Part 13
Jai's Study
Jai had freed Bani and chafing his hair energetically, the way he always did, whenever worked up about something, finally went back to his desk and pressed a buzzer sort of thing.
'Oh...so he was saying the truth...for a change' mused Bani to herself, trying to smoothen her appearance and trying not to appear as red-faced as she looked.
Before Jai could even open the door, which was being banged with excessive enthusiasm, it flung open and Bani was pushed behind it by the sheer force of the person who opened it. Much to her confusion and astonishment, an exceedingly chirpy, round and exuberant woman, somewhat in her mid to late thirties came bouncing in, launching herself on Jai, who looked red-faced and embarrassed, which in itself was a first for Bani.
'POTLUUUUUUUUU!' she shireked with happiness and took him in a bear hug even as Jai tried his best not to look back at Bani, who was watching the entire scene with gradual understanding and mounting amusement.
'Hai! So long...So long...Mera Bhai! Oh! Potlu! I am so happy to see you again! How long has it been? 2 years? Last we met at Savita Chaiyijee's daughter's wedding, isn't it? You kept vanishing time and again...I was so disappointed not to meet you! But now, look! Hai! Mera Bhai!'
With the expression of a soldier who has given up his arms, he gave a drained smile and said rather ceremoniously, 'How nice to see you Karuna? How come you are here? I mean...I thought you were only going to come on the morning of the wedding...'
'Hai! What Karuna Varuna? I am Karuna only for my in-laws! Horrible people! For you, I will always be your big sister, Dimpy, isn't it?' she smiled lovingly and kissed him cutely on both the cheeks, as Jai turned brick red, especially when he saw Bani covering her mouth to avoid sniggering loudly.
'Big Sister? You are just 6 months older than me!' he replied, making a droll face.
'So? 6 month bigger, right? Not smaller! Hence, I will always be your Dimpy didi and you will always be my cutie-pie, Potlu Bhai.'
'Karuna...don't call me by that name! For goodness sake! We are not 7 year olds anymore!' said Jai, looking extremely aggravated.
'Arre...Ma still calls me Dimpy! And I am going to be 36 next month! You are younger than me! I CAN call you Potlu! You will always be Potlu for me! And why have you become so thin? Hai! Don't you eat food? You used to love Ma's Aloo Parantha's and Dahi!'
'Ya! Whatever! You haven't explained...how come you came early?' asked Jai sourly, not that his rudeness seem to affect his cousin one bit.
Karuna grinned happily and said, 'It’s a surpriseeeeeeeeeeeeeeee' irritating the life out of Jai.
'Has your husband also come? And your brood, I mean the girls...' said Jai, as if he was talking about some alien species that had landed uninvited in his house.
'Of course! Where will I leave him? And my poor girls...they don't even go to the toilet without me! Why, infact, I still have to clean Varu's behind every time she goes to the potty...'
'Okay...Okay...enough!' exclaimed Jai, feeling exasperated and seriously annoyed at his cousin and particularly at the way Bani was literally racking with silent laughter.
'Come down na...meet Tarunji and the girls...they have been so excited to meet their Potlu Mama...'
'Karuna! Please! DON’T USE THAT NAME! And I especially don't want your girls to call me Potlu Mama or whatever. They can call me Uncle.'
'Hai...so modern shodern! You haven't changed one bit! Chote is not one bit like you!' protested Karuna, looking a bit hurt at Jai's rudeness, but cheering up instantly, taking his hands in hers and dragging him downstairs. Jai managed to push Karuna a bit further and looking back at Bani, whispered hastily, 'Please leave the room before she sees you. She will get us married tomorrow morning if she gets a hint as to what we were up to.'
'What YOU were up to.' Bani corrected him.
'Whatever. Just leave quietly. We will continue this later.' he said as if he was doing a favour on her.
'Keep dreaming.' snapped back Bani and added with a wicked smile, 'POTLU!' and laughing on the expression that Jai's face got, she slipped out of the room, leaving Jai with his cousin from Amritsar.
Downstairs
When Jai got to the living room, he had the shock of his life. All the people whom he avoided so religiously were assembled there, already taking over his beloved and beautiful Oasis of Peace and creating such a din.
Saurabh and Pooja looked suitably bewildered and stuck in one corner while Meera was on the verge of a hissy fit.
Only Abdul looked thrilled to bits and was already chatting up with Jai's relatives like they were long lost friends meeting after years.
Karuna's devoted husband, Tarun was sipping some Coconut water, dressed in an atrocious Onion peel colour Safari Suit that must have gone out of fashion even before he was born, his other two cousin's...his maternal Uncle's daughters, the forever giggling, Anu and Lakshmi were gazing with wonder at the beautifully done up living room and there were the three kids, Tarun and Karuna's daughters, jumping on his super-expensive Italian leather Couches like they were sandbags.
The moment the girls looked at him, they yelped with joy and came springing towards him, much to Jai's revulsion and disgust. He simply hated kids and Karuna and Tarun's girls were in his opinion the worst of their species. Absolutely wild, hyper-active and with too much energy in them.
'POTLU MAMU!' they screamed in joy and hugged him, the oldest amongst them only reaching up to his thighs.
'Pick me up!' screamed the middle one, but the eldest one shoved her apart and tugging at Jai's custom tailored Zegna shirt, asked him to pick her up first. The youngest one looked happy but a bit shy and just clung to Jai's feet.
Bani who was watching the entire scene from above felt her heart melting. She absolutely loved children. Loved them to death. Even though it was more than five years that she had left her teaching job at Mukteshwar, she always remembered her wards and kept sending them books, candies and whatever she could afford by post from time to time.
The three girls looked endearing to Bani and she was already making plans to get them together for a musical number for the Sangeet Function.
'Karuna! Get them off me! Hey...Huush...Hussh..Hussh...Hurrrr.' said Jai, trying to push away the kids, as if they were errant crows who had landed on his Corn Fields.
Tarun quickly disentangled the girls and said very lovingly to them, 'Won't you touch your Mamaji's feet? Have you forgotten what Naani told you already?'
Much to Jai's shock, the three small girls touched his feet one by one and he stood there blankly, not knowing what to do.
'Arre Potlu...bless them! They need their Bade Mama's blessings so that they may grow up to be very fair complexioned and beautiful and land a rich, good-looking man for husbands...just like their Potlu Mama!' said Karuna, giving a wide grin to Jai, who mottled red, especially when Meera exclaimed, 'Potlu? What the...'
'Karuna, I highly doubt my blessings would come to any good for the kids! And...PLEASE, NO USING MY LONG FORGOTTON NICKNAME. Btw, Hi Tarun. How are you doing?' asked Jai, looking extremely bothered and vexed....very different from his usual, cool, composed self.
'I am fine, Saale Sahab! You tell me? Aap toh high-profile type log ho!' said Tarun hugging Jai affectionately, even though he was aloof and distinctly uncomfortable.
'Hi Lakshmi...Hey Anu!' remarked Jai in a unforthcoming manner, as the girls started tittering, making Jai roll his eyes and wonder how he was going to stand this bunch for the next 8 days! And who the hell had got them here in the first place?
'Hello Dada! We are fine, thank you.' replied both the young girls.
Bani had walked down by this time and was standing near Pooja and Saurabh and was watching with both amusement and enjoyment at Jai's family...which seemed to be as different from him as could be imagined.
Karuna looked at the unfamiliar faces in the room and asked Jai, 'Potlu...I mean, Bhai...who are these people?'
'That's Meera...Chote's would-be-wife's cousin...she has come to help with the wedding....apparently.' Karuna, being the traditionalist, seemed a bit shocked that the would-be-bride's sister was already in the house, but smiled warmly at her, which was not returned by Meera, who was giving a disgusting look at the three little girls feasting messily on some Truffle Chocolates that Abdul got for them to eat till the cook prepared some snack. There were no regular sweets and candies in the house and the only thing Abdul could get his hand on was a box of super-expensive French Truffles that someone had sent for Jai.
Turning to look at the other three, he said, 'They are the professional wedding planners...remember my friend, Jiggy...Jigyasa Bali? She runs a wedding planning firm...they work for her. Jiggy has the contract for the wedding…so she has one team working for Purva’s family and one for us.'
Pooja smiled warmly and introduced herself, 'Hello Mam...I am Pooja!'
Saurabh too smiled courteously and said, 'Hello Mam...I am Saurabh.'
And before Bani could introduce herself, Jai looked at her and said mordantly, 'And this is the honourable Miss. Dixit...she is supervising the wedding arrangements here.' Bani simply gave him a cold look and proceeded to shower Karuna and her family with her beautiful smile.
'This is my maternal cousin Karuna...her husband Tarun and those two are my other cousin’s…my maternal uncle’s daughters...Anu and Lakshmi.'
Bani smiled shyly at the guests and said, 'your daughters are beautiful, Mam. What are their names?'
Karuna beamed with maternal pride on the compliment and said, 'I will introduce you to them...girls, come here!'
The three girls, face and hands smeared with chocolate came running and Karuna introduced them,
'This is my eldest born....Ambika...she is 10 years old.'
'This is my second born...Sanvika...she is 8 years old.'
'And this is my baby...Varalika...she will turn 6 in May.'
'What weird names!' mumbled Meera, hurting Karuna, who just worshipped her three daughters, but kept quiet, knowing her boundaries in Jai's home.
'Such beautiful names...you have three goddesses in your home, Karuna Mam.' smiled Bani and added, 'Ambika means Goddess Durga...Sanvika means Goddess Lakshmi and Varalika means Goddess Sarawati...the holy trinity. Is that right?'
Adding, 'You are so lucky...you must be taking God's name every time you call out for your daughters!'
Karuna fell in love with Bani that very moment and said without thinking, 'Hai Potlu...your wedding planner is just superb!'
Saurabh and Pooja spluttered out laughing and had to muffle it with desperation, when Jai glared back at them.
'Yes...she is a warehouse of useless information!' came back Jai wryly and ordered Abdul to settle the unexpected and undesirable guests into their rooms.
'Don't call me Mam and all...you are obviously much younger than I am...so you can call me Didi!' announced Karuna, to the three of them.
'Mam...I mean didi...we were planning to do a dance for the sangeet...there was no one around in the house...would...would the three girls be interested...' mumbled Pooja, sharing a look with Saurabh and Bani.
'INTERESTED? THAT TOO IN DANCE? ARE YOU JOKING? OUR WHOLE FAMILY DANCES!' squealed Karuna in joy, as Meera simply shook her head in disgust and disbelief at the quality of relatives that Jai had and walked out for a hair appointment she had.
Bani, Pooja and Saurabh looked delighted and asked the girls, 'Would you like to dance on your Chote Mamu's wedding?'
'YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS' they trilled, overjoyed and already becoming friends with the three of them.
Jai's Study
Having devoured two aspirins and muttering uncountable curses, both under his breath and loudly, Jai finally called up Nachiket on his mobile.
'Chote! Can you believe it? Dimpy and family have dropped in! With their brood! Without any intimation! And those two giggling cousins of ours…Anu and Lakshmi have also come! What the Fuck!' he cursed on the phone.
Nachiket seemed to shilly-shally and then mumbled, 'Dada...I know. Actually, I was the one who suggested to them that they come a bit early to Delhi...you know...there would be some masti...some music...and it’s not every day, that all of us meet!'
Jai all but exploded over the phone and screamed, 'WHAT? Oh! God! CHOTE! You should have at least asked me first! The bloody wedding...I mean your wedding is still 8 days away! 8 days! What will I do with them till then? You are sitting happily in Bangalore and won't come till two days before! And I am stuck with them for more than one week! IT’S NOT FAIR! And can you believe it, Dimpy still calls me Potlu! HOW HUMILIATING!'
Nachiket could not help but laugh and infuriated Jai even more.
'What is so funny?' he snapped.
'Arre Dada...calm down. And I am sorry...I should have informed you earlier! But I spoke to Dimpy didi over the phone and she was practically begging me to invite her a few days earlier...poor thing...she hardly gets a holiday for herself and she just adores you. More than my wedding, she was dying to meet and spend some time with you!'
'So? Am I running a resort? The Farmhouse is already teeming with idiots of all size and shape, namely that irritating sister-in-law of yours...Meera...and now you have stuck me with three brats to deal with!'
'Three brats? Oh! Dimpy didi and Tarun Jeejaji's daughters? They are adorable! And even though you never bother to call them, they simply worship you and can't have enough of their Potlu Mama!'
'I hate kids! AND DON’T SAY THAT NAME AGAIN! ELSE I WILL GET THIS WEDDING CANCELLED!' announced Jai, making Nachiket sigh in exasperation. His brother was quite simply put, a Character!
'Anyway Dada...don't get so hassled. I wanted to share good news with you!'
'What? You are Purva broke up? The wedding is not happening?' asked Jai satirically.
'Dada! Come on! Nothing of that sort! I just wanted to tell you that you won't have to deal with all of them alone...I am coming earlier than planned!'
Jai's mood instantly brightened up and he spoke in surprise, 'Really? Wow! That's great news! But what about your work? Chote, don't let your career suffer for the wedding! You can always get another woman to marry you...but you might not get the chance to become a Junior Partner in your Bank again!'
'Dada!' protested Nachiket, laughing and not getting offended at what Jai had said. He knew his brother and his strange sense of humour very well by now.
'Work is no issue at all...I will be working at the Gurgaon Office...and I can stay at the Farmhouse...it will like old days...remember our summer vacations in Amristar? At Massi’s place? What fun it used to be!'
'Fun? The smell of cow dung everywhere and elephant sized mosquitoes biting you at night is not fun in my view!' came back Jai.
'Oh! Come on! You were always the most enthusiastic about our Amritsar Vacations!' chided Nachiket.
'Ah! But that is only because of Shobhna Massi...she was a delight! Dimpy has taken on her completely…at least in terms of looks!'
'Well...good news, that you however remember Massi...because she is also coming with me tomorrow!'
'WHAT?' exploded Jai over the phone.
The next five minutes were spent with Nachiket holding the mobile a bit further away from his ear, as Jai shouted out the choicest expletives on his brother and when he had calmed down a bit, all he said was,
'Chote, if you were not getting married...I swear, I would have hung you dry in the Wine Cellar in my basement! What the Fuck? Why are you getting her? And what on earth is she doing in Bangalore?'
'She had come for that spiritual symposium of hers...you know she became a Brahmakumari a few years back, right? So...I went to meet her and told her that there was no point in her going back to Amritsar and then coming all the way to Delhi for the wedding...she might as well come with me!'
'Oh! God! Chote!' moaned Jai, searching for his bottle of aspirin again.
'What? Only a while ago, you were remembering her so fondly!' protested Nachiket.
