In search of the diamond -Fanfic-Updated-Chapter 51 - Page 4

Originally posted by: themasked

Jasleen is actually a Baweja.

This is Harminder Bajwa.Sorry about the confusing names.😅

She is the wife of a close business associate with whom Jaspal has worked with in the past.

While he might have fancied her at one point,he doesn't love her.He's currently using her name as an excuse to get his parents to stop interfering in his personal life.He hopes that they won't try marrying him off if they think he's still pining for her.

Hope that clears your doubt 😅

@purple - Oh my bad! To be honest, I'm not very familiar with the show and it's characters which is why I didn't notice that the two surnames are different.

Yeah now everything is clear. I keep bothering you with doubts right? I'm sorry.

Thanks a million for taking the time to explain my doubts.

I also get my names mixed up often 😅

And please don't apologise.I love clearing your doubts.It gives us an opportunity to explore and analyse these characters in depth when we converse about them as opposed to just reading,which is essentially one sided.

It's also nice to know that someone is invested in these characters and I get to know of a lot of different perspectives.Honestly, it makes writing more enjoyable 😅

Chapter 6-Gurleen

"Gurleen,can I come with you to the Gurudwara ?"

Gurleen froze.Her eyes met those of her brother's,who had a similarly perplexed expression on his face.Her parjaai looked ready to bolt for the door.Something smelled fishy here.Poonam Babbar never requested any of her children to accompany her to the Gurudwara and certainly not her daughter.According to her,prayers were business transactions between herself and God.The presence of her brats could violate the sanctity of their bond.

Parminder parjaai siddled up to Gurleen,

"Did you inherit grandfather's hidden fortune?"

"Pammi, didn't he gamble it away?"It was Amrit veerji on her other side.

The three of them warily watched the older woman meticulously comb her hair in front of an antique mirror of rose wood.

Poonam turned around.

"Gurleen, don't you know it's rude to answer a query with silence?"

"Mummy, I'm sure she didn't mean any disrespect.She's just surprised, that's all.Isn't that right Gurleen?"Her veerji tried defending her.

"Chupp!Are you her mouthpiece?Idiot."

Amrit looked chastised.

"Tell me puttar,will you take me along with you?"

Gurleen was lost for words.This odd behaviour had been going on for the past week and she didn't know how to handle the extra niceness from the older woman.

She finally smiled and found her voice.

"No problem momsie.The kirtan won't start for another hour.If we leave now we'll make it on time.I'll drive.Come along now."

With that she picked her sarangi and walked out to the gate to start the car,leaving behind a pleased Poonam and a startled Amrit.She could hear her parjai attempting to muffle her laughter with her pallu as she bade them goodbye.

Her momsie elected to ride shotgun,leaving the sarangi on the back seat.They set off with clear skies and the sun shining behind their backs.

"Gurleen, your car is beautiful.It doesn't look second hand at all.The finish is exquisite."

It had been too good to be true to actually last.

Gurleen sighed and said,

"I'm sorry that I was unable to afford a car to meet your standards."

"I'm sorry.That's not what I meant.Your car truly looks beautiful."

Registering the lack of response from her daughter,she gave up, resigning to looking out of the window .Silence followed until they reached their destination.

*************************************************

"Puttar,you played beautifully."

Gurleen turned around startled.It was an old man with a rather long walking stick.

After the kirtan, she'd stepped out for some fresh air by the sarowar,before they left for home .She had hoped for peace and quiet ,only to find herself accosted by a strange old man.

The granthi who had accompanied him chuckled at her expression.

"Beta, this is Sardar Akaal Singh Brar,the chairman of Brar Jewellers and a regular visitor.He has also been one of our greatest patrons."

"Sat Sri Akaal uncle ji."She bent down to touch his feet.

"Jeethi raho puttar."

He blessed her.

"I have attended many kirtans but I haven't listened to one so divine.No doubt,your music had a hand in it."

Gurleen looked scandalized.

"I couldn't take credit,uncle ji.It is god's will as always.My fingers are merely instruments."

He nodded approvingly and bid farewell.

"I hope we meet again puttar."

She wordlessly greeted him and the granthi and left to find her momsie.

"Where were you Gurleen?I was worried when you'd disappeared after the kirtan.

"Sorry mummy.I didn't mean to worry you.I had gone to the sarowar for a moment when someone wanted to talk to me ".

She said absent -mindedly, slipping her hand into her mother's.Realising her folly too late,she turned around expecting anger and chastisement,only to find contentment upon the older woman's face.

