For the love of
“You should just let them choose instead of finding someone wealthy she said” Anubha took off her earrings and set them carefully in a velvet case
“What did you say”
“I told her, I am not entitled to give you wealth advice you should not give me advice on how to manage my daughters” Anubha smiled as she looked at Akash through the dresser mirror
He burst out laughing
“Sahi kaha na maine? Unke do? Bete hain? Teen? Hain? I don’t know… she doesn’t know what its like to have female children. We are not billionaires so I should shut up in that department”
Akash was rolling on the bed, almost drooling, in uncontrollable laughter
“You did not like her?”
“Mere… sorry mujhe like karne ka hate karne ka mauka nahi mila, who shuru se hi judgmental lagin mujhe”
“I doubt it’s a class thing Anubha”
“Whatever it was… I LOVE my daughters… I will not entertain any unsolicited advice” Anubha smiled with conviction “They can choose what they like for their own happiness… We both agreed on that the day we had Viveka. Tabhi shaayad she is the full essence of it… her mental strength,strong intellect, and love of grassroots activism” Anubha smiled with pride
“She probably would have wanted our pockets checked” Akash said thoughtfully
He was NOT a judgmental man, Anubha knew that. For him to say such a serious statement was very telling
“Who aapki behen ka ghar hai, she cant order a pocket check”she smiled
“Savi ka ghar itna bada hai… socho UNKA ghar kitna bada hoga…aur KIDHAR hoga?
“Maine to suna… Aurangazeb Rd, Prithviraj Rd type mein haiunka ghar”
“Arey baap rey”
“Kamal Bhaisaab keh rahe the… last year le liya aur sab alagalag countries mein they… to poora saal renovation mein lagaya”
“Aur yahan tum kitchen granite waale ke kaam ko slow batarahi ho”
They both had another hearty laugh
“Achha yeh batao, Naina ne Alok ke liye kuch kaha?”
“Oh? The guy that came over two nights ago?”
“Hmm… aur kaun?”
“Nahi mujhe laga… sorry I am confused… she was chasing aftera man in Savi’s house… all woozy and giggly” Anubha sighed
“Who? Who… pata nahi kaun hai” Akshan yawned
“Teen baj gaye hain… chaliye sotey hain” she yawned and smiledgetting up to go change
“Viveka kidhar thi? Saari shaam nahi mili mujhe”
“Aur kidhar Savi ki library mein… I doubt even THEY read orknow about the books they own” Anubha opened the attached bathroom door andturned
“Yoon hi hai bhai… ameeron ko JODNE ka shauq hai… istemal kanahi” he sighed
“She would happily live there… if they threw a couch… orwahan to hai hi… chaar paanch leather couches… in one of those”
“They are so pretentious in what they have” Akash mumbled
“Karna padta hoga Akash… they have to live up to the Mehtasand Sharmas… and whatever” she giggled
“Behen hai meri… I love her to bits… but they could verywell live in an apartment and bank the Rs100 crores”
“They probably have that much or twice that much in thebank, so why should they do that?” Anubha changed and brushed her teeth andreturned, hitting the bedside lamp with a groan
“HE IS SO HOT” Naina gasped and giggled
Viveka crouched in her favorite cane papasan chair with aoversized orange cushion, her arms wrapped around her knees… her floral cottonnightie, wrapped over her toes…
“I think sabko pata lag gaya tum dono mein kuch hai”
“WHO? Who knows… who told you?” Naina panicked pulling onher tiny N pendant
“Nobody… I think the people that were there”
“How do u know, teen baar to tum mujhe library mein dikhi”
“I have EYES” Viveka giggled
“OK… OK… His name is INDER” she shut her eyes and playeddead
“Ok…..”
After playing dead for a few minutes she sat up when Viveka didn’tlook up from the original manuscript Kamal Fa had let her bring home
“You think that’s a stupid name?” Naina accused
“No… I think it’s a normal name” she looked up from her book
“Seriously? ITS NOT” “I think it’s a Punjabi name” Nainagushed
“To?”
“Yeh book Fa keg har mein saalon se hain tum AB lekar aayiho?”
“Arghh… did you know Brits took ONE THIRD of the freakingproduce as rent” Viveka looked deeply engrossed and shaken
“Ok… whatever… did you think he was good looking?” Naina was a one trick pony
“I cannot even imagine how it must have been to be a impoverished farmer”
“OK its really late if u don’t want to talk about Inder I am going to bed” Naina huffed
“I think he was OK…. Sorry… Ma ko kya kahogi? What about Alok?” “Does Dad know?” Viveka asked 10 questions
“I DON’T want an arranged marriage…. I am… I don’t” Naina smiled proudly
“Sheesh… KEH to deti Ma se” Viveka looked at her sister sympathetically
“WILL YOU?” Pleez… pleez” Naina fell at her feet laughing and begging hands joined in prayer
Viveka laughed hysterically at how she prostrated herself spontaneously
“Get off me…. Girl…. Get up” she whispered as the sisters giggled
“”PLEEEZ.. promise me”
“Whoaaa… whoa… are you already in love? With this umm..”
“INDER INDER… I-N-D-E-R” Naina coached
“You love the name”
“I LOVE HIM” Naina shut her eyes and spoke dreamily
Viveka shook her head… “Pphsh”
“TUMHE koi nahi mila?”
“No” Viveka smiled tapping her sister’s cheeks, having no recollection of Raanav Parashar
“Well… you need to stop being so nerdy” Naina ordered
“Give up everything I love so I can please a man?”
“You love ECONOMICS… its not like you love Prada…” Naina rolled her eyes
“That’s like PRADA to me”
“Chalo FAB INDIA” Naina smiled
“I cannot give up economics or fab India”
“Just look around… I bet a ton of cute guys checked you out
“I am not sad or upset” Viveka shrugged happily
“I KNOW U are not” Naina looked at her sister admiringly
Viveka was vivacious and fearless… and killer smart
“Will you please?” Naina begged
“OH I get it… you sucked up so I would” Viveka laughed
“NO… NO…. NO… I mean… pleeez… BTW did you see the guys Piyush was exchanging those muscled tees with?” Naina jumped to another topic
The girls stayed up until 6 and went to bed
In the morning, Anubha found Naina and Viveka in Viveka’s bed with Naina’s ipad and Viveka’s book in between them
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