#love marriage and family problems in india

[astrobaba1996]

Numerous love marriage yogas have been discussed in Vedic astrology. We’ll talk about them and try to explain to you how astrology may be used to predict love Marriage based on the date of birth.

Love Marriage Problem Solution:

Love marriage problem solution can face obstacles such as disapproval from families, societal pressures, and compatibility issues. Seeking the guidance of an experienced astrologer is crucial to finding effective solutions. With their deep knowledge of astrology, Baba Ji and Molvi Ji can analyze birth charts, planetary positions, and other astrological factors to identify the root causes of the problems.

They can then provide remedies such as performing specific rituals, wearing gemstones, or chanting mantras to harmonize the celestial influences and resolve the issues of Love marriage problem.

Intercaste Love Marriage Problem Solution:

In a diverse country like India, intercaste love marriage problem solution often face resistance due to societal prejudices and family traditions. Astrology can help navigate these challenges by examining the birth charts of both partners. Baba Ji and Molvi Ji can provide guidance on how to appease planetary influences and mitigate any negative effects on the relationship. Their expertise can empower couples with effective strategies to convince families, eliminate conflicts, and create a harmonious environment for their inter caste marriage love marriage problem solution.

[ladysharmaa]

Kate mini version

Sharma!sis x Queen Charlotte's son

Summary: After the ball, everyone knows what happened between Y/n and Prince Charles. With the attention of high society members and the Queen, they face new obstacles as they fall in love.

part 1 part 2 part 3

Dearest reader,

The tone is abuzz with the latest gossip, and so it's my honor to impart to you.

Miss Y/n Sharma came to England after Kate Sharma's marriage to Viscount Bridgerton. In such a short time she managed to do something that no one else has managed to do: capture the attention of Queen Charlotte's youngest son, Prince Charles.

Dearest reader, this author finds herself compelled to share the most curious of news. It seems the two seemed to be quite close during the last dance, having danced together until Y/n walked away. But Prince Charles didn't take his eyes off the young woman for the rest of the night. Is a new romance brewing? Let's not forget that at the beginning of the season, her Majesty made her intentions clear of joining her youngest son with the princess of Austria.

In addition, Miss Y/n is here at her mother's request, living with her older sister, Kate Bridgerton, and her husband, Lord Bridgerton. Is it permanent or will she return to India? There are many mysteries yet to be unraveled.

On the other hand, the diamond of the season did not dance with any suitor, which may have made her Majesty uneasy. This author is left to wonder what shall her next move be, now that everything seems to be connected to the Bridgerton family.

Yours truly, Lady Whistledown

───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ─────

"This is not good." Y/n muttered nervously, looking over Kate's shoulder to read the latest edition of Lady Whistledown. And to his greatest horror, she was the main topic. "How many people read this?"

"Too many." the older sister sighed, before placing the paper next to her and turning to Y/n who had her eyes increasingly wide. "Everything's fine. Most of the family has already suffered from Lady Whistledown's words and we support each other. And everything ended up being fine, the ton has short memory and will forget all about this by the next scandal."

"But what if they don't forget?"

"If they don't forget what?" a new voice intruded into the conversation.

Y/n let out a small scream, immediately recognizing Anthony's voice, and hurried to hide the paper behind her back. "Nothing. It's a beautiful day, I'm going to the gardens. Maybe hide there all day. Or all year."

"Y/n, no. You have to tell Anthony, he won't blame you for anything."

Bridgerton's eyebrows rose upon hearing that, turning to Y/n with a frown upon noticing her terrified expression. "What happened?"

"My apologies, Anthony. The last thing I wanted to do was associate the name Bridgerton with scandals. Lady Whistledown wrote about last night. About… About Prince Charles and I." She looked down, not wanting to see Anthony's disapproving look, and handed him the paper.

The minutes dragged on. To Y/n it felt like hours had passed. Long hours with just the silence in the room. Her heart was pounding against her chest and she tried to control the tears from reaching her eyes. Her head was running with different questions that only made her anxiety worse. Would they send her back to India so they wouldn't suffer any more from this scandal? She didn't know that dancing with someone could cause so many problems.

Just the thought of returning to her homeland, despite having loved growing up there, brought her great sadness. Her life was in England now. She adored her sister's family, having grown up close to many of them, especially Francesca and Hyacinth. And the truth is that she had enjoyed meeting Prince Charles. Y/n finally felt like she belonged somewhere.

She snapped out of these thoughts when she heard Anthony sigh. What was that? Disappointment? Anger? Sadness?

"Look at me." he said, but Y/n refused, knowing that as soon as she looked at the couple she would burst into tears. She shook her head, pursing her lips. "Y/n…"

"Please don't send me back to India."

"What?" the Viscount questioned in shock, almost not having noticed her from how quietly she spoke. He felt Kate hold his hand, looking sadly at her sister. "Y/n, look at us. We are not going to send you back to India."

"Really?" She raised her head shyly, her eyes red from holding back tears.

"Of course. You're part of the family. I haven't told you yet, but Mama sent a letter. Edwina had problems during the birth, so she's going to stay there until at least the rest of the year. You're going to stay with us. Here."

"Y/n, we would never send you away because of Lady Whistledown's news. You're a Bridgerton now." Anthony assured, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder. Her smile upon hearing those words, although still small, released some of the stress that Anthony and Kate were feeling.

"Hey, Anthony, I was wondering— Oh, sorry!" Hyacinth entered the room, stopping when she saw the three of them and the tense atmosphere it was in. Then he noticed the sad face and the paper his brother was holding. "Is that from Lady Whistledown? What does it say?"

"It doesn't matter what it says. What did you want to tell me, Hyacinth?"

"Oh, I was wondering if we could go horse riding. I am so bored, Gregory is training and Benedict isn't paying attention to me." she pouted, causing Y/n to giggle and rush over to Hyacinth, intertwining their arms.

"Fear no more, I shall give you attention."

"Thank you, kind lady." Hyacinth laughed. "Please, Anthony, take us horse riding."

When he offered to teach Y/n how to ride a horse, the rest of his sisters were also invited, since the men already knew how to do it. As expected, only Hyacinth accepted with great enthusiasm while Eloise preferred to read and spend her time with her new friend, Miss Cressida. For her part, Francesca was never much for outdoor sports and Daphne was obviously busy with her husband and son. Thus, Y/n and the youngest Bridgerton both formed a special friendship, and were now a feared duo in the Bridgerton house.

"What do you say?" he whispered in his wife's ear, looking at the two girls who were giving them the best puppy dog ​​eyes. "I'm afraid I can't say no to them."

"I think it's a great idea." Kate smiled.

───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ─────

The four then ventured into the forest. Anthony and Kate were ahead, lost in their own world while Hyacinth and Y/n followed a little behind. The younger girl curiously questioned Sharma about the night of the ball, upset that she was still too young to attend one.

"I wish I had gone yesterday. Did you dance with someone yesterday? I tried to ask Francesca the same thing, but she wouldn't leave her room."

"Unexpected things happened. Francesca is just a little discouraged. As diamond of the season, she has a lot of pressure on her. And I… Well, I danced with someone."

"Prince Charles?! I saw you both when we went for a picnic, I think it was love at first sight." Hyacinth giggled.

"Sometimes I forget how good an observer you are. Yes, I danced with him." Before her friend could get too excited, Y/n hurried to add. "And I was naive, because although I enjoyed being with him, he has an enormous responsibility. I doubt people would want him to spend his time with me."

"Please, I think you are in love."

"What? Of course not, I barely know him. We just had fun dancing, but that must be over by now. I doubt her Majesty will let him dance with me again. Lady Whistledown made sure of that."

"If you say so. I, on the other hand, do not agree. Prince Charles has shown that he is interested in you. Or he would have danced with other girls after you. But he didn't."

"Well, maybe he was tired." Y/n shrugged, while Hyacinth rolled her eyes. They continued the walk in silence, enjoying the forest landscape.

“Girls, let’s do a race!” Anthony shouted, looking over his shoulder with a smirk. Y/n chuckled, knowing he had never met a family as competitive as the Bridgertons. But she was one now too, and she loved winning.

“Very well. But make sure you don’t get too sad when I win.” Hyacinth teased, despite being the one with the least experience riding a horse.

“We’ll see.” Kate joined the teasing.

The four positioned themselves next to each other, letting the man count down. Y/n grabbed the reins tighter, and as soon as Anthony finished, she let her horse run. For a moment they were all balanced, but Hyacinth quickly fell behind. The couple competed a little ahead, trying to reach a certain narrower entrance. So, with their attention diverted from her, she took the opportunity to step over a fallen tree trunk, arriving earlier at that entrance, continuing at the same pace.

She felt free on a horse. The wind hit their face, the landscape blurred from how fast they were going. Y/n petted the animal, feeling like they could conquer the world.

When she realized that the others had already stopped, as no one had yet reached her, she also slowed down so she could wait for them to catch up. They probably had to go back to help Hyacinth control her horse.

“That was impressive.” she heard behind her.

Although she felt a second of fear, thinking that an unknown man had found her alone in the middle of the forest, she quickly associated it with the voice of the person she least wanted to see at that moment. As such, she just closed her eyes and hoped it was just her imagination. But when he cleared his throat, she knew she had to face him. Finally, she commanded the horse to turn around, finding herself face to face with Prince Charles, who was also on top of a beautiful black horse.

“Prince Charles, it’s a pleasure to see you again.” she smiled shyly.

“You as well, Miss Y/N. I didn’t know you were so talented at riding. Did Lady Bridgerton teach you?”

“She and Viscount Bridgerton. And since then I haven’t wanted anything else.” she shrugged uncomfortably, both not knowing what to say. In this way, Y/n focused on the horse that the prince was riding, being shocked by its size. “Beautiful.” She looked at Charles, noticing his look of surprise and a slight blush appearing on his cheeks. “I mean, the horse— The horse is beautiful.”

“Of course.” he looked away, clearing his throat. “It seems we both had the same idea after the paper published by Lady Whistledown. A nice walk was exactly what I needed to get away from my mother.”

“My apologies, I didn’t mean to interfere with your marriage with the Princess of Austria.”

“Her Majesty wants me to marry her. But I don't. You see, a beautiful, fierce, remarkable girl has already caught my attention. It may seem sudden, but she is constantly in my thoughts.” he looked intensely into her eyes. Out of nowhere, it seemed like it had become much hotter, her breathing coming in muffled.

“Oh… I—”

“Y/n! Where are you?” Kate's voice was heard through the forest, breaking the atmosphere that had formed between them.

“I’m here, Kate.” Y/n replied, closing her eyes in despair when she realized that she would have a lot to explain once they arrived.

She had already taken a risk with Lady Whistledown, and now they were alone in an isolated place… It's a good thing no one outside the family would see them, or the scandal would have become much more serious. A feeling of guilt coursed through her body again. She had promised Anthony that she didn't want to associate the Bridgerton name with scandals, and here she was doing exactly the opposite.

“Prince Charles, we can’t talk anymore. It’s not right.” she said before the others appeared.