'Yes, I was...but 8 days with Shobhna Massi? You know her, don't you? She will pick fault with every single thing in the wedding...and poor Purva...I can't imagine what inspection she is going to get! Massi is great...but she can put Hitler to shame with her dominating nature! And I don't want another person in the house who calls me that bloody Potlu again!'
'Now, what should I do? I have already booked her ticket to Delhi...and she is so happy and excited. Not so much about my wedding, but to meet you...his apple of the eye...come on, Dada! It’s only a matter of few days! Please! Be a sport!'
Jai gave up and said, 'Okay, whatever! If it gets too much, I will just move back to my Gurgaon Apartment and hand over this place to the Monkey Brigade from Amritsar!'
Nachiket laughed and then said, 'How is the wedding prep coming along? I know one of the planners! Bani! She is Purva's friend! How is she?'
Jai was speechless for some time as a slow smile crept on his face and he spoke coolly, 'She is good...sweet girl!'
'Isn't it? I also liked her...though I have met her just once! Okay...Dada...I will go now...have loads of work to finish and packing to do! Massi is insisting on getting home-cooked food on-board and I have to convince her not to do that...so it’s going to take time! Btw, do you mind, if I get Shanky along with me? He also has work at our Guragon Office and he was anyway going to attend all my wedding functions…I was wondering if he could stay at the Farmhouse itself…I mean, if you have no problems.’
'You don't bother to take my permission and call all the people whom I studiously avoid...and you are asking me if you can bring your best friend along? Chote, seriously! Of course, you can get him! No problems!'
'Thanks a ton, Dada! You are the best brother in the whole world!'
'Yes, I know that. But thank you for reaffirming it!'
Both the brothers laughed and bid goodbye before meeting tomorrow.
Next Day
Having spent the couple of nights since he met Bani, sleeplessly, Jai was exhausted and he overslept, shouting on Abdul to take the Tea back, when the faithful domestic had knocked on the door at his usual time. When Jai finally came down, temporarily forgetting about his relatives, he was shocked to see the commotion going on outside in the lawns. Picking up his cup of tea, which tasted blissfully fragrant and different from what he usually had...Bani's handiwork, he mused, walked outside.
The entire place seemed to have undergone a transformation. Tarun and Karuna were sitting on the lawn chair and cheering enthusiastically, along with Anu, Lakshmi, Saurabh, Pooja and a couple of the gardeners and their assistants watching the scene in progress.
Jai all but scalded his mouth when he saw his three nieces trying to follow the dance steps which Bani was teaching them. The latest Bollywood number was playing and the three girls, in between giggles and mischief, looped and twirled around and tried to imitate Bani's graceful dancing.
Jai could not lift his eyes of Bani...she looked like a vision in her while chudiar salwar, her hair tied in a lose plait and both her hands jingling with the sound of her silver-oxidized bangles. It was not just her beauty which captured the moment for him...it was the pure joy in her eyes, as he saw her dance in abandon along with the three kids. How effortlessly she had fallen in love with them...who were just strangers to her till a few hours back...and how beautifully they bonded with her...like they had known her forever.
Jai's mother had once told him that children only bonded with those people whom they trusted and whom they knew loved them back...and he knew very well, how much love Bani had in her heart for children.
He would have stood there watching the scene in front of his eyes for eternity, hadn't Karuna's chirpy voice called out for him, 'Potlu...Bhai! What are you doing standing there? Come here! See...Bani is teaching such a lovely dance to my three angels! Come...Come...'
Bani instantly stopped dancing when Jai walked past her and took one of the lawn chairs, and looked at her. She was perspiring a little bit after the dance session and flushing crimson because of the way he was looking at her. Somehow his sensual assaults were less discomforting than the look he gave her at times.
'Arre...why did you stop the music? Pooja..play it na! This is such a fantastic number for the Sangeet...and once they are done...you can get Anu and Lakshmi to practice also!'
Bani did not reply and looked increasingly awkward and shy in front of Jai...she had no wish to dance in front of him! He made her dance to his tunes otherwise too!
'Karuna didi...I think we should take a break. Varalika is already tired, poor thing...let them have their breakfast...and we can continue practice in the spare rooms we have downstairs. What do you say, Pooja?'
Pooja nodded her head and the three of them excused themselves.
'Sir...we have a couple of things to wrap up regarding the arrangements...we will get going...and if Mam...I mean, Karuna didi wants to oversee her work, she is more than welcome.' said Saurabh.
Karuna beamed at them and said, 'Arre...what oversee your work? You are doing such a great job! Just let me know if I or Tarunji can help you in any way! Infact, Anu and Lakshmi...you two are free! Why don't you help Bani and these two with the preparations! Go...Go...And you three...go to Abdul Chacha and ask for your breakfast! Go...it’s going to be 9:30 already!'
When everyone had left, Jai feeling more charitable towards his cousin than he had felt yesterday, said, 'you guys had breakfast?'
'Arre! What are you saying? How can we eat without you? You have your tea etc...we are in no hurry for breakfast!'
Tarun and Jai exchanged some local news and chatted amicably on a few subjects, when Karuna announced suddenly, ' I can't understand what sort of a job is organizing weddings for other people!'
Jai laughed a bit and said, 'Its big business, Dimpy! Everyone hires a wedding planner and they do everything for you...decoration, getting the cards printed, catering, even shopping etc.!'
'Oh! Sounds nice...no headache for us!' said Karuna and then suddenly jumped to another topic.
'Bani is a really nice girl isn't it? I mean, Pooja and that boy Saurabh are very nice too...but there is something special about Bani! Look how she bonded with my girls? She must love children!' announced Karuna beaming at Jai.
He seemed to be at a loss of words and spoke slowly, 'Yes...she is a nice girl.' and then in a bid to change subject, added, 'Do you know, Chote has pre-pone his date and coming here today! And guess, who is coming with him? Massi! Your mother!'
Karuna yelled excitedly, 'Really! Chote is coming today! And Ma is coming too! Oh! What a good news you have told me, Potlu...I mean...Jai...Jai...Oh! Wow! Ab aayega Shaadi mein mazza!'
Tarun added in a abstemious voice, 'Maaji won't like all this wedding planning business and all...you know how she is! And also...that lady...what is her name, Meera! If Maaji comes to know that Chote's would-be-wife's sister is staying here...that too with you present in the house...everyone has had it!'
'What nonsense! Meera is just a guest, like everyone else! And who on earth would have organized the wedding from our side if not for the professional planners?' retorted Jai, back in his vexed style.
'Ya...but who will explain that to Maaji!' concluded Tarun, hiding himself behind a copy of Jai's Financial Times, badly missing his copy of Dainik Jaagran.
'Well...whatever! Meera will be here till the wedding! She is my guest.'
'A bit unusual, isn't she? Did not even say hello to us?' commented Karuna gloomily, wondering how anyone could fail to like a friendly, amiable soul like her.
'But I like Pooja and Saurabh...and Bani the most! Is she married?' asked Karuna with lively curiosity.
'No. Why do you ask?'
'One of Tarunji's cousins is getting to be the marriageable age...I was thinking a girl like Bani would be perfect for him...'
Jai did not even let her complete the sentence and snapped back coldly, 'She has a boyfriend...and he is an ex-convict...was booked for murder...carries a butcher knife and can't stand the sight of any man speaking to her. So I would advise you to cut short any plans you might have for Bani.'
Karuna looked visibly taken aback and said, 'Such a nice girl...and she is in love with such a man? Hai Potlu...girls have such terrible choices in men at times...'
Jai simply shrugged his head and excused himself saying he had some phone calls to make to his office.
Around Afternoon
Pooja and Bani were busy with finalizing the Sangeet Programme and emailing the details to their team in Bangalore for further coordination, when Saurabh came huffing and puffing to the terrace where they were sitting. Ambika, Sanvika and Varalika were also lounging around with them, exhilarated with the company of young girls instead of their short-fused Mama, who refused to even smile at them, leave aside play or engage them in anyway.
'Guess who has come now?' asked Saurabh gasping for breath.
'Have some water first! Have you been running? Saurabh? You have breathing problem! Take some precaution!' chided Bani, as always protective and caring.
'Arre I am fine! The groom has come!' announced Saurabh, getting excited yells from both Pooja and Bani.
'Oh! That is great! Nachiket is here! Wow!' exclaimed Bani.
'Yeah...and some friend of his from work...he will also be staying here till the wedding! And there is another guest! Atom Bomb!'
Who?' asked Bani with curiosity.
'Mr. W's aunt...Massiji...and oh, boy! Did she give an earful to Meera Madam the moment she entered!' laughed Saurabh!
'Why, what happened?' said Bani with apprehension.
'Meera Madam was wearing a ridiculously short dress and was in the process of flirting with Mr. W for the nth time...when our beloved elderly lady, dressed in all-white attire enters...and the blasting she gave! Ooh! Ha! Ha! Ha! It was so funny!'
Pooja laughed uproariously when Saurabh recounted the earful that Meera had got from Massiji, while Bani looked quite nervous and felt awkward at encountering someone older from Jai’s family. Especially given what Jai and she were upto in his study...though she had not much fault in all that, still her traditional upbringing forced her to feel guilty and ashamed of indulging in such a physical relationship with a man who was technically speaking no one to her.
Downstaris
Jai's Massi was a rather formidable looking lady, dressed in all white attire from top to toe, with just a beaded chain of rudraksh around her neck and a sandal-wood tikka on her forehead. She was wearing glasses and had a very uncompromising appearance overall. When Bani walked into the room, Nachiket gave her a swift smile and she waved at him unobtrusively and stood in the corner. Tarun, Karuna and their three girls who had been turning the house upside down, were now standing with the most innocent expression on their faces.
'Jai...who are all these people? Why are there so many strangers in this house?' she questioned him...soft voiced but firm and unyielding.
'Meera, as I told you before is Purva's cousin...and these three...that one...Bani...the one next to her, Pooja...that guy in checked shirt, Saurabh...they are the wedding planners...organizing Chote's wedding...'
Massiji did not give anything away and looking sharply at an uneasy Pushkar, asked him, 'And who is this under-nourished boy?'
'Oh! He? Pushkar! He is doing an assignment under me...he is a student of law.'
'Hmmm...I don't understand, why you have hired strangers to organize your own brother's wedding?' questioned Massi, while Karuna gave him an 'I told you so' look.
Jai just tossed his head and replied stoically, 'I don't have the time to run around and everyone gives the wedding contract to professionals nowadays...they know what to do. They know everything related to a wedding.'
'Oh! Is it? They know everything? Let me see!' asked Massi and proceeded to stare down at the three of them.
'You...boy...tell me what are the eight type of marriages as per Hindu scriptures?'
Saurabh looked baffled and mumbled, 'You are asking me?'
'No, I am asking your ghost! Obviously I am asking you!' Bani understood where Jai had got his sarcasm from.
Jai simply shook his head in exasperation and decided to have fun, while it was going on. His aunt was sure to grill Bani and he wanted to have his revenge upon her for calling him by his stupid nickname.
'Eight types? Er...In the court...in a banquet hall...at a farmhouse...in a locality...'
Saurabh could not go on, because Karuna had started giggling helplessly, while Massi gave one look at the poor Saurabh and said, 'Jai...you said these people knew everything! This boy here describes the eight type of marriages as per Hindu scriptures as being held in a banquet hall and a farmhouse!'
Jai stared at Bani, who was standing quietly, with her head bent down and commented with mock-sympathy, 'Poor Saurabh! What would he know? He is just assisting his boss!'
'And who is his boss?' asked Massi, taking a few supari out of her silver box and chewing them.
'This young lady over there! Miss. Bani Dixit. She is quite the know-it-all! Why don't you ask her all the questions?'
Bani lifted her eyes to stare back at Jai, who gave her a smug smile and relaxed back on the couch to see the grilling she was going to receive.
Massi gave a top to toe scrutinizing of Bani and asked in demanding voice, 'Yes...can you tell me what are the eight type of marriages as per Hindu scriptures? Or should I ask the next question already?'
'Brahma marriage, Daiva marriage, Arsha marriage, Prajapatya marriage, Gandharva marriage, Asura marriage, Rakshasa marriage and Paishacha marriage.' she recited with quiet confidence, evoking a surprised exclamation from Massi and a shocked one from Jai. Karuna and her three girls showed a thumbs up to Bani.
'Hmmm...good...good...what is the meaning of Saptapadi?'
'It is the most important rite in any Hindu wedding ceremony. It means taking seven steps...around the holy fire with god as witness.'
Massi looked visibly impressed, but not giving up easily, she said, 'All this is theory...but tell me, what all goes into making the auspicious mehendi for the bride, which is prepared at the groom's house?'
'The mehendi leaves...lemon...sugar...boiled, purified water...and mustard oil. The mehendi leaves are ground with water and some lemon juice and sugar is added to it, so that it does not turn black or dry up...a thin layer of oil is put on the top to ensure that it remains moist and fragrant before it reaches the bride's house.'
Karuna clapped enthusiastically and commented, 'Ma...Bani is so smart! Isn't she? I think she will do a great job of organizing Chote's wedding!'
Massi gave a slight smile and nodded her head, as Bani spoke politely, 'My colleagues...both Pooja and Saurabh are very smart too...without them, I wouldn't be able to do anything properly. They might not know the meaning of certain rituals and things, but they know all the practical aspects of the wedding...without which nothing would be possible.'
Jai could not help but gasp at her frankness...he was sure that Massi would say something to her, but instead she smiled and said, 'I like this girl! Clear-hearted and honest.'
And then looking at Meera, commented acidically, ‘Unlike some people who wrap a towel around their bodies instead of wearing properly stitched clothes.’
Meera fumed at the insult and stomping her foot, tossed her glossy mane and stomped off to her room.
‘Hmm…I would like the three of you to sit down with me and give me a point by point update of everything that is going to happen in the wedding…from the food, to the type of flowers, to the Lagan Vedi, to the Sangeet Function, to everything. Okay?’
Bani, Saurabh and Pooja nodded their heads and left the room, breathing with relief the moment they were out of sight.
‘My God! Jaise Mr. W…waise unki Massiji!’ commented Saurabh, making even Bani laugh this time.
Jai and Shobhana Massi
Jai had personally settled down his aunt in her room and after having placed her on the bed, started pressing her feet.
‘Hai Potlu! You still remember to press my feet! God bless you!’ said Massi lovingly, patting Jai’s head.
‘Why wouldn’t I remember it? And please don’t call me Potlu!’
‘I called you by your real name in front of everyone…but I WILL call you by your pet-name when we two are together! You don’t teach me anything now! You were and will always be my Potlu! My Krishna didi's Potlu Baba!’
‘Oh! God! Massi! You are just incorrigible!’ exclaimed Jai, sulking and moping like he was a 7 year old again!
