Despite playing the antagonist role in Naamkaran, Reema Lagoo did not fail to win the hearts of all Naamkaran fans.. I will miss her as Dayawanti Mehta.. And I am sure everyone else would… I don’t think anybody else would be able to play the role better than her..
So this OS is a tribute for her commendable acting.. May she rest in peace..
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“Meri Pyaari Dadi”
A girl, slim and tall, is seen standing against the bus stand, completely drenched in water. It felt as though her world came crashing down along with the rain upon knowing the fact of her father’s marriage. (The girl is revealed to be Avni.) She was angry, and all her poured out through tears that the world failed to see. A car is driving by slowly past her and stops suddenly and begins to drive back up to her. An elderly woman comes out of the car with an umbrella.
She walks towards the girl and sits beside her, sharing the umbrella. The girl looks at her. (The woman is none other than Dayawanti Mehta.) All that she saw in her eyes were motherly love at its purest form. Avni hugs the woman and breaks down into tears.
“Beta, who are you?? And why are you crying??”
“I have lost.. Dadi.. I hav– ops.. I called you dadi–”
“It’s not a problem.. You are like my grand daughter..you can call me Dadi…Now stop crying and tell me.. What happened?? What have you lost??”
“I lost my dad…(sobbing and sniffing)”
“Lost your dad??”
“He left my mother and married another woman. If he had such plans then why did he bring me to this world??”
“I–”
The woman’s phone began to ring. She caresses Avni and tells her to go home.
“I have nowhere to go.. My mom met with an accident earlier today morning.. Upon hearing about my dad’s marriage…”
“Hmm.. I see.. Then come with me.. I would love to have you by my side during my last days. I got my son married and he left with his wife today for honeymoon. So I am all alone at home.. It would be lovely to have a sweet child like you..”
Avni rubs her eyes and gets into the car with Dayawanti. Little did she know that she was going with her own dadi.
After a 5 minutes drive, the car stops in front of a palatial house. Avni looks on at it awestruck by the beauty and grandeur of the place. Dayavanti holds her hands and leads her into the house. The weather outside was still furious. The Power supply gets off as Avni enters the house and sits on the sofa.
“This is a daily routine.. Don’t be scared.. I will be back with candles.. Wait here..” Dayawanti says grumbling.
Avni looks around the house. Even in the dark the house looked so beautiful and mysterious. She felt homely being there… One photo frame falls upon the floor. Avni walks towards it as Dayawanti walks in with a candle. Avni picks up the frame while Dayawanti walks behind her with the candle and as she was about to turn the frame..
“Beta.. Leave it..”
Avni gets startled by her voice so suddenly that she drops the frame.
“Sorry.. (bending to pick the frame)–”
“Leave it.. It is dark.. You will end up hurting your hands..” Dayawanti guides her towards a room and gives her clothes and towel to get herself dried. Avni smiles. As Avni walks forwards the frame showed a picture of Ashish and Dayawanti.
“Dinner is laid on the table.. I will be waiting.. Just walk towards the left.. You will find the dining..” saying so Dayawanti leaves.
After a while, Avni walks out of the room and walks through the corridor. The faint candles lit up the corridor. As she was walking, her eyes catch hold of something that runs shiver down her spine. She gets shocked and looks towards the wall. She notices a picture of her dad with the woman who brought her so lovingly to her home. She notices excellence certificates of “Ashish Mehta”. She looks on in disgust. Dayawanti notices her looking at those pictures. She smiles and walks up to Avni saying,
“This is my son, Ashish.. My most obedient son. He never hid anything from me.. Neither did he ever lie to me..he is an example for today’s generation..”
Avni looks on and thinks..probably Ashish kept her dadi in dark too. She smiles and goes to the dining quietly. After a quiet meal, she tells that she was feeling very sleepy and tired. Dayawanti smiles at her and tucks her to bed.
“Should I sing lullaby–”
“No.. Thanks for all the things.. –”
“Do you really say thanks to your dadi.. Would you really say??”
Avni looks at her.. And then replies..
“I don’t know who my dadi is.. Who would accept an illegitimate child??” Avni sobs.
Dayawanti hugs her.. “You are not at fault.. It is your parents.. They should have married when they loved each other and planned to take their relation further like that of a husband and wife..And then your father is more faulty because he left your mother after being in love with her.. He cheated her.. He should have had the guts to accept her in front of the whole world.. And you too.. I am angry at your father for having left you alone in this world.. My Aashish would have never done such a thing! I will talk to him about you.. Just tell me…Who is your father??”
Avni looks on at her.. And pretends to sleep. She did not want to hurt her in her old age.
Dayawanti kisses her upon her forehead and leaves the room. Avni looks around to see if she is gone and then looks for a piece of paper and a pen. After searching through the drawers she finally gets one. Avni takes a deep breath and begins to write…
“Meri pyaari dadi..
It was lovely to know you would accept an illegitimate child.. But I am still unsure if you would accept the child if it were your son’s??
I had always wanted to know my dadi.. And today I have got love from my own dadi..knowingly unknowingly.. Yes.. Ashish Mehta is my dad.. I never thought I would end up coming to my dad’s house like this.. I did not wish you to know the truth this way.. It might have hurt you… Papa must have had a great place in your heart.. But yet he failed to be a better dad and a supportive husband…
And then I don’t want to hurt you.. And that is why I am leaving.. My mother was Aisha.. A muslim.. Dad told he would tell you about us.. But looks like he never spoke to you about us..
