Chapter 33
Her class ended around 7 that day...it had been a long and intense day. All her professors had thrown tough assignments on the pupils to be completed during Thanksgiving break. She mocked at their strategy - give a 5 day holiday weekend but not without huge assignments worth 20 hours each.
Well..it is what it is...better to suck it up and just do it than cry over it...she thought. One thing she had learned was to just deal with what was at hand rather than spending hours crying over it.
She checked her phone for any messages and saw that she had received a voicemail from Mira...
Hello beta..Mira here. Hope you are doing well and I hope I didn't disturb you. I wanted to invite you over for Thanksgiving next week if you are free. Please let me know if you can make it. I'll have Kabir pick you up. Also, we would love it if you stayed back for the weekend. Talk to you soon beta. Take care. Hearing Mira's voice always calmed her...she forgot all about her frustration and decided she would go. She knew Thanksgiving was a big event in the US and thought she would make the most of it...she went and brought gifts for Simran, Rohan and Mira...it was her own little way of saying thanks to everyone.
On Thursday of next week, Kabir came to pick her up and like always he was right on time. This time the drive to his place was different...they laughed at the other's jokes and teased each other all the way. With Kabir, the atmosphere was definitely more spirited, she thought...he always had things to talk or things to do...it was like he was all over the place.
They got home and she was again greeted by everyone like last time...the only difference being that Sharan was home this time. She had lunch with the family in the afternoon and helped Mira around the kitchen for the lavish Thanksgiving dinner she was preparing - lasagna, mashed potatoes, vegetarian casserole and sweet autumn pumpkin cake. This time around, it was just the family...no one else so Keerti was more at ease with that thought.
She noticed the camaraderie of this family and thought that they were the only kind she had seen that were so closely knit together...each one of them was filled with so much love that she thought she would never find that amount anywhere even if she combined the love from 10 families. There were no arguments, no fights and no favorites...everything worked impeccably around them.
After dinner they sat in the living room for a chat with a cup of tea. She couldn't hold back the question she had wanted to ask since the day she had first met Mira in the flight and her curiosity only increased as she spent more time with them so she went right after it "Even after all these years you both look so much in love. Was it love marriage?"
Mira and Ravi looked at each other and a glow spread through their faces...they smiled at each other and then turned to Keerti to nod in unison. Kabir jumped right in the middle and said "Why don't you share your love story with Keerti? I'm sure she'll love it" and Keerti joined him right after "Yes please...if you don't mind that is. I'd love to hear how you both met and got together."
Looking at Ravi she said "We first met at the age of 4. I was 4 and he was 8. We have a photo of us holding hands...we had met at my masi's marriage. But that was that. We didn't meet for another 11 years after that."
"Then I met her at a picnic...she had come with her cousin who happened to be my friend. She was 15 then..and I was 19. We clicked instantly and I had fallen head over heals for her. She got a good verbal thrashing for that." they both started laughing at that point. " It seems funny after all these years but at that time is was quite serious. Her mom asked her to stay away from me...that I was spoiling her and brainwashing her. It was quite a sight!"
"And then he came to the US for studies. So that was the end of it. He did write to me a couple times but I never replied. I only sent messages through my cousin but those also were limited to 'yes I got your letter'...nothing more than that."
"And then after 6 years she came to the US. I had many relationships during this time but nothing would solidify" he looked her in the eyes with his own beaming now and said "Guess my heart was still with her. By that time both families had met and agreed that it was the best thing to do...and of course we were much older then. So she came to the US and stayed at my aunt's place. Everything was settled..."
"That's when I became Ravi ki Mira...and then these kids came into our lives..."
They looked at each other the whole time they shared their story with love oozing out of their eyes... after a few moments they looked at the kids and laughed. Keerti looked over at them and saw that Sharan was leaning on Ravi's lap with his head rested on his arm looking at them unblinking, Shraddha was curled next to Ravi with his arm around her and Kabir was sitting with his hands under his jaw...in a posture that clearly depicted his state of mind...awe.
Mira hit Kabir on his hand and said "They've heard this story some million times now and still they act as if hearing for the first time." The only thing that was incorrect about that statement was the fact that the kids didn't act...every time they heard their story they
were in awe.
"Alright kids...it's time to go to bed." She said and they instantly got up to walk to take the stairs to their room but not before kissing their parents good night. As they walked away Keerti said "You all have such godly and devotional names - Mira, Ravi, Sharan, Kabir and Shraddha. And they are just like you...your carbon copy...very loving and caring and very considerate of others. Guess it's in the genes." She said with a smile which vanished when she heard Mira say "They are adopted...all three of them.' Her jaw dropped and she immediately looked over at them in panic for they were still walking up the stairs...before she could say or ask anything Mira continued with a smile "Don't worry...they all know"
Edited by dolphinUSA - 14 years ago
Book Talk
Aami Daakini
193