A Lullaby Remembered

A Lullaby Remembered



The tide was low, the ocean serene and calm, the white orb kissed the sky as a lover and in a flash the sky blushed pink, freckles of gold scattered across the surface only to be veiled by the gleam of the morning sun. The room now glowed but the lone occupant was lost in thought to notice the beauty. Shards of glass pierced her heart; blood drenched her body just as it had for the past ten years. Her heart, her world had been ripped apart and yet the world revolved the sun rose every morning bringing hope of a new beginning but where was hers? When would she find solace? When would she find peace? When would she find the piece missing of her heart? Today Armana was embarking on a journey she had waited ten long years to begin, seeking solace, comfort and the missing piece of her heart.



Dressed in a black jogging suit with sweat sliding down his face and back, Jai Walia returned home after completing his morning run, as he took his first sip of black coffee with two sugars, the Walia Mansion hurricane slid down the banister, kissed his cheek and plopped herself into Jai’s lap. Scrunching her nose at the smell of coffee,

“Papa, every morning it’s the same bitter coffee! Give it up already.” Dua his ten year old daughter complained. As she picked up the Danish and popped it into her mouth.

Smiling Jai kissed his pride and joy on her cheek, a good student with lots of friends, Dua was a normal well grounded girl, whose life revolved around her father, just as his revolved around her. There was nothing that father and daughter would not do for each other’s happiness.



It had been seven years since Jai had become both mother and father to Dua, his wife had succumbed to a rare form of anemia after facing death in the face on multiple occasions, and seven years later he had still not met a woman he respected or loved more than Nandita. He blamed his luck and destiny for taking her away from him and robbing his daughter of a mother at the tender age of three. But Dua was slowly but surely learning to live without her mother, but he didn’t think it was ever possible for him to forget Nandita and move on in life with another woman. In his heart he still loved her and always would. For now, his hands were full with Dua and he had no complains.



Jagged lasers of silver light broke the monotony of the stygian dark grey sky; a cacophony of thunderous applause filled the air as torrents of rain hammered the car, before pummeling the earth. Armana sat in the car, dressed in jeans and a white polo neck t-shirt, her face clear of all make up, her mind wandering back to the life she had left behind but could not forget, not until she had found the piece of her missing heart. Clutching the white piece of paper that held the address to her happiness Armana looked out, her mind numb with anticipation, with apprehension and fear. A million questions pounded her brain, but only one was hurting her soul, will she accept me? Armana knew she needed the acceptance. All her life she had been the outcast, the unwanted person. That is until she had achieved fame, but by then Armana knew her true place. She was the outcast. But this one time Armana needed the acceptance.



In an attempt to stay dry, Armana stepped out of the car and dashed up the stairs, only to bring herself to an abrupt halt. In front of her stood her adversary, the man who had stolen her peace, her comfort, her little baby girl. Pulling the door shut, Jai turned before he could take a step forward, he froze, before him stood Armana Dixit, the most popular singer of the country, without needing to look at her, Jai knew why she was here. After ten years his past had caught up with him, she had come to take Dua away from him. He would not let that happen, if she was Armana Dixit, singer extraordinaire then he too was well respected and one of the wealthiest individuals of India, he would fight her to keep Dua. Parting from Dua, would be parting from his life and he wasn’t willing to part with life, just yet. Stretching his hand out, in a voice as cold as the Arctic Jai said,

“Welcome to the Walia Mansion, Ms. Dixit. What brings you to my home?”

Unsure of what to say, seeking courage from deep within her, her voice strong, her legs wobbly Armana said,

“Thank you for the welcome, Mr. Walia. After ten long years I have come to claim what is mine!”

Needing to be sure, Armana was seeking to take his daughter away from him, Jai asked,

“I am sorry, but I am not sure what of yours could possibly be in my house, after all this is your first visit!”

Losing her temper, in the bargain gaining more courage, in a voice much stronger than before, Armana said,

“Mr. Walia, it’s the piece of my missing heart you stole from me ten years ago. My daughter was only a few months old, when you took her away from me.”

On hearing Armana mention, his daughter Jai took a step back, in a voice much warmer, he said,

“Ms. Dixit, I am getting late for a meeting and I cannot permit strangers into my house, especially when MY daughter is alone. Why don’t we meet for lunch and discuss things amicably further, away from Dua.”

On hearing the name her daughter now recognized, Armana repeated,

“Dua, is that what you call her? I had named her Roohi, she was my soul, my very reason to continue living and you, Mr. Walia, took her away from me. Fine why don’t we meet at Vista at the Taj Lands End at 1:30pm?”

Before Jai could deny Armana continued,

“If you say no, I will ring the door bell and walk into the house once you have gone!”

With no option left Jai acquiesced.



