Hasta-prāpya-stabaka-namito bāla-Mandāra-vṛkṣaḥ (FF) Ch. 36 p. 15 - Page 5

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Posted: 3 years ago
#41

Chapter Seven


"Dādā, we have a Photogram page now!" Nikhil was saying, excitedly, as Mandar walked around inside Deshmukh Saree Emporium. "We are getting so many orders online!"


Mandar grinned at his little brother's enthusiasm. "Of course! Tell me, how did you convince Bābā? I tried to show him my ShakalGranth page once, and he said, it's a waste of time. Nobody will look at so many photos. Picture-books are for little children - those were his words."


"I didn't convince Bābā. Pallavi did that."


Mandar looked at Pallavi, his grin fixed in place, as he thought about what they had said to each other on their way to the shop. Pallavi still felt about him the way she had three years ago, when they had approved each other on the matrimonial site and gotten to know each other by video chat. So, a few minutes ago, Mandar had taken Pallavi's hand in his, and smiled into her eyes, just as he was supposed to do, and she had smiled back, trusting him. Pallavi had accepted him for marriage - that meant his life was getting back on track, right?


Pallavi had asked for a couple of days to talk to Raghav about an annulment; it wouldn't be decent if he heard about her decision from someone else. So, Mandar couldn't share the good news with his family yet. For now, his wife would still be Nikhil's Pallavi , not Pallavi Vahinī.


"Tell me about it, Pallavi." Mandar looked from Pallavi to Krishna as the two women exchanged an uneasy look before Pallavi replied.


"I used to believe what Bābā said, that customers need to see sarees up close and feel their texture before they can make a choice, and our customers trust us because we answer their inquiries face-to-face. So, I never made the effort to advertise online. Then Raghav made me realize that even a trusted brand's reputation is fragile, and bad luck would swallow up our business unless I learned to fight back and be seen. So, I asked Nikhil to create the Photogram page and Āī-Bābā launched it together. Manasi is our photographer."


Mandar knew that Pallavi was trying to spare him the hurtful truth that Raghav had stalked her while he, Mandar, had not been there to protect her. Trying not to sound furious, he said, as gently as he could, "Pallavi, I know that Raghav made himself our landlord. I found out this morning that he was the one who slandered you, just before his mother told him to marry you. Did he also attack our brand's reputation?"


Pallavi silently nodded. Mandar looked at Krishna. "I want to know the truth. Don't try to spare my feelings. Tell me, Krishna, how bad was this bad luck?"


Krishna hesitated, looking at Pallavi, who nodded at her. One by one, the repugnant incidents tumbled out of Krishna's memory. "Mandar Dādā, it wasn't bad luck; it was all intentional. Raghav Jījū loves Dīdī now, but when they first met, he harassed Dīdī, just because she confronted the man that he sent to watch Kirti. Raghav came into the shop to intimidate me. He set fire to our raw material. He followed Dīdī at night and threatened to hit her with his car and smash her mobile phone. He tore up a beautifully hand-woven saree and used it to wipe his shoe."


So, Raghav was already stalking Kirti, Mandar thought, and he moved on to stalking and demeaning Pallavi. Women in business never know when harassment will spoil their entire day, while men like Raghav think so little of misbehaving with women that they make rudeness into a daily habit.


Krishna saw the look of disgust in Mandar's eyes, but he gestured that she should continue. "Mandar Dādā, I'm sorry, you don't know what you asked to hear. Raghav carried Dīdī out of her house at night and tied her up in the middle of the highway where a truck almost ran over her. He's sorry about that now. But right after he did that, Raghav bought our shop and sent people to bulldoze it and throw our wares into the street. He sent fake police to kidnap Dīdī, and when she lost consciousness while trying to escape on the road, he didn't call your parents to tell them where Dīdī was; he just kept her in his guest room all night while we were all worried."


Mandar's hand was covering his mouth by now, and he was trying to control his nausea as he listened to Raghav's crimes that Krishna was recounting to him. Pallavi had endured so much abuse that would remain in her memory for the rest of her life, and Raghav got away with it all by tying a maṅgalasūtra and saying a simple sorry! Mandar knew that he had to make himself a good husband for Pallavi. The alternative was intolerable.


"Raghav stole our sarees and filled the shop with skimpy clothes to drive our customers away. He made a complaint to the weavers' association. Every day, Raghav would think of a new trick to disrupt our business and make us afraid of him. He took a saree that Dīdī had designed and produced knockoffs of it so that a new customer cancelled a big order with us. Raghav blacklisted us so that no mall would let us open a showroom. He sent us an illegal eviction notice."


Harassment and kidnapping and property damage weren't enough to conquer Pallavi, Mandar thought, so this Rākṣasa attacked our family's reputation and stability from every angle. No wonder Bābā reached his limit. Would I have had the strength to go on as Pallavi did, if it had all happened to me?


"On the day of Manasi's photo shoot, Raghav brought his team into the shop and threw us out. Then he paid off our model so that she quit, and when we went ahead anyway, he tried to take over the shoot. That night, he put a padlock on our shutter and spraypainted it with a notice that the shop was permanently closed. Even after Raghav sold the shop to Dīdī and married her, he stole the shop key from her so that we couldn't open. Mandar Dādā, Dīdī was so brave, she stood up to Raghav every time -"


At last, Mandar's limit was crossed, his stomach heaved, and he bolted out of the shop, startling Krishna, Pallavi, and Nikhil. Mandar managed to get outside just in time, and stood bent over, vomiting with his hand pressed to the shop wall. He felt a hand making circles on his back, and saw a water bottle being offered to him. When he turned around after rinsing his mouth, to his surprise, it was Farhad.


