Part 157: The story continues...
It was late evening time, as usual little Ruhi was sitting over her papa's lap, clinging onto his neck.
'papa. Please, its story time"
Dev: finish the milk, then I will tell you a story
"u tell story , I drink milk"
Dev: ruhi
"muaaa" the instant stamp pressed over his cheek
Dev: no, that is not going to work, u need to drink milk"
"muaaa'
"aha, how long u want me to wait here, mamma ki ache bechi heina, drink the milk, mamma has to look for supper too, beta, please drink it quick" Radhika pleaded
"story time"
Dev: Radhika, u tell her a story na, I need to look into this files before calling dad today, babuji also coming, so I need to check it out Radhika, please"
Ruhi tightened her grip over his neck: no papa, radhika no story
Radhika smiled: see she knows,
Dev: but
"who is not drinking the milk, give to me, I am really feeling thirsty"
Saying that Sushma grabbed the milk from Radhika's hand and said: you go finish whatever it is, I will make her to drink this milk
"no chuchuma"
Sushma rolled her eyes and coming and sitting near Dev, looking at Ruhi: good girls won't argue
"princess" ruhi cleared
Suchma in a teasing tone: who, princess?
"Ruhi, papa's princess"
Sushma: oh, I agree , it is only your papa and his little princess exist in this haweli, ok
RUhi: my lovely papa
Sushma: ok then my ache papa's princess, drink the milk now.
RUhi: yukky
Sushma: not yukky, let me try
Saying that she took a small sip, and said: no it is sweet
Dev was into looking at the file in that gap that was laying on the side, as he wanted to make that call to surrender later that day.
The time just ticked by , and he heard Ruhi's happy smiles along with claps.
Dev looked at Ruhi: what,? Did you finish the milk?
Ruhi: um
Dev: good girl and he looked at Sushma, and found her sitting with empty glass, and the milk stain over her lips
Dev looked at her surprisingly
Sushma getting up: ha, I will get another one for her and while walking away sushma turned and said: Dev, you better control her, or mei aur moti benjavingi re.
Dev looked at Ruhi: Ruhi that's not fair
Ruhi : chu chu ma thrirsty, papa story
Dev: I will tell you before bed, ok, now let me make a call to dadaji
Ruhi: story
"Ruhi beta"
Ruhi;s eyes gone wild and jumping down from Dev's lap: mon is here, Ruhi's mon is here
And she disappeared. Dev smiled as he saw her running away calling babuji as MOhaN
Time went fast , Dev came into room after his talk with Surender
"Ruhi's papa here" she jumped on the bed.
"one minute beta" he went to freshen up and joined her in bed. She just played over him, with her giggles around. Sitting over his chest, she pulled on his cheek with the widest smile: papa, smile, smile papa
Dev tried to smile
Radhika came in seeing their play.
Dev: now sleep beta, or else mamma will scold both of us
Radhika just smiled hearing his voice, as usual before waiting for her mouth to open, she knew it is just for her ears, they are going to have their time together, before those lids close to welcome sleep. Ruhi takes that nap late afternoons, that keep her awake for long at night too.
"story time, papa promised"
Dev: Ruhi beta, papa don't know any story, it is ur mamma who knows all the stories
Ruhi climbed down from the bed and went and grabbed a book and came near, "read it"
Dev looked at it and remembered the night, and the lady giving the book, but then it got disappeared somewhere
"where did you get this beta?'
"chu chu ma"
Dev with a smile tried to open it, and tried to open the door of magic world in front of his little one, but then seeing the black letters, he closed it , saying "boring"
Ruhi: papa, please
Dev: ok come, let's go to the terrace, let see the stars
Ruhi climbed on his upper back and they both went to the terrace, loudly telling to Radhika.
Dev made that changes in haweli, he modified the structure, and now they spend nights in terrace too, enjoying the open atmosphere of chandenpur in dark.
Ruhi excitedly: " papa, twinkling stars!!!!!'
Dev looked at the sky which was spread out with velvety twinkling stars all over its circle.
