When MatrikaS Spoke With All Their Heart...

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साहिबान, मेहरबान, कदरदान...

A very warm welcome to All...

This is the moment you've all been waiting for...

आप सबके लिए पेश है… 

From the exquisite brand - name of the one, the only...

MatrikaS...

~~~

हम हैं MatrikaS के ख़ज़ाने से तराशे गए...

नायाब नगीने!

~~~

Curious to know who gave you such an interesting introduction, aren't you? ;)

Let us, without further ado, lift the veil...

~~~

It is us...

The members of the MatrikaS Family...

Who've been told to drop a word or two...

To a certain Ms. Poonam Khanduja...

Who blogs at 'StirYourSouls'...

~~~

Coincidentally, we aim to Stir her Soul...

So that, She Scribbles Her Heart Away... :D

~~~

This...

Is Our Story...

~~~

First Up...

The Eldest Of The Clan...

Me...

The Six - Subject Notebook...

~~~

आशा है कि आप सब स्वस्थ होंगे!

I'm the eldest, the most experienced, of the MatrikaS family.

Or, so do the kids say! :)

They believe I'm a potential treasure of Knowledge.

Must be, because some may be one...

Most of them 2-in-1...

Very Few 3-in-1...

But, I am the rarest of the rare...

I am a 6-in-1! :)

Well, a notebook of course...

But, don't you undermine my power!

I was crafted to be a multi-tasker...

Embody Six Streams Of Wisdom...

Into One Ocean...

~~~

बच्चों, बड़ों, सबके लिए आदर्श...

The grandeur of my design...

The subtlety in my playfulness...

Yes...

Playfulness coupled with Wisdom...

You could as well, learn and play...

While scribbling your heart away...

With Me...

Ludo, and its origins, as an Indian game...

You playfully learn! :)

~~~

Next...

The Intellectual...

Embodying The Essence Of  A Strong Youth For A Strong Nation, Myself...

I Am...

The Vivekananda Personality Journal...

Before we proceed any further, I'd like to bring to your notice, that I was the Lady's Chosen One...

Yes...

I say that because...

Being a Teacher, she was keen on welcoming me...

She's a staunch believer and supporter of the Swami's ideologies for the Youth, you know?

See it above or not? ;)

Now, since she's been preaching his ideology to her students for years...

She was adamant on keeping them close within her reach, each day...

And, thus, I came to her rescue! ^_^

Now, I impart such pearls of wisdom to the Teacher and her students, everyday. :)

Look, how I impart the 'Food for the Soul' to her? :)

I'm a proud member of the MatrikaS family...

~~~

Hey Yo!

Dudes!

Now's My Time...

I'm Gen - Next...

I'm Funky...

Me, The Coolness...

The Cube Works Flexi!

So, Y'All ready to explore what I bring to you?

I'm your One-Stop-Shop...

For all those quick notes you need to make...

Lightweight...

Funky...

The Eye-Turner...

The Limelight...

Among The Crowd...

Shines Solely Upon Me...

~~~

I'm true to my name...

I'm truly Flexi!

Not only am I your fashion - statement...

But also, I'm unconventionally cool...

Look at this translucent dust - jacket pocket, I flaunt so effortlessly? ;)

It is for the Lady, and for her handy reminders, and those tit-bits throughout her busy schedule...

It is for her, to catch up on pointers for the next morning... :) 

~~~

Hey...

Everyone!

Oh, Look Who's Here...

The Cube Works Privy!

Yes.

I'm the Youngest One in the Family...

But, I'm also the most Organized...

And, I also lend to you, a professional feel...

I'm the Journal, you'd been wishing for, all the time...

Meet me...

I'm your Professional Personal Assistant... :)

~~~

Okay.

Everyone.

It's Now Time...

For The...

MatrikaS Jingle...

~~~

Penned by the Lady...