"Sorry momsie.We need to hurry.Parjaai will be waiting for us."she muttered,pulling her hand away before hurrying off,missing the lone tear which trickled down her mother's cheek.

*************************************************

Later that night,as she got ready for bed she realised something odd.

Akaal Singh Brar had smiled at her,but that smile had never reached his eyes,even when he had praised her playing.His eyes had been shrewd and calculating,as if trying to gauge her innermost thoughts and motivations.

Had he been testing her?

Speaking of playing, something had been bugging her all day.She felt as if she'd forgotten something important.Taking out a sheet of paper,she listed down everything she'd done that day and the people and the people she'd met.

When she finally came to meeting Sardar Brar,the realisation came upon her like a bolt of lightning from a thunderous sky,filling her with panic and horror.

Her sarangi.....

She'd left it out by the sarowar.It wasn't supposed to be outside, exposed to the elements .The wood would start rotting.To make matters worse,there was no way she'd be able to reclaim it till the morning.Panicking,she dashed downstairs and dialed the Granthi.He lived in a small house near the Gurudwara.

After fifteen long rings,the granthi finally picked up .

"Chacha ji,I'm so sorry to disturb you late at night.I left my sarangi near the sarowar.Could you please take it inside?The wood will be ruined if left out all night."she rambled on in a frenzy,half sobbing.

"Gurleen ,calm down.There was no sarangi near the sarowar when I locked up the place. Someone must have taken it."

She felt her heart break and she let out a half strangled sob.

"Don't cry puttar.I'll enquire and find out who did it alright? Don't worry.Just go and sleep in peace.We'll figure something out."

Gurleen managed a tearful goodbye and dragged herself upstairs.

Papa's only gift to her was gone.She wouldn't

be able to forgive herself for a very long time.

Chapter 6

I loved Gurleen's introduction and her bond with Amrit Veerji, her brother. Pammi parjaayi seems a bit sly to me.

Anyhow, good to see you explored a bit on the dynamics of Gurleen relationship with her family.

Akaal has already found his bahu whom he wished to be the partner of his ideal son Jaspal.

Oooo so Gurleen too has musical traits, no matter her son will inherit the same traits.

I'm excited to see how Gurleen and Jaspal meet and their interactions in the upcoming parts.

Btw, has Akaal intentionally taken Gurleen's sarangi? If yes something is cooking in his naughty mind.

Chapter 7-Akaal

"May I come in sir?"

Akaal looked up and beckoned his personal aide,Vineet to enter.He wordlessly bade him to speak.

He cleared his throat.

"Gurleen Babbar was born to Neetu Arora on 17 march 1976.Her father's identity is officially unknown.Her mother passed away during childbirth in Darjeeling after which the baby was sent to an orphanage.She was officially adopted by Poonam Babbar ,the then chairperson of Babbar Group of companies and currently the CEO of Babbar watches ,in December 1986."

Akaal stroked his beard in contemplation.

"What of her natal family?Why didn't they look for her?"

Vineet replied,

"Sir,the records are rather sketchy.Nothing is known of her mother.Infact,we think that even the name Neetu Arora might have been an alias.

That orphanage was burnt down in a fire in June 1989,so we have no way of verifying our facts."

"Are there adoption papers ?",asked Akaal.

"Yes sir."

"You may now leave.Thank you."

"Sir, there's one more thing.She's also Poonam Babbar's sole heir."

This was news to Akaal.

After Vineet had left,Akaal stood up and went to the window.He recollected his conversation with the Granthi earlier that day.

"Brar Saab.May I know the reason behind your interest in Gurleen?

Akaal had taken a moment to reply.

"She seems to be a wonderful young woman; cultured, kind and most importantly humble.I am looking for a suitable partner for my second son, Jaspal."

The granthi mused for a second ,

That is wonderful news.That poor dear deserves to be happy after all that family drama."

"Ah,that family drama",Akaal thought.He had heard the rumors but had never truly considered investigating them and had never felt the need to do so until now.

"Granthi Saab,would you mind telling me about it.I need to ensure I can care for her properly before I approach her family for her hand in marriage."

He had internally winced at the inelegance of his own words.

The granthi had only been too happy to talk.

"Everyone knows that Gurleen's father is the late Colonel Mahesh Babbar but no one is really ready to acknowledge it.While Poonam ji did officially adopt her stepdaughter,it is said that their relationship is not very cordial.It is rather understandable considering her situation,and Poonam ji has been very generous.But it is a tad bit unfair to blame Gurleen for her father's mistakes.

