Jai’s Speech
“For those of you who don't know me, I'm Jai, the groom’s older brother. It's great to be stood up here today because, after all these years, my Chote has finally admitted that I - am indeed the best man.”
Laughter and hoots followed.
“I am generally a funny man and many a times, am accused of taking everything with a sense of humour. So today, I am going to be very serious. My brother also requested me not to speak about him and his gorgeous bride, but to talk about Love! MY love, mind you! I don’t know when he turned from a brilliant, IIM pass out Banker to a sloppy, love-sick puppy, who is so interested in other people’s love affairs! It’s very depressing actually.”
Once again there was a delighted round of laughter and applause.
“Before I start my so-called speech on love, I would like to say how lovely the bride, Purva looks today…and poor Chote…well, he tried his best. But without plastic surgery, there is little he can do about it.”
Bani hid her face and kept laughing, Jai was just too much. Purva blushed and whistled, much to Karuna’s shock and everyone else’s amusement. Nachiket all but fell out of his chair, laughing at his brother’s wit.
“Hmmm…Love. The four letter word that makes the world go around, apparently. Do I believe in it? If you had asked me a few years back, I would have simply rolled my eyes in response, but today…I believe in it enough to talk about it.”
A warm glow came on Bani’s face, as Karuna, Rano, Pooja and Pia looked back at her and smiled.
Jai opened his best-man speech with his trademark smile and spoke in his deep baritone, ‘The thing about Love is, that falling in or out of it is beyond our conscious decision; we can’t force ourselves to love or un-love like the way we choose to treat someone better or worse. It’s under such rare circumstances that the odd mechanics of the human body allows our heart to rule over the brain for once. There is nothing we can do when we least expect to be plonked into this love ocean whose depths and dangers are unknown, rendering us helpless as we try to stay afloat while waiting for the shore to hit us.’
‘When I was young, I used to think I wasn't like any of the other boys around me and I could prove it too. I would wear pants when shorts were called for, I would chase bugs and lizards when the others screamed, I hated taking medicines and still do and I always, always thought I would never let love get the better of me.’
I was always under the impression that when I fell in love, I would not lose my independence. I would not be needy and clingy and insecure, I would be strong and tough and not let a woman get in the way of how I lived my life. I had a very clear vision of what kind of relationship I wanted and I set about looking for the exact same thing I had in my mind.'
Jai's eyes fell straight on Bani, who was listening to him, enraptured and enchanted, by both his voice and his appearance, and he smiled faintly in her direction.
'And then I met someone...who changed everything I had believed in…everything that I had lived for till date.’ Jai paused, once again looking from the audience to Bani and continued,
‘Who was not even close to the image of the ideal woman I had in mind for myself. And yet...she was everything that I had been looking for all my life. A friend, a protector, a confidante, a lover and a soul mate...who not just gave me the gift of her friendship and companionship…but took care of me, when I needed it most, scolded me when I warranted it most, cheered me, when I wanted it most and loved me, when I craved it most.’
Taking a deep breath, he almost whispered, as if he was speaking only to her and there was no one else present in the audience.
‘And then love happened to me. Just like that. Undesigned, unexpected, unintended, unintentional...yet it happened. Like a river flowing into the Sea...like a bird going back to its nest...like the Sun rising every morning...love too happened. Like it was always meant to be.'
All the ladies in the audience sighed and swooned and Bani could only lower her wet eyelids to not show that she had tears in her eyes.
'Humans in general are superficial beings...we almost, entirely, always, judge a book by its cover...and then when we find the cover interesting...we start to flick through the pages...rarely if ever finishing the book and forming an unbiased opinion on it.
But there are a few, rare people, who never judge...no matter how grotesque one's physical appearance might be...they don't find you repulsive...no matter how foul one's temper might be...they don't lose their patience...no matter how much you push them to the edge...they don't stop loving you...no matter how many opportunities you give them for it.
They love you...because that is what God has made them for. They love you...because they are incapable of any negative emotion. They love you...because the Almighty sent them to earth only to love...with selflessness…with pureness…with passion and with devotion.’
No one even seemed to blink their eyes, listening to Jai in raptured silence, till his eyes searched for and found Bani, who seemed to have frozen to the spot where she stood, entranced by the magic that Jai had woven over everyone, her heart and mind numbed with happiness, on realizing how deep his feelings for her ran…not just in love but in respect too. All of a sudden, the years of low self-esteem and mistreatment from her own family and friends seemed to disappear like magic.
The man she loved and revered more than God, held her in such high regard…thought so greatly about her…what else could she want from life anymore?
Jai paused and not taking his eyes off Bani, who was not even pretending to hide her rapidly flowing tears now, said slowly, in an emotionally charged voice, 'Blessed is a man who can find the love of such a woman...for he becomes a better person with the power of her love and her existence in his life.’
Taking a deep breath and clearly trying to fight back his tears and overwhelming emotion, Jai spoke in a poignant voice, ‘Thank you Bani…for becoming that blessing in my life…for making me a better person…for making my life a happier one…for completing me…both as a man and as a human being. Thank you for everything and more.’
He paused for a couple of moments, looking nowhere in particular and then looked back at his spell-bound audience once again, with a smile, saying;
‘When you've finally found someone who truly loves you, they will love everything about you... And they will love the best part of you the most…your HEART… Because that's where true beauty lies… So be someone whose heart is as pure as LOVE itself… And let God take care of the rest… Only then you will know what true love is. ‘
The entire crowd was pin-dropped into silence…all the girls had tears in their eyes and all the men could only gape back in awe, as Purva, sobbing like a baby, got up and started clapping and one by one…the claps grew and grew and grew, till it became a full five minute standing ovation.
When the ovation finally dimmed, Jai lifted his Flute Glass in air and smiled warmly at everyone, finishing off, ‘ To Mr. & Mrs. Nachiket Walia. May your love be modern enough to survive the times yet old fashioned enough to last forever. May God bless you both with Love, Good Health, and 8 or 9 children.’
There was a huge round of applause and hooting till Jai once again lifted his glass and giving a lingering smile in Bani’s direction, said poignantly, ‘Here's to one and only one, and may that one be she, who loves but one and only one, and may that one be me.’ And just before the raucous shrieks, hurray’s and cheering began, he added with a wink, ‘And that one is my Bani!’
The Dance
The Blue Birds, the Jazz Band which had been called from Goa, started playing ‘All the Way’ from Frank Sinatra, as couples took the make-shift stage and starting waltzing, drunk, elated and in high spirits, especially after Jai’s best-man speech.
Bani could not stop crying, though her heart at the moment was dancing with joy…Rano and Pooja, could not decide what they wanted to do. Howl, because they were so moved by Jai’s impromptu and heartfelt speech or swoon, because they couldn’t get over what a perfect man he was in every way.
Jai made his way across to Bani with great difficulty, ignoring the many, many girls and women who were clamouring to have a word with him.
Tapping her on the shoulder, he smiled and said, ‘don’t cry sweetie…your kajal will be all smeared.’
She looked at him and exclaimed in a broken voice, ‘that was…that was just beautiful Jai….I don’t know what to say…’ and saying that she broke down crying, as he laughed and held her in his arms, planting a kiss on her forehead.
He whispered into her ears, ‘there is no need to say anything, Bani…every word I said was an ode to you...a dedication to the special woman who has made this man’s life worth living for.’
‘Jai…please don’t…’ she cried, enfolding him back, paying no attention to anyone who was staring at them. He hugged her back, kissing her on the forehead and let her cry for a bit till she calmed down.
‘Dance?’ he asked her, presenting his right hand and she smiled shyly and said, ‘I can’t dance like these people…’ referring to the waltz.
He whispered back into her ears, naughty and telling, ‘just keep following my steps…you will pick it up. Just like you picked up the other thing…and see, you are already a pro.’
‘JAI!’ she squealed, blushing and then giggling, hitting him playfully on his chest and murmuring, ‘you can’t help but refer to it all the time, can you?’
Slipping his right hand around her slender waist and taking her right hand in his left, he led her to the floor and quipped back, ‘Actually, No. I can’t!’
They laughed and started dancing and like always Jai was correct…she took his cue and picked up the steps in no time, dancing on ‘It had to be you’ by Frank Sinatra…Jai’s much-loved composer.
Meanwhile, Pooja and Rano were asked for a dance by two very good-looking youngsters and before they joyfully went along with them, Pooja couldn’t help but mutter to Rano, ‘I know this is very, very wrong…but I have to admit this to someone…that I get an orgasm, just looking at Jai Sir!’
Rano looked scandalized for a moment and was about to reprimand Pooja for speaking like this about her best friend’s would-be-hubby, but then she noticed him laughing and pushing back an errant strand of hair from Bani’s cheeks.
She sighed deeply and said, ‘Ditto, Pooja. Ditto.’
Pia kept watching Jai and Bani dance together…he was smooth, sleek and effortless, while she was a bit vacillating and wobbly yet graceful…both of them madly in love and despite the crowd of people around them, shut-off to the world…as if they were the only two in this gathering and as if the song was only being played for them.
Her eyes clouded with tears…hadn’t she too dreamed of such a romance? Music and Dance and lovely clothes and fabulous jewels and a man who was the cynosure of all eyes, but he had eyes only for the one he loved. Every girl’s dream come true…but her reality was so very different. She looked back at Ashwin, who was sitting morosely, drinking and lost in his own world.
Pia felt no pity for herself or for that matter no envy for Bani…she realized in a rare moment of introspection…they had both got what they deserved. Bani had got love for love and Pia had got apathy for apathy. It was God’s ultimate justice.
Jai and Bani
The wedding had concluded with great success…everything was a super-hit. Be it the heart-stopping décor, or the fabulous spread or the incredibly cute looking married couple or for that matter, the lime-light stealer of the evening…Jai and Bani, madly in love and charming everyone in sight.
Purva looked too happy to shed any tears and had been driven off to a Seven-star hotel along with Nachiket to spend their first night as husband and wife. Everyone had gone off to sleep, lulled by the amazing food and the joyous evening, except for Jai, who battled with Insomnia and Bani, who could not sleep until she knew that Jai had slept.
They both sat near the Koi Fish Pond, with Jai lying down on the grass, his head on her lap, least bothered that his designer suit was getting muddy or creased.
She ruffled his hair and chided him gently, ‘who told you to drink so much? Fourteen glass of Champagne?’
He was feeling woozy with all the alcohol he had consumed and kissing the back of her hand, spoke in a slightly incoherent voice, ‘chooti sharaab par ab bhii kabhi-kabhi, pitaa hoon. Roz-e-abr-o-shab-e-maahataab mein.’
Looking at the lost expression on Bani’s face, he smiled at her and said, ‘That’s Ghalib…telling that he drinks intermittently now…sometimes on starlit nights…sometime on cloudless nights… ’
She did not know what to say first. Scold him for getting so drunk or admire him for having a mastery over every possible subject on earth. His command of English was the best she had ever heard in her life, his Hindi she had already seen in display today and now he was quoting in Urdu too!
‘What are you staring at?’ asked Jai, turning and burying his face in her tummy, holding her by the waist.
‘I am just admiring your brains…and your talent…is there anything you don’t know?’ asked Bani, in an awed voice.
He laughed a bit and replied, ‘I don’t know how to love like you do, Bani…I don’t know how to forgive like you do…I don’t know how to accept like you do…I don’t know how to tolerate like you do…’
She kept quiet, sensing his strange melancholy and cradled his head lovingly, her eyes misting up. If there was anything that broke her heart to pieces, was seeing Jai sad.
‘Is there something wrong?’ she asked tenderly, fighting back her tears.
He kept lying in silence, his head buried in her lap and he replied back in a low, slurred voice, ‘what did you ask Reddy? Whether I will live or not? And for how long I will live?’
‘JAI!’ she yelled, tears springing out of her eyes.
Turning to look up at her, he smiled and said, ‘there is still time, Bani. You can retrace your decision…I swear to God, I will not keep any grudge…’
She did not let him finish his sentence and pushing him gently from his lap, said brokenly, ‘that is enough, now. I don’t want to speak with you anymore…I am going…’
Saying that she got up, weeping incessantly and tried to go away, but Jai held her back and whispered, ‘Sorry…crossed my lines…’
She turned to look at him, her kajal all spread because of her crying and rubbing her eyes and said to him, ‘if you can’t respect my love, then don’t. But please don’t keep insulting it and hurting me like this by saying such things, Jai. I went to speak with Dr. Reddy, because I am worried as hell about you…because I love you to death and I can’t see you in pain…because I care for you enough to be always thinking about your health day and night! I didn’t go to take an estimate of how long my married life will be.’
Jai kept looking at her and she looked into his eyes and said, ‘I told you before…and I am telling you again…I am NOT going to let you die. Remember that. You owe me your life, Jai…you owe me your love…your care…your support…your very presence in my life. In mind, in body and in spirit. You cannot back out. I WON’T LET YOU.’
And saying that she broke down crying, at the same time, looking extremely upset with Jai, who gently wiped her tears away with his thumb. Bani pushed his hand away, while he tried to cup her face drawing it closer to him.
‘I am sorry.’ He whispered into her face, sounding genuinely remorseful.
Fuming with anger and overcome by tears, she started pummeling his chest. ‘I don’t want your sorry or your thank you. Go away. GO AWAY!’
Jai traced the invisible path of her tears, sending a tingle down her spine. Not paying any attention to either her anger or her tears, he gathered her into his arms, lifted her chin and kissed her under the star spangled sky. He ended up kissing her jaw, neck, by her ear… sensual, moist, heady, arousing, till her protests turned into whimpers and moans.
Without paying any heed to her shocked squeal, he lifted her up in his arms, walking towards the enclosed greenhouse that was near the Koi Pond.
‘If you dare say the words, ‘your back’ or ‘after marriage’ or ‘this is wrong’…I swear, I will actually scratch off your beautiful clothes and make savage love to you right here…in front of my beloved fishes…then don’t blame me for corrupting these innocent things!’ spoke Jai, with a dead serious expression.
Bani burst out laughing in between her tears and kept kissing Jai all over his face, as he carried her into the Conservatory.
Greenhouse
When Jai got her inside, they both realized that the sprayers were on, very mild…almost like dew drops and soon they got wet.
‘My Saree…’ she squealed in dismay and was about to lament regarding Jai’s super-expensive Bandhgala, but he had already unbuttoned it, tossing it casually on the mossy ground below.
‘Jai…someone will surely…’she whimpered, but he had caught hold of her pallu and slowly unwounded it, making her swirl and drawing her nearer and nearer to him.
He hummed while undraping her Saree, roguish and playful, ‘Aisa na mujhe tum dekho…seene se laga loonga…tumko mein chura loonga tumse…dil mein basa loonga…’
She blushed, hiding her face in the palms of her hand, even though it was very dark inside the greenhouse, with only the faint outline of the moon’s light shining through the fiberglass roof.
Her Saree came loose in a heap on the ground and he grabbed her by the waist, bringing her nearer to his body, as her nose hit his bare chest. He slid his fingers around her neck and unclasped her choker along with the earrings, tossing them just as carelessly on the ground, even though Bani gasped and protested, but he kept trailing tiny, gentle kisses all over her mouth, face, ears and neck, rendering it impossible for her to say or do anything.
She whispered, almost short of breath with his sumptuous moves and sensuous touch, ‘this place is beautiful…’
Bani glanced at the faint outline of the Conservatory that Jai had commissioned a few years back…full with rare orchids, Norfolk Island Pine that were kept as a border, Arrowhead Vines and Asparagus fern that had enclosed the glass walls and countless other shrubberies, groundcovers, plants, flora and fauna, that she had never seen before. The place smelt moist, and sweet and fragrant.
Ignoring her attempt to take his mind somewhere, he whispered back, ‘You're very beautiful,’ tracing the edges of her full lips with his thumb.
‘Do you think you're the first man who's ever told me that?’ she said, a hint of mischief in her tone even as she raised the hand on his chest up to cup his jaw.
‘No, but I'd like to be the last.’ he said with a broad grin.
He was irresistible, Bani thought. Handsome and full of spirit. Passionate. Desire rose up, urging her to take the risk, even though the Farmhouse at this moment was full of people. To seek out the solace he might bring to her heart and so she inched up on tiptoe and kissed him.
Arms wrapped around one another, they staggered back into the moist, soft moss bed that was laid in the greenhouse, but at its edge he stopped and stepped back a bit. Looking down at her from his slightly greater height, he said, ‘I can never have enough of you, Bani.’
She blushed and bit her lip, but confessed, ‘Me, too’.
His lips were cold. Firm. He met her kiss tentatively at first, but then relaxed and soon his mouth opened on hers, tasting her. Begging her to open and allow him more which she did, leaning into him as his tongue darted out to lick the edges of her lips and slip into her mouth. Dancing with her tongue until they were both straining against each other, needing more.
With a nod, he slowly undressed her, his fingers skimming her skin as he slipped each hook of her silk blouse. This time, unhooking her lacy bra with ease, he commented, holding the piece of Lingerie in between his fingers, ‘Got you!’ and before she could laugh at what he had said, he bent down and kissed her.
Jai cupped her B****s in his hands. Strummed his thumbs across her nipples until she mewled a protest and then he replaced his hands with his mouth. Sucking at her, gently at first, but then just a bit harder as she cupped the back of his head to her.
Then he slowly sank to his knees, kissing a line down the center of her. His hands holding her hips as he dipped his tongue into her navel and after, nipped it gently, evoking a low moan from her.
He moved slowly, restraining himself so as to satisfy her. Conscious of her every need as he slipped his hands up her body to caress her B****s. Bent and took her mouth with a kiss that mimicked the motion of his hips, until she was gasping for breath and her heart thundered in her chest.
Jai made love to her, till she was nearly gasping and breathless with the intensity of his lovemaking. Time and time again they made love until the first fingers of a rosy dawn crept into the night sky and the sounds of birds tittering out in the garden reminded them that it was time to go back inside, to their respective rooms, for one last time, before they were married.
“For those of you who don't know me, I'm Jai, the groom’s older brother. It's great to be stood up here today because, after all these years, my Chote has finally admitted that I - am indeed the best man.”
Laughter and hoots followed.
“I am generally a funny man and many a times, am accused of taking everything with a sense of humour. So today, I am going to be very serious. My brother also requested me not to speak about him and his gorgeous bride, but to talk about Love! MY love, mind you! I don’t know when he turned from a brilliant, IIM pass out Banker to a sloppy, love-sick puppy, who is so interested in other people’s love affairs! It’s very depressing actually.”
Once again there was a delighted round of laughter and applause.
“Before I start my so-called speech on love, I would like to say how lovely the bride, Purva looks today…and poor Chote…well, he tried his best. But without plastic surgery, there is little he can do about it.”
Bani hid her face and kept laughing, Jai was just too much. Purva blushed and whistled, much to Karuna’s shock and everyone else’s amusement. Nachiket all but fell out of his chair, laughing at his brother’s wit.
“Hmmm…Love. The four letter word that makes the world go around, apparently. Do I believe in it? If you had asked me a few years back, I would have simply rolled my eyes in response, but today…I believe in it enough to talk about it.”
A warm glow came on Bani’s face, as Karuna, Rano, Pooja and Pia looked back at her and smiled.
Jai opened his best-man speech with his trademark smile and spoke in his deep baritone, ‘The thing about Love is, that falling in or out of it is beyond our conscious decision; we can’t force ourselves to love or un-love like the way we choose to treat someone better or worse. It’s under such rare circumstances that the odd mechanics of the human body allows our heart to rule over the brain for once. There is nothing we can do when we least expect to be plonked into this love ocean whose depths and dangers are unknown, rendering us helpless as we try to stay afloat while waiting for the shore to hit us.’
‘When I was young, I used to think I wasn't like any of the other boys around me and I could prove it too. I would wear pants when shorts were called for, I would chase bugs and lizards when the others screamed, I hated taking medicines and still do and I always, always thought I would never let love get the better of me.’
I was always under the impression that when I fell in love, I would not lose my independence. I would not be needy and clingy and insecure, I would be strong and tough and not let a woman get in the way of how I lived my life. I had a very clear vision of what kind of relationship I wanted and I set about looking for the exact same thing I had in my mind.'
Jai's eyes fell straight on Bani, who was listening to him, enraptured and enchanted, by both his voice and his appearance, and he smiled faintly in her direction.
'And then I met someone...who changed everything I had believed in…everything that I had lived for till date.’ Jai paused, once again looking from the audience to Bani and continued,
‘Who was not even close to the image of the ideal woman I had in mind for myself. And yet...she was everything that I had been looking for all my life. A friend, a protector, a confidante, a lover and a soul mate...who not just gave me the gift of her friendship and companionship…but took care of me, when I needed it most, scolded me when I warranted it most, cheered me, when I wanted it most and loved me, when I craved it most.’
Taking a deep breath, he almost whispered, as if he was speaking only to her and there was no one else present in the audience.
‘And then love happened to me. Just like that. Undesigned, unexpected, unintended, unintentional...yet it happened. Like a river flowing into the Sea...like a bird going back to its nest...like the Sun rising every morning...love too happened. Like it was always meant to be.'
All the ladies in the audience sighed and swooned and Bani could only lower her wet eyelids to not show that she had tears in her eyes.
'Humans in general are superficial beings...we almost, entirely, always, judge a book by its cover...and then when we find the cover interesting...we start to flick through the pages...rarely if ever finishing the book and forming an unbiased opinion on it.
But there are a few, rare people, who never judge...no matter how grotesque one's physical appearance might be...they don't find you repulsive...no matter how foul one's temper might be...they don't lose their patience...no matter how much you push them to the edge...they don't stop loving you...no matter how many opportunities you give them for it.
They love you...because that is what God has made them for. They love you...because they are incapable of any negative emotion. They love you...because the Almighty sent them to earth only to love...with selflessness…with pureness…with passion and with devotion.’
No one even seemed to blink their eyes, listening to Jai in raptured silence, till his eyes searched for and found Bani, who seemed to have frozen to the spot where she stood, entranced by the magic that Jai had woven over everyone, her heart and mind numbed with happiness, on realizing how deep his feelings for her ran…not just in love but in respect too. All of a sudden, the years of low self-esteem and mistreatment from her own family and friends seemed to disappear like magic.
