Thank you all!!! I know this story is a moot point now.. But your comments and likes are really appreciated.. A Big Thank you
I have been pretty busy of late and hence not able to reply to all the comments individually.. But I do read every one of them and you have my heartfelt thanks.
As promised and also as leaving the story half done will leave me feeling guilty, I am updating the last part as a way to close this SS.. Preethi may not be in SNS.. But I liked her as I created her.. Maybe someday in the future we may see her... Actually she gave me hope to redeem Rashi's character which I still think is very difficult.. Believable or not, my Preethi is really invincible.. She gets to do the impossible in this SS..😉
"Hello Bhabhi.. Preparing lunch?" Preethi walked into the kitchen where only Rashi worked. She saw Rashi give a small smile and practically ignore her. Preethi smiled.
"You are so lucky Bhabhi!" That she saw piqued Rashi's interest. "It is fun being the younger one in the family. Especially here.." Preethi saw she now had Rashi's whole attention.
"You get to enjoy the good things without the responsibilty of being the 'elder bahu'.. That must be a tiring job being responsible all the time.. No wonder Gopi Bhabhi goes around like she has the weight of the entire world on her shoulders.. Now you and me.. We both fall in the category of Do-just-your-work-get-it-done-and-enjoy-the-benefits kinds."
Preethi saw Rashi processing this information. She was frowning a little. "For example Bhabhi see.. Two days from now we have the laxmi pooja at home..Now I heard Kaki say that Gopi bhabhi being the eldest has to get up at 4 AM in the morning to start the rituals. You and me, we both can just come in at the usual time, dress up as much as we want, sit for the pooja and enjoy.. You are more lucky. Jigar will be there, I am sure admiring you. If only Jithin was here.."
Preethi left dreamily thinking of her husband. But she also left a smiling Rashi.
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"Gopi Bhabhi we will deliver lunch and then go shopping. Come on.." "Yes Gopi. Let us go." Rashi also added and all the three trudged out with lunch boxes. They were going shopping before which they would deliver lunch to the men.
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"Mr. Jigar Chirag Modi, your wife is here with yourlunch." Preethi ushered Rashi into Jigar's office and let them be.
"Hi Jigarji, I brought lunch." "Thanks Rashi. But I am leaving for a meeting right now. Can you wait for half an hour. Don't go anywhere. I will be back." Jigar held Rashi's hand and made her sit in his chair. "But Jigarji.."
Rashi's words were cut short by an associate walking in. Jigar instructed the guy to get the necessary files and walked briskly out giving Rashi a smile.
"Good afternoon madam." Rashi wished the associate and sat in the chair. "Maam, I will send someone with some coffee or would you prefer some juice?" Rashi turned surprised. "No thank you. I will wait for Jigarji to be back."
"Ok Maam. If you need anything please press the buzzer. Atmaram..." The assoicate called in to who looked like a peon.
"Atmaram, this is Rashi Maam, Jigar saab's wife. If she needs something make sure she gets it. Sir is driving an important meeting and will be back soon" Rashi's face glowed at the man's words. She felt nice to wait for Jigarji.
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"This is Gopi Modi. My wife." Aham turned to smile at Gopi. "And my cousin, Preethi Desai." Aham nodded at Preethi and the three of them made their way to his office.
"Both of you stay seated in my room. I will be back after this meeting." Aham left his office to attend the meeting. They had sat there, Gopi with the lunch bag that Preethi had insisted Gopi should hand deliver to the office as they were out shopping nearby. Preethi could see Gopi's happiness as she looked around her husband's office.
"Is this the first time you are here Bhabhi?" Gopi nodded and stood up to go around his desk. She stopped near his chair and her eyes widened. Preethi walked up to her and looked down at the picture. Gopi and Aham were in white, smiling, eyes sparkling with love. Preethi took the picture in her hand. "You both look very beautiful together."
Somehow Preethi felt Gopi's sadness inspite of her smile but there was also a slight feeling of confusion on her face. She handed over the photo as Gopi extended her hand to hold the same.