‘Well so are you!’
‘What do you mean?’
‘You know what I mean!’
‘Oh! No! Not again! I am not getting married!’
‘Why not? You are 35! In this age, your father was already a father to the two of you…and poor didi, if she hadn’t fallen ill, would have given you a third sibiling also.’
‘Oh! Thank God! That did not happen!’ muttered Jai, earning a disapproving look from Massi.
‘Potlu…I am serious. Chote is 6 years younger than you and he is getting married…and you? Don’t you want a family? A wife who waits for you every day to come home? Cute children who run behind you? The bliss and happiness of family life?’
Jai was quiet for a minute, wondering what to say to this.
‘What is wrong? Haven’t you found one single woman whom you can live the rest of your life with? A man like you? So good-looking…so successful, rich, loving, caring…though I know that you are always pretending to be rude and callous…but that is not so! Why are you so hell-bent on spending the rest of your life alone?’ asked Massi, tears building up in her eyes.
Jai answered simply, ‘I have no answer to give…really. You know about my Cancer…’
Massi shuddered at the mention of his disease and uttering a short prayer, said to him, ‘That curse is over with, beta…you are recovered! Though I can never forgive you for spending that one year recovering in some strange place instead of quietly coming to Amritsar. I would have taken good care of you.’
‘Well, someone did take good care of me, there too!’ smiled Jai.
Massi instantly caught on and beaming at him said, ‘Who is she?’
‘How did you know it was a she?’
‘A mother can read her child’s each expression! Your face lighted up with joy when you mentioned her. Tell me who is she?’
Jai hesitated and spoke softly, ‘She was a neighbour…a girl next door to the cottage I had rented…she was really, really nice to me…took care of me like a mother takes care of her child…made me laugh…annoyed me immensely too…but overall, she was the best thing to have happened to me in a long time.’
‘Then? What happened?’ asked Massi in a curious voice.
‘Nothing. I recovered. Said goodbye to her and came back to Delhi to catch up on the missed time!’
‘That is it? You came back? POTLU! If you liked her so much, why didn’t you tell her so? Why didn’t you ask her to marry you?’
On seeing Jai’s mute response to her question, Massi asked gently, ‘Didn’t she love you back?’
Gulping the lump in his throat, he looked at his aunt and said, ‘That was the whole problem, Massi…she loved me too much. Maybe if she had loved me a little less, I could have acted a bit selfishly and made her part of my life…but it was her selfless love that stopped me from ruining her future.’
Massi looked utterly confused and bewildered and was about to ask him what he was talking about, when they heard a noise outside the door.
‘Come in!’ called out Jai and was taken aback to see Bani.
‘Massiji…I have made the list of all the things we have prepared till now…you can go through it.’
Massi nodded her head absently, her thoughts still on Jai’s strange tale and he in the meanwhile stared at Bani. Had she heard anything? Apparently not, she looked calm and impassive as always and wasn’t even looking at him.
‘I will check it out beta…thank you.’ Said Massi and Bani took leave.
Massi was about to cross-question Jai, when he held his aunt’s hands and spoke feverently, ‘I swear to you…I will tell you everything…every single thing, once this wedding gets over. Please don’t ask me anything before that, Massi. This is the biggest day in Chote’s life…and I don’t want any unhappiness marring it.’
‘But…’protested Massi, looking increasingly bewildered and worried.
‘No buts…I promise, I will tell you everything…but after Chote’s wedding. Promise me, you won’t bring this again till then. Please!’
Massi nodded her head reluctantly as Jai bid her goodbye and went to spend some time with his brother.
Bani
"That was the whole problem, Massi…she loved me too much. Maybe if she had loved me a little less, I could have acted a bit selfishly and made her part of my life…but it was her selfless love that stopped me from ruining her future."
“She was a neighbour…a girl next door to the cottage I had rented…she was really, really nice to me…took care of me like a mother takes care of her child…made me laugh…annoyed me immensely too…but overall, she was the best thing to have happened to me in a long time.”
Jai’s words kept sounding in Bani’s head, as she stood at the edge of the terrace where she had ran to after having fallaciously overheard Jai and his aunt’s conversation.
She was the best thing to have happened to him…then why? His voice was filled with nothing but love and affection for her…then why was he behaving like this? What was the secret he was hiding from her? How could he ruin her life by returning her love? And he had wished to maker her his for life? Bani could not believe what he had said even though she had heard it from his own mouth. Then what on Earth had stopped him? She had made it amply clear that she worshipped the ground on which he walked...she had said it in clear words that she loved him! Then?
She had opened her heart to him…and he couldn’t tell her what grief was eating him away? Didn’t he trust her even that little? Why was he making her so miserable when he knew very well how hopelessly she was in love with him? Was it her punishment for loving someone with such devotion?
Blinded by tears and overcome by emotions, she skidded from the low-rung parapet and fell down blindingly to the ground, as Pushkar, Pooja, Nachiket and Saurabh, who were engaged in a friendly chat looked with horror and cried her name out.
A masculine pair of arms caught her just at the nick of time and as Bani opened her terrified eyes, she looked into an attractive, grinning face.
‘My mother used to tell me that the girl of my dreams would fall from heaven one day. I had no idea she meant it literally.’
Placing her prudently on the ground, he rubbed his throbbing arms, impacted by the sudden fall from height and giving an impish smile at her said, ‘Hi! I am Shashank Gupta! Shanky for my friends!’
Jai's Study
Jai had freed Bani and chafing his hair energetically, the way he always did, whenever worked up about something, finally went back to his desk and pressed a buzzer sort of thing.
'Oh...so he was saying the truth...for a change' mused Bani to herself, trying to smoothen her appearance and trying not to appear as red-faced as she looked.
Before Jai could even open the door, which was being banged with excessive enthusiasm, it flung open and Bani was pushed behind it by the sheer force of the person who opened it. Much to her confusion and astonishment, an exceedingly chirpy, round and exuberant woman, somewhat in her mid to late thirties came bouncing in, launching herself on Jai, who looked red-faced and embarrassed, which in itself was a first for Bani.
'POTLUUUUUUUUU!' she shireked with happiness and took him in a bear hug even as Jai tried his best not to look back at Bani, who was watching the entire scene with gradual understanding and mounting amusement.
'Hai! So long...So long...Mera Bhai! Oh! Potlu! I am so happy to see you again! How long has it been? 2 years? Last we met at Savita Chaiyijee's daughter's wedding, isn't it? You kept vanishing time and again...I was so disappointed not to meet you! But now, look! Hai! Mera Bhai!'
With the expression of a soldier who has given up his arms, he gave a drained smile and said rather ceremoniously, 'How nice to see you Karuna? How come you are here? I mean...I thought you were only going to come on the morning of the wedding...'
'Hai! What Karuna Varuna? I am Karuna only for my in-laws! Horrible people! For you, I will always be your big sister, Dimpy, isn't it?' she smiled lovingly and kissed him cutely on both the cheeks, as Jai turned brick red, especially when he saw Bani covering her mouth to avoid sniggering loudly.
'Big Sister? You are just 6 months older than me!' he replied, making a droll face.
'So? 6 month bigger, right? Not smaller! Hence, I will always be your Dimpy didi and you will always be my cutie-pie, Potlu Bhai.'
'Karuna...don't call me by that name! For goodness sake! We are not 7 year olds anymore!' said Jai, looking extremely aggravated.
'Arre...Ma still calls me Dimpy! And I am going to be 36 next month! You are younger than me! I CAN call you Potlu! You will always be Potlu for me! And why have you become so thin? Hai! Don't you eat food? You used to love Ma's Aloo Parantha's and Dahi!'
'Ya! Whatever! You haven't explained...how come you came early?' asked Jai sourly, not that his rudeness seem to affect his cousin one bit.
Karuna grinned happily and said, 'It’s a surpriseeeeeeeeeeeeeeee' irritating the life out of Jai.
'Has your husband also come? And your brood, I mean the girls...' said Jai, as if he was talking about some alien species that had landed uninvited in his house.
'Of course! Where will I leave him? And my poor girls...they don't even go to the toilet without me! Why, infact, I still have to clean Varu's behind every time she goes to the potty...'
'Okay...Okay...enough!' exclaimed Jai, feeling exasperated and seriously annoyed at his cousin and particularly at the way Bani was literally racking with silent laughter.
'Come down na...meet Tarunji and the girls...they have been so excited to meet their Potlu Mama...'
'Karuna! Please! DON’T USE THAT NAME! And I especially don't want your girls to call me Potlu Mama or whatever. They can call me Uncle.'
'Hai...so modern shodern! You haven't changed one bit! Chote is not one bit like you!' protested Karuna, looking a bit hurt at Jai's rudeness, but cheering up instantly, taking his hands in hers and dragging him downstairs. Jai managed to push Karuna a bit further and looking back at Bani, whispered hastily, 'Please leave the room before she sees you. She will get us married tomorrow morning if she gets a hint as to what we were up to.'
'What YOU were up to.' Bani corrected him.
'Whatever. Just leave quietly. We will continue this later.' he said as if he was doing a favour on her.
'Keep dreaming.' snapped back Bani and added with a wicked smile, 'POTLU!' and laughing on the expression that Jai's face got, she slipped out of the room, leaving Jai with his cousin from Amritsar.
Downstairs
When Jai got to the living room, he had the shock of his life. All the people whom he avoided so religiously were assembled there, already taking over his beloved and beautiful Oasis of Peace and creating such a din.
Saurabh and Pooja looked suitably bewildered and stuck in one corner while Meera was on the verge of a hissy fit.
Only Abdul looked thrilled to bits and was already chatting up with Jai's relatives like they were long lost friends meeting after years.
Karuna's devoted husband, Tarun was sipping some Coconut water, dressed in an atrocious Onion peel colour Safari Suit that must have gone out of fashion even before he was born, his other two cousin's...his maternal Uncle's daughters, the forever giggling, Anu and Lakshmi were gazing with wonder at the beautifully done up living room and there were the three kids, Tarun and Karuna's daughters, jumping on his super-expensive Italian leather Couches like they were sandbags.
The moment the girls looked at him, they yelped with joy and came springing towards him, much to Jai's revulsion and disgust. He simply hated kids and Karuna and Tarun's girls were in his opinion the worst of their species. Absolutely wild, hyper-active and with too much energy in them.
'POTLU MAMU!' they screamed in joy and hugged him, the oldest amongst them only reaching up to his thighs.
'Pick me up!' screamed the middle one, but the eldest one shoved her apart and tugging at Jai's custom tailored Zegna shirt, asked him to pick her up first. The youngest one looked happy but a bit shy and just clung to Jai's feet.
Bani who was watching the entire scene from above felt her heart melting. She absolutely loved children. Loved them to death. Even though it was more than five years that she had left her teaching job at Mukteshwar, she always remembered her wards and kept sending them books, candies and whatever she could afford by post from time to time.
The three girls looked endearing to Bani and she was already making plans to get them together for a musical number for the Sangeet Function.
'Karuna! Get them off me! Hey...Huush...Hussh..Hussh...Hurrrr.' said Jai, trying to push away the kids, as if they were errant crows who had landed on his Corn Fields.
Tarun quickly disentangled the girls and said very lovingly to them, 'Won't you touch your Mamaji's feet? Have you forgotten what Naani told you already?'
Much to Jai's shock, the three small girls touched his feet one by one and he stood there blankly, not knowing what to do.
'Arre Potlu...bless them! They need their Bade Mama's blessings so that they may grow up to be very fair complexioned and beautiful and land a rich, good-looking man for husbands...just like their Potlu Mama!' said Karuna, giving a wide grin to Jai, who mottled red, especially when Meera exclaimed, 'Potlu? What the...'
'Karuna, I highly doubt my blessings would come to any good for the kids! And...PLEASE, NO USING MY LONG FORGOTTON NICKNAME. Btw, Hi Tarun. How are you doing?' asked Jai, looking extremely bothered and vexed....very different from his usual, cool, composed self.
'I am fine, Saale Sahab! You tell me? Aap toh high-profile type log ho!' said Tarun hugging Jai affectionately, even though he was aloof and distinctly uncomfortable.
'Hi Lakshmi...Hey Anu!' remarked Jai in a unforthcoming manner, as the girls started tittering, making Jai roll his eyes and wonder how he was going to stand this bunch for the next 8 days! And who the hell had got them here in the first place?
'Hello Dada! We are fine, thank you.' replied both the young girls.
Bani had walked down by this time and was standing near Pooja and Saurabh and was watching with both amusement and enjoyment at Jai's family...which seemed to be as different from him as could be imagined.
Karuna looked at the unfamiliar faces in the room and asked Jai, 'Potlu...I mean, Bhai...who are these people?'
'That's Meera...Chote's would-be-wife's cousin...she has come to help with the wedding....apparently.' Karuna, being the traditionalist, seemed a bit shocked that the would-be-bride's sister was already in the house, but smiled warmly at her, which was not returned by Meera, who was giving a disgusting look at the three little girls feasting messily on some Truffle Chocolates that Abdul got for them to eat till the cook prepared some snack. There were no regular sweets and candies in the house and the only thing Abdul could get his hand on was a box of super-expensive French Truffles that someone had sent for Jai.
Turning to look at the other three, he said, 'They are the professional wedding planners...remember my friend, Jiggy...Jigyasa Bali? She runs a wedding planning firm...they work for her. Jiggy has the contract for the wedding…so she has one team working for Purva’s family and one for us.'
Pooja smiled warmly and introduced herself, 'Hello Mam...I am Pooja!'
Saurabh too smiled courteously and said, 'Hello Mam...I am Saurabh.'
And before Bani could introduce herself, Jai looked at her and said mordantly, 'And this is the honourable Miss. Dixit...she is supervising the wedding arrangements here.' Bani simply gave him a cold look and proceeded to shower Karuna and her family with her beautiful smile.
'This is my maternal cousin Karuna...her husband Tarun and those two are my other cousin’s…my maternal uncle’s daughters...Anu and Lakshmi.'
Bani smiled shyly at the guests and said, 'your daughters are beautiful, Mam. What are their names?'
Karuna beamed with maternal pride on the compliment and said, 'I will introduce you to them...girls, come here!'
The three girls, face and hands smeared with chocolate came running and Karuna introduced them,
'This is my eldest born....Ambika...she is 10 years old.'
'This is my second born...Sanvika...she is 8 years old.'
'And this is my baby...Varalika...she will turn 6 in May.'
'What weird names!' mumbled Meera, hurting Karuna, who just worshipped her three daughters, but kept quiet, knowing her boundaries in Jai's home.
'Such beautiful names...you have three goddesses in your home, Karuna Mam.' smiled Bani and added, 'Ambika means Goddess Durga...Sanvika means Goddess Lakshmi and Varalika means Goddess Sarawati...the holy trinity. Is that right?'