“Why not? Because of Lady Whistledown? Ignore her, the ton will quickly forget about this.”

“You don’t know that!” Y/n exclaimed exasperated at how calm Charles seemed to be about this situation.

“I know that I want to be with you.”

“You are crazy!” she put her hand over her mouth when she realized that she had “insulted” a member of the royal family. “Apologies, Prince Charles. I didn’t mean that.”

“Call me Charles.”

“I take back my apologies.”

“Finally, we found you, Y/N. We had to go back because Hyacinth’s horse refused to move.” Kate appeared, followed by the others, stopping when she saw what was happening. She made a small bow, looking at them suspiciously. “Prince Charles, I didn’t expect to see you here. Especially with my sister.”

“What do you think you are doing?” Anthony wasn't as friendly as his wife, narrowing his eyes and approaching Y/n to stand slightly in front of her.

“Lord Bridgerton, I guarantee nothing happened. I was simply, like you, taking a walk when I saw Miss Y/n. We only talk about what Lady Whistledown wrote.” Charles assured, sending a comforting smile to Y/n, who was watching the two nervously.

“It was mere chance that we found each other. We can go back to the house now.”

Anthony signaled to Kate, who nodded. They had mastered the art of speaking with just their eyes, it still left Y/n quite confused when they did that. But this time, she understood perfectly. Lowering her head slightly, she followed her sister and Hyacinth home, while Anthony and Charles remained behind. Over her shoulder, she mumbled a quick apology to the boy, hoping he would understand what she meant.

When the women were out of sight, Anthony turned to the Prince , who appeared unaffected. “I hope you’re not trying to ruin my wife’s sister’s reputation. You know very well what the ton would say if they found you in this situation. And I guarantee you, you don’t want to duel me.”

“I agree. That's the last thing I desire. Miss Y/n would certainly never speak to me again. And I don't want that. Lord Bridgerton, we were just talking, and on horses for more. But, for all the respect I have for Miss Y/n and the Bridgerton family, I assure you this will never happen again.”

"It better not."

───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ─────

After a tense conversation with Kate and Anthony, they believed Y/n when she said it was a coincidence to meet Prince Charles, but that she understood the gravity of being alone with a man.

So, she spent a few days locked up at home, hoping that the scandal had already been forgotten. However, this isolation couldn't last forever, so she was forced to join the Bridgerton family on a walk by the lake.

She had her arm linked with Benedict's, Eloise beside her, while they listened to Collin's travel stories. He had seen so much, experienced so many new cultures, that Y/n just wanted to know more. Eloise, in turn, seemed envious that only men could have the pleasure of traveling alone wherever they wanted, and Benedict asked about the art of each country, something that Y/n barely understood.

However, Collin ended up rushing the end of the story, seeing a group of girls walking, giggling when they saw him. Eloise groaned in disgust, while Benedict shook his head, changing direction so he wouldn't have to watch his brother flirt. Y/n also went with them, not wanting to see that scene.

But she noticed that they had been stopped by Lady Wilson, whose daughter was participating in the season along with Y/n, Francesca, and Eloise. "Good afternoon, Lady Wilson."

"Good afternoon." she said. "I noticed you didn't go to the ball yesterday. I haven't yet had a chance to talk with Lady Bridgerton to know if everything is alright."

"Thank you for your concern." Benedict said sarcastically, taking control since Anthony wasn't around. "We had other matters to attend, but I assure you that we will be present at the ball tomorrow."

"That's wonderful news." the woman said with a fake smile. "In that case you will be able to see my daughter dancing with Prince Charles, just like yesterday. They form a beautiful couple, don't you think?"

Y/n had to control herself not to roll her eyes. It was clear what Lady Wilson was trying to do, but there would be no reaction from her. Eloise and Benedict looked at her from the corner of their eyes, waiting to know if Y/n needed them to interrupt the conversation.

"I don't know. I didn't see them together nor did I have the opportunity to know about it since Lady Whistledown didn't write about them. And we all know that she writes about everything that happens, and it seems especially important if the prince is interested in someone to court. Looks like we'll have to wait and see."

"Yes, we shall wait." Lady Wilson clenched her jaw. "I'm certain that the prince loved to dance with my daughter."

"If you say so. Please excuse us, we shall return to the rest of our family." Y/n said dryly, hurrying to walk in the opposite direction with the two Bridgertons behind her.

"Jealous, dear sister?" Benedict asked with a sly smile once they were far enough away from the woman.

"No. Why would I be?" Y/n pretended not to be bothered, but in reality the thought of Charles dancing with someone else didn't sit very well with her. But what could she be expecting, she had said that they shouldn't talk anymore and he had to get married this season. "I'm just surprised that Lady Wilson is so confident in her daughter with the prince when the Queen wants him with the princess of Austria."

"Hmm." was the only response she received from Benedict. Eloise, already fed up with just hearing about the season, changed the subject and Y/n was also grateful for that. The last thing she wanted was to think about the next ball.

───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ─────

"What are you going to do?" Hyacinth asked as she helped Y/n and Francesca get ready for ball. The two had already put on their dresses and now all that was left was the jewelry. Kate had already come to say that they would have to leave soon, smiling calmly when she noticed the nervous state of her sister who had changed her dress about five times already.

“About what?”

“About the prince, obviously.”

“I don’t know. I am a little confused. This is all happening so quickly. And the fact that Lady Whistledown wrote about us didn't help. But the truth is that when I'm with him, I don't know, I feel different.” Y/n tried to explain, but realized she couldn't describe her feelings in words. It was something foreign to her, but not unwanted.

“I know what it is. You like him.” the Bridgerton dropped onto the bed dramatically.

“But liking may not be enough. Don't forget that the Queen has a lot of influence on these things. And I wouldn’t want to piss her off, it would only hurt all of you.”

"You are exaggerating. Francesca, what do you think of this?”

“What?” the girl snapped out of her thoughts when she heard her name. “Sorry, I wasn’t paying attention.”

“What are you thinking about?” Y/n sat next to her, taking her hand.

“I haven't had almost any suitors yet. And the ones I have seem incapable of having a conversation. What if I don’t find anyone?” Francesca revealed with a sigh, her voice tinged with sadness.

“Nonsense. Everyone would love to dance with you. In fact, I have a feeling you are going to meet someone today.” the Sharma said. “And for that to happen, we must leave and go to this ball. If you need to, we can stay together all night.”

“Thank you, but it won’t be necessary. I want you to have your chance with the prince.”

“After all, you were listening!” Hyacinth exclaimed, groaning as the two left the room and left her there. Now she had to wait until tomorrow to find out everything that was going to happen!

───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ─────

The ball was already full of people, from nervous mothers to innocent daughters who giggled when a suitor asked them to dance. Y/n and Francesca walked in together, both of them taking deep breaths and looking at each other in encouragement. They could do this.

While Francesca's nerves increased as she saw the Queen's eyes fall on her, Y/n's heart began to beat faster when she noticed Charles, who was standing next to his mother. However, he was not alone, finding himself in conversation with the princess of Austria. From what the Sharma could understand from the few moments in which she let herself focus on them, they seemed to be getting along well, sharing polite smiles.

"Maybe we shall get a refreshment first?" Y/n said, seeing that the family had already dispersed.

"A great idea." Francesca swallowed, nodding several times.

The two hurried to a corner of the room, sending a quick smile to the people passing by. Fortunately, no one engaged them in a long conversation, allowing them to mentally prepare themselves to face that night.

They stopped next to Penelope, who looked at the dancing couples with a sad look. "Are you alright, Penelope?"

"Yes, of course, Francesca." the redhead replied shyly, offering a small smile to the two girls. "You ought to take the floor."

"Ought we?" the Bridgerton chuckled humorlessly.

"Once one finds oneself on the wall, it is difficult to come off it. No matter what one does." Penelope looked down, pursing her lips.

"Better to be on the wall than to make fools of ourselves." Y/n she murmured, discreetly looking at the boy who had invaded her heart, still talking to the beautiful princess. Only this time, almost feeling her gaze on him, he glanced at her, showing what appeared to be a genuine smile. "This is so confusing."

"I agree. At least the wall doesn't ask me about what makes me tick." Francesca complained, still upset about the failed conversations from the last ball. The older girl looked at her understandingly, noticing that Francesca was more reserved. Maybe that was what made her rare, different from all the other girls.

"And why are you on the wall, Penelope? I'm sure there are lots of gentlemen here who would be more than willing to ask for your hand in a dance!"

"Oh no. Nobody wants to dance with me. Believe me." she replied with a slight blush, embarrassed that she didn't have any suitors when this wasn't her first season, unlike them.

"They must be blind, then. You are beautiful." Y/n confessed honestly, really confused that they let such an incredible person like Penelope escape. If she could, she would drag the redhead and Francesca to dance, but she knew it was against the rules.

The three fell into a silence, not uncomfortable, but as if they all had more to think about than trying to carry on a conversation. From the other side of the room, Charles watched Sharma as if in a trance, quickly leaving the conversation he was having to go to meet her.

However, he was interrupted by Charlotte who discreetly held his arm. "What are you doing? Must I remind you that you shall marry this season?"

"Why are you putting so much pressure on me with this. You have so many other children, but I'm the only one who has to suffer with this."

"Your siblings reproducing bastards for me to ignore. You are my last hope, son. I have made sure to give so many heirs to your father, and none of my children seem to be fornicating." she said. When she noticed that she was being too harsh with her youngest son, she sighed. "Bridgerton, Charles?"

"What seems to be the problem? You've already accepted many of their marriages, including naming two Bridgertons as diamonds of the season and ignoring the scandal between Lord Bridgerton and Lady Bridgerton." Charles controlled himself not to roll his eyes.

"Yes… But that was until my son was mentioned in the paper of Lady Whistledown because he was just interested in a girl. Especially when the princess of Austria traveled here just to meet you."

"And I enjoyed meeting her. But I enjoyed much more meeting Y/n Sharma." he admitted, his voice conveying the confidence he felt in those words. "She's the one I want. The one I'll follow to the end of the world if necessary. Don't make me marry someone else, mom, I want her. Just her."

"I believe the boy is in love." Lady Dandbury appeared beside them, looking at the boy with knowing eyes. Charlotte glanced at her from the corner of her eye. "The dance they shared was remarkable. The London Season is already terribly monotonous as it is. Therefore, these cases of passion make it more enjoyable. Don't you agree?"

"Indeed, Lady Danbury." Charles nodded, appreciating her help in convincing the Queen. "May I go now?"

Charlotte watched him for a few moments, noticing how he was restless, his body tilted towards Y/n. Almost as if he had no control over himself, unconsciously wanting to always be close to her. This wait was killing him.

The woman didn't respond verbally, just offered a small nod of permission, and her son was gone in the blink of an eye.

Almost running, the prince arrived next to Y/n, who continued to watch people dancing. She was now only with Penelope, as Francesca was taken by Violet to meet some suitors. Charles approached silently, placing himself in her line of sight and simply offering her a hand.