Clad in a pale blue chikan salwar suit, her silky hair cascading down her back, silver earrings dangled from her ears, silver and blue bangles adorned her wrists. With only kohl and lip gloss for make up Armana looked, simple, elegant and more confident than she felt, as she entered the restaurant. Scanning the room, her eyes docked on him. Dressed in a dark slate grey Armani suit, with a matching shirt, no tie, the top two buttons undone, his hair gelled. The first thought in Armana’s mind, “I have a meeting with Adonis”. Quickly reprimanding herself, she briskly walked to the table and took a seat. Armana knew the restaurant well; she loved the ambience, the golden sand marble floors, the contemporary black furniture, the lanterns on wall giving the room a warm glow. Seated with a glass of chardonnay, without preamble Jai said,

“We better get to the matter at hand.”

“I will ask the questions and you will give me answers, before we decide anything further.” Armana said, her voice left no room for argument.

“Go ahead and ask?”

Armana finally voiced the question that had been chewing at her heart for ten years, “Why did you take my daughter?”



Before Jai could answer, he topped off his glass with Chardonnay, his mind wandered back to the woman he loved, the woman who was no longer with him. In a voice filled with memories of Nandita, Jai said,

“Because my wife wanted a baby, she couldn’t have a child, due to her illness. Fertility treatment was not as advanced as it is now; the only option we were left with was adoption. But Nandita didn’t want anyone to know she was unable to have a baby. My wife knew she had a fatal illness, what she didn’t know was how long she had to live. She wanted a baby and I wanted her happy. Taking Dua was my only option.”

Feeling a twinge of sympathy for Nandita, but none for the man in front of her, Armana said,

“Mr. Walia, that is the excuse of why you took a child, I want to know why MY child, why did you punish me?”

Looking into her eyes, seeking an apology without asking for one, Jai said,

“It was not easy; I had to convince my self I was doing you a favor, helping you out, before I could garner the courage to take Dua.”

Surprised, shocked and puzzled at his statement, Armana probed further,

“Doing me a favor, by stealing my child? Helping me out, by killing my soul and grabbing my life?”

Unable to look Armana in the eye, Jai swirled his wine, his mind taking him back to the village where he had first seen Armana with Dua. She was sixteen, a single unwed mother with a new born child. A rich landlord who had promised her the world had used and discarded her. She was working as a maid in the same village. Living as a pariah with no support, struggling to survive with the baby, it was the thought of Armana doing something drastic, which had eventually convinced him to take Dua and give Armana a chance at life. Little did he know he had taken away her life. But even with justification he was not proud of what he had done and now he regretted it even more. In a voice filled with regret, no more than a whisper he said,

“You were struggling to survive. I knew we could give Dua a life you wanted her to have but could never give her. I also knew Dua would be the most loved child in world. I thought of Nandita and Dua, I never thought it would be so traumatic on you. But Armana, even if I had known, I would have taken Dua, I wanted to fulfill Nandita’s last wish, she was dying.”

Surprised, Armana whipped her head up, only to have her molten lava eyes clash with warm chocolate ones filled with a lot of pain. In a voice that reflected the pain she had endured for the past ten years, Armana said,

“Mr. Walia, you took away my reason to exist. If memsaab had not given me hope of getting my daughter back, I would have committed suicide. You took away the only person who ever loved me. I grew up an orphan with no one to love me or for me to love back. My daughter was the first person I had ever loved

and who loved me, you took that away.” Armana’s eye’s filled with tears, her voice choked as she ended.

“I am sorry, Armana.” Jai murmured “I had no idea.”

“I want my daughter.’

As soon as the words were out of Armana’s mouth, she saw the change on Jai’s face. In a flash, the softness, gentleness vanished to be replaced by hard glinting eyes, a stiff jaw and clenched fists,

“I cannot and will not let that happen. Dua is MY daughter.” His voice matched the hardness of his eyes, in the same voice he continued, “But I will not stop you from meeting her, spend all the time you want with her, as often as you like. You are even welcome to move into my house to be close to Dua, but you cannot take her away.”

Armana looked up, this time her eyes were shooting darts of fire, her voice cold, she said,

“Why would I come to live in the house that belongs to my daughter’s kidnapper?”

“Because your daughter lives there!”

Shocked at hearing him call Dua her daughter, Armana could only stare. Jai then continued,

“Armana, do you want Dua to feel the pain you felt when she was taken away from you? Because she will hurt as much, if not more, I am the only parent she has known. You will be uprooting her from the only place she has called home. Do you think she will thank you, love you? Ms. Dixit, if you take Dua away from the only home she has known, you will face her wrath, her hate. Are you ready for that?”