Loved By Us...

~~~

Magnifying The Power, Of The Writer And The Reader.

Amplifying Through Paper Products, Is An Able Leader...

Tracing Back To Their Humble Origin Of An SFA Print.

Resonating Is The Name Of MatrikaS, Not A Mere Hint!

Inking The Mettle In Their Audiences' Hearts, Their Soul.

Knitting Together Fabric Of Tradition, Modern, Art, Ole.

Achieving Unparalleled Success, Leaving Behind The Peers.

So, For MatrikaS, A Pinnacle Is Drawing Near And Near.

~~~

Written for MatrikaS Paper Products.

A Healthy Child Makes A Healthy And Happy Home...

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Ed Northstrum rightly opined - "It's No Coincidence That Four Of The Six Letters Of 'Health' Are ' HEAL '."

And, Heal is the keyword for this blog-post.

This blog-post is about a very dear childhood friend, Sandhya, and our experiences as healthy children, in our respective happy homes. :)

~~~

Sandhya is my closest childhood friend and this friendship of ours has been running strong since the last five decades. 

It is not that we became friends, from the day we were born itself...

But, it is true that 'friendship' was the first relationship we both encountered, in our respective lives in the new world, which we'd encountered, as tiny tots who were exploring the environment around them. 

There are various 'ambient' factors from God's side - circumstances that drove us both towards developing this long-lasting and treasured friendship. 

Both our families were well known to each other, as we both were neighbors, residing one floor above the other.

Also, would you believe, when I inform you that there is only a gap of 10 days between our birth dates?

We even studied in the same school and college! :D

~~~

Sandhya's is a unique story to narrate. 

She was quite delicate right since her childhood. She was weak at the time of her birth and had to demand a intensive care from her Doctors, for the initial two months of her physical development.

 She has been very dear to my parents and during this critical period, my mother spent a lot of time with her family to cater to her needs as well, on humanitarian grounds.

All along, both of us were enjoying the care of two families! ^_^ 

Probably, both our parents had decided to face the situation bravely, and establish a safe and healthy upbringing for both of us, during our childhood.  

That is when, both our family's complete focus was to feed us, and most importantly, Sandhya, with  food items rich in vitamins, nutrients, minerals and thus harbor an implicit happiness, for only then, would my Dear Friend be able to enjoy the bliss of good health.

Immunity was the first requirement, that had to be built in Sandhya so as to enable her to stay away from all illness so that she gained agility, health and energy. Both of us had to be protected from germs, infections, bad bacteria, and viruses, too.

Over a period of years when we gradually progressed to our teens, Sandhya had recovered from all her weaknesses and had regained full strength and energy to carry on with good health for the rest of her lifetime. :)

~~~

You must know where this all begun, though.

It was our family doctor who had suggested Dabur Chyavanprash to be given to her regularly, alongside other requisite prescriptions.

He was quite knowledgeable and ensured our families that his recommendation was a well established, widely tested product, over a period of many years, and was based on formulations that were adopted by none other than our Rishis, of Vedic Era. 

It contained all the important herbs, required during childhood, and the growth period, for a child to be well nourished and grow well, so as to sustain good health for later years of life. 

For instance, Amla, that is one of the constituents of Dabur Chyawanprash, is the best antioxidant. To provide immune molecularity features to a child’s body, there is a constituent known as Giloy, also known as Guduchi. 

Similarly, he discussed with our parents how, there were more than forty other precious natural constituents to provide long lasting strength to body.

He even told them a tried and tested secret to a Healthy Body and Mind...

3X Immunity => 24X7 Happiness... :)

And, that is how there has been no looking back, in utilizing the Goodness Of Dabur, to maintain a healthy body and even healthier mind! ^_^

Dabur Chyawanprash has been our long - time companion for good health.
For us, as kids, or even, for our future generations... :)

~~~

The image, in the beginning sans the blog watermark has been taken from Google.

The image carrying the blog watermark are the Blog's Copyright.

This post has been written as a part of Indi Happy Hours' #ImmuneIndia in association with Dabur India and IndiBlogger.

