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Did they agree to put in a contingency for the deed? So both view this as a temporary setup?
Did they agree to put in a contingency for the deed? So both view this as a temporary setup?
She thinks he is conning her. Can't blame her for thinking that way, based on what she knows of him.
Nisha - Do u still think Pradyut might be a Anthony Greenfield type ? I keep going back to Ranaav from
P&P 🥰
Wounded parents
She threw a mental dart and picked a room, and crashed. She didn’t wake until Noon the next day. There was no sign of any dinner being eaten or breakfast being made. Her phone had over 40 messages, from friends and family
She called her crying mother first
“This is not how I pictured your married life to be”
“Well this is not how I pictured anything”
“Papa would have been horrified”
“Papa would be around… the store would be ours Ma”
“Itna sab kuch kyon kiya beta”
“You should be at work” she mumbled
“sab shock mein hain, ghar par” Nidhi was distressed
“Aapne bhai ko bola?”
“Umm.. nahi”
Ma… its better if u tell him, he doesn’t talk to me”
“Gaurav ne khush to hona nahi hai”
“All my friends know… they are all mad they didn’t get invited”
“Do they know who he is?”
“Lavanya ke shaadi mein shaayad aaya tha who”
Pradyut?”
“Hmm… Lavanya ka text aaya hai”
“Pradyut se baat hui?”
“Nahi”
“Betaaa… u have to talk”
“We both know why we married, so why should we talk”
“Kuch bhi theek nahi hai, I am cursing myself for playing along”
“I would have married him on the street Ma… I didn’t do it to shame u, the store belongs to Papa” Taruni was unemotional
“Are u living with his parents?”
“No, he has his place two blocks down”
“In laws nahi hai saath mein?” Nidhi panicked
“Hmm…”
“I don’t know if u are safe?”
“If he kills me then the world will know” she said calmly
“TAROOOOO”
“Don’t u think?”
“Do u even know this man?”
“I told you… nooo”
“Pag pheron mein aaogi?”
“You are cracking me up… this is not real Ma… stop saying that”
“Taru”
“No I wont… I told my MIL I don’t want a reception”
“Don’t” Nidhi cried softly
“Ma… there was no other way to save the store”
“Did u know he wanted to marry you?”
“Noooo.. Ive seen the guy 3? Times? Twice in the store and once when I drove over here to fling his stupid legal notice on his face”
“Uska idea tha to does he love you?”
“No… aap movies dekhna band karo, he thought he is belittling me I agreed and made a scapegoat out of him”
“What is all this?”
“I don’t know, Harkeerat Uncle ko kehna jab shop khol lein can he please call me?”
“Tar..”
“Ma… I have to go”
She got ready, made herself breakfast and went through her messages
Her new MIL called asking about lunch
She told her she was wanting to work
Sumedha showed up anyway
She brought lunch and a help, Umeshji
Taruni was wearing mauve sweats and a red hoodie, her tied in a giant knot on top of her head
She had taken off most of her bangles and left one each under her sleeve
It hurt Sumedha, but she kept a brave face
“Pradyut kya keh raha hai?” she asked innocently
“Umm.. don’t know.. nothing? I guess”
“Raat ko soye?”
“Oh yeah, the whole night” she nodded
Sumedha sat down to handle the second blow
I feel for the moms - both are hurt. Irrespective of how the marriage happened, they were expecting some normalcy post marriage. 😭
Where’s our guy ? MIA 😮
What’s up with Pradyut Nisha?
Does he not sympathies with Taruni’s situation at all ?
She is in new house with a man she has no clue about. Maybe, he could be not considerate. doesn’t seem like someone in love.
But am sure when you start writing his side I will fall for this guy of yours as well.
Settling the unsettled
She took her new DIL out for a spin after lunch. Taruni was shy and hesitant to say anything, Sumedha drew her out of her shell and asked a 1000 questions, told her about her family. She told her how her first born was lost two months after birth and how long it took her to reconcile and heal
She didn’t say a word about Pradyut.
She treated Taruni like a equal… like a friend at work
She kept the conversation about herself, Sumedha Munjal,
“How about we pretend we met on a plane” Sumedha wondered jokingly as she bought her DIL’s favorite mocha almond icecream at Khan Market on the somewhat sunny Dec afternoon
“I didn’t go anywhere much” Taruni hesitated
“Lets say u did” Sumedha smiled fondly
“K”
“Can I come over to see you occasionally?”
