RaBir FF - Recasting the Princess CH 11 pg8 03/12

RaBir FF: Recasting the Princess

Re.cast*

1. To Mold Again

2. To set down or present (ideas for example) in a new or different arrangement

3. To change the cast or role of an actor

*(Definition courtesy of The Free Dictionary)

Obviously, none of you have come here for a vocabulary lesson, but it was this one little word that served as the inspiration for my next FF - or should I say the continuation of my story.

Basically the premise of this new tale is what could happen if circumstances beyond one's control unwittingly present you with a life do-over. Would you choose to take a totally different path, or inherently, will destiny lead you back to the track you were fated to travel?

For anyone picking up this story without reading my first two FF, here is a brief synopsis on who you will meet in this story. Unless otherwise denoted, the characters are from the serial: Sapne Suhane Ladakpan Ke centered around Kabir and Rachna, along with a few new ones of my own creation thrown in.

The Tripathis:

Daadi: Kabir's paternal grandmother, who has lived for her grandson who she affectionately refers to as "Nanhe" Sprightly despite her advance aged, and not beyond scheming for the greater good.

Kabir Tripathi: Renowned Fashion Designer; his brusque disposition hides a heart of gold. His family is originally from Banaras, but left after scandal and tragedy befell them. Raised by his paternal grandmother, in the United States (New York); Kabir returned back to India at the behest of his Daadi who wanted to spend her last days in the country of her birth. His life was turned upside down when he encountered his young neighbor, and college student: Rachna Garg.

Rachna Tripathi: The Former Rachna Garg, now a fashion designer in her own right, but before this, a devoted wife and mother and bahu: The simple obedient daughter of Dayal and Shail Garg, who enchanted the cosmopolitan Kabir Tripathi when she came to intern at KT Creations.

*Aryia Tripathi: Kabir and Rachna's first born: a precocious toddler who counts amongst her favorite things: her book: Lord Khadoos and the Princess Next Door; her Pari and her Jayjay, but none more so than her Mama and Papa.

+Sanjay Arora: Kabir and Rachna's five year old ward whom they initially had been deceived into believing was actually Kabir's biological son by his former fiance - Affectionately known as Jayjay.

+Baby Tripathi: At the end of A Cast of Characters, Rachna was a couple of weeks from delivering her second child. Was it the Boy they were hoping for or had another Girl joined the family? Read on for more details.

The Gargs:

Dayal & Shail Garg: Parents of Rachna who are a perfect foil for one another. The eldest of the Garg brothers: Dayal is a stern disciplinarian with a traditional outlook on life. A stoic man, thankfully Shail is the perfect foil to her husband, loving her children without fault.

Prabhu &Seema Garg: The second of the Garg Brothers and his wife: parents of Mayank Garg.

Gopal & Sangeeta Garg: The youngest of the Garg Brothers and his wife: parents of Doulo

Mayank & Gunjan Garg: The eldest son of the Gargs, married to the highly independent Gunjan. The couple is highly devoted to each other and is thus far, childless by choice.

The Agarwals:

Rajeev Agarwal: Beloved Hockey Coach of SVC College. Instrumental in getting Kabir and Rachna to confess their feelings for each other, he has been a good friend to Kabir especially. Serious and disciplined, he was probably as surprised as many when he found his life-partner in Naomi, Rachna's unconventional best friend from university.

*Naomi Agarwal: Became fast friends with Rachna in the UK after Rachna enrolled in a student exchange program for one term. Naomi did the same and enrolled at SVC College for a semester. Her modelling career took off after Kabir decided to use her for a new campaign. Fate had her returning to Banaras, where a chance meeting with Rachna's former hockey coach, who had recently returned to Banaras and SVC College, completely changed her life. Quirky, outspoken, but a fierce and loyal friend, both the Tripathis and Garg s consider her one of their own and their very own Pari.

+Twin Girls Agarwal: Like Rachna, Naomi was in the latter stages of her much unplanned pregnancy, but she had the benefit of learning that she was having the daughters her husband had wished for.

*Character introduced in Hennaed Hands

+Character introduced in RaBir FF A Cast of Characters

Prologue

Pratima sat across the desk from her boss, on his direction to take a seat. Anxiously she waited while he reached into his desk drawer to extract the documents and, as a last step to the process, reviewed the portfolios of the potential candidates. She looked down, referring to her own list; not only was this to be a test for the college students vying for an internship, but also the chance for the relatively new PA to make a favorable impression. She would prove her worth if she managed some commonality between the shortlisted candidates he would choose to interview versus the ones she believed would be a good fit for the design house. In this, they would know if her competencies in sussing out talent that would best suit the company direction, and more specifically that her understanding of her employer's way of thinking, had grown. Neither expected perfection at this point, but at least for there to have been some progress. Especially now, when he had become more reliant of his staff, Pratima didn't want to disappoint.