The Diwali That Was, Is, And Will Be...

Diwali.

Deepawali.

One Festival.

Two Salutations.

A Million Aspirations.

Infinite Celebrations.

The Festival.

Of Lights.

The festival of Diwali, was one exciting celebration for me, since years The lights adorning my house, plethora of relatives to visit, celebrate. The customary Diwali Puja, with the blissful chants, temple bells. The up-and-down of it, to arrange those lights aesthetically.  The up-and-down of it, for fascinating crackers, as kids. The retelling of the parable, the epic Ramayana.  The excitement of revamping the wardrobe. Of untying the glossy gift - wrap.  Of enjoying Diwali presents!
~~~
That was how my Diwali was, as a kid.
And, that's how, it is, even today.
Why, didn't you notice the Dia above, adorning my blog-post, even?
~~~
A line of Dias.
The literal meaning of Diwali, isn't it?
That's how my house, donned a new hat, for Diwali celebrations too, every single year.
Dias and those electronic lights, too, adorned every nook and corner of my house.
Not one single spot remain unlit! ^_^

The Diwali Of 2012.

~~~
Over the years, it does bring back, an adrenaline rush, a requisite nostalgia...
To see the child in me, surface, dusting away the layers of maturity, for that day, that evening of celebration, even now. :)
~~~
To see, how Diwali as a festival, has taken up new meaning, over the years.
For us, on a personal level, it's elating.
However, on the macro level, as a member of the Indian Society, it's disturbing.
You know why, don't you?
~~~
It's the pivotal point of burning crackers.
How, we as a family, have refrained from polluting the environment, and adopted eco-friendly measures.

And, how, with each passing Diwali, the pollution levels of my city, and my Country, are alarming.

Not only the pollution, it pains me to see, how innocent children, are forced to work in such hazardous environments, for the sake of crackers.

It's pleasing however, that I've voiced my opinion and stopped burning my money, for the least! :)

I still remember how my elder brother had burnt his entire hand, very excitedly but also, very negligently, lighting an Anaar upside down, at the age of 10.

From that day on, Crackers were a NO inside the House. :)

So, now you know, that I've never burnt crackers, since age 6!

And, we've never looked back.

~~~
For me, Diwali has already been a familial affair, and never have I stayed away from family, for any of my Celebrations. :D
For me, Diwali always meant spending time with my Mother, taking in her culinary expertise, for, the conventional sweets, which were sold in those sweet shops in the Market across the lane, we used to gleefully replicate at Home...
Sweets + Glee - Humongous Amounts Of Ghee => Joyous Indulgence. ^_^
You say it, and my Mother used to make it.
The Burfis. The Laddoos. The Gulab Jamuns. The Jalebis.
All Home Made! :)
So much so, that the Aunty's from the neighbourhood, too, used to savor them and even request her for a supposed 'Secret Recipe'. ^_^
~~~
Even today, over an entire generation, Diwali, as a festival for Charu, has been an exciting as well as an enriching experience.

From the Dias.

To The Rangolis. To The Greetings. To The Puja. To The Gift Hampers.

The Ganesh Arti

Each Diwali, for her even, has been purely, very blissfully, a #GharWaliDiwali! :)
However, these Diwali's over the years, have been minimally pretentious.
And, maximally heartfelt.
I've stayed away from those people who 'you-know-why', make a public display of how Goddess Lakshmi has blessed them with elaborate riches...
And, for us, it has never been as elaborate. Only as much heartfelt as it could be.
No show - off strings attached! :)
~~~
My Diwali has always been a #GharWaliDiwali.
This time too, it is a #GharWaliDiwali.
And, hopefully, it will always be, a #GharWaliDiwali.
~~~
This post has been written as a part of Indi Happy Hours' #GharWaliDiwali in association with PepsiCo and IndiBlogger.
~~~

Of New Zealand, Avocados And A Master Class...

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Does the title seem intriguing enough?