And this was because you detested muslims.. Whatever may be the reason.. I do not wish to add any.. For me, you will always be my dadi.. No matter what..
I do not know how you would react upon finding this little piece of letter…
But being your granddaughter, I have kept a few medicines you might require as you are aging in the room where you have last seen me in.. Also, I have ordered food from a pure vegetarian restaurant nearby for the whole week, so you don’t have to cook.. And a nurse to take care of you.. For your company..
Thanks for the hospitality. I will reach my mother soon… and Forgive me.. SORRY:(
Love you loads dadi… hugs:)
Aapki Avni”
Avni slowly sneaks out of the house keeping the letter on the table. She dials up the restaurant and then a nurse to look after her ‘dadi’.
Dayawanti feels restless and wakes up. She looks around and walks out of her room. She walks towards Avnis’ room, but was shocked on seeing the room tidy and empty. Her heart sinks. And she began to feel the void in her heart and soul with Avnis’ absence. She calls her out and looks around, but in vain. As she was about to turn and go away she notices the paper Avni had left. Dayawanti picks the paper and begins to read it. She was shocked at the revelation and sits down.
“Avni.. Is… My granddaughter..” she pants and looks around and then she rushes outside with an umbrella. She notices Avni far down the lane. The storm outside made it impossible for Dayawantis’ voice to reach Avni. She notices a ball outside and decides to stop Avni by hitting the ball at her. But the wind conspired against her, directing the ball elsewhere. Dayawanti races up towards Avni who was now standing over a railing, ready to reach her mother. Having no choice Dayawanti steps over the road without noticing the fast moving car. Avni was startled by sudden screech and turns around in horror, only to find her dadi in a pool of blood. She shouts at the man and helps her dadi into the car, forcing the driver to drive faster towards the hospital.
“Dadi!! Keep your eyes open..” Avni said worriedly. Tears streaming down her cheeks. Dayawanti just kept opening and closing her eyes. But she could see the love and care her granddaughter had for her. She reaches her blood red hands towards Avnis’ cheeks and caresses her cheeks.
“Meri poti!!”
Avni hugs her tight as Dayawanti calls her ‘poti’. Upon reaching the hospital, the doctors rush Dayawanti towards the operating room and also asks Avni to arrange blood. But Avni says she is her granddaughter and shares the same blood, hence she would love to donate.
After a few hours, Dayawanti is all bandaged, Avni is sitting beside her, smiling. Dayawanti weeps.
“Ashish.. How could he..” she sobs while Avni hugs her tight. Dayawanti calls her lawyer and gives all her shares to Avni, literally disowning Ashish for his act.
“Avni, it is true I detested Muslims, but that was because of the riot issues.. I lost my husband and respect.. But today I have seen respect and love in your eyes. You knew I detested Muslims, yet you told me things honestly unlike my Ashish.. You even used up all your savings so that I can stay comfortably until Ashish returns.. You brought me to the hospital and gave me a new life.. I am sorry I did not know of you before… probably it was my hatred for the muslims that brought me far away from you… wish Ashish would have told me.. I would have seen your mother too…”
Avni weeps and hugs Dayawanti.
“From today, you are my own..” Dayawanti pecks Avni on her cheeks and forehead. Days pass by, Avni feeds hot soup to Dayawanti and takes care of her. Soon, Dayawanti gets released from the hospital. The driver comes and drives them towards the home. But just before reaching, Dayawanti tells him to drive towards the graveyard where ‘her’ daughter in law lay asleep. Avni cries and hugs Dayawanti again.
Upon reaching the graveyard, Dayawanti sits beside the grave of Aisha.
“Forgive me beta, Because of me, you could not live an honorable life..”
Dayawanti places a box of sindoor, mangalsutra and red roses upon her grave and both Avni and Dayawanti pray for her soul to rest in peace, walking holding hands towards the car later.
Upon reaching home, Dayawanti organizes a welcome party and Naamkaran function for Avni, naming her “AVNI AISHA DAYAWANTI”.
Thus blessing her with the love of two mothers.
Years later, Avni is getting married to Neil. Pandit asks for her mother to do her kanyadaan. Dayawanti rolls her wheelchair towards the mandap to perform her kanyadaan.
“Probably this was why I was kept alive..”
Everyone laughs at this. After the wedding, Avni hands over a list of chores to Madhavi.. While Neil hugs her from behind saying..
“I know meri pyaari patni ko uski dadi ki bahut fikr hai.. So dadi is coming with us…”
Avni hugs neil while Dayawanti, Shweta and Prakash coughs.
Avni walks up towards Dayawanti and gives her hug… “You have never made me miss mamma or papa.. Thanks dadi!!! Now it is my responsibility to take care of you… so you don’t feel the emptiness in your life..!!”
“Thanks kyon kaha??”
“Kyunki aap meri jaan se bhi pyaari ho..”
Avni and Dayawanti smile while Neil looks on grumbling about the fact that Avni gives all her love to Her dadi and not him.
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End!!
This is my first OS for Naamkaran.
Please do give your precious comments on this… and let me know how much you loved it..
Due to exams I could not post this on the 18th.. Please pray for me.. And ignore the mistakes as this was written hurriedly..
Hope you all enjoyed it!!!
With love
Dessertqueen (Marzia)