Margarita (Zee TV)

The show begins with Josephita's daughter reading out a Margarita's personal dairy in a cozy TV studio with small TV sets around relaying her as she speaks live in the studio.

Flashback into the story, we see Nacha, the house maid and Elena mai who is pregnant cooking in the kitchen and chatting with each other when suddenly Elena's water broke. She is in pain and the child can be delivered anytime. There is no time for calling any doctor in the house or taking Elena mai to the nearest hospital or dispensary. Nacha makes Elena mai sleep on the kitchen counter and delivers the baby. Its a girl. Nacha holds her in her hands proudly and looks at her with motherly love. Shortly a few days after Elena's husband passes away and Elena is burdened with family affairs to take care of. Nacha offers to be the foster mother for the newly born Margarita. Since then, Margarita is fostered and brought up under the care, love and nurturing of Nacha. Margarita holds Nacha dearly in her life, for she is the mother who took care of Margarita ever since being an infant upto today. Margarita spends more of her life in the kitchen alongside Nacha.

It is said that chopping onions makes one cry. Margarita would never cry. Nacha had a remedy for this. She put a small onion of top of Margarita's head while she was chopping onions and Margarita starts crying that very instant.

It is a Christmas eve when Donna Elena Braganza has hosted a Christmas party for near and dear ones, friends and family of the town. Margarita is expected to serve the guests with some shots of drinks. She asks her mother, Elena mai (or mai, as they all called her lovingly as a sign of respect) when can she start drinking. Elena mai says she is still short to start drinking and tells that when she will be a few inches taller by showing the expected height by her hands, then she can start drinking some. Once Mai leaves, Margarita looks herself up in the mirror, stands on her toes to make herself look longer and whispering to herself, 'Now I am tall enough to drink some', gulps a single shot of the drink from the tray in front of her. She sees through the mirror that there is a young man, Pedro awe-struck and completely mesmerized in Margarita's beauty staring at her incessantly that very instant. Margarita is shy and leaves immediately. This was their first interaction ever.

Margarita was stuck in Pedro's senses. He couldn't get her off the mind. He starts following her everywhere. Margarita is walking with chickoos gathered in her skirt when one of them falls down as she is climbing the stairs from the garden. She tries to bend to pick up the fallen chickoo but both her hands are busy with holding the end seams of the skirt that holds the bunch of rest of the chickoos. Pedro rushes to pick up the fallen chickoo when he notices the Margarita's legs. He is wooed completely. Margarita realizes what is happening and suddenly out of embarrassment she lets go both her hands and the skirt lowers down making the rest of the chickoos rain over Pedro's head. Next, Margarita is seen walking on the sea shore along with Chancha, Rose and Gertrude. Pedro follows her carefully. The girls by now have understood the reason Pedro is following them. They giggle and smile and continue walking along the shores. Pedro tracks Margarita who is walking slowly behind the other girls and asks her if she feels the same way too, just like Pedro. She hesitates but concurs with his feelings.

According to the family's old tradition, the youngest daughter cannot marry. She has to stay back home and take care of the elderly parents for the rest of their lives. Nacha, the house maid and also Margarita's foster mother thinks that Elena mai wouldn't be adamant to follow this absurd tradition. To her shock, Elena mai expresses her concern and makes it clear to the entire house that according to the traditions, Tita is the youngest and therefore she cannot marry anyone. She has to take care of her like how it has been in the family for several years. Hearing this, Nacha and Elena have a little argument over kitchen where Nacha expresses that she thought Elena mai would be more considerate and break such a family tradition and free her daughters to live a happily married life. Certainly this is not the case in Braganza house.

Pedro and his father, Pascal come to meet Elena mai to ask for Margarita's hand in marriage for Pedro. Elena mai explains them the family tradition to them that Tita cannot marry according to the family's old tradition. She also states that his son-in-law to her other daughters must live with them in the Braganza house since after her, all the property would eventually belong to him.