Does it pique your curiosity? ;)

~~~

Do I divulge in a few hints? :D

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Picture This...

An Invitation.

To One Of The Elite.

The Event Which Was Intriguing Enough In Itself.

The One Which Demanded Attendance In Full Swing. :)

THIS.

~~~

Now, who would dare to refuse such an interesting invite?

First, it's on behalf of the High Commissioner, himself.

Second, it's about the launch of a fruit, native to a Country, that has been innovative enough, to give India, the tangy Kiwi.

I was sure, the Avocado's experimentation would be no less exciting.

Third, it's about taking in Culinary cursors from the MasterChef of India, Executive Sous Chef at Leela Kempinski, Gurgaon, Mr. Kunal Kapur.

~~~

So, there I was, on October 10, 2014, at 1830 Hrs.

The New Zealand Embassy.

Just In Time...

For The Press Conference.

From L to R : Mr. Richard White, Trade Commissioner
Mr. Grahame Morton, High Commissioner
Mr. Tony Ponder, VC of NZ Avocado.

~~~

It was here that Mr. Ponder let out the detail, on the variety of Avocados being introduced in India was the Hass Variety.

Also, they were kind enough to take up queries from the Press and tackle the much anticipated question...

"NZ has given India, Kiwi.
And the Kiwi, as a fruit, has had a distinctive taste that has catered uniquely to the Indian Palette.
Now, that Kiwi has suited itself to our taste, how would the Avocado prove its uniqueness, as compared to the Kiwi, being from the same country?"

Towards the end of the Press Conference, we were introduced to Chef Kunal, who'd marked his presence well before time.

~~~

I'd had a candid conversation too, with Kunal, wherein he'd discussed how the Avocado as a fruit, was tasteless!

And, yet, being tasteless was its biggest plus point.

All because, whenever a fruit is tasteless, it delves in, flawlessly with the basic elements of a dish.

However, the Avocado did lend a unique creaminess and a smoothness to whatever dish it was coupled with.

Also, he'd let us in to an insight, of how the Avocado was a treasure trove of vital nutrients, essential for children.

And, how he, as a new parent had been handed out Avocados as Baby Food for his new born, too.

So, now I knew, that his association with Avocados spanned beyond just New Zealand.

He was quick to explain how Avocados worked their magic...

"New Zealand Hass Avocados are an amazing healthy and versatile wholefood that contain the good fats needed to maintain a healthy heart. They interestingly blend with everyday Indian meals and the soft buttery texture and nutty flavor goes really well with many traditional dishes such as Bhel Puri and Tawa Pulao. They also blend seamlessly with curries."

~~~

Before the conversation drew to a close, he disclosed a few details about his second book, awaited in 2015, which remain secretive on his request.

Also, I received This.

And, an invite from him to attend the LIVE Masterclass to follow in few minutes...

In the meanwhile, while Chef was actually donning the Chef's Hat and getting ready for the evening dedicated to Avocados, we were treated to a host of snacks, with a unique touch of the Avocado itself.

Here you go for an interestingly unique presentation...

You see for yourself...

I begun with Dessert...
Avocado Kulfi & Cream Topped Cookies...

Going Clockwise...

Avocado & Olive Canepes, Topped With Avocado Slices...

Fried Fish With Sesame, Coupled With Avocado Dip...

Avocado Lebanese Rolls...

~~~

Not long after we'd had that candid conversation...

Chef Kunal Kapur took Center Stage...

He tweeted this pic, after the event.

Chef, waiting to unveil the magic of Avocados...

He experimented with four dishes in a LIVE Kitchen Demonstration...

First up, was Avocado Sev Puri.

Second, NZ Avocado in Coconut Curry.

Third, Avocado & Kiwi Cream Smoothie.

Fourth, Cheese Avocado Parantha.

~~~

And, those are the Stars of the Evening, themselves...

