Recap: Introduction of Sharan and Ishana family.

On a Monday morning, Sharma Bhavan

Sharan wakes up to the continuous ringing of his alarm. He switches it off and opens his eyes to  a room filled completely with pictures of him and his sisters. His room. Nobody but his sisters and his father had any place in his life. He gets down the bed and starts getting ready.

He comes out of the bathroom soon and starts working on his laptop.It was only after an hour that he steps out of his room.

On the ground floor:

A man in his late sixties is seated in the living room. He is engrossed in reading the newspaper.

"Good morning dad" Sharan greeted his father Durga Sharma, pulling him out of the newspaper world.

"Good morning son" Durga greeted him back.

Sharan loved and admired his father greatly. Durga Sharma is a man with a golden heart, iron will and an ever green smile.

"Dad, aren't you a little late today? See, you haven't even finished the paper yet" Sharan enquired.

"No son" Durga chucked."It is not me who is late but it is you who is early. Look at the clock" 

"Oh yes, you are right dad. Sorry." Sharan said with a sheepish expression."By the way, where are these naughty girls?" he continued.

"As usual, sleeping" Durga replied.

"Oh god!! It's too late. What will I do with these girls? I am fed up with them" Sharan complained to his dad.

"You know them very well dear. They will wake up only when their beloved brother wakes them up. You've spoilt them... so now go and wake them up" Durga said. He then proceeded to fold the newspaper and placed it on table.

Sharan walked towards the room where his sisters were sleeping. When he entered the room, he saw that his sisters were sleeping peacefully. They had covered themselves with their blankets completely. He shook his head at their childishness but a smile appeared on his face.

His sisters were probably the only people who could make him smile. 

He started the long ritual of waking them up,"It's time to wake up my dear lazy angels. Get up" he said, walking closer to their bed.

They didn't move an inch. It was as if nothing had happened. Sharan sighed.

"Varna! Veena! Get up. It's already too late. Will you get up or do you want me to turn into 'angry-Sharan' mode. Let me warn you, it's bad and I don't want your day or mine to turn that way. My way or the highway." Sharan announced in a tone that was stern yet didn't come off as threatening. It wasn't loud either. 

Within a minute both his sisters were up. Sharan smiled inwardly. 

"Bhaiyya, I don't want to go to college today. It's very boring to attend classes all day. I am Sharan Sharma's sister and I can skip a class if I want to." whined Veena. One of the twins.

"One of your sister might be lazy but the other is smart and hardworking, just like you" This was from the other sister Varna.

Sharan laughed at the theatrics of his sisters. Varna hugged him and he reciprocated. Veena who was already irritated by her sister's statement started hitting both her siblings at that.

"Veena, stop it dear. And by the way, whatever Varna just said is true. Do you think I will not know about your escapades from the college? I have been getting a lot of complaints about your bunking exercise." Sharan questioned her.

Veena bit her lips and gave Sharan her best puppy face. She then discreetly glared at her sister.

"It wasn't me. I didn't rat you out." Varna raised her palms in surrender.

"You are becoming lazier by the day. I think that you need to be punished" Sharan reprimanded with a fake stern expression.

He then hugged both of them when he saw Veena's disheartened expression, causing them to burst into fits of laughter. This was all they needed to be happy, their brother's warm and assuring hug.

"Sorry. You could be naughty or lazy but your brother will never hate you. That said, you still need to go to the college. Now, get ready both of you."

"Bhaiyya.." Veena started.

"No more excuses." Sharan announced effectively putting an end to all arguments. The twins left to get ready while Sharan returned to his work. 

By the time Sharan gets down to have breakfast, his sisters are already seated at the table. They all have their breakfast with the constant bickering of the twins in the background.

After the breakfast, Sharan offers to drop them at the college but they reject his offer.

"Why? You are the ones who always request me to drop you and now when I am offering to drop you willingly then you are rejecting me. Now that hurts" he said with a shocked expression which quickly turned into one of hurt.

