FF: The Roulette of Envy (Part 12) pg.33/Dec. 7 - Page 25

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Justlikethat1

@Justlikethat1

IF-Sizzlerz

+ 2

Posted: 11 years ago

Not fair.. You posted an update and I never knew😊

It was another awesome update Rachna.. Ahem needs to be a little more open but then that is Ahem. He along with Gopi think inside their head and use their voice sparingly😕

It is nice to see a jealous Ahem. Gopi gives him no chance in SNS to be jealous. We may only see jealous Ahem fighting for attention with his child😆 Aww.. But the man makes me want to shake him and pity him at the same time. He is such a myriad of conflicts.. Beautiful characterization.

Agni is turning out to be such a sweetheart.. Give him a very very happy ending Rachna.. BTW, I cannot picture Jigar this way.😊 He is a very easy going person.. It is difficult to imagine that he becomes over protective afterwards. But I am liking Jigar and Rashi.

Take the story any way you want.. As long as the couples end up together😛 I am partial to happy endings😳

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Frequent Posters

728319

Inactive

Posted: 11 years ago

thnx 4 de update rachana...cooll...want more...update soon!!!!!!!!!!!😃

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kafa

@kafa

Goldie

Posted: 11 years ago

great update, waiting eagerly for next part

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-nilani-

@-nilani-

Goldie

Posted: 11 years ago

Eagerly Waiting 2 read the NEXT ONE 😛

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Rachna

@Chaccha

IF-Rockerz

Posted: 11 years ago

I'm in the process of writing an update, mere baccho! My plans went haywire when they called me to work today.

Brrr!!! It's cold, too. 😵

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Rachna

@Chaccha

IF-Rockerz

Posted: 11 years ago

Part 12

I typed this like a Mad Hatter, as if I'm partaking in a jousting tournament to win a Prince Charming in prize. 😆
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Recap: Agni persuades Ahem and Gopi to go to a party. Gopi completely "clean bowls" Ahem by presenting herself in a genteel way. At the venue, Ahem demands an answer from Gopi about her aloofness, but she refrains from commenting and this, irritates him further. Impulsively, Agni makes a late night trip to the ashram, where he finds Mahua and Dhara in the middle of a kathak lesson.
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Mahua saw Agni's eyebrow arch quickly as she covered her mouth with her fingers. Inside, she cursed herself for acting like a doofus. "Are you alright, Mahuaji?" Agni asked while he shuffled his cellphone from one hand to another. "I'm fine, Mr. Jadeja, but it's getting late. You should leave," she said. He stared at her for a while--too intently--and she shifted in her seat to feel a bit more at ease. "What? I don't get coffee? Or tea? Or milk? Not even water?" he exclaimed in mock offense, putting his hand over his heart to exaggerate his hurt. She really wanted to smile, but a niggling feeling warned her to be careful. How could such a hotshot lawyer have an interest in her? An orphan who had squat. With a temper problem.
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Gopi slipped outside from the hall to get away from her husband, but moments later, before she even saw his face, she heard the sharp clicks of his shoes behind her.

"I remember everything about what happened between you and me, Gopi," he said quietly. Slits of shadows covered his face until he took a step forward. By that time, her feet felt frozen into the cement pathway and again, her lungs seems to constrict. "Holi mein jo bhi huwa tha. I remember it all," he reiterated. This time, he took her hands into his. "I haven't been the best of husbands. I might be on the list for one of the worst because (Paused)...well, you know why. I should have explained about Anita being a part of my past. She should have never tried to come in between us, Gopi. There's no place for her. (Paused again) I know the photograph doesn't help my case, but she caught me off-guard that night. I didn't know Anita still loved me, Gopi. I really didn't, but all that shouldn't matter anymore because I like you now and I want to be your husband. I also want you to be my wife," he explained, a bit sheepishly and somewhat like a teenager expressing his feelings to his sweetheart.