"Are you still feeling sick, Mandar?" Farhad asked. The miserable expression on Mandar's handsome face made Farhad want to hold him tight, but now was not the time. Mandar shook his head.


"May I ask what's wrong?" Farhad had a terrible thought. Had Mandar told his family his truth, and had they rejected him? Had Farhad's sincere advice hurt this brave, sensitive, and desirable man? His thought was interrupted by Mandar's answer.


"How can anyone be so cruel, Farhad? Raghav, I mean. For what reason would he go to such lengths to harass Pallavi, and to discredit and ruin my father's business? Raghav drove my Bābā to attempt suicide; Raghav's lies caused Bābā's heart attack. That's the kind of man my wife had to marry, just because he wouldn't leave her alone! Why isn't he in jail?" Mandar had tears running down his face and he was trembling with fury.


"Anna's influence reaches very high, Mandar," Farhad said, and the look of scorn in Mandar's eyes let Farhad know that Mandar saw right through his crisp professional attire and recognized him as a criminal's accomplice.


"It's not fair, it's not acceptable, but this is the real situation in which Pallavi Bhābhī has defended herself and her family single-handedly." Farhad's voice was soothing, and Mandar, in spite of his scorn for the words, softened in response to the tone.


"Mandar, Raghav Anna is a strange person who can do a dozen kindnesses every day without even thinking, but he will stay up all night plotting cruel tricks to destroy his enemies. Unfortunately, Pallavi became Anna's target when he lost some valuable opportunities, and he would not listen to me when I said that he misunderstood her, but right away I observed how he responded to her personality. She never gave up, she outwitted him and convinced him to support her, and she did it all with honesty and compassion. Soon, Anna was trying to fulfil Pallavi 's needs secretly, and he would feel stung when she didn't take his help. Mandar, there were only two people whose opinion matters to Raghav Anna - his mother and his sister, the only two people that he would help without their knowing it, and now he feels that way about Pallavī Bhābhī because she inspires him to be a better person and he listens to her."


Mandar was not in the mood to hear about Raghav's tender feelings. "You would never testify against Raghav?" Mandar asked Farhad directly. Farhad dropped his gaze. "Then you're an accessory to his crimes. Maybe he's a Rākṣasa by nature, diabolically cruel and destructive, but you're a thoughtful man, you have a conscience - aren't you more guilty for following orders that you know are wrong?"


Farhad was hurt to hear Mandar's opinion of him, but he managed to say, quietly, "Raghav Anna feels truly sorry for his mistreatment of Pallavi , and he is trying in his own way to look after your family. And if you need a friend, Mandar, I want to be your friend."


Just then, a gaunt little dog came up to Mandar, pulling her human by the leash. Mandar squatted to rub the sweet beagle's big floppy ears, not noticing that the other end of the leash was in Raghav's hand. The dog put out her tongue and started to lick Mandar's face, cleaning away the half-dried tears.


She changes teams just as quickly as Amma, Raghav thought. He heard someone giggle, but it wasn't Mandar or Farhad. Sure enough, Luṅgīvālā Raghav was squatting behind the dog, with his hands resting on both her sides and her tail thumping against his thighs, left-right, left-right.


Pallavi, Nikhil, and Krishna, with a couple of customers, were all standing in the door, under the sign for Deshmukh Saree Emporium, watching Mandar enjoying the dog's attention. Raghav stood still, holding onto the leash, jealously watching his new pet lavishing her love upon Mandar. Raghav knew he was helpless, being unwilling to yank his dog by the neck and unable to pick her up without shoving Luṅgīvālā Raghav out of the way - which would look strange to all onlookers, as none of them could see his alter ego.


Finally, Mandar stood up, and the dog returned to Raghav. He scooped her up with one arm and walked up to Pallavi.


"Pallavi, this is Damayanti. Damayanti, this is your Amma."


"Hello, Damayanti!" Pallavi knew that Raghav's words meant that he wanted to put last night's bitterness aside and insist that she belonged with him. She had to be firm with him and tell him her decision, but she couldn't respond here. So, Pallavi concentrated on rubbing under the chin of the wriggling beagle that was trying to leap into her arms.


"Where did you find such an adorable dog in half a day, Raghav?"


"At an animal shelter. You can hold her, you know; she's yours too, Sārī kā Dukāna."


"Raghav, I can't right now. I have to get back to my customers. But we have to talk in private soon. Please."


"I know what's on your mind, and believe me, I won't let it happen." Raghav was hinting at Pallavi's criminal jeopardy, which he couldn't mention aloud, but he was sure that Subhadra must have explained it to Pallavi, just as Dhananjay had explained to him.


Raghav's phone rang and he moved Damayanti to his other arm, pulled out the phone, and answered, while Pallavi returned to her customers inside the shop. "Yes, Amma? ... Yes, I found Pallavi. She's right in front of me. ... All right, but tell me, did you take your medicines on time? ... Here, Pallavi, Amma wants to talk to you."


