Here is chapter 11... I am loving writing this .. hopefully readers are enjoying it as well... Next update will be Monday... Thanks..
Chapter 11
Next morning.. Ram on his way to the
airport starts writing an email to Priya... Copy and pastes from his draft...
Hi Priya,
Ram here. How are you? I am good and
thanks for asking. Nice to hear about you and your family.
I am not sure how much your parents
have filled you in. I own and run a company with my friend in Mumbai, and that
keeps me very busy. I have a mother, and 2 siblings. My father passed away 10
years ago. Since then I completed my studies and have been working for my
family.
I am on my way back from a trip to
Bangalore and some urgent business to take care when I get back...
Let me be very frank with you. My
mother wanted me to settle down.. and I am agreeing to this whole proposal
thing... because of my family..They mean the world to me. I hope I have not disappointed you with this
comment. Till date I have been putting it off.. But I cannot anymore... So I
decided to respond to your email.
I will let my mother know about our
initial contact. Since I have not done this before.. not sure how to continue
this... Maybe parents will take this further... If you have any questions or
anything... please email me.
Take care,
Ram
Ram thinks a lot about conference lady..
family while writing this email... Ok Maa... I am doing this for you.. I hope can
do justice to this proposal... And then he hits the send button...
Sends a msg to his Maa - "Priya
had emailed. I responded this morning. I am almost at the airport. See u soon.
Bye."
Reaches the airport.. Does all the
formalities..at the airport... before taking off to Mumbai... Tries to get some
valuable sleep... since he has long day ahead...
Meanwhile, Priya is back at her institute
with a busy day. Ajay stops by briefly to inquire as to how things are going.
Just a regular day for her.. She responds to Vikram's email.
Mr Shergill,
Thanks for getting back to me. I
understand you are preoccupied. I would like to propose something. I am writing
a proposal for the project I mentioned in my previous email. I will forward
this to you in a couple of days to request for funding this project. I hope
this is convenient for you.
Regards,
Dr Sharma
She gets a quick response from Vikram..
Saying I like your idea. Please send us the proposal.. Maybe you can visit us
here if this proposal is promising to discuss it further. Priya is delighted...
and spends the rest of the day working on the proposal...
Evening before she heads out opens her
personal email... Specifically to see if Ram has responded...
Priya's thoughts as she reads Ram's email...
He seems courteous ... she thinks after reading
the first few lines.. Company... with a friend... cool.. Interesting...Mumbai wala...
Family...similar to ours... No father... Oh oh...feels bad for him... But feels happy
thinking what he is doing today... self made... very admirable.. He was in Bangalore??... Hmmm... What does he
want to be frank about? Something past?... she reads further... realizes... it is
about agreeing to do this for family... She feels she can relate to this
feeling... thought... Something matches... I am not disappointed at all...I am glad
it is out in the open... Anyway I was looking for somebody... who has respect and
lives for family... So far ... he seems alright... Maybe this is a good thing...
Time to tell Maa... Should I respond right away? Or talk to parents and see what
to do... Here is what I will do.. send an email response to Ram now... just
acknowledging it...
Hi Ram,
Nice to hear from you. Thanks for
being very frank. I value my family very much and I have the same reason for
continuing with this proposal... family.
I will talk to my parents and move
ahead.. I hope that is ok with you..
Take care,
Priya
Priya heads home. Sudhir and Shipra are
enjoying listening to the radio...
Shipra: Aa gayi tu... How
was your day?
Priya: Acchi gayi... Papa
aap to bade ache mood me lag rahe ho? Kya hua? Aur Maa bhi.. kya baat hain?
Sudhir: Kuch nahi beta...
we were listening to these old songs on the radio... Felt nostalgic... I was
remembering times before my wedding... how much fun it was... before I met Shipra...
College days...
Shipra: A
little annoyed Shipra responds... Priya.. main bhi whai soch rahi ti...
College ke din.. kitne ladke mere peeche pade the... Aur kitna mazaaa dosto ke
saath... wah wah...
Priya laughs and enjoys the banter between
the two... Actually Shipra and Sudhir were reminiscing the times before Priya
was born... and after their wedding...Saying that means... Priya is going to tease
them.. they just go back a few more years...Priya hopes in her mind that her
parents always stay this way and she hopes that her relationship with a
husband...(if it happens) will be similar... Staying together and working it out ...
during good and bad times...
