P&P Part II - Page 110

I meant the only emptiest character ... lekha lives in her own world, completely disconnected from her surroundings I felt

Hurt People (Hurt people)

“We had a good thing naina” Viveka brought the coffees over to the outside “balcony” table

They were at the Saket Mall

Naina had agreed to meet her this morning

Their parents didn’t know

“You didn’t even talk to me on your wedding day Veev, we don’t have a good thing anymore”

“You mean at the Parashar house?”

“Yeah YOUR house, you don’t have to spare my feelings I know its your house” “Mujhe pity mat karo:” Naina was FURIOUS

Viveka turned a warm red

“Its not my house”

“You share a bed with Raanav there don’t you?”

“I am in love with him I TOLD YOU first” Viveka said softly

“The way he looks at me is like I am some scum” Naina cringed

“I am sorry I think”

“Its my imagination? Must be because he didn’t wait a second to marry another middle class trash from the same family”

“Nai..””

“Kehne do mujhe Veev”

“I am in no way supporting what Smrita Parashar might have said or done, she is umm.. odd”

“ODD? Is that the best you can do veev?”

“Kya sun na chahti ho?”

“I could see the fear in ALL your eyes at Bangkok that Inder shouldn’t make it to the wedding” Naina was in tears

“He hasn’t committed anything to you”

“How did You guys get married Veev?”

“Its not a competition Naina… I am not trying to ward you off from Inder, I don’t want you to do everything I did”

“I obviously cannot Veev, not until Viren Dhamija is involved in a car wreck anD inder wants to marry me”

“I am OK if you think I am pulling wool over Satyen Parashar’s eyes” Viveka said glumly

“It could be love yaar, what do I know… you blew every definition out the window Veev, by first dating Abhishek, then dating Raanav and then dumping Abhishek and then breaking up with raanav and then marrying Raanav, you kept the family guessing” naina laughed derisively

“I am not proud of myself” Viveka cringed now it was her turn to tear up

“Hey YOLO right, so go for the whole thing” Naina felt apologetic for a second

“I did what was the right thing to do, Abhishek was not interested in me he was, but his behavior was odd, he was more interested in the teens at Harshu’s engagement” she said quietly

Naina looked shocked

“Oh”

“He never made me feel secure. He is exceptionally smart, but I don’t think he thought of me the way I thought of him. I would have married him if he was serious. Raanav chased me… he did not leave me alone” Viveka blushed gloriously

“Must be nice” Naina muttered with a tinge of envy

“He pressed on until I began arguing with him, he triggered all my mental neurons”

The sisters drank their coffee quietly

“We have no commonality of any sort Naina, who mujhse har baat mein alag hai, he has never encountered professional failure, he had everything handed to him, he is an entitled… umm.. she swallowed the word “brat”

“I didn’t receive the same consideration from any of you about Inder, Veev, bas Karuna ne mujhe kayi baar bola aap dono kitne cute ho” “I didn’t deserve the a—whipping I got” Naina aired her grievance

Viveka felt a surge of shame

“I was afraid Bua or Dadi were going to find out you were in Japiur”

“Hum log KAB TAQ Bua aur Dadi se darte rahenge?” “I don’t bring shame to the family veev” (Naina was deeply hurt) “You married the guy LEGIT but Dadi is still gossiping right?” “she is still saying to Chachi u must be preggers”

Viveka realized there was a lot of truth in Naina’s words

“I am sorry Naina”

Naina began to cry when she sensed the genuineness of Viveka’s apology

“I was not allowed to have Inder but the whole family is rejoicing Raanav” Naina was absolutely devastated

Viveka’s head was bent over her coffee mug

“Ive lost my job, I LOVED my job. I feel the more I try to make a point the more stupidly I behave” she sobbed softly

Viveka reached for her hand, Naina pulled it away angrily

“Ive lost my job Veev, I put in almost 9 years over there. Bas first job it was I didn’t even have to look I was offered the job”

Viveka nodded

“Our parents have never appreciated how good I am, how amazing I am I did so well”

“They are so proud, that’s a lie”

“Hamesha, yeh kab Ph D join karegi, iska article publish ho gaya, yeh RA hai NCAER mein, yeh interning karegi Reserve Bank mein”

“No way you cant muddle both issues Naina”

“U don’t have to agree Veev, by NOT having ANY steady job you are seen as more successful in our house”

Viveka let her memory run backwards, trying o find instances of where she got undue attention

“Now the crowning glory, you marry into the Delhi elite”

“I was going to, and you DID”

“ Did Inder propose to you?”