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"Maam, I need the red file from Sir's desk." "Please go ahead." Preethi answered for Gopi and the man started searching around the desk.
"Maybe it is in the drawer." Gopi heard the man and went forward to open the drawer. All she saw was a diary and there was a page skewed that made the diary not closed properly.
"Maam I got it.." The man left the room just as Gopi took the diary out to set the page right.
"Gopi Bhabhi..." Preethi called softly as she saw Gopi's stricken face holding on to the diary. Ahem walked into the room right on time and both watched as Gopi looked up in a trance, dropped the diary and walked out of the room.
Anitha looked down to see a photo slide and come to a stop at her feet. "Anitha!" She looked up just in time to see Ahem hurrying after his wife.
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"I do not want to speak to you. I want to speak to my wife and you let her come with me right now." Aham fumed at Preethi who looked equally angry. Gopi stood crying watching them but stepped forward.
"Preethi ben, I will go. Please calm down. Maaji will hear." Both looked at her for one second, Preethi with eyes that felt Gopi's pain and Aham with anguish.
"Bhabhi.." "Gopi.." Both started at the same time and glared at each other again. Before Preethi could react, Aham bent forward tool Gopi's hand in his and pulled her with him.
"Aham stop." Preethi hissed but he was in no mood to listen. Preethi helplessly angry saw Aham pull Gopi in and close the door to their room angrily. She paced her room thinking of what happened. She prayed Ahem set this right this time.
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"That was pretty well done I must say" Preethi smiled at Aham. "What else did you expect Aham? Have I ever let you and Jithin down? Plus both of you owe me on that changed story I came up with for Gopi Bhabhi."
Aham smiled wider and remembered back to calling Preethi a month back. He had become frustrated that Gopi was still scared around him and had run out of choices. On a off day phone call he had done the impossible and told Preethi of his dilemma. Then the day he witnessed the mango incident with his Kaki and Mom had been a bolt out of the blue sky. Gopi had told him her side of the story. He knew his wife would do her best but he could not somehow sweep the heat in the elders argument under the carpet.
What most people never understood was the camarderie and friendship that ran between him, Jithin and Preethi. Preethi being his cousin and of the same age, they had fought when they were young but as time went on he had admired her outgoing and honest personality as she had seen his sense of strength and values. But being private people they left everyone to have their own ideas, without correcting them about their so called tiffs.
Once Jithin came into the picture their friendship had grown stronger as Aham had found Preethi falling in love with his friend and vice versa. Unknown to everyone it had been Aham who had first floated the idea in the family for their marriage and everything had settled according to plan.
So when he had problems at home no wonder she had been the first person in his mind.
"For one moment there in your office I thought you ruined it, but I am glad it turned out so well." Preethi frowned and turned to face Aham. "Aham, why did you still have Anitha's picture in that diary of yours. I was too stunned that minute. Poor Bhabhi. She would have broken inside."
Aham's face clouded for one minute as he remembered Gopi's tear ravaged face telling him that she would make leave and make it easier for him. His hands balled into a fist but then he remembered her smile when she was in his arms in the morning and that made him relax.
"That was the hardest part." He said seriously. "I completely forgot about the picture. I mean.. I never opened the diary after my birthday and it has been in that drawer ever since the next day." "Not a very good excuse." That brought a sad smile.
"I know. But I am glad it did come into the open. I do not know if I could have let this go on without telling Gopi what I feel. I have been trying to but this seems to be godsend."
Aham remembered how he had forcefully made Gopi listen to him as he told her about how he felt for her. He confessed his growing love for her and his mistake in forgetting the photo of his ex girlfriend in his diary. He had seen her apprehension and his heart had sunk thinking that he had left it too late. That had just made it more angry at himself. He had wanted her to tell him that she had stopped loving him.
Preethi saw Aham's face reflect pain, anger, hopelessness, ecstasy as he silently stood. She understood that he was thinking back to the conversation he would have had with Gopi Bhabhi.
