P&P Part II - Page 14

Nisha, so sorry to hear this.

Hope you are able to cope with this. Cancer is really a monster. 
And really, thank you for sharing your pain here. I’m sure many can relate and help out in easing your pain atleast a little if not completely. 

Different but equal

“she did not know the store opening was this weekend, sorry unko jaana pada” Satyen was extremely apologetic

Rakshit and him had come by for lunch

Anubha had cooked up a storm, Bua and her husband both arrived late, and could not help with anything

Naina realized this thing was indeed happening and so decided to shut herself in her room denying Dadu and Dadi access to it

“Ladka kaahe nahi aaya?” Dadi was dressed in her best silk

“Who bahar hai?”

“Kidhar?”

“Oslo” Anu was still mad at Dadi

Dadi had created a racket the following morning after over Viveka’s telling her off about Anu’s career

She had called Bua and cried and asked to be driven to Bua’s house

Bua had awkwardly declined and Akash had told his mother if you want to leave then it means you reject me as a son

How could Dadi do that

That would end everything right

There is so much spice in being around and continuing to twist the knife she relented and there was a moody silence between her and Viveka

The twins were elated Viveka was likely to marry a celeb of sorts, they didn’t care for business or market share they were just thrilled they were going to see someone famous soon at the engagement or at one of the subsequent ceremonies

Viveka wore a pretty tussar silk saree in mauve with a deep magenta embellished blouse

Anu was heartbroken that Smrita had rejected the Mathurs

It was pretty obvious tho, however smooth Satyen was with his excuse how can any one place a Dubai store opening over her own son’s in-laws?

Ridiculous!!

Rakshit was the quiet one, he answered questions other times he just read through the mountains of magazines

“Have you met his friends?” he asked Viveka when she served appys

“Oh no, not yet” she smiled serving him the pakoras

Satyen was feasting, he needed no encouragement, Anubha tried to dig deep she was a bit agitated with Dadi’s antics and jet lag and feeling a strange anxiety for Viveka’s future

Dadi was nosy she wanted to know “ladke ki Ma ko yaha hona to chahiye”

She must have said it loud and soft like a 100 times

Viveka almost wanted to go shut her up

But Anu warned her not to, Dadi was pretty erratic what if she began to have a loud crying meltdown?

So they had to tread carefully

“Raanav to agle hi mahiney shaadi chahta hai” Satyen spoke with mouthful of gulabjamun

“Chaliye karwa dete hain” Kamal was overjoyed

“Arey kaise karwayenge damaad ji?” Dadi was IN everything

Her husband was quietly looking at and reading about Power Systems in a Business India article

“Ma aap kahen, aapki jo marzi”

“Navratre hain agle mahiney, uske baad dekhenge, aur waha hamar potey ki shaadi hai”

“Anil chachu ke bete ki bhi tay ho gayi shaadi?” BIVEKA poked

“Ek dum mooh phat hai aap sochke karna” Dadi gave it back to her

“VEEV” Anu grit her teeth signaling her to see her in the kitchen

“Arey Ma Harshu ko keh rahin hain” Akash squirmed

“Dono ki saath saath kar dein?”

“Chaliye who bhi theek hai”

Akash hoped he will get some help from his wife

But none came

“Ma he said we can get married wherever I want, I am hoping in our apartment community center shaadi reception everything one evening” she said

“Are you mad?” Anu fried pooris and clattered dishes accidentally

“No Ma”

“Zyaada mazaak nahi” Anu growled

“I am not kidding dude”

“Veev I am sick of hearing the twins say it, stop that”

“Ma I don’t want a big tamasha”

“Just remember if we spend 1 crore a bunch of low income people will get paid”

“First of all you are NOT spending that, secondly, I would rather earn my own money and enable opportunities for the urban poor, thank you”

“Don’t start… main dukhi hoon tumhare naarebaazi se”

Viveka was stunned… and hurt she left the kitchen quietly

Savi Bua was cloyingly sweet to everyone she could not believe HER Bhayya was connected to someone so wealthy now

She punded Naina’s door Satyen became curious

Anu tried to ward her off

Naina opened and pulled Bua in and shut It

Papa told Satyen she was not feeling well

Satyen was not a fool he understood, 

They both were gracious about each others’ skeletons

Papa did not need the humiliation Viveka realized, neither did Ma though what has gotten into her this afternoon, she is being so mean

The twins were playing loud music in their room and it made Rakshit amused

He went in and began talking to them

Satyen summoned her to sit by him and talked for an hour about Mr Nahar and the billionaire friend that he wanted her to really really meet

“Shaadi kab karengi beta aap?” he asked

“Umm.. I don’t know” she blushed

“Raanav to keh rahe hain agle weekend bhi kar lenge”

