Kaashi Unfiltered

Kaashi's POV

I was sleeping.
Peacefully.
Happily.

Without a single care in the world.

Until...

"KAASHI!"

I groaned and pulled the blanket over my head.

No.Absolutely not.
I knew that voice.

I knew exactly what was coming next.

I don't know why my mother hates me and my beauty sleep . She acts like I'm sleeping with some man and getting cracked.

"Damnn it kaashi what the fuck you keep thinking " I told that myself and before the voices in my head could answer it back ---

"KAASHI! UTH JA!"

(Kaashi! Wake up!)

My eyes remained shut.Maybe if I pretended to be dead, she'd leave.

Honestly, at this point, it was worth trying.

Spoiler alert.My mother never gives up.The next second, my bedroom door flew open.

Easy mother..toot jayega to naya banwana padega😭

"Uth ja! Kab tak soyegi? Kumbhkaran ke khandaan se hai kya?"

(Get up! How long are you going to sleep? Are you from Kumbhkaran's family or what?)

There it was.My mother's favourite morning dialogue.

If I'm from kumbhkaran's khaandan then prolly her love ie my father was also one of the relatives of kumbhkaran ..which means she is kumbhkaran's daughter in law !

Oh my gawdd theese old age women don't have any respect for their in laws 🙄

I slowly opened one eye and looked towards her.

"Mumma..."
(Mom...)

"Uth."

"Uthh gayi hu mumma ..!"
(I am awake.)

"Ohh aankhein band karke uth gayi ho..?"

(You're talking with your eyes closed..)

"That's because I'm emotionally awake."

She stared at me.

I stared back.
Obviously her genes won ..i just had my father's brown eyes rest everything in me was mata ji ki copy

She sighed.

I smiled.

And that was the beginning of another beautiful morning in the life of Kaashi Raghuvanshi.

By beautiful, I obviously meant absolutely fucking exhausting.

"Kitni baar kaha hai tujhe, subah jaldi uth-"

(How many times have I told you to wake up early in the morning-)

"Mumma, please."

"-aur ye shaadi ka kya socha hai tune?"

(-and what have you decided about your marriage?)

I closed my eyes again. How come is waking up early and marriage related to each other?

“Is marrying a creature with a dick between his legs somehow going to make me wake up early?”

Of course Not

But I don't know why my pretty wonderful mother can't understand this simple thing .

Apparently, my mother had only two hobbies in life.

Worrying about me.

And getting me married.

"Umar hoti ja rahi hai teri, Kaashi. Kab karegi shaadi? Ek baar is buddhi maa ko bhi apni beti ki shaadi ka sukoon de de."

(You're getting older, Kaashi. When are you going to get married? At least once, give this old mother the peace of seeing her daughter married.)

I knew this lecture wasn't going anywhere.It was the same every morning.Sometimes with slightly different words.

Sometimes with a little more emotional blackmail.

But the topic?

Always the same.

Marriage.

Marriage.

And more marriage.

I finally threw the blanket aside and sat up.

"Happy?"
(Happy?)

"Bilkul nahi. Pehle uth toh ja properly."

(Not at all. At least get up properly first.)

My mother had many talents.

Cooking.
Managing our tiny household.
Giving unsolicited advice.

And waking me up by reminding me that apparently I was running out of time to get married..I was twenty-four.Twenty-four.Not forty-two.

I rolled my eyes and got off the bed.The first thing I did wasn't look at my mother.It wasn't check my phone.

It wasn't even check the time.

It was look at myself in the mirror.

And...

Oh.

My.

God.

I smiled.

My skin.My beautiful, clear, glowing skin.

Korean glass skin who ?
The new beauty standard should be the kashi raghuvanshi skin!!

I walked closer to the mirror, examining my face from every possible angle.Okay, maybe I was a little obsessed with skincare.

But can you blame me?

I had invested too much time, money and emotional attachment into this face to not admire the results.

(Certified skincare paglu hai apni ladki 🥰)

"Mumma, dekho toh-"

(Mom, look at this-)

She looked at me.

"What?"

"My skin."

She stared at me for two seconds.

Then sighed.

"Is ladki ka kuch nahi ho sakta."

(There is absolutely no hope for this girl.)

She is jealous ik..she has some acne bumps and my is clear and glossy soo jealous but understandable

Kashi she is your mother ..stop being so narcissist - when the voices in my head reminded me of our bond.

I grinned.

I turned towards my cupboard and quickly pulled out my clothes.