"What are you doing?" she whispered with wide eyes. Beside her, Penelope excused herself, giving the couple space. Not that they paid much attention, appearing not to have even heard her.

"Isn't it obvious? I'm asking you to dance with me."

"You don't give up, do you?" Y/n let a small smile appear, pretending to be upset by the boy's persistence. Inwardly, her heart was beating furiously fast. She didn't want to dance. She wanted to get away from there so she could be with Charles alone, the two of them talking all night.

But their moment was interrupted by Lady Wilson's daughter, who suddenly appeared and grabbed the prince's arm. "Prince Charles, you promised me a dance. Shall we?"

Y/n took a step back, trying to hide her sadness. Charles hadn't even removed her arm from his. This was a reminder that Charles was not yet hers, and with her indecision, that was becoming increasingly difficult. He had so many good options for marriage, why would he choose her? What made her special from all the others?

Trying to make sure no one saw the tears that threatened to appear, the Sharma decided it was best to leave for the rest of the night. Perhaps Anthony and Kate would believe she was feeling unwell and needed to go home.

But before he could move away completely, Charles snapped out of his shock, grabbing Y/n's hand to pull her closer while shaking the other woman's hold.

He clenched his jaw, upset at not being able to have a single moment of peace with Y/n. "My apologies, Miss." Y/n had to put her hand over her mouth to hide her amusement when Charles didn't remember the girl's name. "Right now, I would like to dance with Miss Y/n. So if you will excuse us."

"But—"

"What do you say, Miss Y/n. Shall you give me the pleasure of having this dance?" Charles asked quickly before the annoying girl spoke again. His attention was on Sharma, who was looking at him adoringly. Was this what people felt when they were in love? It felt like he couldn't breathe. In a good way.

"We shall… Charles." she laughed. Charles' mouth opened in shock, appearing to have frozen to the ground. In a playful way, she rolled her eyes, guiding him to the dance floor, which was now empty as people saw the two walk there.

Despite the nerves she felt, Y/n felt good with Charles, so she decided to ignore ton's opinions on this. The boy bowed as he offered her his hand, followed by a bow from Y/n, and immediately the music began.

"You called me Charles."

"A very good observation."

"You know, I thought Lord Bridgerton would kill me the moment I looked at you. It would be worth it." he twirled her around, loving it when he heard her little giggles. When she landed on the ground, her eyes found Kate and Anthony watching them, but instead of upset, they looked happy that Y/n was happy. "I must say that when you said we couldn't meet again, it hurt."

"My deepest apologies. How could I have said such absurd things?" Y/n said dramatically, noticing Charles' amusement.

"All is well now. As long as you promise to not run anymore. Even if Lady Whistledown or someone else writes about us. I promise I won't let anything hurt you or your family."

Y/n focused on his eyes. They were honest and had a glow of adoration about them. "What about the Princess of Austria?"

"As I also told her Majesty, I have no interest in her. My heart already belongs to you, Y/n. No one else can take your place."

The music was slowing down, indicating that it would end soon. The boy gripped Y/n's waist tighter, fearing that he would have to let go when he was enjoying savoring every moment of their closeness.

"My heart belongs to you too, Charles." she scrunched her eyebrows and Charles could feel his heart close to bursting. He wanted to marry her.

Instead, he controlled himself from saying it right away, knowing that he would have to talk to Anthony first and ask for Y/n's hand in marriage. Or he feared the Bridgerton wrath. For now, having Y/n in his arms was enough.

[cheriecelestial]

Batboys as Desi Films

𝐃𝐢𝐜𝐤 𝐆𝐫𝐚𝐲𝐬𝐨𝐧

Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge (1995)

Raj and Simran meet during a trip across Europe and end up getting stranded in the middle of nowhere after they miss their train. Despite their initial clashing, they fall in love. However, Simran’s traditional father has arranged her marriage elsewhere. Raj must win over Simran’s family to marry her, leading to a series of heartfelt moments, comedic misunderstandings, and ultimately, a dramatic climax where love conquers all as the couple fights for their happiness against societal norms.

Dick is so raj coded with his quips and charisma. Their chaotic banter and chemistry is off the charts. Any Indian who hasn’t watched this gets their desi card revoked immediately, I don’t make the rules. This movies fits Dick’s dramatic flair perfectly.

𝐉𝐚𝐬𝐨𝐧 𝐓𝐨𝐝𝐝

Goliyon ki Raasleela Ram-Leela (2013)

The modern adaptation of William Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet,” set in rural Gujarat, India. It follows the love story of Ram, from the Rajadi clan and Leela, from the Sanera clan, who belong to rival gangster clans engaged in a long-standing feud. Despite the enmity between their families, Ram and Leela fall deeply in love, leading to a tragic and tumultuous journey filled with passion, violence, and sacrifice.

It fits Jason’s love for guns and classics. An absolute visual treat with cinematography and all the songs are absolute bangers.

𝐓𝐢𝐦 𝐃𝐫𝐚𝐤𝐞

Jab We Met (2007)

Aditya, a heartbroken business tycoon, someone who was dwelling in the lowest ebb of his life and was almost on the brink of giving it all up, aimlessly boards a train to escape his depressing life. On his journey he meets Geet, a talkative and vivacious young woman. Geet is on her way to meet her boyfriend, but her plans go awry, and she ends up stranded. Aditya, feeling sorry for her, decides to help her get to her destination safely. Along the way, they encounter various adventures and challenges that bring them closer together. Despite their contrasting personalities, they develop a deep connection. However, when they part ways, Aditya realizes his love for Geet and sets out to find her. In the end, they reunite, realizing they are meant to be together.

Grumpy x sunshine. The OG green flag. Epitome of ‘if he wanted to,he would’. Makes my chatterbox heart happy because of how much I relate to the FL. Favourite comfort movie of all time. ML kinda looks like Cillian Murphy’s scarecrow. “I like you a lot but that is my problem, you don’t need to worry about it.” Their fights and his little sassy comebacks and rants were so cute and fun to watch.

𝐃𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐚𝐧 𝐖𝐚𝐲𝐧𝐞

Jodhaa Akbar (2003)

The Mughal emperor Akbar, seeking to forge political alliances, marries Jodhaa, a Rajput princess. Initially a marriage of convenience, their relationship evolves as they learn to respect and love each other. Jodhaa struggles to adapt to Mughal customs, especially with their cultural and religious differences but her courage and integrity win Akbar's admiration. Despite conspiracies and opposition, including from Akbar's own court, their love prevails. The film explores the transformation of a young ruler, initially groomed for ruthlessness by his mentor Bairam Khan, into a wise and compassionate emperor who values mercy, diplomacy, religious harmony and cultural acceptance. Akbar's realization of the importance of religious tolerance, showcased through his abolition of discriminatory policies and his respect for all faiths.

The arranged marriage tag and the ‘raised as a weapon but softens and shows more compassion out of respect and love for his empress’ tag fits demonhead!Damian so much. The way he said mashallah after he pulled off her veil in the middle of a sword fight >>>>. I love how it captures the essence of India’s rich heritage and diversity. “Why seek paradise ? It is before me now.”

𝐁𝐫𝐮𝐜𝐞 𝐖𝐚𝐲𝐧𝐞

Khoobsurat (2014)

Milli, a free-spirited and eccentric young woman becomes the physiotherapist for a royal family. She brings her lively yet clumsy personality into the conservative royal household, shaking up their structured lives. It clashes with the formal atmosphere of the palace, especially with the stern matriarch, Nirmala Devi. Despite initial resistance, Milli's unconventional methods bring joy and laughter into the lives of the family members, including the brooding prince, Vikram. As Milli navigates the challenges of fitting into the royal household, she also finds herself falling in love with Vikram, leading to a series of comedic and heartwarming moments.

Very cliched (well it is a Disney film) and the second hand embarrassment is unreal but sometimes after a long day all you need is a feel-good cheesy rom-com. Oh to sit next to Fawad Khan in a red convertible while gazing lovingly at him. I like how she emphasises on improving the patient’s mental health to help him heal. Incase you haven’t noticed already, cold brooding™️ x silly goose is my favourite character dynamic.

𝐀/𝐍 - I’ll be honest with y’all, this was to satiate my desire of writing x desi! reader cuz I don’t have enough motivation or time to do it T^T

[weirdly-specific-but-ok]

Why the fight for queer rights isn't over (it should be obvious, but to some people it isn't)

TW: transphobia and homophobia

Hi, Tumblr, this is Asmi. If you know me, it's probably as the Good Omens Mascot, which is flattering. I've found so much love and queer positivity in the good omens fandom, and the beautiful thing is how it's canon. Many people outside the queer community don't realise how crucial media and communities like this are. Right now since I'm on break from education, I'm on tumblr for most of the time I'm awake (which is not a lot, I nap more than Crowley). It's wild how different it is from the real world, that I live in at least.

I'm sure a lot of you might have had a similar experience to this: Basically, two people in my life, my bio father and my ex, both told me to my face that queer people needed to stop calling themselves oppressed and how now it's queer people who hold all the power and are oppressing other people. With all due respect, what the fuck.

I live in India, and being a trans guy who is bi and aspec, it's a cesspit. While I'm gendered correctly on Tumblr, and people are so loving and supportive, in real life even my friends who say they support me misgender me 90% of the time. Same with my family. In my previous college which I had to leave because of bullying by both the students and admin, even the queer students would misgender me (I told them I used they/them pronouns, because he/him would have been too unsafe, but even that they didn't manage). In the college I'll join next, it won't be safe for me to be out at all, at risk of losing opportunities and safety. Gay marriage is still illegal. Homophobia and transphobia is the norm. This doesn't even cover all the daily indignities like queerphobic jokes, casual discourse on whether or not we deserve rights, etc. Discrimination against aroace-spec people is rampant even within the queer community, worldwide.

And I live in an urban area, one of the largest cities in India known for its progressiveness and for being relatively safe for queer people. I am privileged compared to other queer people here. The story in other cities, in rural areas which make up most of the country, is far more horrifying. I'm unqualified to speak about anything other than my own experience, but if you can (if you are in a stable and calm enough mental state to handle the information, please put your mental health first) I'm sure there are first person accounts on the many forums.

The fight for equality is not over. It doesn't end with laws riddled with loopholes, it doesn't end even with laws that genuinely help the queer community. Aside from the huge problems of living safely and with access to equal opportunities and resources for people, we deserve dignity, peace, and the right to feel accepted and that we're not an abnormality. And so much more.

I haven't said anything that hasn't been said before, but it can't be said enough. To the queer people reading this, take all my love. We need to stand together, eliminate discourse over who is queer enough to be queer, and be the safe space that the world will not provide for us.

It's not over, and it hasn't been won by a long shot, but what matters is that we're fighting. Even existing as ourselves in a world that tells us it is a crime, is defiance and a step towards making this right.

[starryalpacasstuff]

She Loves To Cook and She Loves to Eat: I can't summarize my love for it sufficiently

A while ago, I asked @lurkingshan for Japanese QL recs, and Tsukutabe was her first rec. And while I'm finally watching this significantly later than I expected to, I'm so glad I did. I watched both seasons as a whole, which turned out to be a good idea because while season one was good, season two was excellent.