Adding, 'You are so lucky...you must be taking God's name every time you call out for your daughters!'
Karuna fell in love with Bani that very moment and said without thinking, 'Hai Potlu...your wedding planner is just superb!'
Saurabh and Pooja spluttered out laughing and had to muffle it with desperation, when Jai glared back at them.
'Yes...she is a warehouse of useless information!' came back Jai wryly and ordered Abdul to settle the unexpected and undesirable guests into their rooms.
'Don't call me Mam and all...you are obviously much younger than I am...so you can call me Didi!' announced Karuna, to the three of them.
'Mam...I mean didi...we were planning to do a dance for the sangeet...there was no one around in the house...would...would the three girls be interested...' mumbled Pooja, sharing a look with Saurabh and Bani.
'INTERESTED? THAT TOO IN DANCE? ARE YOU JOKING? OUR WHOLE FAMILY DANCES!' squealed Karuna in joy, as Meera simply shook her head in disgust and disbelief at the quality of relatives that Jai had and walked out for a hair appointment she had.
Bani, Pooja and Saurabh looked delighted and asked the girls, 'Would you like to dance on your Chote Mamu's wedding?'
'YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS' they trilled, overjoyed and already becoming friends with the three of them.
Jai's Study
Having devoured two aspirins and muttering uncountable curses, both under his breath and loudly, Jai finally called up Nachiket on his mobile.
'Chote! Can you believe it? Dimpy and family have dropped in! With their brood! Without any intimation! And those two giggling cousins of ours…Anu and Lakshmi have also come! What the Fuck!' he cursed on the phone.
Nachiket seemed to shilly-shally and then mumbled, 'Dada...I know. Actually, I was the one who suggested to them that they come a bit early to Delhi...you know...there would be some masti...some music...and it’s not every day, that all of us meet!'
Jai all but exploded over the phone and screamed, 'WHAT? Oh! God! CHOTE! You should have at least asked me first! The bloody wedding...I mean your wedding is still 8 days away! 8 days! What will I do with them till then? You are sitting happily in Bangalore and won't come till two days before! And I am stuck with them for more than one week! IT’S NOT FAIR! And can you believe it, Dimpy still calls me Potlu! HOW HUMILIATING!'
Nachiket could not help but laugh and infuriated Jai even more.
'What is so funny?' he snapped.
'Arre Dada...calm down. And I am sorry...I should have informed you earlier! But I spoke to Dimpy didi over the phone and she was practically begging me to invite her a few days earlier...poor thing...she hardly gets a holiday for herself and she just adores you. More than my wedding, she was dying to meet and spend some time with you!'
'So? Am I running a resort? The Farmhouse is already teeming with idiots of all size and shape, namely that irritating sister-in-law of yours...Meera...and now you have stuck me with three brats to deal with!'
'Three brats? Oh! Dimpy didi and Tarun Jeejaji's daughters? They are adorable! And even though you never bother to call them, they simply worship you and can't have enough of their Potlu Mama!'
'I hate kids! AND DON’T SAY THAT NAME AGAIN! ELSE I WILL GET THIS WEDDING CANCELLED!' announced Jai, making Nachiket sigh in exasperation. His brother was quite simply put, a Character!
'Anyway Dada...don't get so hassled. I wanted to share good news with you!'
'What? You are Purva broke up? The wedding is not happening?' asked Jai satirically.
'Dada! Come on! Nothing of that sort! I just wanted to tell you that you won't have to deal with all of them alone...I am coming earlier than planned!'
Jai's mood instantly brightened up and he spoke in surprise, 'Really? Wow! That's great news! But what about your work? Chote, don't let your career suffer for the wedding! You can always get another woman to marry you...but you might not get the chance to become a Junior Partner in your Bank again!'
'Dada!' protested Nachiket, laughing and not getting offended at what Jai had said. He knew his brother and his strange sense of humour very well by now.
'Work is no issue at all...I will be working at the Gurgaon Office...and I can stay at the Farmhouse...it will like old days...remember our summer vacations in Amristar? At Massi’s place? What fun it used to be!'
'Fun? The smell of cow dung everywhere and elephant sized mosquitoes biting you at night is not fun in my view!' came back Jai.
'Oh! Come on! You were always the most enthusiastic about our Amritsar Vacations!' chided Nachiket.
'Ah! But that is only because of Shobhna Massi...she was a delight! Dimpy has taken on her completely…at least in terms of looks!'
'Well...good news, that you however remember Massi...because she is also coming with me tomorrow!'
'WHAT?' exploded Jai over the phone.
The next five minutes were spent with Nachiket holding the mobile a bit further away from his ear, as Jai shouted out the choicest expletives on his brother and when he had calmed down a bit, all he said was,
'Chote, if you were not getting married...I swear, I would have hung you dry in the Wine Cellar in my basement! What the Fuck? Why are you getting her? And what on earth is she doing in Bangalore?'
'She had come for that spiritual symposium of hers...you know she became a Brahmakumari a few years back, right? So...I went to meet her and told her that there was no point in her going back to Amritsar and then coming all the way to Delhi for the wedding...she might as well come with me!'
'Oh! God! Chote!' moaned Jai, searching for his bottle of aspirin again.
'What? Only a while ago, you were remembering her so fondly!' protested Nachiket.
'Yes, I was...but 8 days with Shobhna Massi? You know her, don't you? She will pick fault with every single thing in the wedding...and poor Purva...I can't imagine what inspection she is going to get! Massi is great...but she can put Hitler to shame with her dominating nature! And I don't want another person in the house who calls me that bloody Potlu again!'
'Now, what should I do? I have already booked her ticket to Delhi...and she is so happy and excited. Not so much about my wedding, but to meet you...his apple of the eye...come on, Dada! It’s only a matter of few days! Please! Be a sport!'
Jai gave up and said, 'Okay, whatever! If it gets too much, I will just move back to my Gurgaon Apartment and hand over this place to the Monkey Brigade from Amritsar!'
Nachiket laughed and then said, 'How is the wedding prep coming along? I know one of the planners! Bani! She is Purva's friend! How is she?'
Jai was speechless for some time as a slow smile crept on his face and he spoke coolly, 'She is good...sweet girl!'
'Isn't it? I also liked her...though I have met her just once! Okay...Dada...I will go now...have loads of work to finish and packing to do! Massi is insisting on getting home-cooked food on-board and I have to convince her not to do that...so it’s going to take time! Btw, do you mind, if I get Shanky along with me? He also has work at our Guragon Office and he was anyway going to attend all my wedding functions…I was wondering if he could stay at the Farmhouse itself…I mean, if you have no problems.’
'You don't bother to take my permission and call all the people whom I studiously avoid...and you are asking me if you can bring your best friend along? Chote, seriously! Of course, you can get him! No problems!'
'Thanks a ton, Dada! You are the best brother in the whole world!'
'Yes, I know that. But thank you for reaffirming it!'
Both the brothers laughed and bid goodbye before meeting tomorrow.
Next Day
Having spent the couple of nights since he met Bani, sleeplessly, Jai was exhausted and he overslept, shouting on Abdul to take the Tea back, when the faithful domestic had knocked on the door at his usual time. When Jai finally came down, temporarily forgetting about his relatives, he was shocked to see the commotion going on outside in the lawns. Picking up his cup of tea, which tasted blissfully fragrant and different from what he usually had...Bani's handiwork, he mused, walked outside.
The entire place seemed to have undergone a transformation. Tarun and Karuna were sitting on the lawn chair and cheering enthusiastically, along with Anu, Lakshmi, Saurabh, Pooja and a couple of the gardeners and their assistants watching the scene in progress.
Jai all but scalded his mouth when he saw his three nieces trying to follow the dance steps which Bani was teaching them. The latest Bollywood number was playing and the three girls, in between giggles and mischief, looped and twirled around and tried to imitate Bani's graceful dancing.
Jai could not lift his eyes of Bani...she looked like a vision in her while chudiar salwar, her hair tied in a lose plait and both her hands jingling with the sound of her silver-oxidized bangles. It was not just her beauty which captured the moment for him...it was the pure joy in her eyes, as he saw her dance in abandon along with the three kids. How effortlessly she had fallen in love with them...who were just strangers to her till a few hours back...and how beautifully they bonded with her...like they had known her forever.
Jai's mother had once told him that children only bonded with those people whom they trusted and whom they knew loved them back...and he knew very well, how much love Bani had in her heart for children.
He would have stood there watching the scene in front of his eyes for eternity, hadn't Karuna's chirpy voice called out for him, 'Potlu...Bhai! What are you doing standing there? Come here! See...Bani is teaching such a lovely dance to my three angels! Come...Come...'
Bani instantly stopped dancing when Jai walked past her and took one of the lawn chairs, and looked at her. She was perspiring a little bit after the dance session and flushing crimson because of the way he was looking at her. Somehow his sensual assaults were less discomforting than the look he gave her at times.
'Arre...why did you stop the music? Pooja..play it na! This is such a fantastic number for the Sangeet...and once they are done...you can get Anu and Lakshmi to practice also!'
Bani did not reply and looked increasingly awkward and shy in front of Jai...she had no wish to dance in front of him! He made her dance to his tunes otherwise too!
'Karuna didi...I think we should take a break. Varalika is already tired, poor thing...let them have their breakfast...and we can continue practice in the spare rooms we have downstairs. What do you say, Pooja?'
Pooja nodded her head and the three of them excused themselves.
'Sir...we have a couple of things to wrap up regarding the arrangements...we will get going...and if Mam...I mean, Karuna didi wants to oversee her work, she is more than welcome.' said Saurabh.
Karuna beamed at them and said, 'Arre...what oversee your work? You are doing such a great job! Just let me know if I or Tarunji can help you in any way! Infact, Anu and Lakshmi...you two are free! Why don't you help Bani and these two with the preparations! Go...Go...And you three...go to Abdul Chacha and ask for your breakfast! Go...it’s going to be 9:30 already!'
When everyone had left, Jai feeling more charitable towards his cousin than he had felt yesterday, said, 'you guys had breakfast?'
'Arre! What are you saying? How can we eat without you? You have your tea etc...we are in no hurry for breakfast!'
Tarun and Jai exchanged some local news and chatted amicably on a few subjects, when Karuna announced suddenly, ' I can't understand what sort of a job is organizing weddings for other people!'
Jai laughed a bit and said, 'Its big business, Dimpy! Everyone hires a wedding planner and they do everything for you...decoration, getting the cards printed, catering, even shopping etc.!'
'Oh! Sounds nice...no headache for us!' said Karuna and then suddenly jumped to another topic.
'Bani is a really nice girl isn't it? I mean, Pooja and that boy Saurabh are very nice too...but there is something special about Bani! Look how she bonded with my girls? She must love children!' announced Karuna beaming at Jai.
He seemed to be at a loss of words and spoke slowly, 'Yes...she is a nice girl.' and then in a bid to change subject, added, 'Do you know, Chote has pre-pone his date and coming here today! And guess, who is coming with him? Massi! Your mother!'
Karuna yelled excitedly, 'Really! Chote is coming today! And Ma is coming too! Oh! What a good news you have told me, Potlu...I mean...Jai...Jai...Oh! Wow! Ab aayega Shaadi mein mazza!'
Tarun added in a abstemious voice, 'Maaji won't like all this wedding planning business and all...you know how she is! And also...that lady...what is her name, Meera! If Maaji comes to know that Chote's would-be-wife's sister is staying here...that too with you present in the house...everyone has had it!'
'What nonsense! Meera is just a guest, like everyone else! And who on earth would have organized the wedding from our side if not for the professional planners?' retorted Jai, back in his vexed style.
'Ya...but who will explain that to Maaji!' concluded Tarun, hiding himself behind a copy of Jai's Financial Times, badly missing his copy of Dainik Jaagran.
'Well...whatever! Meera will be here till the wedding! She is my guest.'
'A bit unusual, isn't she? Did not even say hello to us?' commented Karuna gloomily, wondering how anyone could fail to like a friendly, amiable soul like her.
'But I like Pooja and Saurabh...and Bani the most! Is she married?' asked Karuna with lively curiosity.
'No. Why do you ask?'
'One of Tarunji's cousins is getting to be the marriageable age...I was thinking a girl like Bani would be perfect for him...'
Jai did not even let her complete the sentence and snapped back coldly, 'She has a boyfriend...and he is an ex-convict...was booked for murder...carries a butcher knife and can't stand the sight of any man speaking to her. So I would advise you to cut short any plans you might have for Bani.'
Karuna looked visibly taken aback and said, 'Such a nice girl...and she is in love with such a man? Hai Potlu...girls have such terrible choices in men at times...'
Jai simply shrugged his head and excused himself saying he had some phone calls to make to his office.
Around Afternoon
Pooja and Bani were busy with finalizing the Sangeet Programme and emailing the details to their team in Bangalore for further coordination, when Saurabh came huffing and puffing to the terrace where they were sitting. Ambika, Sanvika and Varalika were also lounging around with them, exhilarated with the company of young girls instead of their short-fused Mama, who refused to even smile at them, leave aside play or engage them in anyway.
'Guess who has come now?' asked Saurabh gasping for breath.
'Have some water first! Have you been running? Saurabh? You have breathing problem! Take some precaution!' chided Bani, as always protective and caring.
'Arre I am fine! The groom has come!' announced Saurabh, getting excited yells from both Pooja and Bani.
'Oh! That is great! Nachiket is here! Wow!' exclaimed Bani.
'Yeah...and some friend of his from work...he will also be staying here till the wedding! And there is another guest! Atom Bomb!'
Who?' asked Bani with curiosity.
'Mr. W's aunt...Massiji...and oh, boy! Did she give an earful to Meera Madam the moment she entered!' laughed Saurabh!
'Why, what happened?' said Bani with apprehension.
'Meera Madam was wearing a ridiculously short dress and was in the process of flirting with Mr. W for the nth time...when our beloved elderly lady, dressed in all-white attire enters...and the blasting she gave! Ooh! Ha! Ha! Ha! It was so funny!'
Pooja laughed uproariously when Saurabh recounted the earful that Meera had got from Massiji, while Bani looked quite nervous and felt awkward at encountering someone older from Jai’s family. Especially given what Jai and she were upto in his study...though she had not much fault in all that, still her traditional upbringing forced her to feel guilty and ashamed of indulging in such a physical relationship with a man who was technically speaking no one to her.
Downstaris
Jai's Massi was a rather formidable looking lady, dressed in all white attire from top to toe, with just a beaded chain of rudraksh around her neck and a sandal-wood tikka on her forehead. She was wearing glasses and had a very uncompromising appearance overall. When Bani walked into the room, Nachiket gave her a swift smile and she waved at him unobtrusively and stood in the corner. Tarun, Karuna and their three girls who had been turning the house upside down, were now standing with the most innocent expression on their faces.
