Chapter 29
A Prince Far East, A Princess up North
(September, 1982…)
(Amritsar…)
"Dreammy…"
She chopped of the head in a quick strike with ruthless precision. It lolled of to a side in a pitiful state and she did not even spare it another glance.
"Dreeammmyy…"
Her nails dug into the skin as she raised the blade in her other hand and peeled the skin over. Her cruel actions accompanied noise of painful screeches but she kept on skinning till she ran out of breath.
"Dreaaammmyyy…"
With wild rage that was beyond her control she drove the blade right through the centre. As if that was not enough, with animal brutatlity she twisted and turned it around till the innards leapt out.
A guttural screech leapt out.
"Kaaakkkuuu," Meera screeched, "What have you done to the cucumber?"
Geet came out of her thoughts and looked up at her sister in an abrupt manner. She again looked back at the plate in front of her. The cucumber that was meant for the afternoon salad was a pulverized mess infront of her very eyes. She dropped the knife she was holding.
"Kee hoyya Kakku?"
"Kuchh nahi Sammy Di," Geet quickly gathered the scattered peels and cucumber bits and made a quick exit for the muttering a sorry under her breath.
**********************************************************************
(Sikkim…)
"Bloody bugger," Maan muttered under his breath.
"Did you say something Maan?" the officer standing next to him asked concerned.
"Nothing Danny," Maan shook his head and looked back at the nail he was trying to hammer in the wall, "nothing at all."
"Something is definitely up," Danny muttered back.
Maan hammered in the nail and asked, "Did you say something?"
"Nothing Maan, nothing at all," Danny snickered.
Maan gave a sideway glance to his friend and then got back to the task at hand, "Don't think I didn't hear you Captain Daniel Jung Thappa."
"Ah! Finally the legendary awakens," Danny shot back while fixing the volleyball net on the nail Maan had hammered, "with the lack of concentration you are displaying today I was doubtful whether the rest of your super-powers were affected or not."
Maan picked the volleyball lying next to them and threw it at Danny. Taking advantage if his shorter height Danny ducked under the net and came out at the other side.
"You missed Khurana! You are missing your shots a lot these days. Seems like the cold air of Sikkim has clogged your brain."
I am missing a lot more than few shots. Maan ignored Danny and signaled a soldier standing few feet away to shoot back the ball that had rolled off near the
"Come'on man," Danny came back to Maan, "seriously, what is up with you? You always were the silent broody types but this time you seem more like a frustrated soul. And we poor chaps are suffering of this frustration of yours."
Maan raised an eyebrow at Danny's playful accusation not able to comprehend what he meant.
"Sir! I think volleyball is a great idea to keep the cold away and the officers on their toes," Danny mimicked Maan's words to their company commander.
"So?"
"So!!" Danny looked at Maan incredously, "look around you bugger," he waved his hands
around, "O' Prince of Far East we are surrounded with six feet high ice all around us on this god-forsaken mountain right across the enemy lines and you want us to play volleyball?"
"See this is the issue," Maan pointed out logically, "it is frustrating to be posted in a place like this. Sports are a great way to let out steam."
"Steam? What steam? Everything is bloody freezing over here. I even shit out ice cubes!!!"
Danny caught the ball that was thrown back by the soldier as asked by Maan and twirled it on his finger, "You are definitely occupied with some deep thoughts. I know atleast this much man. Is it a girl?" He threw the ball at Maan.
Maan caught the ball on his finger and kept the ball twirling. Opening his heart out infront of others was not he could do easily. Maan shifted the ball on the index finger of his other hand and walked towards the center of the field, "Relax Danny. Have fun. This is all we can manage in this god-forsaken place."
**********************************************************************
(Amritsar…)
"See I told you," a smug Pari hi-fied Meera.
"Yes," Sammy grinned, "she does feel for him. Nicely done Pari!"
Pari laughed at Sameera's praise and shrugged, "There wasn't much to do. He truly is dreamy."
Meera and Sameera doubled over laughing at Pari's predictable reaction over Maan.
"And to think you almost didn't make it to the function," Meera reminded Pari.
"Hmm," Pari twisted her lips, "Dad is on a groom-hunt and I had to suffer the company of a frog in that regard when a prince was around in your house."
"Frog?!!"
"Yes Meera," Pari complained, "His eyes were hanging out from the sockets and he spoke as if he is gargling water in his throat. I wish I get as lucky as Kakku or I would jump in a well!!"
"Stop being silly Pari," Sameera laughed at her.