I think, going into this show I expected it to be a simple, domestic show that was pretty much all fluff. And while it was all those things, it was so much more too. It's got a lot of hidden depth to it, particularly in terms of how mature and real it is.

Tsukutabe is many things, but at its core, it is a show about people being kind. It's about people receiving kindness and being kind to others in turn. From inviting someone to a home cooked meal to volunteering to cover overtime work, the characters in this show exemplify how much change you can bring by simply being kind. It's something that fills you with warm, fuzzy feelings as you watch.

It's also a show about healing. We get to see people who have very different relationships with food heal and develop them as the show progresses. One thing I loved about this show was that it consistently treated everyone's problems as equal, never downplaying any of them. Nagumo and Kasuga's problems and relationships with food are fundamentally opposing, but are also equal in that they are two sides of the same coin, and are treated as such. I nearly wept tears of joy at the balcony scene with Kasuga and Nagumo, which was absolutely beautifully handled.

The show delving into the pressures of family and society in regards to marriage hit extremely close to home in the best way possible. I really appreciated the realistic and relatable portrayal of people's views on marriage, in particular how the show delved into the relationships queer people have with marriage. The depiction of the common belief that queer relationships are less likely to last was also extremely familiar. My mother, who is more liberal than most Indians, once told me that an Indian lesbian she talked to said the problem with being gay in India is that, due to gay marriage not being legal, there is very little commitment in gay relationships. While I'm still slightly unsure of whether this was true, the point stands that this is a fairly prevalent belief amongst Asians who don't grab pitchforks and torches upon hearing the word gay. I really, really enjoyed how realistic this show is in this regard, because it made me feel so seen.

Kasuga and Nomoto's relationship was adorable. Watching them figure out their deeper feelings for one another, stumble into a confession and then figure out how to be in a relationship was delightful. I was extremely pleased that there was little to no miscommunication, and that both of them acted like mature adults with decent communication skills (what a surprise!). And finally, they had an excellent dynamic that felt very real.

Another thing I absolutely adored was how much focus this show gave to the food, to the point where it was practically the third lead. I mean, I'm sure that it's to be expected from a show called she loves to cook and she loves to eat, but I still found myself genuinely surprised by the amount of attention that was given to the food in the show. Whenever food was cooked and eaten, we were presented with generous shots of both, which, as a lover of both cooking and eating, I greatly appreciated.

This show is amazing in many areas; the food, Kasuga and Namoto's slowly blossoming relationship, and the fantastic explorations of relationships with food. But, what really stole the show for me was the supporting cast. Each character that they introduced was someone who was at a different place in their life, with a different perspective that they brought with them. And, most importantly, as I mentioned before, they were so kind. The interactions between most of the characters were incredibly wholesome, and the story did an amazing job of showing us as much about the supporting characters as it could in the limited screen time they had.

Not only was Sayama a consistent, reliable support and voice of reason to Namoto, she had her own issues that she regularly discussed with Namoto, because that's what friends do. Too often in QL do friends of the main characters seem to only exist to listen to their problems, provide (typically questionable) advice and further the plot. I loved how the story subtly showed us how marriage pressure affect Sayama as well, who seems to be searching for a boyfriend only because that is what society expects of her, which is likely the reason she cannot find anyone. Kasuga's coworker had a wonderful mini arc of her own, and despite nearly all of it occurring offscreen, what little we got was absolutely brilliant. The scene wherein she and Kasuga talked about having to care for elders has to be one of my favourites in the entire show. In this, she was probably one of the first elders to ever encourage Kasuga to act with her own wellbeing in mind. Similarly, Kasuga was likely one of the first people to tell her to do what makes her happy. The fact that they are, in way, speaking in place of each other's loved ones only makes this moment even more of a tearjerker. The final scene wherein we see her looking for a job was delightful; it was the perfect conclusion to her story. Yako perfectly embodied the older, experienced queer and I loved her so much. It's clear that she's not had an easy time being a lesbian and asexual, but she overcame the challenges and came out smiling. Although I do wish that the show had explored her asexuality more, and perhaps even expanded on her story, I also understand that time constraints wouldn't have allowed for it; and besides, there's a certain poignancy to the conclusion she got. Honestly though, I'd absolutely love to see a spinoff based on Yako's story, exploring the hurdles she's overcome and maybe even seeing her find love (season 3 anyone?). As for Nagumo, I don't think I even need to say anything. She had a wonderful arc that was extremely well written, and by the end of the story she had blossomed into a better version of herself. I also loved her friendship with Kasuga, how the two of them grew closer over time and helped each other with their respective problems. The wide range of characters helped emphasize the show's message of how everyone is different, and how it is these differences that make our world a better place. Even Nomoto's coworker is an example of this, as someone who seems to have little to no interest in romance, who doesn't hesitate to take up the overtime work so that the two girls can enjoy Valentine's Day. (I'm headcanoning him as aroace and you can pry this from my cold, dead hands).

Found family is a trope I adore, and this show has to be one of the most beautiful executions of this trope I've ever seen. Watching Namoto and Kasuga build a little family for themselves—one that accepts everyone as they are—was a very healing experience.

Another thing I really liked about this show is how realistically conflict was handled. On the most part, the show did not antagonize characters. The man who told Kasuga to drink beer is treated as simply an annoying person one stumbled across (a common occurrence), the cooks at the restaurant make an effort by offering different sizes of rice portions after serving Kasuga a smaller portion due to her gender and both Nomoto and Kasuga acknowledge that it was not the real estate agent's fault for mistaking them to be friends. Nomoto's mother is slightly overbearing and conservative, but she clearly cares for Nomoto, something that hit very close to hom. I appreciated that the show portrayed this so well. Most people are not evil and out to get you, they're just people living their own lives based upon the beliefs they've built up over the course of their life, and most of the time it is not worth our time to get worked up over it.

Meanwhile, Kasuga's father is perhaps the only actual antagonist of the story. I really liked how this plotline was handled because of how real it felt. The show plays out exactly according to the actual thought process someone would have in a situation like this, in particular an asian; that our parents are products of their time and that while we wouldn't condemn them for their actions, the same does not make us responsible for dealing with them either. Side note while I'm on this, I was also very happy that the show did not compare Nomoto and Kasuga's different methods of dealing with family, because not only were they in different situations, the show also seems to emphasize that neither choice is wrong, and that it is up to each individual to choose their own path. Going back to what I said about being glad that the show did not compare Kasuga and Nagumo's situation, this seems to develop into a theme for the show. The show is filled with different people with different lives and different perspectives, and never once does it try to compare any of them, which I find to be a beautiful message.

If there's any criticism I have of this show at all, it's only that it's probably not the best pick for a binge. The slow plot, laid-back feel and fact that each problem that arises is resolved in the same episode makes it an excellent candidate for a show you watch a few episodes of every day. Unfortunately, I placed myself in an 8 hour flight with the downloaded episodes being my only source of entertainment, so I did end up binging most of it. It's definitely not bad as a binge, I certainly enjoyed watching it, I simply feel like watching it slowly is a far better choice. All in all, this is a wonderful show. It's cozy and comforting, and it's very realistic and mature in a way that's quite refreshing. Watching it made me feel warm inside and I'm so glad I finally watched it.

[thekatebridgerton]

With all respect, does the hope for a latina Sophie mean hopes for her to have travelled from central/South America like Kate came from India?

I just wonder if the hopes for a latina Sophie are looking at the show with too much of an American view when the leads thus far have all been exclusively British/Irish. Finding a British actress with latin roots could be exceptionally hard given they are such a tiny demographic in the UK, unless the show hires outside the UK and gives her a migration backstory - a la Kate from India or Lady Danbury from Africa.

wanting a Latina Sophie literally just means 'portrayed by actress of Hispanic ethnicity'. This is the show that as you rightfully pointed out had an INDIAN family travelling trough Britain as tho there was no British occupation in said country. We all know they can do whatever they want and just gloss over the explanation like they did with the disappearance of the Duke of Hastings.

Sophie could come from Mexico and Bridgerton would be like ' yeah she's an immigrant, shit happened in her motherland' and proceeded to brush it over with the Queen Charlotte deux ex machina wig of ' we changed society with love'. Canonically Sophie's name in the book is Sophia Maria, it's hinted that her mother was a Singer. For all we Singer could have been Guatemalan, with a little bit of the kind of editing that gave us Papa Sharma. Was Guatemala even a country in 1800?, who cares, if the show doesn't go out of it's way to point it out, I certainly wont.

But all jokes aside, Sophie is most likely going to be black, it's Shondaland, who are we kidding. Lets play a little game of probability shall we? take a look at the actors in Scandal, Grey's Anatomy and How to Get Away with Murder ( just off the top of my head) And, without counting anyone Caucasian, compare the amount of Black actors hired for speaking roles, with the amount of indian, asian, and Hispanic actors overlapping for speaking roles in the same season. Then come back and tell me what odds I'm looking at for a Latina Sophie, do it, I'll wait.

Don't get me wrong, I'm perfectly fine with whatever ethnicity Sophie ends up being, but personally when I say I support a Latina Sophie its because Latinos are possibly the only community that so far has had no speaking roles in Bridgerton. In 3 seasons of diversity and poc blind casting, that's a problem that should be addressed. They made up a reason why interracial marriage was acceptable in the show, make up a reason for a Latino to have the Gunningworth title, it's not that hard.

But hey that's just my opinion.

[church-of-lilith]

Whatever you do don't think about young mid 20s Trent Crimm having been bullied so badly for being different and gay that he can't stand it anymore, shoves it all inside and marries a woman, tries to leave the gay life behind. And she loves him, but she doesn't know him at all, not the real him, and how can he risk losing her by telling her?

He grows more bitter and unsatisfied every day, and his articles show this. Soon, he becomes cruel- these athletes are strong and manly, it all comes so easy to them, people adore them, shower them with love, and then he goes home to an unhappy wife, and she's unhappy because of him, because he just can't make himself right, can't fit into this life, can't be who the world wants him to be.

So he tells her, and regrets the words as soon as they come out. But she chuckles, "Come on, Trent, you're not serious. I know we've been having some problems lately, but I love you, okay? We can work on it. We can be happy again." It's an out, an option to take the words back, and so he does. And they decide to work on their marriage. They decide to have a child.

And for the first few months, his daughter is all that matters, and he's happy. This precious human being, she deserves a good father, and he wants to be that for her, to give her a happy, united family. A mom and dad.

But the high highs are followed by lows lower than he's experienced in a long time. His wife's kisses leave him feeling hollow. His heart is weak and empty, and he yearns for something to make it beat again.

One day, when his wife is at the park with their daughter and he's reorganizing his closet, he stumbles upon the purple American shirt, the one he got from his summer boyfriend in university. His hands tremble as he picks it up, presses it against his nose. He hasn't washed it since. It still smells like him.