She took the opportunity of his attention being on his task to stare at him in open admiration - like so many of her peers she was a huge fan of the man.

Kabir Tripathi: he was amazing in so many ways, not least of all because he was one of India's premier fashion designers, but also because of how decent of a person he truly was. The young woman smiled to herself; like most of his staff their boss' good nature hadn't been immediately apparent to her, but she soon had to come know that beneath the stern facade was an employer who cared about, and treated his staff as if they were family. His high expectations of his staff was equally matched by his empathy for those in his employ and because of this, now that that he was going through such a difficult time, every last one of them were putting their very best foot forward to help his work to go as smoothly as possible. And although new to the company, Pratima was no different.

Kabir stole a look at his watch; he had less than thirty minutes remaining here in the office, as he needed to get back home in time to meet with the physiotherapist before he concluded today's session. The critical two month period was over, after which the therapist had indicated, he would be better able to determine the long term prognosis of his patient. The pending news had had Kabir on edge all day, and had resulted in a massive lack of concentration. Turning his attention back to the two stacks of applications that he should have handled before now, the designer glanced at his online calendar. Based on the number of interviews he would conduct, he determined that two days from now would have to do for the interviews. He knew it to be short notice, but if the applicants were as keen as they indicated in their flowery submissions, then they would find the time to attend. However, as he still didn't feel that he had given the presentations his complete attention, he would need to take them with him. This afternoon, after his meeting he would definitely make the time to give each of them their due consideration. His final decision would have to wait a little longer.

"Pratima, I'm sorry, but I'm just not ready to make my final choices, and now unfortunately..."

The young woman shook her head; she was well aware of her boss' schedule and that he needed to return home. "Call me KT when you are ready. I will come by and collect..."

Kabir appreciated the young woman's accommodating nature, but declined her offer. She was busy enough with everything else she had to do, to waste travelling time simply due to his tardiness. "Thank you Pratima, but that won't be necessary. I can manage sending an email with the list of names and their contact details, let's say, no later than 2:00PM, which should leave sufficient time for you to reach out to the shortlisted applicants to schedule their interviews. I have an open block in two days," he concluded, before smiling appreciatively at the eager young woman. "Tomorrow we will compare our lists; although I'm certain, that we will be of one accord once I provide the names this afternoon."

Pratima nodded, thankful for his confidence in her. Ten minutes later she handed him his jacket and briefcase containing the portfolios and watched as he dashed to make his next critical appointment.

************

"Surely what you are suggesting is not feasible so soon...are you certain that she can do without it now? What if she tires; what then..."

Daadi smugly approached her grandson utilizing the newly fitted forearm crutches.

"Should I tire Nanhe, then I will find the closest seat and avail myself of it. Is that clear, beta?"

She for one was glad to see the back of the collapsible wheelchair that her personal torturer had now folded up in preparation of taking it with him. She was bolstered by the progress she had made, and would not allow her grandson's worry to take away from her accomplishments.

"Beta," she began, "Didn't you insist on the very best so that I could fully recover? Well, let this serve as proof that you found the very best person for the job. You should be thanking Dr. Bully for his expertise, not second guessing him. Today is a good day."

The therapist raised one eyebrow at the moniker his elderly patient had given him, and then turned back to her apprehensive grandson. "She is right and you should be very proud of her progress. Daadi will only get stronger as she becomes more mobile, so this is the natural progression in her therapy. However I would like to reiterate that for now, she should avoid the staircase, so it's still the lower bedroom for you Daadi...I insist."

Kabir nodded, realizing that Daadi must have inadvertently spilled her plans of returning to her upstairs suite to the physio. He thanked the man and then walked him out. He would be back in two days for Daadi's next session. Listening to the tapping of the crutches on the tile floor behind him, Kabir made a mental note to reiterate to both the nurse and the house staff to keep a close eye on Daadi when he was away from home. About to shut the door, Kabir paused when his harried assistant called out to him as she rushed up to the home's entrance: a portfolio in hand.

"KT Sir," she called frantically.

