Wow!! So happy to see the responses!! Ok, so without further delay...
Chapter 1
"Mamma, di ko kaunsa necklace pasand aayega?" Avni said, coming in with her hands full of
jewellery boxes. She looked up, stopping in her tracks at the worried expression on her
mother's face. "Kya hua Mamma?" she asked gently. Ela looked up from the files she was
staring at, and shook her head slightly, before smiling at her daughter. "Kuch nahin beta...
kuch office ka problem hai. Nothing major. Ab batao, what were you saying?" As mother and
daughter sat sorting out the jewellery, their glance suddenly fell on the picture on the
wall showing a smiling Ela surrounded by Damini, Avni and Roshni. Overcome with sudden
emotion, Ela hugged Avni, saying softly "I can't believe Damini is getting married..." Avni
snuggled in closer. "I know Mamma... it seems like yesterday when we all were running around
the house, bringing the roof down... But Inder jeeju is a great guy and I know he will keep
di very very happy" Ela smiled at her gentle daughter fondly "I know, Avni beta...
Everything is going to be wonderful! I'm just so happy today... I must be the world's most
blessed mother", she said, as she wiped tears of joy from her eyes.
********
"I am the world's most blessed person", Suman declared, as she looked at her three sons
seated around the dinner table. "My sons are all home finally... and next week your papa will
be home!" she said, unable to hide the excitement in her voice. Prithvi smiled, as Sameer
and Varun shared a look of devilry at their mother's excitement. "Ma, bacchon ke saamne aisi
baatein mat karo yaar... bechara Varun tomato ki tarah laal ho gaya hai..." Sameer teased,
putting an arm around his mother. Blushing slightly, Suman swatted her son away. "Chup reh
besharam!! Koi apni maa ko aise chidata hai kya?" she scolded him lightly. "Arre maine kya
kiya? Main toh yeh dekh raha hoon ki meri maa mere papa se aaj bhi kitna pyaar karti hai..."
Sameer continued, with a mischievous grin on his face. Seeing his mother look a little
flustered, Prithvi stepped in. "Chup kar nautanki. Ma ko pareshan mat kar. Teri yeh baatein
jaake apne girlfriends ko sunana..." Varun exclaimed "Girlfriends?? In the plural??? Waah
bhaiyya, aap toh bade tez ho... Waise yeh sab hua kab?" he asked, interestedly. "Chup karo
tum sab... yahaan main tumhare papa ki baat kar rahi hoon, aur tum log girlfriends ke
charche mein khoye hue ho" Suman yelled, pulling Sameer's and Varun's ears. "Aap hi ne inn
donon ko bigaad rakha hai ma," Prithvi said, "ab papa aayenge toh inki neeyat theek
karenge." Sameer rolled his eyes. "Arre yaar, Shri Ram ji, aap chup karo. Bade aaye lecture
jhaadne waale... Sab pata hai mujhe. Aap mujhse jalte ho... Khud ki ek bhi girlfriend nahin
hai aur meri girlfriends ko bhi bhaga doge..." Prithvi glared at his brother. "Main tere
jaisa nahin hoon samjha... Dupatta dikha nahin ki dum hilate hue pohonch gaye..." Suman
laughed, ruffling Prithvi's hair fondly. "Haan, tu toh mera accha beta hai... Tere liye toh
main duniya ki sabsi sweet ladki dhoond ke laaongi" she smiled... "Oiii... woh sweet si
ladki inka gussa dekhegi aur doooooooor bhag jayegi... Aap aisa karo, koi jhansi ki rani
types lao bhaiyya ke liye... Sweet waali ko mera number dena" Sameer smirked, ducking as
Prithvi flung an apple at him, "Dekha maa... inke liye toh koi jhansi ki rani hi chalegi."
*************
"I beg your pardon?" Damini said, one eyebrow raised high. "Kya maine aapse 'gentle and
tame' horses ko laane ke liya kaha?" Smirking as the man before her began to mumble
something incoherently, she continued "Main aise horses ko prefer karti hoon jin mein spirit
ho, naaki woh jo bilkul tame ho" Having made her point, Damini turned to walk away but
suddenly, she caught him muttering something about girls generally being too timid to ride.
Temper flaring at that, she turned to face him, her face a picture of fury. "Don't you dare
give me that crap about girls... I will do what I please and anyone who says otherwise can
take a hike! Oh, and you are FIRED!! Don't let me catch you on my property again, or I will
show you just what I can do" she said in a deathly quiet tone, her temper only slightly
betrayed by the tremor in her voice...
As she stomped from the stables in the grounds of Gujral Mansion to the main building,
Damini heard someone calling out to her. She turned, her anger dissipating slightly when she
saw a tall man waving to her. "Hi Inder!" she said brightly, "Tum kab aaye?" Inder smiled at
her, pulling her into a hug "Main tab aaya jab meri jhansi ki rani kisi bechare ka class le
rahi thi" he said, wriggling his eyebrows. Damini laughed, "That man was irritating me," she
began, to be interrupted by Inder. "I know, I know... aur tumne usse do-chaar baatein suna
di. Theek kiya tumne," he said. Damini shook her head ruefully. "it's that damnable temper
of mine..." she said, with a wry smile. Inder smiled at her and patted her head. "Haan
haan... pata hai. I live in mortal fear of that temper of yours. Jab hum chote the na, mujhe
hamesha lagta tha ki tumhari shaadi kisi aise aadmi se honi chahiye jo tumhare gussa ke
toofan ko seh sake... Par mujhe kya pata tha ki main hi bali ka bakra banoonga", he said,
with an expression of mock-fear on his face. Damini pushed him away, huffing angrily "Accha?
Kisne majboor kiya hai shaadi karne ko..." "Maine toh tum par taras kha kar shaadi ke liye
haan kar di... warna zindagi bhar kuwari baithi rehti", Inder said, starting to run as
Damini picked up a stick from the ground and began to chase him...
*************
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Edited by dee86 - 13 years ago
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