Next Day
The dinner had gone on exceptionally well, except that there was a lot of hilarity ensured by Nachiket's purple face, for which he could give no explanation. Bani and Purva met up and the bride could not help but gush on the fantastic arrangements that Bani and her team had made. Jai had been polite and attentive, though no one could fail to notice, least of all Bani, that his mind was clearly somewhere else. And much to Bani's acute embarrassment and wonder, he just kept looking at her throughout the dinner, as if he was expecting something very urgently to happen.
Today was the Cocktail Party thrown by the Groom's family, followed by the Sangeet tomorrow which would be jointly held by both the Walia's and the Raheja's at the Farmhouse. Bani had woken up very early in the morning to oversee the arrangements, besides Jigyasa and the rest of her gang from Bangalore was coming down by 10 am and Bani wanted everything in place, before handing over her responsibilities to Jigyasa for the final execution of the event.
'Bhaiyya...put that canopy over there too...no...no...Don’t cover the tree...it’s the highlight...and where is that electrician guy? He was supposed to put the lights by now! AMBIKA! No, baby...don't play with that...you might get hurt! And what are you doing up so early?' asked Bani, as Karuna's eldest daughter came prancing around the lawns, excited by the activity that had started so early on.
'Bani...Jigyasa Mam just called up...they have boarded the flight...I have told Saurabh to go and fetch them...and what about the rehearsal for the dance? Did you speak to Purva's Mam regarding it?'
Bani nodded her head and replied, 'Yes, I did, Pooja! But we will have to take Anu, Lakshmi and the girls to the place where they are staying...they can't come here...Massiji doesn't want the bride to come here before the Sangeet Function, tomorrow...'
'Oh! God!' remarked Pooja and they both shared a friendly laugh, while going through the list of things they were supposed to do.
Bani had just rushed inside to get a few things, when she almost bumped into Jai, who was in his sweat-pants and T-shirt, getting ready for his exercise.
She flushed and mumbled, 'I am sorry...I didn't see you...'
He too coloured a bit and answered, 'It’s okay...er...Bani...'
She seemed to be in a hurry, yet stopped and asked him politely, 'Yes?'
Looking hesitant, Jai nevertheless asked her, 'Um...did Abdul give you some papers yesterday?'
Blinking her eyes and then remembering something, she exclaimed, 'Yes...he handed over a brown packet! The final guest list, right? I did not find the time to read it at all yesterday night...the dinner ended so late...I will go through it in a while, Mr. Walia.'
And saying that she rushed back to do whatever she was doing, while Jai closed his eyes in exasperation. No wonder, she was looking so normal in the morning and hadn’t asked him anything. Suddenly losing the confidence he had gained yesterday, Jai wondered if he was acting in an emotional frenzy. There was still time in hand...he could simply take back his Case Papers from Bani's room and she would never be wise...and judging by her attitude, it seemed to him that she had completely given up on him and would probably not even bother to hear what he had been hiding from her till now.
The wedding would be over...and Bani would leave for Bangalore...and keep living her happy life...probably holding a lot of bitterness and pain against him...but nevertheless would be a free person. Free to lead a life that she deserved...free to meet someone again...free to fall in love again...free to live a normal life with a normal man.
Feeling utterly hassled by his conflicting emotions, Jai decided that if Bani did not get to read his Case Papers by the end of day today...he would take it as a sign that they were simply meant to go their different ways and it was probably for everyone's good that she never came to know about him.
He decided to wait till the evening and get the papers back, lest someone else see them.
Sometime Later
Jigyasa and her team had arrived from Bangalore and the Farmhouse literally seemed to be on fire. Bani looked thrilled to see the rest of her colleagues from Bangalore and was on top of the world, when Jigyasa oozed praise for Bani Pooja and Saurabh's efforts.
Jai and Jigyasa were catching up over tea, when he said, 'I have to say, Jigyasa...your team did a great job! Especially Bani...'
Jigyasa beamed and replied back, 'I am so glad! And even gladder that Bani and you managed to solve that small misunderstanding you had.'
Bani blushed and avoided looking back at Jai, who seemed unusually pensive and lost.
