Yaaro,
Please read the disclaimers below before you continue.
I have officially figured out the system of what is an
OS, FF, and SS, so here's my first FF. I've been whining and complaining about
an NRI for Gopi and voila, here he is! π³The story continues after the incident after the party Gohem went to. Here, Gopi has been giving Ahem the silent-treatment for about a week or so.
I might not update this regularly, but I
will manage to do it sooner or later. You'll just have to bear with me as I
bear the bearings of my life.π Please excuse any errors and bloopers. If
you see that I've edited something, it's most likely a grammatical error I've changed, and
I'm sure I'll be doing a lot of those.π₯± I had used Hindi dialogues, but I realize that it makes reading difficult, so I have translated about 96% of it into English.
Index
Author's Note:
I don't know squat about cars, so the Audi A8 I mention is a product of my research. It looked cool and the model is available in India. Thanks, Google! The characters aren't 100% uniform to the show, but I had to change it up slightly to make it "funner". Also, if you find that this first installment is a bit long-winded, again, just bear with me. I hope it gets better in the next one.
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Tis tyme for a green folktale,
The knighte ben wounded and stale,
The damsel bleeding too,
I have maked this tale true,
Just for the likes of you.
(I totally don't like Chaucer for setting such high standards--it's impossible to beat!π‘)
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A black Audi A8 entered the driveway of the Modi Mansion. Its driver, a middle-aged man, uniformed in white with a pointy nose, rushed out to open the back passenger door.
The door opened before the driver could reach the handle and a tall, Armani-suited man with jet black hair and equally dark eyes came out. His hair was unruly, stubborn like the wind and reached a little past his neck. He glanced at his watch.
Man: It's past 12 already, Swami. Gaadi cheenti ki tarah chalaoge toh aur kya hoga?
Swami: Agni saab, I'm sorry.
Agni: Bring my luggage in later, Swami.
They began walking inside, side by side.
(Note: Agni will be shortened to A from now on and Swami will be shortened to S)
A: Today's been such a horrible day that it can't get any worse. My flight got delayed because of which, I had to wait at the airport in Honululu for five hours. After waiting, they tell me that the flight's been delayed a second time. I haven't even taken a shower in more than 36 hours, Swami!
S: (Smiled) Saab, you can take a shower here.
As if God had been an avid listener to Agni's complaints, several drops of water splatted on his face and suit.
A: (Irritated) Abh yeh kya hai? What is this?
He looked up to see just where the water had come from and that's when he saw her.
She still had the water pail in her hands, but she stood in place, frozen in time. With widened eyes and a panic-stricken look on her face, she looked pale against the pink of her sari. Yet even in her stupefied stance, he hadn't seen a woman like that in years. Perhaps it was the way her eyes darted everywhere but his face, as she tried to avoid his gaze. Or perhaps it was the way her fluttering tendrils, which had escaped somehow, framed her round face. Or in the way she looked fragile like a china doll, in need of protection from the cruelties of the world.
Someone called for Gopi and she disappeared quickly.
S: Saab, aap aise andar jayenge?
Agni didn't reply because he hadn't listened.
S: (Repeated with more emphasis) Saab, aap aise andar kaise jayenge?
A: It's okay. (Grinned) I had to shower anyways, right?
They walked to the front of the house and Swami rang the doorbell.
Meethi answered it.
Meethi: Ji, aap?
A: Main, Agni Jadeja. Ahem ka dost hoon.
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Ahem and Agni were college roommates and as time passed, they became good friends. After their studies were completed, Agni had remained in America--his family owned architectural firms in several cities there. Ahem had returned to Rajkot, where his family lived and to help run the Modi business.
Ahem welcomed Agni into MM gladly. Even Koki agreed to let him stay in the MM for as long as he stayed in Rajkot.
Agni knew his friend had changed slightly. It must've resulted from his marriage, he thought.
A: Where's your wife? Won't you introduce us?
Ahem: (Hesitantly) She must be coming downstairs any minute.
Ahem looked at the staircase, hoping Gopi would come down any minute.
Why would she come down anyway to meet your friend? After what I've said to her, I wouldn't come down either.
After that unfortunate episode, Gopi had distanced herself from him at every point. When he would wake up, she'd be long gone. When he'd come out of the bathroom after showering, his clothes would be on the bed, along with his hanky, wallet, watch and briefcase. When he came to sleep, she'd either be sleeping or not be in the room at all. He never saw her and she made it so, that he wouldn't be able to.