'Jai...who are all these people? Why are there so many strangers in this house?' she questioned him...soft voiced but firm and unyielding.
'Meera, as I told you before is Purva's cousin...and these three...that one...Bani...the one next to her, Pooja...that guy in checked shirt, Saurabh...they are the wedding planners...organizing Chote's wedding...'
Massiji did not give anything away and looking sharply at an uneasy Pushkar, asked him, 'And who is this under-nourished boy?'
'Oh! He? Pushkar! He is doing an assignment under me...he is a student of law.'
'Hmmm...I don't understand, why you have hired strangers to organize your own brother's wedding?' questioned Massi, while Karuna gave him an 'I told you so' look.
Jai just tossed his head and replied stoically, 'I don't have the time to run around and everyone gives the wedding contract to professionals nowadays...they know what to do. They know everything related to a wedding.'
'Oh! Is it? They know everything? Let me see!' asked Massi and proceeded to stare down at the three of them.
'You...boy...tell me what are the eight type of marriages as per Hindu scriptures?'
Saurabh looked baffled and mumbled, 'You are asking me?'
'No, I am asking your ghost! Obviously I am asking you!' Bani understood where Jai had got his sarcasm from.
Jai simply shook his head in exasperation and decided to have fun, while it was going on. His aunt was sure to grill Bani and he wanted to have his revenge upon her for calling him by his stupid nickname.
'Eight types? Er...In the court...in a banquet hall...at a farmhouse...in a locality...'
Saurabh could not go on, because Karuna had started giggling helplessly, while Massi gave one look at the poor Saurabh and said, 'Jai...you said these people knew everything! This boy here describes the eight type of marriages as per Hindu scriptures as being held in a banquet hall and a farmhouse!'
Jai stared at Bani, who was standing quietly, with her head bent down and commented with mock-sympathy, 'Poor Saurabh! What would he know? He is just assisting his boss!'
'And who is his boss?' asked Massi, taking a few supari out of her silver box and chewing them.
'This young lady over there! Miss. Bani Dixit. She is quite the know-it-all! Why don't you ask her all the questions?'
Bani lifted her eyes to stare back at Jai, who gave her a smug smile and relaxed back on the couch to see the grilling she was going to receive.
Massi gave a top to toe scrutinizing of Bani and asked in demanding voice, 'Yes...can you tell me what are the eight type of marriages as per Hindu scriptures? Or should I ask the next question already?'
'Brahma marriage, Daiva marriage, Arsha marriage, Prajapatya marriage, Gandharva marriage, Asura marriage, Rakshasa marriage and Paishacha marriage.' she recited with quiet confidence, evoking a surprised exclamation from Massi and a shocked one from Jai. Karuna and her three girls showed a thumbs up to Bani.
'Hmmm...good...good...what is the meaning of Saptapadi?'
'It is the most important rite in any Hindu wedding ceremony. It means taking seven steps...around the holy fire with god as witness.'
Massi looked visibly impressed, but not giving up easily, she said, 'All this is theory...but tell me, what all goes into making the auspicious mehendi for the bride, which is prepared at the groom's house?'
'The mehendi leaves...lemon...sugar...boiled, purified water...and mustard oil. The mehendi leaves are ground with water and some lemon juice and sugar is added to it, so that it does not turn black or dry up...a thin layer of oil is put on the top to ensure that it remains moist and fragrant before it reaches the bride's house.'
Karuna clapped enthusiastically and commented, 'Ma...Bani is so smart! Isn't she? I think she will do a great job of organizing Chote's wedding!'
Massi gave a slight smile and nodded her head, as Bani spoke politely, 'My colleagues...both Pooja and Saurabh are very smart too...without them, I wouldn't be able to do anything properly. They might not know the meaning of certain rituals and things, but they know all the practical aspects of the wedding...without which nothing would be possible.'
Jai could not help but gasp at her frankness...he was sure that Massi would say something to her, but instead she smiled and said, 'I like this girl! Clear-hearted and honest.'
And then looking at Meera, commented acidically, ‘Unlike some people who wrap a towel around their bodies instead of wearing properly stitched clothes.’
Meera fumed at the insult and stomping her foot, tossed her glossy mane and stomped off to her room.
‘Hmm…I would like the three of you to sit down with me and give me a point by point update of everything that is going to happen in the wedding…from the food, to the type of flowers, to the Lagan Vedi, to the Sangeet Function, to everything. Okay?’
Bani, Saurabh and Pooja nodded their heads and left the room, breathing with relief the moment they were out of sight.
‘My God! Jaise Mr. W…waise unki Massiji!’ commented Saurabh, making even Bani laugh this time.
Jai and Shobhana Massi
Jai had personally settled down his aunt in her room and after having placed her on the bed, started pressing her feet.
‘Hai Potlu! You still remember to press my feet! God bless you!’ said Massi lovingly, patting Jai’s head.
‘Why wouldn’t I remember it? And please don’t call me Potlu!’
‘I called you by your real name in front of everyone…but I WILL call you by your pet-name when we two are together! You don’t teach me anything now! You were and will always be my Potlu! My Krishna didi's Potlu Baba!’
‘Oh! God! Massi! You are just incorrigible!’ exclaimed Jai, sulking and moping like he was a 7 year old again!
‘Well so are you!’
‘What do you mean?’
‘You know what I mean!’
‘Oh! No! Not again! I am not getting married!’
‘Why not? You are 35! In this age, your father was already a father to the two of you…and poor didi, if she hadn’t fallen ill, would have given you a third sibiling also.’
‘Oh! Thank God! That did not happen!’ muttered Jai, earning a disapproving look from Massi.
‘Potlu…I am serious. Chote is 6 years younger than you and he is getting married…and you? Don’t you want a family? A wife who waits for you every day to come home? Cute children who run behind you? The bliss and happiness of family life?’
Jai was quiet for a minute, wondering what to say to this.
‘What is wrong? Haven’t you found one single woman whom you can live the rest of your life with? A man like you? So good-looking…so successful, rich, loving, caring…though I know that you are always pretending to be rude and callous…but that is not so! Why are you so hell-bent on spending the rest of your life alone?’ asked Massi, tears building up in her eyes.
Jai answered simply, ‘I have no answer to give…really. You know about my Cancer…’
Massi shuddered at the mention of his disease and uttering a short prayer, said to him, ‘That curse is over with, beta…you are recovered! Though I can never forgive you for spending that one year recovering in some strange place instead of quietly coming to Amritsar. I would have taken good care of you.’
‘Well, someone did take good care of me, there too!’ smiled Jai.
Massi instantly caught on and beaming at him said, ‘Who is she?’
‘How did you know it was a she?’
‘A mother can read her child’s each expression! Your face lighted up with joy when you mentioned her. Tell me who is she?’
Jai hesitated and spoke softly, ‘She was a neighbour…a girl next door to the cottage I had rented…she was really, really nice to me…took care of me like a mother takes care of her child…made me laugh…annoyed me immensely too…but overall, she was the best thing to have happened to me in a long time.’
‘Then? What happened?’ asked Massi in a curious voice.
‘Nothing. I recovered. Said goodbye to her and came back to Delhi to catch up on the missed time!’
‘That is it? You came back? POTLU! If you liked her so much, why didn’t you tell her so? Why didn’t you ask her to marry you?’
On seeing Jai’s mute response to her question, Massi asked gently, ‘Didn’t she love you back?’
Gulping the lump in his throat, he looked at his aunt and said, ‘That was the whole problem, Massi…she loved me too much. Maybe if she had loved me a little less, I could have acted a bit selfishly and made her part of my life…but it was her selfless love that stopped me from ruining her future.’
Massi looked utterly confused and bewildered and was about to ask him what he was talking about, when they heard a noise outside the door.
‘Come in!’ called out Jai and was taken aback to see Bani.
‘Massiji…I have made the list of all the things we have prepared till now…you can go through it.’
Massi nodded her head absently, her thoughts still on Jai’s strange tale and he in the meanwhile stared at Bani. Had she heard anything? Apparently not, she looked calm and impassive as always and wasn’t even looking at him.
‘I will check it out beta…thank you.’ Said Massi and Bani took leave.
Massi was about to cross-question Jai, when he held his aunt’s hands and spoke feverently, ‘I swear to you…I will tell you everything…every single thing, once this wedding gets over. Please don’t ask me anything before that, Massi. This is the biggest day in Chote’s life…and I don’t want any unhappiness marring it.’
‘But…’protested Massi, looking increasingly bewildered and worried.
‘No buts…I promise, I will tell you everything…but after Chote’s wedding. Promise me, you won’t bring this again till then. Please!’
Massi nodded her head reluctantly as Jai bid her goodbye and went to spend some time with his brother.
Bani
"That was the whole problem, Massi…she loved me too much. Maybe if she had loved me a little less, I could have acted a bit selfishly and made her part of my life…but it was her selfless love that stopped me from ruining her future."
“She was a neighbour…a girl next door to the cottage I had rented…she was really, really nice to me…took care of me like a mother takes care of her child…made me laugh…annoyed me immensely too…but overall, she was the best thing to have happened to me in a long time.”
Jai’s words kept sounding in Bani’s head, as she stood at the edge of the terrace where she had ran to after having fallaciously overheard Jai and his aunt’s conversation.
She was the best thing to have happened to him…then why? His voice was filled with nothing but love and affection for her…then why was he behaving like this? What was the secret he was hiding from her? How could he ruin her life by returning her love? And he had wished to maker her his for life? Bani could not believe what he had said even though she had heard it from his own mouth. Then what on Earth had stopped him? She had made it amply clear that she worshipped the ground on which he walked...she had said it in clear words that she loved him! Then?
She had opened her heart to him…and he couldn’t tell her what grief was eating him away? Didn’t he trust her even that little? Why was he making her so miserable when he knew very well how hopelessly she was in love with him? Was it her punishment for loving someone with such devotion?
Blinded by tears and overcome by emotions, she skidded from the low-rung parapet and fell down blindingly to the ground, as Pushkar, Pooja, Nachiket and Saurabh, who were engaged in a friendly chat looked with horror and cried her name out.
A masculine pair of arms caught her just at the nick of time and as Bani opened her terrified eyes, she looked into an attractive, grinning face.
‘My mother used to tell me that the girl of my dreams would fall from heaven one day. I had no idea she meant it literally.’
Placing her prudently on the ground, he rubbed his throbbing arms, impacted by the sudden fall from height and giving an impish smile at her said, ‘Hi! I am Shashank Gupta! Shanky for my friends!’
"Of all pains,
the greatest pain, Is to love, and to love in vain" - George Granville
Part 14
Bani seemed to be in a shock from the fall and even though Shashank's timely rescue had left her with no injuries, she was completely bone rattled and kept shivering. Shashank looked concerned and said, 'Are you okay?' Nachiket, Pooja, Saurabh and Pushkar came running towards her and instantly started fussing over her and took her inside. Abdul in the meanwhile ran back to Jai's study and banged loudly and furiously on the door, getting a suitable roar in response.
'WHAT THE HELL? WHO IS IT?' he bellowed, throwing his expensive Mont Blanc Pen on the desk.
Abdul opened the door and looked at Jai who was glaring back at him with anger and shouted, 'ABDUL! Don't you know how to knock on my door? I will break your hands if you do this...'
Abdul respectfully cut short his master's blasting and mumbled, 'Sahabji...that Madam...she fell from the terrace!'
'What? Who?' asked Jai getting up from his seat dumbfounded.
'Bani Madam...she slipped and fell from the parapet...'
Jai's face lost all colour and he rushed past Abdul, calling out for Bani, at the same time, fishing out his Iphone and trying to place a call to his personal physician.
He was met with Pushkar who was munching on some peanuts that Karuna had got from Amritsar and looking completely shocked and shaken, he asked, 'Pushkar? What happened to Bani? Abdul told me she fell down from the terrace? Where is she? Is she hurt very much? How did she fall?' and then noticed that Pushkar was unable to reply because his mouth was full of Peanuts!
'What the hell are you eating? Your friend is hurt and you are busy mooching like a cow! PUSHKAR!' screamed Jai, making the poor boy totally tongue tied.
By then Jai saw Nachiket and Shashank coming out of Bani's room and he asked them in a highly anxious voice, 'Where is she? What happened to her? Why isn't the ambulance here yet?' And saying that he started rushing towards her room.
'Arre Dada...Bani is fine!'
'What? But Abdul told me that she fell from the terrace!'
'Yes, she did! Though God knows how! But Shanky saved her just in time! He caught her before she could hit the ground! She didn't get hurt at all...just in a bit of trauma...otherwise she is fine. We just dropped her to her room...her colleagues...what’s their name...yes, Pooja and Saurabh are there with her!'
'Oh!' Jai inhaled in relief and then giving a grateful smile at him said, 'Thanks Shashank!'
Shashank smiled and replied back, 'Please Sir! It was nothing! And she is indeed okay. Don't look so worried!'
Jai reddened a little and changed the topic, 'I...well, it’s really nice to see you here! I hope Abdul has arranged a good room for you?'
'Thank you so much, Sir! Yes, everything is great! Your house is just marvellous!'
Jai wanted desperately to go and see if Bani was fine or not, but he was worried that he had already given away too much with his uncharacteristically emotional reaction to her fall and he did not want anyone suspecting anything amiss, especially with Massi, Nachiket and Karuna around...his family, who despite all his efforts, seemed to know him a bit too well!
He sat along with Nachiket and Shashank and chatted up in general with both of them, though his mind was clearly one floor above.
'So, how is working coming along?'
'Great Sir! Nachiket and I are working on the NTPC project...it’s doing really good! But I will miss this chap when he goes to Boston!' laughed Shashank, who seemed to be a boy of high spirits and a lively, happy-go-lucky disposition.
'Well, I will miss him too! But it’s good for his career and besides, Purva is also going with him!' remarked Jai, patting his brother on his shoulders.
'Sir, how is your life going on? I keep reading about you from time to time...your closing argument in that State Minister's Case was simply fantastic! I actually got it printed out from the News site that had published it.'
Jai smiled dismissingly at the compliment...he was so used to hearing his praises, that it just bored him to death now. Giving a look at Pushkar who was standing dutifully, waiting for his orders, he closed his eyes in exasperation and said, 'What are you doing now? I mean, besides eating Peanuts?'
'Erm...Sir...you had to give me some case files to review!' mumbled Pushkar.
