Sixteen - Vivaan

A/N: An extra long part for the extra long wait! Hope you enjoy the update!

________________________________________________________________________________

"You were ready to give up your license?!" Aryan asked Vivaan, his eyes wide.

"Bhai-sa, that was a very wrong approach to the situation!" Mansi chided.

"I know, I know." Vivaan placated his siblings. "I fully agree with you both. I did realize that and I didn't act on the impulse either." He said.

Sameer had been discharged from the hospital two days ago. As per Rohan and Payal, he would be facing a trial for his crimes. Vivaan was surprised to learn that although they represented Sameer for the trademark infringement, they wouldn't be doing so for the criminal charges of murder/attempted murder.

"Think about it this way." Payal had explained. "Can a General Surgeon perform a brain surgery by himself? He wouldn't have the specialization, right? Lawyers have specializations too. And we don't specialize in criminal litigation."

"But isn't criminal defense, like the basics?" Vivaan asked, confused.

"No." Payal laughed. "Law has its compartments too. We are adept with commercial contracts and intellectual property law. But not with core litigation. That sort of practice requires its own niche."

Vivaan realized he was very unaware about the intricacies of Payal's profession and was humbled to learn that the legal profession was just as complex as his own. Despite coming from a profession that was frequently misrepresented on television and other media, he had also made the mistake of taking the television shows literally when it came to someone else's profession.

"Even if we did have a litigation team, we wouldn't represent him. Not after what he did." Payal had added, mostly to herself. Even so, Vivaan's heart soared at her words.

Once Sameer was discharged, Vivaan's one week suspension began. At his family's insistence he decided to stay at home for the duration of his suspension. His family had been worried for him with what had happened, and was curious to know how he had ended up being suspended. Which was how he ended up relaying the incident to them.

"So, your first ever fight with Payal Bhabhi-sa was a high drama affair." Avika said.

"Something like that." Vivaan said. He wasn't proud of what had led up to their argument. He had not only stereotyped Payal and her profession, he had made her question her significance in his life. And he had made her cry. Realizing that it was his actions that had made her cry had been an agonizing experience. He couldn't explain the sudden wrenching pain in his chest when he saw her crying. It certainly didn't have a medical explanation.

"No matter how the situation may have been resolved, I have never been more proud of your decision to marry Payal." Vivaan's father said. "That girl is a very mature head on such young shoulders. I have seen so many people her age handle such a situation in worse ways."

He patted Vivaan's shoulders. "You are incredibly lucky to have her as a part of your life." He said.

"I know Baba-sa. Without her, I might have done something I would have held deep regret and bitterness for later in life. She saved me from committing a grave crime." Vivaan said. His respect for Payal had increased ten-fold after the last couple of weeks. He was indeed lucky to have her as a life partner. With her around, he was sure he would never lose his path; or if he did, she would be there, taking his hand and showing him the right path.

"On the plus side" Mansi said in a gleeful voice. "We actually got you home for an entire week."

"Yes. I'm so glad. I knew you said you'd come to the anniversary party, but I was doubtful if you would." Aryan said.

"I have never missed an occasion to celebrate at home." Vivaan reminded his cousin. "And you've never been this insistent on celebrating something." He said, closely observing the flush of embarrassment on Aryan's face.

"Aryan, kya chupa rahe ho tum mujhse?" He asked his brother. He was surprised that Aryan had managed to keep whatever it was from him for so long. Maybe it was because he didn't stay at home very often.(Aryan, what are you hiding from me?)

"Avika and I are expecting, Bhai-sa." Aryan said quietly.

"Okay, what..." Then the meaning hit him.

"Are you serious?" Vivaan asked happily. "You're both going to be parents?"

When Aryan nodded with a shy smile, Vivaan hugged him. "I'm so happy for you both!" Then he realized this was what Aryan had kept from him. Pulling away from him, he pushed at his shoulder playfully. "Tu kab se mujhse baate chupane laga? Aur wo bhi itni badi baat?" he scolded him. (Since when did you start hiding things from me? And that too, such an important bit of information?)

"Sorry Bhai-sa! Ow!" Aryan winced as Vivaan slapped his shoulder yet again.

"Wait." Vivaan stopped again as he realized something. "This is too big a news to not be shared with the elders. That means..." He glared accusingly at his family, all of whom suddenly seemed very sheepish.

