THE MUMBAI MEET-UP
I sit in the car, the journey is long to the worst phase of my life : the Malhotra Mansion. Mumbai Traffic is thick as jam, but it is only time enough for me to prepare myself of whom all I have to face.
Yesterday afternoon, we had landed in Mumbai. Randhir had had me wear a trench coat dress , with stockings and we had gone directly to his house in Malabar Hill. The big palatial Raizada Mansion stands with 70 rooms, main property with 50 rooms and 3 cottages with 9, 4 and 7 rooms each. Randhir took to the main mansion while I was granted access to the 4 bedroom Noor Cottage.
Randhir has informed me that he would meet my Grandfather and ask my hand in marriage and so, as soon as we had landed I called my grandfather of my arrival and about , 'my fiancé I had brought along'.
He later texted me to tell that my Grandfather had reluctantly approved of him, but not completely before talking to me.
The car stopped in front of the big iron gates of the Malhotra Mansion with gold insignia of the M initial engraved on it.
I called my grandfather secretary and in a matter of second the door to the estate opened.
...
Rajeshwari Malhotra, the elder lady of the house finished preparing the lunch for her favourite and most pleasant grandchild as the two daughter-in-laws watched the great joy of their mother-in-law.
Diya Malhotra , the granddaughter - in - law , wife of the eldest grandson also helped Rajeshwari in setting the table.
The entire Malhotra family was confused with the attitude of the elderly couple.
Chandraraj and Rajeshwari always limited to their cottage on the extreme end of the estate, not interacting with the other family unless important.
Though Chandraraj was still the patriarch of the house, and all the property belonged to him, but they would rather keep to themselves than the toxic families of their two sons.
Both the two sons of them, sat in the living room waiting for whomever their parents were so excited to welcome.
Aakash Malhotra the oldest child of Jaya and Rakesh Malhotra had also freshened up after a half day from his office and waited to ask his wife, Diya, of the hustle bustle in the house.
Aakash and Avyan were also Aarohi's half brother through her mother Jaya.
Avyan Malhotra also sat in the drawing room at their grandfathers request with his two cousins Rohan and Rahul. They waited for the eldest and youngest of the family to arrive.
Shivika Malhotra trudged in her high heels towards the drawing room and met with Aakash halfway through.
"What are we celebrating today" A confused Shivika asked
"Every get together is not celebration Shivi. It's a guest probably. I am sure Diya knows the correct information"
They enter the drawing and met with their brothers amd cousins and sooner than later Diya came back too.
Diya was a sweet and pleasant girl, and actually spent a lot of time with Rajeshwari with their common interest of planting and nature walks. She entered the drawing room to see all her in-laws family and walked to stand near her husband.
"Diya, do you know the occasion of this mandatory lunch party" Jaya Malhotra asked her daughter in law.
"I just know that Grandfather told me Aarohi Malhotra is arriving back to India. That's it"
And that was just the line and each Malhotra members face turned white in a millisecond.
Before they could process or talk further, the housekeeper entered and asked all of them to arrive in the dining room.
...
Aarohi wore an impressive yellow lace dress and a pair of black Jimmy choo heels. She even pinned the vintage emerald brioche that has been in the Malhotra family since generations and she had received it from her grandparents as a gift and wore diamond ruby earrings from Randhir to contrast her outfit.
The elder Malhotra couple stood at the steps of the mansion and the Red Mercedes stopped right in front of them.
Aarohi waited for the guard sent by Randhir to open the door and she stepped down in all her glory.
Years had passed, Chandraraj and Rajeshwari hadn't seen her and the bright, young woman shining under the radiance of the sun is the most glorious young girl they had seen.
Aarohi climbed up the few steps and stoppped directly in front of her grandma. She bent down to touch her feet, but was stopped halfway and encased in the longest hug of her life. It lasted a few minutes, until her grandfather snatched her away and warmed her with his large chest.
Her grandma took her hand and she happily walked with her, as she described to her the lunch she had prepared for her welcome.
As they neared the dining hall, Aarohi anticipated the most cold welcome from her half - blood, half - step family.
She entered the room behind her grandma and before her grandfather and looked around the room at all the colourless faces. Her 5 half-siblings, one with his wife, two birth parents and their spouses.
"Let's settle for lunch" Chandraraj announced, pulling a chair to his right for her. He sat at the head of the table, his wife to his left, Aarohi to his right.
Shivika Malhotra couldn't remove her eyes from her gorgeous half-sister. Shivika is bright and beautiful but with an almost dusky complexion, she took after her mother. On the other side, Jaya Malhotra a former Miss India, looked at her clone copy, a gorgeous young lady Malhotra. She was beautiful as her, but just not her wedded husbands daughter instead a piece of her adventurous time with her brother-in-law.
The most confused person in the room was Diya, as she nudged her husband with a clueless expression who in turn told her LATER.
Aarohi had been mindful and with Randhir's permission had kept her ring in her hand clutch. She engaged in a peaceful conversation with her grandparents, successfully ignoring her gawking siblings.
Rajeshwari introduced Aarohi to Diya and she graced her with a hello and small hug.
Nobody except the elder couple, spoke throughout the meal and at the end all of the people stood up and left for their room and Rajeshwari asked Diya to accompany them to their cottage where Aarohi was scheduled to stay.
The elder couple went first, while Aarohi waited with Diya for her guard to bring along her suitcase.
Aarohi looked at her 'half-sister-in-laws' puzzled look and told her,
"You can ask me what you want to" as they sat in the golf cart.
"Are you a family cousin ? I never really knew of you"
"I am your husbands sister"
"I believe cousin , like Shivika"
"Unlike Shivika. I am their half sister"
"Like Aakash and Avyan's half sister. Why did I never know of you."
"No nah. I am all of the five cousins - Aakash, Avyan, Rahul,Rohan and Shivika's half sister" Aarohi explained and couldn't stop from laughing at the horror on Diya's face.
"How is that possible ?" Asked Shivika. She was lost in the family mirage of Malhotras.
"It is. When a married woman with children has an affair with her husbands brother and a married man with children has an affair with his brothers wife. I am Jaya and Vijay Malhotras daughter. I am younger than Aakash, Avyan and Rahul but older than Rohan and Shivika."
"Oh my. I ahh." Diya stops mid sentence, lacking a correct response but Aarohi filled the blank herself.
"Hence, I am the family outcast. I was sent to Colorado when I was 16 and this is the first time I have returned since. I am 23 right now."
"That's a lot to take in. Is that why there is a conflict between the family. Like Aakash's mom and dad sleep in different rooms, though Vijay uncle and his wife seem alright together but she doesn't sees an eyes with my mother-in-law. And the grandparents mostly keep to themselves
"That is exactly why"
Aarohi says and gets down the cart, waving at Diya and enters her grandparents cottage.
...