NZ Hass Avocados, straight from Chef's cooking station! :D

~~~

Last but not the least, we were handed out some wonderful, and insightful literature on the goodness of Hass Avocados.

And, some Avanza Avocados, for ourselves, to experiment with, at home, too...

Out of which, I made these...

Avocado paired with Cheese...

And, some Chanaa Avocado Curry to go along with my Basmati Rice...

~~~

And, that brought us to the end of the lovely, sumptuous Avocado Season Launch, at the New Zealand High Commission. :)

~~~

PS: All photographs utilized in the blog-post are the Blog's copyright.
The pictures which do not carry the blog watermark have been picked up from Chef Kunal Kapur's Twitter Handle @ChefKunalKapur.

Recently, I also came across the fine details of the benefits of Avocados on a fellow blogger's site, here.

When 'Stars In The City' Came Calling...

~~~

Does the title seem to ring a bell?

Does 'Stars In The City' remind you of a famed Meet 'n' Greet opportunity?

Does a leading daily's name resonate?

~~~

You guessed it right, Ladies and Gentlemen.

Hindustan Times it is...

Along with its daily dose of entertainment...

HT City! :D

~~~

Rewind...

To September 16, 2014.

When I'd spotted this question on @htcity's timeline...

#StarsInTheCity Your chance to meet #DawatEIshq stars @ParineetiChopra and #AdityaRoyKapoor http://t.co/1vTdGwHBmr pic.twitter.com/TQyWRIOkWb

— HT City (@htcity) September 16, 2014

Sent an e-mail to the said address with the required credentials...

And

Bang!

~~~

What I receive in the afternoon, is a call from one of the representatives of the National Daily's dose of entertainment!

It would be a second meeting with both of the stars...

Because, remember?

दिल ने दस्तरख्वान बिछाया...

दावत - ए - इश्क़ है!

The Music Launch for the movie, held in July? :)

And, surprisingly, both of them remembered me by face! :D

~~~

The Date : 18 September 2014

The Place : HT House

The Time : 11:00 AM

~~~

The Movie was due to release on 19 September, 2014.

And, what surprised me that both Pari and Adi were on promotional stints till the last day! :D

And, even after a hectic Food Yatra spanning across North India, they were as exuberant and energetic as ever!

And, the director, Mr. Habib Faisal had come along to mark his distinguished presence too... :)

Also, you wouldn't believe when I say...

Ms. Sonal Kalra was there to interact with the stars too...

The one who's been training 'The Calmer You' within us? ;)

~~~

Here is a picture for you to take a glimpse at what the Stage was set for, that afternoon...

~~~

And, how Bolly-ish the ambiance was, at the Music Room by Fever 104...

~~~

Also, how keenly, both Parineeti and Aditya were engaged in the conversation, with Sonal, and with all of us...

~~~

Parineeti had made it clear - She didn't want any run-of-the-mill questions thrown at them, she said they'd bounce back!

She wanted some unique and special questions...

And I, along with the other winners of the Meet 'n' Greet were asked to pen down one question each, for either Adi or Pari. :)

~~~

As always, one question going on through your mind, right now...

What did I ask them? :D

~~~

I'd initially written down one question for Aditya Roy Kapur...

'How different does his life feel after Stardom?

How does he deal with it?'

To which he gave a fitting reply, which was featured in HT City's edition dated October 3.

The moment I saw the caption - 'I Miss The Anonymity...', I was sure that it was the reply to my question which was being elaborated upon.

~~~

Actor Aditya Roy Kapoor says that he is still trying to deal with the do's and don'ts that come with stardom.

"I am trying to fight it all the time.. I used to go for a jog near Bandra or Carter Road (in Mumbai) which is crowded and there were days when there were around 50 people running behind me, so I learned it the hard way. It's unfortunate because it takes away other dimensions of your life that are so beautiful and necessary," he says.

The 28-year-old says that however hard he tries, it becomes very difficult at times. "It is stressing to find that sometimes you just can't go and have a meal with your friend without being able to slouch. I miss the anonymity of just playing cricket with my friends. 