The man she loved and revered more than God, held her in such high regard…thought so greatly about her…what else could she want from life anymore?
Jai paused and not taking his eyes off Bani, who was not even pretending to hide her rapidly flowing tears now, said slowly, in an emotionally charged voice, 'Blessed is a man who can find the love of such a woman...for he becomes a better person with the power of her love and her existence in his life.’
Taking a deep breath and clearly trying to fight back his tears and overwhelming emotion, Jai spoke in a poignant voice, ‘Thank you Bani…for becoming that blessing in my life…for making me a better person…for making my life a happier one…for completing me…both as a man and as a human being. Thank you for everything and more.’
He paused for a couple of moments, looking nowhere in particular and then looked back at his spell-bound audience once again, with a smile, saying;
‘When you've finally found someone who truly loves you, they will love everything about you... And they will love the best part of you the most…your HEART… Because that's where true beauty lies… So be someone whose heart is as pure as LOVE itself… And let God take care of the rest… Only then you will know what true love is. ‘
The entire crowd was pin-dropped into silence…all the girls had tears in their eyes and all the men could only gape back in awe, as Purva, sobbing like a baby, got up and started clapping and one by one…the claps grew and grew and grew, till it became a full five minute standing ovation.
When the ovation finally dimmed, Jai lifted his Flute Glass in air and smiled warmly at everyone, finishing off, ‘ To Mr. & Mrs. Nachiket Walia. May your love be modern enough to survive the times yet old fashioned enough to last forever. May God bless you both with Love, Good Health, and 8 or 9 children.’
There was a huge round of applause and hooting till Jai once again lifted his glass and giving a lingering smile in Bani’s direction, said poignantly, ‘Here's to one and only one, and may that one be she, who loves but one and only one, and may that one be me.’ And just before the raucous shrieks, hurray’s and cheering began, he added with a wink, ‘And that one is my Bani!’
The Dance
The Blue Birds, the Jazz Band which had been called from Goa, started playing ‘All the Way’ from Frank Sinatra, as couples took the make-shift stage and starting waltzing, drunk, elated and in high spirits, especially after Jai’s best-man speech.
Bani could not stop crying, though her heart at the moment was dancing with joy…Rano and Pooja, could not decide what they wanted to do. Howl, because they were so moved by Jai’s impromptu and heartfelt speech or swoon, because they couldn’t get over what a perfect man he was in every way.
Jai made his way across to Bani with great difficulty, ignoring the many, many girls and women who were clamouring to have a word with him.
Tapping her on the shoulder, he smiled and said, ‘don’t cry sweetie…your kajal will be all smeared.’
She looked at him and exclaimed in a broken voice, ‘that was…that was just beautiful Jai….I don’t know what to say…’ and saying that she broke down crying, as he laughed and held her in his arms, planting a kiss on her forehead.
He whispered into her ears, ‘there is no need to say anything, Bani…every word I said was an ode to you...a dedication to the special woman who has made this man’s life worth living for.’
‘Jai…please don’t…’ she cried, enfolding him back, paying no attention to anyone who was staring at them. He hugged her back, kissing her on the forehead and let her cry for a bit till she calmed down.
‘Dance?’ he asked her, presenting his right hand and she smiled shyly and said, ‘I can’t dance like these people…’ referring to the waltz.
He whispered back into her ears, naughty and telling, ‘just keep following my steps…you will pick it up. Just like you picked up the other thing…and see, you are already a pro.’
‘JAI!’ she squealed, blushing and then giggling, hitting him playfully on his chest and murmuring, ‘you can’t help but refer to it all the time, can you?’
Slipping his right hand around her slender waist and taking her right hand in his left, he led her to the floor and quipped back, ‘Actually, No. I can’t!’
They laughed and started dancing and like always Jai was correct…she took his cue and picked up the steps in no time, dancing on ‘It had to be you’ by Frank Sinatra…Jai’s much-loved composer.
Meanwhile, Pooja and Rano were asked for a dance by two very good-looking youngsters and before they joyfully went along with them, Pooja couldn’t help but mutter to Rano, ‘I know this is very, very wrong…but I have to admit this to someone…that I get an orgasm, just looking at Jai Sir!’
Rano looked scandalized for a moment and was about to reprimand Pooja for speaking like this about her best friend’s would-be-hubby, but then she noticed him laughing and pushing back an errant strand of hair from Bani’s cheeks.
She sighed deeply and said, ‘Ditto, Pooja. Ditto.’
Pia kept watching Jai and Bani dance together…he was smooth, sleek and effortless, while she was a bit vacillating and wobbly yet graceful…both of them madly in love and despite the crowd of people around them, shut-off to the world…as if they were the only two in this gathering and as if the song was only being played for them.
Her eyes clouded with tears…hadn’t she too dreamed of such a romance? Music and Dance and lovely clothes and fabulous jewels and a man who was the cynosure of all eyes, but he had eyes only for the one he loved. Every girl’s dream come true…but her reality was so very different. She looked back at Ashwin, who was sitting morosely, drinking and lost in his own world.
Pia felt no pity for herself or for that matter no envy for Bani…she realized in a rare moment of introspection…they had both got what they deserved. Bani had got love for love and Pia had got apathy for apathy. It was God’s ultimate justice.
Jai and Bani
The wedding had concluded with great success…everything was a super-hit. Be it the heart-stopping décor, or the fabulous spread or the incredibly cute looking married couple or for that matter, the lime-light stealer of the evening…Jai and Bani, madly in love and charming everyone in sight.
Purva looked too happy to shed any tears and had been driven off to a Seven-star hotel along with Nachiket to spend their first night as husband and wife. Everyone had gone off to sleep, lulled by the amazing food and the joyous evening, except for Jai, who battled with Insomnia and Bani, who could not sleep until she knew that Jai had slept.
They both sat near the Koi Fish Pond, with Jai lying down on the grass, his head on her lap, least bothered that his designer suit was getting muddy or creased.
She ruffled his hair and chided him gently, ‘who told you to drink so much? Fourteen glass of Champagne?’
He was feeling woozy with all the alcohol he had consumed and kissing the back of her hand, spoke in a slightly incoherent voice, ‘chooti sharaab par ab bhii kabhi-kabhi, pitaa hoon. Roz-e-abr-o-shab-e-maahataab mein.’
Looking at the lost expression on Bani’s face, he smiled at her and said, ‘That’s Ghalib…telling that he drinks intermittently now…sometimes on starlit nights…sometime on cloudless nights… ’
She did not know what to say first. Scold him for getting so drunk or admire him for having a mastery over every possible subject on earth. His command of English was the best she had ever heard in her life, his Hindi she had already seen in display today and now he was quoting in Urdu too!
‘What are you staring at?’ asked Jai, turning and burying his face in her tummy, holding her by the waist.
‘I am just admiring your brains…and your talent…is there anything you don’t know?’ asked Bani, in an awed voice.
He laughed a bit and replied, ‘I don’t know how to love like you do, Bani…I don’t know how to forgive like you do…I don’t know how to accept like you do…I don’t know how to tolerate like you do…’
She kept quiet, sensing his strange melancholy and cradled his head lovingly, her eyes misting up. If there was anything that broke her heart to pieces, was seeing Jai sad.
‘Is there something wrong?’ she asked tenderly, fighting back her tears.
He kept lying in silence, his head buried in her lap and he replied back in a low, slurred voice, ‘what did you ask Reddy? Whether I will live or not? And for how long I will live?’
‘JAI!’ she yelled, tears springing out of her eyes.
Turning to look up at her, he smiled and said, ‘there is still time, Bani. You can retrace your decision…I swear to God, I will not keep any grudge…’
She did not let him finish his sentence and pushing him gently from his lap, said brokenly, ‘that is enough, now. I don’t want to speak with you anymore…I am going…’
Saying that she got up, weeping incessantly and tried to go away, but Jai held her back and whispered, ‘Sorry…crossed my lines…’
She turned to look at him, her kajal all spread because of her crying and rubbing her eyes and said to him, ‘if you can’t respect my love, then don’t. But please don’t keep insulting it and hurting me like this by saying such things, Jai. I went to speak with Dr. Reddy, because I am worried as hell about you…because I love you to death and I can’t see you in pain…because I care for you enough to be always thinking about your health day and night! I didn’t go to take an estimate of how long my married life will be.’
Jai kept looking at her and she looked into his eyes and said, ‘I told you before…and I am telling you again…I am NOT going to let you die. Remember that. You owe me your life, Jai…you owe me your love…your care…your support…your very presence in my life. In mind, in body and in spirit. You cannot back out. I WON’T LET YOU.’
And saying that she broke down crying, at the same time, looking extremely upset with Jai, who gently wiped her tears away with his thumb. Bani pushed his hand away, while he tried to cup her face drawing it closer to him.
‘I am sorry.’ He whispered into her face, sounding genuinely remorseful.
Fuming with anger and overcome by tears, she started pummeling his chest. ‘I don’t want your sorry or your thank you. Go away. GO AWAY!’
Jai traced the invisible path of her tears, sending a tingle down her spine. Not paying any attention to either her anger or her tears, he gathered her into his arms, lifted her chin and kissed her under the star spangled sky. He ended up kissing her jaw, neck, by her ear… sensual, moist, heady, arousing, till her protests turned into whimpers and moans.
Without paying any heed to her shocked squeal, he lifted her up in his arms, walking towards the enclosed greenhouse that was near the Koi Pond.
‘If you dare say the words, ‘your back’ or ‘after marriage’ or ‘this is wrong’…I swear, I will actually scratch off your beautiful clothes and make savage love to you right here…in front of my beloved fishes…then don’t blame me for corrupting these innocent things!’ spoke Jai, with a dead serious expression.
Bani burst out laughing in between her tears and kept kissing Jai all over his face, as he carried her into the Conservatory.
Greenhouse
When Jai got her inside, they both realized that the sprayers were on, very mild…almost like dew drops and soon they got wet.
‘My Saree…’ she squealed in dismay and was about to lament regarding Jai’s super-expensive Bandhgala, but he had already unbuttoned it, tossing it casually on the mossy ground below.
‘Jai…someone will surely…’she whimpered, but he had caught hold of her pallu and slowly unwounded it, making her swirl and drawing her nearer and nearer to him.
He hummed while undraping her Saree, roguish and playful, ‘Aisa na mujhe tum dekho…seene se laga loonga…tumko mein chura loonga tumse…dil mein basa loonga…’
She blushed, hiding her face in the palms of her hand, even though it was very dark inside the greenhouse, with only the faint outline of the moon’s light shining through the fiberglass roof.
Her Saree came loose in a heap on the ground and he grabbed her by the waist, bringing her nearer to his body, as her nose hit his bare chest. He slid his fingers around her neck and unclasped her choker along with the earrings, tossing them just as carelessly on the ground, even though Bani gasped and protested, but he kept trailing tiny, gentle kisses all over her mouth, face, ears and neck, rendering it impossible for her to say or do anything.
She whispered, almost short of breath with his sumptuous moves and sensuous touch, ‘this place is beautiful…’
Bani glanced at the faint outline of the Conservatory that Jai had commissioned a few years back…full with rare orchids, Norfolk Island Pine that were kept as a border, Arrowhead Vines and Asparagus fern that had enclosed the glass walls and countless other shrubberies, groundcovers, plants, flora and fauna, that she had never seen before. The place smelt moist, and sweet and fragrant.
Ignoring her attempt to take his mind somewhere, he whispered back, ‘You're very beautiful,’ tracing the edges of her full lips with his thumb.
‘Do you think you're the first man who's ever told me that?’ she said, a hint of mischief in her tone even as she raised the hand on his chest up to cup his jaw.
‘No, but I'd like to be the last.’ he said with a broad grin.
He was irresistible, Bani thought. Handsome and full of spirit. Passionate. Desire rose up, urging her to take the risk, even though the Farmhouse at this moment was full of people. To seek out the solace he might bring to her heart and so she inched up on tiptoe and kissed him.
Arms wrapped around one another, they staggered back into the moist, soft moss bed that was laid in the greenhouse, but at its edge he stopped and stepped back a bit. Looking down at her from his slightly greater height, he said, ‘I can never have enough of you, Bani.’
She blushed and bit her lip, but confessed, ‘Me, too’.
His lips were cold. Firm. He met her kiss tentatively at first, but then relaxed and soon his mouth opened on hers, tasting her. Begging her to open and allow him more which she did, leaning into him as his tongue darted out to lick the edges of her lips and slip into her mouth. Dancing with her tongue until they were both straining against each other, needing more.
With a nod, he slowly undressed her, his fingers skimming her skin as he slipped each hook of her silk blouse. This time, unhooking her lacy bra with ease, he commented, holding the piece of Lingerie in between his fingers, ‘Got you!’ and before she could laugh at what he had said, he bent down and kissed her.
Jai cupped her B****s in his hands. Strummed his thumbs across her nipples until she mewled a protest and then he replaced his hands with his mouth. Sucking at her, gently at first, but then just a bit harder as she cupped the back of his head to her.
Then he slowly sank to his knees, kissing a line down the center of her. His hands holding her hips as he dipped his tongue into her navel and after, nipped it gently, evoking a low moan from her.
He moved slowly, restraining himself so as to satisfy her. Conscious of her every need as he slipped his hands up her body to caress her B****s. Bent and took her mouth with a kiss that mimicked the motion of his hips, until she was gasping for breath and her heart thundered in her chest.
Jai made love to her, till she was nearly gasping and breathless with the intensity of his lovemaking. Time and time again they made love until the first fingers of a rosy dawn crept into the night sky and the sounds of birds tittering out in the garden reminded them that it was time to go back inside, to their respective rooms, for one last time, before they were married.
20a
My love as deep;
the more I give to thee,
The more I have, both are infinite.
~William Shakespeare
Part 20 (a)
Jai's Study
He was hollering at her, face a colour of puce and voice at its highest decibel while Bani, for a change, stood calmly, her head bowed down and waiting patiently for him to finish his outburst.
'I cannot believe it! Why haven't you told Mrs. and Mr. Singh anything about me till now? BANI! I am talking to you! Stop staring at the bloody floor!' he yelled.
She looked up at him and answered back slowly, 'I will tell them when you promise that you will tell Nachiket, Karuna didi and Massi about yourself, Jai.'
He glared back at her and yelled, 'how dare you? No one strikes bargains with me!'
Unruffled, she answered back, 'I am not striking bargains. I am NOT in the habit of striking bargains in relationships, Jai. I am just telling you that if you expect me to do what in your view is the 'correct thing', then I too expect you to do, what in my view is the 'correct thing.' That is tell your family about yourself.'
They both remained silent, Jai still fuming at the fact that Bani had not told the Singh's about his Cancer and his impending treatment and surgery, while Bani quiet but firm on her stand that if he expected her to disclose anything to her foster family, then she expected him to tell everything to his family too.
Bani compromised and came near him, holding his hands and said tenderly, 'I realize how difficult it is for you Jai...'
'No, you don't! You don't realize or understand anything, Bani!' he snapped back.
'You are being unfair to me. Like always.' she retorted, hurt and sad at what he had said.
'Oh! So now you are accusing me of not loving you too on top of of being a liar and a coward?' he thundered back.
'Jai! Please! Calm down! And stop putting words in my mouth. When did I say that you don't love me? And when have I ever called you a liar or a coward?'
'You just called me unfair!' he retorted angrily.
She closed her eyes, took a deep breath and replied back calmly, 'I stand by that. You are unfair to me. And loving me has nothing to do with that...you simply take decisions on your own, without consulting anyone or even bothering to ask others what they feel about your decisions!'
Jai glared at her, extremely offended by the fact that she was speaking to him in such a manner, but kept quiet. It was very difficult to lead a fight with someone who refused to blow their tops instead remained cool and collected, while still putting a good enough fight against him. It was one of the many, many small things that had made Jai fall in love with Bani.
Realizing that there was no way in hell that he was going to give up on this, she took his hands and planted a kiss on them, telling him, 'fine...I don't want to upset you anymore on this issue. I will call Chachaji and Chachiji just now tell them everything. Now happy?'
He gave her a look and commented sharply, 'Happy? Do you think I am assuming that this is going to be easy for you, Bani? They might very well put their foot down to our getting married after knowing about me!'
She didn't battle an eyelid and answered back, 'well then, we will have to get married without their blessings.' And before a shocked Jai could respond, she added, 'I would hate it and it would probably break my heart into pieces on not having got their blessings...but nothing...and I mean NOTHING would make me back out of marrying you, Jai.'
Jai could not help but break into a smile on hearing what she said...his anger evaporating in milliseconds...Bani was the polar opposite of what he was...she was calm as the ocean to his explosive as an active volcano nature...she was gentle and soft natured...while he was fiery and aggressive...she was subdued and passive...while he was larger than life and dramatic. And yet...it was somehow, always, she who managed to win him over...either by her smile...or by her words...or by her simple gesture. No matter how upset he might be with...it was impossible to remain so for a long time.
She blushed when he kept staring at her and lowered her eyes, as he took her into his arms and pushing a strand of hair behind her ears, whispered to her, 'you are amazing you know! A bewitching temptress at night...and then as gentle as a turtle dove during the day...'
Bani smiled back at him and said, 'there is a famous saying in Sanksrit you know...’Karyeshu Mantri, Karaneshu Dasi, Rupeshu Lakshmi, Kshyama Dharitri, Sneheshu Mata, Sayeneshu Rambha, Shat Karmanari Kul Dharmapatni!'
He blinked his eyes and said, 'I couldn't get one word except the last one...Dharmapatni!'
Bani laughed, throwing her head back and pulled Jai's cheeks and said, 'this saying describes the six virtues of an ideal wife...that she should be as wise as a minister to her husband...as servile as a maid, as beautiful as Goddess Lakshmi, always forgiving, as loving as a mother and everything else in the bed...that is what makes an ideal wife!'
'I love the last bit...the one in the bed!' said Jai in a honeyed voice.
'Yes...I had guessed so!' retorted Bani in a droll voice, as they both burst out laughing.
They stood silently for a while, and then Jai said, 'I guess there is no point in pushing this any further...Massi and Dimpy are already going over-board with our marriage preparations, despite my having told them to take it easy...do one thing Bani...please call Mrs. and Mr. Singh to the study...later it will become very difficult with everyone around....Chote and Purva should be coming back anytime now.'
Bani nodded her head, hiding her apprehension and went out to call Rano and Pushkar's parents. She kept the siblings out of this as of now...it was too late to explain things to them and the only reason why she was even telling this to the Singh's was on Jai's insistence and the fact that they were almost like her own parents and she felt too guilty to hide such a big thing from them.
Jai's Study
The Singh's had been mildly taken aback when Bani had got hold of them and asked them to come over to Jai's study, as she and Jai wanted to tell them something very important. Their first thought had been a typically middle-class one...that there was a demand of dowry from Jai's family, but that thought lasted for less than a moment. For one, the Singh's realized how impossible it was for someone like Jai actually calling them over and asking for material good from them and secondly, even if they wished to give something on their own accord, they could never ever match up to the kind of standard that the Walia's had. So it had to be something completely else. It hadn't taken too long for them to discover what it was. Jai, if nothing else, was blessed with not just the ability to speak well, but also the courage to lay it down as it was...bare bones and all.
Taking into consideration the shocked silence in the study, Jai left the middle-aged couple sitting on the couch alongside Bani and went out, realizing that if they had something to say, they would probably be very uncomfortable in front of him.
As soon as Jai left the room, Lalita Singh leapt on her feet and turning to look at Bani, instantly exclaimed, 'Bani...you cannot marry him. Please! Say no to him right now...we...we will explain things...don't worry...we will manage...you need not be under any pressure...you...you cannot just...you cannot just sacrifice your life...'
Lalita was unable to say anything more, breaking into tears, as her husband came and kept a hand over her shoulder and giving a pleading look at Bani, who was sobbing silently now, asked her to stay calm.
'Lalita...what are you saying? The wedding preparations are going on already and in a few hours, they will both be husband and wife...'
'So? Does that mean we should let our daughter jump into a well, fully knowing that she is going to drown?' lashed back Lalita, holding Bani protectively.
'Don't be ridiculous...and Bani knows very well what she is getting into!' reasoned Mr. Singh.
'No, she doesn't! She is just Rano's age...they are both kids! What do they know? Bani! Please tell me that you did not know anything about Jaiji's illness? That he had hidden it from you? And now you feel that you cannot back out? Don't worry...no one can pressurize you to marry him! We are with you, beta!'
Bani closed her eyes, as tears streamed down her face...she did not know what she felt more hurt about. The fact that the woman who had been like a mother to her was displaying what was a natural reaction to the news she had received or the fact that she did not seem to care one bit about what Jai would feel if Bani refused to marry him. But then, Bani realized, no one in the world, would ever be able to decipher the true depths of her feelings for Jai. Probably not even Jai himself.
Taking a deep breath and holding Lalita's hands, Bani made her sit down and gave her a glass of water.
Lalita seemed to take hold of herself for a while, but instantly became emotional and said, 'Don't Bani! Don't do this! It’s too huge a risk to take! Don't throw away your life like this! Just look at you...which man wouldn't want to marry a girl like you, Bani? Why Jai? I...I feel very sorry for him...I really do...he is a wonderful man...but sacrificing your life for him? No...I will never approve of it.'
Bani sat silently for some time and when Mr. Singh tried to open his mouth in defence of Jai and Bani, she quietly told him to stay still and spoke in a gentle tone to Lalita, 'Chachiji...I have just one question to ask you.'
Lalita looked up at Bani with teary eyes as the young girl spoke in a broken voice, 'If I had already married Jai...and then got to know that he was ailing from a life-threatening illness...would you have expected me to leave my husband and walk out on him?'
Looking shocked, Lalita answered back instantly, 'Of course not! Which wife walks out on a husband...that too when he needs her the most?'