Jai gave a grunt and said, 'Okay...ask Abdul to hand over that sky blue folder, numbered BN-W-UE301 in cupboard 23 to you...the title would be Chang & Suefert Law Offices...they are our Legal partners in Hong Kong. Go through the documents; make a listing of the terms of service given in it. Write it down in pencil, don't type it out before I have reviewed it. After that, I want you to draft a paper on the Adjudicatory Hearing related to Brahmanand Vs the State case...you will find the case papers in a red colour file, numbered 1111-PPE-001...in cupboard 14. Abdul will show you where my legal filing is kept, but don't let him handle any of those. Also be careful...I don't want any spelling errors, no grammatical mistakes...nothing. The work should be perfect.'
'Yes Sir.' said Pushkar and rushed to find Abdul, while silently marvelling at Jai's eidetic memory and the way he remembered not just every single legal document that he possessed but also the colours of his files, the complicated alpha-numeric numbering and even the cupboard numbers where he got them filed. Was it any wonder that he was already considered a legend in the field of law?
Jai excused himself from the group, stating he had some phone calls to make.
In between the chattering, Shashank asked Nachiket, 'Hey, by the way...who is that girl?'
'The one you saved from a lifetime of disability? Bani. She is one of the wedding planners and Purva's friend in Bangalore.'
'Oh! She is also from Bangalore?'
'Yup...though I don't know her very well! Purva does!'
'Hmmm...Pretty chick!' commented Shashank with a hint of a smile.
Nachiket grinned and replied back, 'Yes...I can see that you haven't been able to take your eyes off the direction of her room ever since you saw her!'
Shashank laughed out loud and said, 'Come on! Nothing like that! But just for information, does she have a boyfriend?'
Nachiket could not help but burst into laughter on hearing the question and said, 'And you are saying nothing like that? Well, I don't know to be honest! I have met her just once! But Purva should know! Why? Interested?'
'Well...' mused Shashank, grinning and adding, 'She seemed nice...'
'You don't even know her!'
'Sometimes...just one look is enough, dude!'
'Ha! Ha! Well...why don't you just try your luck, since you are here anyway?' challenged Nachiket.
'I might...I might...' played along Shashank as both the friends burst out laughing.
Bani's Room
Jai saw Pooja and Saurabh making Karuna's three girls practice for the dance routing in the lawns, so he assumed that Bani was all alone. Even though everyone had said that she was fine, he was feeling quite worried about her, wondering how on earth could she slip and fall down from the Terrace. Given that she was a very prudent and careful person by nature. Though the house was choc-a-block with people, they were all assembled downstairs and Jai could quietly make his way across to Bani's room.
He was about to knock on the door, but noticed that it was slightly ajar, so he pushed it open noiselessly and stepped inside her room. She was standing near the picture window, staring blankly at the Koi Fish Pond below her room and seemed to be fine, without any cuts or bruises, but had a strange, heart-broken expression on her face.
'Bani?' he interrupted her thought flow and made her jerk with shock, as she turned to look at him.
'I...I am sorry! Did I disturb you? I heard about your fall...was worried...so...' Jai could not complete his sentence, caught by the expression of pain and sadness in her eyes, wondering what had happened all of a sudden. Was she so rattled by the accident?
She seemed to stare back at Jai for some time and then taking her eyes away from him, mumbled in an inaudible voice, 'Nothing. I am fine.'
'How are you feeling now? I hope you didn't get hurt?'
'Physically. No.' answered Bani cryptically; confusing Jai and making him wonder what was wrong with her.
'Oh! Good! I was getting really worried...by the way...how did this happen? What were you doing in the Terrace? And how on earth did you slip from there?'
Bani was quiet for a moment and then answered wearily, 'I was thinking about something...and I just leaned too much on the Parapet Wall...I don't know what happened...just fell down.'
'You should be more careful. Thank God, Shashank saved you in the nick of time...else, you would have gotten a broken neck for sure!' joked Jai, trying to lighten her mood.
Bani showed no reaction to Jai's attempt at humour and pushing her hair back, spoke in a lacklustre voice, 'I have some work to wrap up with Pooja...I will go down.'
And saying that she started walking out, when Jai caught hold of her wrists and pulling her towards him, asked her in a soft voice, 'What happened Bani? You were fine till a few hours back? Did someone say something to you? Massi? Please don't mind her! She talks like this to everyone! But she means well. Look, I will apologize...'
Bani cut him in between, trying to fight back her tears and spoke in a broken voice, 'It’s nothing. I am fine. You don't have to worry about me.'
Looking hurt, he asked her, 'something is obviously bothering you, Bani. And you won't even tell me? Don't you think I am capable of sharing whatever that is eating you away?'
Bani lifted her tear filled eyes, shocking Jai, and looking at him, spoke in a choked voice, 'I can ask you the same question, Jai. Don't you think I am capable of being trusted with anything that is bothering you?'
Not understanding her question, he asked her, 'I don't understand...what you are trying to say?'
Tears were flowing down her cheeks now and wiping them away, she answered back, 'there was a time, when you could even understand my silences, Jai...and now you can't even seem to understand my words. That probably defines our relationship...if there was ever one in the first place.'
And saying that she went away from the room, leaving Jai numbed and speechless.
Downstairs
Karuna fussed over Bani in the most comical manner, after having been informed by one of her daughters' that 'didi' had fallen down from the Terrace, much to Bani's amusement, who found her dark mood to be uplifted by the constant chirping of the three girls, along with the teenaged Anu and Lakshmi and with the arrival of Nachiket and even his friend, Shashank, who seemed to have infused life into the house.
Bani was getting might embarrassed by Shashank's attention on her, but he was quite a witty and charming boy and somehow she felt at ease around him in sometime.
'Thank you...for saving me.' she mumbled, wiping the perspiration off her forehead, as she took a break from the dancing and left it to Pooja, who was making Anu and Lakshmi do a dance routine.
'Oh! It’s not like every day, pretty looking girls drop from above into my arms! I should be the one thank you!' he commented back, making Bani blush.
'Bani...don't mind him, please! He hasn't stopped hitting on Purva even though we are getting married in a weeks' time...so I guess, you will be the object of his unwanted attention for sometime to come!' commented Nachiket laughingly.
Bani smiled but maintained a distance from Shashank, even though he kept trying his best to break the ice between the both of them.
Abdul brought evening tea for everyone in the lawns and even Massi joined them, scolding and then fussing upon Bani on hearing about her accident.
'It was nothing Massiji...I don't know how it happened. I think I was just being careless.' muttered Bani, as she poured tea for everyone.
'You should be more careful! What if you had broken a limb? So difficult to find a boy for marriage as it is...' commented Massi, making Bani flush and the rest of them giggle.
'Yes, a one-legged Bani won't be such an attractive proposition, is it, Shanky?' teased Nachiket, getting a knock on his ribcage by Shashank, who could not help but keep admiring how graceful and calm-natured Bani was. Unlike any girl he had ever dated or even known. Just the types who would win his mother's heart.
In a bid to change topic, Bani hurriedly asked, 'Massiji, did you see the list I gave you? Please let us know what your views are...we are more than willing to work on anything...'
Cutting her short, Massi said, 'I am not one to shower praises on anyone...but I have to say that you people have done an excellent work. There is nothing that is wrong with the preparations and everything seems to be just like I would have wanted. Now everything has to be executed just as perfectly.'
'It will be Massiji...don't you worry!' chipped in Saurabh, giving a thumbs up to Bani and making her smile.
'Didi...Didi...come na! Let us play! Pooja didi...you also come! We will play blindfold!' insisted Sanvika, pulling Bani's hands.
'Arre...let her sit in peace! Poor girl! She was with you for the last 2 hours, wasn't she? Now leave her alone! Go and find that Pushkar Bhaiyaa! Go play with him! Where is he, by the way?' asked Karuna.
'Pushkar is locked away in the basement doing some work for Mr. Walia.' answered Pooja.
'Hai! This Potlu! Always work, work, work.' commented Karuna, forgetting about not mentioning him by his nick-name and making everyone snigger, except Bani.
'Dimpy Didi...you know Dada! It’s always work comes first for him! Anyway...what are the plans for tonight? I was thinking of a Bonfire!' suggested Nachiket, getting enthusiastic approvals from everyone, except Bani, who was once again lost in her own world.
'Hai...but will Potlu agree to let us light a fire in the middle of his beautiful lawns? Remember the last time, we had all come over during Holi? He was so upset at the mess we created in his terrace!'
'Oh, yes! I remember! He had made every servant in the house get down on their knees and scrub the tiles till all the colour went off!' said Nachiket.
'I am sure, Sir wont' mind...just ask him! Its your wedding...he won't be able to refuse you!' commented Shashank, his eyes constantly roaming on Bani, who was sitting with a pensive expression giving her a tragically beautiful look.
'Arre nahin yaar! Dada is already pissed off with me on various issues.' mumbled Nachiket, remembering the dressing down he received from his brother over the phone for having invited their relatives earlier than planned.
'Massiji...you speak to Sir! He will never be able to say No to you!' requested Shashank, wanting some opportunity to flirt with Bani and come closer to her, considering how aloof she was otherwise.
'Nahin Nahin...I won't get into all these. Anyway, I am in the habit of sleeping early and now I am going because it’s time for my evening veneration.' And saying that Massi got up and went inside.
'Karuna Didi?' questioned Shashank.
'Are you joking, Shanky Bhai? Potlu is already looking so upset with me...my Varalika broke one of his Vases...I thought it was just an ordinary Vase...you know the type you get from 'Mangal Bazaar'...but no...it is apparently from some Chinese man called Ming or Ching or something...and it’s very expensive!' moaned Karuna, who had got an earful from Jai a while ago, when her daughter had broken an expensive Ming Dynasty Vase, that Jai had obtained from an auction a few years ago.
'Who will bell the Tiger then?' asked Saurabh, very correctly changing the Cat to the Tiger as was appropriate where Jai was concerned.
'Bani!' yelled Pooja with excitement.
'What?' exclaimed everyone.
'Yes...Yes...Bani! Mr. Walia is very fond of her...and in fact, he told us that if we have anything to ask him, we should send Bani to his study! Really...he is most understanding and cooperative when Bani speaks to him!' spoke Pooja quite innocently, making Bani colour with embarrassment!
'Really? Wow! My brother doesn't warm up to strangers so soon...but if that is the case, then Bani, please ask him for the Bonfire tonight? Please! Please! Please!' pleaded Nachiket.
Bani was at a loss of words and could barely register a protest, before which she was forcibly scuttled off to Jai's study by the entire gang.
Jai's Study
Knocking rather reluctantly on Jai's study, she was surprised to hear him call out in a sober voice, 'Come in.' He sounded very weary and exhausted.
She opened the door and stepped in quietly, as he stared back at her in surprise and in the most uncharacteristically mellow tone, asked, 'Yes?'
Her eyelids dropped low and her hands crossed over one another, she asked him in a low voice, 'Nachiket and the others wanted to organize a Bonfire tonight...in the lawns. They wanted your permission.'
Jai smiled a bit and said, 'And they sent you for campaigning?'
She did not reply, to which Jai commented simply, 'they can go ahead. But please tell them to make sure that the grass is not burnt out...they can do the Bonfire in the farthest end of the property...'
'Thank you.' she mumbled and was about to go out, when Jai remarked, 'Do you have a moment to spare, Bani? I need to speak with you.'
Bani had no wish to even face Jai at this time, leave aside speak with him on anything, but she kept standing quietly. He walked up to her, but this time, there was no teasing or taunting or mocking or any sort of physical display of affection or domination by him. He simply placed his hand tenderly on her shoulder and said, 'I realize I have been behaving like a real jerk with you...ever since we met. Honestly, there is no reasonable explanation for my behaviour...I guess, Ranveer is correct...I am an Ass!'
Noticing that she was just as quiet and sombre, he lost his emotional control and started speaking in a halted voice, 'I am sorry for the way I have been behaving with you, Bani.'
'Sorry for all the harsh, cruel, demeaning things I said to you...'
'Sorry for having you made cry so much...'
'Sorry for having hurt you so much...'
'And Sorry for...'
He could not complete his sentence, because to his shock, Bani had burst out crying like a child and she fell down on Jai's chest, weeping hopelessly. Petrified of what had gone wrong with her, Jai held her tighly in his arms and consoled her, 'Bani! What happened? I was apologizing to you...did you think I was making fun of you? No...No...I was being really serious! Don't cry...Please. I can't see you cry...'
'Then why didn't you bother to call me up and see me in the last four years, Jai?' she questioned him between her tears.
'Why didn't you ask me how I was doing? How was my little sister...who by the way, ran away and got married on her own. How was my father...who died four years back. Why did I leave Mukteshwar? Because I was orphaned and had no one in the world to call my own. What was I doing in Bangalore? I was trying to rebuild the broken pieces of my life...Whether I remembered you or not? Yes, I did...every moment of the day. Whether I missed your presence in my life or not? Yes, I did...so much, that I had to cry myself to sleep for days on end. Why Jai? Why are you asking me what is bothering me now, when you didn't care to ask any other question?'
Stunned by her emotional outburst, Jai could only stare back silently.
'What did I do so wrong that you had to punish me like this?' she questioned him, tears streaming down her cheeks.
'Bani...calm down!'
'I am calmed down, Jai. I am calmed down. Because I realize with a man like, no amount of emotional outburst would make any difference. You are made out of stone...do you realize that? Nothing affects you...at least not for long enough. Everything is one big joke to you, except you...yourself. The only person whom you take seriously is your own self...everyone else, is simply a finger-puppet for you...to amuse yourself when you feel like...to throw aside when you feel bored.'
Hurt by her accusation, Jai lashed back in anger, 'That is enough, Bani! You know that is not true! You know that I care for you!'
'Really?' she asked him, livid nevertheless measured.
'You care for me? Then where were you for the last four years? Did you bother even once to make contact? Did you even think what I was doing? Whether I was alive or dead?' she questioned him.
Jai was about to tell her about his meeting with Pia and how he had found out about her, but kept quiet. He knew where he was wrong and today, he did not want to be a lawyer for himself. He wanted Bani to speak.
'Look at what you did to me over the last one week? You wanted me physically, right? You didn't even have to try for it, Jai. I would have happily given myself to you anytime you had asked...with just an inkling of love from you. But even that proved too expensive to you, didn't it? You just wanted to hurt me! You just wanted to humiliate me...see me cornered...see me emotionally battered! But why? That is what my question is?'
Jai could not give a reply to her, and he simply turned to face away from Bani, anguish writ on his face and feeling absolutely helpless.
'You remember the wish that you had given me?' she asked him, out of the blue. It took a couple of seconds for Jai to register what she was talking about and turning to look at her, he mumbled, 'Wish?'
Drying her tears, Bani nodded her head and said, 'Yes, wish...the three wishes that you had given to me before leaving Mukteshwar. You fulfilled two of them...one without even my telling you...but there was a third one.'
Jai kept silent, knowing what was coming and dreading it.