I was already running late for work and, knowing myself, I had approximately fifteen minutes before my boss started wondering whether his journalist had been kidnapped.

I picked up my clothes and headed towards the bathroom.But obviously, my mother wasn't done.

"Tere peeche ek aur beti shaadi ke liye baithi hai."

(You have another daughter sitting behind you waiting to get married.)

I stopped.Slowly turned around.

There was only one person she could possibly be talking about.

My younger sister.
Oh my god this woman... she is just 16 mama please Stapppp!!

My younger one who can't even tie her braids without our help she is talking about her marriage wow...

I raised an eyebrow.

"Toh?"

"Toh kya? Tu shaadi nahi kar rahi, toh hum uski shaadi kahaan se karein?"

(So what? If you're not getting married, how are we supposed to get her married?)

I blinked.Then looked at her.

Then at the ceiling.

Then back at her.
Oh now she is planning to get her married too!

She will burst out laughing or maybe pull some strands of her hair if she heard what our mother was saying .

"Simple solution hai."

"What?"

"Aapko itna shauk hai na shaadi karne ka?"

(You're so eager to get someone married, aren't you?)

I shrugged.

"Pehle uski kar do."
(Get her married first.)

My mother looked personally offended. I loved that look . I love winning and leaving people amused and speechless

"Pagal hai kya? Aise thodi hota hai! Pehle badi beti ki shaadi hoti hai."

(Are you crazy? That's not how it works! The elder daughter gets married first.)

I frowned.

"Why?"

"Riwaaz hai."
(It's a tradition.)

"Riwaaz ko bolo thoda modern ho jaaye."
(Tell the tradition to become a little modern.)

"Kaashi!"

I laughed.

She glared at me.

"Ab teri shaadi ki umar ho gayi hai aur tujhe mazaak sujh raha hai."
(You've reached the age to get married and you're still making jokes about it.)

"Mumma, meri shaadi ki umar kab nahi hui? Aapke hisaab se toh main paida hi shaadi ke liye hui thi."

(Mom, when was I ever not of marriageable age according to you?  to you, I was literally born to get married.)

The day I turned 22 from that very day my mother started chanting the word marriage as if it was a synonym of vishnu ji's name and she will get moksha by chanting it .

She muttered something under her breath. I couldn't hear it.a aa

But considering the look on her face, I'm pretty sure it wasn't a compliment.

My gawdddd..she was cursing me?

Cursing the epitome of beauty Kaashi Raghuvansh?Not good mumma..you will regret it!

Ahhh theese voices in my head they will kill me one day fs!

I sighed and rubbed my forehead.

"Mumma, aap chahti kya ho subah-subah? Why are you ruining my morning?"
(Mom, what exactly do you want this early in the morning? Why are you ruining my morning?)

She looked at me for a moment. Then her expression changed. That expression.

The one that always meant she was about to drop a bomb. Wait did she get me married while I was asleep? Or the groom's family is waiting for me downstairs?

"Next week ladke waale aa rahe hain."
(The boy's family is coming next week.)

I froze. Yaa If I loved dropping bombs on people my mother was head over heels for that! How casually did she tell me this?

"What?"

"Rishta hai."
(It's a marriage proposal.)

I stared at her.

She continued like she'd just told me someone was coming over for tea. Looked like she planned a kitty party . 

"Main chahti hoon tu unse ache se mil le."
(I want you to meet them properly.)

I actually laughed.

Not because it was funny.

Because I genuinely couldn't believe her.  Wow mumma you just mentioned it and u want me to greet them like I am Poonam from Vivaah .

Ohh that movie , I love it but it doesn't mean that I will go marry any random chomu guy mumma chooses for me..Ya Prem was classic but he even fucked her on thier wedding night after all the traumatic experience she had...

Oh Gawdddd I hate men!

"Mumma, what's the need for all this?"

"Kaashi-"

"Every time it's something for you. Kabhi meri shaadi, kabhi meri age, kabhi log kya kahenge..."

(Every time it's something for you. Sometimes it's my marriage, sometimes my age, sometimes what people will say...)

Now I was genuinely done with meeting someone every day..I am just 24 please for God's sake let me live..

"Arey, meri pasand ke liye ek baar mil toh le."

(Oh come on, just meet them once for my happiness.)

I looked at her.There was something about the way she said it that made me realise she wasn't joking.

She genuinely wanted me to meet them.

I sighed.What was the point of arguing?