Knowing Jai was right, Armana saw no option but to consent, in a remorseful voice Armana said,

“You are right, I will not be able to accept her hate, for the sake of My daughter, and Mr. Walia make no mistake she is MY daughter, I will move into your house. I have one last question, why did you name her Dua?”

Jai gave a victorious smile and said,

“It won’t be as bad as you think Armana, the house is large, you will have all the comforts you are used to, including your space and privacy. As for the name, she was an answered prayer that came into our life as a blessing, when my wife needed it most, hence the name Dua.”

“I will be moving in tomorrow.”

Saying Armana left the restaurant.

Jai went about his routine as he usually did, but he was apprehensive. Armana was moving in today, what should he tell Dua? He had never lied to her, should he start now? How would she react? But his greatest fear was, Dua accepting Armana and hating him. Wanting to be with Armana and not him, if that happened what would he do, would he survive? Would he want exist or would he want to kill himself? He did not want to find out. But he knew eventually he would, just as the past had caught up with him, so would the truth catch up with Dua. All he could do was continue being the best father and mother to Dua.



Running down the stairs, flinging her back pack over her shoulders, yelling,

“Papa, I am late for singing class, will meet you for lunch in your office later, see you.”

When instead of the usual, “I love you, honey.”

She heard her father say,

“Dua, before you leave the house there is someone I want you to meet. Come here and say hello.”

Groaning inwardly, she ran into the living room, only to skid to a halt in front of Armana. Surprised to see Armana in her house, not knowing what to say, she only gaped.

Jai put his arms around Dua and in a voice filled with apprehension he said,

“Armana, meet my daughter, Dua.” Then turning to his daughter he said “Dua this is a close friend of mine, Armana Dixit, she will be staying with us, until her house which was flooded due to the recent rains is cleaned, repaired and remodeled.”

Recovering from her surprise, Dua turned to Jai, in a voice filled with excitement she said,

“Papa, you never told me you knew Armana Dixit, I mean The Armana Dixit, the greatest singer!”

Then turning to Armana, she said,

“Hi, Armana aunty, do you know I want to become a singer just like you.”

Thrilled Armana stared, then in a voice that reflected the love she had for her daughter she said,

“Since I am staying in your house and if your papa permits, I could help you practice or even give you some lessons, would you like that?”

“I would love that. OMG, Armana Dixit, I mean Armana aunty is going to teach me singing. Papa, did you hear that? What do you think?”

Jai replied, “I think that is extremely nice of Armana. But you be sure to be a good student and not trouble her.”

“Of course I will” Saying Dua threw her arms around Armana, hugged her, kissed her cheek, then continued, “Thank you so much Armana aunty. I am going to call Priya and Shalini to tell them, they are going to be so jealous.”

After the hug, Armana did not hear a word over the roar of her heart; her daughter had hugged and kissed her today, after ten long years. Her daughter was proud of her. Dua loved her. This was the best moment of Armana’s life and she knew she would never forget the fist hug, the first kiss she received from her daughter. Smiling through her tears, she turned to Jai and profusely thanked him.



Jai who had witnessed the excitement, observed the entire exchange between mother and daughter felt his heart drop like a run away elevator to the pit of his stomach. His apprehensions were changing to fear. The only thought running through is mind was; my daughter will hate me, she will leave me for her mother. This was a mistake; I should never have brought Armana Dixit home. I should have kept Dua away from her. But Jai knew his innate decency would have prevented him form keeping mother and daughter apart. After all he was responsible for the pain Armana had endured for the past ten years. He had to be the one to take the pain away and that is what he would do. His next thought, had him more fearful than before, what if in helping Armana get close to Dua, he lost her? What if he was on the receiving end of Dua’s hate? Should he accept that as punishment for his actions, did he deserve the pain? After all he was fulfilling the wishes of his dying wife. Unable to seek the answers from his heart, wanting to give Armana time alone with Dua, he quietly stepped out of his house.

It had been two months since Armana had been living her dream. She had moved into the room next to Dua’s and had become part of her daughter’s daily routine. Armana realized it was the simplest of action which gave her the most pleasure, combing her daughter’s hair before she left for school, making her favorite dishes and best of all waiting for her to return from school. Dua found herself a new best friend, someone she could talk and confide in, someone who would take her shopping, watch her favorite movies with her, repeatedly and someone who would listen to her whine and complain. Slowly and surely Armana was becoming an important part of Dua’s life. She even learnt to swim and horse ride because her daughter thought it would be “cool” if Armana knew how to swim and ride. Dua never questioned her about her house, instead she prayed Armana would live with them forever and secretly hoped, she would marry her Papa. This is what Armana had wanted; to be integral parts of her daughter’s life, to have her daughter want her, need her, love her. However, she had not anticipated becoming part of Jai’s life.