'You promised to answer my any one question, truthfully, anytime I asked you.'
Coming near to Jai, Bani looked into his eyes and said, 'I want you to fulfil that third wish of mine today...now...at this very moment.'
It was not a request, it was a demand and something for which Jai had no reason to deny.
Holding his hands and fighting back her tears, Bani asked him in a deeply poignant voice, literally begging to him, 'Tell me the truth, Jai. Tell me what is that you are hiding from me? Tell me what is that kept you away from me for the last four years? Tell me that damn secret which has made a monster out of you!'
Jai could hardly breathe, trying to avoid looking at Bani but unable to come back with a suitable reply.
'Jai, why are you silent? I am asking you something...you had given your word...you HAVE to answer me. TELL ME!
Feeling trapped, Jai went back to the basics of his Law school training…keep quiet, when you have nothing better to say.
Frustrated by his silence, Bani held his arms and questioned him vociferously, ‘Why are you quiet, Jai? You always have an answer for everything, don’t you? Then answer me! You cannot take back your promise! You have to fulfil it!’
‘Did you fulfil your part of the promise?’ he asked her, realizing that keeping quiet won’t work and the only way to tackle her was to take the war on her side. He hated him for doing it, knowing that she was no match to his arguments, but at this point in time, there was nothing else that came to his mind.
‘What?’ she asked him, in between crying and erupting anger on Jai.
‘Your second promise…that you will not whine and waste your life over me…that you will move on. Have you fulfilled that? Because if you did, we wouldn’t be having this conversation right now.’
Speechless for a moment, Bani tried to combat by muttering, ‘I have moved on…’
Cutting her short, Jai spoke in a cold voice, ‘No, you haven’t. People who move on in life, don’t have the kind of hang-ups that you have, Bani. Yes, you have done well for yourself outwardly and moved on in life in the physical term of the word…but have you moved on emotionally? No. You are still there…stuck in Mukteshwar! Pining for a man who is beyond your reach.’
Stung by the sheer bluntness of his words, Bani found herself dumbfounded.
Confused by the way he took her words and twisted them in his favour, Bani muttered, ‘But why did you kiss me then…why did you…in the study…why did you say that I was beautiful…why did you pretend as if you cared…’
Jai took the gain to his favour and said to her, respectful but wounding, ‘If you keep throwing yourself on me, Bani…what else do you expect me to do? Put you on a pedestal and venerate you? Any man would have acted the way I did! You can’t blame my baser instinct as a man if you can’t keep your self-respect as a woman.’
Bani looked back at Jai as if he had slapped her on the face…she still knew that he was misrepresenting facts and lying to her point-blank…that he was hiding something very serious, not just from her, but from everyone else in his life…and that despite all his mulishness and mindless brutality, he had loved her at some point in life and still had feelings for her…but it was enough.
The only thing she had with herself was her self-respect and her honour and she had willingly sacrificed both for his sake…but not anymore.
If he wanted to play this game…then so be it. She would play it too…and get him down on his knees and make him confess to everything. He had to suffer the way he had made her suffer.
Her tears had dried out by now; she looked at him on his face and spoke in a slightly shaking but clear voice, ‘Alright then. If you think that I have been throwing myself on you…then I suppose I was. Indeed very cheap and commonplace of me to do so. I apologize. But thanks for pointing it out to me. There is 7 more days to go for the wedding…exactly one week. I promise, that as far as possible, as much as possible, I won’t have anything to do with you during this time…after which I will leave for Bangalore and won’t as much as think about you, leave aside trying to be part of your life in anyway.’
Jai stood staring at her, quiet on the outside, but raging like a Volcano on the inside…hoping to God that he shouldn’t burst out with anything in the heat of the moment.
‘And this time, I will fulfil my promise. I give you my word.’
She was cool and placid, though her angst was more than perceptible to Jai.
‘But can I expect one last thing from you?’
‘What?’ asked Jai quietly.
‘You will tell me what you are hiding from me, Jai. Every single word of it.’
Jai kept quiet, looking elsewhere and not giving out any reaction to her ultimatum.
‘Don’t worry…even if you don’t tell me…I will still keep my part of the promise and disappear from your life…but if you answer my question…that one question you had promised to answer me, I will part from you with the feeling that whatever your compunctions may have been, at least you were a man of your word.’
Jai finally uttered, barely able to string his words, as pain shot through his spine with traumatic speed…..he had forgotten to take his pain-killer in the morning, ‘what if you change your mind after hearing my so-called secret?’
Bani simply stared back at him with a cynical smile and spoke slowly, ‘even if I try, I can’t fall more than I already have…My self-esteem is already on its last legs, thanks to you…trust me.’
Coming nearer to him, Bani spoke in an emotionally charged but serene voice, ‘I won’t change my mind…I will go away from your life, forever. And I won’t come back to you…not even if you get down on your knees and beg to me, Jai Walia.’
Jai looked at her, holding the side of a chair for support, barely able to breathe, with the pain literally surging forth like torrent all through his body.
He could just about say, ‘Fine then. I will answer your question the moment Chote and Purva’s wedding gets solemnized.’
Bani did not say anything more, but simply opened the door and walked away, letting it close, as Jai closed his eyes and giving out a stifled cry of agony, held his lower back and collapsed on the floor, just before pressing the buzzer for Abdul.
“Welcome to the wonderful
world of jealousy, she thought. For the price of admission, you get a splitting
headache, a nearly irresistible urge to commit murder, and an inferiority
complex. Yippee.”Part 14
Bani seemed to be in a shock from the fall and even though Shashank's timely rescue had left her with no injuries, she was completely bone rattled and kept shivering. Shashank looked concerned and said, 'Are you okay?' Nachiket, Pooja, Saurabh and Pushkar came running towards her and instantly started fussing over her and took her inside. Abdul in the meanwhile ran back to Jai's study and banged loudly and furiously on the door, getting a suitable roar in response.
'WHAT THE HELL? WHO IS IT?' he bellowed, throwing his expensive Mont Blanc Pen on the desk.
Abdul opened the door and looked at Jai who was glaring back at him with anger and shouted, 'ABDUL! Don't you know how to knock on my door? I will break your hands if you do this...'
Abdul respectfully cut short his master's blasting and mumbled, 'Sahabji...that Madam...she fell from the terrace!'
'What? Who?' asked Jai getting up from his seat dumbfounded.
'Bani Madam...she slipped and fell from the parapet...'
Jai's face lost all colour and he rushed past Abdul, calling out for Bani, at the same time, fishing out his Iphone and trying to place a call to his personal physician.
He was met with Pushkar who was munching on some peanuts that Karuna had got from Amritsar and looking completely shocked and shaken, he asked, 'Pushkar? What happened to Bani? Abdul told me she fell down from the terrace? Where is she? Is she hurt very much? How did she fall?' and then noticed that Pushkar was unable to reply because his mouth was full of Peanuts!
'What the hell are you eating? Your friend is hurt and you are busy mooching like a cow! PUSHKAR!' screamed Jai, making the poor boy totally tongue tied.
By then Jai saw Nachiket and Shashank coming out of Bani's room and he asked them in a highly anxious voice, 'Where is she? What happened to her? Why isn't the ambulance here yet?' And saying that he started rushing towards her room.
'Arre Dada...Bani is fine!'
'What? But Abdul told me that she fell from the terrace!'
'Yes, she did! Though God knows how! But Shanky saved her just in time! He caught her before she could hit the ground! She didn't get hurt at all...just in a bit of trauma...otherwise she is fine. We just dropped her to her room...her colleagues...what’s their name...yes, Pooja and Saurabh are there with her!'
'Oh!' Jai inhaled in relief and then giving a grateful smile at him said, 'Thanks Shashank!'
Shashank smiled and replied back, 'Please Sir! It was nothing! And she is indeed okay. Don't look so worried!'
Jai reddened a little and changed the topic, 'I...well, it’s really nice to see you here! I hope Abdul has arranged a good room for you?'
'Thank you so much, Sir! Yes, everything is great! Your house is just marvellous!'
Jai wanted desperately to go and see if Bani was fine or not, but he was worried that he had already given away too much with his uncharacteristically emotional reaction to her fall and he did not want anyone suspecting anything amiss, especially with Massi, Nachiket and Karuna around...his family, who despite all his efforts, seemed to know him a bit too well!
He sat along with Nachiket and Shashank and chatted up in general with both of them, though his mind was clearly one floor above.
'So, how is working coming along?'
'Great Sir! Nachiket and I are working on the NTPC project...it’s doing really good! But I will miss this chap when he goes to Boston!' laughed Shashank, who seemed to be a boy of high spirits and a lively, happy-go-lucky disposition.
'Well, I will miss him too! But it’s good for his career and besides, Purva is also going with him!' remarked Jai, patting his brother on his shoulders.
'Sir, how is your life going on? I keep reading about you from time to time...your closing argument in that State Minister's Case was simply fantastic! I actually got it printed out from the News site that had published it.'
Jai smiled dismissingly at the compliment...he was so used to hearing his praises, that it just bored him to death now. Giving a look at Pushkar who was standing dutifully, waiting for his orders, he closed his eyes in exasperation and said, 'What are you doing now? I mean, besides eating Peanuts?'
'Erm...Sir...you had to give me some case files to review!' mumbled Pushkar.
Jai gave a grunt and said, 'Okay...ask Abdul to hand over that sky blue folder, numbered BN-W-UE301 in cupboard 23 to you...the title would be Chang & Suefert Law Offices...they are our Legal partners in Hong Kong. Go through the documents; make a listing of the terms of service given in it. Write it down in pencil, don't type it out before I have reviewed it. After that, I want you to draft a paper on the Adjudicatory Hearing related to Brahmanand Vs the State case...you will find the case papers in a red colour file, numbered 1111-PPE-001...in cupboard 14. Abdul will show you where my legal filing is kept, but don't let him handle any of those. Also be careful...I don't want any spelling errors, no grammatical mistakes...nothing. The work should be perfect.'
'Yes Sir.' said Pushkar and rushed to find Abdul, while silently marvelling at Jai's eidetic memory and the way he remembered not just every single legal document that he possessed but also the colours of his files, the complicated alpha-numeric numbering and even the cupboard numbers where he got them filed. Was it any wonder that he was already considered a legend in the field of law?
Jai excused himself from the group, stating he had some phone calls to make.
In between the chattering, Shashank asked Nachiket, 'Hey, by the way...who is that girl?'
'The one you saved from a lifetime of disability? Bani. She is one of the wedding planners and Purva's friend in Bangalore.'
'Oh! She is also from Bangalore?'
'Yup...though I don't know her very well! Purva does!'
'Hmmm...Pretty chick!' commented Shashank with a hint of a smile.
Nachiket grinned and replied back, 'Yes...I can see that you haven't been able to take your eyes off the direction of her room ever since you saw her!'
Shashank laughed out loud and said, 'Come on! Nothing like that! But just for information, does she have a boyfriend?'
Nachiket could not help but burst into laughter on hearing the question and said, 'And you are saying nothing like that? Well, I don't know to be honest! I have met her just once! But Purva should know! Why? Interested?'
'Well...' mused Shashank, grinning and adding, 'She seemed nice...'
'You don't even know her!'
'Sometimes...just one look is enough, dude!'
'Ha! Ha! Well...why don't you just try your luck, since you are here anyway?' challenged Nachiket.
'I might...I might...' played along Shashank as both the friends burst out laughing.
Bani's Room
Jai saw Pooja and Saurabh making Karuna's three girls practice for the dance routing in the lawns, so he assumed that Bani was all alone. Even though everyone had said that she was fine, he was feeling quite worried about her, wondering how on earth could she slip and fall down from the Terrace. Given that she was a very prudent and careful person by nature. Though the house was choc-a-block with people, they were all assembled downstairs and Jai could quietly make his way across to Bani's room.
He was about to knock on the door, but noticed that it was slightly ajar, so he pushed it open noiselessly and stepped inside her room. She was standing near the picture window, staring blankly at the Koi Fish Pond below her room and seemed to be fine, without any cuts or bruises, but had a strange, heart-broken expression on her face.
'Bani?' he interrupted her thought flow and made her jerk with shock, as she turned to look at him.
'I...I am sorry! Did I disturb you? I heard about your fall...was worried...so...' Jai could not complete his sentence, caught by the expression of pain and sadness in her eyes, wondering what had happened all of a sudden. Was she so rattled by the accident?
She seemed to stare back at Jai for some time and then taking her eyes away from him, mumbled in an inaudible voice, 'Nothing. I am fine.'
'How are you feeling now? I hope you didn't get hurt?'
'Physically. No.' answered Bani cryptically; confusing Jai and making him wonder what was wrong with her.
'Oh! Good! I was getting really worried...by the way...how did this happen? What were you doing in the Terrace? And how on earth did you slip from there?'
Bani was quiet for a moment and then answered wearily, 'I was thinking about something...and I just leaned too much on the Parapet Wall...I don't know what happened...just fell down.'
'You should be more careful. Thank God, Shashank saved you in the nick of time...else, you would have gotten a broken neck for sure!' joked Jai, trying to lighten her mood.
Bani showed no reaction to Jai's attempt at humour and pushing her hair back, spoke in a lacklustre voice, 'I have some work to wrap up with Pooja...I will go down.'
And saying that she started walking out, when Jai caught hold of her wrists and pulling her towards him, asked her in a soft voice, 'What happened Bani? You were fine till a few hours back? Did someone say something to you? Massi? Please don't mind her! She talks like this to everyone! But she means well. Look, I will apologize...'
Bani cut him in between, trying to fight back her tears and spoke in a broken voice, 'It’s nothing. I am fine. You don't have to worry about me.'
Looking hurt, he asked her, 'something is obviously bothering you, Bani. And you won't even tell me? Don't you think I am capable of sharing whatever that is eating you away?'
Bani lifted her tear filled eyes, shocking Jai, and looking at him, spoke in a choked voice, 'I can ask you the same question, Jai. Don't you think I am capable of being trusted with anything that is bothering you?'
Not understanding her question, he asked her, 'I don't understand...what you are trying to say?'
Tears were flowing down her cheeks now and wiping them away, she answered back, 'there was a time, when you could even understand my silences, Jai...and now you can't even seem to understand my words. That probably defines our relationship...if there was ever one in the first place.'
And saying that she went away from the room, leaving Jai numbed and speechless.
Downstairs
Karuna fussed over Bani in the most comical manner, after having been informed by one of her daughters' that 'didi' had fallen down from the Terrace, much to Bani's amusement, who found her dark mood to be uplifted by the constant chirping of the three girls, along with the teenaged Anu and Lakshmi and with the arrival of Nachiket and even his friend, Shashank, who seemed to have infused life into the house.