Pedro instead settles to marry Elena's eldest daughter, Rose. Everyone is excited in the kitchen with Chancha going back and forth getting news from the sitting hall to the kitchen. She is baffled at the thought that Pedro is agreeing to marry Rose instead of Tita. She is unable to communicate that well to the ladies in the kitchen. Finally, Elena mai comes in the kitchen and announces that a decision has been made. The marriage will be next month, with Rose. Whilst leaving Braganza house, Pedro's father asks Pedro why he agreed to such a thing?

Everyone in Braganza house is shocked. Tita is quietly absorbing her tears and does not utter a word. She has immersed herself in chores. Nacha is worried for Tita. Nacha is seeing cutting onions and down came Tita's tears like a rain on a deserted land.

Tita tries on the marriage veil and accidentally red wine drops on it. The stains are hard to remove. Gertrude summons Nacha. Nacha rushes from the kitchen to solve the problem. She sprinkles some white powder on the veil and it becomes white as new again.

Nacha and Elena have a spat over why she consented to Rose and Pedro's marriage knowing the fact that Pedro and Tita love each other deeply. Elena says that she is the mother of their daughters and decider of their fate.

Later, Tita asks Nacha to get ready for the marriage ceremony. Nacha says she does not feel well from within, her heart is not fully happy with this marriage. She tells Tita to continue without her and asks her not to cry during the ceremony. Tita dreams of herself and Pedro getting married in the church instead of Rose. While she hallucinates back to reality, she realizes that Rose and Pedro are taking their first walk down the aisle as a married couple. Bells are ringing.

Pedro finds Tita and confesses to her in one corner of the house that he has done this marriage only for the sake of him being close to Tita. He still loves Tita and will continue to love her.

The reception is held at Braganza house. Everyone is being served with the wedding cake after the dinner. As each was eating those pieces of cake, a strange thing happened. Everyone started to cry. Pedro and Rose ate the cake too, they cried. Gertrude, Tita's elder sister ate the cake too, Mai ate it too. All of them were crying.

Elena scolds Tita that she must have definitely put something in the cake that resulted in this incident. She is pleading to Mai that she did not do anything and that she can ask Nacha herself as she was also there. They both come to see Nacha. Nacha is silent. She has passed away. Tita starts crying telling Nacha's body that there is no one of her own after her.

Pedro and Tita silently exchange letters by keeping their letters in a letter box in the sitting hall. No one knows that. This is how they exchange their romantic thoughts for each other and keep their love alive. Meanwhile Rose and Pedro haven't yet consummated their marriage.

Pedro sees Tita working on the grinding stone in the kitchen and is wooed by her beauty.

In the bedroom, while Rose is signalling Pedro for closeness, Pedro tells Rose that she is probably tired and therefore tonight is not their night to be together. Rose is upset. The next morning while the sun is still rising, Pedro and Rose are sleeping whilst all of a sudden Pedro dreams of Tita and accidentally holds Rose's hands. Rose is elated and she feels that Pedro is getting close to her. Pedro asks for forgiveness from the Lord saying that he is doing all of this only to be together with Tita. Pedro returns back to the bed and consummates his marriage with Rose.

That very day, while Tita is eagerly opening the letter box she does not find a letter. Pedro is seen flashing the letter to Tita when all of a sudden Elena mai comes in. She understands looking at the letter what is happening between the two of them and orders Chancha to throw the letter in the garbage bin saying there is no room for garbage in this house looking sternly at the two of them, Pedro and Tita.

Besides the letter, the only other way Pedro and Tita would talk would be by means of compliments and appreciation for the food that Tita cooks at the dining table. Each time Pedro compliments the food, Rose feels uncomfortable and Elena interjects by commenting on something inadequate in the food, sometimes salt being less, sometimes some other thing.

Meanwhile Gertrude and Chancha disguise themselves as men and visit a local pub. Gertrude helps herself with some drinks there and meets a soldier. She falls in love with her bravery. When she returns home late night she is confronted by Elena mai who is furious and angry to see her returning late, being drunk and to top it all to be answering back to her own mother. Mai locks her up in the room and tells that she will not come outside only until Mai decides and wants to. Gertrude also locks the room from inside and tells Mai that she can't come inside until she decides when to. Gertrude is a rebel.

