very upset with your home management style I simply do no know how Raja Bhau stays and shame on you, today he had to leave his own house and check into the clubā¦
They stood with their head bowedā¦.
Abh khare hi rahoge aur will you arrange for some refreshments for me, lambi train journey karke ayi huā¦.
Just then Leela enteredā¦Tai Sahib, you have come home now relax, I have asked Kanta to fill up the tub with water, you can have your bathā¦I have also left a message for Raja Saab at the reception for he is playing golf, about your arrivalā¦.
Oh Leela thanks ā¦for you this house is still a homeā¦.
Leela bowed and leftā¦.Dutta murmured something and went towards the door, followed by the girls and Nakusha...Ayi Sahib sat downā¦..
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Nakusha felt guilty, she hated how how Ayi Sahib was redeemed in front of all but then it is all due to her fault, picnic was her ideaā¦.taking a deep breath she walked towards the hallā¦..
Duttaaaaaaā¦..Kala Tai and Roopsā¦.oh god it is ages I got to see you allā¦.
Kareena ā¦..what are you doing here? Is your course over in Paris.ā¦Dutta leaned and kissed the lady on her cheeks followed by his sistersā¦.
Nakusha slipped past them towards the stable.
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Nakusha looked at the receptionist, she pretended to be busy but the truth was she was hardly busy, half of the time speaking on her mobileā¦Nakusha fumed, she tried to catch the woman's attention but then she looked the other wayā¦.
Finally Nakusha lost her patience, it is over an hour she is waiting, she got up quickly, crossed the passage and knocked on the door of the Kripalini's secretary ignoring the summons of the girl's madamā¦.madamā¦
I am sorry to barge in but then I have to returnā¦..
Madamā¦.I am sorry ā¦.but I thought the receptionist has conveyed to you the messageā¦.
But why? I mean since he agreed and informed my aunt and finally when she has agreedā¦.
Maam you are not getting the pointā¦..Your aunt has taken too long to decide and Mr Kripalini in the meantime got another case which is very importantā¦.
And profitable is it?
Well I will not mince my words but then he does have an establishment to run, give salaries to his employees and your aunt's case other than name was giving nothingā¦
I did say I am ready to pay nowā¦.we have been able to arrange some fundsā¦
The man shook his headā¦.what funds? From where?
Err that is not important, Mr Kripalini will be paid ā¦..
Maam kindly do not force me to call the security and show you out of the office but lets put it this way Mr Kripalini is no longer interested in your caseā¦.he has not signed any contacts or flouting any rules, please Ma'am now leave I have work to doā¦.
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Dutta tried not to move but his patience was running low, Kareena a painter trained in Paris, specially in painting portraits, she was making a rough sketch of Dutta whom she thought to be of an interesting subject, you will not notice me, just carry on with your work, she had told him but then it was not exactly what was happening for Kareena wanted to have the light fall on Dutta's face in a certain angleā¦bus Dutta 10 minutes and 10 minutes was turning out to be an eternity for Duttaā¦.
Kareena, his aunt, the sister just above his Baba, Gauri Devi's brother-in-law's daughter. Gauri Devi Gaikward was the closest of the siblings of Sriram Patil and very much like him in nature, no wonder they got on very well. Gauri Devi was married to one of the most ancient's royal families for whom the 'shaan' or the 'aura' of the strature was very important, sometime after Gauri Devi's marriage, it was revealed that underneath the glitter and the show, the family properties were mortgaged under high interests. Gauri Devi was an ambitious lady who also had a strong head, she refused to compromiseā¦her husband compared to her was a soft man, a man used to luxuries without any clue how to earn the means to the luxuriesā¦.Gauri Devi sought her family's helpā¦.their father Damodar had a weird business sense but nonetheless it worked, he did things a bit whimsically, sometimes way ahead of his time, a sort of maverick, so he guided his daughter to how to convert the property to a hotel etc., and after his death Sriram too did his bits for his sister, bringing the family to the racing circuit elevating them to regain some of their lost positionsā¦and then Gauri Devi also managed it, since the mortgage was steep, it took some years to break even and make money out of it nevertheless it was her endeavour and her strong headedness that their family could see a turnaround in their fortunes and thus elevating her position in her household alongwith her pride of self importanceā¦..
Like her brother, Gauri Devi too was obsessed with class and her family backgroundā¦it is another story if her father did not stand by they would have been begging on the streets but then it is not something Gauri Devi liked to speak, instead it is the success story inspite of Government of India's policies to strip the royals of their wealth we have been able to make our living with our head held high, maintain our status and our prestige (obviously it is the government's fault as there is no fault in living beyond your means as a royal)ā¦therefore when a person like her visited any place she expected her orders be followed, desires be adhered to and tempers be smoothened.