In the meantime, Gopi paced up and down her room. She'd overheard from the foyer who that man had been.
Oh, why am I such a klutz? If only I had waited a few more seconds before throwing that pail of leftover water, I'd be spared from such embarrassment. To top it all, after hearing protests from below, I just had to inch closer to the railing. And I just had to show my face.
It wasn't long before she heard clipped footsteps heading her way. She busied herself with fluffing a pillow--that would make it look she was busy.
Ahem: (Quietly) Hmm...Gopi...
She stopped, keeping her back to Ahem.
Now, what have I done? Has his friend complained yet?
Ahem: (Again) Gopi...
She figured that she couldn't avoid him when he was standing right there.
Gopi: (Turned around) Ji?
Ahem: (Looked away) Mera dost aaya hai, tumse milna chahta hai. He's waiting downstairs.
She followed him quietly, but kept her distance. With the pallu over her face and eyes lowered, she stopped in front of the man she had wetted accidentally.
Ahem: Agni, meri wife, Gopi. (Paused) Gopi, yeh mera dost hai, Agni.
Agni looked at Gopi far more intently than Ahem would've liked, but he couldn't say anything--not in front of his mother at least.
Gopi: (With folded hands) Jai shri krishna.
A: (Softly) Hum mil chuke hai, Gopi ji.
Ahem's ears pricked.
They had met already? But where? And how?
Gopi pinkened and lowered her gaze.
Gopi: Main...main chai laati hoon.
A: No, please don't. I'll drink tea later. Pehle naah loon.
Ahem: I'll show you to your room.
Agni watched Gopi walk towards the kitchen. Her pallu slipped from her glorious hair and he paused mid-step, until Ahem tugged his arm.
Ahem: Jaldi chalo. Hurry up!
A: (Nodded) Chalo.
Ahem: Why'd you come to Rajkot so suddenly?
A: Just like that. Maa has sent me on a bride-hunt. I've come to look for her.
Ahem wanted to roll his eyes. Sometimes he wondered why he was friends with Agni, who was so different from him. He suddenly remembered that Agni had said that he'd met Gopi before.
Ahem: (Trying not to sound too inquisitive) Tum...Gopi se pehle kab mile?
A: We just met a few moments ago. What do you mean, pehle kab mile?
Ahem: (Shook his head) Nahi, bas aise. This is your room.
A: Ahem, mujhe kisi cheez ki zaroorat padegi toh tum kaha rahoge?
Ahem cursed himself mentally! The problem with having lawyers as friends was that they, by their speculative nature, were very thorough with everything. And when Agni wanted to be, he was very thorough indeed.
If I point towards the wrong room, perhaps I could fool him. Who am I kidding? He will find out eventually and I'll look the fool.
Ahem pointed towards the last room at the end of the hallway and left.
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He made it his mission to find Gopi and after sly inquiries from his mother and cousin, he found out that she was in the storeroom with Meethi.
Meethi had a pencil and notebook in her hand and was standing in the middle of the storeroom. Gopi was rummaging high and low through the shelves, checking this jar and that container, trying to make a grocery list.
Gopi: Meethiben, cancel the cumin seeds from the list. I just found some here.
Ahem entered without knocking, but Meethi noticed him first. Gopi had her back to him. He gestured for Meethi to give him the pencil and notebook and leave and she rushed out quickly.
Gopi: (Continued in oblivion) Two kilos mustard seeds. Ten kilos sugar. Cloves...(Paused)
Ahem wrote it down in the notebook.
At least she was saying something to him, so what if it was about cloves?
Gopi: Did I say cloves before, Meethiben? I can't remember. Did you write it down--
Gopi straightened up from her knees and turned around, appalled to see her husband, who was still in his black kurta, with a notebook and pencil, writing sincerely. His head was bent as he continued writing.
Gopi: Ahemji...aap? When did you come? (Avoided his gaze) I thought that Meethiben--
Ahem: I sent her away.
He took some steps forward, more determined than ever.
Gopi: (Flustered) Aapne? Magar--
She backed away, until she felt the cool metal of the shelf touch the back of her knees. And then she couldn't move anymore...
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Yes, I am a black-hearted devil's spawn to have stopped at a cliffhanger, but I had to think of something to bring you all back! π