Rose soon gets pregnant with Pedro's first child. Tita is heartbroken. Chancha and Mai have to leave one day for a funeral. Tita, Rose and Pedro are in the house. Tita and Pedro are in the garden. Pedro confronts Tita on why she is not speaking to him anymore and that how much he endures in the house just to be with Tita. Rose starts screaming inside the room in pain. Her water broke. Tita and Pedro hurriedly come to Rose. Tita insists Pedro to take the bicycle and get Dr. Fernandes. Pedro tracks down whereabouts of Dr. Fernandes in a funeral. However, the funeral itself is of Dr. Fernandes. There he meets Dr. John Coelho who agrees to tend to Pedro's wife's help. Pedro carries Dr. John on the passenger seat of his bicycle. Meanwhile Rose is in pain and Tita is all alone. She cries for help. Nacha's soul appears and helps deliver the baby. Dr. John Coelho and Pedro reach only to find that Tita has delivered Rose's baby boy, Roberto. Mai and Chancha return from the funeral and are happy to receive their first grand-child. Rose has some complications post her delivery. Dr. John offers to tend to Rose. Rose can't produce milk for Roberto. Mai and Rose are worried for Roberto since the baby cries all day and hasn't eaten or drunk anything for first two days. Finally, Tita agrees to look after Roberto. She takes him in her room and tries to breast-feed Roberto herself. To her surprise, the baby is feeding. Pedro sees this. Tita believes its a miracle, however Pedro is convinced that this was bound to happen since Roberto is in a way Pedro and Tita's sign of love although Rose is her mother.

Pedro still is crazily in love with Tita. Tita befriends Dr. John and spends a good time with her in the house each day while Dr. John visits Rose for checkups. Pedro is jealous and confronts Dr. John saying that he should know that Tita cannot marry as per this house's tradition. Tita is angry at Pedro for having bust this news all of a sudden to Dr. John. Pedro is convincing Tita that he still loves her and he has done all of this to just be with her. He starts kissing her passionately while holding her in her arms. Mai sees this from the corner of the open window. She decides that it is time for Pedro, Rose and Roberto to leave Braganza house and settle in Pedro's home. Pedro is worried that Roberto wouldn't be able to eat or drink anything without Tita around. Tita is helpless against Mai's decision.

Pedro, Rose and Roberto leave Braganza house. A few weeks, days or months has not passed and Elena Mai decides to send some fresh fish and other food items to Pedro's house. Drago visits Pedro's house only to learn that Roberto has passed away. Chancha busts the news to Mai and Tita in the kitchen. Tita is shocked, crying loudly she screams at Mai, "You killed my Roberto. You killed my Roberto!". Mai tightly slaps Tita making her nose bleed instantly. Tita continues, "You killed my Roberto" and angrily leaves the house towards the garden.

After Roberto's demise, Margarita goes into a shock. She does not speak a word. Mai thinks she is going mad and therefore seeks Dr. John's help to find Margarita a decent Mental Asylum for her treatment. Dr. John is petrified at heartless Mai's such words. He instead offers to help by taking Margarita in his home for a few days to which Mai agrees amicably. Margarita starts living in Dr. John's home with his son Alex. She speaks nothing for several days. According to Tita, she is trying to find herself through her silence. After a few days, she and Alex are taking a walk outside when Alex suddenly disappears. Tita thinks Alex is playing hide and seek with her and tries to find her in all places. When she cannot find Alex anywhere, her heart sinks. She feels that she will lose Alex just like she lost Roberto. She screams for Alex and finally finds him hiding in a place. This is when her silence ends. She starts living a happy life with Alex and Dr. John in their home.