Bani kept quiet for a while, holding back her tears and spoke emotionally, 'So just because a man ties a couple of black beads around a woman's neck and puts some red colour on her forehead...it means that her loyalty and devotion to her man is insured...but if a woman simply loves a man...and is not tied to him by society's institutions, then she can step back from the relationship whenever she wishes too?'
Lalita was speechless for a moment, but finding her voice, she murmured, 'but Bani...the risk...the instability...the constant fear of losing him...'
'My life has been anything but stable, Chachiji!' blurted out Bani, as her tears gave away.
Sobbing heavily, she spoke in a broken voice, 'my mother passed away at the age of 34...I was 12 years old and Pia was 10 when she left us. Pia got married without her presence and now so am I. Did we ever imagine that our mother won't be around to participate in the greatest moments of our lives? No. Papa couldn't get to celebrate his 50th birthday...did I ever imagine that my father wouldn't be around do give me away on my marriage? No. I had so hoped and wished for Pia to become a Doctor...the first one in our family...but did I ever imagine that she would run away from home and get married just three weeks after turning 18? No.'
'Everything that I had thought of...everything that I had hope for...and these were ordinary, everyday things, Chachiji...the simple joys of life...the love of my parents...the achievement and success of my sibling...the presence of my family...everything got pulled away from me. Did I ever anticipate my fate going so wrong for me? No. Never. So what should I fear for now? That Jai too will be taken away from me?'
'Bani...don't say that!' exclaimed Lalita, tearing up.
Wiping her tear-stained face, Bani said softly, 'I have nothing left to lose in my life now. Nothing. God has already taken away all that he could from me...and now I have to beat the odds on the fact that he won't be cruel and heartless enough to take the one man whom I have loved more than my life. And if that sounds like a risk to take...then I am more than ready for it. It’s the smallest price to pay for someone whom you love, Chachiji...and I will pay that price. A thousand times over.'
A While Later
Jai looked aberrantly tense and worked-up as he sat in the living room, his chin placed on his finger tips and his feet tapping on the floor, while he listened to something that Karuna was prattling on and on. As soon as the Singh's came into view, followed by Bani, who had clearly been shedding tears by the bucket load, as was evidenced by the redness in her eyes, nevertheless smiled at him and then to his acute surprise winked and puckered her lips in a kiss, making him grin and turn his face away, as not to laugh in front of the Singh's.
He knew that things wouldn't have been easy inside, yet Bani had somehow managed to ease everything and was even cheering him up. Was it really his fault that he was being selfish enough to marry her despite his condition? Which man would be idiotic enough to let go of such a woman? Even if she was his for a few fleeting moments...Bani was worth her weight in gold.
Lalita and her husband tried to say something to Jai, ostensibly to tell him that they were fine with everything, now that Bani had put across her point of view so strongly, but they were stopped by Bani, who whispered into their ears, 'Don't say anything here, Chachaji...no one knows about Jai...not even Nachiket.'
'But...beta...how? This is not right...to hide such a huge thing from one's own flesh and blood.' objected Mr. Singh.
Bani nodded her head and spoke under her breath, 'I know...and I will convince him to tell them everything...but Nachiket and Purva have been married for just one day...and we are getting married today...I think Jai wants to take some time...you don't worry, we will tell them everything.'
And then looking pleadingly at Lalita, Bani asked her, 'you are really okay with Jai and me getting married, aren't you Chachiji?'
Lalita smiled faintly and replied, 'to be honest...I still have my reservations. But as you said...if this had happened after marriage...I would have been the first one to tell you to support your husband and stand by his side unwaveringly...'and then caressing Bani's cheeks, she spoke with pride and love, 'but I am proud to say that my Bani takes her love just as seriously as she would take her marriage vows...so yes, I am really, really okay...in fact, I am very happy for both Jaiji and you.'
Bani burst out into tears yet grinned from ear to ear, hugging back Lalita, which elicted a response from Rano, who had been touring the Farmhouse, 'Oh! Ho! Abhi se bidaai ki rehersal ho rahi hain! Btw, what were you all doing back in the study? Planning something against my Jeeju?'
Jai smiled and coming near her, whispered conspiratorially into her ears, 'Let them...then we two can be a team! What do you say?'
Rano once against staggered on her feet at his proximity, especially when his woody cologne hit her nostrils and fluttering her eyes in a most funny manner, said, 'I am ready to be in ANY team that you are in, Jeejaji!'
Everyone burst out laughing and just then Abdul came running by, announcing that 'Chote Sahib' and 'Chote Sahib's Madamji' had arrived back from the Hotel.
Bani, looking pretty as a picture in her lavender and purple coloured chiffon sari did the Aarti for Nachiket and Purva, who much to the shock of Massi, Karuna, Tarun and even the Singh's, was dressed rather trendily in a pair of off-white Linen Capri's and a cherry red sleeveless cropped top, which did look a bit inappropriate with the dozens of white and red chuda she had on both her arms.
Nachiket and Purva both bent down to take blessings from Massiji, followed by Jai, who instantly backed out and said, 'Hey! I am even marrying after you! So how come you are making me feel so old by touching my feet?'
Everyone laughed and Nachiket said emotionally, 'Dada...like it or not, you will always be older than me...older in age...older in experience, older in your love, affection and respect. I will always be your Chote!'
Jai laughed, taking Nachiket in a bear hug, as he croaked in pain at the power in Jai's arms and said, 'Ouch!'
Without thinking, Bani quipped back in a mischievous voice, 'Isn't it like a Boa Constrictor hugging you back?'
Jai turned to give her one of his 'looks', while Rano linked her arms with Jai's and retorted, 'you seem to know a LOT about his hugs, Miss. Dixit. How come?'
Jai and Rano sniggered, as Bani turned puce and spoke in an annoyed voice to Rano, 'I thought you were supposed to be my friend.'
'Have you seen him?' asked Rano, giving an adoring look at Jai and then added, 'I have...and hence now I am in his team! Bye, bye friend!'
Bani burst out laughing alongside everyone, as Nachiket warned her jokingly, 'Bhabhi...bach kar! We all know Dada's fondness for the ladies and your friend has already changed teams...'
'Well, this would ensure that your beloved Bhabhi is always on her toes and never takes me for granted...else, all I will have to do is take a Jet air flight to Bangalore!'
Rano jumped with joy when Jai said that and winked back at Bani, who pinched her playfully on her arms and they all went inside.
Bani
The wedding was scheduled to take place in the evening at the famous Lakshmi Narayan Temple in Delhi which was also known as the Birla Temple, built by one of the most the famous and respected business family of India. It was meant to be a very solemn and private affair and the only invitees other than Jai and Bani's immediate family were Pia and her husband, Ranveer and Sneha, Mrs. and Mr. Raheja and Aditya and his ex-wife Jigyasa, who had stayed back in Delhi only to attend Jai and Bani's wedding. Pooja and Saurabh had been shocked, thrilled and touched to the core of their hearts, when on Bani's request; Jai asked them to join in their wedding.
Bani was sitting nervously in her room...it was probably a bride thing. No matter how small or big a wedding was...for the girl who was to be wedded, it was a major milestone in her life...and for most, like Bani, a one-time affair. Rano, Purva and Pooja had dismissed everyone else, including Karuna, insisting that only they would get Bani ready for the marriage ceremony and they had placed her in her room, while they went to fetch the wedding sari and other jewels that Massi and Karuna had arranged with such adeptness in just a matter of a few hours. Even managing to send Tarun all the way till Old Delhi to get the red and white ivory bangles or Chuda's that every bride married into a Punjabi family wore, from a minimum of 45 days to a maximum of 1 year.
Somehow everything seemed to have a dreamlike quality to it. For Bani, it seemed like only yesterday when she had been hanging wet clothes in her front lawn, watching a huge SUV pull over to the house next door. That small, almost insignificant event had channelled into a marriage today...5 years. It seemed like both eternity as well as nothing more than a couple of moments in her memory. Had she ever imagined that she would get married to the sometimes happy, mostly rude man next door who had changed from a bitter neighbour to a cherished friend to the love of her life? No...she did not. Or maybe she did. It was impossible for Bani to imagine when she had actually fallen in love with Jai. She remembered the breathtakingly evocative and touching speech he had made just a day before...saying that he had fallen in love with her bit by bit...day by day. She knew it was never love at first sight for him...maybe not even for her. Jai had looked like a pile of broken sticks when she had first seen him...it hurt her even to think of him like that now. She did not know if she had fallen in love with him at that very moment...for she was never one to pay any attention to physical looks...but she did know that she had wanted to care for him, nurture him, protect him from that very moment. There was no definite reason...that feeling had just come...almost magically.
And then no matter how rude he was, no matter how much he tried to push her away with his coldness or acerbic tongue...nothing seemed to affect her. She had seen through him in one go...a half-literate, small-town girl like her had seen through the worldly wise, sharp as a knife lawyer in just a couple of moments. He was nothing more than a big baby who wanted to be sheltered and cared for...who wanted someone to share his shattering loneliness with...who wanted someone to lend a shoulder to cry on. And she had become whatever he wanted...maybe it was love at first sight for her. Maybe it was the way she loved...falling in love with the vulnerable yet immensely loving man hidden inside him, rather than the physical disfigurement and outrageously rude behaviour he displayed outside.
Hence, Bani was convinced now that no matter what happened in the future...no matter how much the Chemotherapy and other treatments changed Jai...physically or emotionally...she would never change for him. Her love for Jai would never change...her loyalty and her devotion for him would never change. They would remain rock steady, no matter how threatening the storms were.
Jai
Jai had excused himself for a while, stating a mild headache and telling everyone that he wished to take some rest before leaving for the temple. As he sat alone in his bedroom, he could scarcely believe what he was going to do. In just a few hours, Bani would be his wife. His wife! The very thought seemed to jolt Jai as if he had never expected it to happen, despite all that had happened in the past few days between them. It seemed just too much to take all of it in...it seemed only a few moments back when the oily-haired, chubby faced and ever smiling girl-next-door had stood by the fence dividing their cottages in Mukteshwar and had greeted him.
And the man, who was legendary in the court room for predicting the outcome of any case he took in hand, felt utterly bowled by the fact, that he could not have anticipated his own future.
But then, that was probably how life was...how love was. It hits us on our guts when we least expect it and then slips out of our fingers even when we are grabbing it tightly.
Had he fallen in love with her at first sight! The very thought made Jai laugh out loud. He was if nothing else, a brutally honest man and had no qualms in confessing to the fact that he judged people, especially women, solely on the way they looked. Physical attraction meant everything to Jai. He had dated at least 200 women in the last 20 years since he had begun dating at the age of 15 and not one single of them had been anything less than gorgeous. Be it the prettiest girl in his high-school or the hottest chick in his work place...Jai went only for the very best. He simply did not spend a fleeting moment on any woman who did not catch his fancy in the first few minutes of meeting, very rarely if ever, trying to find out about her as a person. He was just too self-obsessed and self-centred for that.
Bani...what were his first thoughts when they had met? Super annoying kid...and too much of the fluttering, twittering kinds...on top of that, she looked highly comical, with her Circa 1960 clothes and her boring hairstyle and her under-confident body language. Exactly the type whom Jai would have loved bullying had she been in his school or the kinds who would have been relegated to the basement storage room by him, had she been working for him.
But fate had landed them both in a situation, where not only could he not avoid her, but actually had to seek out her company for some relief from the monotony of his isolated life in that god-forsaken place, Mukteshwar.
And boy, had fate done well for once!!!
Jai had always felt amused by the fact that they had gotten along so well and so soon...the fact that she had got drawn to him like a moth to fire had been a bit surprising for Jai, since he knew how terrible he looked at that time, but what had been most surprising for Jai, was the fact that he too fell attracted to her. Not in the romantic sense to begin with...but in some way, he too had fallen for her, just like the way she had. It was impossible to resist her sunny nature and cheerful smile...it had worked better on him than any medicine could. And besides, he felt truly sympathetic towards her situation...realizing that Pia bullied her and used her in a way that he probably did to other people, making him understand how much it hurt to be treated like a doormat by anyone, but most of all by one's own family
Jai had started feeling protective towards her...but also possessive and in some ways, angry that she took no care of herself. That she dressed up in a way that made her look like a complete frump and that she had no consciousness about being a woman, rather was happy being a daughter, sister and his friend cum caregiver turned into one.
Though he had never told Bani so, many a times he had imagined her looking like a real woman...beautiful, confident of herself and definitely with less weight on her than she had piled on her.
And when he had seen her in Delhi...after a long gap of nearly 5 years...it seemed to Jai that his dream had actually come true. How lovely and ethereal she had looked that night...her long hair falling softly to her waist and curling incorrigibly in the ends, her kohl lined eyes wet with tears on seeing him, her conventional clothes not managing to hide her sylphlike figure...it was like falling in love with her twice over. As if he had been in love with two women...one the girl-next-door, best friend and companion and the other, the woman of his dreams...and realizing that they were both one and the same, after all.
Jai hoped that Bani did not feel that his renewed interest in her was only because she looked so damn pretty now...and the reason why he had left their budding romance nipped in the bud was because he hadn't found her attractive then. It was not true, at all. Maybe at some level, he had not felt attracted to her physically...but Jai was sure that he had fallen in love with her before he had even left Mukteshwar. Whatever she was back then...frumpy clothes, overweight, socially awkward and doltish...something in her had caught not just his heart but had actually won over his soul. Hadn't he been so overwhelmed by the fact that his Cancer was still not fully cured and the fact that he could never father a child...he might have asked her to marry him. In fact, he would have surely asked her to marry him.
But Jai realized that the separation had probably served as fuel to their feelings...it hadn't dampened or gone down in the years...instead had grown resilient and gone from strength to strength...that is why in spite of so many issues between them, Jai was still marrying her in just a few hours more.
He did not know what their future held for them...and now he did not even want to know. He was beyond feeling guilty and confused by now...all the wanted was to give every happiness on earth to Bani in whatever little time span they had together. If he survived, then all was good...they would live happily ever after. But if he did not, as his gut feel told him, he would at least ensure that she had a lifetime of good memories to remember whenever she looked back.
Getting up from his bed and walking towards the washroom to shower and change into his wedding clothes, Jai could not help but smile and skip in joy...he felt nothing like a Cancer-stricken, 35 year old, in doubt about his actions...rather as a young, much in love and happy man who was going to marry the woman he loved the most in the world.
Lakshmi Narayan Temple
Bani had been dressed in a beautiful burnt orange and fuchsia sari that had been chosen from Jai's mother's collection that Jai had still maintained and kept it in the Farmhouse and she had put on the gold set that the Singh's had presented to her, along with a Kundan and Jadau necklace set that too had belonged to Jai's mother. She looked entrancing in her relatively simple get-up, very much like a blushing bride and Rano, Purva and Pooja could not have enough of teasing her relentlessly.
Pia had dropped by to the Farmhouse and hugged Bani when they met in her room.
'Didi...I am...so, so, so happy for you!' she said, tearing up and kissing her sister's hands.
'Don't Piu...please! See...if you cry, then even I will cry!'
'Pia! Please, don't! We just put eyeliner for her...and she keeps blinking her eyes so many times, it has already smudged several times!' said Rano, making the three of them laugh.
'No...I won't make you cry! Not again. Not ever! I am just really glad that this day has come...you look so beautiful, Di....just like Ma!' said Pia, hugging her sister.
Bani smiled and said, 'Thanks...but between us...you were, you are and you will always be the prettier one! My pretty princess Pia!'
Pia laughed, remembering how proud Bani used to be of her...carrying her around everywhere...making her hair, ironing her clothes, cooking anything she asked for, helping her with homework, taking her to school...she had actually been a mother to her. And how had she repaid? Pia felt burdened by her guilt and wanted to open her heart to Bani and apologize for everything she had made her undergo...for all these years...but she kept quiet, knowing that this was not the time and in any case her sister was perhaps the last person on earth who would ever carry any grudges in her heart against anyone.
Pia was just glad and relieved that her sister had found so much happiness...and most importantly the man whom she loved. If anyone deserved all this, then it was none other than Bani.
All the women were driven off in two cars, escorted by Tarun, Pushkar and Saurabh while the men followed later, and despite many protestations, Jai insisted on driving, telling everyone that since he could not ride a horse as tradition stipulates, at least he should have the pleasure of driving his white Mercedes to his wedding.
Bani looked like a dream in her wedding attire. The top of her gleaming black hair, parted down the centre, was covered with the same fabric, her smooth forehead dotted with tiny flecks of red paint in an arched design spliced in the middle by a gold-and-diamond bindi. Her hair was tied in a low bun and covered with fragrant strands of jasmine and roses. Her hands lavishly hennaed (thanks to Purva's Mehendi Ceremony) reached up to push back a wisp of hair that had fallen into her half-closed eyes. The red and white ivory bangles filled both her arms. Bani was praying, and blushing, swooning from the heat. She had Jai were sitting in front of a small bright orange fire, both sets of family elders by their side, deep in their own thoughts as the chief priest, Pandit Mishraji, uttered thousands of Sanskrit words that no one but him could understand.
Jai could barely concentrate on what the revered priest was telling him to do, staring rather unreservedly at the woman who was in the process of becoming his wife and had to be chided multiple times by Karuna and Massi to concentrate on the rituals. In all honesty, weddings bored the life out of Jai...and his was no exception, except that he did understand how important it was for Bani. And if it made her happy, then it was probably worth sitting there, listening to strange incarnations in a language alien to him and sweltering in the heat and humidity.
On Bani's insistence, he had worn a pair of silk kurta pyjama in sandalwood colour and looked every inch the gallant prince that Bani had always dreamed of marrying. She kept lifting her eyelids and looking at him from time to time, blushing and smiling at the expression of annoyance and impatience on his face. Anyone else might have felt offended, but Bani knew him so well, that she realized he was just as happy marrying her as she was...it’s just that his way of showing things were pretty different from the way normal people displayed happiness and affection. And she loved him a little bit more for it.
Pandit Mishraji asked Karuna to come forward and tie the end of Bani's duppata with Jai's light pink safa and told them to get up to do the Saptapadi or the Seven Steps rituals.
'The seven rounds the fire, right? Can I be ahead of you in all the seven? I hate to follow people...especially women...more so, MY WOMAN!' quipped Jai, as Bani giggled and then instantly blushed when Pandit Mishraji gave a mildly annoyed look at the couple, hushing him up quietly.
How pacifying is a promise, especially when it is coming from a loved one. How totally enchanting then, would the wedding vows be...those which are beyond mere promises or even the declaration of love. They are 'commitments' of two souls, becoming one.
Though Jai could not understand anything of what the priest was chanting so sombrely and with such speed, even the cynic in him was touched and awed by the ritual of taking seven circumambulations around the sacred fire, promising each other the gifts of a long, happy, prosperous and happy life. How Jai wished he could fulfil all these promises he was making to Bani...at the best he could only give it a try, even though he realized how seriously Bani was listening to the Vedic chants, imbibing every word and looking every bit determined to move mountains, but fulfil every single promise she had made to her husband in front of God.
As they sat down again, a sharp pain shot through Jai's spine and he gasped out, making Bani turn and look at him and though Jai only took a couple of moments to regain composure, she understood that he was undergoing a huge amount of physical discomfort, especially as they had been sitting on the ground, which was all the more painful to Jai's back. She simply gripped his hand tightly and when he looked at her, she gave him an assuring smile...and whatever little doubts that remained in him regarding Bani's ability to cope with what he was undergoing vanished with the smoke of the fire in front of them.
Karuna handed over the small silver box which had the Mangalsutra...the black and gold beaded chain that a Hindu married woman wore as a symbol of her marital status. Taking the long, thin chain in his fingers, Jai felt himself shivering a bit as he bent forward to tie it around Bani's neck...part of it was due to the sharp spasms of pain that kept shooting through his body and part of it was the very depth and seriousness of the occasion that had him speechless and shocked.
When the priest called upon the groom to complete the wedding by filling the bride's forehead with vermillion...for Sindoor...the ultimate mark of a married woman in Hinduism. The symbol of her husband's life and well-being...a married woman's pride and glory. As some of the powdery red colour fell on the tip of nose, after Jai had applied it, he noticed that her cheeks were wet. The tears she had been holding back so valiantly finally spilt, as she looked up at him with wavering eyes and he simply smiled and wiped away those tears, making her burst into a laugh as well as burst out crying together.
The priest finally got up and giving a satisfied smile at Jai and Bani announced, 'You are now man and wife.'
Post-wedding
Jai looked here and there and saw that almost everyone had tears in their eyes and were all in a highly emotional state, especially the women, led by Massi and Karuna, who were the champion weepers of his family. Pooja, Rano, Mrs. Singh, Anu, Lakshmi and even Pia were crying alongside. Even the hardboiled Jigyasa was sobbing quietly, that too on her ex-husband's shoulder. Only Karuna’s three girls were prancing around the temple complex, least interested in the wedding and only happy about the fact that their ‘Bani didi’ was not ‘Bani Mami’. Feeling highly amused, Jai got up, taking off the heavy floral garland from his neck and putting it aside, commented, 'Over? Can we go home? It was like sitting inside a Furnace! Bloody Hot!'
'JAI!' came Massi, Karuna, Tarun, Ranveer, Sneha, Jigyasa, Aditya and Bani's protesting voice, even as Jai lifted his hands in peace and made a face to signify that he was sorry for using a cuss word in a place of worship. No one could avoid laughing at his action. Trust Jai to always lighten any situation with his trademark wit and one-liners.
He put his hand across Bani and said, 'So now you are officially my wife? Wow...this sounds good! When we get home, I will hand you a list of wifely duties that I expect you to do from the moment we land home! Okay?'
Bani who was still weeping and in the process of hugging Rano, Pooja, Pia and the others, turned to look at him and said, 'Wifely duties?'
Jai who had already wiped off his red tikka, despite Massi's many protests and shouts, pushed his damp hair back and nodding his head said, 'Yes...in fact, I have made it very professional and formal...so that way, there would be no disputes in the future.'
Blinking her eyes, Bani asked him, 'What are you talking about?'
'Babes...Agreement! A marriage contract!'
Looking highly offended as well as hurt, Bani yelped back, 'Marriage contract? What on earth is that? Listen Jai, if you want me to sign a pre-nuptial...'