Pallavi excused herself again, took the phone and inquired about Jaya, then spoke with Kirti. Meanwhile, Mandar approached Raghav outside the shop, with Farhad at his side, ready to intervene if the conversation turned ugly.


"Raghav, I know." Mandar's voice was unsteady with fury, and the knowledge that Raghav had the police in his pocket made him nervous, but he managed to croak out the words. "I know how you mistreated Pallavi and nearly killed my Bābā. Pallavi was alone then, and she stood up to you alone. She's not alone now. I'm back, and if you ever try to harm her again, you'll have to go through me first."


Raghav wanted to thrash Mandar just for being alive, and all the more for reminding him that he had ever been capable of harming Pallavi. But Luṅgīvālā Raghav, standing behind Mandar, said, "Pallavi thinks, you owe Mandar. Don't raise your hand at him, or you'll spoil my chance to be with Pallavi."


"You think you have a chance to be with Pallavi?" Raghav sneered. "You're not equipped to be with her, artham ainadā?"


Mandar hadn't expected this reaction from Raghav, but the taunt about his lack of riches made it clear that Raghav didn't understand Pallavi at all. Mandar knew that if he remained in front of Raghav, they would come to blows, and if he spoke, he would blurt out that Pallavi had already chosen him. So, Mandar simply shook his head and backed away from Raghav. Farhad put a reassuring arm around Mandar's shoulders and guided him back inside the shop, where Pallavi had finished her phone call.


Luṅgīvālā Raghav rolled his eyes and retorted, "I may be imaginary, Raghav Rao, but I'm equipped, for your kind information. I keep my luṅgī on because I'm a good boy, but I'm what you wish you were, artham ainadā?"


Raghav noticed that Damayanti was paying attention to the cheeky talk in his imagination, and he glared at Luṅgīvālā Raghav - behave yourself! Then Raghav walked up to the shop door.


"Come on, Farhad, I have to take Damayanti home. We have a video conference with Puja about the exports tonight, remember?" Raghav took back his phone from Pallavi and said, "We can meet privately at home tomorrow morning. All right?"


"All right," Pallavi said.


Farhad got into the driver's seat, while Raghav secured Damayanti in the middle of the back seat with her special seat belt, and then took his place next to her. Luṅgīvālā Raghav made himself comfortable on Damayanti's other side.


While they were on the road, a message appeared on Raghav's phone.


"Pay up if you don't want this recording to fall into the wrong hands."


Chapter One on page 1

Chapter Two on page 2

Chapter Three on page 2

Chapter Four on page 3

Chapter Five on page 4

Chapter Six on page 4

Chapter Eight on page 5

Chapter Nine on page 7

Chapter Ten on page 7

Chapter Eleven on page 8

Chapter Twelve on page 8

Chapter Thirteen on page 8

Chapter Fourteen on page 9

Chapter Fifteen on page 10

Chapter Sixteen on page 10

Chapter Seventeen on page 11

Chapter Eighteen on page 11

Chapter Nineteen on page 11

Chapter Twenty on page 11

Chapter Twenty-One on page 11

Chapter Twenty-Two on page 12

Chapter Twenty-Three on page 12

Chapter Twenty-Four on page 12

Chapter Twenty-Five on page 12

Chapter Twenty-Six on page 13

Chapter Twenty-Seven on page 14

Chapter Twenty-Eight on page 14

Chapter Twenty-Nine on page 14

Chapter Thirty on page 14

Chapter Thirty-One on page 14

Chapter Thirty-Two on page 14

Chapter Thirty-Three on page 15

Chapter Thirty-Four on page 15

Chapter Thirty-Five on page 15

Chapter Thirty-Six on page 15

Edited by BrhannadaArmour - 9 months ago
Zara2021 thumbnail
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Posted: 3 years ago
#42

Hellooo

This story is keeping me on my toes.

So Raghav got a dog! 😃

Firstly, I love how Mandaar found out the truth of Raghav and Pallavi's marriage but he is still unaware of the extent of Raghav's repentance. Reading this chapter made me reflect on exactly how much Raghav did torture Pallavi in the past and how easily she forgave him in the show.

Mandaar seems to want to do the right thing, protect Pallavi, but I don't think he should do that whilst denying himself and her due to who he is. But that is his internal struggle.

Farhaad and Mandaar's convo ❤️. I just love Farhad, he managed to be fair to his Anna, stay loyal but also tried to empathise with Mandaar.

Lungiwala Raghav's conversations with Raghav are very humorous and I am interested to see how things pan out. Pallavi seems to have made up her mind, I feel like her and Raghav are on a totally different page.

I am predicting some heartbreak for Raghav... feels like Pallavi is not as crazily in love with him as he is for her... yet? She seems to be thinking quite rationally... I wonder what their meeting will be like... fireworks or a quiet, polite rejection.... hmm


Thanks for sharing once again

❤️

1215019 thumbnail
Posted: 3 years ago
#43

Zara2021 wrote:

Hellooo

This story is keeping me on my toes.