Meanwhile, Drago has gone out of town to find better work to start a better life with Chancha. Chancha and Mai are alone at Braganza house. One dark evening the dacoits come hunting towards Braganza house. Chancha and Mai are alone in the house. Mai confronts the dacoits but all in vain. The dacoits attack Elena Mai and she falls of the balcony injuring herself badly. Chancha gets taken advantage of by one of the dacoits.

Few days pass by and Dr. John and Tita decide to get married. Tita intends to notify Mai of her decision as she does not feel she is obliged to stay with Elena Mai for the rest of her life anymore. She and Dr. John decide to pay a visit to Braganza house, only to find saddened faces of Chancha and Elena mai in pain. Elena mai hurt her back badly due to which she cannot walk anymore. She is bedridden. Chancha is depressed and in her own world. Looking at all of this, Tita decides to stay back at Braganza house to take care of Mai. Dr. John leaves. Chancha confides in Tita over the wrath of that evening and what tragedy befallen on her pride and self-esteem. Tita comforts Chancha. Elena mai is not happy with Tita's help and she defies her every attempt for helping mai recover with better food.

Drago comes back from town with a ring in his pocket thinking he will propose Chancha only to find Chancha's unfortunate rape news. He is heartbroken. Chancha finally agrees to marry Drago. They both hug each other.

Few days don't pass and Mai passes away. There is nothing left in Braganza house anymore. Tita finds the secluded box with love letters between Mai and his lover, Joseph. She comes to know the truth about Gertrude being the child born out of wedlock between Mai and Joseph. Rose and Pedro return back to Braganza house too. They have their daughter Josephita with them. Pedro begets a daughter with Rose after Roberto's death in order to have Rose find happiness once again in her daughter. Tita names their daughter as 'Josephita' - Probably, she coined this name knowing Mai's lover's name was Joseph too. Who knows?.

Dr. John officially asks for Tita's hand in marriage from Rose and Pedro, as only them being the elders of the house. Pedro is seen forcing himself on Tita on the night of their engagement after the engagement party is over.

Thereafter, a few days pass by and Chancha marries Drago in a small ceremony. At the reception, we see that Gertrude returns back with her husband.

At the reception party, Tita notices Elena Mai's ghost who is troubling Tita since Tita and Pedro involved themselves in illegitimate intimacy outside of wedlock. Angrily, out of revenge, Elena's ghost attacks Pedro by transporting a flying log of firewood to him. Pedro burns his hand. Tita runs towards Pedro and takes her in her arms and starts comforting her intensely. Rose notices this and so does Dr. John. It is then that Dr. John and Rose both learn that Tita loves Pedro and this love is so intensely strong in their hearts. Rose is heartbroken.

Pedro is bedridden and Tita tries to take care of him. Rose blocks Tita's actions to avoid them being together any moment. She fears their closeness risks her marriage. Meanwhile, Gertrude comes to know of Tita's pregnancy and she confronts Rose and tells her the reality. Rose locks herself in a room for several days and speaks to no one. Meanwhile, Dr. John and Tita take care of Pedro.

One fine day, Rose opens the door. Chancha notices her coming out of the room, all obese and ugly. Her depression led her to an eating disorder where she would aimlessly gulp as much food as she can all day, in excess without any motivation or zest for life. She inflicts this purposely upon herself because she feels she has given up herself on Pedro and any hope for their successful married life.

Tita comes to know that she is not pregnant anymore and that all of this was just a false alarm. She confronts Rose and tells her that she shouldn't just be silent and eat her emotions away in depression. Talking is better for venting out the anger. She also tells Rose that she isn't pregnant with Pedro and that whatever Gertrude told Rose that night was completely false. Rose couldn't care less.

Nacha appears to Tita and pleads her to detangle herself from the worries and woes of those around her and that she is not needed anymore here. She urges her to start her own life and start living. Tita leaves Braganza house. She starts living in Dona Pikita's house. Dr. John visits Tita here and once again proposes to Tita. Tita accepts the proposal.

