Crying Hearts
Prologue
Bani Dixit was raised in a large extended family. Her dad Nishikant Dixit was a teacher, her mom Kiran a housewife, and her baby sister Rano. Then there was her dad's brother Sonny, his wife Rama, their 2 sons Daskh and Tarun and their daughter Pia.
Their family was originally from Mt Abu. And life there was happy and peaceful. However the downslide of the economy forced many young men to leave their parents homes and move to Mumbai where they could find better paying jobs and venture into careers that were not possible to achieve in Mt Abu.
Nishikant Dixit had the same dreams for his young wife Kiran, and soon the newly married couple bade their families a tearful farewell and made their way to the city. ND was a hard working and respectful man, so it was not long that he found himself being employed for one of the richest private schools in India. The couple though, not wealthy by any stretch of imagination, managed to live a decent and content life and soon Kiran gave ND the gift that he wanted most. A child.
Being a teacher ND loved kids, for him any child was a gift from God, he cared less if it was a boy or girl. He could never fully understand why girls were treated with such contempt by society, for as far as he could tell all his brightest students over the years were all girls! Intelligent girls that were forced to abandon their studies to marry or sacrifice their careers etc for their brothers and families. ND swore that his children boy or girl would always be treated equally.
When little Bani was 3 years old, she was gifted with another baby sister Rano. Bani was fiercely protective over Rano and it amazed her parents how their little daughter took over the care of her sibling so single minded. As the years would prove later this was perhaps divine intervention, for it would soon became Bani's full time job.
5 years later
Sonny Dixit and his 7 year old daughter Pia and his wife Rama appeared at ND front door one stormy day, and life at the Dixit house suddenly changed. There was nothing to do in Mt Abu, and Sonny had to fend for his wife and child. Coming to ND was the only option they had as they knew no one else in Mumbai. Kiran and the girls made adjustments, and soon the small family of 4 became a growing family of 10 as Rama had given birth to twin boys.
For years things were going great and Chota papa and Choti ma as Bani and Rano called their uncle and aunt, and their sons Daksh and Tarun and Pia, became an integral part of their lives. The girls loved their Chota papa as he would spoil them rotten and often side with them when the terrible two (twins) fought with them or stole their toys. So it was up to Kiran and ND to side with the boys.
CP was thriving in his job as an accountant at the Walia group of companies. However with his achievements in his career a quite discontent was settling in the Dixit house. Kiran's health was deteriorating. The added chores were getting to CM and she was also very aware that it was her husband now that contributed far more to the household expenses than ND did. All these issues and the fact that her husband doted on the girls at the expense of her sons did not go well with CM, and her increasingly distant and aloof attitude did not go unnoticed by ND and Kiran.
Bani had just turned 12 when she became a woman, and it was also that same year that Kirans health failed her and she expired. Bani was devasted, but she had to keep herself strong for Rano and her distraught dad. The gloom and doom in the house continued for days, and one day their CP surprised them all by saying that they were moving into a big new house, where there would be sufficient room for everyone and a huge garden to play. But Bani was apprehensive for the move. She was old enough now, to realise that her CM was not too keen on the idea. Since their mom's death her CM hardly spoke to Rano and her, and she made it a point that Pia kept away from them as well.
She also knew that secretly her father too did not want to move from the house that reminded him of his beautiful Kiran and their once happy life. CM was getting irritated by her brother in laws attitude, and old fashioned ways. Couldn't he see that the kids were growing and they needed their own space? Besides he wasnt going to pay for any thing anyway was he? In fact, she reasoned why her husband couldn't accept the fact and leave his brother and nieces to stay in the old house, while they moved on!.
But CP would hear nothing of it. It was his brother and sister in law that stood by him when he was struggling and he will never abandon them now when the tables were turned. He loved his brother like a father and the girls as his own daughters they will move only if they could all go together.
So her plans to move into her "mansion" became her sole purpose.
But CM must have wished very hard, as just a month before they moved ND joined his wife.
Bani and Rano, the new orphans packed away their parents most precious belongings and reluctantly took up residence in the new house.
It was no surprise to her that she and Rano were given a single bedroom furthest from the rest of the family.
10 years later.
Sonny Dixit looked at his stunning nieces and smiled. His eyes misted. If only Kiran and bhaia were here to see them he wondered. How proud would he have been? Rano, intelligent, feisty Rano,
who would have thought that the young tomboy who found more joy as a child playing with her brothers cars and climbing trees would turn out to be such a lovely girl. He chuckled, thinking off all the times she and the boys would drive the household help up the wall playing "cops and robbers".
But the boys treated her like their queen. Nothing that their Rano di did was wrong, and whenever she got into trouble for not completing her chores, it was a delight to see the 2 terrors 'helping" the help to save her from their mom's taunts. Now at 15 and Rano 19 they still cajoled her to play with them, for their own sister Pia was far too busy with make up and fancy dresses.
He looked across and Bani and sighed. How exquisite she looked. So graceful and poised. Just like her mom Kiran. A lump formed in his throat looking at his beloved niece. Bani was not a catwalk beauty, that was Pia with her stunning looks and flamboyant style, Pia would turn heads wherever she went, but Bani was different. Bani possessed an internal beauty, ethereal looks coupled with a dusky complexion and such arresting eyes. Her dimpled smile was a rare treat, but it was her captivating eyes that bewitched a person. He shuddered thinking that one day she would no longer be in his protective care.
He shook himself, calling out to them to leave. They were attending a Walia function and they did not want to be late.
The Walias
Uday and Krishna Walia stood at the door welcoming their guests. They were a striking couple. Their 2 children stood beside them too, greeting and meeting the people that were steaming into their magnificent home. Jigyasa Bali their eldest child looked striking in her designer sari and matching jewellery. Once could see that she inherited her mom's aristocratic looks. But whereas her mom's look was subdued, Jigyasa was anything but. She wore bold colours and over the top accessories, but she carried it off with such finesse that even the most critical fashion designer would forgive her. Besides her stood her husband Aditya Bali, a senior manager at WGI, their handsome son Ranveer and daughter Anu. They made a pretty picture and it was obvious from the ay that Adi and Jigyasa included their children with the people that they were a genuine friendly lot.
Then there was Jai.
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