An old lady with a wrinkled face and aging body was smiling to herself, talking to the thin air:
"Jo nazron ko dikhai de aur jo kaano ko sunai de wo sach hi ho ye zaruri nahi, kai baar aankhe aur kaan dhoka de dete hain...aur kahaniyaan adhuri reh jaati hain...(what you see or hear is not necessarily the truth, sometimes your vision and your ears deceit you and stories are left incomplete) par iss baar unki kahani puri hogi....zarur hogi...(but this time their story will get completed)"
The onlookers looked at her and whispered to each other "Amma ko firse dohra pad raha hain (Amma is having an episode of craziness again)"
But none of them knew, what she knew. A story that was left incomplete so many years ago due to misunderstandings and enemies of innocent love, that story about to resume, this time to get completed...
Lucknow - 1997
A 17-year-old Tamanna Malik was dancing to her heart's content on her favorite song, singing along
"Mere khawbo mein jo aaye, aake mujhe ched jaye, usse kaho kabhi saamne toh aye"
Her Bhabhi laughed at her antics and lovingly caressed her hair. Tamanna was a princess in every way, beautiful, gracious, apple of her bhaiyya-bhabhi's eyes! Her beauty and charm were already talk of the town in UP's elite society.
However this young princess's heart was recently stolen by a handsome young man recently...Sagar...a polite soft spoken boy. The only problem in their love story? The stark difference of class! She was a princess and he was..well...a servant! It was good that her bhaiyya wasn't aware of this yet, neither had Bhabhi met Sagar ever. But Tamanna was sure they would approve of her choice once they met Sagar and knew how good hearted man he was, not to mention, talented. He had recently returned to Lucknow after completing his education in Delhi and Sagar's maa-Malik's housemaid-Prabha kaki had asked Tamanna's bhaiyya for a job for Sagar.
Tamanna quickly got ready and told her Bhabhi she was going to Radha Krishna temple that their family owned. But she didn't know she was being spied on...
--*--
Nainital – 2022
"Khushi! Wake up! We'll get late beta! We've to leave for Lucknow in an hour, your babuji will get angry if he saw you aren't even out of bed yet." Khushi's amma scolded her and Khushi groggily got out of her bed, still in the effect of the dream, that always left her confused.
"Who's he? and why doesn't he ever show his face? Hai Devi Maiyya, I hope I am not being haunted." Khushi prayed and proceeded to shower, humming her favorite song from an old Bollywood movie. She always liked to hum that song, that tune was her favorite...
"Mere khawbo mein jo aaye, aake mujhe ched jaye, usse kaho kabhi saamne toh aye"...
--*--
Delhi – 2022
"Mom, someone from Lucknow called regarding some property matter of Sheesh Mahal, they were asking for Mr. Malik." Arnav informed his mom as he was getting ready for his first day in office. He had just completed his MBA and was super excited for joining his Di and Mother in their office.
"Arnav! How many times I told you, never take that name in our house again! We have nothing to do with Maliks or Sheesh Mahal, samjhe?" Ratna Singh Raizada scolded her son
"But mom-"
"Nahi chote. No more discussions." saying so she left and Arnav exchanged a look with his Di.