So it's sad, but sometimes I don't care and behave how I want to. I can wear a crumpled shirt and think that let them call me homeless I will still be fine. You can't live your life to please anyone. Sometimes you do try to find that balance," he adds.

~~~

This was the word-to-word reply indeed! :D

~~~

But, I also ended up asking Parineeti, a unique and special question, as she'd labelled it...

'You're a Libran and I am a Libran too.

If you could list out the Librans, you know, from the Film Fraternity?'

And, the thunderous applause that followed for this question, which literally stumped her, made my day! ^_^

Of course, she could name the one and only, Mr. Amitabh Bachchan, whose birthday it is, the day I'm posting this coverage, October 11.

And, since Gandhi Jayanti was round the corner, on October 2, she mentioned the Father of the Nation, too.

To which, Adi retorted, 'He's not from Bollywood!' :P

And Pari said, So what?

He's a Libran na? :P

I ended up listing quite a few Librans from the Industry too. :)

Apart from Mr. Bachchan and Pari, of course.

The Nightingale, Ms. Lata Mangeshkar was one.

Mr. Ranbir Kapoor, 

Ms. Rekha, 

Ms. Hema Malini, 

Mehmood, 

Mr. Dev Anand, 

Mr. Om Puri, 

Mr. Shammi Kapoor, 

Ms. Asha Parekh...

To list a few. :)

~~~

Before bidding adieu...

'First let me take a selfie!' and autograph signing took place...

Not to mention, this group picture which was featured...

On Page 4 of HT City's Delhi Edition, dated September 20, 2014...

~~~

Spot me standing right in front, next to Parineeti, in Blue... :)

~~~

And, this cute DEI Tee, and Autographed Music CD's which were handed out to us...

~~~

The entire interaction with Sonal, was posted by HT's Youtube Channel.

Have a look.

~~~

An Afternoon Well Spent.

Very Well Spent! :)

~~~

Bloggers, Unplugged...

~~~

Blogging Is...

A Joyous State Of Mind.

An Unfounded Expression.

Yourself, It Helps You Find.

It Rejuvenates, Without Question.

~~~

Blogging Brings...

A Sense Of Belonging.

To A World Larger Than You'd Imagined.

A Sense Of Appreciation.

For The Small Joys In Life.

~~~

But, When Comes The Time To Unplug...

When We Need A Break From These  Little Glowing Boxes...

Being a working woman...

Time and again, figures a place in my blog.

After all, one's profession is vital to one's life and work - cycle.

And the profession I've pursued, makes sure that I'm on my feet...

Round The Clock. :)

~~~

For me, the time to unplug does not momentarily dawn upon.

There are what you jubilantly refer to as...

The Summer Break.

And

The Winter Break. :D

~~~

My Precious.

My Lovely.

My 'May You Always Stay'.

Times Of The Year! ;)

~~~

And they are always there, for me to unwind, to relax, to UNPLUG!

What do I do, to make it happen? :D

~~~

I track down my favorite travel websites...

Touch down upon the few cities on my 'Explore India' bucket-list which lie unexplored...

And would you believe...

I've just 8 states of India left...

To explore? ^_^

So, after I shortlist my 'Destination to Unplug'...

Exploring it in person involves exploring it via the 'Social Me' before hand...

After all, you need to prepare an itinerary, plan around, don't you?

~~~

For Me...

That's When...

As A Blogger, I...

Unplugging Is That Need Of Time, Oh Vacation!
Narrowing Down On These Picturesque Places...

Polishing On A Photographer, One Within Me...
Leaving Away All Pre - Occupations, Yippee!!!
Unlocking Those Unexplored Joys Of Travelling
Granting To Me,  Keenness For Introspecting...

~~~

This post is a part of the WordPress Daily Prompts : 365 Writing Prompts program where the aim is to post at least one post a day based on the day's prompt.

The Prompt for October 8 was a 'Free Prompt' provided to all of us, Guest Authors.

The Prompt is, Bloggers, Unplugged - 'Sometimes, we all need a break from these little glowing boxes. How do you know when it’s time to unplug? What do you do to make it happen?'

This is my Twentieth Post as a guest author to Project 365 : We Post Daily! 

The Games They Played...

Team Maximus Dramaticus.

We Write To Thrill! :)

~~~

~~~

Read the twenty - second part of the story here : The Dark And Gloomy Night Is Over.

