He knows it all and I know Nothing !!
https://www.indiaforums.com/forum/post/80112344
OS
Longings of a Prejudiced Heart
Part I
Gumaan paced restlessly in her room .She was waiting for the call.The confrontation with Kumud had taken her of guard. The confidence in the eyes of that do take ki village rustic fumed her.How dare she challenge her. She was Guman Vyas, the woman who made her way to riches through tatters and brothels of Bhopal. Once a dancer in a dingy nighclub was now queen who made people dance at her fingers. She was the woman behind the shrewd and successful businessman Laxminanadan Vyas .She had no ethics all she had was a desire for power which ever way it came, never mattered for her.
She lived a duel life , a meek sexy wife at home and a ruthless business lady in office. She knew how to cover her deeds .But then she did know that her very own step son was her biggest challenge , the biggest thorn to her way to Vyas Empire which she wanted only for her own son .And now this challenge was aggravated. He wanted to marry, that too to a woman who was strong and bright. In her twenty years of kindering to her step son ,she had somehow managed to kill the emotional confidence in him making him belive that he was the one incapable of emotions and happiness , locking his longings, his desires into some unforeseen corners of heart. But this new girl in his life was an alarm bell to her aspiring dreams.
The phone rang .She clutched it immediately .Her expressions changed .
Juhi ,Beta I have been waiting so long
Sorry aunty I was in flight
Flight ! her eyes twinkled
'Yes aunty I am coming to ratnagiri .Wiase bhi .How can I say no to u '.
'I know beta .I have sent the driver .He will bring u here.'
She cut the call and sighed. Guman never liked Juhi. Infact she never liked any girl who tried to come near Saras her stepson. She never wanted saras to marry and have family as it would mean a second position for her own son which was unacceptable for her.She knew her sons sanyasi bent of mind and always encouraged it. Juhi had managed to come near Saras but not in a way that could alarm her.He never reciprocated her out of love but did consider her as his best friend.She knew Juhi loved Saras and would do anything to have him. In normal circumstances she would never encourage Juhi but in present situation she had no other option. She wanted a beautiful posh girl by Saras side to make his rustic love know how mean and outdated she was and Juhi was best suited for this.
She had already broken the girl by demeaning her bankrupt father and knew Juhi would just put an end to it .
**************
Kumud Sundri looked at the pile of the flower garlands and sighed .They were the flowers for pooja and the marriage celebrations .She had been busy with her two sisters Kusum and Kumari sorting the garlands .It was Raman Kakas daughters marriage. She loved her bapu for offering their Haveli for the marriage and Nandu Kaka for helping him financially. Nandu Kaka ,her father's oldest and best riend has always been so nice she thought and then sighed again.
May be Gumaan Kaki was right .She was not at all fit for the high society Nandu Kaka and his family belonged. May be Nandu Kaka was just trying to be good to her bapu just the way he was being good to Raman Kaka. Her bapu was no more rich and may be that's why Nandu Kaka offered the marriage proposal of his son to help his frind her baapu
'Didi what r u doing ? Look u mixed red garlenda with the yellow once',
Kusum looked at Kumud and knew her didi was once again lost in her very own emotional turmoil
'Didi forget what Guman Kaki said , we don't need to care. Let her bring some high society bahu for her son and let Saras Bhai have her.' She encircled her arms round her didi and hugged' Didi u will go in a family with much higher status! '.Lagi Shart !'
'Oh Kusum who cares of status and who cares for Guman Kaki .All I care is for'', her voice trailed away .Her heart thumped as she thought of the name she was about to take. Saras .
Yes all she cared for was Saras .She knew how much she meant for him. How much he loved her. She never cared for pinching words of Guman Kaki but she did care for Saras. His smile made her heart flutter and his touch had strange effect on her. She often felt like fainting, his very effect was intoxicating .She thought she was strongest and had no effect of men on her. She often thought she was a placid fool. She was graduate .During her collage she did meet boys some good looking too. But none made her heart flutter the way Saras did. May be because he was the man with same eyes she always dreamt . The deep calm eyes that smiled at her out of longing and yearning to be loved.