“He didn’t” Naina looked at her with accusing tear filled eyes

“I asked about him” Viveka said softly

“I don’t want your Ehsaan Dude

We are SISTERS Naina”

“You cannot beg Raanav on my behalf girl”

“I wasn’t going to” Viveka said in shock

“Inder is forever tainted in Ma Papa’s eyes, he is like a stained object”

“I did not hate your affair with him”

“I cannot believe that Veev” Naina sniffled wiping her tears and sounding calm, “I have always been honest with you veev”

“Maine kabhi tumse jhooth nahi bola Naina”

Naina didn’t agree

Veev knew

“I can ask Mr Girotra if his wife’s firm is..”

“No Veev, I don’t need it”

It hurt Viveka beyond belief

“Diya told me you’ve invited her and Karuna to your place to spend the weekend”

“I did” Viveka smiled

Naina looked away

“I didn’t deserve an invite huh?”

“Tum mujhse BAAT taq nahi kar rahi ho Naina, you haven’t responded to my texts in weeks”

They both were hurting greatly

They were going around each other and hurting each other some more

What a mess!!

Nisha, what a beautiful chapter!!!

It's left me shaken as I process this. I look at this chapter more like IQ and EQ and how people react/ behave/ process. Emotional, intellectual, academic intelligence . The intellect that Naina perceives as fact to hold a grudge that Viveka got dealt a better set of cards. She's tantruming rebeling but it's years of pent up grievance . The hurt is feeding the hurt.

If we understand it from naina's POV, there's no reason for her to get along with Raanav. No love lost. He does look at her as is she's a parasite looking to live off others. Viveka is walking on egg shells when it comes to Naina at the parashar house. It's a house Naina frequented more ( clandestinely) and today she doesn't have an invite from her own sister. It's super awkward whatever be the reason .

While Naina has to give allowance that Viveka can also allowed to be in her La la land ( just like she was when it was rockets and moon with her Inder ) I would like Viveka to get Naina to that house and accord her better respect given the circumstances. It's only fair. Does Inder stop frequenting the parashar house because he had a forbidden affair with Naina? Does Raanav look at Inder as of he's a worm living courtesy his wealthy support system?

Naina does not have a proposal from Inder. My point is .... is he even worth the wait! If I were Naina, I would go for a change of place, away from everything, away from Inder, her parents, her sisters to process accept that she loved and she lost! Acceptance is half misery management .

Naina's biggest lesson learnt in life will be when she accepts that one can't buy happiness

Every child is unique.... every adult child is even more unique. As parents we need not agree on everything they do, but what can be done is not come across as being too pushy or overly critical, set boundaries with adult children regards to their growing independence and life choices/ life style ....find ways to connect despite the conflict .

Naina has done stuff that can make parents skin crawl . What's in contrast to see is the open line of communication and sounding board that Viveka has with Akash and Anubha that Naina doesn't have. There's a bit of arrogant pride that Akash and Anubha have over Viveka's academic intelligence when compared and they have been celebrating it more vocally like Naina feels. That's why it felt relatively truthful from Naina's POV. You drove the chapter beautifully Nisha.

A mess indeed, but this is at the present .Sure there are happier times in the past to draw strength from ,to fix the mess and create happier times for the future.

This meeting is a step in the right direction. So how did viveka convince her to meet this time? Have a feeling naina is closer to viveka than to her parents. May be it will help if Aakash /Anubha either together or individually talk to Naina not about Inder but to assure the child in her of their affection .

Viveka and Naina have a unique bond and hope it stands the rest of time , evolves and adapts to changed circumstances.

The parents think naina likes to spite them but here she says , she doesn’t intend to disgrace their family.She made bad decisions but stil is their child going through too many challenges all at once.She needs some tlc from the parents.