Dev slowly placed Ruhi on the wooden coat, and then he sat next to her, they lay comfortably on it.
Dev: RUhi, which is the brightest one
Ruhi looked all over and then looking at one point she smiled wide: there papa
Dev: ha, isn't she beautiful
Ruhi: like RUhi
Dev: um
"papa, story"
Dev after a thought " ok baba, what story u want"
Ruhi: story of that beautiful star. She pointed her little finger
Dev with a smile: ok baba, come
Ruhi climb over his chest and wrapped her arms around him, resting her head over his chest.
Dev: once upon a time, there was a boy who lived in a beautiful village. Just like my RUhi, he also loved to watch the twinkling stars over the dark sky, and he loved the brightest one. He refused to go to bed, as he wanted to look at this brightest star all the time, but his mom divert his attention and take him in. Poor little boy felt so sad not finding the star in the morning. ...
"Ruhi too"
Dev smiled listening to RUhi's prompt, and he continued..." one day his mom told that if he wants the star to be near him all the time, then he has to marry her'
" the boy went to bed , and the next day when he got up , you know what happened?"
Dev didn't get any reply
"as usual, you escaped tonight too, she slept"
Dev turned his face to see Radhika coming near
Radhika: I know it, you maybe planning to tell the same story, and when it comes to this part, she always sleeps, , right
Dev with smile: isn't that the best part, because I don't know what I will tell her after that.
Radhika smiled again and sat near him and rubbed over her little ones head.
Dev: Radhika, don't wake her up
Radhika: who she? She is sleeping in such comfy way, you think she is going to wake up with my touch, no way.
Dev smiled
Radhika: so did you talk to papa?
Dev: oh ha, forgot to tell you. Ha, he is taking over that project work, and I discussed my plan so far, and he said they are coming this weekend, to discuss it in detail, and most probably he is bringing an engineer and also his financial head. I never thought papa will be interested in vinery business, and I told him that I can handle it, but it seems like he started liking it here too.
Radhika: but then how he will manage both there and here.
Dev: here we are there na, so he may come and go
Radhika: um
Dev: but Radhika, did you notice how happy Dadaji is? and ha we decided the name too, secret ok. Don't tell dadaji
Radhika looked at him curiously
Dev: we are going to have dadi's name for it "Padma's vinery'
Radhika smiled again: good
Dev: ha, let's go down, if I sleep here tonight, I won'be waking up early morning.
Radhika tried to take Ruhi in her arms
Dev while getting up and walking down with her: Radhika, now you also need to start giving your time for all these too. I was expecting it, so only I denied that request from college people to send you as lecturer there. I know it will be good, but now we have taken more responsibility here, so you also need to know how everything goes. Especially when dad comes, be with him and try to get all those info whatever he need here, so that we can facilitate it without delay ok. Reason is last season also we had so much left out that it all got spoiled, so it not only helps us, it helps the villagers too. We can buy the products from them. So there is no question of loss for them, and for us it will benefit too. So I want this project to be done as quick as possible.
Radhika: ji, so what time you will be back tomorrow
Dev: day after tomorrow.
Radhika: sudev coming too, right?
RAdika: ha
Radhika; he is going to drive the car, right
Dev holding her shoulder; what is this Radhika, now also you don't trust me, that was an accident Radhika, and maybe my mind set up was not right ta thta moment. so
Radhika: um, who else is coming
Dev: Radhikaaa please
Their voice got lowered as Dev closed the door behind.
Ruhi was running around the house looking for her papa. Finally Radhika satisfied her with a stuffed animal toy, saying papa left that for her to hold till he comes back. She made her to eat and drink with the word "papa will be coming soon, he may feel sad if you don't eat, if you don't take bath, if you don't sleep"
The next day by afternoon, Dev and the gang came back. Everyone in chandenpur gathered around the land near the haweli, which he built newly for the dreams to come true. Dev came out from the car, and looked around. Ruhi came running to her papa
Dev grabbed her up in his arms and gave a sweet kiss over her cheek
"papa, ruhi 's sweeet papa"
Dev: how are you beta
"papa, what you brought for Ruhi?'"