Jai was an intense man, except when he was with his daughter; it was only then Armana saw the real man behind the mask. With Dua, he was warm, caring, loving, giving, Jai had loved her daughter and given her everything a child, needs, wants desires. He had given Dua a life she could have never given her. But he always kept his distance from Armana; he was polite and never intruded into her private space. In these two months Armana had accepted that even though Jai’s action of taking her daughter was wrong for her, it was a good one for Dua. If her daughter had stayed with Armana, she would have been an uneducated girl, probably working as a maid to survive. Today, Dua went to the best school in Mumbai, lived in an exceptional neighborhood and most of all she was protected from the evils Armana had been forced to face, when she was as old as Dua. It was with these thoughts and the love Dua had for Jai, that Armana decided to forgive Jai for his action ten years ago. Even though the action was like a knife in her heart, she also knew if Dua had been with her, she would never have become a singer and achieved professional success. Whether she liked to admit it or not, the one action Jai had taken was intertwined with every success she had achieved.



Jai had been scrutinizing and studying Armana from the day she moved into his house, and so far he had no complains. He found her to be a simple, down to earth person, who did not care about the fluff of life nor did she have airs about being the most sought after singer in the country. She was a calm, private person at all times, except when she was with Dua. It was then he would see the twinkle in her eye, a smile that lit up her face and contentment. He also noted she refrained from talking about him to Dua. Though Armana kept her distance from him, Jai knew she was intensely aware of him and went out of her way not to cross his path, except when she was with Dua and after two months of living together she was soon becoming part of their family, Jai had no objection. He found Armana to be warm and loving along with intelligent and attractive, given the chance he would love to know her. His last thought surprised him, as Armana was the first woman after Nandita, he wanted to get to know better, and he knew in time he would get to know Armana well. Coming out of his reverie Jai decided it was time to go home.



Tired, Jai ran his hand through his already mussed hair, as he closed the door and entered the dark silent house. It was past midnight, he was ready to end the day. Pulling his light pink shirt loose from his pants he started up the stairs when he noted the kitchen light on, surprised to see the kitchen light Jai stepped off the stairs and entered the kitchen, before him Armana stood wearing mauve Capri’s matched with a white tank top, with mauve flower vines, her long hair cascading down to her waist, his first thought at the sight before him was, she looks elegant, delicate and beautiful, the last thought had his mind screeching to a halt, before any other thought could cloud his mind, just as Armana turned with a steaming mug in her hand, he said,

“Armana, couldn’t sleep?’



Not recognizing Jai’s voice, shocked to hear a man in the kitchen at this time of the night, Armana whipped her head up, as molten lava clashed with chocolate brown eyes, glass splintered around her as the steaming mug slipped from her hands. Still surprised, she said,

“I am sorry; I was just getting a glass of warm milk. I will clean up this mess right now.”

Looking down, the first thing he noted; Armana was bare foot, with glass all around her. If she tried to step out she would hurt herself, not wanting the glass splinters to pierce her foot, Jai threw his blazer on the counter, leaned forward, placed both his hands on her waist and was about to lift her, when she slapped his hands away, saying,

“I can step out myself, don’t touch me.”

“Armana, the glass has shattered too far out, you will hurt yourself, let me help.” Jai said his voice held a minuscule amount of surprise.

Trying to step out on without help, Armana tried to jump over the glass because Jai had not moved she landed in his arms. To stop himself and Armana from tumbling onto the spilled milk and shattered glass, Jai engulfed her in his arms, pulling her closer to him. Since the top two buttons of his shirt were undone, Armana landed face first on the soft matting of Jai’s hair, standing there with her arms by her side, breathing in his mossy, spicy cologne mingled with his masculine scent, was giving Armana a heady rush, his closeness had her heart beating at 200 pulse a minute. Not moving Armana stood there, her head on his chest listening to Jai’s heart, which was beating in tandem to hers. All Armana could hear was the roar of her blood and the thudding of Jai’s heart, when her arms moved of their own accord and wrapped around Jai’s neck. Standing with her head still on his chest, as his warmth slowly seeped into her, Armana felt safe, secure and protected, for the first time in her life. But it was her mind that brought her crashing back to reality, he was Dua’s father, Nandita’s husband and rightly or wrongly the person who had caused her pain for ten years. He would never keep her safe. Disentangling herself from Jai, feeling bereft she slowly walked away. Jai, who was surprised at his reaction, walked up to his room and ended the day thinking and remembering the smell of sweet gardenias.