'Hang on...hang on...who said anything about a Pre-nuptial agreement? In any case, that is done before the nuptials happen! This is something else! Come home and we will spend our wedding night going through it line by line...word by word...'
She stared back at him, confused, wondering what on earth was he talking about. And of all the people in the world, Jai wanted to spend his wedding night going through some strange sounding wedding related document?
Jai winked at her and then whispered into her ears, 'Of course, I am joking...the marriage contract can wait...tonight is time for strip-tease...'
'JAI!' exclaimed Bani in shock and added in an annoyed voice, 'it’s a temple, for god sake! And we have been married for less than ten minutes, you already talking like this?'
‘Oh Babes…get used to it! I will always be talking in this manner…so practice your world-weary expression instead of looking like the earth has parted into two!’
Bani could not help but laugh, Jai was simply too much.
‘So Mr. Walia, how does it feel?’ she asked with twinkling eyes.
‘Really, really hot! It must be at least a 100 degrees today!’ he came back, fanning himself.
‘Jai! I was not talking about the weather…I was asking…how it feels…you know…to be married.’ Said Bani, blushing a bit and lowering her eyes.
He did not reply instantly, instead slipped his arms around her waist and answered back, light-hearted yet dead sincere, ‘like a million bucks, Mrs. W! Like a million bucks!’
She flushed with pleasure and laughed softly, as Rano and Pooja came bouncing along, demanding their share of money from Jai for having hidden his footwear.
‘Hey, you two! That is my really expensive, custom-made leather piper sandals…I am going to sue both of you if you lose it!’ countered Jai, evoking a spate of giggles from both Rano and Pooja.
‘Whatever it is…till you give us money, you are not going to get them back…’ said Rano, putting her hand over her hip and whistling a tune.
‘Oh! God! Okay…take this!’ said Jai, handing them his American Express Credit Card.
‘What is this Jeeju?’
‘A credit card, for goodness sake! What else does it look like?’
‘But…No…No…we need cash only!’ insisted Pooja, handing him back his Credit card even as Bani stood there, smiling at the banter between the three of them.
‘I don’t carry cash…how much do you need? 5 Bucks?’
Rano and Pooja looked highly offended and said, ‘5 Bucks? What are we? 2 year olds? And anyway what comes in 5 Bucks…we were thinking more in the line of adding a couple of zeroes to the 5 Bucks…’
’50?’
‘Jeeju!’
‘500?’
‘Keep going…’
‘5000?’
‘Excellent progress…and if your footwear was the ordinary kinds that we people wear, we would have stopped here itself…but since they are custom made Italian piper sandals…I think you should keep upping the stakes…’ came back Rano as she and Pooja burst out laughing at the look on Jai’s face!
‘My God…totally ripping me now! Okay…last offer…50 grand!’
Rano and Pooja, who were clearly joking till now, looked shocked out of their lives and muttered, ’Fifty thousand? No…No…Jeeju…we were just joking…’
Jai gave them a rather sweet smile and putting his hand in his pocket took out a 5 rupees note that Nachiket had handed over to him surreptitiously, after having seen the scene in progress and gave it to Pooja and Rano.
‘Okay…so if you were just joking, then here is 5 bucks! This should not hurt your sensibilities…and believe it or not, you can buy something out of this…like that diarrhoea inducing orange candy that is being sold outside the temple gates…or even a glass of plain water from the dirty looking vendor outside that will surely give you an attack of jaundice or typhoid. Take your pick and spend the 5 rupees wisely!’
Patting both the girls affectionately on their cheeks, Jai said to them before leaving, ‘no matter how smart you are, my dear sis-in-law’s, don’t forget that I will always be a step ahead of you!’
Whistling a tune, he walked away to join Ranveer and the other men and start back for the Farmhouse, as Rano and Pooja stood dumbstruck, while Nachiket, Pushkar and Saurabh went hysterical with laughter.
The more I have, both are infinite.
~William Shakespeare
Part 20 (a)
Jai's Study
He was hollering at her, face a colour of puce and voice at its highest decibel while Bani, for a change, stood calmly, her head bowed down and waiting patiently for him to finish his outburst.
'I cannot believe it! Why haven't you told Mrs. and Mr. Singh anything about me till now? BANI! I am talking to you! Stop staring at the bloody floor!' he yelled.
She looked up at him and answered back slowly, 'I will tell them when you promise that you will tell Nachiket, Karuna didi and Massi about yourself, Jai.'
He glared back at her and yelled, 'how dare you? No one strikes bargains with me!'
Unruffled, she answered back, 'I am not striking bargains. I am NOT in the habit of striking bargains in relationships, Jai. I am just telling you that if you expect me to do what in your view is the 'correct thing', then I too expect you to do, what in my view is the 'correct thing.' That is tell your family about yourself.'
They both remained silent, Jai still fuming at the fact that Bani had not told the Singh's about his Cancer and his impending treatment and surgery, while Bani quiet but firm on her stand that if he expected her to disclose anything to her foster family, then she expected him to tell everything to his family too.
Bani compromised and came near him, holding his hands and said tenderly, 'I realize how difficult it is for you Jai...'
'No, you don't! You don't realize or understand anything, Bani!' he snapped back.
'You are being unfair to me. Like always.' she retorted, hurt and sad at what he had said.
'Oh! So now you are accusing me of not loving you too on top of of being a liar and a coward?' he thundered back.
'Jai! Please! Calm down! And stop putting words in my mouth. When did I say that you don't love me? And when have I ever called you a liar or a coward?'
'You just called me unfair!' he retorted angrily.
She closed her eyes, took a deep breath and replied back calmly, 'I stand by that. You are unfair to me. And loving me has nothing to do with that...you simply take decisions on your own, without consulting anyone or even bothering to ask others what they feel about your decisions!'
Jai glared at her, extremely offended by the fact that she was speaking to him in such a manner, but kept quiet. It was very difficult to lead a fight with someone who refused to blow their tops instead remained cool and collected, while still putting a good enough fight against him. It was one of the many, many small things that had made Jai fall in love with Bani.
Realizing that there was no way in hell that he was going to give up on this, she took his hands and planted a kiss on them, telling him, 'fine...I don't want to upset you anymore on this issue. I will call Chachaji and Chachiji just now tell them everything. Now happy?'
He gave her a look and commented sharply, 'Happy? Do you think I am assuming that this is going to be easy for you, Bani? They might very well put their foot down to our getting married after knowing about me!'
She didn't battle an eyelid and answered back, 'well then, we will have to get married without their blessings.' And before a shocked Jai could respond, she added, 'I would hate it and it would probably break my heart into pieces on not having got their blessings...but nothing...and I mean NOTHING would make me back out of marrying you, Jai.'
Jai could not help but break into a smile on hearing what she said...his anger evaporating in milliseconds...Bani was the polar opposite of what he was...she was calm as the ocean to his explosive as an active volcano nature...she was gentle and soft natured...while he was fiery and aggressive...she was subdued and passive...while he was larger than life and dramatic. And yet...it was somehow, always, she who managed to win him over...either by her smile...or by her words...or by her simple gesture. No matter how upset he might be with...it was impossible to remain so for a long time.
She blushed when he kept staring at her and lowered her eyes, as he took her into his arms and pushing a strand of hair behind her ears, whispered to her, 'you are amazing you know! A bewitching temptress at night...and then as gentle as a turtle dove during the day...'
Bani smiled back at him and said, 'there is a famous saying in Sanksrit you know...’Karyeshu Mantri, Karaneshu Dasi, Rupeshu Lakshmi, Kshyama Dharitri, Sneheshu Mata, Sayeneshu Rambha, Shat Karmanari Kul Dharmapatni!'
He blinked his eyes and said, 'I couldn't get one word except the last one...Dharmapatni!'
Bani laughed, throwing her head back and pulled Jai's cheeks and said, 'this saying describes the six virtues of an ideal wife...that she should be as wise as a minister to her husband...as servile as a maid, as beautiful as Goddess Lakshmi, always forgiving, as loving as a mother and everything else in the bed...that is what makes an ideal wife!'
'I love the last bit...the one in the bed!' said Jai in a honeyed voice.
'Yes...I had guessed so!' retorted Bani in a droll voice, as they both burst out laughing.
They stood silently for a while, and then Jai said, 'I guess there is no point in pushing this any further...Massi and Dimpy are already going over-board with our marriage preparations, despite my having told them to take it easy...do one thing Bani...please call Mrs. and Mr. Singh to the study...later it will become very difficult with everyone around....Chote and Purva should be coming back anytime now.'
Bani nodded her head, hiding her apprehension and went out to call Rano and Pushkar's parents. She kept the siblings out of this as of now...it was too late to explain things to them and the only reason why she was even telling this to the Singh's was on Jai's insistence and the fact that they were almost like her own parents and she felt too guilty to hide such a big thing from them.
Jai's Study
The Singh's had been mildly taken aback when Bani had got hold of them and asked them to come over to Jai's study, as she and Jai wanted to tell them something very important. Their first thought had been a typically middle-class one...that there was a demand of dowry from Jai's family, but that thought lasted for less than a moment. For one, the Singh's realized how impossible it was for someone like Jai actually calling them over and asking for material good from them and secondly, even if they wished to give something on their own accord, they could never ever match up to the kind of standard that the Walia's had. So it had to be something completely else. It hadn't taken too long for them to discover what it was. Jai, if nothing else, was blessed with not just the ability to speak well, but also the courage to lay it down as it was...bare bones and all.
Taking into consideration the shocked silence in the study, Jai left the middle-aged couple sitting on the couch alongside Bani and went out, realizing that if they had something to say, they would probably be very uncomfortable in front of him.
As soon as Jai left the room, Lalita Singh leapt on her feet and turning to look at Bani, instantly exclaimed, 'Bani...you cannot marry him. Please! Say no to him right now...we...we will explain things...don't worry...we will manage...you need not be under any pressure...you...you cannot just...you cannot just sacrifice your life...'
Lalita was unable to say anything more, breaking into tears, as her husband came and kept a hand over her shoulder and giving a pleading look at Bani, who was sobbing silently now, asked her to stay calm.
'Lalita...what are you saying? The wedding preparations are going on already and in a few hours, they will both be husband and wife...'
'So? Does that mean we should let our daughter jump into a well, fully knowing that she is going to drown?' lashed back Lalita, holding Bani protectively.
'Don't be ridiculous...and Bani knows very well what she is getting into!' reasoned Mr. Singh.
'No, she doesn't! She is just Rano's age...they are both kids! What do they know? Bani! Please tell me that you did not know anything about Jaiji's illness? That he had hidden it from you? And now you feel that you cannot back out? Don't worry...no one can pressurize you to marry him! We are with you, beta!'
Bani closed her eyes, as tears streamed down her face...she did not know what she felt more hurt about. The fact that the woman who had been like a mother to her was displaying what was a natural reaction to the news she had received or the fact that she did not seem to care one bit about what Jai would feel if Bani refused to marry him. But then, Bani realized, no one in the world, would ever be able to decipher the true depths of her feelings for Jai. Probably not even Jai himself.
Taking a deep breath and holding Lalita's hands, Bani made her sit down and gave her a glass of water.
Lalita seemed to take hold of herself for a while, but instantly became emotional and said, 'Don't Bani! Don't do this! It’s too huge a risk to take! Don't throw away your life like this! Just look at you...which man wouldn't want to marry a girl like you, Bani? Why Jai? I...I feel very sorry for him...I really do...he is a wonderful man...but sacrificing your life for him? No...I will never approve of it.'
Bani sat silently for some time and when Mr. Singh tried to open his mouth in defence of Jai and Bani, she quietly told him to stay still and spoke in a gentle tone to Lalita, 'Chachiji...I have just one question to ask you.'
Lalita looked up at Bani with teary eyes as the young girl spoke in a broken voice, 'If I had already married Jai...and then got to know that he was ailing from a life-threatening illness...would you have expected me to leave my husband and walk out on him?'
Looking shocked, Lalita answered back instantly, 'Of course not! Which wife walks out on a husband...that too when he needs her the most?'
Bani kept quiet for a while, holding back her tears and spoke emotionally, 'So just because a man ties a couple of black beads around a woman's neck and puts some red colour on her forehead...it means that her loyalty and devotion to her man is insured...but if a woman simply loves a man...and is not tied to him by society's institutions, then she can step back from the relationship whenever she wishes too?'
Lalita was speechless for a moment, but finding her voice, she murmured, 'but Bani...the risk...the instability...the constant fear of losing him...'
'My life has been anything but stable, Chachiji!' blurted out Bani, as her tears gave away.
Sobbing heavily, she spoke in a broken voice, 'my mother passed away at the age of 34...I was 12 years old and Pia was 10 when she left us. Pia got married without her presence and now so am I. Did we ever imagine that our mother won't be around to participate in the greatest moments of our lives? No. Papa couldn't get to celebrate his 50th birthday...did I ever imagine that my father wouldn't be around do give me away on my marriage? No. I had so hoped and wished for Pia to become a Doctor...the first one in our family...but did I ever imagine that she would run away from home and get married just three weeks after turning 18? No.'
'Everything that I had thought of...everything that I had hope for...and these were ordinary, everyday things, Chachiji...the simple joys of life...the love of my parents...the achievement and success of my sibling...the presence of my family...everything got pulled away from me. Did I ever anticipate my fate going so wrong for me? No. Never. So what should I fear for now? That Jai too will be taken away from me?'
'Bani...don't say that!' exclaimed Lalita, tearing up.
Wiping her tear-stained face, Bani said softly, 'I have nothing left to lose in my life now. Nothing. God has already taken away all that he could from me...and now I have to beat the odds on the fact that he won't be cruel and heartless enough to take the one man whom I have loved more than my life. And if that sounds like a risk to take...then I am more than ready for it. It’s the smallest price to pay for someone whom you love, Chachiji...and I will pay that price. A thousand times over.'
A While Later
Jai looked aberrantly tense and worked-up as he sat in the living room, his chin placed on his finger tips and his feet tapping on the floor, while he listened to something that Karuna was prattling on and on. As soon as the Singh's came into view, followed by Bani, who had clearly been shedding tears by the bucket load, as was evidenced by the redness in her eyes, nevertheless smiled at him and then to his acute surprise winked and puckered her lips in a kiss, making him grin and turn his face away, as not to laugh in front of the Singh's.
He knew that things wouldn't have been easy inside, yet Bani had somehow managed to ease everything and was even cheering him up. Was it really his fault that he was being selfish enough to marry her despite his condition? Which man would be idiotic enough to let go of such a woman? Even if she was his for a few fleeting moments...Bani was worth her weight in gold.
Lalita and her husband tried to say something to Jai, ostensibly to tell him that they were fine with everything, now that Bani had put across her point of view so strongly, but they were stopped by Bani, who whispered into their ears, 'Don't say anything here, Chachaji...no one knows about Jai...not even Nachiket.'
'But...beta...how? This is not right...to hide such a huge thing from one's own flesh and blood.' objected Mr. Singh.
Bani nodded her head and spoke under her breath, 'I know...and I will convince him to tell them everything...but Nachiket and Purva have been married for just one day...and we are getting married today...I think Jai wants to take some time...you don't worry, we will tell them everything.'
And then looking pleadingly at Lalita, Bani asked her, 'you are really okay with Jai and me getting married, aren't you Chachiji?'
Lalita smiled faintly and replied, 'to be honest...I still have my reservations. But as you said...if this had happened after marriage...I would have been the first one to tell you to support your husband and stand by his side unwaveringly...'and then caressing Bani's cheeks, she spoke with pride and love, 'but I am proud to say that my Bani takes her love just as seriously as she would take her marriage vows...so yes, I am really, really okay...in fact, I am very happy for both Jaiji and you.'
Bani burst out into tears yet grinned from ear to ear, hugging back Lalita, which elicted a response from Rano, who had been touring the Farmhouse, 'Oh! Ho! Abhi se bidaai ki rehersal ho rahi hain! Btw, what were you all doing back in the study? Planning something against my Jeeju?'
Jai smiled and coming near her, whispered conspiratorially into her ears, 'Let them...then we two can be a team! What do you say?'
Rano once against staggered on her feet at his proximity, especially when his woody cologne hit her nostrils and fluttering her eyes in a most funny manner, said, 'I am ready to be in ANY team that you are in, Jeejaji!'
Everyone burst out laughing and just then Abdul came running by, announcing that 'Chote Sahib' and 'Chote Sahib's Madamji' had arrived back from the Hotel.
Bani, looking pretty as a picture in her lavender and purple coloured chiffon sari did the Aarti for Nachiket and Purva, who much to the shock of Massi, Karuna, Tarun and even the Singh's, was dressed rather trendily in a pair of off-white Linen Capri's and a cherry red sleeveless cropped top, which did look a bit inappropriate with the dozens of white and red chuda she had on both her arms.
Nachiket and Purva both bent down to take blessings from Massiji, followed by Jai, who instantly backed out and said, 'Hey! I am even marrying after you! So how come you are making me feel so old by touching my feet?'
Everyone laughed and Nachiket said emotionally, 'Dada...like it or not, you will always be older than me...older in age...older in experience, older in your love, affection and respect. I will always be your Chote!'
Jai laughed, taking Nachiket in a bear hug, as he croaked in pain at the power in Jai's arms and said, 'Ouch!'
Without thinking, Bani quipped back in a mischievous voice, 'Isn't it like a Boa Constrictor hugging you back?'
Jai turned to give her one of his 'looks', while Rano linked her arms with Jai's and retorted, 'you seem to know a LOT about his hugs, Miss. Dixit. How come?'
Jai and Rano sniggered, as Bani turned puce and spoke in an annoyed voice to Rano, 'I thought you were supposed to be my friend.'
'Have you seen him?' asked Rano, giving an adoring look at Jai and then added, 'I have...and hence now I am in his team! Bye, bye friend!'
Bani burst out laughing alongside everyone, as Nachiket warned her jokingly, 'Bhabhi...bach kar! We all know Dada's fondness for the ladies and your friend has already changed teams...'
'Well, this would ensure that your beloved Bhabhi is always on her toes and never takes me for granted...else, all I will have to do is take a Jet air flight to Bangalore!'
Rano jumped with joy when Jai said that and winked back at Bani, who pinched her playfully on her arms and they all went inside.
Bani
The wedding was scheduled to take place in the evening at the famous Lakshmi Narayan Temple in Delhi which was also known as the Birla Temple, built by one of the most the famous and respected business family of India. It was meant to be a very solemn and private affair and the only invitees other than Jai and Bani's immediate family were Pia and her husband, Ranveer and Sneha, Mrs. and Mr. Raheja and Aditya and his ex-wife Jigyasa, who had stayed back in Delhi only to attend Jai and Bani's wedding. Pooja and Saurabh had been shocked, thrilled and touched to the core of their hearts, when on Bani's request; Jai asked them to join in their wedding.
Bani was sitting nervously in her room...it was probably a bride thing. No matter how small or big a wedding was...for the girl who was to be wedded, it was a major milestone in her life...and for most, like Bani, a one-time affair. Rano, Purva and Pooja had dismissed everyone else, including Karuna, insisting that only they would get Bani ready for the marriage ceremony and they had placed her in her room, while they went to fetch the wedding sari and other jewels that Massi and Karuna had arranged with such adeptness in just a matter of a few hours. Even managing to send Tarun all the way till Old Delhi to get the red and white ivory bangles or Chuda's that every bride married into a Punjabi family wore, from a minimum of 45 days to a maximum of 1 year.
Somehow everything seemed to have a dreamlike quality to it. For Bani, it seemed like only yesterday when she had been hanging wet clothes in her front lawn, watching a huge SUV pull over to the house next door. That small, almost insignificant event had channelled into a marriage today...5 years. It seemed like both eternity as well as nothing more than a couple of moments in her memory. Had she ever imagined that she would get married to the sometimes happy, mostly rude man next door who had changed from a bitter neighbour to a cherished friend to the love of her life? No...she did not. Or maybe she did. It was impossible for Bani to imagine when she had actually fallen in love with Jai. She remembered the breathtakingly evocative and touching speech he had made just a day before...saying that he had fallen in love with her bit by bit...day by day. She knew it was never love at first sight for him...maybe not even for her. Jai had looked like a pile of broken sticks when she had first seen him...it hurt her even to think of him like that now. She did not know if she had fallen in love with him at that very moment...for she was never one to pay any attention to physical looks...but she did know that she had wanted to care for him, nurture him, protect him from that very moment. There was no definite reason...that feeling had just come...almost magically.
And then no matter how rude he was, no matter how much he tried to push her away with his coldness or acerbic tongue...nothing seemed to affect her. She had seen through him in one go...a half-literate, small-town girl like her had seen through the worldly wise, sharp as a knife lawyer in just a couple of moments. He was nothing more than a big baby who wanted to be sheltered and cared for...who wanted someone to share his shattering loneliness with...who wanted someone to lend a shoulder to cry on. And she had become whatever he wanted...maybe it was love at first sight for her. Maybe it was the way she loved...falling in love with the vulnerable yet immensely loving man hidden inside him, rather than the physical disfigurement and outrageously rude behaviour he displayed outside.
Hence, Bani was convinced now that no matter what happened in the future...no matter how much the Chemotherapy and other treatments changed Jai...physically or emotionally...she would never change for him. Her love for Jai would never change...her loyalty and her devotion for him would never change. They would remain rock steady, no matter how threatening the storms were.
Jai
Jai had excused himself for a while, stating a mild headache and telling everyone that he wished to take some rest before leaving for the temple. As he sat alone in his bedroom, he could scarcely believe what he was going to do. In just a few hours, Bani would be his wife. His wife! The very thought seemed to jolt Jai as if he had never expected it to happen, despite all that had happened in the past few days between them. It seemed just too much to take all of it in...it seemed only a few moments back when the oily-haired, chubby faced and ever smiling girl-next-door had stood by the fence dividing their cottages in Mukteshwar and had greeted him.
And the man, who was legendary in the court room for predicting the outcome of any case he took in hand, felt utterly bowled by the fact, that he could not have anticipated his own future.
