Thanks everyone for liking my work. here is the next chapter. hope it lives upto expectations.
Chapter 10
It has been a year since she left her home. The little enterprise Malini insisted on was flourishing under the watchful eye of all three. They started with a couple of creations per month and went on to become a small scale business. Gayatri brought in many families from the village, which were in dire straits, to help her with the work and earn in the process, as the business grew. When they started, she never wanted to come in lime light for fear of being discovered and thrown back into same circumstances. So, they had a very small group of clients for whom they designed exclusively. They might not be a household name, but they were known to those who mattered. It was 9 months since they started this business.
Kaka had taken voluntary retirement and since the business was time consuming, he helped the kids in their enterprise and used to look after paddy fields too, along with a few helpers. Thus their lives were moving on peacefully.
They had launched a casual range called Prerna, as casual designs were what gave them inspiration for this venture. But they didn't stop there. They started an exclusive range, which was still personally monitored by Mamata. They called it Sapna. As the range catered to party wear and bridal wear.
Till now they were exclusively women oriented business, for women, by women and of women. Suraj Kaka used to help them run the show room with a couple of sales girls, who had an eye for colour. Kaka helped maintaining records and accounts, so their contracts were always solid.
Slowly, though reluctantly, Gopi started coming out of her self-imposed shell and blossom under the care and attention of her family. She was sister to Malini, Maashi( as in Maa si) to Raj and Daughter to her parents. She didn't want to be wife to anyone. She didn't believe in that elusive relationship. The whole village had become like an extended family to her since she started helping everyone.
This giving, caring and nurturing nature of Gayatri mesmerized Krishna. He wanted her to be his wife and he liked her too. Liked her a lot indeed. But Gayatri didn't want to enter into a relationship from which she barely survived with her life. So she gently but firmly stopped his advances.
Gopi – Krishna Bhaiyya, I was married once, if we see truthfully, I am still married. My husband might be a hard person, but I know my values. Again, my heart already belongs to someone else. I don't want to give false hope to you. I see you as my Bhai. I don't have any Bhai. Would you be my Bhai?
Gopi's innocence was something no one could resist and Krishna desisted from making further advances and loved her as a sister.
In the previous nine months. Ahem had drowned the barely floating and mostly sinking business of Mathurs' and left their company and their reputation in dirt with help from Aaryansh, who became kind of right hand man for Ahem. All the shady deals of Mathurs' were exposed.
He was grateful that Kinjal-Umang's affair was not very far-gone. Aaryansh helped Modis retrieve whatever small evidence Umang had of his affair with Kinjal, when Umang had started blackmailing Kinjal. Ahem came to know this as he had started keeping an eagle eye on his sister, just in case she brings trouble to family again. But this time he shouldn't have bothered, since she herself came to Ahem with the problem, though she was terrified of him. So now Umang had no hold on Modis anymore. Also, this act of Kinjal soothed the soul of a brother in Ahem. Though he hadn't totally forgiven Kinjal, he didn't hate her anymore with the same passion as he did before.
Rashi was a completely changed person now. She knew now that her Saasra is nothing like her Maayka. Here they had different traditions. She even confessed all her bad deeds to Jigar and Ahem and asked their forgiveness and promised Koki that she would never ever repeat those mistakes again and she will try to become as good as Gopi.
She started blending in and even Koki had to give it to her, that she is a nice girl with a beautiful heart. Her only fault was that she was influenced by her mother. Once she came out of her mother's shadow, she started to shine more radiantly, since now whatever she did, she did with her whole heart. Now she was loved like a daughter.
Whenever Ahem used to see Rashi and Jigar together, he just couldn't stop himself being a little jealous but more sad that he couldn't find his heart, Gopi. But Ahem didn't resent Rashi her happiness. She had had her share of problems after she had confessed and she had tried really hard to get back in their good books. But Rashi had come forward by herself, without anyone having to find her out. Also, her faults were not so glaring in comparison to his sister's, who tried to sullen Gopi's character. Her care and concern for the family were also genuine. This made Ahem forgive Rashi more easily as we say we get angry with only those of whom we have high expectations. Ahem's expectations of Kinjal were far higher than his expectations from Rashi.
Whenever he was alone, Gopi's sweet face used to haunt him. All the moments he spent with her started running in front of his eyes as a kaleidoscopic movie. Her shy smile. Her angelic face. Her frightened face when he scolded her for lying to him about her illiteracy. Her immediate acceptance and forgiveness when he found out that she didn't lie to him and apologized to her. Her grateful and adorable face when he offered to teach her. Her dismayed and hurt face, when she was asked not to attend Navrati Pooja. Gopi's tearful face when he threw her out of the house. She trying to speak when he accused her without too much evidence, but the lost expression when she understood that he was not going to give her a chance to explain. He couldn't bear to live without her anymore. He just wanted to hold her and comfort her. He knew he had hurt her a lot. These days he always used to think, if only… if only there was a way to turn back time, he would do everything so differently. But there was no way. No one had seen Gopi since the day she disappeared.