Priya: Aap log
sudhreange nahi...
Sudhir: Arey beta... yahi
hi life ki essence hain... Aur tu bata?
Priya: Actually Papa aap
se baat karni thi... Main na ek company ko request kar rahi hoon ki meri project
fund kare... I have told them I will send a proposal for the project...
Sudhir: Good. What would
you like for me to do?
Priya: I am not sure to
send all the details about the proposal before hand... But send a summary... but
with budgeting the whole projects..and a time line...
Sudhir: Beta.. Mere in
cheezoon main experience nahi hain.. But I think conceptually.. I agree with
you... Send a summary but not the exact details... even in the budgeting and
timeline... Agar tum chahte ho tho.. I can look at it after your done...
Priya: Thanks Papa..
that will be good... I have student who is interested in this field.. I was
hoping to include her for credits... and give her a chance as well..
Sudhir: Badiya... Love
the idea... Ek aur baat puchni thi...Did Ram email back beta?
Priya: Haan Papa... He did...
Just introducing himself... Maa nahi hain yahan...
Sudhir: Kya hua?
Priya: Ram seems ok Papa...
But...
Sudhir: Bolo kya baat
hain...
Priya: Conference main I
met somebody papa...
Sudhir: Kya????? Tu kya
bol rahi hain... Ek kaam karte hain... Ek walk pe chal te hain... Tumahri Maa kuch
pata nahi chalna chaiye...
Shipra.. main aur Priya walk pe jaa rahen hain... Usko apne
kaam ke bare main kuch baat karni hain... Back in 30 - 40 mins... ok?
Shipra: Ok... Come soon... Pata nahi in Baap beti main kya kya batein
hote rahte hain...
Sudhir: Bye Shipra... Chal
Priya...
Both go for a walk in a nearby park...
Sudhir: Ab shuru se bolo
kya baat hain...
Priya: When I was
traveling to Mysore... I had a flat tire... A guy stopped and try to help me... and I
met this guy at the conference again... Mujhe yeh banda... very arrogant ... zyada
pasand nahi tha.. after the first meeting... But conference main... I met him a
couple of times... I was able to listen to his panel discussion, he came to my
talk as well.. On the last night.. at dinner... we met accidentally again... But
this time our conversation was very easy... unknowingly... I felt something... Not
sure what it is... And when Maa messaged asking to email Ram.. I did... I guess out
of courtesy or respect for you both... But I was not comfortable...
Sudhir: Tu yeh baat
hain...Meri beti ko koi pasasnd hain... Anyway kaun hain woh?
Priya: Patha nahi papa...
All I know is he goes by the name RK... I was late for introductions for the
panel discussion... and when we spoke during the dinner... we never officially
introduced ourselves... I guess we assumed we knew each other...
Sudhir: Hmmm... Beta... do
you know if he has any similar feelings or anything towards you?
Priya: No idea Papa... I
am so confused... Maa mere peche hi padi hain... Jitna Ram ke bare main pata hain..
he sounds reasonable, family guy, self made... Do I continue?... or wait to meet
this other person?... I am not even sure if there is anything there... Main kya
karoon papa?
Sudhir: Hmmm... Beta...Yeh
Ram ka proposal... Abhi bhi early stages main hain... Main sochtha hoon... don't decide
till you meet him... If even then... you are in this dilemma,,, then say no to Ram...
and follow your heart...Apni Dil ki suno... Aur tumhari Maa ko main sambhal
loonga...
Priya: Is liye I decided
to send an email Papa... I wonder if it is just a crush on this man... which will
not last... Beyond a few days or so... Dekhte hain...
Sudhir: Dekhte hain... Things will work out... To take your mind
away from all this... sit and work on that proposal this weekend... ok???
Priya: That is the best
thing papa... Thanks...
Sudhir: no problem beta...
anytime... I am so happy that you shared this with me...
Priya: Aur kisse share
karoon papa...
Both of them... enjoy walking for while and head home...
Thanks for reading...
Edited by doc_kash - 9 years ago
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