She had been ignoring him since the tension that occurred between their fathers. They both had taken their fathers side and fought like cat and mouse Their fathers had already made up like two best friends who fight in the morning but make up by night. But she had not been able to make up with Saras. He did try to talk but she was not able to. It was during argument between her father and Nandu Kaka she relised how much difference they had in their status. Her father was a bankrupt man whose finances were dwindling and Nandu Kaka a successful businessman who saved there haveli from being auctioned. Such was the difference in status. Saras , his son was his dream the one who would take his business empire to new heights. Such a man needed a woman who could match his status in education and upbringing. Her upbringing and education was suitable to be a proud villager but not at all suited for a Howard return son of a millionaire. It was this realization that made her restrain her fluttering heart and cage it deep inside .
Suddenly she heard something crash and then a shriek. The three sisters ran to see in the direction. Kusum and Kumari looked wide eyed at the girl who had just fallen slipping her high heels into the long sarees that had been just put on grounds to be dried after fresh colouring .Kusum and Kumari rushed to help the beautiful stranger .They helped her to the room .Kumud watched skeptically as the girl limped her way to the room. She was in simple slackes and sleeveless kurti , tall fair and very beautiful too. Now who is this naya mehmaan she wandered .
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'O my child are u alright ! ' Guman rushed into the room .She hugged Juhi a bit too warmly surprising Juhi herself.
'Yes aunty I am fine ,just had a sprain in my legs but now its okey. Kumud is really good. She just twisted it a bit and look now I can walk '
'So u alredy know Kumud ' Guman shrugged with a raised eye brow .
'Yes aunty she is really very nice ', said Juhi warmly as she touched Kumud who had been there tending her ankles.
'Yes Juhi I agree she is nice', Guman grinded her jaws and looked sharply at Kumud . Kumud knew she needed to be out of picture as now bearing Guman Kaki was becoming difficult for her too.
'U need to know ur friends and foes Juhi ' Gumaan continued while she shut the doors behind.
Juhi looked confused as she saw sudden change in Guman's expressions.
Aunty'
'Did u meet Saras? ' Guman interrupted her
'No , not yet. Is everything alright! '
Juhi knew something was cooking in Guman aunty's mind. She did like her but not much. The lady never gave her positive vibes regarding her stepson. She always felt there was a tension between mother and son. But she had never been able to find out or say both would never let her to. Saras had always been nice to her , a courteous gentleman and a friend in need but nothing more then that .Somewhere he knew she loved him and always avoided when any such emotions became avid in her responses. He seemed so distant when it came to love and so near when it came to help .Her Mom was Guman aunty's best friend and even had indirectly talked about her marriage to Saras. But Guman aunty too like her son avoided it. Since then she had been happy being friend to Saras as found it the only way to be near him .But her feelings and hope were always there may be one day she could get him.
She had always been in love with Indian wedding. They were her top priority projects when it came to photo shoots. She liked catching them in her camera , all real in there truest color and when Guman aunty invited her to cover the one at Gujrat she knew it was a chance of life time. No , not because it was going to be her tenth regional marriage project but coz her love Saras was also there. Something in Gumaan aunty's voice gave her a ray of hope and now she knew that the lady just did not call her for photographing a marriage, she had some other reasons too.
Slowly Guman poured in. Her dislike for that lean , wheatish girl with those large bright eyes was quite evident in her talks .So her name Kumud Sundari and Saras was in love with her. Her heart pounded when she heard it but then it got hopeful too when she realized Guman aunty was on her side.
She wanted her to have Saras ! Strange was she dreaming ! Guman aunty , who always seemed to dislike her nearness with Saras suddenly liked her and felt she was best choice for her stepson. Juhi's heart soured high .She had his mother on her side and all she needed was to turn there friendship into love.
Juhi sighed the task was difficult but not impossible especially when she had a lady as shrewd as Guman aunty on her side.