But then, that was probably how life was...how love was. It hits us on our guts when we least expect it and then slips out of our fingers even when we are grabbing it tightly.
Had he fallen in love with her at first sight! The very thought made Jai laugh out loud. He was if nothing else, a brutally honest man and had no qualms in confessing to the fact that he judged people, especially women, solely on the way they looked. Physical attraction meant everything to Jai. He had dated at least 200 women in the last 20 years since he had begun dating at the age of 15 and not one single of them had been anything less than gorgeous. Be it the prettiest girl in his high-school or the hottest chick in his work place...Jai went only for the very best. He simply did not spend a fleeting moment on any woman who did not catch his fancy in the first few minutes of meeting, very rarely if ever, trying to find out about her as a person. He was just too self-obsessed and self-centred for that.
Bani...what were his first thoughts when they had met? Super annoying kid...and too much of the fluttering, twittering kinds...on top of that, she looked highly comical, with her Circa 1960 clothes and her boring hairstyle and her under-confident body language. Exactly the type whom Jai would have loved bullying had she been in his school or the kinds who would have been relegated to the basement storage room by him, had she been working for him.
But fate had landed them both in a situation, where not only could he not avoid her, but actually had to seek out her company for some relief from the monotony of his isolated life in that god-forsaken place, Mukteshwar.
And boy, had fate done well for once!!!
Jai had always felt amused by the fact that they had gotten along so well and so soon...the fact that she had got drawn to him like a moth to fire had been a bit surprising for Jai, since he knew how terrible he looked at that time, but what had been most surprising for Jai, was the fact that he too fell attracted to her. Not in the romantic sense to begin with...but in some way, he too had fallen for her, just like the way she had. It was impossible to resist her sunny nature and cheerful smile...it had worked better on him than any medicine could. And besides, he felt truly sympathetic towards her situation...realizing that Pia bullied her and used her in a way that he probably did to other people, making him understand how much it hurt to be treated like a doormat by anyone, but most of all by one's own family
Jai had started feeling protective towards her...but also possessive and in some ways, angry that she took no care of herself. That she dressed up in a way that made her look like a complete frump and that she had no consciousness about being a woman, rather was happy being a daughter, sister and his friend cum caregiver turned into one.
Though he had never told Bani so, many a times he had imagined her looking like a real woman...beautiful, confident of herself and definitely with less weight on her than she had piled on her.
And when he had seen her in Delhi...after a long gap of nearly 5 years...it seemed to Jai that his dream had actually come true. How lovely and ethereal she had looked that night...her long hair falling softly to her waist and curling incorrigibly in the ends, her kohl lined eyes wet with tears on seeing him, her conventional clothes not managing to hide her sylphlike figure...it was like falling in love with her twice over. As if he had been in love with two women...one the girl-next-door, best friend and companion and the other, the woman of his dreams...and realizing that they were both one and the same, after all.
Jai hoped that Bani did not feel that his renewed interest in her was only because she looked so damn pretty now...and the reason why he had left their budding romance nipped in the bud was because he hadn't found her attractive then. It was not true, at all. Maybe at some level, he had not felt attracted to her physically...but Jai was sure that he had fallen in love with her before he had even left Mukteshwar. Whatever she was back then...frumpy clothes, overweight, socially awkward and doltish...something in her had caught not just his heart but had actually won over his soul. Hadn't he been so overwhelmed by the fact that his Cancer was still not fully cured and the fact that he could never father a child...he might have asked her to marry him. In fact, he would have surely asked her to marry him.
But Jai realized that the separation had probably served as fuel to their feelings...it hadn't dampened or gone down in the years...instead had grown resilient and gone from strength to strength...that is why in spite of so many issues between them, Jai was still marrying her in just a few hours more.
He did not know what their future held for them...and now he did not even want to know. He was beyond feeling guilty and confused by now...all the wanted was to give every happiness on earth to Bani in whatever little time span they had together. If he survived, then all was good...they would live happily ever after. But if he did not, as his gut feel told him, he would at least ensure that she had a lifetime of good memories to remember whenever she looked back.
Getting up from his bed and walking towards the washroom to shower and change into his wedding clothes, Jai could not help but smile and skip in joy...he felt nothing like a Cancer-stricken, 35 year old, in doubt about his actions...rather as a young, much in love and happy man who was going to marry the woman he loved the most in the world.
Lakshmi Narayan Temple
Bani had been dressed in a beautiful burnt orange and fuchsia sari that had been chosen from Jai's mother's collection that Jai had still maintained and kept it in the Farmhouse and she had put on the gold set that the Singh's had presented to her, along with a Kundan and Jadau necklace set that too had belonged to Jai's mother. She looked entrancing in her relatively simple get-up, very much like a blushing bride and Rano, Purva and Pooja could not have enough of teasing her relentlessly.
Pia had dropped by to the Farmhouse and hugged Bani when they met in her room.
'Didi...I am...so, so, so happy for you!' she said, tearing up and kissing her sister's hands.
'Don't Piu...please! See...if you cry, then even I will cry!'
'Pia! Please, don't! We just put eyeliner for her...and she keeps blinking her eyes so many times, it has already smudged several times!' said Rano, making the three of them laugh.
'No...I won't make you cry! Not again. Not ever! I am just really glad that this day has come...you look so beautiful, Di....just like Ma!' said Pia, hugging her sister.
Bani smiled and said, 'Thanks...but between us...you were, you are and you will always be the prettier one! My pretty princess Pia!'
Pia laughed, remembering how proud Bani used to be of her...carrying her around everywhere...making her hair, ironing her clothes, cooking anything she asked for, helping her with homework, taking her to school...she had actually been a mother to her. And how had she repaid? Pia felt burdened by her guilt and wanted to open her heart to Bani and apologize for everything she had made her undergo...for all these years...but she kept quiet, knowing that this was not the time and in any case her sister was perhaps the last person on earth who would ever carry any grudges in her heart against anyone.
Pia was just glad and relieved that her sister had found so much happiness...and most importantly the man whom she loved. If anyone deserved all this, then it was none other than Bani.
All the women were driven off in two cars, escorted by Tarun, Pushkar and Saurabh while the men followed later, and despite many protestations, Jai insisted on driving, telling everyone that since he could not ride a horse as tradition stipulates, at least he should have the pleasure of driving his white Mercedes to his wedding.
Bani looked like a dream in her wedding attire. The top of her gleaming black hair, parted down the centre, was covered with the same fabric, her smooth forehead dotted with tiny flecks of red paint in an arched design spliced in the middle by a gold-and-diamond bindi. Her hair was tied in a low bun and covered with fragrant strands of jasmine and roses. Her hands lavishly hennaed (thanks to Purva's Mehendi Ceremony) reached up to push back a wisp of hair that had fallen into her half-closed eyes. The red and white ivory bangles filled both her arms. Bani was praying, and blushing, swooning from the heat. She had Jai were sitting in front of a small bright orange fire, both sets of family elders by their side, deep in their own thoughts as the chief priest, Pandit Mishraji, uttered thousands of Sanskrit words that no one but him could understand.
Jai could barely concentrate on what the revered priest was telling him to do, staring rather unreservedly at the woman who was in the process of becoming his wife and had to be chided multiple times by Karuna and Massi to concentrate on the rituals. In all honesty, weddings bored the life out of Jai...and his was no exception, except that he did understand how important it was for Bani. And if it made her happy, then it was probably worth sitting there, listening to strange incarnations in a language alien to him and sweltering in the heat and humidity.
On Bani's insistence, he had worn a pair of silk kurta pyjama in sandalwood colour and looked every inch the gallant prince that Bani had always dreamed of marrying. She kept lifting her eyelids and looking at him from time to time, blushing and smiling at the expression of annoyance and impatience on his face. Anyone else might have felt offended, but Bani knew him so well, that she realized he was just as happy marrying her as she was...it’s just that his way of showing things were pretty different from the way normal people displayed happiness and affection. And she loved him a little bit more for it.
Pandit Mishraji asked Karuna to come forward and tie the end of Bani's duppata with Jai's light pink safa and told them to get up to do the Saptapadi or the Seven Steps rituals.
'The seven rounds the fire, right? Can I be ahead of you in all the seven? I hate to follow people...especially women...more so, MY WOMAN!' quipped Jai, as Bani giggled and then instantly blushed when Pandit Mishraji gave a mildly annoyed look at the couple, hushing him up quietly.
How pacifying is a promise, especially when it is coming from a loved one. How totally enchanting then, would the wedding vows be...those which are beyond mere promises or even the declaration of love. They are 'commitments' of two souls, becoming one.
Though Jai could not understand anything of what the priest was chanting so sombrely and with such speed, even the cynic in him was touched and awed by the ritual of taking seven circumambulations around the sacred fire, promising each other the gifts of a long, happy, prosperous and happy life. How Jai wished he could fulfil all these promises he was making to Bani...at the best he could only give it a try, even though he realized how seriously Bani was listening to the Vedic chants, imbibing every word and looking every bit determined to move mountains, but fulfil every single promise she had made to her husband in front of God.
As they sat down again, a sharp pain shot through Jai's spine and he gasped out, making Bani turn and look at him and though Jai only took a couple of moments to regain composure, she understood that he was undergoing a huge amount of physical discomfort, especially as they had been sitting on the ground, which was all the more painful to Jai's back. She simply gripped his hand tightly and when he looked at her, she gave him an assuring smile...and whatever little doubts that remained in him regarding Bani's ability to cope with what he was undergoing vanished with the smoke of the fire in front of them.
Karuna handed over the small silver box which had the Mangalsutra...the black and gold beaded chain that a Hindu married woman wore as a symbol of her marital status. Taking the long, thin chain in his fingers, Jai felt himself shivering a bit as he bent forward to tie it around Bani's neck...part of it was due to the sharp spasms of pain that kept shooting through his body and part of it was the very depth and seriousness of the occasion that had him speechless and shocked.
When the priest called upon the groom to complete the wedding by filling the bride's forehead with vermillion...for Sindoor...the ultimate mark of a married woman in Hinduism. The symbol of her husband's life and well-being...a married woman's pride and glory. As some of the powdery red colour fell on the tip of nose, after Jai had applied it, he noticed that her cheeks were wet. The tears she had been holding back so valiantly finally spilt, as she looked up at him with wavering eyes and he simply smiled and wiped away those tears, making her burst into a laugh as well as burst out crying together.
The priest finally got up and giving a satisfied smile at Jai and Bani announced, 'You are now man and wife.'
Post-wedding
Jai looked here and there and saw that almost everyone had tears in their eyes and were all in a highly emotional state, especially the women, led by Massi and Karuna, who were the champion weepers of his family. Pooja, Rano, Mrs. Singh, Anu, Lakshmi and even Pia were crying alongside. Even the hardboiled Jigyasa was sobbing quietly, that too on her ex-husband's shoulder. Only Karuna’s three girls were prancing around the temple complex, least interested in the wedding and only happy about the fact that their ‘Bani didi’ was not ‘Bani Mami’. Feeling highly amused, Jai got up, taking off the heavy floral garland from his neck and putting it aside, commented, 'Over? Can we go home? It was like sitting inside a Furnace! Bloody Hot!'
'JAI!' came Massi, Karuna, Tarun, Ranveer, Sneha, Jigyasa, Aditya and Bani's protesting voice, even as Jai lifted his hands in peace and made a face to signify that he was sorry for using a cuss word in a place of worship. No one could avoid laughing at his action. Trust Jai to always lighten any situation with his trademark wit and one-liners.
He put his hand across Bani and said, 'So now you are officially my wife? Wow...this sounds good! When we get home, I will hand you a list of wifely duties that I expect you to do from the moment we land home! Okay?'
Bani who was still weeping and in the process of hugging Rano, Pooja, Pia and the others, turned to look at him and said, 'Wifely duties?'
Jai who had already wiped off his red tikka, despite Massi's many protests and shouts, pushed his damp hair back and nodding his head said, 'Yes...in fact, I have made it very professional and formal...so that way, there would be no disputes in the future.'
Blinking her eyes, Bani asked him, 'What are you talking about?'
'Babes...Agreement! A marriage contract!'
Looking highly offended as well as hurt, Bani yelped back, 'Marriage contract? What on earth is that? Listen Jai, if you want me to sign a pre-nuptial...'
'Hang on...hang on...who said anything about a Pre-nuptial agreement? In any case, that is done before the nuptials happen! This is something else! Come home and we will spend our wedding night going through it line by line...word by word...'
She stared back at him, confused, wondering what on earth was he talking about. And of all the people in the world, Jai wanted to spend his wedding night going through some strange sounding wedding related document?
Jai winked at her and then whispered into her ears, 'Of course, I am joking...the marriage contract can wait...tonight is time for strip-tease...'
'JAI!' exclaimed Bani in shock and added in an annoyed voice, 'it’s a temple, for god sake! And we have been married for less than ten minutes, you already talking like this?'
‘Oh Babes…get used to it! I will always be talking in this manner…so practice your world-weary expression instead of looking like the earth has parted into two!’
Bani could not help but laugh, Jai was simply too much.
‘So Mr. Walia, how does it feel?’ she asked with twinkling eyes.
‘Really, really hot! It must be at least a 100 degrees today!’ he came back, fanning himself.
‘Jai! I was not talking about the weather…I was asking…how it feels…you know…to be married.’ Said Bani, blushing a bit and lowering her eyes.
He did not reply instantly, instead slipped his arms around her waist and answered back, light-hearted yet dead sincere, ‘like a million bucks, Mrs. W! Like a million bucks!’
She flushed with pleasure and laughed softly, as Rano and Pooja came bouncing along, demanding their share of money from Jai for having hidden his footwear.
‘Hey, you two! That is my really expensive, custom-made leather piper sandals…I am going to sue both of you if you lose it!’ countered Jai, evoking a spate of giggles from both Rano and Pooja.
‘Whatever it is…till you give us money, you are not going to get them back…’ said Rano, putting her hand over her hip and whistling a tune.
‘Oh! God! Okay…take this!’ said Jai, handing them his American Express Credit Card.
‘What is this Jeeju?’
‘A credit card, for goodness sake! What else does it look like?’
‘But…No…No…we need cash only!’ insisted Pooja, handing him back his Credit card even as Bani stood there, smiling at the banter between the three of them.
‘I don’t carry cash…how much do you need? 5 Bucks?’
Rano and Pooja looked highly offended and said, ‘5 Bucks? What are we? 2 year olds? And anyway what comes in 5 Bucks…we were thinking more in the line of adding a couple of zeroes to the 5 Bucks…’
’50?’
‘Jeeju!’
‘500?’
‘Keep going…’
‘5000?’
‘Excellent progress…and if your footwear was the ordinary kinds that we people wear, we would have stopped here itself…but since they are custom made Italian piper sandals…I think you should keep upping the stakes…’ came back Rano as she and Pooja burst out laughing at the look on Jai’s face!
‘My God…totally ripping me now! Okay…last offer…50 grand!’
Rano and Pooja, who were clearly joking till now, looked shocked out of their lives and muttered, ’Fifty thousand? No…No…Jeeju…we were just joking…’
Jai gave them a rather sweet smile and putting his hand in his pocket took out a 5 rupees note that Nachiket had handed over to him surreptitiously, after having seen the scene in progress and gave it to Pooja and Rano.
‘Okay…so if you were just joking, then here is 5 bucks! This should not hurt your sensibilities…and believe it or not, you can buy something out of this…like that diarrhoea inducing orange candy that is being sold outside the temple gates…or even a glass of plain water from the dirty looking vendor outside that will surely give you an attack of jaundice or typhoid. Take your pick and spend the 5 rupees wisely!’
Patting both the girls affectionately on their cheeks, Jai said to them before leaving, ‘no matter how smart you are, my dear sis-in-law’s, don’t forget that I will always be a step ahead of you!’
Whistling a tune, he walked away to join Ranveer and the other men and start back for the Farmhouse, as Rano and Pooja stood dumbstruck, while Nachiket, Pushkar and Saurabh went hysterical with laughter.
20b
“The best
foundation for relationships to grow, flourish, and succeed is a deep-rooted
friendship.”
― Jonathan Anthony Burkett, Friends 2 Lovers: The Unthinkable
Part 20 (b)
Farmhouse
The marriage party returned home and as soon as Karuna had done the welcoming Aarti for the new bride....or Grihpravesh, Jai strode inside and screamed the house down for Abdul to bring him a barrel full of cold beer.
'Hey Bhagwaan! This boy! Jai...you cannot drink all this stuff today...you have just got married!' scolded Massi, even as Bani looked quite worried wondering what the Singh's would feel about Jai, behaving in such a manner. But then cheerfully waved off her concerns, knowing that Jai was most unlikely to modify his behaviour for anyone and she sort of found it comical that he was so oblivious to any social customs and norms.
'That's okay, Massi...I will offer one drink to Bani too! I believe in equality of men and women!' came back Jai, making all the youngsters laugh out loud.
Bani stared at him and before Jai could grab a bottle from the tray that Abdul had wheeled into the room, she said, 'if you really believe that we are equals, then listen to me and don't drink.'
Trapped by his own words, Jai sulked and plonked himself on the couch, while Nachiket, Ranveer, Tarun, Aditya, Saurabh and even Pushkar enjoyed their chilled beer, not able to resist grinning at Jai.
‘Shaadi ka ladoo, jo khaaye, woh pachtaaye…jo na khaye, woh bhi pachtaaye…’ teased Aditya, as the men laughed uproariously and pulled Jai’s legs on having listened to his wife and not have his drink.
He got up in a huff and stormed towards his room, telling everyone that he was desperate to get out of his rather uncomfortable silk clothes and into something more suitable for the April weather in Delhi.
Jai and Bani’s Bedroom
Jai was completely taken aback on seeing that the door of his bedroom was open and his wife was very much part of it, having opened his wardrobe and fiddling with something there.
Bani had tucked in the end of her heavy wedding sari around her waist and gave him a smile when he looked at her questioningly.
'Hello? What are you doing?' he asked, surprised by her presence, not quite registering the fact that they were both married now and this room was as much hers as it was his.
'Wifely duties, what else?' she countered, selecting his favourite faded blue jeans and then picking out a white linen shirt to go with it.
'Wifely duties?'
'Yesssssssss...and here is my first duty! Picking out your clothes...now go and take your 10th bath for the day and change into these clothes!' she said, giving him a playful smile.
Jai stared at her and said, 'Hmmm...I can see that someone here has suddenly developed a mouth...that talks...'
Bani stood on tiptoes and whispered into his ears, 'And bites too, if required!'
Jai looked faintly shocked at hearing what she had said, but only for a moment and then he threw his head back and laughed alongside her.
'I like this...I like this! My docile dove has turned into a she-wolf after marriage!' joked Jai, struggling to get out of his kurta and almost tearing it with his impatience, when Bani stopped him from moving around so much and gently eased it off his body.
'I don't get it why you are so impatient with everything!' she complained, as Jai walked towards the washroom.
'I am not impatient with everything, sweetheart...I am always game for a long, leisurely, luxury bath...especially if my wife is willing to join me in my bath tab!' he winked and then looked rather serious!
'Jai, you are not serious!' said Bani, looking quite taken aback by his suggestion.
'I am, beautiful! I call it the LOVE TUB....' he winked back and getting a rather funny and lewd expression.
'Ha! Ha! Very funny! But no thank you! I have work downstairs...should I send our tea here or will you come down?' she asked, brisk and efficient as always.
'I will come down...and Tea? I wanted to have Beer!' whined Jai, pouting like a small kid.
'You can't have it. You have had enough to drink in the last two days...and now NO MORE. So it’s a choice between your favourite Ginger Tea or a glass of plain water! Take your pick!'
Looking belligerent, Jai asked her, 'and what if I INSIST on having Beer only?'
Giving him a sweet smile, Bani replied, 'then you can simply forget about doing anything with me on our wedding night...or for that matter the next few nights! Keep waddling like a lonely duck in your “LOVE TUB” all on your own!'
Looking shocked out of his wits, Jai exclaimed, 'My god! What a shrew I have ended up marrying!'
'Too late for complaints!' she countered back, once again standing on tiptoes and planting a kiss, smiling affectionately at him!
As Bani went out of the room, she heard him call out for her, 'this isn't quite over, Mrs. W...remember, in the end, I ALWAYS win!'
'Prove it!' she shouted back, laughing and closing the door behind her.
Dinner
Bani had changed into another sari, a far more comfortable one and was working in the kitchen, preparing dinner with Karuna and Lalita, though everyone had insisted on Bani taking it easy today, since she had just got married, but she told everyone that she felt very much at home, cooking and doing some work, rather than just sitting around.
When dinner came to table, Jai looked at it and complained, 'What? Foie Gras and Truffle Mousse in Chote's wedding dinner and Ghiya ki sabzi in mine?'
Everyone burst out laughing vociferously and Bani said to him in an apologetic voice, 'I am sorry...there weren't many vegetables lying around...so just used up whatever there was.'
Jai sulked and dug into the somewhat unassuming vegetarian meal and with the very first morsel he gulped down, looked up at Bani and gave her a tiny smile. She was looking very remorseful about the fact that Jai was disappointed with what she had cooked for dinner, but after he gave a nod of his head and tucked into the food with relish, she felt relieved.
While serving him another chappati, she spoke in a hushed tone to him, 'Promise...will cook whatever you want for dinner tomorrow...and any dessert too!'
'Just do the dinner...Dessert I will have in our bedroom!' he came back with a wink, making her almost drop the ladle full of dal on Ranveer’s lap, who was sitting right next to Jai.
'JAI!' she exclaimed and then instantly blushed beetroot and clammed up when the others, who were involved in a lively chat, stopped stalking and stared at her.
'Nothing...Nothing...just the usual husband-wife talks...you guys keep eating!' said Jai, making all of them grin and Bani flush some more.
'I thought this kind of talk was only limited to before our marriage!' she complained to him in a low voice, while insisting that he have some more of the yellow dal that was his favourite, while preaching to him on the health benefits of having protein intake, drawing some acidic comments from Jai as always.
'You are wrong...this is going to be a regular occurrence! I happen to super-specialize in dirty talk!' quipped Jai, licking his fingers and asking for some more of the long gourd curry, that he had just made a face for!