He passed away shortly before her adoption so she's never had a father figure.Her father had left her a sarangi,the same one she played today.She showed up here one day when she was ten,and begged to be allowed to play during the kirtan.She said it was the only way she could speak to her father.Since then, she's been coming here every Saturday.I've never known her to miss a single day.

Sometimes she even stays behind to help us distribute the Prasad.She's truly a gem and deserves all the love in the world.It's unfortunate that the kindest are the ones to suffer the most.

I hope God protects her throughout her life ."

The girl herself was a good person,there was no doubt about it.She was idealistic enough and considering her background,he knew she'd love deeply and cherish her relationships.Jaspal would be happy with her.The illegitimacy didn't matter either as she'd been legally adopted.

However,the news of her being the Babbar's sole heir , sent the cogs turning in his head.The Babbars were a very old and respected business family.An alliance with them would definitely help the Brars deal with the fallout from Inder's actions.On top of that,no Brar woman could work,which meant the business would automatically shift to Jaspal's hands,provided she was willing to transfer it.He'd ensure that.

The problem now was securing the alliance .As the Babbar heir,she was widely sought out by all ,including families more affluent than the Brars.To make matters worse,his son had all but shut them out of his personal life.He still wasn't sure if Harminder Bajwa had been a casual fling or a serious contender.Jaspal was a very difficult person to read.He had mastered the art of locking his feelings out of sight.

"He's like me."

Akaal thought with pride.

With his son being an unreliable pawn,he had to bank on the girl.Eyeing the sarangi sitting in the corner of his study,he summoned Jaspal .

He had an errand for him.

Originally posted by: Aleyamma47

Chapter 6

I loved Gurleen's introduction and her bond with Amrit Veerji, her brother. Pammi parjaayi seems a bit sly to me.

Anyhow, good to see you explored a bit on the dynamics of Gurleen relationship with her family.

Akaal has already found his bahu whom he wished to be the partner of his ideal son Jaspal.

Oooo so Gurleen too has musical traits, no matter her son will inherit the same traits.

I'm excited to see how Gurleen and Jaspal meet and their interactions in the upcoming parts.

Btw, has Akaal intentionally taken Gurleen's sarangi? If yes something is cooking in his naughty mind.

Pammi is actually pretty sweet.She was just being sarcastic back there.No one is used to Poonam being loving towards Gurleen.

Oh my my!!😱😱

Akaal is 2 steps ahead of everything.

My doubts were right Akaal took the sarangi and is planning something big for Jaspal-Gurleen meeting.

I'm really excited to read about their first meeting 🙂.

Good to know Pammi is positive.

I wonder Pammi-Amrit are going to play cupids for Jaspal -Gurleen?

I really loved the way you sketched Gurleen's family background and backstory.

Chapter 8-Gurleen

Breakfast was rather a sombre affair.Everyone seemed to be rather preoccupied.Gurleen silently surveyed them.Her momsie looked like she hadn't gotten any sleep at all the previous night.There were bags under her eyes.Amrit veerji didn't look any better.Permanent frown lines were etched into his face.And parjaai looked lost in thought.She looked like she had been crying all night.

They were hiding something from her.Before she could confront them, Maitri di ,their housekeeper, announced the arrival of Mr.Chaddha, their lawyer.Poonam sighed and requested everyone to meet her in her study.Deathly silence followed as they quietly shuffled to their destination.Poonam and Mr.Chaddha were waiting for them.

All of them got seated.Mr.Chaddha took a deep breath.

"I apologise for interrupting your breakfast but it's better I break the news to everyone concerned before the media announces it."

Gurleen didn't like where this was going especially since they required a briefing before the media broke the news.She braced herself for the worst.

"Gurleen ,your mother had declared you as her sole heir."

The silence was palpable.She could hear her heart thud with each beat.The shock was too much for her to handle.Looking around,she noticed her veerji's and parjaai's looks of pity.

They had known.

Feeling betrayed ,she walked out of the room. She had no desire to say something she'd regret.

Walking up to the terrace,she settled herself in the swing and let her thoughts wander.

"Veerji!Look at this flower I got you.You can give it to Parjaai."

She had been ten at that time.Amrit had ruffled her hair and smiled and accepted the flower.

"Thank you my little princess,I hope my fiance loves it as much as I do.Would you like to come with me?I'm going to visit her with mummy."