Feeling awkward for hugging him, wanting to apologize but not knowing how Armana decided to stay away, Jai was in the same predicament and took the same decision. It was only when Dua was around that they were both forced to spend time together, yet their interaction was minimal. However, three weeks after their hug, they were given no choice when Dua decided it would be a dinner and movie night for the family. They would go out to dinner and then come home and watch Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, her favorite movie. Both unable to deny Dua anything, agreed. But Jai and Armana secretly wished they it would rain and they would be forced to cancel.



Saturday dawned with high clouds, clear skies, the sun shinning and a warm breeze lashing through the trees, the night was equally perfect with a clear star spangled sky, and a balmy breeze. Unsure of what to wear Armana opted for the simple black lace sari, edged with black beads. The blouse had tiny black lace fairy sleeves. She accessorized with black and silver bangles matched with a chain around her neck. Her satiny hair tumbling down her left shoulder, with gentles curls. Picking up her silver evening bag, slipping into silver shoes, ready for the evening she stepped out of her room, walked down the stairs. Jai was pacing the foyer when he laid eyes on Armana, his breath hitched; his heart swooshed before it took off on an erratic ride, she looked delicate, exquisite, gorgeous, smiling, Jai said, his voice a husky whisper,

“Your looking gorgeous, I am going to have all the men envious of me tonight.” His lips close to her ears.

Armana swung her head up, looked into his eyes, not knowing what to say, her mouth dry at his closeness,

“Thank you.” She whispered, before she blushed a shade of pink that matched Dua’s fuchsia dress.



They entered the Indigo looking like a perfect family, Jai was dressed in black Gucci slacks, black French cuff collared shirt, square cut diamond cufflinks glinting on the sleeves, black leather shoes, a Piaget watch on his wrist, he strode into the restaurant with the grace of a panther, an air of confidence without being arrogant. Sensuality floated around him, as natural as his next breath, Armana noted every woman in the room was trying not to stare at him, some succeeded some did not, but his indifference to the attention along with his indolent grace gave him the look of a modern day renaissance prince. The maitre de led them to the corner table by the glass wall on the left and a slide show of the natural wonders of the world on the right; they were cocooned off from the rest of guests. Intensely aware of each other but with the awkwardness of the hug still hanging in a precarious balance between them conversation was at its minimum, only Dua chirped away, until their food arrived.



After helping Dua cut her grilled chicken into pieces, Armana sat head down drilling holes into her plate, refusing to look at Jai. Aware of why Armana refused to look at him, Jai smiled. When all of a sudden Armana pushed back the chair and stood up, surprised Jai said, his voice filled with concern,

“What happened Armana?”

“Eye lash, left eye,” Armana replied, blinking away the tears that were forming.

Taking her wrist Jai pushed her back on the chair, leaning over, placing his left palm on her chin; he tiled her head then blew into her eye along with spray painting her face with his warm breath. Feeling his breath drench her face, her heart took off on its first hundred meter dash, her tongue darted out to wet her lips while her face turned scarlet. Before Armana could think further Jai bent lower and pecked her cheek, in a husky raspy whisper, meant only for her ear’s he said,

“That is for hugging me!”

Gently turning her face, he pecked the other cheek, in the same voice he whispered,

“This is for being you.”

Stunned Armana looked into his warm chocolate eyes without saying a word; she placed her palm over his.



The Walia mansion television lounge looked invitingly cozy with a boat load of pillows, throws, blankets on the floor, the light on dim; Dua lay in the middle of the room on her stomach tapping her ankles in the air, a cushion in her arms. On her insistence, Jai and Armana as promised were on the blanket behind her their backs against couch, legs stretched out, Armana like Dua had a cushion in her arms while Jai had his arms spread on the edge of the couch, Kuch Kuch Hota Hai was in the DVD. With Jai’s thigh brushing her thigh, every few minutes as he rocked his leg sideways, his cologne mixed with his distinct masculine scent was making her heart thud, like a lone door in a thunder storm, unable to concentrate on the movie Armana glanced at Jai, every time his thigh brushed hers. As the movie progressed, Armana relaxed while Dua fell asleep on the cushion in her arms, Armana followed, she laid her head on Jai’s arm, wrapped her arms around his, branded him with her lip stick before she slipped into a deep slumber. Jai looked at the two women currently in his life and smiled; he first carried Dua to her room, tucked her in then came back for Armana. Being as gentle as he could, he lifted Armana in his arms, carried to her to her room, tucked her in. Before leaving the room Jai whispered in her ear,

“Like mother, like daughter.”

He turned off the lights and prepared to dream of Armana.