"Everyone knew about this? And no one felt like telling me?" he asked them. "Mansi? Baba-sa? You both as well?"

"We wanted to come to the hospital and surprise you with the news, Bhai-sa." Mansi said. "But you didn't pick up our calls. And then, we got to know about your disciplinary hearing."

Wow. Had he been so self-absorbed that he hadn't realized the goings-on around him?

Avika stepped forward along with Aryan and they bent to touch his feet. "No, no." He stopped them by holding their shoulders. He hugged them at the same time. "Congratulations to you both."

"Thank you, Bhai-sa." Avika said.

"How far along are you? Are you facing any problems?" Vivaan asked, the doctor in him kicking in.

"I'm not sure yet. But I think I'm about four weeks along. I wanted to tell you before setting up a proper consult and full check-up." Avika said.

Vivaan nodded. "I'll call Suhani tomorrow for a referral. Let's set up an appointment quickly. I'll give you a basic idea of taking care of yourself, but of course the OB-GYN can help you best. You shouldn't have any problems since as it is quite early, but you will need to be careful of your diet –" he stopped abruptly as Aryan hugged him again.

"Aryan?" Vivaan was mildly alarmed at Aryan's actions.

"Thank you, Bhai-sa." Aryan said. "I'm so nervous, I have no idea how to go about all this. Avika too. We are both thankful to have you with us. You don't know how much we depend on you."

Vivaan smiled, gently patting Aryan's cheek. "Why are you thanking me for this? I'm going to be a Tau-sa. This is my responsibility!" He said and the entire house laughed.

***

"Come beta." Said Vivaan's mother as she formally welcomed Payal into the house. Given that they had a long engagement, the rule that the bride couldn't enter her husband's house until after the marriage had been relaxed. It was impractical anyway, and Vivaan couldn't be happier that Payal had finally been allowed to visit the house. Today was her first time visiting his house. It was the occasion of Holika Dahan. Payal had a working day, so she arrived directly from work, reaching sometime earlier than her family.

"Ab tujhe ke aashirwad dun? Iss ghar me tu jo chahe wahi to hota hai!" Dadi-sa groused as Payal bent to touch her feet. "Khush reh. Ab iss ghar me aa hi gayi hai to mhare Vivaan ka dhyaan rakhna." (What blessing should I give you, everyone already listens to you! Stay happy. Now that you have entered this house, keep my Vivaan happy.)

Vivaan rolled his eyes. He had given up on explaining that it was both Payal and his decision to wait for marriage. Dadi-sa only believed what she wanted to, and no one could change her perspective.

"Aryan, Avika. This is for both of you." Payal said, greeting them after taking the blessings of the elders, holding out a wrapped gift for their anniversary. They smiled at her happily.

"Bhabhi-sa, now you'll have to give them more than one gift." Mansi teased.

"Of course." Payal smiled. Vivaan had already called her earlier in the day to share the good news. She held up another smaller box. "Congratulations to both of you. So happy for both of you."

"Thank you, Bhabhi-sa." Aryan said, nodding at Avika. They both bent to touch her feet.

"No, no." Payal stopped them hurriedly. "You don't have to touch my feet! We are about the same age." She protested.

"But Bhabhi-sa, you are our Bhai-sa's fiancée. So, by relationship, you are older to us." Aryan explained. Not giving her a chance to argue further, they touched her feet once again. Payal sighed helplessly.

"Bas, bas." She said, a little embarrassed, guiding them to get up and holding one hand of each. (That's enough.) "Devar-sa, Devrani-sa, hope you both continue to support each other and fulfill your goals in life." She said, more as a wish than as a blessing.

The use of the epithet made the entire gathering laugh. Vivaan was so proud of Payal for having adapted to his family so quickly. It was barely two months into their engagement yet, and she already seemed family.

Payal's family arrived then, and they expressed their happiness at the good news. It was when they proceeded to sit down that Vivaan noticed his mother-in-law's limp.

"Ma, what happened? Why are you limping?" he asked her.

"She's been complaining of a pain in her leg since today morning, but does not remember accidently bumping with a hard surface." Aniket said, helping his mother sit down.

Vivaan frowned. "May I check her leg once?" he asked.

"Vivaan, this is hardly the time for such things." His mother admonished softly.

"It won't take more than a minute." Vivaan overrode his mother, concern flaring at this new development. He gently checked along Payal's mother's lower leg, pressing lightly. As expected, she winced slightly.