He was certain that he had collected all of the Intern applications, but since he wasn't infallible, he invited the young woman in.

"KT this arrived shortly after you left the office, I figured you would want to consider it along with the others before you schedule the appointments."

Already shaking his head, Kabir answered, "I'm sorry you felt the need to come all this way, but no. The deadline for applications has passed, and this was succinctly detailed on the notices sent out to SVC."

"Yes, but..."

"Nahi Pratima, no exceptions - if this student couldn't see clear to meet the requisite closing date, then..."

The PA interjected, "It's not from a student; I mean to say, it's not from a current student. But she did attend SVC and...please Sir, just take one look."

Not understanding what could have caused the young woman to become so excitable, Kabir grabbed the portfolio impatiently and opened it. His eyes sidestepped the cover letter instantly drawn to the sketch immediately behind it. Right away, he recognized the skill, the style, and for that matter, the design itself, and hastily he turned for the work-shop not far from the home's front entrance.

There was a single worker there, busy referencing a nearby design-board as she pinned trimming onto a fabric draped mannequin. She looked up when the door swung open and greeted Kabir; puzzled when, so occupied by whatever he held in his hand, he failed to acknowledge her. Arpita watched as he untacked the detailed sketch she had been working with and replaced it with one he removed from the folder in his hands.

"Come here Arpita...Please," Kabir asked tentatively, needing confirmation that what he was seeing was true and not wishful thinking on his part.

Confused, Arpita obeyed and when she did, Kabir handed her the Banaras Beauty design.

"Tell me what you see," he asked.

He waited while the design assistant looked from one rendering to the other, and back again. There were subtle differences between the professionally executed sketch, and the rudimentary black and white sketch which hung in its place, but there was no mistaking the similarities either.

"It's her design," Arpita responded incredulously.

"Haan...she's drawing again," Kabir uttered softly, before hailing his PA, who he was certain had followed him. "Pratima, when you call, give her the final interview available, and then make sure to clear my schedule for the remainder of the day. Cancel everything: no matter what it is."

"Yes Sir," She replied, accessing her boss' calendar on her tablet, before walking out and dialing the contact telephone number she had immediately noted after she had received the portfolio.

By this time, Daadi had caught up to her grandson. "Nanhe: what is it; what is going on?"

Chapter 1:

No description would ever exist that could do justice to moments like this, Naomi thought, as she stared into the bright eyes of her daughter. Earnestly, the slighter of the twins took in the sustenance that had her thriving, and rapidly catching up her sister in size. Breathing deeply, Naomi smiled at her beautiful child, who, today had patiently waited her turn to be fed - "Or perhaps Tanvi beta, your Mummy realizing that she doesn't have to be a superwoman, is making life a lot smoother for all of us." Her daughter stopped suckling right at that moment almost as if contemplating her mother's words before closing her heavy lashed eyes for a second and then fixating once again on the face that was the center of her young existence. Naomi chuckled softly, and continued enjoying the special bonding time with her youngest daughter. Now that she and her sister, as well as mummy, had gotten the hang of latching and nursing effectively to ensure that both little girls were getting sufficient nourishment, things had become a lot easier. Soon Naomi would attempt using the twin nursing pillow her mother had sent her for the sake of efficiency: well maybe, but for now she enjoyed connecting with each little girl individually when she breastfed them. Eventually speeding up their nursing would be a needed time saver, but she knew it wouldn't be a process they would utilize for every feeding. For one she knew that Rajeev cherished the time he spent with his daughters during the bottle feedings that they were supplementing the late-nights with. It too cut the feeding time in half and without a doubt, the extra rest Naomi got when her husband fed the babies was a God-send. Yet when Tanvi reached up and rest her small hand on her mother's exposed chest, Naomi's heart melted for the umpteenth time today, and she rethought the whole idea - nothing could be better than this one-on-one closeness, she determined.

When she heard a soft rap on the door, Naomi looked up, and automatically reached for the cloth diaper to cover herself and the baby before she called for the person to enter. She smiled in greeting at the domestic helper her mother-in-law had arranged for her.

"Is it that late already Chanda," Naomi asked, thinking that the she had lost track of time, and that the young woman was letting her know that she was leaving for the day.

"Nahi Madam Ji, not yet, I just wanted to let you know that Rachna has come back."

"Oh... please ask her to come in."

Right away, Naomi got worried. She hoped Ra hadn't come back to continue their argument.