Bani was getting might embarrassed by Shashank's attention on her, but he was quite a witty and charming boy and somehow she felt at ease around him in sometime.
'Thank you...for saving me.' she mumbled, wiping the perspiration off her forehead, as she took a break from the dancing and left it to Pooja, who was making Anu and Lakshmi do a dance routine.
'Oh! It’s not like every day, pretty looking girls drop from above into my arms! I should be the one thank you!' he commented back, making Bani blush.
'Bani...don't mind him, please! He hasn't stopped hitting on Purva even though we are getting married in a weeks' time...so I guess, you will be the object of his unwanted attention for sometime to come!' commented Nachiket laughingly.
Bani smiled but maintained a distance from Shashank, even though he kept trying his best to break the ice between the both of them.
Abdul brought evening tea for everyone in the lawns and even Massi joined them, scolding and then fussing upon Bani on hearing about her accident.
'It was nothing Massiji...I don't know how it happened. I think I was just being careless.' muttered Bani, as she poured tea for everyone.
'You should be more careful! What if you had broken a limb? So difficult to find a boy for marriage as it is...' commented Massi, making Bani flush and the rest of them giggle.
'Yes, a one-legged Bani won't be such an attractive proposition, is it, Shanky?' teased Nachiket, getting a knock on his ribcage by Shashank, who could not help but keep admiring how graceful and calm-natured Bani was. Unlike any girl he had ever dated or even known. Just the types who would win his mother's heart.
In a bid to change topic, Bani hurriedly asked, 'Massiji, did you see the list I gave you? Please let us know what your views are...we are more than willing to work on anything...'
Cutting her short, Massi said, 'I am not one to shower praises on anyone...but I have to say that you people have done an excellent work. There is nothing that is wrong with the preparations and everything seems to be just like I would have wanted. Now everything has to be executed just as perfectly.'
'It will be Massiji...don't you worry!' chipped in Saurabh, giving a thumbs up to Bani and making her smile.
'Didi...Didi...come na! Let us play! Pooja didi...you also come! We will play blindfold!' insisted Sanvika, pulling Bani's hands.
'Arre...let her sit in peace! Poor girl! She was with you for the last 2 hours, wasn't she? Now leave her alone! Go and find that Pushkar Bhaiyaa! Go play with him! Where is he, by the way?' asked Karuna.
'Pushkar is locked away in the basement doing some work for Mr. Walia.' answered Pooja.
'Hai! This Potlu! Always work, work, work.' commented Karuna, forgetting about not mentioning him by his nick-name and making everyone snigger, except Bani.
'Dimpy Didi...you know Dada! It’s always work comes first for him! Anyway...what are the plans for tonight? I was thinking of a Bonfire!' suggested Nachiket, getting enthusiastic approvals from everyone, except Bani, who was once again lost in her own world.
'Hai...but will Potlu agree to let us light a fire in the middle of his beautiful lawns? Remember the last time, we had all come over during Holi? He was so upset at the mess we created in his terrace!'
'Oh, yes! I remember! He had made every servant in the house get down on their knees and scrub the tiles till all the colour went off!' said Nachiket.
'I am sure, Sir wont' mind...just ask him! Its your wedding...he won't be able to refuse you!' commented Shashank, his eyes constantly roaming on Bani, who was sitting with a pensive expression giving her a tragically beautiful look.
'Arre nahin yaar! Dada is already pissed off with me on various issues.' mumbled Nachiket, remembering the dressing down he received from his brother over the phone for having invited their relatives earlier than planned.
'Massiji...you speak to Sir! He will never be able to say No to you!' requested Shashank, wanting some opportunity to flirt with Bani and come closer to her, considering how aloof she was otherwise.
'Nahin Nahin...I won't get into all these. Anyway, I am in the habit of sleeping early and now I am going because it’s time for my evening veneration.' And saying that Massi got up and went inside.
'Karuna Didi?' questioned Shashank.
'Are you joking, Shanky Bhai? Potlu is already looking so upset with me...my Varalika broke one of his Vases...I thought it was just an ordinary Vase...you know the type you get from 'Mangal Bazaar'...but no...it is apparently from some Chinese man called Ming or Ching or something...and it’s very expensive!' moaned Karuna, who had got an earful from Jai a while ago, when her daughter had broken an expensive Ming Dynasty Vase, that Jai had obtained from an auction a few years ago.
'Who will bell the Tiger then?' asked Saurabh, very correctly changing the Cat to the Tiger as was appropriate where Jai was concerned.
'Bani!' yelled Pooja with excitement.
'What?' exclaimed everyone.
'Yes...Yes...Bani! Mr. Walia is very fond of her...and in fact, he told us that if we have anything to ask him, we should send Bani to his study! Really...he is most understanding and cooperative when Bani speaks to him!' spoke Pooja quite innocently, making Bani colour with embarrassment!
'Really? Wow! My brother doesn't warm up to strangers so soon...but if that is the case, then Bani, please ask him for the Bonfire tonight? Please! Please! Please!' pleaded Nachiket.
Bani was at a loss of words and could barely register a protest, before which she was forcibly scuttled off to Jai's study by the entire gang.
Jai's Study
Knocking rather reluctantly on Jai's study, she was surprised to hear him call out in a sober voice, 'Come in.' He sounded very weary and exhausted.
She opened the door and stepped in quietly, as he stared back at her in surprise and in the most uncharacteristically mellow tone, asked, 'Yes?'
Her eyelids dropped low and her hands crossed over one another, she asked him in a low voice, 'Nachiket and the others wanted to organize a Bonfire tonight...in the lawns. They wanted your permission.'
Jai smiled a bit and said, 'And they sent you for campaigning?'
She did not reply, to which Jai commented simply, 'they can go ahead. But please tell them to make sure that the grass is not burnt out...they can do the Bonfire in the farthest end of the property...'
'Thank you.' she mumbled and was about to go out, when Jai remarked, 'Do you have a moment to spare, Bani? I need to speak with you.'
Bani had no wish to even face Jai at this time, leave aside speak with him on anything, but she kept standing quietly. He walked up to her, but this time, there was no teasing or taunting or mocking or any sort of physical display of affection or domination by him. He simply placed his hand tenderly on her shoulder and said, 'I realize I have been behaving like a real jerk with you...ever since we met. Honestly, there is no reasonable explanation for my behaviour...I guess, Ranveer is correct...I am an Ass!'
Noticing that she was just as quiet and sombre, he lost his emotional control and started speaking in a halted voice, 'I am sorry for the way I have been behaving with you, Bani.'
'Sorry for all the harsh, cruel, demeaning things I said to you...'
'Sorry for having you made cry so much...'
'Sorry for having hurt you so much...'
'And Sorry for...'
He could not complete his sentence, because to his shock, Bani had burst out crying like a child and she fell down on Jai's chest, weeping hopelessly. Petrified of what had gone wrong with her, Jai held her tighly in his arms and consoled her, 'Bani! What happened? I was apologizing to you...did you think I was making fun of you? No...No...I was being really serious! Don't cry...Please. I can't see you cry...'
'Then why didn't you bother to call me up and see me in the last four years, Jai?' she questioned him between her tears.
'Why didn't you ask me how I was doing? How was my little sister...who by the way, ran away and got married on her own. How was my father...who died four years back. Why did I leave Mukteshwar? Because I was orphaned and had no one in the world to call my own. What was I doing in Bangalore? I was trying to rebuild the broken pieces of my life...Whether I remembered you or not? Yes, I did...every moment of the day. Whether I missed your presence in my life or not? Yes, I did...so much, that I had to cry myself to sleep for days on end. Why Jai? Why are you asking me what is bothering me now, when you didn't care to ask any other question?'
Stunned by her emotional outburst, Jai could only stare back silently.
'What did I do so wrong that you had to punish me like this?' she questioned him, tears streaming down her cheeks.
'Bani...calm down!'
'I am calmed down, Jai. I am calmed down. Because I realize with a man like, no amount of emotional outburst would make any difference. You are made out of stone...do you realize that? Nothing affects you...at least not for long enough. Everything is one big joke to you, except you...yourself. The only person whom you take seriously is your own self...everyone else, is simply a finger-puppet for you...to amuse yourself when you feel like...to throw aside when you feel bored.'
Hurt by her accusation, Jai lashed back in anger, 'That is enough, Bani! You know that is not true! You know that I care for you!'
'Really?' she asked him, livid nevertheless measured.
'You care for me? Then where were you for the last four years? Did you bother even once to make contact? Did you even think what I was doing? Whether I was alive or dead?' she questioned him.
Jai was about to tell her about his meeting with Pia and how he had found out about her, but kept quiet. He knew where he was wrong and today, he did not want to be a lawyer for himself. He wanted Bani to speak.
'Look at what you did to me over the last one week? You wanted me physically, right? You didn't even have to try for it, Jai. I would have happily given myself to you anytime you had asked...with just an inkling of love from you. But even that proved too expensive to you, didn't it? You just wanted to hurt me! You just wanted to humiliate me...see me cornered...see me emotionally battered! But why? That is what my question is?'
Jai could not give a reply to her, and he simply turned to face away from Bani, anguish writ on his face and feeling absolutely helpless.
'You remember the wish that you had given me?' she asked him, out of the blue. It took a couple of seconds for Jai to register what she was talking about and turning to look at her, he mumbled, 'Wish?'
Drying her tears, Bani nodded her head and said, 'Yes, wish...the three wishes that you had given to me before leaving Mukteshwar. You fulfilled two of them...one without even my telling you...but there was a third one.'
Jai kept silent, knowing what was coming and dreading it.
'You promised to answer my any one question, truthfully, anytime I asked you.'
Coming near to Jai, Bani looked into his eyes and said, 'I want you to fulfil that third wish of mine today...now...at this very moment.'
It was not a request, it was a demand and something for which Jai had no reason to deny.
Holding his hands and fighting back her tears, Bani asked him in a deeply poignant voice, literally begging to him, 'Tell me the truth, Jai. Tell me what is that you are hiding from me? Tell me what is that kept you away from me for the last four years? Tell me that damn secret which has made a monster out of you!'
Jai could hardly breathe, trying to avoid looking at Bani but unable to come back with a suitable reply.
'Jai, why are you silent? I am asking you something...you had given your word...you HAVE to answer me. TELL ME!
Feeling trapped, Jai went back to the basics of his Law school training…keep quiet, when you have nothing better to say.
Frustrated by his silence, Bani held his arms and questioned him vociferously, ‘Why are you quiet, Jai? You always have an answer for everything, don’t you? Then answer me! You cannot take back your promise! You have to fulfil it!’
‘Did you fulfil your part of the promise?’ he asked her, realizing that keeping quiet won’t work and the only way to tackle her was to take the war on her side. He hated him for doing it, knowing that she was no match to his arguments, but at this point in time, there was nothing else that came to his mind.
‘What?’ she asked him, in between crying and erupting anger on Jai.
‘Your second promise…that you will not whine and waste your life over me…that you will move on. Have you fulfilled that? Because if you did, we wouldn’t be having this conversation right now.’
Speechless for a moment, Bani tried to combat by muttering, ‘I have moved on…’
Cutting her short, Jai spoke in a cold voice, ‘No, you haven’t. People who move on in life, don’t have the kind of hang-ups that you have, Bani. Yes, you have done well for yourself outwardly and moved on in life in the physical term of the word…but have you moved on emotionally? No. You are still there…stuck in Mukteshwar! Pining for a man who is beyond your reach.’
Stung by the sheer bluntness of his words, Bani found herself dumbfounded.
Confused by the way he took her words and twisted them in his favour, Bani muttered, ‘But why did you kiss me then…why did you…in the study…why did you say that I was beautiful…why did you pretend as if you cared…’
Jai took the gain to his favour and said to her, respectful but wounding, ‘If you keep throwing yourself on me, Bani…what else do you expect me to do? Put you on a pedestal and venerate you? Any man would have acted the way I did! You can’t blame my baser instinct as a man if you can’t keep your self-respect as a woman.’
Bani looked back at Jai as if he had slapped her on the face…she still knew that he was misrepresenting facts and lying to her point-blank…that he was hiding something very serious, not just from her, but from everyone else in his life…and that despite all his mulishness and mindless brutality, he had loved her at some point in life and still had feelings for her…but it was enough.
The only thing she had with herself was her self-respect and her honour and she had willingly sacrificed both for his sake…but not anymore.
If he wanted to play this game…then so be it. She would play it too…and get him down on his knees and make him confess to everything. He had to suffer the way he had made her suffer.
Her tears had dried out by now; she looked at him on his face and spoke in a slightly shaking but clear voice, ‘Alright then. If you think that I have been throwing myself on you…then I suppose I was. Indeed very cheap and commonplace of me to do so. I apologize. But thanks for pointing it out to me. There is 7 more days to go for the wedding…exactly one week. I promise, that as far as possible, as much as possible, I won’t have anything to do with you during this time…after which I will leave for Bangalore and won’t as much as think about you, leave aside trying to be part of your life in anyway.’
Jai stood staring at her, quiet on the outside, but raging like a Volcano on the inside…hoping to God that he shouldn’t burst out with anything in the heat of the moment.
‘And this time, I will fulfil my promise. I give you my word.’
She was cool and placid, though her angst was more than perceptible to Jai.
‘But can I expect one last thing from you?’
‘What?’ asked Jai quietly.
‘You will tell me what you are hiding from me, Jai. Every single word of it.’
Jai kept quiet, looking elsewhere and not giving out any reaction to her ultimatum.
‘Don’t worry…even if you don’t tell me…I will still keep my part of the promise and disappear from your life…but if you answer my question…that one question you had promised to answer me, I will part from you with the feeling that whatever your compunctions may have been, at least you were a man of your word.’
Jai finally uttered, barely able to string his words, as pain shot through his spine with traumatic speed…..he had forgotten to take his pain-killer in the morning, ‘what if you change your mind after hearing my so-called secret?’
Bani simply stared back at him with a cynical smile and spoke slowly, ‘even if I try, I can’t fall more than I already have…My self-esteem is already on its last legs, thanks to you…trust me.’
Coming nearer to him, Bani spoke in an emotionally charged but serene voice, ‘I won’t change my mind…I will go away from your life, forever. And I won’t come back to you…not even if you get down on your knees and beg to me, Jai Walia.’
Jai looked at her, holding the side of a chair for support, barely able to breathe, with the pain literally surging forth like torrent all through his body.
He could just about say, ‘Fine then. I will answer your question the moment Chote and Purva’s wedding gets solemnized.’
Bani did not say anything more, but simply opened the door and walked away, letting it close, as Jai closed his eyes and giving out a stifled cry of agony, held his lower back and collapsed on the floor, just before pressing the buzzer for Abdul.
- J.R. Ward, Dark Lover
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