~~~

"Oh God!
Roohi!"

Exclaimed Tara, as she prayed for her child's well-being.

~~~

A blanket of silence settled over as soon as Shekhar and Tara entered Roohi's room.

In all that had been going on so far, Roohi had never been targeted so harshly.

That Was Until Now.

~~~

The sight Roohi's parents witnessed was bone - chilling to say the least.

There were muddy footprints leading into and out of the room, and a trail of blood too.
Also, a note with one of those gory rhymes.

Not once | nor twice | nine times | we’ll kill
A bitch | always | but ninth | will fill
You with a dread that’ll make you still!

No more running away from me,
I have come so far to thee
Once a Drug dealer,
Now calls himself a Writer
Your past is no more a secret
Your time has come to regret
Not one, each Monday night a scar,
Beware, the ninth you are

"Yes, Mr. Literary Adept
The ground beneath your feet has been swept
Sure you'll be the ninth one this Monday
But, why not, while the Sun shines, make hay?
Your Daughter, for one...
Your wife comes next...
And, that irritant Cop!
Will their attacks, he prevent?"

~~~

Tara's worst fears had turned to life.

Her little angel had been victimized by one of those sick - minded people.
Roohi's life was in danger!

Just when they'd thought, the state of affairs was improving at last, the final lap of tragedy presented itself before them.

~~~

Shekhar sent word for Aryan, who was at that time, busy investigating Percival's house for clues.
Nevertheless, knowing that his team was efficient at task, he left for Shekhar's place.

~~~

Tara, meanwhile, was inconsolable.
The very thought of Roohi being in distress, shook Tara.

Well of course, Shekhar was in shock too.
But he tried keeping his calm.

If it were not for him, who would care for Tara?
There had already been enough loggerheads their relationship had bumped into.

~~~

There was a knock on the door.
Shekhar heaved a sigh of relief on discovering Aryan.

He showed him the horrifying rhyme that had been purposely left for them to reflect on.

They were the same rhymes Aryan had discovered, albeit one more, to add to his impulsiveness to solve the mystery.

But, they also stated, very clearly, that Shekhar was the ninth TARGET.

~~~

Somehow, Aryan's gut instinct shouted out loud.

Somehow, he felt, that the kidnapping was a hoax.

Somehow, he wasn't ready to believe that Roohi could be harmed, only that she could be used as a shield.

Nevertheless, they couldn't risk her life.

~~~ ~~~ ~~~

Cyrus couldn't stop reminiscing over the Jenny he'd discovered last evening.
The Jenny who was guilt - stricken.

The Jenny who wished to repent her mistakes.
The Jenny, Cy had loved, had sprung back to life. :)

And Cy was most thankful to Almighty for the entire sequence of events.
Had it not been for all that had happened, Jenny's conscience would have never been stirred.

For Cy's sake. :)

~~~

Cyrus planned to surprise Jenny by proposing to her to travel back to Kochi, in order to escape from all the mess they'd been in, for a few days.

It'd help them relax their strained minds, and hearts too, he opined.

Jenny, though unsure of what the future would present them with, once they returned, hesitantly agreed.

~~~

Flight IX-527.

The same flight number.

Jenny.

Cyrus.

They were together today. :)

~~~

As soon as they landed, Cyrus was quick to recall Jenny's address word by word.
And that awed her.

They made way for her abode, which was a sea facing flat, and pristine palms adorned its view.
After having freshened up, Cyrus preferred to divert Jenny's mind to something pleasant.

He started searching for her diary.
The one she'd been maintaining since long.

He'd finally found it, from one of those drawers in her wardrobe.

In the hope of finding some treasured memoirs among the pages lined with ink...
The ones that would cheer Jenny up...

Cyrus was just about to open her diary, when Jenny entered the room.
And let out a loud 'NO!'.