I feel gratified that it's suspenseful. I started out with so much story to tell (the spoilers from Antarāya-timir'opaśāntaye about Mandar and Sulochana, Raghav and Vijay and Mandar, Pallavi and Mandar and Raghav, and a romantic progression between Farhad and Mandar), and I still don't have a map of how it all will happen. I feel that each long chapter takes just a baby step forward because there are so many other characters who need to be included (Kirti, Milind, Dr. Ramya and Vishnu, Farhad's parents, Jaya, Manasi, Nikhil, Krishna, Sharada, Amruta, etc.), and I keep thinking of new developments (Raghav's guilt about Jaya's blood donor, Pallavi and the letter of the law, Mandar misunderstanding Raghav's interest in Kirti, Pallavi telling Raghav he should find a dog). I am honestly trying to use new ideas to make progress with old ideas, and if some cliffhangers carry over for a chapter or two, you'll forgive me, right?

So Raghav got a dog! 😃

Yes! What do you and my other readers think of Damayanti's character so far? Did you expect Raghav to choose this sort of dog? How do you feel about Damayanti loving Mandar at first sniff? Is it right that Damayanti is able to perceive Luṅgīvālā Raghav?

Firstly, I love how Mandaar found out the truth of Raghav and Pallavi's marriage but he is still unaware of the extent of Raghav's repentance. Reading this chapter made me reflect on exactly how much Raghav did torture Pallavi in the past and how easily she forgave him in the show.

I am glad you loved the balance! Raghav in my story is truly repentant, but still capable of the same hasty or vindictive actions. Characters like Pallavi, Milind, Sharada, Krishna, and Farhad will naturally tell Mandar that Raghav feels sorry, but I can't expect Mandar to believe that. In Chapter One, Mandar assumed that Raghav was a good person who stopped to help him, and after that the dam of bygones started to crack, until Mandar turned against Raghav in Chapter Six, and now the dam has burst in Chapter Seven. I knew that a recap of Raghav's three-months-long harassment of Pallavi could be boring for readers who have watched it all and moved on, and consider Raghav redeemed, but I wanted to do justice to Mandar's position as someone who should be deeply affected by finding out about these incidents. I got a lot of information out of the way with Krishna's monologue, and I hope I managed to keep it in character for Krishna. Mandar still doesn't know about how Raghav's choices hurt Amruta and Manasi and Nikhil.

Mandaar seems to want to do the right thing, protect Pallavi, but I don't think he should do that whilst denying himself and her due to who he is. But that is his internal struggle.

Oh, I agree! Mandar's approach is all wrong, but he wants to do right. My favourite characters are like that - flawed, not cruel or self-centred.

Farhaad and Mandaar's convo ❤️. I just love Farhad, he managed to be fair to his Anna, stay loyal but also tried to empathise with Mandaar.

That was what I tried to create; I'm glad it had that effect for you. I need to work on Mandar's attraction to Farhad, and I hope that his judging Farhad as Raghav's accomplice will set that in motion.

Lungiwala Raghav's conversations with Raghav are very humorous and I am interested to see how things pan out. Pallavi seems to have made up her mind, I feel like her and Raghav are on a totally different page.

I was worried that this chapter's dialogue between Luṅgīvālā Raghav and Raghav was crass, but I'm glad the humour comes through.

I am predicting some heartbreak for Raghav... feels like Pallavi is not as crazily in love with him as he is for her... yet? She seems to be thinking quite rationally... I wonder what their meeting will be like... fireworks or a quiet, polite rejection.... hmm

Heartbreak? Of course! I have a vague idea how their meeting will go. Ideally, they will both be confronted with each other's reality.


Thanks for sharing once again

❤️

You are most welcome! Thank you to everyone who reacted. Chapter Eight is on its way.

Edited by BrhannadaArmour - 3 years ago
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Posted: 3 years ago
#44

I'm late for this one. Quite busy now.. my bad.

Moving on, I completely understand where Mandhaar is coming from. Raghav was plain awful at times Yes he has a good side like Farhad said but I don't think that excuses everything he does. They still don't know about the kidnapping and the initial Anjali misunderstanding ig. Poor Farhad. His moral dilemma felt very real. Pallavi is going to get an annulment.😲 I didn't expect her to decide. And the star character is Damayanti. ❤️ What a funny name for a dog but definitely something Raghav would do. Even she likes Mandhaar😆 but then again I feel like she likes everyone. I'm guessing someone has the video of Raghav finding out Pallavi is a widow after the marriage.. but who? Interesting cliffhanger. I'm also waiting to read Raghav and Pallavi's conversation and what makes Pallavi change her mind.

1215019 thumbnail
Posted: 3 years ago
#45

Chapter Eight


"You heard what I just played, Farhad!" Raghav snarled. "Tell me, how could this happen?"


Luṅgīvālā Raghav put his arms around Damayanti to reassure her, but his expression was as worried as Raghav's was angry and Farhad's was confused.


"Anna, this is exactly what you told me to delete this morning! Right after you walked out of the den, I logged into the CCTV system with my mobile phone, I found the wedding reception footage from the microphones and camera next to the staircase, and I edited out just these few minutes in which you asked Pallavi Bhābhī why she wore a white saree, you asked her why she called herself a widow, you said that she was supposed to be the Deshmukh family's daughter, you asked me if I knew that she was a widow, and you expressed worry that she would tell Amma the truth about your marriage."


"Well, we just heard all of that, loud and clear, plus Pallavi saying that she would humiliate me in front of the world, and that the day was not far off when she would force the whole world to avert its face from me. Why did she have to say those words right then? To a stranger, it sounds as if she kept her widowhood a secret on purpose because it would spoil my image!"