He sits at the edge of his bed and cries. He remembers his kisses, the days they'd spent together at camp; the nights, too. He longs to have them back, just for a moment. But then he remembers his father's face when he found out. He remembers what followed.

He has a family now, a responsibility. He's made his choices, and they're wise. His father invites him over for Christmas, congratulates him on his promotions, plays with his granddaughter. Respects him, despite his failures, his many mistakes.

He shoves the shirt back in the closet. He will keep thinking about it for a few days, but then he'll forget about it again.

He's had his job at the Independent for a few years, and he's grown a bit bored of it. But news come of a managerial change at AFC Richmond, and he knows it's about to get interesting. The new owner must be losing it after her very public divorce; why else would she hire a dumb hick from God-knows-where USA, who's never touched a real football in his life, to coach her Premier League team? This guy is uneducated, dumb, undeserving of this privilege. This guy is going down.

An interview is arranged, and he's the man for the job. He'll give the fans what they want. He'll eviscerate this clown in the papers. His boss will give him a pat on the back. His colleagues in the press room will look up at him with respect. His father will call him and they'll have a laugh about this clown together. Who does he think he is, to come all the way to England and take this job from someone who knows a damn thing about the sport?

But Coach Lasso is, to Trent's surprise, competent. He knows how to work with people. He wants Roy Kent to be a leader, and he knows what to do to get that result.

He's also kind, genuine, warm. He spends hours at the school, kicking a ball around with some kids. He stays there longer than any other coach would have. It's not just a tactic to come across as sympathetic in the article, to soften Trent's perception of him. He actually cares.

And then he invites him to dinner.

Trent is starving, of course. Hasn't eaten anything since his plain breakfast that morning. They walk to an upscale Indian restaurant. Interesting choice. He wonders why he picked this place, in particular. It all becomes clear when he introduces his friend Olly.

The food is too hot. He can't eat it. Curse his middle-aged stomach and his eating habits over the years. Now he can't even handle a bit of spice. And by the looks of it, neither can Ted, and yet, sweating profusely and gasping for air, he still eats both their meals. He can't embarrass Olly in front of his family, he says. He has to show his respect.

"To me, success is not about the wins and losses."

What a stupid thing to say, and twice in a day, no less. They were in his office hours ago when this dumb phrase last came out of his mouth, and Coach Lasso was getting changed, his shirt unbuttoned- but Trent can't think about that right now. The American just gave him exactly what he needed for the article- a reason to mock him.

"It's about helping these young fellas be the best versions of themselves on and off the field."

Oh, God. That's all he wants, to help these young men, and here Trent is, attempting to take him down. But this man doesn't want to destroy this club, he just wants to help. To help them get better. Most of all, that's why he's here.

Who has he become? The man in front of him has been nothing but generous, considering, inviting all day. Strike that, actually. Since he's arrived in London. And what has Trent done, besides being cruel to him? Hurting him? Bullying him?

"I really should go. Deadlines and all."

"Yeah, gotta do the work. I'll say this, though. I really enjoyed getting to spend this time with you, Trent".

And he actually means that.

He writes the article as soon as he gets home. He admits to himself how much he wants Ted to win. He probably won't, but he desperately hopes he will. Why shouldn't he? Why shouldn't a kind, good man like him prevail? Why was this world built for the Rupert Mannions and the George Cartricks of the world, and not for Ted Lasso? Why is Ted the one being called a wanker on national TV, in stadiums, on the street ?

Prove them wrong, Ted, please.

His wife and his daughter have already gone to sleep when he sends in the article. The apartment is dark, quiet, and a chilly breeze is coming in through the window that's been cracked open in the bedroom. He climbs into bed, careful not to disturb his wife. The rush of the interview has worn off, and he feels strangely at peace. He closes his eyes, allows himself to think about Ted in the office, getting changed. About his warm voice, about the gleam in his eyes in that Indian restaurant. About "What do you love?" and "I'm about to hallucinate from this heat here".

He thinks about that press room, about seeing him up there, in the light. He falls asleep to one certitude.

He can't wait to see Coach Lasso again.

oh anon now you have me thinking about it!! so much!! how are you gonna casually drop this absolute masterpiece in my ask box?? I don’t feel that I’m even deserving of this, it should be on ao3 or something??

The way you put all the little bits and pieces of backstory James Lance has given us together to paint this perfect image of season 1 Trent is so incredibly impressive to me. Like this is exactly how I picture his journey and you put it together perfectly.

The little bit about him finding the Ashland University shirt in his closet and yearning to have that young love back again, despite repressing himself so deeply all these years… so incredibly heartbreaking and beautiful.

And then Ted comes in and suddenly Trent remembers what it’s like to find real, true joy in what he does. For once he’s not garnering his satisfaction from putting other people down, and writing scathing pieces about them. Instead he finds himself smiling down at his screen as he sends that first article in, Ted’s kindness and compassion for others lingering in the back of his mind. Ted’s undying enthusiasm leaves him genuinely excited to see what comes next, makes him go against everything he’s ever conditioned himself towards. And he can’t let anyone else know, not yet, maybe not ever. But he holds the beginnings of this change close to his chest, while he decides what to do about it. While he waits to see if Ted Lasso really can succeed with kindness alone. Maybe if he can, it’s possible for Trent, too.

thank you for sending this piece of writing in anon! honored that you chose to share it with me. if you don’t write fic on ao3 already you should!! I’d love to read more of your thoughts/ideas.

[oh-munda-kukkad-kamaal-da]

hi I came up with this half-baked idea. (Long ask but if youre able to pls pls pls read 🙏)

Basically--2 Indian families in the USA. The parents and their children live in US while extended family is in India. It centers around their children--specificallt, a boy and a girl.

Indian Family A has sent their son to med school and he is now a doctor, they are looking for a girl for him. BOY was a model child, or the closest you could get to the perfect beta, always getting good grades, good with people, doesn't stray from family beliefs (!!!), etc.

Indian Family B has a daughter who has a career and life already (prolly a tech related job) and is a slightly less perfect child than BOY, but her parents are pleased with her and they agree to marry BOY to GIRL.

The problem? They're both gay. BOY has fallen in love with a dude he met at a bar and GIRL fell in love with a girl. Both bOy and gIrL are white Americans.

Cue a comedy thing where they try to keep the relationships hidden from their parents (because they're homophobic), arranging lavender marriage things, and bOy and gIrL trying their best to learn about Indian culture. Cue a blowout between the parents and children when they inevitably find out and bOy and gIrL rescue their respective partners. Cut to, eventually, a wedding where BOY married bOy and GIRL married gIrL and the families learn to accept each other.

Yay or nay? Any suggestions?

That does sound good actually

[kmhappybunny240]

The French Nurse chapter 10

Here it is chapter 10. Thank you all for sticking with it and please leave comments I need validation 😆

Grace noticed how distracted Tommy was since returning from his late night trip to London. Atticus had reported back from his date with that whore. She was all over him when he brought her back to his home. Had her tongue down his throat, her hands all over him. He was getting her close to sleeping with him. Grace needed that woman distracted until the wedding. Then he could kill her for all she cares. She needs to keep Tommy attention for as long as possible. Despite what he has promised her, she knows Tommy nature. She knew he would faithful but there would forever be a question mark hovering over their marriage with that woman hanging around unattached . Small tiny piece of her can't really fault him for it. He shares a child with Olivia. But he belonged to her and no one else.

"My love did you hear me? We need to finalize the seating chart. The big day is two months away now."

They sat in the drawing room. Grace on the floor with the coffee table in front of her. Sifting through a pile of papers. Tommy sat on the couch behind her sifting through his own paperwork. Detailed reports on the Davenport family as a whole. Atticus mother was rich. Filthy rich. Several generations in the spice and tea trade. Bloody shady history in India a few generations ago. His father war record was impressive but he was a Calvary man. The problem that Tommy was facing are the sealed records on the father. Sealed by order of the crown. Tommy didn't have that high up contacts ,yet at least. A pinch on his thigh startled him.

"Have you been listening at all?" Grace nose was scrunched up and nostrils flaring.

"Sorry. Seating chart yes." Tommy placed his folder to his side and slide forward to give his full attention.

"Take a look. I don't know your family that well, I don't want to put the wrong people at a table."

"Burgess on one side and Shelby on the other. Hmm."

"Tom please."

Tommy didn't want to mix both their families, he knew how it would turn out. Grace could have made the offer though. He can see the clear embarrassment and disdain towards his background.

"Alright alright.The chart looks fine."

Tommy wrapped his arms around Grace and kissed the top of her head.

"I got you a gift. Close your eyes."

Grace did what she was told while Tommy reached over to his jacket pocket. He pulled out a diamond bracelet. He took her hand and clasp the bracelet around her wrist. Grace opened her eyes.

"Oh Tommy it's gorgeous."

Grace jumped into Tommy lap and kissed him.

"You didn't have to Tom."

"Yes I did. Consider it an early wedding present."

"I sat Olivia and Oscar next to Polly, if you noticed. I assume you told her of the date, if not I can send out a written invitation."

Grace fiddled with her bracelet not looking Tommy directly in the eyes. She was testing the waters. They haven't had any discussion about at least Olivia coming. Oscar would be the ring bearer.

"I can deliver the invitation when Oscar goes back to his mother."

"Also please inform her she has the option of bringing a plus one."

Grace swallowed, her throat dry. She slipped that last part in to gage Tommy. She knew about Atticus but Tommy didn't know she knew. She also wanted to see if Tommy had a suspicion about Atticus. She needed to keep Tommy away from him. She felt a slight squeeze on her hip. She looked into his eyes. He was very guarded and hard to decipher.

"I will tell her."

He kissed Grace and lifted her off his lap, he took her hand leading her towards dinner. He couldn't keep his mind off the possibility of Atticus coming to his wedding as Olivia date. He desperately needed those files on that father. The next inquiry would be his bank accounts. He doesn't want to be right about the man. His petty jealousy aside , Olivia would be heart broken to know she was used. He wasn't sure what she would be used for other than to get to him and the blinders. From what he has learned so far nothing points to gang affiliation. The illegal doings stem from bad back room government deals and general greed. Where did Polly intuition come from? That's what is bothering him. How was this man bad?

Tommy had a fitful sleep tossing and turning. His brain wouldn't shut off. He needed to form a better plan to get those banking records. Coutts&Co one of the oldest banks in Britain would not be easy to steal from. He didn't have the proper time to research an employee and blackmail or bribe them for information. The next best option would be the cleaning crew. Bribe them with enough money to last the person years. A door left open for a trusted man to go in lift the paperwork. He couldn't just steal from one person. That would be too suspicious. He could commission a robbery. Steal some money, make a mess of the place. Better yet a fire. Now that was a perfect idea. Complete chaos and Atticus wouldn't think twice about his information missing because others would be burned up or missing also.

Tommy woke, after a few hours of solid sleep, completely rested and new vigor for the day. He had a plan to burn down a bank and for the day's activities would be spent with his son. An hour sat on Oscar bedroom floor playing conductor with his train. Playing outside near the pond. Skipping rocks across the water. Riding horses up and down the property. A perfect day that ended with a surprising appearance from Olivia.