Bani had a hard time supressing her laughter and they kept looking at one another with smiles and grins throughout the rest of the dinner.
As soon as everyone finished dinner, Bani served them all with Rice Kheer and Jai instantly exclaimed, ‘Oh! I love it! My Bani makes the BEST Kheer in the world!’
Bani blushed and went crimson in her face, when everyone else chimed in teasingly, ‘Ooooh…My Bani makes the best Kheer in the world! Kya baat hain!’
Jai also realized his faux pas, but simply shrugged his head and said proudly, ‘fact is a fact! Sneha burns her Halwa and MY wife cooks every dish perfectly, every time!’
‘Hey!’ shouted both Ranveer and Sneha and then burst out laughing, especially when Bani, looking horrified at what Jai had said, instantly apologized to both Ranveer and Sneha on behalf of Jai.
‘Bani…you still have to get used to your husband’s sense of humour, isn’t it?’ teased Sneha, assuring Bani that she indeed was a terrible cook and this was not the first time that Jai had made fun of her cooking skills and she was pretty okay with it!
The Kheer was definitely a winner and Massi told Jai, ‘This is Bani’s first meal as the daughter-in-law of this house…you have to give her something.’
Jai was licking his bowl with relish, after having been refused a fourth serving by Bani, who told him that he would end up with an upset stomach if he kept having so much sweet in one go, said, ‘what would she want now? She has already hit a jackpot by marrying me!’
Everyone laughed and Nachiket commented to Bani, ‘Dekha Bhabhi! He thinks you have hit a jackpot by marrying him…no you will not only have to keep feeding my brother your delicious meals, but also keep massaging his ego regularly.’
‘Chup oye!’ snapped Jai in a playful manner and then looking at his watch said, ‘aren’t you guys getting late?’
Everyone realized that Nachiket and Purva had to go to the Airport and finally got up from the dining table.
Jai looked at Massi and said, ‘Don’t worry…I am not a traditional person…but I can follow traditions if and when required. I will give something to Bani…’
‘Hai! Potlu! What? A diamond necklace?’ asked Karuna with enthusiastic curiosity.
‘Wow! Jeeju! A Car?’ asked Rano, even though she got chided by Lalita for speaking out like this.
‘Let me guess…a special edition Cartier watch!’ said Sneha.
‘Hmm…or maybe a rare, first edition book that is her favourite!’ suggested Purva.
Jai simply nodded his head and said, ‘Wrong…Wrong…Wrong…’
Bani who had just got the Aarti Ki Thaali for sending off Nachiket and Purva said to him, ‘Jai…please. I don’t need anything.’ And then giving him a smile, added, ‘Now I have everything that I need.’
He did not respond, instead told her, ‘I will be back in a minute.’ And saying that, rushed out of the living room, even though Bani kept asking him where he was off.
A While Later
Everyone had made small groups and were busy chatting with each other, when Jai made an un-obstructive entry and called Bani to a side.
‘Where did you go? Chote…I mean, Nachiket and Purva are set to leave right now. I was waiting for you to do the Aarti.’
‘Here.’ He said simply, handing her a brown envelope, as she took it slowly in her hands and looking up at him, asked, ‘what is it?’
Giving a frustrated sigh, Jai said, ‘God! If there is anything that irritates me the most, it is the this question! Arre…just open the damn thing and see for yourself!’
‘Okay…okay…calm down.’ Soothed Bani and set about opening the envelope.
It was a bunch of very old, almost yellowish paper, which looked like a stamp paper. At first Bani could not understand anything and was about to ask Jai what they were, but then she read the first few lines and stood stunned where she was.
Jai was staring at her constantly and keeping his hand tenderly on her shoulder, said to her, ‘I hope you like your husband’s first gift to you after our wedding, Bani.’
Tears rolled down her eyes, as they fell on the paper she was holding and Bani bit her lips, as she burst out crying and fell on Jai’s chest.
Everyone looked around at them, wondering what had happened all of a sudden. Pia who was about to take leave came rushing and asked Bani, ‘what happened didi? Why are you crying?’
Bani had calmed down a bit and wiping her tears, simply handed the papers in Pia’s hands and spoke in a low voice, ‘your jeejaji’s gift to me, Piu.’
Pia looked astonished and then as she slowly went through the papers, her eyes too misted and she cried, more out of joy than any grief.
‘Arre…what is happening? Koi hame bhi toh batao? ‘ asked Karuna.
Bani who was holding Jai’s hands looked at them and with a watery smile, said, ‘it’s the original documents for our house…in Mukteshwar…’
Pia wiped her tears and asked Jai, ‘But how did you…’
Jai simply shrugged his head and said, ‘Simple. I offered twice the market price of the house to the current owners…’
Still in shock, Bani said to him, ‘and they sold it to you?’
‘Er…not that easily. I had to use Bacchu Yadav’s threat also…but once that happened; yes…they did sell it to me, very happily, if I might add!’
Bani did not know whether to laugh or scold him, instead she simply hugged him, and paying no attention to the fact the Singh Family and Jai’s aunt were present. She was simply overwhelmed with what Jai had done for her, by buying back the house, which had to be sold by Bani for giving money to Pia, when she needed it.
‘I hope you liked it.’ Asked Jai.
‘Oh! Jai!’ said Bani, again tearing up and he instantly said, ‘it’s okay…a simple thanks would also work perfectly. You don’t have to turn on the National Irrigation Network every time I give you something!’
Bani’s tears stopped instantly as she laughingly hit him on his arms and when she made sure that there was no one in earshot, whispered mischievously into his ears, ‘your lovely gesture has ensured that your “Love Tub” will finally see some action tonight.’
‘WHAT?’ exclaimed Jai in shock and then throwing his head back, laughed wildly as she blushed and walked away, and touched to her heart by what Jai had given her.
Post Dinner
After dinner, Massi told Bani to get the Aarti ki Thaali for Nachiket and Purva and do the pooja before they were set to leave for their week-long honeymoon in the Fiji Islands and after that they were set to fly down to the US.
Bani did the Aarti and wished them both a very happy and successful journey. All the others teased Purva about her impending honeymoon, but unlike Bani, she was most chilled out and in fact joked back with everyone, much to Massi and Karuna's little annoyance who simply couldn't digest the new bride's open ways, in comparison to Bani, who was just as comfortable in her married home yet sedate and comely, as was required of her.
Jai insisted on driving Nachiket and Purva to the Airport, even though Bani was terrified of what the hour long drive, one way, would do to his back. But she could not say anything at the moment, in fear of offending Jai or anyone else, who might have thought that she was already coming in the way of the two brothers. She just convinced Jai to not drive, instead take the driver and even she would accompany them to the Airport.
Indira Gandhi International Airport
Jai and Nachiket looked on with great amusement as Bani and Purva hugged for the nth time and emotionally bid goodbye, prompting Jai to comment, ‘I realize that going on a honeymoon with Chote would make any woman cry…but pray, why on earth are you getting so emotional, Dharampatniji?’
Purva burst out into fits of giggles, especially on seeing the expression on both Nachiket and Bani’s faces.
‘Very funny! Why do you keep pulling poor Nachiket’s legs?’ demanded Bani.
‘Yes. Yes. I finally have an advocate in this house against my brother’s tyranny! Thanks Bhabhi, I need this support!’ laughed Nachiket, handing over a cup of Coffee to all of them.
‘Dharampatniji, you are supposed to be my advocate and not my brother’s!’ warned Jai, smiling at Bani.
She gave a smile back and siding with Nachiket retorted back, ‘why would a top-class advocate like you need another advocate? I think, I prefer to be on Chote’s side!
Nachiket did a whoop and laughed along with Jai and Purva, as they waited in the newly refurbished International Terminal at the Airport.
‘Okay…guys, I think it’s time for you to go…god knows how long the Immigration line might be! Take care and if you have any problems, don’t hesitate to call either of us!’ said Jai, hugging Nachiket and then Purva.
‘Thanks Dada…for everything!’ said Nachiket becoming quite emotional for some reason, prompting Jai to comment, ‘there we go again! What is wrong with you? Purva, please buy a Testerone patch for your husband…he seems to be turning into a weeping willow these days!’
They all laughed again and Jai prodded Nachiket and Purva to leave soon, bidding them a happy and safe journey. When Jai and Bani had seen them disappearing through the Immigration counter, they held hands and walked outside of the Airport towards their Car.
Jai had slipped his arms across Bani’s waist and was cracking a joke, making her laugh continuously, when an acute spasm of pain shot across his back and he all but stumbled on the ground. Looking petrified, Bani exclaimed, ‘Jai! Are you okay?’ and frantically looked for Shera, Jai’s bodyguard to help her take Jai to the Car.
Shera came running by and held Jai along with Bani and they both took him to his spacious SUV and seated him behind.
‘Madam…should I tell the driver to take the Car to Reddy Sahib’s office?’ asked Shera, being well-versed with his boss’s life.
Bani had no clue and she was practically in tears, seeing Jai writhing in pain and shaking her head, said to him, ‘Let me call him first…’ Shera knew Dr. Reddy’s number and Bani called him up, quickly recounting Jai’s pain and seizures.
‘Don’t worry, Bani…he normally carries his painkillers with him…just let him have that…and then tell his driver to come down to my place. I will have a look at him.’ Assured Dr. Reddy, making Bani sigh with relief, even though tears were rolling down her cheeks.
She kept stroking Jai’s head as they drove down to Dr. Reddy’s residence, even though Jai tried to shout on her and on Shera and on his driver for having created a fuss and forcibily taking him to Dr. Reddy’s place.
‘What the fuck? Bani…I am okay…it’s normal for me to have this sort of seizures…Owwww…’ gasped Jai, not even able to complete his sentence, as he held his lower back and closed his eyes tight when the pain seared his body.
Bani had controlled her tears and was quiet and efficient, telling him in a calm manner, ‘you have no option right now, Jai. So be quiet and let Dr. Reddy check you. I am not going to take you back home in this condition without a doctor seeing you first.’
Jai sulked, as he was led, pretty much hauled, by Shera and Bani inside Dr. Reddy’s modest two-story house in Gulmohar Park.
By the time, Dr. Reddy gave Jai a couple of injections and medication, he was no longer in the state to offer any protests or shout on either his doctor or his wife.
Dr. Reddy's Residence
Jai was resting on the couch for a couple of minutes before travelling back, since he had just taken the injection and couldn’t even get up from his place.
Seeing Bani valiantly trying to fight her tears back, Dr. Reddy came to her with a glass of water and said, ‘firstly, congratulations on the wedding. Secondly, please don’t look upset…your husband in fine now. And thirdly, have some water…that’s all I can offer. My cook has left for the day and I can’t make a decent cup of tea.’
Bani smiled a bit, despite her panic-struck mood and thanked him.
‘Please! It’s my duty. He is my patient, Bani. And you don’t have to be unduly worried…it’s because of the additional amount of physical stress that he has been undergoing for the last few days…just let him take good rest for a day or two and he will be fine.’ Assured Dr. Reddy.
Gratified by Dr. Reddy’s kindness and the fact that Bani saw him as her husband’s saviour, she spoke emotionally, ‘I don’t think I will ever have the correct words to thank you properly, Dr. Reddy.’
‘Please call me Karthik.’ He smiled, making her blush a bit and added, ‘as I said, its my duty. I am not doing anything out of the ordinary, Bani.’
Jai who had come out of the effect of the tranquilizer, gave a beady look at the two of them and spoke in a suspicious tone, ‘one minute! What the hell is happening? Karthik? Bani? Here, I am very much present in the room and you, Reddy…that is MY wife, by the way!’
At first shocked by his sudden appearance and then blushing furiously, Bani looked at Jai and spoke in a pleading tone, ‘Jai, please! I was just speaking to Karthikji…’
‘Don’t you dare call him by his first name, okay! And you…she is MRS. WALIA, for the world, okay?’
Bani looked mortified by the way Jai was speaking to poor Dr. Reddy and tried to intervene, but Dr. Reddy rubbed his hands and spoke in his heavily accented hindi, ‘Aisa hai, Jai…once you are under my medication…you will have no power over what I call your wife or what she calls me…so no need to expend so much energy on something you have no control over!’
Bani gasped, though realizing that Dr. Reddy was just teasing back Jai and instantly tried to stop Jai from saying anything rude to his doctor, for whom she had taken a great liking and respect.
‘You…You…Bani…stay away from him, okay. I am so going to find a new Oncologist first thing tomorrow morning…one who doesn’t hit upon his patient’s wives!’
‘JAI!’ exclaimed Bani, even as both Jai and Dr. Reddy laughed and shook hands.
‘So even though you never invited me to your wedding, nevertheless, many congratulations. You have a one in a million woman, Jai. Keep her safely.’ Said Dr. Reddy with warmth.
‘Thank you, so much! And even though you have never offered me to call you by your first name, I will still invite you over for a dinner this coming weekend…my wife is the best cook in the whole world. You ought to taste her food.’
Dr. Reddy smiled and answered, ‘I am honoured. I will surely be there…and please don’t stress yourself anymore…not for at least another week. Rest as much as possible and don’t move around too much physically.’
‘I have just been married…what you mean by not move around too much physically?’ asked Jai in a doubtful voice, making Bani blush crimson and look some other place.
Dr. Reddy too got a little ruddy in his face, but getting his professional decorum back, answered back in a square and simple manner, ‘what I mean, in plain, ordinary English is that S-E-X is off the table for you…at least for 2 to 3 days.’
‘You must be kidding me…2 to 3 days…when I can’t….’ shouted Jai with a look of total shock on his face.
‘Jai! Let’s go…everyone must be wondering how come we are so late…and thank you so much, Dr. Reddy….I mean, Karthikji…’ mumbled Bani, now the colour of tomatoes and literally begging Jai to stop arguing with Dr. Reddy on why he couldn’t sleep with his wife for the next two days.
Jai kept grumbling all through the way to the Farmhouse, intermittently accusing Bani of flirting with his Oncologist and then complaining about his back and warning Bani that he was not staying away from anything for any amount of time.
As always she calmly tackled his volley of pointless mutterings and comments with a smile and an occasional peck on his cheeks.
Everyone else was already asleep by the time, the two newly-marrieds returned home and Bani took Jai straight to their room, insisting that he ought to get to bed as soon as possible and take rest, as advised by his doctor.
Jai and Bani's Bedroom
Since he was already under the effect of medication, Jai wasn’t feeling sleepy at all and insisted on lying awake, tossing and turning, making Bani realize that the only way to get him to take some rest would be to engage him in a conversation.
Bani tied her hair into a casual bun and taking a seat besides Jai on his bed, asked him, 'yes, dear husband...tell me what was this marriage contract you were talking about?'
'Now? Today is our wedding night, sweetie...' said Jai, and then instantly winced as his back pained again.
Bani looked very worried and caressing his head, spoke to him gently, 'Jai...please! You are obviously in pain...and you have just taken your painkillers...you need rest.'
'I know...but it’s our wedding night...'
'Wedding night? What is so special about today? We already, in your own words, 'DID IT' fifty times by now! Can't you wait for a day or two, till you feel better?' she scolded him, albeit indulgently and ushered him to lie down with his head on her lap, sideways, as not to hurt his back anymore.
'We have not done fifty times! Don't exaggerate!' shot back Jai, making her laugh.
'Whatever! I wasn't counting anyway...what I am trying to say is that, it’s not necessary to...you know...do certain things in a wedding night...couples can talk too!'
'Wow...give a man a choice between making passionate love with new bride or “talking” with her, guess what any sane, hot-blooded, passionate, straight male would choose?' jibed Jai sarcastically.
Bani giggled and replied back teasingly, ‘The doubtfully sane, undoubtedly hot-blooded, passionate and very much straight male is very, very tired, overworked and fatigued today…and his wife wants him to take rest and recover, so as to ensure that every night they don’t spend talking to each other and do other interesting things too!’
Jai stared back at her speechlessly, making her laugh and then blush, and he commented slowly, ‘Hmmm…I hope with this new found boldness of speech, you have decided to become bold in actual matters too…I will see it in person, when we put to use our “Love Tub” tomorrow morning.’
Bani laughed and laughed and taking out some oil from a bottle, rubbed it between her palms and then very gently applied it to Jai’s head, massaging it slowly.
A While Later
‘So, tell me something about yourself!’ asked Bani, as she finished rubbing the oil into Jai’s head, almost making him sleep with the soothing effect of her massage.
‘What is there that you don’t know about me, honey-pot?’ asked Jai, adding, ‘I am a brilliant, super-successful lawyer, with pot loads of money, Greek-god looks and now the best wife in the whole world. Lucky Bastard that I am!’
‘Jai! How many times do I have to tell you to stop using such words? Do you know, little Varalika was saying ‘bloody’ ‘bloody’ so many times today! Guess where she learnt it from?’
Jai grinned and said, ‘Wow…now I have started educating kids too! Will my talent and general goodness never see an end?’
Bani laughed on his answer and said, ‘Very funny! And I know what a super-star you are! Don’t worry about that! Even if I want; you will never let me forget it! What I was asking you about was your childhood…your parents…your…you know…the women in your life.’
Jai raised his eyebrows and said, ‘women in my life? Oh…Babes…that would take much more than just one night…and are you sure? Some of the things that I have done with women…I am not sure if they are decent enough to be even heard by you!’
She pinched him on his hands and said, ‘there is no need to get into details. I have NO interest in knowing what you have done with other women…just talk to me! Tell me about Ma and Papa…is that what you called them?’ she asked softly.
Jai smiled and making himself utterly comfortable with his head on her lap, said, ‘Dad and Mom! Pretty much anglicised we were as a family! My father was the younger son of my grand-father, who came with his wife and two young sons, after partition. He used to be a grains merchant in Lahore, when partition happened and they moved to Delhi. My dad was just a kid…I think 8 or 10 year old!’
Sounding very surprised, Bani asked him, ‘you have a Tauji also? Then how come he did not come for the wedding.’ And then realized that he may have also died by now and was about to apologize, when he replied, ‘No…No…Tauji is very much hanging around, though his one leg has been in the grave for god knows how many years now!’
Bani looked scandalized at the way Jai was speaking about his father’s older brother, but then also realized that Jai always spoke about everyone in this manner and it did not really mean any disrespect.
‘He is very old…Ninety plus now. And quite Gaga. Doesn’t remember anyone. I do go to visit him from time to time…and he keeps referring to me as Munna…that was my Dad’s pet-name! He is quite a character, Tauji!’
‘We should go to see him, Jai.’ Said Bani, sounding really serious, as if she was ready to pack her bags and leave to see Jai’s Tauji any moment.
‘I am not going to Amritsar! Please! And as I said, he doesn’t recollect anyone…now will you keep interrupting me or should I tell you something more about my family?’ asked Jai in an annoyed voice.
‘Sorry…Sorry…tell me.’
‘Hmmm…btw, Tauji did not marry. God knows why! Though Dad used to say he was in love with a Muslim girl…who stayed back in Pakistan when he had to come to India…Chote always found this very romantic, though I think it was plain silly. He should have just kidnapped the chick and got her here…or simply stayed back in Pakistan, instead of spending his entire life alone!’
‘Who looks after him in Amristar?’
‘One of my Dad’s cousin’s family is there…I send them money for his upkeep etc. He is quite comfortable there and believe it or not, I do visit him from time to time, though I have to hide from Karuna and Massi whenever I am in Amritsar!’
Bani laughed on what he had said and kissing him on his forehead said to him, ‘I always knew that you were just like a Coconut…all hard and rough from outside and all soft and gooey from inside.’
‘Oh…Babes…you have no idea what all I am inside…’ murmured Jai, fiddling with Bani’s sari pallu, till his back hurt again and he shuddered.
‘Jai! Please! Don’t try anything tonight…just take rest. And keep talking…that is the only way to keep your mind and hands from wandering.’ Scolded Bani, albeit indulgently.
Having rubbed his back gently, Bani asked him, ‘tell me how did Ma and Papa…no, I mean, Mom and Dad meet? Arranged marriage, right?’
‘Yes…sort of. They were both neighbours in Amritsar…grew up together etc…my mom’s family was Arya Samaji…hence she was quite educated and pretty modern for her times…wait…have I shown you my parent’s pictures?’
Bani shook her head and replied, ‘No…in fact, I was wondering why there isn’t a single picture of them. And where is the temple? I need to do the Pooja tomorrow.’
‘What temple?’
‘Jai! The mandir that we have in homes!’
‘Oh! That! It’s locked up…you saw that small closet type place downstairs…below the stairs? That is the mandir or whatever!’
‘Why is it closed?’ asked Bani, in a surprised voice.
‘After Mom died, the house had three men who had no clue about these things…and Massi used to throw a huge fuss whenever she visited us, on how we don’t clean the temple regularly, how we don’t’ light a diya…blah, blah, blah…it was kind of operational till Dad was around, but after his death, I just got all the idols inside packed and closed the temple permanently.’
Looking at the expression of shockwave and anguish on Bani’s face, Jai quickly assured her, ‘Sweetie….no need to look so horrified. You are more than welcome to open it tomorrow…and keep it opened forever, if you wish.’ And then added quickly, ‘I can bet you will be singing Main Tulsi Tere Aangan Ki from tomorrow morning, like they show in Hindi movies…you know with the sari pallu over your head and an expression of deep virtue on your face!’
Bani who was still looking very affected by the fact that Jai had shut the family temple, looked at him and burst out in a fit of giggles, pulling his cheeks.
‘Jai! You are just too much! And can I ask how you know so much about Hindi movies? You don’t seem to be the type who watches such films!’
‘Oh…long story…I will cut it short for you! I used to date a Bollywood actress…amongst many other naughty things she taught me, she also made me well-versed in Hindi films!’
Getting an insecure and uncharacteristically resentful look, Bani said, ‘A Bollywood actress?’ and then when curiosity got the better of her, she asked him, ‘who is she?’
Jai whispered back her name into Bani’s ears and she looked suitably shocked and impressed and then very diffident.