One day while she is in the room, sleeping on the bed, all obese and ugly - Pedro comes to her bed to visit her and is quietly looking at her with love and pain in his eyes and lots of regret for he knows clearly all of this is his wrongdoing. Rose lifts her hand and runs over Pedro's face, uttering his name, "Pedro" one last time before she closes her eyes forever. Pedro is left alone.

Tita and Dr. John are getting married in the church. As they walk down the aisle as a married couple, Tita sees Rose at the church's door. She is pleasantly surprised and happy to see Rose and mentions her that she became all well. Tita says she is so happy to see Rose back in her normal body again, rid of all obesity and beautifully smiling at her. Rose tells her that she is so happy for Tita.

Suddenly Pedro is seen arriving at the church looking for Tita. Her informs Tita and Dr. John of Rose's demise. Tita is shocked and realizes that the beautiful Rose that she saw and talked to was actually Rose's soul who had come to visit Tita and congratulate her on her happy day.

In our weddings, there is a very special tradition of the 'Wedding Cake'. The climax of the entire celebration is the cutting of the cake. As if eating a piece of that cake involves everyone in the happiness of the wedding, together with the bride and the groom. Tita's foster mother and house-help Nacha had a superb recipe for making that wedding cake. Break 6 eggs in a big bowl and continue whipping until thick. Though this time, Nacha and Tita broke countless eggs for Pedro and Rose's wedding. Very mechanically Nacha kept breaking the egg into a bowl, the bowl being continously stirred by Tita. Suddenly Tita hears a squealing sound of a chick. Nacha is about to break that egg when Tita stops her. 'Ma.'. 'What happened?', says Nacha. Tita holds the egg closely to her ears and softly says, 'It's a chick inside'. Elena mai is in the kitchen too. Suspecting something she comes closer to Nacha and Tita and quickly asks, 'What is going on here?'. 'Mai, there is a baby chick inside', Tita excitedly shows that egg to her mother. 'Nacha can't hear it, but I can hear it.'. 'Are you mad? What kind of things are you saying? Give it to me.' She sharply grabs the egg from Tita's hands and breaks it into the bowl. 'Mai, Mai', Tita horrifically closes her eyes. 'Look at this. Is there a baby chick inside this egg?'. She pulls Tita's ears and warns her, 'If you do such acts, I won't tolerate them anymore'. Mai leaves. Nacha is saddened. She warmly places her hand on Tita's head and comforts her not to cry. Tita never understood why she could hear a chick's voice inside that egg. She kept on crying stirring the bowl of broken eggs, several tears rolling down her cheeks into the bowl. Tita was certain that whatever wishes she had, her own Mai would never let them be accomplished. Nacha consoles Tita. 'Come now. Stop crying. Look your tears are incessantly falling into this. Tita, you are very tired. You go into your room and rest. Go' The wedding ceremony takes place, followed by dinner and drinks. The guests are casually chatting amongst each other and passing gala time. Kancha, the house-maid serves pieces of cake to each guest in the hall. Everyone is taking a piece. As each was eating those pieces of cake, a strange thing happened. Everyone started to cry. Pedro and Rose ate the cake too, they cried. Gertrude, Tita's elder sister ate the cake too, Mai ate it too. All of them were crying. Gobsmacked Kancha couldn't understand the reason why. She noticed everyone was eating the cake, holding the pieces in their hands. She stood frozen. Scared, looking at the last piece in the tray that she was holding, she dares to start eating that piece. Tears naturally came down her eyes too. She continues to eat the piece. Everyone was sobbing, deeply.

Nacha used to say, food never lies. Your emotions become the taste of your food. Perhaps this is what happened. Tita's painful tears that had mixed in the cake, became a long wave of 'love' and took everyone with its flow. No one was able to stop themselves. Everyone began crying remembering their own lost love.