************

Leaving her packages outside of the nursery Rachna checked that her dupatta covered her hair completely before she entered the nursery. She sent a small smile to the green-eyed woman who sat in the comfortable nursing chair. She noticed the small movement under the cloth and smiled, when Naomi removed it and began cooing an apology to the baby who clearly had not appreciated her line of sight being disrupted. Rachna closed the door, though apparently not quietly enough, as in the bassinet next to the chair Naomi sat in, a pair of little arms began flailing, and then plaintive crying began filling the room, at the sound of the door being shut. Sensing that the little one being fed was not quite done, Rachna rushed to help the new mother out; first visiting the attached bathroom to wash her hands and then gathering the other little girl into her arms, and patting the distressed baby gently on her back.

For a moment she had to close her eyes against the sting of tears for what she could never have, but then comprehending that her stress could transfer to the baby, Rachna took a deep breath and focused on settling the almost three month old baby.

"Hello again Lalita, do you want to tell Aunty what you have done since this morning," she asked the dainty infant.

Naomi looked up from switching Tanvi to the other side. Considering that both little girls were the spitting image of each other, and also dressed exactly alike today, it amazed her that Rachna had identified them correctly, again, but then again this was Ra, her closest friend: of course she should, right? In spite of everything, deep down, their connection was still there, so of course it would extend to her daughters. It was things like this that gave Naomi hope.

"You haven't come to disagree with me some more, have you Ra?"

"Not at the moment; not in here anyway, I would be breaking the law if I did," Rachna responded indicating her compliance of the house rules that the nursery was to be a complete calm zone.

A wry expression came over Naomi's face. "In that case, I suggest we restrict all of your visits to the nursery then."

Rachna grinned, she really liked Naomi and she knew the feeling was mutual. Of all of Gunjan's friends - the bunch of new mothers that she had met in the last couple of months - Rachna felt a special affinity for Naomi. It was funny, especially since Naomi was the only foreigner in the group: one would think that they would have the least in common, but that hadn't been the case at all. In fact perhaps this was exactly what made it easier for their friendship to take off as it had. Naomi, being further removed from her situation somehow made it easier for Rachna to share with her, and the two had become fast friends. And even though Rachna could never fathom that someone like Rajeev Sir would ever choose someone like her... there was no denying how much the stern coach and the vivacious young woman loved each other. It was enviable: their love, and one day Rachna really hoped to get the full story of how these two unlikely souls connected. Thus far her queries had been met with secretive smiles and glances, and mutterings of it being destiny, which only intrigued her even more.

"So you are back again," Naomi asked, pulling Rachna out of her musings. "You haven't come back to try to hand me back my cheque are you? If you have..."

"Nahi," Naomi. "It's too late anyway, since I've used a fair bit of it already."

Naomi's mouth formed a perfect o, and then she closed her it, speechless at the complete turnabout Rachna had made. She nodded satisfied. "Good. Hopefully you've realized your worth..."

"You can't understand how much your faith in me means. In fact ... Naomi what you did helped me come to a big decision, and I wanted to come back to let you know and to thank you."

***********

It had been exceptionally hot that day two weeks ago: far too extreme for the twins to be outdoors for any real length of time, so Naomi had invited Rachna over for the day. The babies had just gone back to sleep which meant now was the ideal time for the two women to relax. They had gone to the lounge where they had chatted about all and sundry: from the mundane to the ridiculous. During the conversation, Naomi pretended not to notice when Rachna's attention kept going back the flier on the coffee table. It had been just the reaction she wanted from Rachna, so finally she broached the subject.

"That seems like a fabulous opportunity for the students; did they have anything like that when you were at SVC, Ra?"

It pained Naomi to see the blankness on her friend's face as she sought some recollection, but she waited in silence for Ra's answer.

"Not that I can recall," she finally said. "But I would have liked have participated in something like this," she said of the internship opportunity.

"So designing is still your passion then," Naomi coaxed.

Rachna had nodded; this detail she had at least she retained, although for the life of her she couldn't remember the last time she had attempted anything.

"Great, then you're hired. I need an anniversary outfit, and I think you should make it for me."

"Wait..what.."

"You will have plenty of time, but I want something truly stunning; something that will remind Rajeev that I'm his wife and not just a mum now - you know something that will have him remembering what he first saw in me."

"I don't think that's a problem you have to worry about," Rachna responding, extoling the evident love Naomi's husband had for her. She shook her head, not sure if she was up to Naomi's expectations. Her new friend wouldn't hear it. Before she knew what was happening, the young mother had got up and left the room, returning minutes later with a sketch pad and some pencils, that she placed in front of Rachna.

