“From sprinkler splashes to fireplace ashes, I gave my blood, sweat and tears for this.” ~ You’re on your own, kid Ajabdeh Punwar tapped her heels nervously on the marble floor of the café at the Luxury Hotel. She had taken a day off from work, and a happy Amar had followed his mother for some shopping. She was now sitting with her son, who was busy gorging on an ice cream she had bought him. She stared at the watch nervously. A clueless Amar was admiring the fountain at a distance, hoping to pop the question if he could go and see it up front, but seeing his mother in a pensive mood made him wait. He was told they were here to meet someone important, and he gathered it would be someone from Mamma’s work. Disinterested in the same, he had his plans. If he behaved very well, Mamma might just give him a treat. The ring on her cell phone made Ajabdeh jump as she picked it up with a nervous “Hello.” In the next few moments, a clueless Amar, with his red Spiderman backpack containing his fa...
“You kept me like a secret, but I kept you like an oath” ~ All Too Well. Pratap sat restlessly at the table of the posh coffee shop in South Delhi. He was waiting for them to arrive. Shakti, Heer and Jaivanta were attending a charity event somewhere in Gurgaon and had decided to meet him here as he said it was “Immediate and urgent.” He could not wait for them to be back home. He could not speak of her back home. Heer had called up her Jija twice in vain, only to receive a voicemail message that she was unavailable. Her worry seemed to increase with Pratap’s call. She knew how both were in touch with the Mishras, and every time Dadabhai attended a party, she or Sau Jija would inform Ajabdeh to skip. God knows why Dadabhai landed there impulsively this time. Had they met? Did he see Amar? Somewhere inside her, a tiny hope flickered that he did. Shakti had understood her worry and assured her that they eventually had to face this situation someday, better with Amar being a kid. “I don’t ...
“And you got your share of secrets, and I am tired of being last to know.” ~ You’re not sorry The birthday party was all pink and annoying, or so Amar thought. There were girls in pink and white dancing frocks, bows and fairy wings running about, and Amar stood on the lawn of the banquet looking lost. He looked handsome in a blue waistcoat, as the ladies put it. He had a red ball in his hand, one Sau Aunty had gifted him as a return gift, but to his disappointment, Aarchi was too busy with rowdy older children to even notice him. When she would occasionally visit Udaipur, Aarchi Didi would always play with him while her parents discussed business with Khala. Aarchi’s Mamma probably worked for Khala. They were there on the last holiday for a photo shoot JJ did for them. He and Aarchi Didi had fun running around and posing at the studio. He thought they would have fun. But Amar was disappointed. The older boys called him a kid and refused to take him in their games. He stood in the crow...
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Last updated: February 4, 2026.