1991
Dehradun, India.
Grace Middleton sat infront of her niece who has recently lost her mother. Grace herself has lost her loving sister for which she came back to India after 25 years. 25 years in England has made her 'Grace" from "Grajiani'' and she is a fortunate Indian lady who got married to one of the left hand man of a Count in distant Luxembourg. Though the counts, barons, lords doesn't exist in modern England except in some of the villages of Europe. She is a fine, gracious and prestigious lady living in England but childless. The only lack in their life is a child. She looked at her beautiful niece who is only 6 years old and looking lost with her beautiful baby brown eyes. Her eyes are full of pain and emptiness with the loss of her mother. Her father is physically not fit but he has his sister to look after her. Grace's prime concern is Piali. Who will look after her? She kissed the little kid's cheek, "Piali, my child. Would you come to a place with me where you can see castles, carriages, plum trees and beautiful strawberry fields? You would love it there."
She nodded her head but quickly shook again, "No.. daddy is alone here."
Grace tried to make reason, "But your daddy wants you to go with me sweetheart so that Aunt Grace can look after you. I can't stay here my child but I promise I will play with you everyday and I will do everything your mom used to. She will be happy to see you smiling all the time because she is a star now and she can see you remember. You "Bua' will look after your father. It's beautiful out there where I love. You will feel like a princess and Aunt Grace and Uncle Middleton will love you thisss much." She extended her hands to show Piali a huge area.
Piali smiled and remembered her mother use to tell her stories about Aunt Grace's fairyland and nodded smiling a little, "would I meet the kings there if I become a princess?"
Grace hugged her, "offcourse you would. I will introduce you with all the Counts, Barons and Lords and they will bow down and honor you as "Lady Piali Middleton.."
After 2 weeks all the arrangements were made and Piali is set to leave India with Grace. She cling to her father and started crying at the last moment saying, she wont leave him. But Arnab knows he won't be able to bring up Piali as her mother Sugandha wanted to and he is sick too. Before he dies and Piali becomes orphan it's good to handover her responsibility to Grace who's craving for a child for years and would treat Pia as just her own daughter.
Scotland:
Grace took little Piali's hand to lead her to their castle like Middleton Manor. Stephan ...her husband is eagerly waiting for them. She showed Piali the peony trees and rose bushes around the garden and beautiful white flowers Piali doesn't know the name yet. It was even more beautiful then a dream Piali has ever seen. While coming to this 'palace' like house Piali has seen strawberry fields far away from the road and Grace promised she would take her there. Piali loved everything about the new place but somewhere her heart missed her mother and her dear Dehradun. But somehow even as a kid she was mature enough to understand now this is her home and she felt strangely safe there too. Unknowingly, she started her journey where she would grow up, nature would show her rainbows and lead her to the most beautiful dream ever, where she would fall in love with one of the counts barons or lords she has heard stories about and eventually it will prove as the most disastrous nightmare she could ever have and she would start the journey where life will be beautiful as a poison and stranger than fiction...
Let me know if I should continue or not 😳 and don't expect me to update the next chapter within a week 😛 those who already read my work knows they have to be patient with me 😆
DISCLAIMER: the main concept is taken from the book "On the Night of Seventh Moon" by Author Victoria Holt. so credit of main concept goes to her 😳
OS: My Name is Trouble ~Maithli~Abhiya~Jeh