The night they watched Kuch Kuch Hota Hai was the turning point not only in the relationship Armana shared with Jai, but in her relationship with her daughter. Armana felt more like her mother; she felt an emotional connection and a deep rooted bond with Dua’s soul. While this is what Armana had dreamt of before entering and becoming part of the Walia family, Jai was the surprise in her life she gladly welcomed. Her relationship with Jai changed forever, there was no turning back. For the first time in her life, Armana felt safe, secure, protected, when she was with a man. She had found her protector in Jai along with as she slowly realized, the love of her life, she was emotionally dependant on him, just as he needed her. Armana unknowingly had become part of the Walia family and for Dua her family was now complete, though she secretly wished Jai and Armana would get married, so she could get a baby brother to play and boss over. Jai never thought he could love another woman with as much passion, ardor and respect as he had loved Nandita, he was surprised to realize his love for Armana was more fierce, more passionate, more ardent, more desirous. His feelings for Armana were like huge flames licking his soul. He was completely in love with her and the surprise he was planning would change their lives forever.



It was his 36 birthday, he knew mother and daughter had organized a huge party for him in the evening, but before the party he was going to surprise Armana and change her life once again, this time forever. His thoughts took a walk down memory lane; knocked on the door of his most precious memory, their momentous date of dinner at Indigo and a movie. Nine months later, he still remembered what Armana had worn, how she looked, her fragrance still tantalized his thoughts. Smiling, Jai walked up to the terrace, which had been transformed, decorated with his and Armana’s favorite flowers, white lilies and sweet gardenias, streamers in pink were strung across. Dua along with Jai had meticulously planned this surprise. Wearing his Armani jeans matched with a navy blue t-shirt that showed of the valleys and plains of his torso, Ferragamo sunglasses perched on his head, his favorite watch on his wrist, his usual air of confidence around him, however, the butterflies in his stomach which who dancing to their own tune, were the uninvited guests at the party. Yet, he was as ready as he will ever be; Jai paced the terrace as he waited for Armana.



Armana’s alarm had gone off thirty minutes earlier than usual, turning to shut it off she found a piece of paper with a message from Dua,

“Armana aunty, come to the terrace soon, please.”

Perplexed with the message but worried at the same time, Armana flew up the stairs, in pink pajama’s, white tunic t-shirt with capped sleeves, her fuzzy kitty slippers with a red nose on her feet, hair mussed from sleep, rubbing her eyes, she opened the door to the terrace. Her eyes popped at the sight before her, Jai stood holding a bouquet in one hand of sweet gardenias and white lilies, while Dua stood next to him holding a similar bouquet. Still surprised, she noted Jai held a placard in the other hand which read, “Be mine forever.” She then read Dua’s placard which read, “Be my mommy” Overwhelmed at the sight unable to respond, Armana stood motionless. Until she realized, Jai was in front of her on his knees holding her palm, he said,

“Armana just like the smell of sweet gardenias compliment the white lily in the same way you compliment me. Just like the two smells blend to perfection, so are we perfect for each other. Marry me, be mine forever.”

As Jai looked into Armana’s molten lava eyes he received his answer, silently with her eyes Armana said, “Yes.” Then looking at Dua with tears forming rivulets down her cheeks, she gently nodded. Jai hugged Armana, while Dua walked up to her and kissed her cheek. It was their first family hug.



Before Armana realized the party was in full swing, even though she was in a milieu of guests her mind, her thoughts were on the private moments she had spent with Jai. Through the day he had come up behind her, hugged her, whispered sweet nothings, kissed her and best of all, called her future Mrs. Walia. Still in thought, smiling at the name of future Mrs. Walia, Armana did not realize Jai was on stage, until she heard him take her name. Dressed in a pale pink sari with sliver moon dust along with crystals scattered across, diamond earrings dangled from her ears, a matching bracelet adorned her wrist with a delicate diamond necklace around her neck Armana walked up to the stage and put her hand in Jai’s. Still holding her hand with his left, the mike with in his right Jai turned to his guests, in an authoritative voice he said,

“Friends, compadres, family most of you have met her, know her, some of you have befriended her. She entered this house as a stranger, but slowly became a part of the family. Today I would like to officially make her mine.” Saying Jai pulled out and opened a small box from the front pocket of his blazer to reveal the most exquisite square cut diamond solitaire which he slipped onto Armana’s finger. Then he leaned into her, pecked her lips, before he whispered,

“You’re mine forever.”

Heat waves of pleasure raced through her body, her heart thudded, butterflies danced in her stomach, Armana leaned into Jai, her lips brushing his ear, her voice a seductive whisper,

“I always belonged to you.” Saying Armana walked off the stage.



Looking royal in a black jodhpuri suit with zardozi work and a burgundy brocade inner vest his hair freshly washed, stylishly groomed, black leather loafers on his feet, a Philippe Patek silver and gold watch on his wrist Jai took her right hand in his left, looking into her eyes, his voice passionately husky, he said;

“Armana will you dance with me and make me happier than I am now?”

Color suffused her face, as she silently acknowledged with her eyes before nodding her head in assent.