When my mother had already decided something, convincing her otherwise was basically like arguing with a wall.

And honestly?

The wall probably had more chances of understanding me.

I picked up my clothes again.

"Fine."

Her face immediately brightened.

"But-"

Her smile disappeared.

I looked at her.

"Jab aapko sab kuch apne mann ka hi karna hai na, toh mujhse pooch kyun rahi ho?"

(When you're going to do everything according to your own wishes anyway, then why are you asking me?)

She opened her mouth.

I didn't let her speak. I could not hear her rant of "humne tumne 9 mahine tk isiliye rakha tha ki tume aage chalkar aise bano" 

I was done with her for the day..so to avoid any further arguments i said!

"Jo sahi lage, karo."
(Do whatever you think is right.)

And before she could start another lecture...

BANG.

I shut the bathroom door.

I leaned against it and closed my eyes.

Silence.

Finally.

I exhaled.

Then looked at myself in the mirror again.

My reflection stared back at me.

The prettiest woman indeed..My dark brown eyes perfectly matched my new hair colour..The morning glow on my face...ahh my skincare cooked fs!

I smiled.

"Next week, huh?"

I shook my head.

Poor guy.

He had absolutely no idea what he was signing up for.

He was coming here just to eat 2 Samosas Cold drink , a lot of sweets and obviously my head.

Fifteen minutes later.

I stepped out of the bathroom completely ready for work, dressed in a black button-down shirt tucked neatly into my beige high-waisted trousers, the sleeves casually rolled up to my elbows. My hair was pulled into a neat low bun, with a few loose strands framing my face, while simple earrings and my watch completed the look. 

Ahh what a bomb you are kaashi..

I grabbed my handbag, phone, and the rest of my office essentials before taking one last look at myself in the mirror.

Not bad.

Actually... pretty damn good.

I gave myself one last approving look before walking out of my room. I was already running a little late, so I quickly made my way towards the staircase, mentally going through everything I had to get done at the office today.

I had barely reached the middle of the stairs when the television caught my attention.

"Rana Saab has once again announced a new welfare initiative aimed at improving the lives of thousands of people across Uttar Pradesh, with a special focus on women's safety, employment and financial independence..."

I stopped.

Of course.

Rana.

The name alone was enough to make me roll my eyes.

Everywhere I looked these days, there was something about this man.

Rana Saab did this.
Rana Saab launched that.
Rana Saab met these people.
Rana Saab helped those people.

At this point, I was convinced the man couldn't even sneeze without making it to the news.

I continued downstairs, deciding to ignore the television and head straight for breakfast. But when I reached the dining table, I noticed only Mumma was there.

My sister was missing.

Which was weird.

We had this annoying little family tradition of eating breakfast together whenever possible. And knowing my sister, if she wasn't at the table, there was only one place she could possibly be.

The TV room.

I grabbed my breakfast and followed the sound of the television, and sure enough, there she was.

Sitting comfortably on the sofa.

Completely glued to the screen.

And, obviously, watching Rana Saab.

I sighed and walked over.

"Seriously?"

She didn't even look at me.

"Shhh, dii! He's talking."

I stared at her.

Then at the television.

Then back at her. Ahh another andhbhakt of this shitty man .

My sister was practical, she was not a noob or an idiot but still adoring him made me question her grades and common sense .

What the hell had happened to my sister?

I sat beside her with my breakfast and listened to the news for a few seconds. The anchor was going on about Rana's new scheme, his work for women, his initiatives for the public and apparently the man's endless list of achievements.

My sister, meanwhile, looked like she was watching the greatest love story ever written.

I couldn't help myself.

"Tu itni interested kyun hai is aadmi mein?"

(Why are you so interested in this man?)

I get irritated when people around me watch him , talk about him or even mention him.

She finally looked at me as if I'd just asked the stupidest question in human history.

"Because he's actually good, Didu."

I raised an eyebrow. Silly gurl ..she doesn't knows the bad side of this creepy man .

"Good?"

She nodded enthusiastically.

"Haan! Tum log har politician ko same samajhte ho. Har politician scandal nahi karta."

(Yes! You people think every politician is the same. Not every politician is involved in scandals.)

I almost choked on my food. What did she mean by you people? She is comparing me THE KAASHI RAGHVANSHI with some other people who hate him?

Ahhh yes I respect the people who hate him..but that does not mean she can causally put me in their group...I am Kaashi..I am special..

"You people?"

She ignored me.