Rashi loved Jigar very much now. He had stood by her like her very own support system during her low time. She started maintaining her distance from her grasping mother. Though she didn't give her a cut direct, but whenever she used to ask her about her Saasra, she used to evade the question, much to Urmi's irritation. But she was now very close to her father and Panna.
Jigar was also very impressed with changes in Rashi and loved her whole heartedly for taking such good care of his family when family was at its lowest point.
Jigar – Rashi, I owe you a lot. Thank you so much for taking such good care of my family.
Rashi – are Jigarji. What are you saying? Don't make me a stranger by thanking me. I am not doing this to prove myself as a good person. I am just doing this because I love this family. I love this family for giving me another chance to be one of them.
Jigar (with a sweet smile on his face) – I never knew I will see this side of my Rashi too… I am very proud of you. If only we could find Gopi Bhabhi too. Our family would be complete. The house doesn't feel like home without her.
Rashi – Haan Jigarji… I too feel the same way. I know I was one of the people who troubled her and was happy when she left home. But then I realized, it was Gopi who was saving me from every scruple I got caught in. It was because of her generosity, I never had to hear a bad word from anyone. She bore everything for me with a smile. Isn't that what a mother does Jigarji? Bearing consequences of her children's faults without defending what they did, but claiming it as her own mistake. I feel as if I lost my mother.
Saying this she looks up at Jigar. There are tears in her eyes, which were rolling down her cheeks. She wasn't even aware of her own misery. Seeing her in this state, Jigar got very worried and gathered her in his arms, to console her.
Jigar – Shhh… Rashi… we are doing everything to search her. We haven't stopped our search even now that it has been a year. Aaryansh has his team keep an eagle eye for Bhabhi. Would you believe if I say he made his team remember her face so that they can spot her if and when she appears.
Rashi – I hope we find her soon. Ahem Bhai has become so listless. Baa is not taking interest in anything except her prayers. Kaaki doesn't even scold me anymore, even when I do a mistake. I feel as if the soul of this house has gone along with Gopi.
Jigar – Don't worry Rashi. We will find her very soon.
He lifts Rashi's face and wipes her tears. He drops a kiss on her forehead with a sweet smile on his face and hugs her again.
A proposal comes from Mehta's for Kinjal for their son Elesh and everyone is very happy. Elesh was a very calm and understanding person. It was love at first sight for him with Kinjal. Even Kinjal liked him. But she didn't want to enter this relation on a false note, so she approaches her mom and Bhai and asks their permission to tell everything to Elesh and leave the decision to him. Koki and Ahem are astounded at her maturity and agree with her.
Ahem invites Elesh for Lunch. They leave Kinjal and Elesh to talk. Everyone is tensed as to what Elesh will say, but everyone agreed with Kinjal's stand as well. They didn't want anything to come in between happiness of their kids
Kinjal – Eleshji, there is a reason for this invitation.
Elesh – Haan Kinjal… Bolo
Kinjal – Eleshji, a year back I used to love someone. I don't know if it was love or infatuation or simply my need to rebel. But I did a big mistake when I chose the guy.
Elesh has a stunned expression, but keeps listening. He thinks that if her family knew of this, it can't be so grave as Kinjal was making it sound.
Kinjal – Eleshji, one and a half years back my Bhai Ahem got married to a girl of my mother's choice, though he loved someone else. Or that was what I thought. My Bhabhi was sweet and forgiving and very kind. If you wanted to find an angel on earth, you can just look at her. But I was very prejudiced against illiterate people. My Bhabhi was illiterate and I never saw her worth till it was too late to redeem myself. I wanted Gopi Bhabhi to leave and my Bhai to wed his girlfriend Anita as she was of the same status as us and I liked her. To get my Bhai and his girlfriend back together, I plotted with his girlfriend Anita and her Bhai Umang to throw Bhabhi out of the house. I fell in love with Umang while we were plotting and executing our plans or I thought it was love, but I was so blind that I couldn't see what was right in front of me, that my Bhai loved Bhabhi a lot. I finally succeeded in spoiling her reputation by showing to the family that she had affair with Umang. At that time Bhai didn't know it was a plot and threw Bhabhi out of the house. But after listening to the elders' talk of Bhabhi's goodness, he realized something was not very right and started digging deep and found the foul play in which I was involved. It was then mom told me that they rejected Anita because of her mercenary thinking and I realized how wrong I was. I haven't had contact with that guy since and I don't want any contact with him atall. I just wish I could go back in time and love my Bhabhi as she loved me.
Kinjal who had become very emotional with strained voice while recounting this, was crying hysterically by the end of this confession. After listening to this confession Elesh was so stunned that he could barely trust himself near Kinjal.
He goes outside to the family and says to Ahem.
Elesh – Kinjal told me everything that happened from your marriage to an illiterate girl to how she was thrown out of the house and how it was Kinjal's fault.
Ahem – I know you would be disgusted with this alliance now. We won't hold it against you, if you refuse this alliance.
They were giving Elesh an out from this alliance. They liked him a lot but didn't want to pressurize him into doing anything. They were waiting with baited breath for his answer.
Precap - What was that reaction which Elesh give? was it disbelief and disgust? Will Kinjal be able to forgive herself? Will Ahem ever see Gopi, except in his day dreams?
Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi 2