Tugging her hand, he pulled her closer, wrapped his arms around her waist, his zardozi sleeve brushed her bare waist sending her heart on a chaotic ride. Armana lay her head on his chest, listening to his heart thud her one hand around his neck the other on his chest, Armana melted into Jai, as her favorite song played, their movement sensuously fluid,



Saanson ko saanson mein dalne do zara

Saanson ko saanson mein dalne do zara

Dheemi si dhadkan ko badne do zara

Lamho ki guzarish hai yeh paas aa jaaye

Hum hum tum

Tum hum tum



Gently rubbing the back of her palm with his thumb, caressing her with his eyes, he said;

“Armana you look radiant tonight, did you dress with me in mind?

Gloriously blushing as red as a cherry, her voice a ragged whisper,

“Yes, only you.”

Pleasure thrills pulsated down his spine, as he pulled her closer, kissing her hair, his voice husky, raspy,

“Let’s get married tonight”

Turning even redder, Armana husked,

“No, we just got engaged”

They fit into each other, as if they were carved from the same ice. Continuing to dance as the song played,



Aankhon mein humko utharne do zara

Baahon mein humko pighalne do zara

Lamho ki guzarish hai yeh paas aa jaaye

Hum hum tum

Tum hum tum

Saanson ko saanson mein dalne do zara



Jai rested his forehead on hers, then whispered,

“Where do you want to go for your honeymoon?”

Unable to look him in the eye Armana closed hers, in breathless whisper she said,

“Can we take Dua, please?”

Startled his voice reflecting his surprise he said a curt,

“No.” Then added; “why Armana, are you afraid?”

Digging into him she murmured,

“No, it’s just that I’ll miss Dua.”

“We’ll be back soon, I promise. Now where do you want to go?”

Smiling, blushing, she raggedly replied, “Anywhere”



Salvatein kahin karwatein kahin

Phel jaaye kajal bhi Tera

Nazron mein ho guzar tha hua

Khwabon ka koi khafila

Jismo ko ruho ko jale do zara

Sharmo khaya ko machalne do zara

Lamho ki guzarish hai yeh paas aa jaaye

Hum hum tum

Tum hum tum

Saanson ko saanson mein dalne do zara



Looking into his warm melted chocolate eyes for the first time during the dance, she said

“I am the happiest woman today.”

Taking in her smell from her hair he caressed her back, in a voice filled with love,

“I want you to be the happiest woman everyday.”

“Yes, but I can never be this happy, I got my own family today.”

Smiling Jai hugged her closer,

“From now you will never be alone,”



Choolon badan magar iss tarah

Jaisa surila saaz ho

Hum hai re chupe tere zulf mein

Kholo ke raat azaad ho

Aanchal ko seene se dalne do zara

Shabnam ki boondein phisalne do zara

Lamho ki guzarish hai yeh paas aa jaaye

Hum hum tum

Tum hum tum

Saanson ko saanson mein dalne do zara

Baahon mein humko pighalne do zara

Lamho ki guzarish hai yeh paas aa jaaye

Hum hum tum



Wrapping both her arms around his neck, going on tip toe, brushing his lips in a sensual whisper she said,

“I love you.”

Hugging her tighter, kissing her full on the lips, his voice a hoarse ragged whisper, he said,

“I love you too.”



Still in each others arms, unaware the song had ended, until they heard Dua say,

“Happy Birthday Papa, come here and take your gift, then Armana aunty will give you hers.”

Color staining his cheeks as the spotlight fell on them; Jai disentangled himself from Armana and hopped onto the stage. He gently unwrapped the huge gift to reveal a beautiful painting of Dua and him, the picture was taken when Dua was eight. Astonished at the gift, he pulled Dua into a hug, kissed her cheek.

“Do you like it Papa?” Dua squealed.

“I love it honey.” Jai responded, then continued, “Did Armana help you select this gift?”

Nodding Dua wrapped her arms around his middle, before she said,

“Yes, I asked her. Is that ok?”

“Of course honey, it’s absolutely fine.” Stretching his arm out he called Armana on stage.

As she walked up, she heard Dua say,

“Now give your gift to Papa.”



Taking the mike, Armana said;

“Today I am the happiest woman in this room, I would like to present my fiancé, the man who has made me this happy, something very close to my heart. I have treasured this for the past eleven years and now it’s time for me to share it with man I love. This is a lullaby I had written for my daughter, I would sing it to her every night. We were very poor, I could not afford to give her much and therefore to make up for the lack of material things I was unable to give her I wrote her a lullaby. Today, after eleven years I will dedicate this lullaby, which is part of my soul to the love of my life, my fiancé and my daughter.” Saying Armana sang;



Goodnight, my angel

Time to close your eyes

And save these questions for another day

I think I know what you've been asking me

I think you know what I've been trying to say

I promised I would never leave you

And you should always know

Wherever you may go

No matter where you are

I never will be far away



Right after Armana completed the first verse, Dua ran out of the room. Not wanting to leave while Armana was on stage Jai waited. Unaware that Dua was not in the room, Armana continued.