"Actually our lunch preparations are going on. Janaki aunty is doing them. We will take the driver to the college once it is made. You will get late if you wait until then." Veena offered politely.

"What has she been doing since morning? Doesn't she know that she has to prepare your lunch on time? I am fed up with these irresponsible idiots. Call the maid, I shall have a talk with her?" he said. He was extremely angry. Sharan Sharma hates tardiness and those who don't value time.

Sharan's anger was one of the scariest things for his sisters. Looking at him angry tensed them. Varna ran towards the kitchen and came back with Janaki.

Janaki had a pale smile on her face. She was extremely scared of her sir's anger.

"Do you know that my sisters have to reach the college by nine o'clock?" he questioned her in an angry tone.

"I do, sir." Janaki replied.

"So was this irresponsibility of yours intentional?" he questioned. He was getting extremely annoyed.

"Bhaiyya, please don't talk to her like that. She is like a mother to us." Varna tried to calm her angry brother but her statement had the opposite effect.

He looked at her with an incredulous expression. He tried to control his raising temper but it was a futile attempt.

"Shut up Varna. We don't have a mother. She is dead" he shouted out in anger.

Hearing all the shouts from the dinning area, Durga reached there at that instant.

"Sharan, mind your words" he reprimanded his son. This was one of Sharan's faults. He couldn't control his anger and Durga knew that it would land him in trouble. 

"It's okay sir. It's my mistake actually. My son took ill and I had to make sure that he would be fine until I could take him to the doctor in the evening because of which I'm late." Janaki tried to diffuse the situation.

"Oh what a mother? I don't know why but all mothers are like this. Your son is ill and here you are instead of taking care of him. Is money that important to you? More than your son? And here putting this drama and acting like you are sacrificing a lot for your son." Sharan continued to insult her.

Janaki started crying on hearing Sharan's rant while both Veena and Varna were trying to calm her down. Looking at her state Sharan started feeling guilty but his ego was too big and wouldn't allow him to apologize to her. He was stuck in a dilemma.

 "That's enough Sharan. You don't have any right to interfere in her personal matters or to question her feelings."  Durga was extremely angry. Sharan was way out of line and was taking somebody else's anger on poor Janaki.

"Forgive me sir. I need to arrange money to take my son to the hospital and today is the salary day so I came here to collect it. I know what's important for my son and I do it without wondering about what people might think about me." Janaki stated firmly.

Sharan felt ashamed of himself while Durga glared at him. Sharan ignored his guilt and stated,"Take a leave today and take your son to the doctor without further delay. Dad will give you the amount that you will need." He turned around to leave but stopped when he realized something.

"Veena and Varna come with me. I shall drop you in the college and you can have lunch in the canteen today."

He then left without turning around while Durga sighed looking at the retreating for of his son.

Veena and Varna joined him after bidding their good bye's to their father and Janaki aunty.

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Krishnapuram : A village on the outskirts of the city.

A crowd is gathered around a mansion. That mansion was passed down from generations to the head of the household. 

A distinguished man, who looks to be in his early sixties, is seated in the middle of the crowd.

One of the men from the crowd starts speaking," We are really worried sir. What will we do if they do not accept our request?"

Another person continues,"We will lose our land sir"

Somebody else speaks,"It's not just about the land, it's about our heritage. Once they start construction on our land, it would definitely lead to air and land pollution. Our crops might get affected. If the waste is dumped in our rivers, we might lose not just the marine life that thrives there but it might also harm the villagers. What shall we do sir?"

The man seated in the middle listens to all their opinions patiently. He is Raveendra Kumar, the head of the village.

"Please don't worry. They will never start the constructions here. I shall never allow our village to be polluted by these city folks" He voiced at the end of the discussion. He was a man of immense respect. The villagers started relaxing after hearing his assurance. They trusted their village head.