"I'm more into working on the computer, but occasionally I do like to sketch a bit," she offered by way of explanation. "So, Rachna Garg, let's see what you can come up with."

They had talked a bit more, a seemingly innocuous conversation in Naomi's view, but there was definitely a reason behind it as from it a design had taken shape. Once she began drafting, Rachna fell silent, ignoring everything around her as all of her innate talent surfaced, evolving from her thoughts into an amazing design. What she came up with was such a departure from anything Naomi had seen from Rachna. It was absolutely delectable; the fresh contemporary design suiting Naomi's personality to a tee. When she could finally speak, Naomi had looked at Rachna in complete awe.

"Maybe the overlay skirt is a bit too much," Rachna pondered after she turned the pad over to Naomi.

"No it's not...Oh Rachna," Naomi whispered, "I so need this dress."

Naomi could not tear her eyes away from the design. All she had wanted was for Rachna to take a shot at sketching again; that's all. Frankly she had absolutely no idea where she would ever wear this over-the-top confection, but she wanted it so badly.

"Please say you will...please."

"Yes," Rachna agreed, feeling for the first time in a while, that she had a purpose. And that day when she left for home, she had taken the drawing and the flier with her, as well as a bit of her former confidence with her.

Everything had been fine until earlier today, when on completion of the gown Naomi had presented Rachna payment in return for the finished designer dress. Rachna had refused, especially when she saw the outrageous amount that Naomi was offering.

"Get over it Rachna, you are a professional, and worth every penny; so again- get over it."

"Does Rajeev know..."

Furious that Rachna would even try that tactic, Naomi snapped, "Don't even go there, Rachna Tr...," Naomi stopped - catching herself just in time from calling Rachna by her married name. She started again, "Bringing Rajeev into this...well that is not allowed - a total no-fly zone. I am paying for my dress, not my husband."

They had gone back and forth, until the twins began fussing, and Naomi had to attend them.

Rachna had departed reluctantly with the cheque in her purse and a lot on her mind. Yes, Naomi was over-the-top, but the young mother was also smart and honest to a fault, not to mention that she had great personal style and a high quality wardrobe to match. Maybe she had a point... maybe Rachna needed to believe in herself some more.

************

"I've decided to take the bull by the horn, and pursue a dream."

"Thik hai, Rachna," Naomi had answered in complete support for whatever it was that her friend had resolved to do. She waited for Rachna to continue.

"I have a confession to make, Naomi. I had such a good time working on your dress that I decided, at the last minute to send in an application to KT Creations. I wasn't even sure if they would accept it as it was after the deadline, but I got a call yesterday for an interview."

Naomi's eyes widened at this unanticipated bit of news, especially since Rachna had never brought up the internship subject again.

"...I told them no," Rachna finished.

"What," Naomi exclaimed, instantly shutting her mouth when Tanvi startled. "Ra," she whispered in exasperation.

"But after I left here this morning, I thought that perhaps I had underestimated myself: that maybe I do have the talent to make my way as a designer, so I called them back, ready to beg for another chance... and they said yes, Naomi. "

Rachna came back to the bassinet and laid a now settled Lalita in it, next to her sister, who had just been placed there by her mother.

"I was thrilled that they had overlooked my initial refusal, and then I realized that I had to wow them, and that meant... well I had some extra funds on hand so I went shopping for a great interview outfit, but before that..."

Naomi watched as Rachna reached for her head covering. Ever since she had been released from hospital, Rachna hadn't been without her dupatta, and the fact that she was about to remove it meant that something momentous had happened. The veil slipped off her head, and Rachna waited for a reaction that hopefully she hadn't made the biggest misstep of her life.

"Do you like it? I figured that I may as well be bold. It will take a life time for the new growth to get anywhere near its original length, but at least it has grown to almost cover the scarring from the incision. So what do you think?"

Naomi blinked rapidly, knowing that even that wouldn't stop her tears. As she expected, Rachna looked back at her strangely, and there was no way she could logically explain her reaction. They had almost lost Rachna in the accident, and life had changed immeasurably for her ever since, but finally it seemed her friend was taking the steps to regain some semblance of a normal life, if not exactly her old one. Naomi for one was extremely grateful.

"It's only hair, Naomi," Rachna said, even though the woman's reaction had her concerned.