'Isn't it, Jai? Isn't she a great girl?' asked Jigyasa, making Jai smile faintly in Bani's direction and answer, 'Yes...she is.'
Flushing badly, Bani mumbled, 'Mam...you wanted to discuss about the clothes we are wearing...can we do it now? Pooja and I have to leave for Purva's place...we need to practice for the Sangeet Ceremony.'
'Yes...Yes...good you reminded me! Jai, let us catch up later! Maybe at the Cocktail itself...and don't look so worried! Everything would go fine!' assured Jigyasa, assuming that Jai's sombre mood was due to the tension regarding the wedding than anything else.
Jigyasa, Bani, Pooja and the rest of the girls from their team went inside to one of the room, where Jigyasa had moved in and she took out her luggage, handing out packets to everyone.
'Bani and Pooja...since you girls were here...you couldn't see your dresses till now! I just hope this fits you well...we simply used the measurements from the last wedding we did.'
The wedding planners always wore the same outfits and generally coordinated it with the theme of the wedding. The Sangeet was to be a traditional function and hence the dress was a fuchsia coloured lehenga and choli.
Pooja gushed at the outfit and remarked, 'This is the prettiest thing I have seen, Mam! Wow...this looks amazing!'
Jigyasa smiled and said, 'We had a very generous client, Pooja to sponsor all the outfits! I am glad you liked it!'
Bani looked a bit circumspectly at the dress....the lehenga skirt was in Organza and chiffon and was indeed pretty, but the choli looked a bit skimpy for Bani's tastes.
'Er...Mam...this choli has nothing in the back...just two strings!' she mentioned, as if she was the only one who had noticed it.
All the girls present giggled and Jigyasa replied back, 'It’s the latest in fashion, sweetie! Besides, why are you looking so worried? With your figure, you will carry it off easily! Anyway...enough wasting time. Let’s keep working...and I want all of you to be dressed up latest by 7 tomorrow...and be ready for the Sangeet! The clothes for the Wedding are also on their way and Bani, you don't have to look so hassled...you are all wearing a Sari on the Wedding! No backless Choli's!'
Bani smiled and nodded her head, giving doubtful looks at the Choli, especially when she realized that in her silliness to get back at Jai, she had agreed to do a dance number with Shashank. She could not imagine wearing such a dress and dancing with him...that too in front of Jai.
With the realization of what Pia had told her regarding Jai’s visit and deeply regretting all that she had said in outburst to him, Bani decided that his low mood was because of her and she had to act contrite and apologize to him. To hell with her so-called self-respect and ego! Anything that hurt Jai was not worth holding on to, in Bani’s mind.
Jai's Study
Knocking courteously on the door, she heard Jai calling out in a subdued voice, a complete departure from his usual roar, 'Come in.'
Bani opened the door and instantly evoked a start from Jai.
'She saw those papers...'was his first thought.
'Can I have a minute with you?'
Jai could not help but smile at her question and said, 'Yes, of course. Come in.'
Bani came in, turning pink in her cheeks already and before Jai could ask her anything, she blurted out, 'I am sorry.'
'Looking surprised, he got up from his chair and walking towards her said, 'For what?'
Lowering her eyes, she spoke in a soft voice, 'For all that I said that day...that...that you didn't care enough to find out about me...'
Jai kept silent, realizing with a twinge, that she had not seen his reports. But kept quiet and let her speak.
Tearing up, she looked at him and said, 'I met Pia...she told me that...that you had tried to find out about me....'
'People simply can't keep secrets, can they?' he quipped with a smile and coming near her, wiped the tears off her cheeks.
She went warm in her cheeks at his touch, but remained impassive.
‘Don’t, Bani. Please.’ He said in reference to her tears. It was simply put but somehow the feeling in his words made her even more emotional than before.
'Why didn't you tell me that you had tried to find out about me?' she asked him. Her question wasn’t demanding like before, simply a wonderment.
Jai smiled and said, 'If I had confessed to the fact that I had tried to find out about you, then all those things you said to me would have proved right.' And then giving her a grin, added, 'And you know me! How I hate to be proved wrong by anyone.'
Bani too smiled and gathering courage, said to him, in her tranquil manner, 'I just came to tell you that all that you said that day...I thought about it. And decided that you were right...I did not move on with my life...not in the way that one is supposed to.'