"We have to protect your Amma," Luṅgīvālā Raghav explained to Damayanti. "Any ideas?"


Damayanti used one hind leg to scratch her ear, then shifted her weight from one front paw to the other.


"Anna, I did exactly as you said," Farhad was saying. "I went to every place where we keep backup drives of the CCTV footage, and I replaced the original footage with the edited version. I emptied the trash securely so that the original footage was written over with scrambled data. The segment in this clip shouldn't exist anywhere anymore."


Luṅgīvālā Raghav realized what Damayanti had suggested, and excitedly translated it for Raghav. "Damayanti says, scroll through the login history of the CCTV system to find out who accessed it after Farhad today. Someone obviously saved the original footage from a backup while Farhad was busy with the server, and then that person accessed the edited version from the server, and aligned the tracks to locate the missing clip to use for blackmail."


"Dhanyavādālu, Damayanti," Raghav said aloud. "Good suggestion. That's what we'll do."


"Anna?"


"Just drive."


Back at Deshmukh Saree Emporium, Krishna was asking Pallavi, "Dīdī, did you expect Raghav Jījū to get a dog as soon as you moved out?"


"It was my idea," Pallavi admitted, "but when I thought of Raghav with a dog, I imagined a completely different animal."


"A majestic, large dog, with an aggressive bark," Krishna guessed, "male, because they're larger than females, and as expensive as possible. A puppy, of course, because Jījū loves children."


"Exactly, Krishna. But Damayanti is none of those things. Raghav didn't call a dog breeder for a plump, purebred puppy. He went to an animal shelter and got a small, quiet dog, obviously several years old already, who looks like she didn't get enough to eat."


"Well, Jījū likes to rescue poor people, you know that, Dīdī."


"Yes, but Raghav doesn't bring poor people into his home. He grew up poor, wearing cast-offs. Now, he doesn't like anything second-hand. Except me, I guess."


"Dīdī!"


"Of course, when ..." Pallavi began, but stopped as she realized that she was about to tell Krishna that Raghav had married her without knowing that she was a widow. That was best forgotten.


Mandar was in the shop too, but no longer paying attention to their talk, because he was browsing the Photogram page for Deshmukh Saree Emporium, and to his utter shock, the woman posing in every saree was Kirti! So, Kirti is a model, Mandar thought, the sort of glamourous girlfriend who suits Raghav's in-the-news lifestyle. Mandar recalled what Krishna had told him about Manasi's photo shoot, that Raghav had paid off the model and tried to take over the shoot. Obviously, the meaning of Krishna's words was that Raghav had exploited the photo shoot as a vehicle for his girlfriend, Kirti, the model. Mandar had watched Raghav taking Kirti home yesterday, and Farhad had known to call Raghav when Kirti was distraught, but did that mean that Raghav and Kirti were still carrying on a relationship now, three months into his marriage to Pallavi? Could Raghav really be so callous about humiliating Pallavi? Krishna and Farhad both said that Raghav loved Pallavi by now, that he was sorry about abusing her. Milind Kākā also said sympathetic words about Raghav. And yet, Raghav had been at the scene of Mandar's accident that Kirti had left, she said, because she hadn't wanted her mother to find out that she was out with her boyfriend. That meant, Raghav was Kirti's boyfriend almost three years ago, and Raghav's obsession with this woman was obvious; Krishna said that he had sent a man to watch Kirti!


Mandar shivered, and shook his head. He was only going to make himself miserable if he thought about Raghav's disrespect for women. Bābā was right; he should just fulfil his own commitment to Pallavi, and not worry about Raghav.


Vishnu, who had excused himself after lunch to make some phone calls, now arrived, and Mandar spent the rest of the afternoon with him, walking around the neighbourhood and pointing out whatever he remembered.


"Raja - I mean, Mandar, your Sulochana Kākū is definitely up to something." Vishnu said, after checking that they were out of earshot of any passersby.


"Why do you say so? What did you notice?" The night before, Mandar had alerted Vishnu about his memory of Sulochana Kākū abandoning him with Dr. Ramya at the clinic, telling her that he had been stumbling along the highway, and introducing herself as a stranger who simply took the drugged man to the nearest psychiatrist.


"I was up on the terrace, in between calls, when she came up there with her mobile phone and made a call. She stayed at the top of the stairs, out of the sunlight, so she didn't see me, but I was close enough to hear her ask for Dr. Janaki, and then she said, 'Listen well, Dr. Janaki. Mandar Deshmukh is back in Hyderabad. His memories are coming back, but he hasn't remembered the taxi ride to Vikarabad with me, and of course he doesn't know who you are or where to find you. Just in case anyone asks you any questions, remember that I paid you well for your silence.' And that was all she said."


"I owe you, Vishnu," Mandar said. "Whoever this Dr. Janaki is, and wherever I'll find her, I hope she's easier to understand than Sulochana Kākū."


"You don't have any idea why your Kākū would isolate you from your family and Pallavi ?" Vishnu was curious.


Mandar shook his head. "Kākū has never been affectionate to me, but she's not maternal to her own children either, Manasi and Amruta. Manasi has always looked up to my Āī, and Amruta was very attached to me. Kākū didn't like that. I was five years old when Sulochana Kākū joined the family, and I remember trying to make friends with her. She would just get up and walk away without a word. After a while, she got more comfortable in the family, and started to make fun of me - my brown skin, my nose, I used to be skinny, I would include girls in boys' games, and even join Manasi and Amruta with their toys ... I don't think she has any idea, you know."