Olivia met them in the stables. Tommy could see from his peripheral view Olivia staring at them untacking the horse. A beautiful loving look on her face. It warmed his heart. He saw she had a small stuffed animal in her hand.He left Oscar to help the stable hand and headed to Olivia.

"Fancy seeing you here."

Tommy curled himself around Olivia in a hug. Soft hints of lavender and chamomile. She held held him and Tommy wanted to melt into her. He hated letting her go.

"I have the week off so Polly invited me for tea. I brought Oscar Mr binky. He left him at home and he can't sleep without him."

"He's been here two days and sleeping fine."

She held the stuffed rabbit close to her chest, giving Tommy a sheepish look.

"I miss him is all. He looks so happy with them."

Olivia nodded towards Oscar feeding a carrot to the horse.

"I felt so guilty leaving behind our horses. The bond he shares with them. I don't understand completely, not like you do."

"I must I am impressed you have warmed up to them and Friesian."

"You loved them as a boy and now our boy does too."

"Mama!"

Oscar ran into his mother arms. She smacked a large kiss on his cheek.

"My sweet boy you've gotten bigger since I last saw you."

"No I haven't."

He laughed and giggled when his mama tickled and kissed all over his face.

"Yes you have baby. I have brought you Mr Binky."

"You did?"

"Mhmm"

She held the rabbit up and Oscar hugged him. He kissed her in thanks and wiggled to be let down. He ran off in front of them towards the house.

"Do you have time to stay ?"

" Um for a few minutes if Grace doesn't mind."

"She won't and she isn't here at the moment."

A slight fib of course Grace would mind.

They entered the home. Oscar had his parents follow him to his room. He introduced his new toys to Olivia, played with him while Tommy watched until dinner. Mary brought him down stairs. Tommy took the moment.

"Grace has an invitation for you. She sat you next to Pol at the reception."

"To the wedding?"

"Yes to the wedding."

"That's very kind of her."

"Would you stay for dinner?"

"Um no I can't."

"Our boy would love it"

A strand of hair fell into Olivia eye. Tommy without thought intimately brushed the hair behind her ear. She softly moved his hand back to his side.

"Tom. I have to say goodbye to Oscar and go back to Polly's."

Tommy let out a huff of frustration. This woman drove him mad.

"Alright let me get you that invitation."

He walked off to his office. Olivia made her way towards Oscar to say goodbye. He held onto her neck not wanting to let go and it killed her. London wasn't that far in an emergency situation but she hated that she and Tommy lived in different cities and she had to be away from her boy.

"I will see you Sunday night."

She planted a sloppy kiss and walked towards the exit. Tommy was standing against her car door smoking. A white envelope placed on the car roof.

"You're mad Tom. I know that look."

"I'm not mad. Just disappointed is all."

Tommy exhaled the smoke burning his lungs. Olivia burst out laughing, she couldn't help it. He was acting ridiculous in that moment.

"Stop laughing at me."

"Sorry."

Olivia coughed trying to catch her breathe.

"You look just like Oscar when he pouts. Tommy listen. I am going back to Polly for the night, tomorrow morning I will come back to say goodbye to him and then back off home."

"I don't want you to leave."

His demeanor worried Olivia.

"You can always talk to me. Is there something wrong."

Since Olivia showed up he has been having an existential crisis questioning all of his life choices and what he wanted in the future. He felt that part of himself is restless without her. Also there was another man, who he didn't know the true intention, sniffing around her ,dating her.

"The wedding has been stressful. I can get testy when I'm stressed. Sorry."

He kissed her forehead and brought her into a tight hug. He put her into the car and handed her the invitation. Tommy watched her until she became a small dot in the sun light.