The nice takeaway from this , Naina sees dadi and chachi for what they are even better than viveka in some ways .

What a lovely write up Nisha. Naina grievances,her sorrow,the injustice done to her by others, her list of things that others have done wrong is long.

Naina has remained true to personality where all that is wrong in her life has nothing to do with her actions but what others have done. Not once in her conversation with Viveka has she accepted her own role in the current mishaps in her life .

The job for example. A month or more unexplained leave should not be grounds for firing because she is indispensable.

Also her grievances are with her parents why make Viveka feel guilty for it. Wonder what happened in school when Viveka was bullied because of her glasses and Naina was not..

Viveka sharing about Abhishek behavior or issues with Raanav being different from her garnered no concern for her sister. To her Viveka being married to the rich Parasher is all that matters.

She may be working and educated but is self absorbed, selfish. Reminds one of Smrita.

Wonder if Viveka will ponder about Naina said today yet ? Just like will Raanav ponder that Smrita's behavior towards him a married man is not normal? Or is too early for them to remove their blind spots about their loved ones.

Anyway sibling rivalry exists. Many folks learn to overcome it eventually. Plus a lesson of life is that no one lifes follows a defined trajectory as life and its circumstances are uncertain.

Look forward to the couple journey

"You cannot beg Raanav on my behalf girl”

Atleast she said this👆

I totally understand her...she can be annoying but I can never hate her...😔😔

If only she realises that she doesn't have to marry rich..she herself is very talented and successful..why naina!!!😩 I mean not inder atleast..who only uses her..

I'm really curious to see how her character goes..unless she gets married to inder and leads an unhappy,insecure life after a few initial happy days ☹️

Akash and Anu are not bad people. Mistakes happen many times unintentionally. Kids do not come with user manuals, parents grow along with their kids.

If Naina feels her parents were partial towards Viveka, she should have expressed her displeasure or her sense of being unfairly ignored long back. She is almost 29, she is not a kid. Keeping these grievances hidden inside for long is making her think only about herself and not having any empathy towards the other members in the family.

She keeps reminding Viveka about Abhishek and how she ditched him to be with Raanav, I don’t get that point.
Is she saying that Viveka too chose a rich man over a middle class guy?

Does she not remember that Viv broke up with Raanav over Naina’s issue.

And she says Inder’s image is tainted. Isn’t she responsible for that? Dating a guy and loving him is one aspect, but eloping with him and putting their entire family under such humiliation and stress is just wrong. Neither she nor Inder ever attempted to win over both the families.

Even now she is saying Viveka did not invite her to her "home" along with the twins. But did she ask Viveka how is married life treating her? How is Smrita behaving with her?

It is always easy to point fingers at others but very tough to look into our faults.

I hope Viveka tells her parents how Naina always felt they favoured Viv over her. Maybe addressing the problem from it's roots will bring some calm in this family.

Originally posted by: bakwas_serial

What a lovely write up Nisha. Naina grievances,her sorrow,the injustice done to her by others, her list of things that others have done wrong is long.

Naina has remained true to personality where all that is wrong in her life has nothing to do with her actions but what others have done. Not once in her conversation with Viveka has she accepted her own role in the current mishaps in her life .

The job for example. A month or more unexplained leave should not be grounds for firing because she is indispensable.

Also her grievances are with her parents why make Viveka feel guilty for it. Wonder what happened in school when Viveka was bullied because of her glasses and Naina was not..

Viveka sharing about Abhishek behavior or issues with Raanav being different from her garnered no concern for her sister. To her Viveka being married to the rich Parasher is all that matters.

She may be working and educated but is self absorbed, selfish. Reminds one of Smrita.

Wonder if Viveka will ponder about Naina said today yet ? Just like will Raanav ponder that Smrita's behavior towards him a married man is not normal? Or is too early for them to remove their blind spots about their loved ones.

Anyway sibling rivalry exists. Many folks learn to overcome it eventually. Plus a lesson of life is that no one lifes follows a defined trajectory as life and its circumstances are uncertain.

Look forward to the couple journey

Couldn't agree more with what you said nor could've put it better! Loved it.