"There's a swelling here." He paused his examination, near the calf muscles. "Are you sure you didn't bump against any hard surface, Ma? A table perhaps?" he asked. She shook her head.

Vivaan didn't like this sign. He whipped out his cell phone to call Dr. Maniar, the oncologist at his hospital.

"Hello Sir, sorry to be disturbing you. I had a question about a patient." He said after initial greetings. When Dr. Maniar gave his go-ahead, Vivaan relayed what he had found.

"This isn't a common occurrence from chemotherapy, if that is what you are asking me, Vivaan." Dr. Maniar replied to his indirect question. "Most likely, it is an impact injury. But you know the tests which can confirm if there is anything otherwise."

"So, you would recommend testing?" Vivaan asked, tentatively.

"I'd still say it's an impact injury; Payal's mother may not remember where she bumped against a hard surface." Dr. Maniar said. "But I've not examined her in person for this, and you seem concerned. Which test did you have in mind?"

"Given the condition she suffers from, I'd suggest a Doppler ultrasound." Said Vivaan tentatively. He knew his answer would tip off his senior about the possible diagnosis he had in his head.

"Deep Vein Thrombosis?" Dr. Maniar asked. "That seems a paranoid conclusion, although, not entirely improbable." He seemed to be talking to himself at this point.

"I understand. Thank you, Doctor." Vivaan said, disconnecting the call. He looked up at the suddenly anxious faces of both families.

"Further testing?" Aniket asked.

"What is a Doppler ultrasound?" Payal asked just as curiously.

Vivaan realized they had heard at least one side of the conversation.

"But its just a swelling." Payal's mother protested from the sofa she was sitting on. "Why do I need to get it tested?"

"Its just your condition, Ma." Vivaan said, kneeling before her and taking her hands in his. "It's better to be on the safe side. Nothing is wrong, we are just being thorough." He soothed.

Payal leaned forward. "It can be related to her condition?" she asked.

"Not necessarily." He said. "We are just being thorough."

"Okay, enough talk about high tension topics! Time for some celebration!" Mansi interrupted Payal's next question. "So much is lined up! First there is the Holika Dahan, then we have cake cutting, and of course, we have to show Payal Bhabhi-sa our home!"

Aryan covered his ears in mock distress. "Pretty sure the neighbors also heard your plans, Mansi." He teased his sister, making her pout.

"No one is excited about the double festivities." She whined.

"Why are you troubling my daughter?" Vivaan's Ma-sa mock-scolded Aryan, gently putting an arm around Mansi to console her. "And she is right. Is ghar ki badi bindani pehli baar ghar aayi hai. Celebration to banta hai." (The elder daughter-in-law of this house has visited this house for the first time. Of course, we should celebrate.)

Mansi's joy at her mother's encouragement made everyone laugh as they headed outside for the Holika Dahan.

***

"And this is Bhai-sa's room." Said Aryan, opening the door to Vivaan's room.

After Holika Dahan and the cake cutting, Mansi and Aryan had insisted that Payal see their house. While Aniket and Rohini accompanied the group, the rest of the elders decided to stay seated outside, which was how everyone ended up in Vivaan's room.

Truth be told, Vivaan didn't stay enough in his room enough for it to be actually untidy or unclean. Payal had already seen his dorm near the hospital and his workspace, so he had not bothered to go out of the way to make an impression.

Of all the places in his life, Vivaan felt his room defined him best. He hadn't decorated it in a fancy manner, rather it was just a place of comfort, where he could be himself – a place that didn't warrant any pretense. The walls were painted a soft white and one wall had a large, wide window since overlooking the backend of their house. The window had been set inside the wall, making place for a small platform which Vivaan had decked up with great care. It was his favorite place growing up and he loved sitting there for hours together. When he learned gardening, he had lined the windowsill with his five of his favorite plants. The plants, along with the cushion-lined platform made for a cozy place to rest.

Vivaan's bed was set against the wall perpendicular to the wall with the window, and above it, hung a large picture of his family. Another door opposite to the bed led inside to the built in closet and the attached washroom. On the wall opposite to the window, was Vivaan's bookshelf, which held another of Vivaan's favorite hobbies – reading. When he was twelve, his father had noticed his habit of sitting down with a book and spending long hours lost in it. Vivaan preferred to sit at the window-side, but his father had still insisted on placing two chairs inside the room as well. Over the years, as the number of books grew and he began studying medicine, he had added a small table to the set as well, so that he could spread several books and have somewhere to place his laptop.