Gurleen had shrunk back, muttering,"Momsie doesn't like it when I tag along.I have a lot of homework to do anyway,so I'd like to stay at home."

"Nonsense.No one cares what mummy thinks.Pammi will be very upset if her best friend doesn't visit her.You don't want to disappoint her,do you?".He had started tickling her.

Gurleen had started giggling as she'd fought her brother off.

"What is all that noise?Amrit,I expect better behaviour from you."

Poonam had arrived with a frown marring her face.Barely glancing at the girl,she had gone on reprimanding her son,who had simply rolled his eyes at her.

"She's scared of you.Being your adopted mother,she feels as if she doesn't have a right to you.The fear of losing you is always there at the back of her mind.",he had told his sister later.

Gurleen wasn't very sure.They had a very cordial relationship but that was it.She had been fed, clothed ,sent to school,allowed to study music provided she earned a business degree as well and a lot more.They celebrated her birthday every year together along with lohri ,baisakhi and the rest.

Yet ,she had seen the way Poonam looked at her son.The hugs, the jokes, the banter; it was an equation she could never be a part of.The last time she had tried hugging her momsie was on her eleventh birthday.Suffice to say,it had been awkward,with Poonam patting her stiffly,an uncomfortable smile frozen on her face.The same year, she'd finally gotten wind of the rumors.While people at home had been very close lipped about her adoption ,they couldn't stop the tongues wagging in school.

Teachers and students had discussed her illegitimacy in hushed whispers which seemed to follow her around.She had become more withdrawn and distant,developing a tendency to lash out at people.She winced,remembering broken objects, raised voices and lots of crying.She had shut herself off completely. Unfortunately, her parjaai had been forced to bear the brunt of it,with her momsie and veerji running away, unable to face the situation,her on long business trips and him pulling out allnighters at the office.

Things had escalated to their zenith when she had been fourteen.The fallout had been massive and she had been sure she'd be kicked out for wrecking her veerji's married life.Surprisingly, it had been her parjaai who had helped her pick up the pieces while grieving herself.That was the first time she'd seen her Parjaai so angry and worried .She'd sworn to never hurt her again after that disaster.

Life had gone back to normal after that,with her Amrit veerji apologising to both her and her Parjaai , reassuring them of his love.Eveything had been fine until now.Her momsie had suddenly taken it upon her head to mother her to death.Suddenly she was everywhere,enquiring her about her health, making sure she ate properly, checking up on her music practice and accompanying her to the Gurudwara. She had even offered to do her hair which she'd politely declined.

Parjaai had laughed till she had cried while her brother had muttered something about favouritism.

And now, for some reason she was the heir to the Babbar group of companies.Strangely, her veerji and parjaai had approved.Logically speaking, it was a sound decision.While not exactly brilliant,she was as qualified as her veerji and she had been working in the company since her graduation.She knew the right people and had a good head upon her shoulders.What she lacked in experience,she made up for it in shrewdness .She had an uncanny ability to read people, unlike her veerji who tended to trust too easily.

But at the end of the day, she wasn't related to Poonam Babbar by blood even if she held her husband's last name.There was more to this,she was sure of that .

"Food for your thoughts?",came a voice from the doorway.It was her Parjaai.

Chapter 8

The story is taking an intriguing turn.

As I already said, I love Gurleen's backstory who is an orphan adopted by the Babbars and has an interesting bond with each of her family member. Her Veerji, Parjaayi Ji and Momsie.

But like Gurleen in the story, even I'm confused.

Why would Poonam make Gurleen her sole inheritor?🤔

Especially when Gurleen is her adopted child and she has a blood son Amrit?

I wonder if Gurleen is Poonam's husband's illegitimate daughter. Had you mentioned it anywhere? Have I missed something?

I'm sorry if you feel hurt that I'm tagging interested forum members for the other two writers and not for you.

The thing is that I don't know who exactly is interested in reading stories of the other family members and characters other than Sahan and Kerry.

Because, Sahan stories are the most sought after, followed by Kerry.

There are very few readers who take interest in other couples including Veerat. You would have already noticed it in the forum.

There's one girl @2005Priya who reads everyone's work and appreciates them. Other than her many don't approve fanfictions of other couples of TMD or be it any show for that matter.

Which is why I had tagged @Vaidehi in the beginning because @Vaidehi does like fictions of other couples.

However, I will tag a few more readers whom I know had appreciated fictions of other couples too.

N.B. Even if none of them reads, I will continue to read your story and give you my feedback as long as I come to the forum.

I'm saying this because I might take a break in the near future.