Tommy suffered through the usual motions during dinner and readying for bed. His confidence for the bank fire was faltering. The safer option would be for men to follow Atticus or hiring a private investigator who is willing to get his hands dirty. He would have to meet with Polly for guidance. She would be against his original plan. The less chaos the Shelby boys caused the better. That's what Olivia made him feel inside at the moment confusing chaos,A good chaos, but he loved that. A small glimmer he had felt for Grace had been gone for over a year now. The spark was there he just had to direct it towards Grace and not Olivia.

~~~~~~~~~~~~Polly's Home~~~~~~~~~~~

"Holy fuck you've gone insane. If I knew this was how you were going to take care of this Atticus I would do it myself."

Tommy was right. His Aunt Pol was vehemently against the bank burning.

"I don't see another way."

"Break into his work office or go back to his home and find out what is in his safe. Follow the family money. Why didn't you think of that first?"

Tommy stood against the window puffing on yet another cigarette.

" I want the truth just as badly as you do Tom but please think of this rationally. You can't be carted off to prison and they will hang you this time. Powerful people have their money tied up there. You don't have the pull to sweep that kind of incident under the rug."

Polly loathed seeing Tommy spinning out the way he was. Out of all the boys Tommy felt the most. Heartbreak, pain, fear, and love. He felt so deeply but the war made him turn that part of himself off.

"I'm fucked, completely and utterly fucked. I love Grace."

Polly huffed and rolled hers eyes.

"I do Poll. You don't know the Grace I do. That barmaid is still in her. She has goodness and love inside her that I get to see. She could have handed me over to Campbell on a silver platter but she didn't. She protected me. That means something."

Polly noticed the old Tommy peaking out from behind the curtain.The ten year old boy who snuck his first kiss from a Boswell girl at a fair. The thirteen year old boy who experienced puppy love with the neighbor daughter. The young man who planned dates and bought flowers on the regular for his beloved Greta. The same young man who sat by her bedside day in and day out ,holding her hand while she died.

Tommy was still a romantic, buried deep deep down. He was the young man full of hope for a normal life with a wife,kids, and horses. What made Polly hurt was the fact he was wasting his love on Grace. If she knew she could get away with it, Polly would have pushed that woman in front of a train already. Olivia tea leaves kept hope alive for Polly. She never read those wrong. How to get rid of Grace and that boyfriend was the dilemma.

"Follow that man. Do more research and for all that is good and holy don't burn down a fucking bank. Find an alternative."

Tommy laid on Polly couch for a few hours before sulking back home. Grace whispered sweet nothings in his ear as they laid in bed. His head wasn't fully there. He went through the emotions once again. Lately his thoughts would wonder and never fully in the moment. Never fully invested on Grace. He waited till Grace was in a deep sleep to leave the bedroom.

"Tom it's two in the fucking morning. Someone better be dead." Peter squinted in the glow of the lamp. A call after midnight is never a good thing.

"I want to blow up a bank for one person's records. Pol said I couldn't."

Fuck no one has died but Tommy has gone insane obviously.

"Please tell me this has nothing to do with Olivia, because I swear to God I will have you committed. Placed right next to Barney."

"Polly talked me out of the plan, but I need a way in. You are my lawyer. Advise me."

"I am A lawyer not yours and I'm not advising you how to steal from a fucking bank."

"I need for you to find background on the employees. Janitor services, low level employees who can be paid off and those who would be over looked."

Peter stood in amazed silence.

"Please. Just do it for me. I won't hurt anyone just bribe them with a hefty sum."

Peter felt he was backed into a corner. If he didn't help then he would be waiting on the morning papers reporting on the arrest wealthy Birmingham business man for blowing up a bank that would injure and possibly kill many innocent bystanders.

"Fine. You have to swear on Oscar life. You will not harm anyone or blow anything up."

"I swear on my son's life. Innocents will not be hurt." Peter hated to agree but in the end he did.

That's how he found himself sucking up to the bank manager at a lunch. A quarterly schmooze fest among the filthy rich. He defended the nephew of a CEO once and couldn't get rid of the bafoons after. The impression was Peter was a Mr fix it. He took on the case because the young boy was innocent of vandalism. A stupid school boys prank that went wrong. That one deed attached him to those awful high powered people.

The night died down and Peter had a moment to approach Mr Honeycutt.

"Sir I was wondering if I could inquire about a banking question I have. You see I represent a client who requires a financial background on a potential buyer for his business."

"Why do you need my help? Ask the buyer."

"Well you see sir."

Peter stuttered through his explanation.

For being a translator during the war and being a lawyer he certainly was fucking this up. He didn't plan this correctly.

"Speak up boy." Mr Honeycutt slapped Peter on the back while drowning in his sixth drink of the night.

"Why come to me?"

"Extra protection for my client so to speak. He wants to make sure this offer comes from a legitimate financial backing."

Peter couldn't tell if Mr Honeycutt was buying his explanation. Unsure if he had heard him with glazed look and slight swaying in his seat.

"Ok my boy." Mr Honeycutt gave Peter another slap and that was it. Peter wanted to laugh at how easy and thrilling it was to deceive. He finished his dinner and left to report back to Tommy.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~Three days later~~~~~~~~~~

After sifting through Atticus financial with a fine tooth comb and only showed one so called abnormality . Stocks, bonds, income, inheritance, and investments were all accounted for. He was clean except a bi yearly deposit of thirty thousand pounds from a bank and corporation he hasn't heard of before. Black Swan Corp.

Every January fourth and August fourth with out miss for the past five years. Peter spent hours looking through directories in England for those names. Food, alcohol , livestock , cheese. Black swan Corp was not listed under any of these. No connection to his family business either.

Days went by before Peter had any luck, in Ireland. The bank was small, and in a small village in Derry. The corporation was also small. Peter would define it as more of small business than a corporation. Canned meats is what they sold. How could they afford to send in total three hundred thousand pounds to a man is questionable. An uneasiness settled in Peter's gut. Money from a questionable source. How could that be explained?

Tommy at times could be paranoid and possessive , now with so called claim to Olivia even more so. It scared Peter there might be legitimate reason to worry. The question now was what should he do first, tell Tommy or investigate first? He had little time to decide. Tommy would be knocking down his door soon for answers.

Peter rang a private investigator. He was warned it could take months. Tommy wanted this done before he was to be married. Which was stupid in Peter opinion. He was deflecting , needing something to to focus on that wasn't the wedding or Grace. Yes the safety of his son and Olivia was paramount but Peter knew Tommy was secretly loving this distraction.

What a fool Tommy was.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~London~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Olivia felt a ball of nerves in the pit of her stomach. The question for Atticus on the tip of her tongue all night. Will you be my guest to a wedding ?

Their date had been calm and relaxed. A late afternoon showing of a Charlie Chaplin film, walk through a park, then an evening of dinner and live music. The night was perfect except one lingering question she wanted to ask him but wasn't sure of his response. They hadn't been going together that long. That would also mean Atticus meeting her family. Tommy would not go easy on him. Neither would the rest of the Shelby family . That would mean meeting Oscar. Then if that went well her parents and brother. The thought made her nervous. One step at a time she told herself.

"Something is bothering you my dear."

Atticus squeezed her hand.

"You've been distracted all night."

"Oh sorry it's nothing."

He stopped them both and turned towards Olivia. He caressed her upper arm , looking deeply into her eyes.

"We haven't known each other long but I would hope you could trust me enough with anything that is troubling you."

Should she? Her mouth made the choice by blurting out.

"I've been invited to a wedding and I may bring a guest."

" Ok?"

"If you wanted I would like to bring you. Is that alright?"

Atticus controlled his reaction. Anger, elation ,jealousy , all rolled into one. He hooked her enough for the invite. Olivia wouldn't have asked him on a whim. She was a well guarded person and was inviting him to a family event. An occasion he would rather eat glass than to attend but this was good. He was making progress.

" Of course it's alright ,I would love too."

"It's just ."

"Just what?"

Olivia took his hand and fiddled with his fingers.

"Tommy is getting married. So that would mean meeting the whole Shelby family and also meeting my son."

"And that is what is making you nervous what they will think of me."

He gave a slightly wounded look. Tapping into her guilt of the idea she could be hiding their relationship.

"No not that. Well um."

Yes that and how Tommy will react, how her sweet boy will feel.

"Meeting my son is a very big deal for me and would mean taking a more serious step in our relationship. And yes I'm nervous for what my son make feel about you. I don't want to push anything on you or my son. This is new to all of us."

"I understand my dear. Don't bring me out of any obligation you might feel. If it would help I could meet with your son at least privately. A nice picnic in the park. He would enjoy that yes?"

Olivia chest tightened and bile rose in her throat. What in the hell was she thinking. Yes she care for the man and in such short amount of time. She wanted a fling and yet she now has a small flicker of feelings towards him. She need to tell Oscar. The one person who she can't afford to break his heart.

"Mmhh that sounds lovely." Olivia muffled out.

Atticus beamed at Olivia. He hugged her tight. He was talking to her but her ears were buzzing.

Well fuck Olivia was internally scolded herself. It's what she wanted and yet she didn't at the same time. This was good , she needed a push in that direction. Moving on and introducing Atticus and Oscar. If they didn't like each other then so be it. She can dumped him. He is just a man. A man that she has feelings for. Which would be hard to just drop him because when Olivia cared for someone she cared hard. He was the first man since Tommy which made it more complicated and more of a vulnerable situation.

She had only two loves in her life. Sure she had admirers in her teen years. She lost her virginity when she was sixteen. A sweet boy from the neighboring farm, but it wasn't true love. Jack and Tommy. Her first serious love killed in action and then falling in love with an British soldier and conceiving a child with him. She hadn't had a a normal outcome with her relationships. They ended in some sort of trauma.

Olivia's mind spiraled most of the night until she got home. The night was a whirlwind. She took a relaxing bath and her body instinctively took her to her son's bedroom. Of course the one source of constant comfort was in Birmingham so she did the next best thing. She collapsed in Oscar's bed. She positioned herself in the fetal position it was the only way she could fit on the small surface.She hugged his pillow and breathed in his scent. That managed to shut down her brain from the worry. She would deal with how to introduce them in the morning. The one thing that was certain was her boy's best interests.

She would have to take the risk now but first sign of distress she would pull the plug. It would be a blow to her heart but that didn't matter. Her son came first. There was a small little flicker of defiance. Don't give up so easily it told her. Shutting down and wrapping herself up in Oscar life and well being was a way to protect herself.

He got along with Grace and seemed to like her so why couldn't that be possible with Atticus? Yes it was along of change in a short amount of time but she wasn't marrying the man. All she could do is hope for the best and deal with the fall out later.

[bouquetface]

Hello ✨

My name is Hrithika I’d like to participate in this reading. My questions for this reading would be :

• will I have a love or arranged marriage?

• significant qualities of future spouse

My DOB: 03/04/2002

Timings: 9:35 am

Location: Hyderabad, India

I would be really thankful if I get a chance to know the answers. Thank you loads of love ❤️

Hello

You have moon in 7th libra trine Venus in pisces. This is an indicator of a love marriage. You are a romantic at heart. You probably day dream of your prefect person. Be cautious of dreaming up someone so prefect that it becomes unrealistic for a someone to meet your expectations.

The spouse will not be super masculine. They are a fair and balanced person. They do not like conflict. They see both sides of a conflict & pick a calm solution.

They will be polite. They can charm your parents especially your mother. Your grandmother may have been involved in raising you.

The spouse can have a creative hobby or interest - ex: writing, photography, film, literature, drawing, etc.

You could meet the spouse in a small group. You could be exploring somewhere local such as a cafe or library.

The spouse can be a jealous person. However, they are not violent or controlling. At their core, they are very reasonable. This is good for handling any problems that can occur in life.

You may move to a different state or city. After marriage, you will move to a different area. You will see your own family less.

After marriage, you and your spouse can be concerned about reputation. You want to be respected in society. You both can become secretive about what goes in your life to other people. You may even lie to other people. This isn’t bad imo.

ex: You have a small fight with the spouse because they forget to do something, you would never go complaint to all your friends that you’re upset with the spouse.

An extreme example: You get pregnant before marriage, you immediately marry to hide this fact. You never tell your families the truth about the child’s conception.

You can become business orientated after marriage. You and the spouse would make good partners in business. You will accumulate good amount of wealth together. However, rahu is in your 2nd in both natal & d9. This indicates you will never truly feel satisfied with the amount of money & possessions you have. Your rahu will always crave more but this is good for business.

After marriage, you will only desire friends who can help you. Your friendships will be more about the friend’s status rather than their personality.

Please remember to leave a response. Thank you 💓

[bollywoodirect]

Remembering the legendary singer #GeetaDutt on her birth anniversary (23/11).

‘Jaane kya tune kahi, Jaane kya maine suni, Baat kuchh ban hi gayin’

Geeta Dutt, born as Geeta Ghosh Roy Chowdhuri on November 23, 1930, was a famous Indian singer. She was known for her work in Hindi movies and Bengali classical music. She was born in Faridpur, which was part of India before it was divided. Geeta was one of ten children in a rich family. Her family moved to Calcutta and Assam in the 1940s because of the Partition of India.

When she was 12, they moved to Bombay, and she continued her education. A man named K. Hanuman Prasad trained her in singing and helped her start her career in movie singing. At 16, she got her first chance to sing in a movie called Bhakta Prahlad.

Geeta met a film director, Guru Dutt, while recording songs for a movie. They fell in love and got married in 1953. They had three children.

Apart from films, she also recorded songs that were not for movies, working with famous music directors.

In 1957, her husband started making a movie with Geeta as the main singer, but it was stopped early. Their marriage had problems, and Geeta started drinking.

Guru Dutt died in 1964, which was a big shock for Geeta. She had financial troubles and tried to restart her singing career. She acted in a Bengali movie in 1967 and sang in another movie in 1971. Her last performance was in 1972 in an unreleased movie.

[claudia1829things]

"VANITY FAIR" (2018) Review

“VANITY FAIR” (2018) Review

When I had first heard that the ITV channel and Amazon Studios had plans to adapt William Makepeace Thackeray’s 1848 novel, “Vanity Fair”, I must admit that I felt no interest in watching the miniseries. After all, I had already seen four other adaptations, including the BBC’s 1987 production. And I regard the latter as the best version of Thackeray’s novel I had ever seen.