Kareena was known to the Patil children very well. On various family gatherings and social meetings especially during racing reason etc., they met over the years till Kareena decided to go to Paris to learn from one of the leading schools of the worldā¦.but then that did not mean they were cut off for ever, they kept bumping in home and abroad less frequently though and when Raja Saab travelled with his entourage to take part in various events in the world of racing or for business travels, his children accompanied at times if their school / college happened to be closed or just for the pleasure of it, if they happened to be in the same city they called up their friends and relatives to have some fun and Kareena was one of them, friend cum relative.
Dutta was getting late, there were some serious matters which needed his attention on an urgent basis but then Kareena was taking longer than he had anticipatedā¦bus Dutta ho giya, Kareena murmured once againā¦.she could sense his impatienceā¦
The mobile rang, Kareena showed a finger indicating she will take a minuteā¦Dutta flickered his eyes to see the caller on the mobile kept on his table and seeing the name he frowned and then grabbed the phoneā¦..
Ha bolā¦..
Mai bol rahi thiā¦..
Pata haiā¦.
Woh aisa hai ki ā¦mai aaj gayi thiā¦.
Oh Dutta pleeeeeeeeeeassssssssseeeeeeeee bus 2 minutes, thodi der rukh jayo pleassssssssssseeeeā¦.Kareena groanedā¦..
Before Dutta could react, the phone went blank and when he dialed back it came the 'subscriber is switched off'ā¦..
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Nakusha fumed as she switched off the mobile, as it is she had called after a lot of hesitation, she carried the mobile in her bag but never used itā¦.today after her attempt to make an appointment with Kripalini she knew she had to inform the same to Dutta, it was he who made her aunt turn around her decision.
When Aatya made her entry yesterday, needless to say the rest of the programme went for a toss, Nakusha was already feeling guilty for Ayi Sahib, the poor lady again was being subject to another of round of rediculeā¦.Nakusha sat at the window of the bedroom she shared with Kala and watched the front lawn, she wanted to go to Bolt but then they were sitting with the girl who accompanied Aatya, she could hear them ā¦.Oh she is the criminal's nieceā¦she remembered the lady saying when Ayi Sahib introduced herā¦criminal indeed thought Nakushaā¦.she wearing finest of silk, jewelry, compared to her, she remembered her aunt in simple jail uniform, blue border cotton sariā¦. how dignified she lookedā¦.how calm was her behaviourā¦..bahut ho giya mauj mastiā¦.I am moving away from my goal, I have to make an appointment with Kripalini and ask him when he can visit aunt in jail, I will go personally over to his officeā¦.with a knock Kanta entered, Nakusha moved away from the window to sit on the chair, picking up a magazine she tried to look busy wondering what brought Kanta inā¦
Kanta started making the bed, Nakusha frowned, well after she shifted into this room, she makes the bed and had told Kanta not to botherā¦.but today ā¦maybe wants to impress her auntā¦.Nakusha turned the pages of the magazine when she heard Kanta sayingā¦..
Her name is Kareena, she is Aatya's dewar's daughterā¦they know her from beforeā¦at one time she often visited with Aatya when she was a childā¦
Hmmm Nakusha tried to show her disinterestā¦.
She is a very good painter and it is said she is trained in a place called Paris where big big painters get trainedā¦.
Oh I seeā¦..
I also heard she had enrolled for the Miss India contest and got selected for the final round but then Aatya ko khabar mil gayi and she was mad, our family girls don't participate in such contests, Kareena had to pull outā¦..
Oh such a loss for Indiaā¦Nakusha mockedā¦.remembering the tall figure, slim with sharp features wearing well cut trousers ā¦..
Hmmmm ā¦.Kanta finished making the bed and then went to the door, before opening the door she called out once againā¦.Nakushaā¦.err I thought I will let you knowā¦.I heard from reliable sources that this time Aatya brought Kareena so that Bhau Sahib and she can meetā¦.Aatya wants to put forward her proposal to Raja Sahibā¦..
So? Nakusha got irritatedā¦.
Errr nothing, Kanta went out shutting the door behind herā¦..
Jab se ayi hai, tabh se chipki baithi hai and now also they are togetherā¦.koi aram se baath bhi nehi kar saktaā¦Nakusha crossed over to the caf where Kala was waiting for herā¦..
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