Aham remembered how Gopi had completely broken down in tears after his declaration that he would let her go only if she would tell him she did not love him and that she did not trust his words. It had taken all his strength to be stoic seeing her cry her heart out as she talked on how she wanted to be with him and how her dreams always broke everytime. He had taken her in his arms as she kept repeating that she did not want to hope again, not after holi.
Aham smiled slightly as he remembered the minute he had the felt that he had gone all the way with Gopi. It has been the moment she hugged him as he soothed her. Her tears and her hug had brought back the very memory he had been searching for.. The rest had been history.
"So eveything fine with Bhabhi then?" Preethi's meaningful smile made him blush. "Hmm.. It couldn't be better. By the way where do mom and Kaki stand."
Preethi gave a triumphant smile and informed Aham that she was finding them more and more closer to how they were before. "I really think that the picnic helped. They were left alone and I think they talked about their differences. Maasi looked relieved and Kaki looks happy. So we are safe in that end."
Both brother and sister smiled and went back inside before someone missed them.
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"Rashi lets go out when the Aarti is done. Nobody will miss us. Anyway the rest of the rituals are going to be done by Bhai and Bhabhi." Jigar whispered to Rashi and she looked at him blushing.
"Jigarji, Kakiji will kill us if she knows." "Naa.. I will adjust. Come on Rashi. It will be fun. I have done it a lot of times" Jigar's excitement rubbed off on her and she nodded her head. Jigar winked and left.
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"Mummy? I am in a hurry. I will talk to you later." Rashi whispered into the phone. "Rashi, don't you have time fr your mummy? I have the perfect plan to make sure that you sit with Jigarji in the pooja today.. Listen.."
"Hello Mummy.. I cannot hear.. I cannot hear you.. Bye.." Rashi cut the call and switched off the cell phone as Jigar brought the car upfront and opened the door.
"Rashi come on. Lets go.." She jumped into the car giving a furtive look around once. It was exciting.
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"Hmm uhmm.." Preethi cleared her throat and laughed. Both Ahem and Gopi came out of their trance and Preethi saw Gopi quickly free her hands from Ahem's. He seemed to steadfastly hold on to hers not giving her a chance to pull away.
"Bhabhi, before Ahem kills me, I came to wish you both a great future. I am leaving" Even Ahem's face seemed shocked. "Preethi ben, why? What happened?" Preethi laughed at Gopi's expression.
"Aww Bhabhi, you are too cute. I am just missing my hubby. So finished my work her soon. That is all. Apart from that, if I take any more of your time Ahem will not let me set a step into the house again in the future."
"Now Now Preethi..." Even Gopi looked surprised to her Ahem protest but she found his face as stern as he was always with Preethi. She turned back confused and Ahem winked at Preethi. Preethi laughed once more before taking her leave from all.
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"Ahemji, are you sure? I mean, I will not be a disturbance?" Ahem took Gopi's hand in his.
"No Gopiji. I would need you at my side. We are both invited and I also think that after giving you up to that cousin of mine for so long I have the automatic right to spend extra time with you. The conference is Godsend. Now nobody else will get to call you at all times. You better prepare to spend almost all day and night with me."
Gopi blushed at his teasing tone. "Ji Ahemji, but Maaji?" "Mom said ok. I asked her. Now get ready."Ahem watched Gopi nod and turn to get their bags ready. He finally felt at peace. He felt on top of the world.
He smiled as he mouthed the lines that he had learnt when he was at school. It made total sense now..
The lark's on the wing;
The snail's on the thorn;
God's in His heaven—
All's right with the world
All's right with the world indeed.. Atleast his small world, his family.
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The ends it.. The poem is by Robert Browning and is part of Pippa passes.. I love these lines. They make me smile everytime I hear it.. Ahem, I think would have also smiled hearing them😛
Thank you all for patiently reading this story and commenting.. You all rock!!
Bade Achhe Lagte Hain
CID
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