Reinforcements

Reinforcements

All of the children- Patta, Heer, Jiwa, Shakti, Pratap along with his friend Chakrapani met to discuss their next steps.

“What will Ajabde Baisa gain from the wedding?” Chakrapani Mishra, Pratap’s oldest friend and current marketing head wondered out loud.

“It couldn’t be money, property or the shares” Shakti responded confidently. He had known Ajabde for a short while, but he was sure she wouldn’t do things for materialistic things.

“Why not?” Heer snapped “we all saw her when she declared about finding a new father. Besides what does she know about relationships?”

Shakti looked at his wife with a sad smile. Of all the people, she wanted to question about relationships; she chose her elder sister who always chose relationships over everything else, but her one decision had turned everyone against her.

“Heer behena”  Jiwa spoke softly and calmly, “if Ajabde jija wanted property or money wouldn’t it make sense to get the shares under her name and not Maajisa’s.”

Jiwa had a valid point that only made things more complicated. Pratap sipped his beer as he tried thinking of a valid reason or even an invalid one for Ajabde’s actions. If someone had told him Ajabde would get her parents divorced and then find a new father for herself, he would have laughed at the person and even place a bet on it for Ajabde valued relationships but it would have been applicable two years ago. Two years was a long time and time changed everyone- he had changed, so did Heer, Shakti, his parents, Raoji and Hansa mausi and even Ajabde.

“Our focus should be on” Patta began only to stop mid-sentence upon seeing three entrants.

“I brought reinforcements” Chand Kanwar declared as she walked ahead of her sibling- Jagmal and Maan Kanwar. Everyone was surprised to see the Bhatiyani children together as they knew the three never got along well. Jagmal stayed with his father while Chand would come home during holidays otherwise she was admitted to a private boarding school, and Maan Kanwar lived with her mother, but she was always on trips or shopping sprees.

“Our main focus” Maan spoke, “should on finding everything about this Champak Lal, and then we go from there.” Everyone looked at each other and then at her while Jagmal added, “I know the perfect person who would be able to tell us about him.”

Ajabde sat in the café waiting for the person to arrive. This person was her back-up and moral support, without the person’s presence she would not be able to carry off such a risky plan.

“May I join you” a soft feminine voice spoke making her look up. Ajabde smiled and hugged the female, “Ranimaa I missed you.”

Jaiwanta Bai Sisodia smiled at the young woman as they sat down to discuss their next steps.

“Everyone seems to be in shock especially Raoji after seeing Champak Lal at Bijolia. Sajja behena gave me a detailed description of everybody’s reactions” Jaiwanta Bai laughed, “the plan is moving on well.”

 Ajabde nodded her head in agreement, “all preparation is going well back home as well. I hope the wedding goes the way we planned it. Two years is way too long for the family to be separated and broken. It’s time this family is brought back together” she looked at Jaiwanta Baiji with confidence.

“And it’s time for the kids to know about Champak Lal and the best person to tell them this story is someone who loves to talk” Jaiwanta Bai replied her eyes sparkling with mischief as the younger woman understood,

“Majhli Maasa aka SajjaBai Solankhini.”