“Hmm”
“I don’t know beta if u will stay married, or will like each other or fall in love I want to be happy about the fact that Pradyut is married now” she smiled weakly
“Uh.. I don’t know about all that” she nodded staring into her ice cream
“I haven’t said a word about Pradyut, I wont ask about your marriage, can we please be friends?”
Taruni nodded hestitantly
“Aaogi aaj raat ko dinner pe?”
“Umm… its just us, Dad u and I”
Umm”
“U want to call me Aunty? That’s fine too”
“K…” she nodded hestitantly
“Don’t be afraid of me” Sumedha begged trying not to choke up
“I am not afraid” Taruni spoke calmly
“Let me just help you figure stuff out? Please?”
Taruni nodded slowly
“Haan beta?” Sumedha answered her phone cheerfully
Taruni heard the deep male baritone
She looked at her ice cream
“I am just out with a friend, can I call u when I get home?”
“Oh?” “Did u go home? What is she upto?” Pradyut demanded
Sumedha got a glimmer of hope
Her face turned red with pride
“I don’t know, I didn’t”
“Hmm”
“Can I call u back?”
“K” a bit reluctant
“I don’t know what the deal is with your son, I am not going to act like she doesn’t exist”
“Don’t assume Sumi”
“I went in the morning, she was home alone” Sumedha was horrified
“You are trying to fix what Pradyut did” Gopal was not happy
“No I am not I cannot be indifferent, usko aise hi chhod doon? They seem like decent people. The Mum is so kind and simple and innocent”
“She married him” Gopal rolled his eyes
“To? Pradyut ko mann maani karne doon?”
“He married her, she seems strong and mature”
“She is a new bride. There was no pomp and show, now she mopes around in his apartment Gopal”
“I don’t understand any of this Sumi” Gopal was irritated
“Because you and your son are used to controlling situations”
“Please don’t generalize” he was pissed
“How can he do this? She is not a thing… or cattle…. We don’t buy and sell people” Sumedha was agitated
“I mean she agreed to this”
“Someone had to stop it…”
“I agree he made the offer” Gopal looked ashamed
“Now he is going about his business, he returned home late, went off to work early, and she is sitting there like a prize horse or something” Sumedha cringed
Gopal didn’t even want to think about what deal the young couple had made
It shattered every ounce of respect he had for his son
“Veer doesn’t know anything either”
“Pia se baat karo, they are both young, maybe Pia will strike up a friendship?” Gopal was worried now
“Umm.. I mean Pia is a successful physician…” Sumedha realized Pia was a elitist, it was going to take her some time to just accept anyone as her Bhabhi.
Understandably… since Munjals were exceptionally wealthy and sophisticated
“they are the same age group, Pia is probably 5 years older?” Gopal stressed
Sumedha squirmed. Pia was a great kid, but there wasn’t going to be a bestie type relationship between her bahu and Pia
“I can text Pia”
Pia had texted during the day to ask where they were going on honeymoon
Like she was not even present at the wedding
“What time did u invite her for dinner?”
“8”
“Hmm.. good, it will be good to make her feel welcome” Gopal stood up
“I didn’t tell Pradyut”
“If he cares, he would come”
“I don’t know if she is fine with her position, I don’t know if he has something in mind, I am going with my gut that none of this is OK Gopal”
I would too… u are doing great” he smiled sadly
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Balmukundji, Sumedha’s driver went to pickup Taruni at 7:45
Taruni was dressed elegantly in a shimmering burgundy crop top paired with honey color cords, her hair still up in a top knot with more loose tendrils all around her face.
Gopal tread softly
Just talking about movies, and traffic and Chandigarh winters. Umesh, Bhaiji, Vishnu, all the help ran around pampering the bahu
The meal was excellent, since Taruni wanted Indian, she got Indian
Sumedha showed her old albums, strictly of older parents, none of her son….
Gopal showed her his collection of pens, and they talked about why Rajesh Bhushan named his store The Quill
Taruni relaxed a bit and talked about her memories of her Dad doing her best not to tear up
They could easily tell from Taruni’s forthrightness that she had zero desires from the marriage, no hopes whatsoever
She was her own person who just happened to agree to a sham wedding
After she left, Gopal accidentally sent his son pictures. He did so without consulting Sumedha. She had made herself a resolution that she was going to build a relationship independent of her son. She had told Gopal they should stick to it
He was returning to his office at 10:30 after an irritating dinner meeting with some Haryana Municipal Corp guys.
The pictures took his breath away
“Together Alone”
Wow. She asked the super loaded question in such a matter of fact way.
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