"Residual hormones," Naomi answered shakily. She approached Rachna, and walked around her. The asymmetrical bob hairstyle was awesome, the layers framed her face drawing attention to her eyes, making the chocolate doe-shaped orbs appear even larger and even more striking. As Rachna said, the cut camouflaged the not yet faded evidence of the emergency surgery she had needed to save her life; far more than the noticeable length difference that had the young woman concealing her hair for so long.

"Whoever the stylist is; they are a genius. I so love it Rachna. You are gorgeous my friend."

Rachna beamed. "Thank you. So anyway, after this, I decided to go shopping, you know for a fabulous outfit or two to match my modern haircut. It was fun," she concluded.

"Well...Where are they Ra," Naomi asked impatiently, anxious to see how Rachna had made out.

************

"You're wrong Sir, you have an amazing wife. I couldn't ask for a better friend, and again, this was all of my doing: completely my decision."

Rajeev glanced from the driver's seat over at his passenger. Even now Rachna would bear nothing wrong said against Naomi, but all the same he knew that his wife, an eternal busybody, had had her hand in this. Still, it was a relief that Rachna owned to having made these choices on her volition, and not regretting the drastic changes he thought she had been coerced into making.

He had immediately become concerned, when he had come home to find Naomi had Rachna trying on outfit after outfit and offering suggestions on accessories for them. And while it was an absolute relief to have her back in good health, and enthusiastic about life, he didn't want her rushing into things she wasn't ready for yet, at his wife's insistence. Whereas his wife blatantly ignored his worry, unsurprisingly, Rachna picked up how perturbed he was that Naomi could be unduly influencing his former student. She had rushed to inform him of her pending interview tomorrow as the reason for the changes. Once he had gotten over the shock that his former student had lopped off most of her hair, he had to admit that Rachna did look amazing; admittedly her transformation, and especially her confidence, had been good to see today. He would still query exactly how the designer had managed to get hold of that internship flier when he returned home though. Now though Rachna awaited his response.

"In that case, I am very happy for you Rachna, and hope you have a good interview tomorrow. And yes," he conceded, "Naomi is very special," he added as he drove up to the Garg residence.

*********

In front of her home, Rachna waved goodbye to Rajeev Sir as he pulled away. A few weeks ago she would have been worried that her Sir would be harsh with Naomi on his return home, but now, as she had come to know how much he adored his wife- not so much. Once he got back, Sir would probably forget all of his concerns, in his happiness of just being home with his wife and daughters. Home was definitely a slice of heaven on earth for the Agarwals, Rachna surmised.

Home - just the word should have made her feel good as well, but her smile faded a little when she turned to go inside her own, and again, she wondered why it felt so odd to be here; almost like this wasn't where she should be. It made no sense at all, but she could not shake the unsettling feeling. It was yet another cryptic sensation that she had experienced ever since being released from the hospital. Nothing felt right about her current situation Rachna thought as she opened the door.

"Mama you come home! I miss you Mama!"

The little voice that greeted Rachna when she entered was yet another enigma that needed resolving, but this one she would gladly delay, she thought as she dropped to her knees to greet her niece who had excitedly run to her. She had given up trying to get Aryia to call her Aunty, and had allowed the sweet little girl her way. After all if Gunjan didn't have an issue with it than why should she? In hindsight though, her sister had her hands full with the new baby; the little boy who looked so much like his older sister.

"Come here Mama, baby crying."

Rachna looked up and saw that indeed the infant was fussing. As usual, her normally capable sister appeared close to tears herself, and Rachna automatically told her to stay put, and went to the baby instead. As she changed his diaper, she worried about her sister. Gunjan seemed constantly unable to cope with the children: the baby in particular, and Rachna wondered, not for the first time, if she should speak to Mummy about it.

"Thank you Rachna," Gunjan whispered helplessly, when she had come to her rescue, yet again. "I'll just get his bottle ready," she added as she walked towards the kitchen. There, Aunt Shail was already warming up the infant formula for her grandson. She looked up in question when Gunjan entered and smiled when the younger woman sent a thumb's up signal to her. Their plan to get Rachna to spend quality time with her own children was still working for now.

In the next room, Rachna held the swaddled infant close to her chest. "Hush Piyush beta; it's okay...calm down," Rachna tutted, as she began walking the son she had forgotten, around the room. Tomorrow, she thought, tomorrow she would decide what to do about Gunjan's unnatural behavior. It would have to be addressed especially should she have a successful interview, Rachna thought as she worried for both children's welfare in her absence.