Perhaps she was dreaming, Gopi told herself. Here, her husband was finally opening the doors to his heart for her, telling her he was in "like" with her, and she couldn't believe it real for a bit. She wanted to ask him to pinch her. "Won't you say anything?" he asked when she didn't reply. Gopi focused her eyes back on him and gave him an artless smile. Stumped. That was her state of mind. Like the machines inside her head had taken a break all at once. "Why do you always do this?" he exasperated and then, added, "Tikh hai. I'll say it. Gopi, Mrs. Gopi Ahem Modi, main (Paused and breathed deeply) main tumse aseem mohabbat karta hoon."

(Note: Aseem means limitless)

Gopi watched him lift her hands to his lips to place two kisses on the tops of her knuckles. A simple act that made her heart wrench and her eyes glisten with tears. This was their new beginning--a moment, which she had almost given up hope for. And when he lifted his head, she slowly pulled her hands away, causing a befuddled expression to appear on his face. "Aren't you going to say something back?" he asked, narrowing his eyebrows together slightly. At that inopportune moment, the Awasthis exited through the nearby door and saw Ahem, causing Gopi to shift away.

Ahem half-heartedly engaged himself in conversation with Mr. Awasthi as he watched Gopi return back into the hall. He had just laid his heart at his lady's feet, hadn't he? And what had she done? She had, in return, given him a smile, but no answer. He nodded at Mr. Awasthi who complained of the slight drizzle. It would ruin this wonderful evening. Yes, that it would do, Ahem thought.
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"Swami, yaar wo patt hi nahi rahi," Agni groaned, pushing his face into the pillow. After changing, he dove into the bed like a dolphin in the ocean.

Swami looked at the unfortunate state of Agni's tuxedo. Of course, the ruin was of no import, he thought grimly. Saab had him to fix it. To restore its splendor and glory. Then, why worry? Why mourn the loss of a Neiman Marcus creation? The soppy material hung limply from Swami's arms while Agni groaned again. "Shayad usse aapke paiso se koi matlab nahi hai, Saab," Swami answered finally. Mrs. Jadeja already had an inkling about her son's "interest," and now Swami had to worry about his loyalties.

"Your mother knows," Swami told Agni flatly after much consideration. He might as well throw in the wet rag now than to suffer through it later. He also knew that Mrs. Jadeja was soon to give him a call anyway to fish for more information about this "interest." Why did he get stuck in between always? "What? Did you tell her? You can't keep one thing in you," Agni accused, sitting up. "Saab, your statement has many meanings. I can keep things in me. She knows, not because I babbled, but because you didn't return to Buffalo on time. You had to initiate the remodeling, not oversee the project until its finality," Swami replied. "You gave yourself away." Agni narrowed his eyes at Swami, but to no avail. The man did have a point.
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Gopi fumbled with her hands throughout the ride back to the MM. Next to her, she could feel the tension in her husband's body. He had barely said a word after his confession. What was she to say anyway? She could have reciprocated. She would have done so--somehow--but as soon as she had gotten the minimal of her bearings, the Awasthis had come. The moment was lost and her pitiful courage had failed.
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Ahem pretended he was asleep when the bathroom door opened and Gopi quietly made her way to her side of the bed. His brain was working overtime, circling around the same thoughts over and over again. Had he confessed too soon? He began to wonder whether he should have wooed his wife first. If he wooed her now...in what universe would a man woo his wife after he confessed of his feelings? He was such a sorry sop. Maybe there was a completely different reason. Maybe she didn't even love him anymore. He recalled how in the early days of their marriage, her eyes would betray her heart. Whenever he had looked at her then, he had seen how she idolized him. Loved him. Now, he couldn't tell if she felt the same. Perhaps he had pushed her away, so far away that she was well beyond his reach.

