Defying All Odds

Chapter 1

   Chittorgarh, India 

  There were several varieties of Indian breakfast spread out on the dining table. Given that the Singh family was extremely picky about when and how they ate their meals, 

     Chitra Singh and Kajal Singh, the ladies of the house, were occupied with setting up the platters on the dining table.  Kajal was wed to Pratham Singh, the eldest son of this household. 

     Have you looked at the Dalia once? Fearing her husband's wrath, Chitra Singh said to her daughter-in-law, "I hope it is cooked properly."

    Kajal nodded reassuringly at her mother-in-law, knowing full well how strict her father-in-law Pratap Singh can be and that everyone in the house is aware of his short fuse. 

In Chittorgarh, the well-known jewelry store was owned by Prarap Singh".Gehna";their store was the first jewelry store in Chittorgarh, founded by his great-grandfather.  Now they are dealing in diamond jewelry, their jewelry store, Gehna, has a very promising reputation in the industry.

    Even residents of neighboring towns in Rajasthan stop by their store to purchase jewelry.

Along with his father, Pratham managed the diamond business, while Piyush, the second son, finished college and began assisting his father and his brother in the family business.

    Pratap was fortunate to have a happy family life in addition to good fortune. Pratap and Chitra are the parents of three children. Following Pratham , when Chita became pregnant once more, they broke the good news that she was expecting twins, and Pratap was thrilled to have two more boys. 

However, when they were blessed with a boy and a girl, their life took an unexpected turn.

    Pratap was not prepared for this because he disliked having a girl child at home. However, Chitra was overjoyed to see her infant daughter, who was appearing like an angel.

     As the years went by, Pratap remained steadfast in his convictions and showed no sign of affection for his daughter Priya.   He was simply waiting for her to finish studies so he could find her daughter the ideal match and absolve himself of his duty, which was an added burden for him. 

As nine of the clock rolled around, Pratap entered the Singh home's dining room to find his wife and daughter-in-law busily setting out the plates, along with his two sons.

Pratap noticed his daughter was missing from his breakfast after settling into this head chair at the table for breakfast 

   “   Where is priya? Don't you tell me that she continues to take her beauty sleep? “

“Not at all. She has to turn in some assignments, so she has already left for college.”

  “Well. She is graduating this year, and I have already instructed some family members to look for a good boy for her. I plan to tie the knot with her by the end of the year.”

  Chitra simply nodded; she has no authority to say this because Pratap used to be the only one in the family who could make decisions. 

Kajal sighed as she observed her mother-in-law's distressed expression; she was always sorry for her mother-in-law. Chitra was a kind woman who treated Kajal like she was her own daughter. 

And Kajal is relieved that Pratham is not like his father and has shown to be a kind and considerate life partner. 

The couple is fortunate enough to have a boy, whom they call Kittu or Kshitij.  The six-month-old boy has already won over the family with his charms and small gestures.