~~~

Not wanting to disturb Jenny further, without questioning her reaction, Cy put the diary back into the drawer.
Of course, deciding to open it again, when she was not around.

For his curiosity did question Jenny's weird NO, if not his maturity.
His gut feeling did say, there were more than just pages and ink, to that old Diary of hers.

Leaving all aside, Cy and Jenny went for stroll along the beach in the evening. :)

~~~ ~~~ ~~~

Back at Shekhar's place, somebody banged the door.
Not once, not twice.

Tara was scared, and cautioned Shekhar against opening the door.
Aryan took cover, with his licensed arms.

He cautiously proceeded towards the door, when Tara heard Roohi.
Or so it seemed to her.

"Shekhar, can you hear Roohi's voice?", Tara exclaimed.
"Indeed I can, Tara.", Shekhar smiled.

Tara opened the door to an ever smiling angel.
Roohi was back home! :)

Their joy knew no bounds...
And, Roohi's tales too.

She had a lot to tell to Dear Mom and Dad.
Perhaps, she'd never truly understood the gravity of a planned kidnapping.

But, Aryan was quick to comprehend that Roohi had safely escaped and would've learnt of some important pointers, which could even lead them to the kidnapper.

~~~

"Roohi, why had you screamed, Dear?", Tara asked, caressing Roohi.
"Mumma, you know, an Uncle had come into my room, from the Balcony.
And he had a big mask on his face, Mumma!
And he put his hand on my face and jumped from there.", Roohi told her mother, pointing to the balcony, from where they'd jumped.

"But why was there blood in your room, Roohi?
Did he try to attack you? Did you get hurt, Dear?", Shekhar inquired.

"No Papa. I did not get hurt anywhere.
I was drawing in my sketch book.

And, that Uncle, he had a Hanky in his hand.
I pierced him with my color - pencils, on his hand.
That was his blood, not mine.

You taught me to be brave, na!
That Uncle got hurt instead!" :D

~~~

Aryan then asked Roohi how she'd managed to come home, safe and sound.

"That was easy, Aryan Uncle...
I've learnt the way to home, na!

I know all the nearby places, now.
I am a big girl now. :)

That Uncle had brought an SUV along.
He forced me to sit in the car.
And drove to the market.

Then, he started talking to some Ma'am on phone.
And he got down near the Dry-cleaner's shop.

There, another Uncle had come to meet him.
I was in the car all the time.

And when he was not looking, I came running back home! :D"

Roohi took pride in how she'd indeed escaped and it was with great elan that she narrated her little adventure.

~~~

Also, she'd remembered two vital clues from the SUV, she'd been inside all this while.

One.
The SUV's number!

Yes, whoever it was, that Uncle was dumb enough to get the number plate removed or covered up altogether.

Two.
A key-chain design hanging from the back - view mirror.

The artist in Roohi always loved designs, and painting too.
And, her memory was her strength.

She told them the Number.

KL-7-CA-9854

And drew the design, on her sketch book.

~~~

Astonishingly, the SUV was registered to Kerala.
And, the design - it matched that of Jenny's tattoo! - as far as Tara could remember.

But, Cy and Jenny were in Kochi.
And, Jenny's phone was switched off, since morning.

So, Tara was sure that Jenny hadn't received any call for the day.

But, could the SUV and the design, relate to Jenny in any way?
Or, was she being framed?

~~~

Who was it, behind their fate?

And, why was Jenny being targeted, amid all the confusion?

~~~

Leaving all aside, Aryan's phone rang.

It was his Junior.

And, the call was from R.K. Puram...

Before leaving, Aryan called for protection for Tara, citing the threat in the rhyme they'd received.

~~~

Read the twenty - fourth part of the story here : The Past Revealed....

~~~

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