“Did he?” she laughed trying not to vaporize in embarrassment

Satyen had brough some exquisite hand crafted sarees for her and Anu and Dadi, almost 9

Bua had already laid claim on two, one of which Ma picked first

“Apni betoyon ki shaadi mein bhi MUJHE second choice hi milta hai Akash”

He was not happy either

There was so much going on

So many stressors

Satyen thankfully did not offer to throw a five star wedding

“Aadha kharch hamara hoga bhaisaab, I will not argue on that”

Akash nodded reluctantly

“Main to khush hoon hamare samdhi humse aisi umeed nahi karte” Kamal whispered to Savi Bua in private thankfully

Anu could not believe how some people even thought….

She told Akash

“Hamare Jeejaji apni accounting mein pakke hain tum jaanti ho yeh baat”

“Phir humko bhi nahi lena chahiye”

“Veev mujh par gussa hogi yaar” Akash made a face

“Veev’s activism is not good…. Kitna karti hai… community center mein shaadi?”

Koi baat nahi, you always say that’s not important”

“These [people are hobnobbing with heads of states

“To ab aisa hi ladka pasand aaya hai Veev ko” akash mumbled

Satyen and Viveka were chatting

Rakshit and the twins were discussing music

Dadi snoozed on the sofa

Bua Dadu and Kamalji were chatting in the living room as well

“It seemed so exciting Akash” Anubha was visibly afraid

“Jaanta hoon” he sighed

“Ma aayi nahi, shaadi community center mein Naina kamre mein”

“I offered chai” Viveka came in speaking gloomily

“Haan banata hoon beta” Akash smiled

“I can make” she avoided looking at her mother

Oh no......feel really bad for Anu, jetlagging, dealing w a crazy mother in law, dealing with an unhappy daughter, and getting the cold shoulder from Smrita....🤪  it’s enough to drive anyone nuts.  

Smrita.......your son is already feeling that he cannot imagine anyone else as his wife.  You are going to have a relationship with her no matter what.  

I don’t know about the community hall but Raanav is going to have his hands full dealing with this😊  maybe a runaway marriage?  

"They both were gracious about each others’ skeletons"

👏👏👏

Too many to hold that  it's all going to come out tumbling messy. Frayed emotions, frayed nerves. Anubha is obviously highly strung, anxious on many counts. She feels it more, the rudeness of Naina, Dadi and smrita not helping one bit and so she chews viveka. Satyen brave enough and clear in his head and heart that the right thing must be done .

But in the rudeness scale, Naina is the one tipping past it. You don't do this to your sister, whatever might be the reason for your frustration. You are disappointed in her, or how things are progressing quickly, that's fine, but you don't give up on one another in front of a third party.

Dadi would actually be better off in bua's house. She doesn't make matters easy and I don't think she is missed by any of the girls in the Mathur house given her gender bias. She's more like a guest who has over stayed her welcome . 

The way it's going smrita is going to attend the wedding more like a a 15 mins VIP guest appearance. Not that her limited presence is going to break the camel's back. 

I'm thinking smrita should be on board with the wedding of this scale that Viveka has on her mind. It will probably be less embarrassing for her this way. I won't be surprised if she decides to brush off this event like that. 

Anubha , Satyen and Akash should happily be on board for this kind of marriage limited in presence just to immediate families , which by the way is actually the current trend  now, like those of celebrity destination weddings.😳

Nice wedding, few people who matter most,  keep the noise out , celebrate and enjoy tying the knot. Wish it was that simple though. Sigh!!!!

Anyway what's a Kalyanam without galatta?☺️😳

Shaadi ke side effects basically🤣

How can Viveka agree to a lavish wedding? It would not go with her persona and her activism. She would feel like a hypocrite. Anu is already feeling the rejection from Smrita and knows she would not be happy with a small wedding on top of that. But then Smrita would not be happy no matter what the scale of the wedding is. Hope she realizes she is ruining any chance she has of a good future relationship with Viveka.

Exactly right! Smrita is not doing any favors to herself by rejecting Viveka from the get go

Not sure if Raanav knows but will be fun to find out

Kalpana

The smartest of people sometimes do the follishest of things sometimes. So this will be Viveka's most foolish act

Matters of the heart...

Thank you everyone for the kindness and compassion. I feel a little better today, though I did think about her this morning, its freezing cold and snowing and the skies are grey.

It would have been just another regular work day for her before May!

Just hope in larger scheme of events she doesn't regret and Ranaav is compassionate enough to help her tread the path. 

Would  be  very interesting to see how Ranaav can help her balance and how will he himself balance this glaring difference which both are aware and are ready to overlook at this point of time.

I am sure it would not be heart breaking love story for sure.