‘Wow…really? But she is so beautiful…’ mumbled Bani, recollecting that particular actress last film she had seen in Bangalore with Rano.
‘Oh! That! Sab fake hai! Got a boob job in Bangkok…nose job in London…tummy tuck in LA and teeth in Vancouver. Trust me, without all that make-up and out of her fashionable clothes, she looks worse than your Dulari Chachi back in Mukteshwar!’
‘Jai!’ exclaimed Bani, chuckling and then said, ‘you are only saying to make me feel good, right? I know she is very beautiful.’
‘As I said before, you have absolutely NIL need to feel any insecurity regarding me and any of my previous girlfriends! And believe me…all that you have is real and nothing has been artificially enhanced in a foreign destination…I like it that way…in fact, why don’t we…Ouch!’
‘There you go again! Keep lying where you are, else you have had it from me!’ she said, locking his hands in hers and urging him to tell her more about his past.
‘Okay…so now we know where you got your taste in Hindi films from! But tell me more about your parents? How I wish I could have met them.’ said Bani sounding genuinely sad.
‘My Dad was a Hitler…very strict with us…mostly with me, Chote was his pet! Mom was cool…very sweet, quiet…hardly had the guts to speak against Dad!’
Bani looked surprised on hearing the descriptions of her in-laws from Jai, as he continued speaking, ‘Dad was loving and all…but he had really, really high standards…especially from me, since I was the first born. And though Mom kept telling me how much he loved me, somehow I never got to see that love from him. Ever.’
Jai was quiet and so was Bani, suddenly seeing a whole new facet of her husband, when he revealed his past.
‘My father was a very successful and immensely respected barrister…in fact, if not for his untimely death, he would have become the next CJI…Chief Justice of India…he was a leading criminal lawyer…but for the prosecution!’ and then giving a smile at Bani, added, ‘that is why when he forced me to take up law as my career, I complied to him…since at that time I had no choice…but gave it back to him, when I chose to become a Defence Lawyer, instead of working for the Government. Oh! Boy! Was there a showdown in the house that day?’
Saying that Jai started laughing, but Bani sensed the pain and anguish behind his laugh and realized that she had never known how strained Jai and his father’s relationship had been. Was that the reason, why Jai had never spoken about his parents till date.
‘Then?’ she asked him quietly.
‘Then what? We used to have fights everyday…arguments, shouting matches, etc. etc…Mom used to play referee but honestly speaking, ours was always a family of men…somehow a woman’s opinion was just not heard. At that time, I used to think of Mom as a fine but ultimately spineless wife, who could not stand up for her son against her dictatorial husband and I am sure that Dad must have thought of her as a pathetic mother, who could not support her husband against her spoilt and arrogant son. Poor Ma…now when I think about her, I feel how difficult it must be for her to make choices…’
Jai was quiet for a long time, as Bani stroked his head and asked him tenderly, ‘you miss her, don’t you?’
He took some time to answer and when he did, his voice held the sort of pathos and vulnerability that she had never seen in him before, ‘Yes…I do. A lot.’
Linking his fingers with Bani’s, he looked at her and said, ‘you will surely laugh when I say this…but somewhere…in all the dozens and dozens of women I dated…I found different qualities in every one of them…almost all of them were beautiful, some of them were intelligent, some had a great sense of humour, a few of them had a good nature…but you were the only one who reminded me of Mom in some way…’
Bani did not laugh as he had predicted but smiled tenderly instead and said, ‘Really?’
‘Only in character, sweetheart…in NO other way, do I see my mother in you, for goodness sake! Don’t creep me out, please! You are my wife; I have to do unmentionable things with you for the rest of my life…YOU DO NOT REMIND ME OF MY MOM AT ALL!’
They both burst out chuckling and Bani remarked, ‘you can never be serious for a long stretch of time, Jai. Isn’t it?’
‘Yup…that is what Alencka used to say!’ said Jai, sighing dramatically and closing his eyes, as if he had just had a beautiful thought.
‘Alencka? Who is he?’
‘Not he…she, you silly girl! And who is she? Alencka was my girlfriend…she was Czechoslovakian!’
Ignoring the fact that Jai was talking about yet another girlfriend of his, Bani said to him in a surprised and amused voice, ‘where on earth did you find a Czech woman?’
‘Oh! Once again long story…but I will cut it short for you…she was actually my first client!’
Looking shocked, Bani exclaimed, ‘Client? You mean, she was a criminal! Oh! She must have been falsely accused, isn’t it? And you saved her like a gallant knight?’
Jai could only stare back at her in open contempt and amusement, ‘Bani…you sure have a very high opinion about me and the world in general, isn’t it? No, I was no gallant knight and she was an expert criminal through and through!’
‘What?’
‘Yup…she had come to India with her then boyfriend on a back-packer trip and was arrested when she tried to smuggle drugs out of India at the Immigration authority!’
‘My God! Drugs? Then?’ asked Bani, feeling pretty disappointed that her super-mighty lawyer husband had not one single innocent person as a client, all of them were certified criminals.
‘Hmmm…someone from the authorities got in touch with me and asked me if I would like to take up her case…her boyfriend had decamped back to Czech or whichever blasted middle European country he came from!’
‘Then? You took up her case?’
‘Well, I wasn’t really interested in such petty cases, cause I had already got some great offers in hand from leading law firms…but I went to meet this chick anyway! And boy, was she hot or what! So I took up her case!’
Looking pretty upset and annoyed, Bani said to him, ‘So you took up a drug peddler’s case because she looked hot?’
‘Yes! That was a good enough reason!’ said Jai, ignoring Bani’s sarcasm and looking very pleased with himself.
‘Oh! God! And then what happened? Were you able to get that drug peddler out of jail?’ asked Bani, crossing her arms and fuming.
‘Of course! What do you think? But then, poor Alencka had no money to pay me!’
‘So you took up her case for free? Wow…that was kind of you…I mean, your kindness was misplaced…but still…’ said Bani, trying to find something noble in her ignoble husband.
‘No babes…nothing comes for free. That is how our short-lived affair started…Over some Marijuana and a rickety bed in her YMCA Hostel.’
‘What? What do you mean?’
‘Nothing much…she called me over to her hostel room to ‘thank me’ in person…and I went there…she offered me a joint of Marijuana and I accepted it…so when the drugs took over, I guess I forgot that she was my client and we slept together!’
Bani gasped and muttered in a shaken voice, ‘you slept with that Drug Peddler and you also took Drugs? MY GOD! JAI!’ and then added in a desperate voice, ‘I have married a man, who not only has love-affairs with criminals but also is a drug addict!’
‘Stop over-reacting! I just smoked some Pot…a couple of times! That doesn’t make me a drug-addict! And anyway, when Alencka left for Czech Republic, I no longer had access to Marijuana, so it stopped on its own. Pity…but then, what to do!’
Shaking her head and muttering something under her breath, Bani said, ‘Okay, I think I have had enough of hearing your life stories…if I heard anything more, I will simply run away back to Mukteshwar.’
Jai shook with laughter on hearing what Bani said and as she switched off the bed-side lamp and lied down beside him, he clasped her cheeks in his palms and said, ‘Babes, you are trapped for life by this lover of fake boobed Bollywood actress and drug peddlers…and he won’t let you escape, even if you try your best!’
Bani kept glaring at him, still in shock and upset at his revelations, but then she looked at his face and all her anger melted away.
‘Oh, Jai! What will I do with you?’ she exclaimed in frustration, laughing at the same time.
‘Lots of things…we will start with the “Love Tub” and then I have many other plans in place to keep you suitably busy and exhausted from daybreak to dusk.’
She kept laughing and kissed the tip of his nose, as he clasped her fingers and said, ‘you know…the very fact that I can speak with you so frankly about myself…without any reservations…prove that you are so much more than any of those woman could ever be to me…you are not just my lover and wife, you are also my best friend and confidante…and that is why I am telling you, that you have no reason to feel any insecurity…and you will never have one in future. I am sold to you for life, Dharampatniji!’
She kept looking at him in his eyes and coming closer to him, snuggled against him and putting her head on his chest, said, ‘I know that…’
― Jonathan Anthony Burkett, Friends 2 Lovers: The Unthinkable
Part 20 (b)
Farmhouse
The marriage party returned home and as soon as Karuna had done the welcoming Aarti for the new bride....or Grihpravesh, Jai strode inside and screamed the house down for Abdul to bring him a barrel full of cold beer.
'Hey Bhagwaan! This boy! Jai...you cannot drink all this stuff today...you have just got married!' scolded Massi, even as Bani looked quite worried wondering what the Singh's would feel about Jai, behaving in such a manner. But then cheerfully waved off her concerns, knowing that Jai was most unlikely to modify his behaviour for anyone and she sort of found it comical that he was so oblivious to any social customs and norms.
'That's okay, Massi...I will offer one drink to Bani too! I believe in equality of men and women!' came back Jai, making all the youngsters laugh out loud.
Bani stared at him and before Jai could grab a bottle from the tray that Abdul had wheeled into the room, she said, 'if you really believe that we are equals, then listen to me and don't drink.'
Trapped by his own words, Jai sulked and plonked himself on the couch, while Nachiket, Ranveer, Tarun, Aditya, Saurabh and even Pushkar enjoyed their chilled beer, not able to resist grinning at Jai.
‘Shaadi ka ladoo, jo khaaye, woh pachtaaye…jo na khaye, woh bhi pachtaaye…’ teased Aditya, as the men laughed uproariously and pulled Jai’s legs on having listened to his wife and not have his drink.
He got up in a huff and stormed towards his room, telling everyone that he was desperate to get out of his rather uncomfortable silk clothes and into something more suitable for the April weather in Delhi.
Jai and Bani’s Bedroom
Jai was completely taken aback on seeing that the door of his bedroom was open and his wife was very much part of it, having opened his wardrobe and fiddling with something there.
Bani had tucked in the end of her heavy wedding sari around her waist and gave him a smile when he looked at her questioningly.
'Hello? What are you doing?' he asked, surprised by her presence, not quite registering the fact that they were both married now and this room was as much hers as it was his.
'Wifely duties, what else?' she countered, selecting his favourite faded blue jeans and then picking out a white linen shirt to go with it.
'Wifely duties?'
'Yesssssssss...and here is my first duty! Picking out your clothes...now go and take your 10th bath for the day and change into these clothes!' she said, giving him a playful smile.
Jai stared at her and said, 'Hmmm...I can see that someone here has suddenly developed a mouth...that talks...'
Bani stood on tiptoes and whispered into his ears, 'And bites too, if required!'
Jai looked faintly shocked at hearing what she had said, but only for a moment and then he threw his head back and laughed alongside her.
'I like this...I like this! My docile dove has turned into a she-wolf after marriage!' joked Jai, struggling to get out of his kurta and almost tearing it with his impatience, when Bani stopped him from moving around so much and gently eased it off his body.
'I don't get it why you are so impatient with everything!' she complained, as Jai walked towards the washroom.
'I am not impatient with everything, sweetheart...I am always game for a long, leisurely, luxury bath...especially if my wife is willing to join me in my bath tab!' he winked and then looked rather serious!
'Jai, you are not serious!' said Bani, looking quite taken aback by his suggestion.
'I am, beautiful! I call it the LOVE TUB....' he winked back and getting a rather funny and lewd expression.
'Ha! Ha! Very funny! But no thank you! I have work downstairs...should I send our tea here or will you come down?' she asked, brisk and efficient as always.
'I will come down...and Tea? I wanted to have Beer!' whined Jai, pouting like a small kid.
'You can't have it. You have had enough to drink in the last two days...and now NO MORE. So it’s a choice between your favourite Ginger Tea or a glass of plain water! Take your pick!'
Looking belligerent, Jai asked her, 'and what if I INSIST on having Beer only?'
Giving him a sweet smile, Bani replied, 'then you can simply forget about doing anything with me on our wedding night...or for that matter the next few nights! Keep waddling like a lonely duck in your “LOVE TUB” all on your own!'
Looking shocked out of his wits, Jai exclaimed, 'My god! What a shrew I have ended up marrying!'
'Too late for complaints!' she countered back, once again standing on tiptoes and planting a kiss, smiling affectionately at him!
As Bani went out of the room, she heard him call out for her, 'this isn't quite over, Mrs. W...remember, in the end, I ALWAYS win!'
'Prove it!' she shouted back, laughing and closing the door behind her.
Dinner
Bani had changed into another sari, a far more comfortable one and was working in the kitchen, preparing dinner with Karuna and Lalita, though everyone had insisted on Bani taking it easy today, since she had just got married, but she told everyone that she felt very much at home, cooking and doing some work, rather than just sitting around.
When dinner came to table, Jai looked at it and complained, 'What? Foie Gras and Truffle Mousse in Chote's wedding dinner and Ghiya ki sabzi in mine?'
Everyone burst out laughing vociferously and Bani said to him in an apologetic voice, 'I am sorry...there weren't many vegetables lying around...so just used up whatever there was.'
Jai sulked and dug into the somewhat unassuming vegetarian meal and with the very first morsel he gulped down, looked up at Bani and gave her a tiny smile. She was looking very remorseful about the fact that Jai was disappointed with what she had cooked for dinner, but after he gave a nod of his head and tucked into the food with relish, she felt relieved.
While serving him another chappati, she spoke in a hushed tone to him, 'Promise...will cook whatever you want for dinner tomorrow...and any dessert too!'
'Just do the dinner...Dessert I will have in our bedroom!' he came back with a wink, making her almost drop the ladle full of dal on Ranveer’s lap, who was sitting right next to Jai.
'JAI!' she exclaimed and then instantly blushed beetroot and clammed up when the others, who were involved in a lively chat, stopped stalking and stared at her.
'Nothing...Nothing...just the usual husband-wife talks...you guys keep eating!' said Jai, making all of them grin and Bani flush some more.
'I thought this kind of talk was only limited to before our marriage!' she complained to him in a low voice, while insisting that he have some more of the yellow dal that was his favourite, while preaching to him on the health benefits of having protein intake, drawing some acidic comments from Jai as always.
'You are wrong...this is going to be a regular occurrence! I happen to super-specialize in dirty talk!' quipped Jai, licking his fingers and asking for some more of the long gourd curry, that he had just made a face for!
Bani had a hard time supressing her laughter and they kept looking at one another with smiles and grins throughout the rest of the dinner.
As soon as everyone finished dinner, Bani served them all with Rice Kheer and Jai instantly exclaimed, ‘Oh! I love it! My Bani makes the BEST Kheer in the world!’
Bani blushed and went crimson in her face, when everyone else chimed in teasingly, ‘Ooooh…My Bani makes the best Kheer in the world! Kya baat hain!’
Jai also realized his faux pas, but simply shrugged his head and said proudly, ‘fact is a fact! Sneha burns her Halwa and MY wife cooks every dish perfectly, every time!’
‘Hey!’ shouted both Ranveer and Sneha and then burst out laughing, especially when Bani, looking horrified at what Jai had said, instantly apologized to both Ranveer and Sneha on behalf of Jai.
‘Bani…you still have to get used to your husband’s sense of humour, isn’t it?’ teased Sneha, assuring Bani that she indeed was a terrible cook and this was not the first time that Jai had made fun of her cooking skills and she was pretty okay with it!
The Kheer was definitely a winner and Massi told Jai, ‘This is Bani’s first meal as the daughter-in-law of this house…you have to give her something.’
Jai was licking his bowl with relish, after having been refused a fourth serving by Bani, who told him that he would end up with an upset stomach if he kept having so much sweet in one go, said, ‘what would she want now? She has already hit a jackpot by marrying me!’
Everyone laughed and Nachiket commented to Bani, ‘Dekha Bhabhi! He thinks you have hit a jackpot by marrying him…no you will not only have to keep feeding my brother your delicious meals, but also keep massaging his ego regularly.’
‘Chup oye!’ snapped Jai in a playful manner and then looking at his watch said, ‘aren’t you guys getting late?’
Everyone realized that Nachiket and Purva had to go to the Airport and finally got up from the dining table.
Jai looked at Massi and said, ‘Don’t worry…I am not a traditional person…but I can follow traditions if and when required. I will give something to Bani…’
‘Hai! Potlu! What? A diamond necklace?’ asked Karuna with enthusiastic curiosity.
‘Wow! Jeeju! A Car?’ asked Rano, even though she got chided by Lalita for speaking out like this.
‘Let me guess…a special edition Cartier watch!’ said Sneha.
‘Hmm…or maybe a rare, first edition book that is her favourite!’ suggested Purva.
Jai simply nodded his head and said, ‘Wrong…Wrong…Wrong…’
Bani who had just got the Aarti Ki Thaali for sending off Nachiket and Purva said to him, ‘Jai…please. I don’t need anything.’ And then giving him a smile, added, ‘Now I have everything that I need.’
He did not respond, instead told her, ‘I will be back in a minute.’ And saying that, rushed out of the living room, even though Bani kept asking him where he was off.
A While Later
Everyone had made small groups and were busy chatting with each other, when Jai made an un-obstructive entry and called Bani to a side.
‘Where did you go? Chote…I mean, Nachiket and Purva are set to leave right now. I was waiting for you to do the Aarti.’
‘Here.’ He said simply, handing her a brown envelope, as she took it slowly in her hands and looking up at him, asked, ‘what is it?’
Giving a frustrated sigh, Jai said, ‘God! If there is anything that irritates me the most, it is the this question! Arre…just open the damn thing and see for yourself!’
‘Okay…okay…calm down.’ Soothed Bani and set about opening the envelope.
It was a bunch of very old, almost yellowish paper, which looked like a stamp paper. At first Bani could not understand anything and was about to ask Jai what they were, but then she read the first few lines and stood stunned where she was.
Jai was staring at her constantly and keeping his hand tenderly on her shoulder, said to her, ‘I hope you like your husband’s first gift to you after our wedding, Bani.’
Tears rolled down her eyes, as they fell on the paper she was holding and Bani bit her lips, as she burst out crying and fell on Jai’s chest.
Everyone looked around at them, wondering what had happened all of a sudden. Pia who was about to take leave came rushing and asked Bani, ‘what happened didi? Why are you crying?’
Bani had calmed down a bit and wiping her tears, simply handed the papers in Pia’s hands and spoke in a low voice, ‘your jeejaji’s gift to me, Piu.’
Pia looked astonished and then as she slowly went through the papers, her eyes too misted and she cried, more out of joy than any grief.
‘Arre…what is happening? Koi hame bhi toh batao? ‘ asked Karuna.
Bani who was holding Jai’s hands looked at them and with a watery smile, said, ‘it’s the original documents for our house…in Mukteshwar…’
Pia wiped her tears and asked Jai, ‘But how did you…’
Jai simply shrugged his head and said, ‘Simple. I offered twice the market price of the house to the current owners…’
Still in shock, Bani said to him, ‘and they sold it to you?’
‘Er…not that easily. I had to use Bacchu Yadav’s threat also…but once that happened; yes…they did sell it to me, very happily, if I might add!’
Bani did not know whether to laugh or scold him, instead she simply hugged him, and paying no attention to the fact the Singh Family and Jai’s aunt were present. She was simply overwhelmed with what Jai had done for her, by buying back the house, which had to be sold by Bani for giving money to Pia, when she needed it.
‘I hope you liked it.’ Asked Jai.
‘Oh! Jai!’ said Bani, again tearing up and he instantly said, ‘it’s okay…a simple thanks would also work perfectly. You don’t have to turn on the National Irrigation Network every time I give you something!’
Bani’s tears stopped instantly as she laughingly hit him on his arms and when she made sure that there was no one in earshot, whispered mischievously into his ears, ‘your lovely gesture has ensured that your “Love Tub” will finally see some action tonight.’
‘WHAT?’ exclaimed Jai in shock and then throwing his head back, laughed wildly as she blushed and walked away, and touched to her heart by what Jai had given her.
Post Dinner
After dinner, Massi told Bani to get the Aarti ki Thaali for Nachiket and Purva and do the pooja before they were set to leave for their week-long honeymoon in the Fiji Islands and after that they were set to fly down to the US.
Bani did the Aarti and wished them both a very happy and successful journey. All the others teased Purva about her impending honeymoon, but unlike Bani, she was most chilled out and in fact joked back with everyone, much to Massi and Karuna's little annoyance who simply couldn't digest the new bride's open ways, in comparison to Bani, who was just as comfortable in her married home yet sedate and comely, as was required of her.
Jai insisted on driving Nachiket and Purva to the Airport, even though Bani was terrified of what the hour long drive, one way, would do to his back. But she could not say anything at the moment, in fear of offending Jai or anyone else, who might have thought that she was already coming in the way of the two brothers. She just convinced Jai to not drive, instead take the driver and even she would accompany them to the Airport.
Indira Gandhi International Airport
Jai and Nachiket looked on with great amusement as Bani and Purva hugged for the nth time and emotionally bid goodbye, prompting Jai to comment, ‘I realize that going on a honeymoon with Chote would make any woman cry…but pray, why on earth are you getting so emotional, Dharampatniji?’
Purva burst out into fits of giggles, especially on seeing the expression on both Nachiket and Bani’s faces.
‘Very funny! Why do you keep pulling poor Nachiket’s legs?’ demanded Bani.
‘Yes. Yes. I finally have an advocate in this house against my brother’s tyranny! Thanks Bhabhi, I need this support!’ laughed Nachiket, handing over a cup of Coffee to all of them.
‘Dharampatniji, you are supposed to be my advocate and not my brother’s!’ warned Jai, smiling at Bani.
She gave a smile back and siding with Nachiket retorted back, ‘why would a top-class advocate like you need another advocate? I think, I prefer to be on Chote’s side!
Nachiket did a whoop and laughed along with Jai and Purva, as they waited in the newly refurbished International Terminal at the Airport.
‘Okay…guys, I think it’s time for you to go…god knows how long the Immigration line might be! Take care and if you have any problems, don’t hesitate to call either of us!’ said Jai, hugging Nachiket and then Purva.
‘Thanks Dada…for everything!’ said Nachiket becoming quite emotional for some reason, prompting Jai to comment, ‘there we go again! What is wrong with you? Purva, please buy a Testerone patch for your husband…he seems to be turning into a weeping willow these days!’