Vivaan leaned against the doorframe of his room as he watched Payal look around with a small smile on her face. He felt strangely relieved having her in his space; the one space that identified him so well. But did she like the room? It was nothing fancy, but then, her room at her house was also simple.

Mansi elbowed Aryan, who stumbled a bit. He glared at her, but she just raised her eyebrows. Vivaan knew that look all too well.

"Um, Mansi, you were thirsty right? Why don't we make go something refreshing for everyone?" Aryan asked tentatively.

"I'll also help." Payal said, making to move to the entrance.

"No!" Mansi semi-yelled, then stopped short, looking at Payal's startled expression. "I mean, Bhabhi-sa, its your first time here. Why don't you relax while we be the responsible hosts?" she hedged. Vivaan wanted to laugh at the amused expression on Payal's face. She had obviously caught on to what was going on.

Rohini too, seemed to have caught on. "Avika, weren't you saying that you were looking for healthier diet options?" she looked at Aniket with a meaningful glance. "Ani, why don't we go and discuss this in detail downstairs? We shouldn't keep her standing for too long." Before Aniket could say anything, Rohini had dragged both Avika and Aniket outside with her. With a quick "we'll see you soon!" Aryan and Mansi too left the room, the latter winking at Vivaan as she left.

"And then there were two." Payal said, still amused.

"You know how it is..." Vivaan joked. "Joint families aren't always big on giving privacy. When they try, it gets blown out of proportion."

Payal laughed. "This is a nice room, by the way." She said, walking to the window sill where his plants were. "Are these your plants? Which is which?" she asked.

Vivaan smiled, making his way to window sill. He touched the plant closest to him. "This is Samruddhi." He said, referring to the money plant, whose vines were carefully wound around the window bars so they could grow with support. "And this is 'Yatri'." He said pointing at the spider plant beside the money plant.

"That's interesting. I get that the money plant means prosperity, hence the name. But yatri means a traveler..." Payal trailed off. "Or wanderer?"

"It's a little random. But I got the inspiration from the name 'spider plant'. It sprouts all over, so that's a symbol of wandering." Vivaan explained sheepishly.

Payal pointed to the plant beside the spider plant. "That must be 'Ghritkumari'" she said, with a laugh, making him laugh too.

Vivaan's third plant was an aloe vera. As a child, his Kako-sa had explained to him that in their local dialect, aloe vera was called 'Ghritkumari' meaning a 'youthful girl', since its properties included extending the youth of a person. It had felt unique, and so Vivaan had named his plant likewise.

"You knew that that's the name for aloe vera?" he asked Payal.

She brushed her hand gently against the broad leaves of the plant. "Yes. It's called by the same name in several native tongues, including Sanskrit." She smiled as she ran her hand along the rim of the pot holding the plant.

He pointed to the plant beside the aloe vera – a lucky bamboo. "That's Lucky. This one is new actually. Adi gifted it to me at the start of the residency." He explained. "And that's 'Chanchal'." He said pointing to the last plant – a fiddle-leaf fig.

"'Chanchal'? As in, 'fickle'? she asked, with a frown.

Vivaan smiled. "Fiddle-leaf Figs are popular house plants. In fact, when we bought this one, there was quite a craze. This is one of the smaller varieties though. Some people love the larger one and that can grow really high." He said, touching the underside of one of the lowermost violin-shaped leaves. "But they are extremely finicky and can't stand any extreme weather. It requires a lot of effort to take care of one, especially in its growing years. Mansi was so frustrated in the beginning that she named it 'Chanchal' – as in fickle. But the name stuck. So, it's been called that since then."

Payal took her time to individually acquaint herself with each of the plants, murmuring soft words to them. After a moment, Vivaan couldn't help his curiosity.

"What are you telling them?" he asked.

She smiled, soft and mysterious. "That's between me and them. Let's just say we introduced ourselves to each other." She got up, moving to his book collection. Being an avid reader herself, he could see it fascinated her. Watching her look at his things with such interest, he couldn't help but be relieved. She clearly liked his room. Her future room. Vivaan couldn't help a giddy smile at that thought.

