Great Expectations
This story is nothing like the classic by Charles Dickens. It is yet another Michi offering. Don't know how many parts it would have.
He sat in front of the holy pyre, attired in an intricately embroidered beige sherwani, renewing his wedding vows in Hindi, thereby making a departure from the practice of having it uttered in Sanskrit by the priest. His long dark hair, which was streaked in silver grey at the temples and the side burns, was swept back. His beard and moustache were well trimmed and gave him a distinguished appearance. He turned his small dark eyes to look at his lovely wife of twenty five years sitting beside him in a grand crimson red silk saree. To him she did not look a day older than when he had first seen her as a young bride. It was amazing that at fifty, her face remained unlined by wrinkles; her hair remained jet black with not a single grey; and her voice as she took the vows sounded as young, sweet and melodious as it did when he first heard her speak. But what drew him to her was her inner beauty rather than her external looks. And to think that for all that love brimming in his heart now she wasn't even his first choice. His thoughts flew to the day they had sat like this, side by side, a quarter century ago.
Twenty five years ago (Milind's flashback)
The wedding was grandiose affair given that it involved two of the biggest tycoons in the hotel industry. Renowned hotelier, Inder Shah's daughter, twenty-five year old Prachi Shah was being married to thirty-year old Milind Mishra, a first generation self made businessman. As Milind sat next to his bride, his heart fluttered in anticipation of realising one of his long cherished dreams.
She had captured his heart ten years ago when he had first laid eyes on her in an inter-collegiate event he almost did not attend. He was finally coaxed into taking part in the quiz competition by his best friend Ali. Having won that event the two young men loitered around the college campus, waiting for the prize distribution which was to take place in a couple of hours. With nothing better to do they decided to witness a few other events which were underway. They strolled into the nearby hall where a panel discussion was taking place. His eyes immediately settled on the lithesome beauty sitting on the dais, animatedly debating with people who were nearly twice her size. He had always been a man of few words, speaking only when spoken to, but he admired people who can articulate their thoughts well. On a scale of one to ten, he gave this wisp of a girl clad in a navy blue jeans and turquoise green t-shirt, a full ten for her strong persuasive skills. Her soft pink lips parted to let out her powerful voice which was in direct contrast to her small delicate frame. Her long hair, braided into a single long plait, swung from side to side every time she shook her head to make her point more forcefully. Her fair arms served to reinforce her arguments as she gesticulated a lot with them. As he leaned against the wall, his sharp eyes not missing a single detail of her face, he felt himself being magnetically drawn to her beauty and intelligence. "She will be mine some day," he whispered with an air of arrogance, more to himself than to his friend who stood close by.
"Are you crazy? The girl is the daughter of Inder Shah, the multi-millionaire hotelier," whispered back Ali.
"So?" he asked languidly, cocking his eyebrows.
"Do you think her father will give his daughter's hand in marriage to a man from a humble background like you?"
"Why not? Mark my words. A day will soon arrive when the mighty Inder Shah himself will approach me and ask me to marry his daughter."
Ali shook his head in resignation to his friend's fate, " You are an insufferable dreamer."
"Correction.... Not just a dreamer but a man who believes in achieving his dreams," he had said with confidence and turned his attention back to the object of his attraction.
Cricket
Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi 2
Hindi TV Shows