"I can understand your worries. I haven't dealt with such an issue in the past but trust me I value this land more than anything. It is sacred for us. Our god. Our livelihood. I would never let anyone harm it." The villagers start feeling more confident.

"But we have heard that there are powerful people behind this project. We have heard from the supervisors that they are willing to do anything for this project.

"I will enquire about them further and go and meet them personally. I will try to find a solution there itself but if it doesn't go as planned then we shall discuss and find some other solution." Raveendra Kumar garu informed them. He tried his level best to assure them that they would be safe.

While he was doing this, his wife, Padmavati garu arranged refreshments for everyone.

"It's time for a break. Please have some coffee" came her angelic voice. Padmavati garu was a very well-respected women in the village. She was kindness personified. She helped everyone in the village as best as she could and people looked upon her as a goddess. 

"Where is our princess?" Raveendra garu asked his wife.

"She is getting ready."

"Any plans for today?" he continued his questionnaire.

Before she can reply they heard the sound of anklets and turned around to see a girl clad in a green half-saree making her way towards them.

As soon as the villagers saw her, they stood up in a show of respect.

"What is this Ramu anna? Sridhar anna? How many times have I told you to not do this? It is me who should be respecting you not the other way round, I am younger than you. Please sit down."

Raveendra Kumar looked at his daughter,Ishana and felt his chest swell in pride. She was the best daughter he could have hoped her. She looked like a celestial nymph but what made her stand out was her respect and consideration for others. She was extremely empathetic and had the special gift of bringing a smile on the faces of the people around her. She was like happiness personified.

She respected those around her and took their problems to be hers. She treated the whole village like one big family. Hers. She had not only inherited her family wealth but also the values that her parents possessed.

Raveendra looked at his wife and found her smiling at him. She understood what was going through her husband's mind. She was extremely proud of her daughter too.

Ishana smiled at everyone and shook her head. She knew that they would never stop doing that.

"What is my daughter doing today? Your mom didn't tell me." Ravi garu asked when his daughter came and stood beside him.

"Don't worry appa. If amma does not tell you then I will. Today is my painting competition. I so knew that you would forget about it" Ishana replied cheekily.

"Sorry dear" Ravi apologized.

"No problem appa. I know that you have a lot of responsibilities."

"That's like my daughter. I am sure you are going to win this competition. What plan do you have for the prize money this time Ishu?"

"Seetha akka's son is not well. This money might help in his treatment." Ishana replied.

"We are very proud of you Ishu. It is very sad though that our village does not have a good hospital facility. We have been trying to arrange for a hospital here but it hasn't taken shape yet. Once this crisis is done for we must put that as our priority" Ravi and padma garu decided.

"Where are you going appa?"

"I have an important meeting today in the town."

"Town? Take amma with you appa. It has been twenty five years since she has left town. She must be missing her town life." Ishana pointed out.

"No Ishu. I am used to this life now. This life has given me happiness and peace. My family, back in town, never did understand me nor my love. They are money-minded people. You, your appa and this village is my family now."

Ishana's eyes filled with tears at her mother's words. She knew that her mother missing her family from town. She also knew that her mom did not think about them that way. She didn't mean any of them but if she didn't convince herself like that, it would be hard to live.

"Don't cry dear. Aren't you the bravest girl? Okay, now don't cry. I shall take your mother with me. Now, smile." Ravi tried to cheer his daughter.

"Really?" Isha asked, wiping her tears.

"No. I don't want to go there, Ravi. Please" Padma garu tried to dissuade them.

"Come with me Padma. Look at Ishu. Please come with me. Atleast for her" Ravi tried once again.

"Okay. Only for Ishu" her mother kissed Ishu's cheek and Padma garu and Ravi garu left their house to start on the journey. 

A journey that changed a lot of lives.

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Precap : Heart-broken Ishana, Durga garu's decision.

You are welcome to share your views and give your suggestions about the story in the comment box below.

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Final Editing Done On: 12/10/2018
Edited By : k21pt11