'I suppose I expected too much out of life...without having any basis for doing so.' Pausing for a moment, Bani looked up at him and said, 'I just came to say that I will go back to Bangalore in two days...and...and I have decided to start on a new note...emotionally speaking.'
Jai was quiet, letting Bani speak, though his heart was sinking at a rapid rate...when he had not wanted her to know anything, she had gone out hammers and tongs, trying to find out what he was hiding and now when he wanted her to know what it was that was ailing him, she had decided on giving up on him and move forward. The irony of the situation was such, that Jai didn't know whether to cry at his misfortune or laugh mockingly at his arrogance and attitude, which had got him to this situation.
Bani continued, heedless of what was raging in Jai's heart, 'I just wanted to tell you that if you ever come to Bangalore on work...or otherwise...I would...I would feel really nice if we could meet up...and hopefully remain…friednds…I mean, acquaintances for as long as possible.'
Jai was very quiet and Bani stopped speaking, wondering if he was even listening to her.
'Jai...are you okay?' she asked with concern, looking at the expression on his face.
He mumbled, 'Yes...Yes...I understand...And...and I am sorry too, Bani...for the way I behaved...and for all that I said to you...I don't know what had come over me...there is really no explanation...but I am deeply sorry for the way I have treated you.'
Bani had tears in her eyes but she still smiled and said to him, 'Are we fine, then?'
Jai valiantly tried to hold back his tears and giving her a grin, said, 'Yes, of course!'
And slanting forward, planted a gentle kiss on her cheeks, saying, 'I hope you always do well in life, Bani...and...if you are ever in Delhi...do give me a call. We will meet up...for old time sake.'
Bani was feeling very emotional and before she feared that her tears would overcome her, she looked at him and said, 'I think I should be going now. There is a lot of work pending...take care...bye. I just came today...becaue from tomorrow, there will be so much going on...I just...wanted to see you...and say sorry...and goodbye.'
Almost impulsively, Jai stopped her and said, 'What about your last wish? Don't you want your question to be answered?'
Giving a slow, sad smile, Bani replied, 'No...It’s alright. I realized that there was no point in asking for any wish, if that meant, pushing someone into a corner and forcing them to do something that they don't wish to...I know that you don't want to answer me, Jai...and the only reason why you will answer will be because you had promised me...'
Looking up at him, she said simply, ' you have already given me more than my fair share of wishes...I don't need your answer...you are released from your promise.'
A while later
Jai locked himself in his study for the next few hours, but decided that he had to take back his reports from Bani's room...the one he had handed over to Abdul to place it in her room, so that she might read them.
Life had given him a chance and he had squandered it...and now it seemed, that it was just too late.
He had to get that packet back from Bani's room...before she saw them and changed her mind. She looked at peace today...finally...and he genuinely believed that she wanted to move on. He didn’t' want to come in her way...certainly not as a liability that he was bound to become.
He called up Abdul on the Intercom, 'Abdul! Where are you? Listen...leave everything you are doing and get me that brown packet that I asked to keep in Bani Madam's room. Okay? If anyone asks, just tell that it came by mistake. Go, get it urgently and keep it in my study. I am going downstairs.'
'Ji Sahib' replied Abdul and went to fetch that packet from Bani's room.
Towards Evening
The Cocktail Party was in full swing and Jai seemed to be relaxed, once Abdul had told him that he had taken back the packet from Bani's room, where it was kept on the desk. Nachiket, despite his swollen face, could not help but seem to be in high spirits, conversing with Purva and her cousins, including Meera, who was looking rather striking in a black strapless number. Jai in the meanwhile was in conversation with Purva's father and one of her Uncle's, but his eyes kept wandering off in search of Bani.
He knew that she along with the other people from Jigyasa's team were busy in preparations for the remaining functions, but he could see Pooja, Saurabh and a couple of others too, coming in and out of the living room where the party was being held, but Bani was nowhere.
Jai could not escape the party as of now, so he had to stay put and simply wonder where she had disappeared.