***************
Desia Haveli was abuzz with marriage preparations . Saras had difficulty finding quit corner for his work. He had just finished his two video conferences in a row and sat on the terrace brooding .Two months in Ratnagiri had changed his life .The place gave him everything he had been craving since ages. He felt his mothers presence in the very air of ratnagiri. The dark waters no longer frightened him. Instead they seemed to be his mother's dwelling place. He found his mother's love in Maiyee , Dukh B'aa as they called her .And then there was Kumud Sundari. The lady who would stand by his side expecting nothing.
He had annoyed her by saying no to her marriage proposal sent by her father and even faced her wrath. She was so thin yet so inexplicably strong , so beautiful and yet with lot of brain .But then she had a small nose with lot of pride and anger on it. It often went red when she was angry but then she had bright eyes and plump cheeks which went red when she blushed. She had perfect features like some sculpture from Ellora caves ,thin waist , long limbs. He had thought her to be one of those sculptures when he first saw . She always looked at him with a face stern with anger at his rejection , her eyes dark and unreadable still he often found her by his side like some wall , rock solid protecting him . He had heard and seen damsel in distress but a damsel strong and protective was something unknown to him and Kumud Sundari was one of such kind.
She was the one who believed in love and considered it the power that could defeat all. Her compassion and benevolence was overwhelming .It was she who taught him never to pity or get pitied instead be strong and make people strong .She believed in no sympathy but empowerment .This beautiful lady taught him things which his Howard education could not even dream of .She reverberated with energy and enthusiasm .He liked her watching while she did her things , humming her own poems to herself , working accounts in her bapu's file , singing morning aarti ,serving food at dining table.
He sighed as he looked at the sun and remembered how she made the setting sun look even more beautiful when she appeared with evening tea at terrace, her face lit with deep colors of the twilight . He suddenly realized the lady he had just been reminiscing off had suddenly started ignoring him out of no reasons. They had spoken their hearts and knew they were in love but then fought like kids over their fathers. The argument was not that big but it changed Kumud's behavior overnight. He tried to talk but she ignored why he never knew.
'Saras Bhai Guman Kaki is calling u'
The voice broke his trail of thoughts. He nodded and descended down the terrace to answer .It was evening still havely was abuzz with people around .He searched for his Mom and suddenly realized being encircled into a warm hug from behind .He knew who it was. She always had Jesmine in air when she was around.
'Juhi! '.He turned .
She was the girl who always brought smile at his face .He had met her at his Bangoly friend's marriage. She had been busy capturing the moments in her camera and had bumped into him making them both crash into the mandap .It was an embarrassing first meeting but then they instantly clicked when she giggled out the whole embarrassment with her sweet smile.
He returned her embrace with equal warmth just the way best friend meet forgetting the rural setting and all so skeptical guests who watched them there mouth open .Thankfully his Mom came for rescue introducing Juhi as his childhood buddy which she was not.
She asked him the favour to help her out in choosing the best event for her coverage. He knew who could help and Kumari was there at first call. She was always there for him whenever he needed help .This youngest sister of Kumud Sundari was in habit of calling him Jeejaji .Though now she called him Saras bhai as his denial to marriage went public. But the girl knew that her sister Kumud and Saras were in love now and teased Saras by calling him Jijaji now and then .
Kumari burst into the room ' Yes Jija ji , order me ,what can I do for u ' she emphasized the word Jijaji as she looked at Juhi .Kumari ,smart as she always was had somehow smelled Juhi's liking for Saras and was in no mood of giving up her favorite going to be Jijaji to some London return babe.
Saras smiled at Kumari and spoke clarifying her apprehensions ', Kumari meet my best friend Juhi ,
'I know that . I saw u hugging her like long lost sister in the corridor ' again her words came like a taunt.
The three sisters were by no means easy on people they disliked and Saras reaised Juhi was by no means in there I like u list. Poor Juhi he thought .She is going to have hard time here.
Part II
Coming Soon...
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Do Tell If u like it so that I may continue ...
Shana
Cricket