Goodnight, my angel

Now it's time to sleep

And still so many things I want to say

Remember all the songs you sang for me

When we went sailing on an emerald bay

And like a boat out on the ocean

I'm rocking you to sleep

The water's dark and deep

Inside this ancient heart

You'll always be a part of me



Goodnight, my angel

Now it's time to dream

And dream how wonderful your life will be

Someday your child may cry

And if you sing this lullaby

Then in your heart

There will always be a part of me



Someday we'll all be gone

But lullabies go on and on...

They never die

that’s how you

And I

will be

(Courtesy: Billy Joel)



Jai knew exactly where Dua would be, as soon as Armana ended the song, Jai ran after her. He found her in her bedroom, standing alone in the middle of the room, tears of pearls forming gushing streams down her cheeks, clutching a CD to her chest. Sobbing,

“Mama, Mama…..you’re my mama?”

Unable to see his daughter in such pain, Jai went up to her, hugged her with all his might, kissed her head. He sat on her bed, with Dua in his arms, her face on the crook of his neck, sobbing.

“Sssshhhh, Dua don’t cry. Do you want to hear a story about how an angel came into my life?”

Lifting her head up, her eyes red, swollen, puffy with tears still streaming down, her nose running, hiccupping she nodded.



In a voice not more than whisper in a simple truthful manner, hugging his daughter to his soul, praying she will not hate him, Jai revealed to the one person who could destroy him, how she entered his life. He told her how he had seen Armana struggling, on making inquiries from Nandita’s family who lived in the village, he came to know Armana’s story. He then explained to her, his decision to take her and how he had recorded the lullaby the night he had come for Dua, because he knew she would initially want something familiar to be comforted and he did not want her to cry. Dua remembered the song, Nandita had played it every night, it was the only lullaby she liked. After Nandita had passed away, Jai had continued the tradition until Dua was older and wanted bed time stories instead of lullabies. When Dua was five years old, she had asked Jai who was singing the lullaby; Jai had always told her it was her mother. There after, every time Dua had listened to the song, she had pictured Nandita, a woman she remembered from photographs. Pulling Dua away from his chest, looking into her eyes, with a heavy heart, a voice choked with tears, Jai asked;

“Dua, do you hate me?” Then silently prayed she wouldn’t. Holding his breath he waited.

His daughter looked at him with her tear stained face, running nose, in voice hoarse with tears she replied,

“No, you are my Papa. I love you. Does Armana aunty know I am her daughter?”

Exhaling, after what seemed an eternity, unable to speak as tears of relief cascaded down his face, Jai nodded. Wiping his tears Dua said,

“Papa, please don’t cry I love you.”

Hugging her to his chest, never to let go, Jai and Dua sat like that until Armana entered the room and said,

“Place for one more.”

Looking up father and daughter nodded, before Dua slid out of Jai’s lap, walked up to Armana, hugged her as tight as she could, in a voice filled with love, she said;

“Mama, I love you. I know you’re my mama and I am happy you are marrying my papa.”

Surprised, shocked, dazed Armana looked at Jai, who nodded his head. Armana needed no further confirmation. Hugging her daughter, she cried, tears she stored for ten years were released today, like spring rain washes away the last of winter, so did Armana’s tears wash away the last of her sorrows. Jai walked up to the two most important women in his life and hugged them both.



Five Years Later….



Dua was now a teenager and true to her word she bossed over Aryan, her four year old baby brother and Roohi her four year old baby sister, just as much as she loved them. She took care of them, even sang them the lullaby Armana used to sing to her. In a sweet and simple ceremony, with only close friends and family present Jai married Armana two weeks after he slipped the ring on her finger, took her to Fiji for their honeymoon and brought her back pregnant with twins. Since then Armana had been living her dream with her own family.



Following tradition, Jai and Armana danced to the same song they had danced to five years ago on the momentous birthday, when their lives had irrevocably changed for the better. Armana was still the happiest woman at the party. Knowing he would have to go and cut the cake soon, Jai said;

“Armana, even today every time you enter the room my heart flutters for you. Each day I love you more than the day before. You have made me the luckiest man alive. Thank you.”

Saying he sealed her lips with a kiss, then continued,

“Let’s leave this party, we will go and have our own private celebration. You still have not given me my gift so I will just have to take it.”

Saying he glided her out of the party and into the confines of their bedroom, where they continued their own private party.