"You know, you don't have to like everything in here." He said, taking her hand as he stood beside her. "You have the right to make changes to this room. It will be your room someday too." He teased.

She nodded. "The color is too pale. I want a bright, vibrant yellow." She said, straight-faced.

Vivaan was shocked. He wasn't kidding about accepting her changes, but bright yellow? He tried to school his expression to avoid hurting Payal.

"And maybe some touches of modern furniture?" Payal added, looking at the wooden chairs and table. "Wood isn't really my style."

Vivaan had had no idea that Payal's preferences were so... garishly different. It seemed so different from what he had come to know of her so far...

That's it! He thought, looking at the small smile that she was trying to hide. She was teasing him! He decided to play along.

"Hmm. I agree. These are actually Ma-sa and Baba-sa's preferences. Bright yellow is perfect, and maybe we could get one of those glass-topped tables? Would match with the bookshelf perfectly." He paused. "I was thinking of getting a steel-frame bookshelf, you know? Much more modern."

Payal couldn't hide her shock. "Um, I wasn't..." she stammered. "I mean, those are, um, great choices... but you know-"

Vivaan interrupted her by laughing out loud. "Caught you!" he teased. Her unsure expression morphed into an exasperated one when she realized he was joking. "You really think I'd fall for that?" he allowed a little boast as he wrapped his arms around her, tugging her close.

"How did you know?" she asked, a little grumpy, but smiling nonetheless.

"Jisko paani me jalte diye dekhna pasand ho, use itne bhadkile rang kaise pasand aayege?" he whispered, tucking a lock of her hair behind her ear, from where it had escaped. "I know your preference for the "easy on the eyes and comfortable" very well." (How can someone who prefers watching floating lights in the water like something so bright?)

(A/N: For those who didn't get Vivaan's words, he meant that Payal liked the muted and subtle kind of beauty, which is neither fancy nor loud, but still stands out easily – just like floating lights. Even a single lamp in water can be beautiful in itself, not needing any further embellishment.)

"So, what do you think, soon-to-be Mrs. Vivaan Mehta?" he asked, watching the flush of embarrassment travel up her cheeks. "Did you really like my room?"

"Our room." She corrected him, laying her forehead to his shoulder to hide her embarrassment. Vivaan loved the way she said it. But then she tensed in his arms.

"What is it?" Vivaan asked.

She pulled away from him, fixing him with her analytical gaze. "What is a Doppler ultrasound?" she asked.

Vivaan bit back a groan. He had hoped she would forget about the test. But nope. She was too observant for her own good.

"It's a test used to estimate the blood flow in the blood vessels." He answered carefully.

"Why would Ma need one?" Payal asked the obvious follow up question.

Vivaan sighed. "I think the swelling in her leg is actually a blood clot. The Doppler will help identify that." He explained.

"But why would Ma have a blood clot? What does having a blood clot indicate?" He sensed a sliver of panic in her voice. Her thoughts had caught the same train that his had taken – this could be a new symptom, and it wouldn't be a good sign if it was.

He took Payal's hand and dragged her to the window platform, making her sit before sitting beside her. "It's just a guess, Payal." He hurried to calm her down. "We don't know if it's a blood clot yet. Let that be confirmed first, and we will worry about the other questions if it does turn out to be that."

Payal closed her eyes, seeming frustrated. "I hate not knowing!" she said. "I hate that there is no known path here, that we're stumbling blindly, barely catching up to what is going wrong. It feels like a... like a..." she fumbled, as though she couldn't find the right words.

"Like a race that's already lost." Vivaan finished quietly, looking down. He heard the hitch in her breathing and understood that this was why she couldn't finish what she was saying. She didn't want to speak her fears out loud.

He cupped his hand around her cheek, making her look at him. Her eyes were swimming with unshed tears. "Payal, doctors feel that way all the time. The human body is truly a miracle, and no one can be fully sure about how it reacts to any external factor." He deliberately softened his voice – the calm tone he used with his patients. "We can never guarantee that we can save someone, because between the diagnosis and the cure, a million things can go wrong. And not one of them can be predicted accurately."

"So, what do you do then?" Payal asked in a small voice.

"We do our best." Vivaan answered. "That is the only thing we can be certain of. So, we go out there and try our level best to level up against whatever is ailing the body. We prepare extensively and consider all sides of the situation and give it our all. But we have to keep all thoughts on the outcome aside. We can't worry about the outcome, or we won't be able to give it our best."

