Oh bless this concept just brings tears to the eyes. Read to refresh my memory. It has been so long, hope I am able to do justice to the update.
Chapter 4
Kalpi stealthily walks back into her home... Tiptoeing... Not wanting to wake her sleeping parents. Crumpling the note she had left behind as she prepares for bed. Unable to sleep, she tosses and turns. Finally giving up any pretense of sleep, Kalpi rests on her back and stares at the ceiling. Hope rekindled, feeling content, she falls asleep thinking, "somebody believes me... Believes in me." Her heart sounds out his name with happiness, "ragav... Ragav... He believes in me."
Crumpling the note Kalpi had written last night, teary eyed, Kamla throws it into the fire and busies herself preparing breakfast. Once vithal leaves for work, she walks over to a sleeping Kalpi... With a sad smile she caresses her head softly, tearing up as she thinks of the turns life had taken... Will take.
Walking back to the kitchen, kamla stops in front of the small temple, hands folded, head slightly bowed down, she silently thanks God that her daughter came back.
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Kalpi sits on the landing, watching people hustling about with a purpose... A goal. Smiling sadly she recollect similar days... Where she would rush off to university... The excitement she had as she thought of how she would fulfil her parents dreams.
Sitting up, she thinks, "I need to change this. So what if I can't finish my studies... I need to find new dreams. I have to be strong. I have done nothing wrong."
Walking up to her aai, who is busy packing lunch tiffins, Kalpi asks, "aai, can I join you? Can I help?" Smiling, kamla hands her an empty tiffin and says, "yes of course hunny."
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Sudhir Singhania watches his son with a slight frown. Shaking his head, he thinks, "I need to do something. This is eating my son inside out."
Oblivious to the worry his father has, Ragav continues in an enraged tone, as he paces to and fro, "can you believe it, dad! The university expelled her. Expelled her!" He yells, repeating the words. "My God. Loosing a rape suit is no grounds for being expelled. They cannot play with her future like this." He ends up saying, getting all riled up.
"Son, sit down. All this pacing is giving me a headache,"'Sudhir says. Waiting for Ragav to sit, he then continues, "okay let us list out all the new issues that have risen."
Leaning forward, Ragav starts itemising the issues, "one... Harassment from the neighbours... From people. Two... She has been expelled from university, it's her final year. Three... It is too late for her to apply to other universities. She nearly ran away from home."
Surprised, Sudhir asks, "and how do up I know this?" Perplexed, Ragav asks, "know what dad?" "That she nearly ran away from home," he replies. Sheepishly, Ragav replies, "I have asked Akash to keep an eye on her and report to me directly."
Sudhir looks at his son with wonder, thinking, "does Ragav really think it is so easy to fix everything." Sighing deeply, he asks, "what is it that you have planned to do?"
Ragav replies, "first things first, I want to move her family to our chawl... Away from the harassment."
Raising his eyebrow, Sudhir asks, "do you think that would stop the harassment... The comments... It will not. Time is the only thing that will help. People will forget and eventually leave her in peace."
"But dad," Ragav interrupts. His father shakes his head and says sadly, "it is not the people in that chawl who are the issue... It is the thinking, the attitude of the people all around... Where ever she goes, the story will follow her... This is one of the reasons why I have asked you not to do anything that would attract further media attention on the girl. i know you are saddened that people have chosen to believe the worst... But that is our society... Majority of the people always pulls a person down to their level... Very few will be happy to lift a person up."
Seeing the anguish, the guilt, the frustration in his son's eyes, Sudhir continues, "it is commendable that you want to help... But like I said... Help responsibly. You have given her parents jobs, which is great. But you can't go to the university and demand they reinstate her... Have you thought of the consequences of your action."
Taken aback, Ragav says, "how did you I was planning to do that?" Smiling Sudhir replies, "you are my son. I know you." He then adds, "help her, but don't forget... Your help should not affect her sense of self worth."
Placing his hand on his son's arm, he says softly, "I know you hold yourself partly responsible over her present plight. You want to help by taking away all the negative. you need to let her stay and fight for her respect... She needs to face it, not be sheltered from it. Help her by not solving her problems, but by giving her the option to choose new paths, for her to solve her problems. You are not her solution, you should be her support towards her solution."
"Dad, help me. What should I do?" Ragav asks, "how do I help her?" Sitting back on his chair, Sudhir thinks how to help his son bear this guilt that was suffocating him. He wanted his old son back... Carefree... Cheeky. He asks, "what was she studying?" Ragav replies, "accounting and finance." "Are you in touch with her," Sudhir asks. "No," Ragav replies, "but I can find a way." Standing up, Sudhir says, "Fine. Tell her there is a job opportunity here and that she should apply for the placement and tell Mehta to advertise for the job. I will hold the interviews. You will stay away."
Ragav hugs his father, saying, "thank you." "Ragav," Sudhir calls out, stopping him from leaving the office, "I will only hire her should pass the interview." Nodding, Ragav replies, "of course dad. Thank you for the opportunity by creating a job for her. The rest will be on her merit."
Edited by angelpureness - 10 years ago
Iss Pyaar Ko Kya Naam Doon
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