In the end, my curiosity got the best of me and I decided to watch the seven-part miniseries. In a nutshell, "VANITY FAIR" followed the experiences of Rebecca "Becky" Sharp, the social climbing daughter of an English not-so-successful painter and a French dancer in late Georgian England during and after the Napoleonic Wars. The production also told the story of Becky's school friend and daughter of a wealthy merchant, Amelia Sedley. The story begins with both young women leaving Miss Pinkerton’s Academy for Young Ladies. Becky managed to procure a position as governess to Sir Pitt Crawley, a slightly crude yet friendly baronet. Before leaving for her new position, Becky visits Amelia's family. She tries to seduce Jos Sedley, Amelia's wealthy brother and East India Company civil servant. Unfortunately George Osborne, a friend of Jos and son of another wealthy merchant, puts a stop to the budding romance.

While working for the Crawleys, Becky meets and falls in love with Sir Pitt’s younger son, Captain Rawdon Crawley. When Sir Pitt proposes marriage to Becky, she shocks the family with news of her secret marriage to Rawdon. The couple becomes ostracized and ends up living in London on Rawdon’s military pay and gambling winnings. They also become reacquainted with Amelia Sedley, who has her own problems. When her father loses his fortune, George's own father insists that he dump Amelia and marry a Jamaican heiress. George refuses to do so and thanks to his friend William Dobbin's urging, marries Amelia. Mr. Osborne ends up disinheriting George. However, the romantic lives of Becky and Amelia take a backseat when history overtakes them and their husbands with the return of Napoleon Bonaparte.

I wish I could say that the 2018 miniseries was the best adaptation of Thackery's novel I had seen. But it is not. The production had its . . . flaws. One, I disliked its use of the song "All Along the Watchtower" in each episode's opening credits and other rock and pop tunes during the episodes' closing credits. They felt so out of place in the miniseries' production. Yes, I realize that a growing number of period dramas have doing the same. And quite frankly, I detest it. This scenario barely worked in the 2006 movie, "MARIE ANTOINETTE". Now, this use of pop tunes in period dramas strike me as awkward, ham-fisted, unoriginal and lazy.

I also noticed that producer and screenwriter Gwyneth Hughes threw out the younger Pitt Crawley character (Becky's brother-in-law), kept the Bute Crawley character and transformed him from Becky Sharp's weak and unlikable uncle-in-law into her brother-in-law. Hughes did the same with the Lady Jane Crawley and Martha Crawley characters. She tossed aside the Lady Jane character and transformed Martha from Becky's aunt-in-law to sister-in-law. Frankly, I did not care for this. I just could not see characters like Bute and Martha suddenly become sympathetic guardians for Becky and Rawdon's son in the end. It just did not work for me. I have one last problem with "VANITY FAIR", but I will get to it later.

I may not regard "VANITY FAIR" as the best adaptation of Thackery's novel, I cannot deny that it is first-rate. Gwyneth Hughes and director James Strong did an excellent job of bringing the 1848 novel to life on the television screen. Because this adaptation was conveyed in seven episodes, both Hughes and Strong were given the opportunity retell Thackery's saga without taking too many shortcuts. The miniseries replayed Becky Sharp's experiences with the Sedley family, George Osbourne, and the Crawley family in great detail. I was especially impressed by the miniseries' recount of Becky and Amelia's experiences during the Waterloo campaign - which is the story's true high point, as far as I am concerned. Also, this adaptation had conveyed George's experiences during Waterloo with more detail than any other adaptation I have seen.

Aside from the Waterloo sequence, there were other scenes that greatly impressed me. I really enjoyed those scenes that featured the famous Duchess of Richmond's ball in the fourth episode, "In Which Becky Joins Her Regiment"; Becky's attempts to woo Jos Sedley in the first episode, "Miss Sharp In The Presence Of The Enemy"; the revelation of Becky's marriage to Rawdon Crawley in "A Quarrel About An Heiress"; and her revelation to Amelia about the truth regarding George in the final episode, "Endings and Beginnings". There were people who were put off that the series did not end exactly how the novel did - namely the death of Jos, with whom Becky had hooked up in the end. I have to be honest . . . that did not bother me. However, I was amused that Becky's last line in the miniseries seemed to hint that Jos' death might be a possibility in the near future.

The production values for "VANITY FAIR" struck me as quite beautiful. I thought Anna Pritchard's production designs did an excellent job in re-creating both London, the English countryside, Belgium, Germany, India and West Africa between the Regency era and the early 1830s. Not only did I find the miniseries' production values beautiful, but also Ed Rutherford's cinematography. His images struck me as not only beautiful, but sharp and colorful. I would not say that Lucinda Wright and Suzie Harman's costume designs blew my mind. But I cannot deny that I found them rather attractive and serviceable for the narrative's setting.

One of the production's real virtues proved to be a very talented cast. "VANITY FAIR" featured some solid performances from it supporting players. Well . . . I would say more than solid. I found the performances of Robert Pugh, Peter Wight, Suranne Jones, Claire Skinner, Mathew Baynton, Sian Clifford, Monica Dolan, and Elizabeth Berrington to be more than solid. In fact, I would say they gave excellent performances. But they were not alone.

Michael Palin, whom I have not seen in a movie or television production in years, gave an amusing narration in each episode as the story's author William Makepeace Thackeray. Ellie Kendrick gave a very poignant performance as Jane Osborne, who seemed to be caught between her loyalty to her bitter father and her long-suffering sister-in-law. Simon Beale Russell gave a superb, yet ambiguous portrayal of the warm and indulgent John Sedley, who also had a habit of infantilizing his family. Frances de la Tour was deliciously hilarious and entertaining as Becky Sharp's aunt-in-law and benefactress Lady Matilda Crawley. I could also say the same about Martin Clunes, who gave a very funny performance as the crude, yet lively Sir Pitt Crawley. One last funny performance came from David Fynn, who gave an excellent portrayal of the vain, yet clumsy civil servant, Jos Sedley. Anthony Head gave a skillful performance as the cynical and debauched Lord Styne. I thought Charlie Rowe was superb as the self-involved and arrogant George Osborne. Rowe, whom I recalled as a child actor, practically oozed charm, arrogance and a false sense of superiority in his performance as the shallow George.

I have only seen Johnny Flynn in two roles - including the role of William Dobbin in this production. After seeing "VANITY FAIR", it seemed that the William Dobbin role seemed tailored fit for him. He gave an excellent performance as the stalwart Army officer who endured years of unrequited love toward Amelia Sedley. Tom Bateman was equally excellent as the charming, yet slightly dense Rawdon Crawley. At first, I thought Bateman would portray Rawdon as this dashing, yet self-confident Army officer. But thanks to his performance, the actor gradually revealed that underneath all that glamour and dash was a man who was not as intelligent as he originally seemed to be. Amelia Sedley has never been a favorite character of mine. Her intense worship of the shallow George has always struck me as irritating. Thanks to Claudia Jessie's excellent performance, I not only saw Amelia as irritating as usual, but also sympathetic for once.

Television critics had lavished a great deal of praise upon Olivia Cooke as the sharp-witted and manipulative Becky Sharp. In fact, many have labeled her performance as one of the best versions of that character. And honestly? I have to agree. Cooke was more than superb . . . she was triumphant as the cynical governess who used her charms and wit in an attempt to climb the social ladder of late Georgian Britain. I would not claim that Cooke was the best on-screen Becky I have seen, but she was certainly one of the better ones. I have only one minor complaint - I found her portrayal of Becky as a poor parent to her only son rather strident. Becky has always struck me as a cold mother to Rawdon Junior. But instead of cold, Cooke's Becky seemed to scream in anger every time she was near the boy. I found this heavy-handed and I suspect the real perpetrator behind this was either screenwriter Gwyneth Hughes or director James Strong.

I have a few complaints about "VANITY FAIR". I will not deny it. But I also cannot deny that despite its few flaws, I thought it was an excellent adaptation of William Makepeace Thackeray's novel. Actually, I believe it is one of the better adaptations. "VANITY FAIR" is also one of the best period dramas I have seen from British television in a LONG TIME. And I mean a long time. Most period dramas I have seen in the past decade were either mediocre or somewhere between mediocre and excellent. "VANITY FAIR" is one of the first that has led me to really take notice in years. And I have to credit Gwyneth Hughes' writing, James Strong's direction and especially the superb performances from a first-rate cast led by Olivia Cooke. It would be nice to see more period dramas of this quality in the near future.

[dhaaruni]

If we consider the hypothesis that performative leftism stems from ideological rebellion against either very conservative or institutionally liberal parents, the natural extension of that hypothesis is that I was never inclined towards performative politicking because I was raised on unconditional love and total freedom ergo, I never felt the need to rebel against my upbringing.

My parents were born in India in the early 1970s, and we came to America in September 2000, but despite their jobs or superficial identities, are extreme iconoclasts, and have been from the day they were born. They simply don't see the point of following rules that they perceive as irrational or counterproductive, and they passed that trait along to me.

Look at it like this, in their parent-teacher conference, my 1st grade teacher brought up that while I got extremely good grades on assignments and tests, I would always read under my desk during class, and my mom's response was, "But she gets perfect grades, why does she have to pay attention during class?"

More recently, when I brought my boyfriend home for the first time and he stayed with us for a week, they had no problem with us sleeping in the same room even though they'd never met him before despite being born and raised in India and coming from a family that didn't speak to us for 17 years because my parents had an intercaste love marriage.

The point is, they've always let me do what I wanted, even as a child, so I didn't base my politics around making them angry, which is why I'd say my parents and I's political views are mostly similar despite our generational divide.

[dhampyre]

Another Indian guy swiped right on me. I decided I'm not going to date another Indian man. Most of them still have regressive mindsets and are very anti-black, even if they grew up abroad! I'm just not setting myself up to be hurt again. I think a lot of Indian men actually do like black women, but they're just too brainwashed by their culture and most are too cowardly to stand up for those women when their families start acting up. Can't do it.

I just saw a video suggested to me on YouTube entitled India: A Country that Doesn't Like Women. They have a real problem within their own culture alone with how they treat women. So why would they treat women of other races and cultures any differently?

It's sad because I would not have any hesitancy dating an Indian guy if I didn't have such a shitty experience the one time that I did. People assume that if they grow up abroad, that they'll be more "modern" or more open minded. But it's not so. I've read so many stories of these men dating women for years and then dumping them to go have an arranged marriage. Even if you're an Indian woman, you're not safe, as they do the same damn thing to their own women!🤦🏽‍♀️ I'm also reminded of the horror story of Sparkle Rai. These people truly don't like black people. Some of them get crazy about it. They hate us and it's sad. They love to copy black culture from the music and style to the manner of speaking (AAVE), but they still look down on us. I'm so over it.

This guy looks fine, but I am not willing to set myself up to be hurt again. So I have to swipe left.

It's suspicious that Facebook Dating is actually showing me people who liked me now--like multiple people every day. It wasn't doing that before. I think it is now because I actually swiped right on a couple of people and actually messaged them, which I usually don't do. I think they purposely don't show you people who swiped right on you unless you swipe right on more people and message them. I really think most dating sites do the same thing.😏

Anyway, I've given up on men and I have no expectations. I'm doing my hobbies and taking care of me. One of my friends posted this and I love it because it resonates with me and my philosophy!

[rosyfingered-moon]

2022 roundup

Watched less tv this year than probably any other year in my life because I was mostly pregnant and queasy beyond belief, but here’s a roundup of the stuff I did manage to cram. Not only kdramas, though mostly that. (I’m probably forgetting some but these are all that come to mind rn.)

The Red Sleeve: Didn’t actually finish this because of the pain, but it was so well-made. Ambitious cinematography, great storytelling and acting. Lee Se-young really gave us the range; having only seen her poised and regal in The Crowned Clown before, I loved watching her goof off in between the angsty bits. A serve.

Hyena: I normally dislike law dramas, but the leads are so mesmerizing (and so attractive) that you root for them even when they do objectively evil work. Have never seen such palpable yearning between two characters. Jung Geum-ja is the Most.

Into the Ring: Goo Se-ra my beloved! I want more romances like this: haggard social worker and the social justice gremlin whose daily complaints he has to resolve. Enjoyed every second.

Rewatch of Kingdom and Ashin of the North: Just as brilliant as the first time around. Come on Netflix, now that HBO Max is collapsing in on itself, get with that blood and gore and get to work on season 3 already. I want to see Ashin go apeshit!!

Jodhaa Akbar: Seven months later and I still get tingly thinking about this romance. Akbar dueling Jodhaa to win her back, and showering her with jasmine petals mid-fight. Hrithik Roshan and Aishwarya Rai both looking so hot it should be illegal. A soundtrack to make the sun rise even in the bleak midwinter. This was my first visit to Mughal India but not my last! (Thank you @rain-hat for the recs, you are a gift to tumblrkind!)

My Liberation Notes: Okay I was so into the first half that I cannot even tell you. It burrowed into the darkest, weariest part of me and lit a match. But I did not care for Mr. Gu’s backstory and the ensuing foray into the criminal underworld, and somewhere around there it lost its heart.

Love Between Fairy and Devil: Jam packed with tropes. A surprisingly touching and very entertaining fantasy for the Hades/Persephone girlies. Great visuals, too!

Alchemy of Souls: Speaking of great visuals! I will admit that I hop skipped my way through much of part 1. The world-building is claustrophobically boring, which is a shame because it is so charmingly costumed. I adore the premise of a villain body-swapping into a nobody. There is some good acting in this and there is also some very bad acting. I am upset with part 2 for filing the fangs off my darling Naksu, but I do admit that the dark fairytale vibe has got me hooked. (Evil mothers sewing golden thread into the bare skin of their daughters! Our hero tormented by the furies of hell! A marriage of convenience to the resident goth! I am eating it up by the spoonful.)

Stranger Things: I feel like I am in the minority here so this is probably on me, but I thought this was the least scary and also least emotionally engaging season. I think the problem horror-wise was Vecna and that they showed him too soon and too often in his campy monster makeup. All the Russia stuff was boring af, and I didn’t like that the kids were separated all season. Eddie was however a most delightful addition to the gang. Rest in power, babygirl.

First Love/Hatsukoi: I hate amnesia plots, and I don’t understand why the characters deal with it the way they do here, or why it is never resolved or even treated as something in need of resolving. However, the leads are delightful together and their chemistry is out of this world. Would happily have watched many, many more episodes of this. (I ragged on the color-coded families to my husband, before we realized we both wore the exact same shade of burgundy. So now I’ve decided that it’s cute and not weird at all.)

Things I didn’t finish, but might pick back up some day:

Business Proposal: Chaebol heirs are such a turn off that I couldn’t even finish it for my girls.

Bloody Heart: I only saw a few episodes of this because it was so difficult to find a good stream anywhere online. Goddamn Mouse gatekeeping Jang Hyuk from me!!

Under The Queen’s Umbrella: Too many princes.