Dev with his sparkling eyes: you want to see!
Ruhi just nodded her head in agreement
Dev went near a big van, one man came and opened the rear door. And went in, and came out with a white little pony.
Ruhi cling onto her dad's neck in fear
Dev: don't worry beta, it is not going to hurt you, he is going to be your friend, do you like papa's gift?
Ruhi clinging more just watched the animal as it was coming more near
" PAPA"
She called loud in fear
Dev walking near, touched its head, and the little pony stood silently, being in a strange place
Dev: see, how cute it is? see the pony likes RUhi
Ruhi tried to peek at the animal
In the background , three big horses made its way out too
The boy who left behind in the crowd, struggled to get to the front and his eyes widened and his lips parted saying 'black beauty"
Dev heard that little whisper and turned to look at his face, who bribed him for the guava once and who always run around that muddy path along with his friends howling out reminding Dev "I want to ride on black beauty".
He slowly walked towards him, and touched his shoulder, his eyes were still trying to take that image in of that big tall animal in.
Dev: do you want to name him?
The boy whispered in trance: black beauty
Dev looked back at the black horse, and then with a smile called out: black beauty
The surrounding was filled with talks and smiles. Mohan , ROhini, Rahul. Dadi, everyone came in to see the horses.
Sushma: dev, it is my dream too, I want to ride on this too
Dev: buva, just tell me when, they all are well behaved ones, anytime
Sushma in doubt: why you said like that, well behaved
Dev: oh ya, I was reading about them and you know some are hard to get in line
Sushma; oh really, I am fine then
Dev; no buva, these ones are good ones, very human friendly
Sushma: ha ha, I heard it.
Ruhi was still holding onto Dev. Time passed by, the horses got their fresh air after the long journey and they all got fed well, the people were still standing around watching them and the up front were the kids
Dev went near Radhika: come, lets go for a ride
Radhika moved back , to be near her mom: no , I am fine, you go
Dev: no, come with me
Radhika looked around and embarrassingly: I am fine, you go
Dev gave RUhi in Rohini's arms, and called Radhika again, and Radhika refused again.
Dev: ok then
He went near the black beauty and got over it and he heard few claps in background, and slowly getting comfortable on it, he direct him towards Radhika and stopped right in front.
"Come on Radhika"
Mohan came forward and helped his daughter and Dev gave space for to be comfortable in front.
Radhika cling to its armor tight as the uneven steps made her body to shake unevenly. Dev held her closer to him and made a small round inside that fensed yard and as her eyes were concentrated on its ups and downs, he whispered "one day I will take you like this and we ride on it the whole chandenpur."
Radhika shivered hearing his voice so close, but then embarrassingly looked around.
Radhika climbed down slowly and then washing her hands, she went near Rohini. Dev went near the boy, and asked him "come on, because I promised you one day"
The boy made his unbelievable steps towards the animal, he looked at him closer, and then slowly touched its body with his hand, his head leveled with its body and soon he was lifted up to sit next to Dev.
His eyes were still dreaming, it was difficult to distinguish his happiness, his surprise, his fluttery beats, his dreamy eyes, his parted lips, he ride on it as if he is in a dream. Yes I saw him when I was so little, may be as upto the level of its knee and now, I can ride over him, with the prince
As if reading his mind: no beta, I am not the prince, now you are the prince, see you are riding it
Rahul was riding on another one, and was having fun.
Dadi: Rahul think one more time, before moving to cities for your studies, see you are going to miss all these fun
Rahul gave that usual smile and said: dadi, but I am coning back soon too, to enjoy It completely.
"nothing can hold back the thirst of one's mind, his mind is flying now, and one day he also will settle back with lot of dreams, just like my Dev. I never thought Radhika will bring this much joy into my life, at one point I lost that hope, but she brought it back in its fullest form, which I am unable to contain self now"
Yeshpal's words made dadi to look at Dev and Radhika, who were trying to pet the little pony, encouraging Ruhi to touch him without fear.
********************************************* thanks for stopping by.. Devika
CID
Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi 2