Elena mai and eldest daughter Rose were sitting in the room, worried and immersed in deep thoughts, not knowing how to save Rose and Pedro's marriage from sinking. Margarita, Rose's youngest sister stepped out of the house to walk around the trees. It was her birthday today. Elena and Rose noticed her leaving and then moments later saw Pedro following Tita as everyone called her. Elena and Rose exchanged disturbed glances. Quiet Tita, in her own world was standing by the tree in the garden. Little did she know Pedro was following her cautiously. He approached her. She looked away and smiled. Pedro gifted Tita a bunch of white roses and wished her a happy birthday. They didn't touch or spoke another word. But their loving eyes swam oceans and spoke millions of unspoken words. Pedro left in a jiffy as he did not want anyone else noticing them together. Moments had not passed by, but Mai and Rose hurriedly to Tita. They had followed Pedro. Totally unaware, Tita stood there, her eyes closed and those flowers tightly held in her arms. 'What is this Tita? Aren't you ashamed of taking flowers from a married man?', thundered Mai. 'And that too, red roses!', spoke Rose. Heartbroken and in tears. 'Mai, I don't know.. wait..I..I', Tita couldn't speak a word. She had no explanation.

How in heavens had those roses turned red from white? As she walked away with those roses, a drop of blood quietly dripped onto the fallen leaf on the dry garden.Tita held those roses so dearly to her chest that the thorns pricked herself and blood coloured them to red.

Tita sneaks inside the house with the roses that Pedro gave him on this birthday.

She quickly goes inside the kitchen when suddenly she sees Nacha's soul appear. Nacha wishes her a happy birthday and asks Tita what she wants to do with those roses. Tita looks down. Nacha offers a suggestion. With Nacha's help, Tita prepares a special recipe out of those red roses, grinding the rose petals on the grinding stone and then preparing the food on the wooden pot. Bright pink fumes can be seen simmering out of the wooden pot.

Everyone is sitting on the dining table waiting to eat. Tita comes in and brings the casserole of the food she prepared from roses with Nacha's help.

Elena mai prays to Lord and asks for His help. The pink fumes emerging from the casserole are slowly starting to fill the table. An otherwise heartless and strict Elena mai astonishingly asks the Lord to fill the house with love. She is startled as soon as she says that. Others are gobsmacked too.

Everyone starts to eat the food. Pedro mentions that the food is incredibly delicious and that indeed Tita has magic in her hands. Rose is uncomfortable at this compliment and Elena mai quickly jumps in criticizing that the salt is less.

The pink fumes seems to induce some sort of seduction in the room. Pedro is devouring  Tita as they both look eye to eye across the table constantly whilst eating the food. Getrude is eating the food. She has a powerful impact of the rose fumes too. She starts to sensously touch her face and neck with both her hands while her eyes are closed. Elena Mai is shocked and Rose stares at her uncomfortably. Tita and Pedro can see the magic of love touch Gertrude's senses and watch her feel the same experience they both are currently having themselves. Gertrude is sweating with this unique feeling whilst she is immersed in a totally different world at the dining table.

Tita brings the utensils outside the house for a wash when suddenly she sees Gertrude rushing outside the house towards the bathroom. She tells Tita that she is feeling a burning sensation in her entire body and that she desparately needs to take a bath.

While Gertrude enters the wash area and closes the leaf-woven door behind her, Tita is seen fetching some water outside the wash area. The pink fumes appear out of nowhere.

They fill the wash area completely. Tita sees Gertrude pour numerous pots of water on herself.. All of a sudden the wash area catches fire, the leaf-woven doors start burning.

Gertrude gets out of the wash area, completely naked, grabbing a white sheet and twirling rounds to drape it all over her body.

She rushes to the shore. The soldier is seen passionately riding a horse, all hairy, sweaty and bare chested. He picks up Gertrude with one hand on his horse and they both smooch sensously and elope. Pedro and Tita see that. Pedro asks Tita what if they too... Tita before letting Pedro complete says a 'Yes' when suddenly their sensual discussion is interrupted by a nonchalant Mai who shouts off Tita's name asking about Gertrude. Tita tells Mai that she does not know what happened but the wash area caught fire and someone abducted Gertrude.