Always,Only You--(fiction) THREAD 1 - Page 95

Chapter 22(b)

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"Stop right there" Suraj Pratap issued a command to Pari and Pratik as they were about to step inside Scindia Mansion. Yash, Aarti, Vidhi, Pankaj, Gayatri, Maya and the kids too rushed towards the main door upon hearing the raised voice, yet not knowing at the moment the cause of such anger from the head of the family.

As SP approached them from inside with boiling anger in his eyes both Pari and Pratik were taken aback by the intensity of it and they started to back paddle away from him.

SP stepped into the front yard having Pari and Pratik in front of him while the rest of the family stood behind him near the door.

"Ram Dulare please take the children inside. I do not want them here" he issued another command that was carried out without delay.

"What the hell is going on in this house? People just vanish without a word. And people fib and give excuses about the missing person" SP looked accusing at Pari and then over his shoulder at Aarti once the kids went away.

"How do I get to know about what MY SON and HIS WIFE are upto by seeing them on television? Can you imagine what I felt at the moment?"

It was then four people present there understood the reason behind SP's anger.

"Gayatri...take a good look at your youngest SON ...he is the author of a cookbook now. Did you know? Hah ! Of course you didn't. NO ONE knew. As this fellow never TOLD anyone. Should I congratulate him for it or should I feel betrayed by him?" he said accusingly.

"Bauji..." Pratik tried to get a word in.

"Shut up Pratik ! When you should have talked and informed you kept mum and NOW you want to open your mouth.

Too little, too late Pratik. Save yourself the effort.

You not just did something which is against my wishes but you made your wife do something against my wishes too"

"What is this some sort of revolt against ME and against the principles we the Scindia family stand by?" SP aked furiously.

"Sunyeji I do not know what Pari has done...but believe me our children and their wives will never go against you" Gayatri without knowing t he whole issue fully came in their defense.

"You know nothing! Gayatri...this bahu of yours is back working. Did she tell you that? NO. The two of them have become so "grown-up" that they are taking decisions on their own...not even bothering to inform us. As if we hold no importance to them"

"Mere bhagwan ki kasam bhaiya... These modern day girls...they are so fickle. When we got her married to Pratik we specifically mentioned that we did not want a working woman as a bahu. She agreed to it...we did not force her marry Pratik. But after a year as a housewife looks like she got bored haan..." said Maya adding fuel to the fire.

"Buaji...Pari never wholeheartedly agreed to giving up her job. I had assured her that I will convince you and make sure that she gets back to her work" Pratik said to set the record straight.

"But you yourself preferred her as a housewife did you not Pratik...that's why you never raised the issue of Pari's going back to us before us" countered SP.

"Actually no bauji that was not my reason for it, however I seem to have misled you. So I can understand why you feel the way you do. But now I want to be clear about my stand. Just as I love my cooking and want to pursue it, I want Pari too to be given the same freedom" Pratik said boldly. As Pari looked at him in awe, she had never seen him this assertive in the past.

"For so long neither I lived a life I wanted nor did I allow Pari to do the same. But now the time for change has come. I am thankful for Aarti bhabhi for making me see things clearly" said Pratik.

"Oh! I just knew it. Bhaiya so Aarti is behind all this. Mere bhagwan ki kasam, now I get it. But I will deal with her later. First tell me Pratik why did Pari get married if it was freedom she wanted?" questioned Bua.

"Having a career and leading a happy married life are not mutually exclusive buaji" finally Yash spoke up. Joining Pari and Pratik in front of SP.Not liking that once again Bua had singled out Aarti to blame everything for, but decided not to make an issue of it just then.

"Bauji...I thought you would understand Pari's need to work" Yash questioned.

"Well I Don't. What does she lack here? All her needs are taken care of. So what is the point for her to work. She just needs to take care of her husband..is that too much to ask for?" SP answered with a question of his own.

"Bauji...look at it this way...you believe in GOD. Don't you? I know you do. And Maa to believes in god too. You have never forced her to quit praying to God just because we are blessed with everything , have you?" questioned Yash.

"What has that got to do with any of this" SP asked not able to understand and getting irritated on seeing his second son too standing against him.

"Work is worship...bauji. Just as you are dedicated to your work Pari too is dedicated to her's...she worships it. How can you stop her from worshipping Bauji?. Working is not just to seek materialistic comforts but to have a purpose in life, a goal...something which every human needs to be completely happy. How can you snatch that happiness away from her?" questioned Yash his voice raising in the process.

SP was taken aback. He had never seen Yash or Pratik speak up to him like this before. And he had never thought of women...working quite that way either.

Yash folded his hands in front of SP and said with at most humility

"I am sorry Bauji...I apologise...I should not have spoken to you like that. But I stand by Pratik in his desire to pursue a career in cooking and with Pari in her desire to continue her work"

"Bauji...I am with Yash, Pratik, Pari and Aarti on this too. I know you and Maa have always supported us when we talked about how we wanted to let Vedaant chose a career for himself and not force him into one and how YOU have encouraged Vedika's ambition of becoming a doctor" Pankaj finally spoke up coming in aid of his siblings too.

"Yes Bauji...why have different set of rules for your grandchildren while not allowing the same freedom for your son and daughter-in-law" seconded Vidhi who too came up from behind and joined the rest in front of SP.

"I see you have all ganged up against my brother. Mere bhagwan ki kasam bhaiya...what is happening here?" Bua spoke cuttingly.

"No...Buaji please do not see this as a revolt but as a humble request from our side. We sincerely do not see this as a way to insult Bauji's authority or to undermine it but this only a request to explore our horizons" Aarti added gently, folding her hands along with the others.

"The rest is upto you Bauji" Yash concluded with all six of them queued one next to the other with their hands folded in front of SP.

After the raging debate there was an eerie silence. All awaited for the final judgement from SP.

SP took his time to analyse the situation. For him it was a lot to swallow but finally he spoke.

"I want peace and quiet in my family. I have said that repeatedly. And I do not want any cracks to ever surface between us. The unity of the family is essential for me. So I am allowing them to do as they wish, but on a condition that Pratik does not totally leave the family business and contribute in whichever way he can" he said looking at Pratik.

"And I expect that the name of our family and the standard we maintain in the society not be compromised at any cost by working in the limelight" he concluded looking sternly at Pari.

Pratik did not like that warning for Pari and was about to retort when Pari held him back and spoke up instead.

"Bauji...I know all this must have come as a huge shock for you. So I can understand your anger at us. But I am also thankful and gratful that you did not outright make us give up our dreams. I am hoping a day will come soon when you would wholeheartedly accept us just as we are" said Pari.

SP bristled some more but stepped back and went inside the house. Still coming to terms with the events that had taken place.

Gayatri made others stay out for a few minutes longer as she made Ram Dulare get an Aarti ki thali.

"May God keep any evil eye from falling on all my children. May he bless you with strength and good fortune" she said giving everyone a joint Aarti and then asked them to step in one couple at a time into the house.

As night engulfed Bhopal the Scindia family looked forward to what the new day might hold for them. But Aarti knew she would have to share her secret with Yash sooner rather than later.

TO BE CONTINUED...