Harvest Moon

Chapter 1

Delhi, Eight Years later

KHUSHI walked on the sidewalks of Khanna market, her entire body quivering with rage. As she manoeuvred through the throng of people, she blinked her eyes several times to quell the tears that threatened to fall.

When will you get serious in your life Khushi?

As her dad's voice echoed in her head, Khushi walked past the small shops and restaurants and turned into Lodhi gardens. Tears rolled down her eyes as her thoughts went back to the time her parents had brought her older sister Payal and her to a similar park in Canada years ago. Her father had admonished Payal for not playing with her and she remembered how Payal had pouted while she had basked in her father's affection.

Her father had always pampered her, had given in to her demands, made sure that she wouldn't lack for anything in her life. Growing up, she had been his favourite. But all that had changed in the last two years.

Two years ago, Shashi Gupta had decided to come back to India to take care of his ailing mother, who lived with his older sister Madhumati. Payal had moved away to the United States for an IT job and Khushi who had just completed her undergrad in Computer Science, had come back with them.

Her dad had been disappointed when she hadn't been able to secure admissions to any Engineering college like Payal but he had consoled her or rather himself that a Bachelor's degree supported by a PG later would measure up to an engineering degree even if it took longer. Just like that he had planned the next five to six years of her education.

Unfortunately for him, she hadn't seen it that way. After completing her undergrad, she had skipped applying for her Master's course. When her father had found out he was livid at her negligence.

You just have a basic degree Khushi.....these days every Tom Dick and Harry has one

Only her mother Garima's intervention had saved her from his wrath. She had managed to convince her husband that Khushi needed a break and that it would be a good idea to apply next year. Little did her mother know that she had no such intentions.

After they had come back to India, she had found a job at a nearby school where she taught kindergarten kids. Now two years later she had become the head of the cultural department, responsible for organizing the school's annual functions through different grades. She had been busy designing the children's costumes when her father had found her this morning --

You could have so much going for you, but all you want to do is just waste time ....

But dad –

Your one year break has turned into two!

I wanted to talk to you about that dad

I don't think there is anything to talk about --- maybe we should just look for an marriage alliance

That is when she had walked out the house.

Why didn't her dad understand that she would never be what he wanted her to be?

She was not Payal.

Payal was so sure of herself. She had always known she wanted to be in the science stream right since her school days and had chosen IT as her field of study. She had not only completed her Computer Science engineering from University of British Columbia, Vancouver but had also followed it up with a Master's degree in the same field.

Unfortunately for Khushi, her family was full of academicians. Her dad Shashi Gupta who worked as a manager in Private Company was an alumnus of BITS Pilani. His brother was a doctor in the United States and her maternal uncle was an IAS officer.