Payal sighed, moving out of his hold, only to slide in close and rest her head on his shoulder. "Then let's just give it our best." She said. Vivaan just kissed her forehead, hoping it would reassure her.

Suddenly, a lot of coughs sounded out. Vivaan looked up to see Aryan, Avika and Mansi standing in the doorway.

"Sorry, we should have knocked." Avika was the only one who had the grace to look a little guilty. Aryan and Mansi were grinning unashamedly.

"Bhai-sa ki romantic side dekhne ka mera sapna aaj pura hua." Mansi stated dramatically. "In so many years, we have never witnessed him be like this." (My dream of wanting to see Bhai-sa's romantic side has finally come true.)

"We were worried his interests would be a little... different." Aryan joined his sister. "Not that we mind, but Dadi-sa would have definitely thrown a tantrum."

Vivaan lobbed a cushion at them, which they both dodged. "You're going to become a father. Grow up already." He told Aryan.

"Did you see, Bhabhi-sa?" Aryan asked Payal, looking affronted. "He scolds me always, but never tells Mansi anything."

Vivaan rolled his eyes. "That's because I've given up on curbing her dramatic tendencies. With you, there is still hope. Especially since your wife is so sensible." He said, ducking quickly as the cushion sailed over his head, hitting Ghritkumari.

"Watch it! Leave my plants out of this!" he protested, causing his siblings to laugh.

"Stop it you two!" Avika admonished Aryan and Mansi. "Bhai-sa, Bhabhi-sa, dinner is ready. You can come downstairs when you're... done." She said, dragging Aryan and Mansi, who were both laughing loudly, downstairs with her.

Vivaan turned to see Payal setting the cushion properly and readjusting his plant. He knew she was doing this to hide her embarrassment. "Sorry, Aryan and Mansi don't have a filter." He apologized.

She shook her head but then unexpectedly began laughing. "What?" asked Vivaan still confused.

"Did you really worry your family into thinking that you might have 'different interests'?" she asked, quoting Aryan, before laughing again. It seemed as though her somber mood had passed. For the moment. Vivaan mentally thanked his siblings.

"They are right in their own way, I guess." He said, suddenly feeling introspective. "I was never like this before. But then, you came along." He said, stealing her line from so long ago.

Payal smiled as she recognized her words. Vivaan just smiled, caressing her cheek with one hand. "You're special." He admitted, and felt the words resonate deep within. He felt a swooping sensation in his stomach as he remembered how he felt when he held Payal close; what making her cry had felt like; the relief he had felt at sharing his painful past with her; and the happiness he felt as he let her into his life. It was similar to the feeling of suddenly being weightless when falling down from a great height.

And just like that, Vivaan Mehta realized that he had fallen in love.

Glossary:

Tau-sa - a Hindi/Marwari term used to refer to the older brother of one's father.

Devar-sa - a Hindi/Marwari term used to refer to the husband's younger brother.

Devrani-sa - a Hindi/Marwari term used to refer to the wife of the younger brother-in-law.

Doppler ultrasound -  a type of non-invasive diagnostic test that helps map the blood flow through the blood vessels, by bouncing high-frequency soundwaves off the circulating red blood cells. Unlike a regular ultrasound, which uses sound waves to produce images, a Doppler ultrasound can show the pattern of flow of blood, which can help determine issues such as clotting, venous insufficiency, aneurysms etc.

Deep Vein Thrombosis - a medical condition where a blood clot develops in one of the deep veins in the leg. Although sometimes there are no symptoms, usually a person suffering from Deep Vein Thrombosis can develop a painful swelling at the site of clot. It can be life-threatening since the clot can dislodge and move up the bloodstream, and into the heart or the lungs. Such a development is termed "Pulmonary Embolism". A diagnosis of Deep Vein Thrombosis needs immediate attention, especially if the person exhibits symptoms of the clot having travelled upward.

Samruddhi - a Hindi term literally translating to "prosperity".

Yatri - a Hindi term lieterally translating to "traveler" or "wanderer".

Ghritkumari - as explained, this is a term used to refer to the Aloe Vera plant. The Sanskrit transliteration of the word is in fact "virgin", but the definition has been expanded since, especially in local dialects.

Chanchal - a hindi term literally translating to "restless" or "fickle".