"Silly? Don't you like dreaming about your would-be hubby Sammy Di?"
"Nope!"
"Inna jiha vi nahi," Pari asked with her thumb and index finger an inch apart. [Not even a little?]
Sameera rolled her eyes, "Nah-ah"
**********************************************************************
(Ahmedabad…)
"Naa-ah"
"How about this one?"
"Nope!"
Usneek looked at him with a slant of her eyes and kept the pictures down on the table.
"Vardaan, we are doing this for your own good. A little attention would help."
"Bhabhi I know," Vardaan sighed, "its just that I am not cut out for this." He flapped his hands at all the pictures of different girls kept infront of him. "Shouldn't you be telling me about the girl's nature? Or about her interests? What will I do by knowing her status, her wealth or the dowry she would bring?"
He leaned back on the backrest of the couch, "I want to start a family not a bank."
Usneek tsked at his words, "You are so nave Vardaan. You can start a family with any kind of girl. Her nature can be molded according to yours after marriage. Her interests can change to suit yours. But her status, that must match yours right from beginning. How else will it be a marriage of equality?"
"But Bhabhi…"
"Trust us Vardaan," Usneek cut in, "we would do no harm by you. I thought you had put the past behind us. Don't you have faith in your bhabhis?"
"Vardaan," Meha crooned, "don't bother about these domestic matters. You keep with your flourishing business. Just leave these matters to us."
Vardaan rolled his eyes and got up, "As you say Bhabhi. But remember, the final decision shall be mine."
"Ofcourse darling," Meha air kissed after him and Usneek took a long sip of wine from her flute.
**********************************************************************
(October, 1982…)
(Amritsar…)
"I am engaged!!!"
"Yes Pari you are engaged," Sameera rolled her eyes, "we know that already."
"I just can't believe that I got engaged so soon. I mean he was the second guy Dad met," Pari squealed.
Geet turned her back towards her sisters and Pari and concentrated in her books. She was still upset with Pari's raptures over Maan. Not that she showed or loved Pari any less than before. But she just couldn't understand why she felt sick in stomach when Pari would start gushing over Maan.
Now that she got engaged three days back Geet had hoped that she would no longer get to hear about Maan from Pari's mouth. But something entirely else occurred which made Geet think of Maan even more than before.
Pari found herself an Army officer too.
"Our princess is so pretty why she wouldn't get her prince this soon," Rano came in with a plate of snacks for the girls. She patted Pari on her head and blessed her, "We are very happy to hear this news. And it is so nice that you will get married to an army officer too. Just like our Kakku. Maybe you both could be posted in same places…"
Copycat, Geet twisted her lips and tried reading the paragraph infront of her for the third time without much success. She buried her head in the book and wished that she would go deaf for a while.
**********************************************************************
(Ahmedabad…)
"I will go deaf Maasi," Vardaan sighed into the telephone receiver, "I understand your concerns. You don't need to scream at me."
His comment got him duly rebuked by Darshan from the other end and then she slammed the phone down.
"Who was it Vardaan?"
Vardaan looked up to see Harman walk in the room, "It was Darshan Maasi."
"Maasiji?! How is she?"
"She is in a huff actually."
"Why?"
"Well," Vardaan began, "she is worried about my marriage…"
"What is there to worry about in that? Your bhabhis are taking good care of that," Harman waved a careless hand in the air.
"But she is still worried," Vardaan replied, "after all after mother…"
"What do you mean to say Vardaan," Sartaaj walked in, "aren't we taking good care of you? Aren't we making proper efforts? Darshan maasi just sits there in Amritsar and fusses over you. We are the ones running around the city for you."
Irked at Sartaaj's tone Vardaan got up, "Maasi just wishes my best."
Seeing the situation going awry Harman tried to ease his younger brother, "Relax Vardaan. All we are saying that Maasi need not worry. We are treating you like a prince and keeping the highest the standards in finding your bride from whole of Ahmedabad. What more can even Maasi do than this?"
Vardaan titlted his head at Harman and laughed, "Well if I am a prince then Maasi might just find me a princess from up north."
**********************************************************************
Hey peeps...sorry for the late update. I was down with jaundice last month and then just lost the drive to write. Not that the inspiration is back full on but I figured I would have to grease the wheels of my brain a little. Hence this half baked attempt of an update.
Please do add this user ID for PMs... jazerettePMs ...I am not responding to friend requests on my this profile.
Edited by jazzerette - 13 years ago
Cricket
Financial markets and global economy
Ishaani
661