"You're sure? After all, she took you to Dr. Ramya, a conversion therapist, and not to a homeless shelter."


"I can't be sure, because Sulochana Kākū was always gossipping and speculating about that sort of thing. Neighbours, celebrities, politicians ... anyone who disappointed her wish to appear at high-profile social events was labelled less than a man. She did tease me on a weekly basis by inquiring whether I had a girlfriend, always raising her voice to ask, 'or a boyfriend?' If she knew, she would embarrass me, but I don't think she would harm me for that reason. I can only say that I was careful to hide my problem from her. I would never confide in Sulochana Kākū."


"Mandar, from what I've heard your Kākū say just this morning and afternoon, I think it won't be long before she spills more clues about what she did to you. I'll have to leave you and go back to Vikarabad tomorrow afternoon, but you're being careful, so I think you're safe. Your Kākū took advantage when you were injured and drugged, but she can't easily harm you now."


"You're right," Mandar said. They continued their walking tour, and returned to Deshmukh Saree Emporium just as Nikhil was locking up, and Pallavi and Krishna were waiting outside with Sharada.


Sharada had arrived just before closing time, and taken Pallavi aside.


"Pallu, zasā Mandar māzhā āhe taśī tū suddhā mājhīça āhesa." Pallu, just as Mandar is mine, so you too are mine only. "Mandar-sāṭhī tū āpalyā gharī yāvesa asā māzhā ajibāta āgraha nāhī." I am not at all insisting that you should return to our house for Mandar. "Tū jithe sukhī rahāśīla, titheça tū rahāvesa." Wherever you will stay happily, only there you should stay. "Tulā mājhyāśī mokaḷepaṇāne kāhī bolāyaçe asela, tara bola." If you have anything to say to me freely, say it.


"Āī, Subhadra yāṃnā kāyadyāçe sagaḷe praśna vicārale." Āī, I asked Subhadra all questions about the law. "Tyāñcyā uttarāṃpramāṇe māzhe āṇi Mandar-āṃçe lagnāçe nāte azūna astitvāta āhe, phakta tyāṃçā mṛtyudākhalā radda kelyāvara he nāte siddha hoīla, āṇi he nāte siddha hotā hotā māzhe āṇi Raghav-çe lagnāçe nāte radda hoīla." According to her answers, my marriage to Mandar still exists, and it only has to be validated by expunging his death certificate, and just as this marriage becomes valid, my marriage to Raghav will be annulled. "Ase hoṇyāādhī eka tara mī Mandar-āṃnā ghaṭasphoṭa deūna māzhe āṇi Raghav-çe lagnāçe nāte ṭikavū śakate, nāhī tara mī svataḥ Mandar jīvanta asalyāçe kāraṇa sāṅgūna māzhe āṇi Raghav-çe lagnāçe nāte radda karū śakate." Before this occurs, either I can divorce Mandar and preserve my marriage to Raghav, or I myself can cite Mandar being alive as grounds to annul my marriage to Raghav. "Kāyadyākaḍe pāhile tara nirṇaya gheṇyāçā adhikāra sarvasvī māzhā āhe." If we refer to the law, then the right to make a decision is entirely mine. "Paṇa dharmākaḍe pāhūna mī kāya karāve?" But considering dharma, what should I do?


Sharada listened quietly, thought for a moment, and then replied, "Pallu, ithe malā Śrī-Kṛṣṇāne Arjunālā Bhagavad-Gīteta sāṅgitalelā upadeśa āṭhavato:" Pallu, this situation reminds me of Śrī Kṛṣṇa's warning to Arjuna in Bhagavad-Gītā: "śreyān svadharmo viguṇaḥ paradharmāt svanuṣṭhitāt. svadharme nidhanaṃ śreyaḥ. paradharmo bhayāvahaḥ. Hyāçā artha asā āhe kī dusaryāçā dharma askhalitapaṇe pāḷaṇyāpekṣā çukā karūna suddhā svataḥçā dharma pāḷalelā barā." It is better to follow one's own dharma imperfectly than to be perfect in someone else's dharma. "Svataḥçā dharma pāḷatānā mṛtyu ālā tarī bare." Even to die for one's own principles is desirable. "Kuṇāhī dusaryā māṇasāçā dharma pāḷaṇe he āpalyāsāṭhī bhaya nirmāṇa karate." Anyone else's dharma will only bring anxiety.


Sharada smiled hesitantly, and Pallavi smiled back, understanding that Sharada's advice was to follow her own sense of right and wrong, and not to feel obligated to fulfil anyone else's expectations.


Saying goodnight to Krishna, Pallavi and Sharada walked back to the Deshmukh house with Nikhil, Mandar, and Vishnu. Vijay came to the door with water for all of them.


"Gurujī agreed to come tomorrow morning to direct the Satya-Nārāyaṇa pūjā," Vijay informed Sharada. "Luckily, our thanksgiving can happen before Vishnu has to return to Vikarabad. I phoned Jaya to invite all of them; we cannot leave them out. And we should go in person to invite the family that is hosting Pallavi."