The jingle of her bangles dragged his mind to the present and he felt her turn away. Away from him.
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"Gopiji, will you come with us?" Agni asked as they ate breakfast. Ahem paused in the middle of drinking his green tea. "Where to?" he asked, curious to know where Agni wanted to go today. He wasn't sure whether he liked Agni's ideas anymore. If Agni's ideas were any great, he would have been a happy man today. His wife, as usual, looked at her Maaji first. It's not like his opinion mattered.

"Hum ashram jaa rahe hai. It's Day 1 today," Agni informed everyone as he took another serving of the dhokla. "Gopi vau, if you want to go, then you can, but don't be away for too long," Koki told her. "I'll take her," Ahem said as he took a bite of his dhokla. "Ahemji, main nahi jaana chahti," she retorted quietly. "Kyun?" he asked in the same low tone, leaning his face towards her. She was sitting next to him for a change, instead of waiting on everyone else. "Mujhe ghar par kaam hai. I have to help Rashiben and I don't want to leave Meethiben alone here either. She's always burdened with so much to do," Gopi explained, inwardly hoping he wouldn't try to persuade her. Koki was already eyeing them warily. "Tikh hai. As you wish," she mumbled, giving up the battle of wills.
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By the time they arrived at the ashram, trucks full of construction material--cement, wood, steel, and pipes--were unloading their trays into the yard. Next to the office, Mahua was standing with Munimji. Her arms crossed and her stance erect. "Kaha hai wo doodhwala? Where is your Mr. Jadeja? Doesn't he know that you are all here already? Doodhwala kahi ka!" she fumed and for good measure, she added, "This is how all your rich Saabs act. They have no humane side to them at all!" Munimji smacked her upper arm. "Chup! Why are you yelling at them? And why are you angry at him? He's not even here," Munimji scolded her, half-embarrassed and half-terrified.

Away from them both, Dhara shook her head in disappointment. There was no hope for her sister's temper. And Agniji seemed to make it worse, although this, Dhara didn't quite understand yet. She made it a point to ask him the next time he came around.

"He's the one who marched in here to start the renovation. Then, where is he, Munimji?" Mahua retorted, jutting her chin out in defiance. Someone tapped her shoulder, but she pushed it away, intently eyeing the trucks. She might as well have drilled a hole through the steel sheets the men were unloading with her gaze. Someone tapped her shoulder again, but this time, she turned her head to look at who it was. "Aww, were you missing me so much?" Agni asked, making a sad face. She frowned. He chuckled. She stepped away. He followed.

"Good Morning, Munimji. Mahuaji. I've brought friends today," he explained, motioning towards Ahem and next to him, Gopi. "Mr. Ahem Modi and his wife, the lovely Gopiji," he introduced so elegantly that Mahua could have sworn he almost bowed in front of the young lady.

Ahem rolled his eyes internally. Yes, she was lovely, but he would prefer if it were him making the introductions using such words. She was his wife afterall.

"Mahua, show them around," Munimji requested, mentally hoping she wouldn't create a fuss. He sighed in relief when she didn't argue. "Aaiye," she said with a smile. "Mr. Modi, Gopiji, when I came to this orphanage, it was even smaller than it is today, but we're hoping to make improvements to the facilities to cater to more children..."

Agni watched her leave and chuckled. "Munimji, sach mein, she has a horrible temper. That too, for no reason," he said and then, chuckled again. "And still you run after her just the same," the elder man answered. Taken aback by this private intrusion which was also uncalled for, Agni looked away, squinting against the morning sun. "She dislikes materialism, more so when it's dangled in front of her without a just cause," Munimji said forlornly.
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Gopi remained awed by the ashram. "I hope Agniji helps other orphanages like this," she voiced aloud. Ahem stopped, two feet behind her, frowning. He could build orphanages too. "How do you know Mr. Jadeja?" Mahua asked Ahem. "We're college friends," Ahem answered, pushing his hands into his pant pockets. He wanted to go home. "Then, you must know a lot about him," Mahua said a bit off-handedly, shading her eyes with her hand. "Agniji, bahot hi nek insaan hai. He is a kind-hearted man," Gopi told Mahua with a smile. Mahua watched Gopi for a moment before walking. They were circling around the pathetic soccer field now. It had no net, nor any lines marked on the brown grass. Again, Ahem paused behind Gopi. He had a heart that was kind too. "What else do you do here, Mahuaji?" Gopi asked, genuinely curious to gather as much information possible. Maybe she could persuade Maaji to donate money to this foundation. "I teach the girls kathak every evening."

