Hi Friends!
It was an early Spring morning in the valley. A thick blanket of dense fluffy white covered the verdant hills of the Nilgiris forming an illusion which slowly dissipated as the Sun came up, just like a pleasant dream that dissolves and fades despite desperate attempts to latch on.
A cool breeze pregnant with moisture blew in through the wide open windows of the large villa with the whitewashed stucco walls and the red tile rooftops.
Madhu stretched in her bed--long, lazy and limber. It was nice to be home at last and out of the hot and humid climes of Chennai. And this time she was back for good. At least till she could figure out what she was going to do next with her life. For now, she was going to relax, take it easy and get reacquainted with her past.
She got out of bed and ambled over to the window and gazed out at what remained of the beautiful vista that had greeted her every morning for as long as she could remember.
The Serenity Tea Estate was among the oldest and largest in Coonoor. It had been a part of Madhu's family, the Bharawaj's, for several decades. From what she'd been told, in order to escape the furor and violence that had erupted in the northern territories during the country's partition in 1947, her grandfather had relocated to the south where the situation was much calmer. After procuring the tea plantation, he had invested his entire wealth in it and nurtured it with great love. It had prospered, producing some of the finest tea in the land, as well as provided livelihood to the several families who worked on it.
But times were changing. The nouveau riche that the country was breeding in plenty, wanted to seize everything in sight and convert it into residential and commercial real estate. Many of their neighbors had succumbed to temptation, sold their properties at premium prices and moved away, leading to a profusion of brand new construction that blocked Madhu's view.
Madhu's father, Jai Bharadwaj, was among the few remaining proud and stubborn plantation owners who had resisted. But the pressure was mounting. Production was down. Several workers had quit for greener pastures. The house and land was mortgaged to the hilt, forcing him to sell a few hectares in order to break even last year. Madhu knew it was just a matter of time before their home wouldn't be theirs anymore. She wished she could help but had no clue how.
She sighed, turning away from the window, "I'll worry about it later. Right now I need some garama garam (piping hot) chai!"
Wrapping her shawl snugly around her shoulders, she raced through a long open corridor and burst into the large living area startling her mother Kiran, who happened to be deeply engrossed in the painstaking task of shelling peas.
A steel bowl dropped to the floor with a loud clatter. Fortunately it was empty.
"Madhu!" Kiran said in a stern tone.
"Sorry ma! I just couldn't wait to wish you a very good morning!" Her daughter said, throwing her arms around her shoulders.
Read the rest here: http://www.wattpad.com/myworks/33021200-milan-a-wedding-story-rm-version