"Let's do that without delay," Sharada agreed. "Mandar, Nikhil, go find us two rickshaws. Pallu, send the address to Mandar's phone, then he and I can follow you and Bābā. Was Farhad going to pick you up here tonight?"


"No, Āī, Farhad and Raghav are busy with a meeting tonight," Pallavi said, thinking, I have to call Amma to tell her that I can't meet Raghav tomorrow morning, unless he comes to the Satya-Nārāyaṇa pūjā with her.


Chapter One on page 1

Chapter Two on page 2

Chapter Three on page 2

Chapter Four on page 3

Chapter Five on page 4

Chapter Six on page 4

Chapter Seven on page 5

Chapter Nine on page 7

Chapter Ten on page 7

Chapter Eleven on page 8

Chapter Twelve on page 8

Chapter Thirteen on page 8

Chapter Fourteen on page 9

Chapter Fifteen on page 10

Chapter Sixteen on page 10

Chapter Seventeen on page 11

Chapter Eighteen on page 11

Chapter Nineteen on page 11

Chapter Twenty on page 11

Chapter Twenty-One on page 11

Chapter Twenty-Two on page 12

Chapter Twenty-Three on page 12

Chapter Twenty-Four on page 12

Chapter Twenty-Five on page 12

Chapter Twenty-Six on page 13

Chapter Twenty-Seven on page 14

Chapter Twenty-Eight on page 14

Chapter Twenty-Nine on page 14

Chapter Thirty on page 14

Chapter Thirty-One on page 14

Chapter Thirty-Two on page 14

Chapter Thirty-Three on page 15

Chapter Thirty-Four on page 15

Chapter Thirty-Five on page 15

Chapter Thirty-Six on page 15

Edited by BrhannadaArmour - 9 months ago
1215019 thumbnail
Posted: 3 years ago
#46

hapc wrote (about Chapter Seven):

I'm late for this one. Quite busy now.. my bad.

Not at all. I hope the story is fresh whenever my readers have time for it. No one should feel pressure, but I do appreciate you for taking the time to comment.

Moving on, I completely understand where Mandhaar is coming from. Raghav was plain awful at times Yes he has a good side like Farhad said but I don't think that excuses everything he does.

I agree. The Raghav-harasses-Pallavi phase was written for shock value, and my story makes use of that painful history. Mandar feels like a failure for not protecting Pallavi from Raghav, and Pallavi has told Raghav that she doesn't love or trust him yet because those memories are fresh. How will Raghav prove his worth? Raghav being in love with Pallavi should mean that he doesn't just do his own good deeds; he should affirm Pallavi's wishes (e.g. adopting a dog as Pallavi wanted) and encourage her pursuits (e.g. her support for the orphanage in Delivery Boy). Unfortunately, the show is stuck in a cycle of Pallavi being in trouble and Raghav committing violence to prove his love.

As Zara2021 wrote, Raghav's actions have affected other characters, and that shouldn't be ignored. Ideally, Raghav would face the fact that Amruta, Manasi, Vijay, Nikhil, and Mandar are also living with what he did to them. Raghav's scenes with these characters shouldn't just be name-calling by him and silence on their side; let them have their say.

When Luṅgīvālā Raghav first appeared on screen, he asked Raghav to think why saying "I take it back" wasn't changing Vijay's mind, and Raghav knew that it was his own fault for antagonizing Vijay. Raghav tried to deflect the blame onto the entire Deshmukh family, and some members of this forum cite "bunch of crazy egoistic people" as truth, but at the time, Pallavi called out Raghav's superiority complex. I had thought that Raghav's redemption would show him resisting his destructive impulses and making an effort to respect people who matter to Pallavi. Instead, the redemption quickly devolved into Pallavi pitying Raghav, and fizzled out with the foot-washing scene, after which Raghav's bad manners and unethical actions have been glorified by writing everyone who doesn't like him as a negative and unethical character.

They still don't know about the kidnapping and the initial Anjali misunderstanding ig.

Right. I don't have any ideas to dramatize Pallavi finally believing Raghav, who has always said that he didn't commit the fake police kidnapping, considering that he forcibly transported her once before and twice after that incident. I felt that Raghav keeping Pallavi in his guest room and not even informing her family belonged in Krishna's monologue. Farhad also bears some responsibility for not doing more on that occasion. As for Anjali, I won't contradict what I wrote in Antarāya-timir'opaśāntaye: Pallavi's facing Raghav as she fed him the mahāthālī convinced him that her denial was truthful.

Poor Farhad. His moral dilemma felt very real.

Thank you, I'm glad it worked for you. Mandar has only known Farhad for one day, and already he has expectations of him!

Pallavi is going to get an annulment.😲 I didn't expect her to decide.

Making a decision allows her to question it. She still plans to live with her decision for a few days before starting a legal action, but simply announcing the intended annulment will surely lead to reactions and misunderstandings.

And the star character is Damayanti. ❤️ What a funny name for a dog but definitely something Raghav would do. Even she likes Mandhaar😆 but then again I feel like she likes everyone.

Thank you for telling me you like Damayanti! I plan to address the name's associations in Chapter Nine. For fun, my readers may want to tell me at this point what the name Damayanti means to them.

I'm guessing someone has the video of Raghav finding out Pallavi is a widow after the marriage.. but who? Interesting cliffhanger.