Ahem smiled. Really, it was a devious grin. "Agni doesn't know kathak," he said aloud. Gopi turned toward him first and he immediately realized his error. Sorry sop. Yes, that was what the plaque outside his office should say. Gopi laughed. "He knows how to dance. We went to a party last night, where he danced with Mrs. Awasthi. Bahot acha naachte hai," Gopi answered, more so to defend Agni than to salvage the awkward situation Ahem had caused. Mahua remained bemused, however. Mr. Jadeja had danced with someone else last night.
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"What are you doing here?" Agni asked Dhara who was sitting on the same pile of wood from last night. "Agniji!" she exclaimed and then smiled. "You were right. Gusse waali hai," he said, reminding her of the forewarning Dhara had given him when he'd first come to the ashram. Dhara chuckled. "I'm mostly right," she said, nodding her head as if in complete agreement with herself. "I know."

He sat down next to her, adjusting the collar of his navy blue shirt. "How are your kathak lessons? She yells at you quite a bit, nai?"

"Yes, temper problem. Remember?"

They both chuckled.

"Why did you ask?"

"I'm thinking of learning kathak too," Agni admitted with a twinkle in his eye. Dhara looked at him in disbelief.

"You, Agniji? You're a lawyer!"

"A great lawyer," he corrected.

"But you want to learn how to dance!" Dhara squealed.

"A great dancing lawyer! Your Di will teach me," he told her proudly. Much too proudly. Dhara burst into giggles. "No way, Agniji. Maar maar ke aapko suja degi," she said, covering her mouth with her hand to stifle her giggles. "Yes, way! Just imagine me inside a courtroom, dancing in front of the judges, wearing my suit and with the correct mudras, Dhara!"

"Di would have a heart attack."

"Shut up. She has one every minute."

From several feet away, Mahua watched Dhara and Agni turn to face each other at the same time. Then, as if on cue, they both burst into laughter together. Within another half a minute, they had slipped to the ground laughing. Agni was holding his tummy and gasping for air. Dhara was laughing and snorting.

Mahua didn't know how long it took them before they righted themselves, but it was Agni who saw her there. He cleared his throat first and then, tidied his wrinkled shirt. Dhara's eyes bulged out of her sockets and she scurried away, tucking her lose hair behind her ears. "Di, I'm going to go do homework."

"Mr. Jadeja," Mahua said, walking up to him. He was so tall.

"We weren't doing anything," he grumbled.
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Kithe hai mera Prince Charming? Seriously, kithe hai?

I hope you enjoyed this as much as I enjoyed writing it. It was very fun. 😳 I've wrapped up the Holi SD and the photograph tracks and now, we're marching towards jealousy and of course, wooing.

Trivia Question: What do the pile of wood represent? (There's no right answer. Speculate away!)

Edited by Chaccha - 11 years ago

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Sunnyahem

@Sunnyahem

Senior Member

Posted: 11 years ago

Vadiya Ji ..!! Very good .. Poor little Ahemji ...!!!

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kafa

@kafa

Goldie

Posted: 11 years ago

wow, beautiful update, bechara Ahem Modi... good going Agni

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delsi

@delsi

IF-Dazzler

Posted: 11 years ago

nice part loved it feel sorry for Ahemji😭

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Savi_S

@Savi_S

Goldie

Posted: 11 years ago

wonderful update with ahem confession n mr. awasthi what a entry?😉

n about agni kya kahoon...

gopi is defending agni n agni now wants to learn kathak...😃

nicely pullled up...

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