"Rana Saab actually works. He brings schemes for people, he focuses on women, he actually goes out there and does something instead of just sitting in an office and giving speeches."

I stared at her.

She was serious.

Like, dead serious.

Was it that easy to manipulate the youth? or the gen-z

I glanced at the television again.

There he was.

Rana Agastya Singh Rathore.

The Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh.

The man whose face had apparently taken over every news channel in the country.

I shrugged.

"Fine. Kaam karta hoga."
(Fine. Maybe he does work.)

My sister smiled triumphantly.

"Exactly!"

"But that doesn't mean you need to look at him like he's your future husband."

The look in her eyes...it was like a 16 year old student imaginig unholy things with her professor!!

Oh my gawdd Kashi stap!!

She rolled her eyes.

"Oh, please. I'm just saying he's not as bad as you think."

I took another bite of my breakfast.

"Politicians are politicians."

She immediately shook her head.

"Not him."

I laughed.

"Okay, now I'm genuinely curious. Why do you like him so much?"

I wonder what she is smoking theese days.

She went silent for a second.

I waited.

She looked at the television.

Then back at me.

Her expression suddenly turned dreamy.

And I knew I wasn't going to like the answer.

"Because he's good at what he does."

I nodded.

Fair enough. The answer was okayishh coming from a 16 year old .

"He works hard, he actually cares about people, aur uske paas wo stupid scandals bhi nahi hain jo baaki sab ke paas hain."

She said it all in one breath, like she'd rehearsed it. I opened my mouth to reply...

She leaned back against the sofa, looked at his face on the television and smiled.

"And he's hot."

I nearly dropped my spoon.

"Wait—did you just call the Chief Minister of UP hot?"

"Oh, stop it, you woman! You're sixteen!"
She rolled her eyes.

I guess that sounded better in her head.

"I'm not blind, Dumbo."

Now I really want to smoke whatever she was smoking .

I shook my head, trying not to laugh.

Of all the things I expected from my little sister that morning, becoming an unpaid PR manager for the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh definitely wasn't one of them.

And apparently, according to her...

Rana Saab was the exception.

Personally?

I wasn't convinced.

Not even a little.

I grabbed my handbag from the sofa and checked my phone one last time before stepping out of the house. Mumma was still busy with the kitchen, while Anaya had already disappeared upstairs to get ready for school. Apparently, unlike me, she had somewhere important to be on time. Shocking.

A few minutes later, I walked out of the house and slipped into my black Honda City. I placed my handbag on the passenger seat, started the engine and adjusted the rear-view mirror, giving myself one last look.

Perfect.

Meanwhile, Anaya came rushing out a few minutes later with her school bag hanging off one shoulder, barely managing to say goodbye before running towards her ride.

"Bye, Didi!"

I rolled down my window and looked at her.

"School se seedha ghar aana, Anaya. Aur phone classes mein mat use karna."
(Come straight home from school, Anaya. And don't use your phone during classes.)

She gave me the most innocent smile I've ever seen.

Which, coming from Anaya, meant she was definitely going to do exactly what I had just told her not to.

"Haan, Didi."

I narrowed my eyes at her. I loved her . I only had mumma and little anaya in my family and in my life..They mean a lot to me..more than my life ig..

She laughed and ran off.

I shook my head, put the car in drive and pulled out of the driveway, heading towards my office.

I had no idea that by the time I reached the office, my perfectly normal workday would be the beginning of something I wouldn't be able to run from...

Even if I wanted to.

♡♡♡♡

< AUTHOR'S NOTE 🖤 >

OYYYY finally Part One is hereee 😭🫶🏻

Agastya ki entry ke liye itna impatient mat ho, bhai. UP ka CM hai, Amazon delivery boy nahi. 💀

But trust me, we're getting there.
I wanted you guys to know Kaashi a little before throwing Agastya into her life because these two are going to be a whole different level of headache. 👺

Also... ANAYA AND HER RANA SAAB CRUSH. GIRL, YOU'RE SIXTEEN.. Rana Saab ki PR manager banna band kar. 😭

Comments mein bakchodi, theories, predictions...SAB CHAHIYE. I wanna know what is going on inside those pretty little heads of yours. 😭🫶🏻

And yes, STAR KAR DENA. Itna bada chapter likhwa liya hai tum logon ne mujhse, kuch toh mehnat ka do. 😭
Also, you can follow me on Insta: @kaashiiversee 🫧
Chalo bhaago. Part 2 mein milte hain. 🖤🫧

- Kaashii