I haven't decided who yet; I am considering the options, but so far I am setting in motion a series of reactions from Raghav and Pallavi. The recording might go from one person to another...

I'm also waiting to read Raghav and Pallavi's conversation and what makes Pallavi change her mind.

I'll try to do justice to it, but there's an evening and a night to narrate before the intended morning meeting.

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Posted: 3 years ago
#47

Just wanted to ask, why do you think Pallavi is a vegetarian? She belongs to Kolhapur, which is a famous city for its unique non-veg cuisine.


Also how do you write Marathi lines? Using some translator? I read those lines whenever I can, but then I also read the English lines to see whether I understood correctly or not

hapc thumbnail
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Posted: 3 years ago
#48

Damayanti is the smartest in this story.😎 Such a cutie. Still don't know who has the video.. I guess I have to wait for another part. Mandhaar has made such a nice elaborate story in his head. I'll feel bad for him when he realises that everything he thought about Raghav Keerthi is wrong. Coming to Sharada.. she's brilliant her as always. Considering that Mandhaar didn't kill Devyani here so she definitely doesn't know, she is simply amazing coming second to Farhad who feels like the hero of this story. I also have to wait for the Raghav Pallu convo.

1215019 thumbnail
Posted: 3 years ago
#49

Shri_12 wrote:

Just wanted to ask, why do you think Pallavi is a vegetarian? She belongs to Kolhapur, which is a famous city for its unique non-veg cuisine.

In an early episode, Sharada exposed Sulochana and Amruta for entering the temple after eating eggs for breakfast. The implication is that the Deshmukhs have a vegetarian breakfast every day, and even those who don't pay attention to religious prohibitions aren't eating meat, just eggs. So, I had Farhad say in Chapter Five that he doesn't know if Bhābhī even eats eggs, and the Deshmukhs' dinner last night was only vegetarian.

Edited to add: Milind went out to get chicken biryani for Sulochana because she didn't like the vegetarian keḷavaṇa dinner. This could mean that the Deshmukhs usually include something non-veg for Sulochana in every meal, but what I think it means is that Sharada served only vegetarian food at every event of Manasi's wedding, and Milind and Pallavi ate their fill of it, but Sulochana's idea of celebration is non-veg.

Pallavi is proudly from Kolhapur (like Sulochana, Sharada etc.), but I've never heard her praising tāmbaḍā-pāṇḍharā rassā or otherwise saying outright that she isn't a vegetarian. Edited to add: in the scene of Laxmi Singh asking Pallavi where to find the best meat biryani and saying that Kolhapur is famous for its rassā, Pallavi laughed along, but gave no indication that she herself eats these dishes. When Raghav's mouth was hanging open because he saw that Pallavi hadn't been blown up in the taxi, Pallavi teased him that he likes to eat non-veg so much that he's trying to catch flies. I think that if Pallavi herself ate non-veg food, she would simply ask if Raghav was catching flies, not imply that non-veg eaters will eat anything.

There was a scene of Raghav trying to cheer up Pallavi with Marathi breakfast dishes, all of which were vegetarian.

On screen, when Pallavi and Mandar found Raghav at the restaurant, she asked, Raghav, you'll have the chicken, right? I think the dialogue writers wrote that line to tell us that Pallavi doesn't mind Raghav's dietary choices because she loves him. Edited to add: one time, Pallavi served Raghav chicken at home, but did not imply that anyone else would be eating it; and during Gaṇapati Bāppā's visit, she told Raghav not to have alcohol or non-veg, even outside the home.

So, after writing that Pallavi moved into Farhad's parents' home, I thought I could not ignore the likelihood that a Muslim family would have to adjust to her dietary restrictions.

Also how do you write Marathi lines? Using some translator? I read those lines whenever I can, but then I also read the English lines to see whether I understood correctly or not

Marathi is my language at home in Canada. It is easier for me to write what Pallavi and the Deshmukhs would say to each other in Marathi (although I don't mix in as much English as people living in India generally do), and then I translate it into English in my head. You may have noticed that my stories have almost zero Hindi or Telugu lines, because I would make a mess of those.

Edited by BrhannadaArmour - 2 years ago
1215019 thumbnail
Posted: 3 years ago
#50

hapc wrote:

Mandhaar has made such a nice elaborate story in his head. I'll feel bad for him when he realises that everything he thought about Raghav Keerthi is wrong.

The idea that Mandar should misunderstand Raghav and Kirti came to me while writing Chapter Three, just to relieve the monotony of Mandar finding out facts that the readers know already. I kept the misunderstanding going just to amuse myself and you, and I didn't know what would come of it, until now. I hope you'll like the scene in which Mandar finds out he's wrong.

Coming to Sharada.. she's brilliant her as always. Considering that Mandhaar didn't kill Devyani here so she definitely doesn't know, she is simply amazing coming second to Farhad who feels like the hero of this story.

Thank you for saying this. Sharada has given Pallavi good advice, but how will Pallavi decide to apply it? I am glad that Farhad comes across as the hero for you, because I find it challenging to bring Farhad to the foreground with Raghav and Pallavi being such established characters. Where Farhad goes and what Farhad does is limited by his working for Raghav. In Chapter Eight, Farhad and Mandar didn't even think about each other. If I want this couple to progress, I need to think of ways to put them in scenes together.

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