They all laughed again and Jai prodded Nachiket and Purva to leave soon, bidding them a happy and safe journey. When Jai and Bani had seen them disappearing through the Immigration counter, they held hands and walked outside of the Airport towards their Car.
Jai had slipped his arms across Bani’s waist and was cracking a joke, making her laugh continuously, when an acute spasm of pain shot across his back and he all but stumbled on the ground. Looking petrified, Bani exclaimed, ‘Jai! Are you okay?’ and frantically looked for Shera, Jai’s bodyguard to help her take Jai to the Car.
Shera came running by and held Jai along with Bani and they both took him to his spacious SUV and seated him behind.
‘Madam…should I tell the driver to take the Car to Reddy Sahib’s office?’ asked Shera, being well-versed with his boss’s life.
Bani had no clue and she was practically in tears, seeing Jai writhing in pain and shaking her head, said to him, ‘Let me call him first…’ Shera knew Dr. Reddy’s number and Bani called him up, quickly recounting Jai’s pain and seizures.
‘Don’t worry, Bani…he normally carries his painkillers with him…just let him have that…and then tell his driver to come down to my place. I will have a look at him.’ Assured Dr. Reddy, making Bani sigh with relief, even though tears were rolling down her cheeks.
She kept stroking Jai’s head as they drove down to Dr. Reddy’s residence, even though Jai tried to shout on her and on Shera and on his driver for having created a fuss and forcibily taking him to Dr. Reddy’s place.
‘What the fuck? Bani…I am okay…it’s normal for me to have this sort of seizures…Owwww…’ gasped Jai, not even able to complete his sentence, as he held his lower back and closed his eyes tight when the pain seared his body.
Bani had controlled her tears and was quiet and efficient, telling him in a calm manner, ‘you have no option right now, Jai. So be quiet and let Dr. Reddy check you. I am not going to take you back home in this condition without a doctor seeing you first.’
Jai sulked, as he was led, pretty much hauled, by Shera and Bani inside Dr. Reddy’s modest two-story house in Gulmohar Park.
By the time, Dr. Reddy gave Jai a couple of injections and medication, he was no longer in the state to offer any protests or shout on either his doctor or his wife.
Dr. Reddy's Residence
Jai was resting on the couch for a couple of minutes before travelling back, since he had just taken the injection and couldn’t even get up from his place.
Seeing Bani valiantly trying to fight her tears back, Dr. Reddy came to her with a glass of water and said, ‘firstly, congratulations on the wedding. Secondly, please don’t look upset…your husband in fine now. And thirdly, have some water…that’s all I can offer. My cook has left for the day and I can’t make a decent cup of tea.’
Bani smiled a bit, despite her panic-struck mood and thanked him.
‘Please! It’s my duty. He is my patient, Bani. And you don’t have to be unduly worried…it’s because of the additional amount of physical stress that he has been undergoing for the last few days…just let him take good rest for a day or two and he will be fine.’ Assured Dr. Reddy.
Gratified by Dr. Reddy’s kindness and the fact that Bani saw him as her husband’s saviour, she spoke emotionally, ‘I don’t think I will ever have the correct words to thank you properly, Dr. Reddy.’
‘Please call me Karthik.’ He smiled, making her blush a bit and added, ‘as I said, its my duty. I am not doing anything out of the ordinary, Bani.’
Jai who had come out of the effect of the tranquilizer, gave a beady look at the two of them and spoke in a suspicious tone, ‘one minute! What the hell is happening? Karthik? Bani? Here, I am very much present in the room and you, Reddy…that is MY wife, by the way!’
At first shocked by his sudden appearance and then blushing furiously, Bani looked at Jai and spoke in a pleading tone, ‘Jai, please! I was just speaking to Karthikji…’
‘Don’t you dare call him by his first name, okay! And you…she is MRS. WALIA, for the world, okay?’
Bani looked mortified by the way Jai was speaking to poor Dr. Reddy and tried to intervene, but Dr. Reddy rubbed his hands and spoke in his heavily accented hindi, ‘Aisa hai, Jai…once you are under my medication…you will have no power over what I call your wife or what she calls me…so no need to expend so much energy on something you have no control over!’
Bani gasped, though realizing that Dr. Reddy was just teasing back Jai and instantly tried to stop Jai from saying anything rude to his doctor, for whom she had taken a great liking and respect.
‘You…You…Bani…stay away from him, okay. I am so going to find a new Oncologist first thing tomorrow morning…one who doesn’t hit upon his patient’s wives!’
‘JAI!’ exclaimed Bani, even as both Jai and Dr. Reddy laughed and shook hands.
‘So even though you never invited me to your wedding, nevertheless, many congratulations. You have a one in a million woman, Jai. Keep her safely.’ Said Dr. Reddy with warmth.
‘Thank you, so much! And even though you have never offered me to call you by your first name, I will still invite you over for a dinner this coming weekend…my wife is the best cook in the whole world. You ought to taste her food.’
Dr. Reddy smiled and answered, ‘I am honoured. I will surely be there…and please don’t stress yourself anymore…not for at least another week. Rest as much as possible and don’t move around too much physically.’
‘I have just been married…what you mean by not move around too much physically?’ asked Jai in a doubtful voice, making Bani blush crimson and look some other place.
Dr. Reddy too got a little ruddy in his face, but getting his professional decorum back, answered back in a square and simple manner, ‘what I mean, in plain, ordinary English is that S-E-X is off the table for you…at least for 2 to 3 days.’
‘You must be kidding me…2 to 3 days…when I can’t….’ shouted Jai with a look of total shock on his face.
‘Jai! Let’s go…everyone must be wondering how come we are so late…and thank you so much, Dr. Reddy….I mean, Karthikji…’ mumbled Bani, now the colour of tomatoes and literally begging Jai to stop arguing with Dr. Reddy on why he couldn’t sleep with his wife for the next two days.
Jai kept grumbling all through the way to the Farmhouse, intermittently accusing Bani of flirting with his Oncologist and then complaining about his back and warning Bani that he was not staying away from anything for any amount of time.
As always she calmly tackled his volley of pointless mutterings and comments with a smile and an occasional peck on his cheeks.
Everyone else was already asleep by the time, the two newly-marrieds returned home and Bani took Jai straight to their room, insisting that he ought to get to bed as soon as possible and take rest, as advised by his doctor.
Jai and Bani's Bedroom
Since he was already under the effect of medication, Jai wasn’t feeling sleepy at all and insisted on lying awake, tossing and turning, making Bani realize that the only way to get him to take some rest would be to engage him in a conversation.
Bani tied her hair into a casual bun and taking a seat besides Jai on his bed, asked him, 'yes, dear husband...tell me what was this marriage contract you were talking about?'
'Now? Today is our wedding night, sweetie...' said Jai, and then instantly winced as his back pained again.
Bani looked very worried and caressing his head, spoke to him gently, 'Jai...please! You are obviously in pain...and you have just taken your painkillers...you need rest.'
'I know...but it’s our wedding night...'
'Wedding night? What is so special about today? We already, in your own words, 'DID IT' fifty times by now! Can't you wait for a day or two, till you feel better?' she scolded him, albeit indulgently and ushered him to lie down with his head on her lap, sideways, as not to hurt his back anymore.
'We have not done fifty times! Don't exaggerate!' shot back Jai, making her laugh.
'Whatever! I wasn't counting anyway...what I am trying to say is that, it’s not necessary to...you know...do certain things in a wedding night...couples can talk too!'
'Wow...give a man a choice between making passionate love with new bride or “talking” with her, guess what any sane, hot-blooded, passionate, straight male would choose?' jibed Jai sarcastically.
Bani giggled and replied back teasingly, ‘The doubtfully sane, undoubtedly hot-blooded, passionate and very much straight male is very, very tired, overworked and fatigued today…and his wife wants him to take rest and recover, so as to ensure that every night they don’t spend talking to each other and do other interesting things too!’
Jai stared back at her speechlessly, making her laugh and then blush, and he commented slowly, ‘Hmmm…I hope with this new found boldness of speech, you have decided to become bold in actual matters too…I will see it in person, when we put to use our “Love Tub” tomorrow morning.’
Bani laughed and laughed and taking out some oil from a bottle, rubbed it between her palms and then very gently applied it to Jai’s head, massaging it slowly.
A While Later
‘So, tell me something about yourself!’ asked Bani, as she finished rubbing the oil into Jai’s head, almost making him sleep with the soothing effect of her massage.
‘What is there that you don’t know about me, honey-pot?’ asked Jai, adding, ‘I am a brilliant, super-successful lawyer, with pot loads of money, Greek-god looks and now the best wife in the whole world. Lucky Bastard that I am!’
‘Jai! How many times do I have to tell you to stop using such words? Do you know, little Varalika was saying ‘bloody’ ‘bloody’ so many times today! Guess where she learnt it from?’
Jai grinned and said, ‘Wow…now I have started educating kids too! Will my talent and general goodness never see an end?’
Bani laughed on his answer and said, ‘Very funny! And I know what a super-star you are! Don’t worry about that! Even if I want; you will never let me forget it! What I was asking you about was your childhood…your parents…your…you know…the women in your life.’
Jai raised his eyebrows and said, ‘women in my life? Oh…Babes…that would take much more than just one night…and are you sure? Some of the things that I have done with women…I am not sure if they are decent enough to be even heard by you!’
She pinched him on his hands and said, ‘there is no need to get into details. I have NO interest in knowing what you have done with other women…just talk to me! Tell me about Ma and Papa…is that what you called them?’ she asked softly.
Jai smiled and making himself utterly comfortable with his head on her lap, said, ‘Dad and Mom! Pretty much anglicised we were as a family! My father was the younger son of my grand-father, who came with his wife and two young sons, after partition. He used to be a grains merchant in Lahore, when partition happened and they moved to Delhi. My dad was just a kid…I think 8 or 10 year old!’
Sounding very surprised, Bani asked him, ‘you have a Tauji also? Then how come he did not come for the wedding.’ And then realized that he may have also died by now and was about to apologize, when he replied, ‘No…No…Tauji is very much hanging around, though his one leg has been in the grave for god knows how many years now!’
Bani looked scandalized at the way Jai was speaking about his father’s older brother, but then also realized that Jai always spoke about everyone in this manner and it did not really mean any disrespect.
‘He is very old…Ninety plus now. And quite Gaga. Doesn’t remember anyone. I do go to visit him from time to time…and he keeps referring to me as Munna…that was my Dad’s pet-name! He is quite a character, Tauji!’
‘We should go to see him, Jai.’ Said Bani, sounding really serious, as if she was ready to pack her bags and leave to see Jai’s Tauji any moment.
‘I am not going to Amritsar! Please! And as I said, he doesn’t recollect anyone…now will you keep interrupting me or should I tell you something more about my family?’ asked Jai in an annoyed voice.
‘Sorry…Sorry…tell me.’
‘Hmmm…btw, Tauji did not marry. God knows why! Though Dad used to say he was in love with a Muslim girl…who stayed back in Pakistan when he had to come to India…Chote always found this very romantic, though I think it was plain silly. He should have just kidnapped the chick and got her here…or simply stayed back in Pakistan, instead of spending his entire life alone!’
‘Who looks after him in Amristar?’
‘One of my Dad’s cousin’s family is there…I send them money for his upkeep etc. He is quite comfortable there and believe it or not, I do visit him from time to time, though I have to hide from Karuna and Massi whenever I am in Amritsar!’
Bani laughed on what he had said and kissing him on his forehead said to him, ‘I always knew that you were just like a Coconut…all hard and rough from outside and all soft and gooey from inside.’
‘Oh…Babes…you have no idea what all I am inside…’ murmured Jai, fiddling with Bani’s sari pallu, till his back hurt again and he shuddered.
‘Jai! Please! Don’t try anything tonight…just take rest. And keep talking…that is the only way to keep your mind and hands from wandering.’ Scolded Bani, albeit indulgently.
Having rubbed his back gently, Bani asked him, ‘tell me how did Ma and Papa…no, I mean, Mom and Dad meet? Arranged marriage, right?’
‘Yes…sort of. They were both neighbours in Amritsar…grew up together etc…my mom’s family was Arya Samaji…hence she was quite educated and pretty modern for her times…wait…have I shown you my parent’s pictures?’
Bani shook her head and replied, ‘No…in fact, I was wondering why there isn’t a single picture of them. And where is the temple? I need to do the Pooja tomorrow.’
‘What temple?’
‘Jai! The mandir that we have in homes!’
‘Oh! That! It’s locked up…you saw that small closet type place downstairs…below the stairs? That is the mandir or whatever!’
‘Why is it closed?’ asked Bani, in a surprised voice.
‘After Mom died, the house had three men who had no clue about these things…and Massi used to throw a huge fuss whenever she visited us, on how we don’t clean the temple regularly, how we don’t’ light a diya…blah, blah, blah…it was kind of operational till Dad was around, but after his death, I just got all the idols inside packed and closed the temple permanently.’
Looking at the expression of shockwave and anguish on Bani’s face, Jai quickly assured her, ‘Sweetie….no need to look so horrified. You are more than welcome to open it tomorrow…and keep it opened forever, if you wish.’ And then added quickly, ‘I can bet you will be singing Main Tulsi Tere Aangan Ki from tomorrow morning, like they show in Hindi movies…you know with the sari pallu over your head and an expression of deep virtue on your face!’
Bani who was still looking very affected by the fact that Jai had shut the family temple, looked at him and burst out in a fit of giggles, pulling his cheeks.
‘Jai! You are just too much! And can I ask how you know so much about Hindi movies? You don’t seem to be the type who watches such films!’
‘Oh…long story…I will cut it short for you! I used to date a Bollywood actress…amongst many other naughty things she taught me, she also made me well-versed in Hindi films!’
Getting an insecure and uncharacteristically resentful look, Bani said, ‘A Bollywood actress?’ and then when curiosity got the better of her, she asked him, ‘who is she?’
Jai whispered back her name into Bani’s ears and she looked suitably shocked and impressed and then very diffident.
‘Wow…really? But she is so beautiful…’ mumbled Bani, recollecting that particular actress last film she had seen in Bangalore with Rano.
‘Oh! That! Sab fake hai! Got a boob job in Bangkok…nose job in London…tummy tuck in LA and teeth in Vancouver. Trust me, without all that make-up and out of her fashionable clothes, she looks worse than your Dulari Chachi back in Mukteshwar!’
‘Jai!’ exclaimed Bani, chuckling and then said, ‘you are only saying to make me feel good, right? I know she is very beautiful.’
‘As I said before, you have absolutely NIL need to feel any insecurity regarding me and any of my previous girlfriends! And believe me…all that you have is real and nothing has been artificially enhanced in a foreign destination…I like it that way…in fact, why don’t we…Ouch!’
‘There you go again! Keep lying where you are, else you have had it from me!’ she said, locking his hands in hers and urging him to tell her more about his past.
‘Okay…so now we know where you got your taste in Hindi films from! But tell me more about your parents? How I wish I could have met them.’ said Bani sounding genuinely sad.
‘My Dad was a Hitler…very strict with us…mostly with me, Chote was his pet! Mom was cool…very sweet, quiet…hardly had the guts to speak against Dad!’
Bani looked surprised on hearing the descriptions of her in-laws from Jai, as he continued speaking, ‘Dad was loving and all…but he had really, really high standards…especially from me, since I was the first born. And though Mom kept telling me how much he loved me, somehow I never got to see that love from him. Ever.’
Jai was quiet and so was Bani, suddenly seeing a whole new facet of her husband, when he revealed his past.
‘My father was a very successful and immensely respected barrister…in fact, if not for his untimely death, he would have become the next CJI…Chief Justice of India…he was a leading criminal lawyer…but for the prosecution!’ and then giving a smile at Bani, added, ‘that is why when he forced me to take up law as my career, I complied to him…since at that time I had no choice…but gave it back to him, when I chose to become a Defence Lawyer, instead of working for the Government. Oh! Boy! Was there a showdown in the house that day?’
Saying that Jai started laughing, but Bani sensed the pain and anguish behind his laugh and realized that she had never known how strained Jai and his father’s relationship had been. Was that the reason, why Jai had never spoken about his parents till date.
‘Then?’ she asked him quietly.
‘Then what? We used to have fights everyday…arguments, shouting matches, etc. etc…Mom used to play referee but honestly speaking, ours was always a family of men…somehow a woman’s opinion was just not heard. At that time, I used to think of Mom as a fine but ultimately spineless wife, who could not stand up for her son against her dictatorial husband and I am sure that Dad must have thought of her as a pathetic mother, who could not support her husband against her spoilt and arrogant son. Poor Ma…now when I think about her, I feel how difficult it must be for her to make choices…’
Jai was quiet for a long time, as Bani stroked his head and asked him tenderly, ‘you miss her, don’t you?’
He took some time to answer and when he did, his voice held the sort of pathos and vulnerability that she had never seen in him before, ‘Yes…I do. A lot.’
Linking his fingers with Bani’s, he looked at her and said, ‘you will surely laugh when I say this…but somewhere…in all the dozens and dozens of women I dated…I found different qualities in every one of them…almost all of them were beautiful, some of them were intelligent, some had a great sense of humour, a few of them had a good nature…but you were the only one who reminded me of Mom in some way…’
Bani did not laugh as he had predicted but smiled tenderly instead and said, ‘Really?’
‘Only in character, sweetheart…in NO other way, do I see my mother in you, for goodness sake! Don’t creep me out, please! You are my wife; I have to do unmentionable things with you for the rest of my life…YOU DO NOT REMIND ME OF MY MOM AT ALL!’
They both burst out chuckling and Bani remarked, ‘you can never be serious for a long stretch of time, Jai. Isn’t it?’
‘Yup…that is what Alencka used to say!’ said Jai, sighing dramatically and closing his eyes, as if he had just had a beautiful thought.
‘Alencka? Who is he?’
‘Not he…she, you silly girl! And who is she? Alencka was my girlfriend…she was Czechoslovakian!’
Ignoring the fact that Jai was talking about yet another girlfriend of his, Bani said to him in a surprised and amused voice, ‘where on earth did you find a Czech woman?’
‘Oh! Once again long story…but I will cut it short for you…she was actually my first client!’
Looking shocked, Bani exclaimed, ‘Client? You mean, she was a criminal! Oh! She must have been falsely accused, isn’t it? And you saved her like a gallant knight?’
Jai could only stare back at her in open contempt and amusement, ‘Bani…you sure have a very high opinion about me and the world in general, isn’t it? No, I was no gallant knight and she was an expert criminal through and through!’
‘What?’
‘Yup…she had come to India with her then boyfriend on a back-packer trip and was arrested when she tried to smuggle drugs out of India at the Immigration authority!’
‘My God! Drugs? Then?’ asked Bani, feeling pretty disappointed that her super-mighty lawyer husband had not one single innocent person as a client, all of them were certified criminals.
‘Hmmm…someone from the authorities got in touch with me and asked me if I would like to take up her case…her boyfriend had decamped back to Czech or whichever blasted middle European country he came from!’
‘Then? You took up her case?’
‘Well, I wasn’t really interested in such petty cases, cause I had already got some great offers in hand from leading law firms…but I went to meet this chick anyway! And boy, was she hot or what! So I took up her case!’
Looking pretty upset and annoyed, Bani said to him, ‘So you took up a drug peddler’s case because she looked hot?’
‘Yes! That was a good enough reason!’ said Jai, ignoring Bani’s sarcasm and looking very pleased with himself.
‘Oh! God! And then what happened? Were you able to get that drug peddler out of jail?’ asked Bani, crossing her arms and fuming.
‘Of course! What do you think? But then, poor Alencka had no money to pay me!’
‘So you took up her case for free? Wow…that was kind of you…I mean, your kindness was misplaced…but still…’ said Bani, trying to find something noble in her ignoble husband.
‘No babes…nothing comes for free. That is how our short-lived affair started…Over some Marijuana and a rickety bed in her YMCA Hostel.’
‘What? What do you mean?’
‘Nothing much…she called me over to her hostel room to ‘thank me’ in person…and I went there…she offered me a joint of Marijuana and I accepted it…so when the drugs took over, I guess I forgot that she was my client and we slept together!’
Bani gasped and muttered in a shaken voice, ‘you slept with that Drug Peddler and you also took Drugs? MY GOD! JAI!’ and then added in a desperate voice, ‘I have married a man, who not only has love-affairs with criminals but also is a drug addict!’
‘Stop over-reacting! I just smoked some Pot…a couple of times! That doesn’t make me a drug-addict! And anyway, when Alencka left for Czech Republic, I no longer had access to Marijuana, so it stopped on its own. Pity…but then, what to do!’
Shaking her head and muttering something under her breath, Bani said, ‘Okay, I think I have had enough of hearing your life stories…if I heard anything more, I will simply run away back to Mukteshwar.’
Jai shook with laughter on hearing what Bani said and as she switched off the bed-side lamp and lied down beside him, he clasped her cheeks in his palms and said, ‘Babes, you are trapped for life by this lover of fake boobed Bollywood actress and drug peddlers…and he won’t let you escape, even if you try your best!’
Bani kept glaring at him, still in shock and upset at his revelations, but then she looked at his face and all her anger melted away.
‘Oh, Jai! What will I do with you?’ she exclaimed in frustration, laughing at the same time.
‘Lots of things…we will start with the “Love Tub” and then I have many other plans in place to keep you suitably busy and exhausted from daybreak to dusk.’
She kept laughing and kissed the tip of his nose, as he clasped her fingers and said, ‘you know…the very fact that I can speak with you so frankly about myself…without any reservations…prove that you are so much more than any of those woman could ever be to me…you are not just my lover and wife, you are also my best friend and confidante…and that is why I am telling you, that you have no reason to feel any insecurity…and you will never have one in future. I am sold to you for life, Dharampatniji!’
She kept looking at him in his eyes and coming closer to him, snuggled against him and putting her head on his chest, said, ‘I know that…’
20c
You make me happier than I
ever thought I could be and if you let me, I will spend the rest of my life
trying to make you feel the same way ~ F.R.I.E.N.D.S
No comments:
Post a Comment