Looking elegant and pretty in a peach and gold coloured Chiffon Sari, that had been a gift from Pia, she was occupying Karuna's three girls, since their parents were both in the party. It was close to ten and the girls were sleepy, so Bani said to them, 'Come...let me take you to your room and put you to sleep!'
'But Didi, we want to play with you!' they demanded.
Bani smiled and replied, 'We will play tomorrow! And you will also have to perform your dance that you prepared for your Chote Mamu's Sangeet, isn't it? You have to look fresh for that...now come, let me take you to your room.'
Leading them to their bedroom, which was next to her own room, Bani sat along with them, as they dozed off. Jigyasa was also in the party and Bani had some more work to wrap off along with the team from Bangalore, deciding on changing her clothes into something more comfortable, she went to her room and switched on the lights.
Her room was unusually littered today...with piles of clothes that belonged to some of her colleagues and other stuff. Tidying it up quickly, she was about to take out her ordinary clothes, when she noticed a brown parcel buried below the stuff.
'Oh! God! I completely forgot! The guest list! But how come it’s here? Abdul had informed me that he had taken the parcel back and given it to Mr. Walia!’ she thought to herself.
Sitting down on her bed, she opened the parcel and was instantly surprised, by the letter-head she saw.
'Rajiv Gandhi Insitute for Cancer Research.'
'What?' she remarked to herself, completely stunned and flicked through the papers! This was not the guest list; someone's medical records had come to her by mistake. But how could that happen?
She was about to keep the papers back in the parcel and ask Abdul about it, when she read the name of the person to whom the papers belonged.
Jai Walia.
And the doctor’s name was printed on the top right corner.
Dr. Karthik Reddy.
Bani remembered his name. Jai’s Oncologist.
30 Minutes Later
Bani sat stunned, holding the papers in her hand...she could not help but go through them when she had seen Jai's name, wondering at first how it had come to her possession and then with a sinking feeling, as she went through them.
ADULT MALE AGED 35
MODERATE CONSUMPTION OF ALCOHOL
NO HISTORY OF SMOKING
FIT AND HEALTHY OTHERWISE
NO DRUGS
ACTIVE LIFESTYLE
HISTORY OF.......
Intramedullary tumour
Severe back pain
Occasional nausea
Weight loss, unintentional but due to the pain after the tumour metastasized.
Loss of sensation in lower back and neck.
Frequent muscle contractions
Blood test results are as follows
GGT 356
ALT 191
BILIRUBIN 11
ALP 373
CALCIUM 2.68
AFP 2
CEA LESS THAN 3
HCG LESS THAN 2
PSA 1.0
Ultrasound showed increased size of tumour
Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) examination - Positive
CT scan shows multiple small lesions in spinal cord
Ultrasound of testes NAD
Though many of the things written in it made no sense to Bani, since they were all complicated medical terms and jargons, she could clearly understand a few things.
One...that Jai had developed a tumour in his Spine again.
Second...that he was scheduled to start on his Chemo Therapy in less than a month.
Third...that he had an operation scheduled in the next three months. The same operation that he had before coming to Mukteshwar.
And fourth...that she finally understood what he had been holding back from her till now.
Trembling like an autumn leaf, from head to toe, unable to stop her tears, Bani could barely able to stand up still.
Downstairs Party
Not feeling in the mood for the party, Jai made an excuse of a headache and addressed Purva’s father, ‘Nikhilji…do you mind, if I excuse myself for now? I have not been keeping too well…and I think I just need some rest.’
‘Of course, Jai…please suit yourself! Don’t worry…we are all enjoying here…you take care. And anyway, you need to be fit and fine for the main functions coming up! Purva has been so excited about the Sangeet Ceremony!’
Jai gave a perfunctory smile and left for his room, bidding goodnight to everyone and brushing off concerns, especially from Nachiket and his Massi regarding his health. Ranveer, who was in the middle of a conversation with Aditya, came to Jai and whispered into his ears, ‘Jai! Are you alright? You look quite pale. Do you want me to drive you down to Dr. Reddy?’
Jai shook his head and said, ‘No…No…Ranveer, I am fine. Just tired…see, its almost 11…these guys will go on till 1 or 2 in the morning…I need to catch up on my sleep. Don’t worry…I am okay, as of now. You carry on…and don’t forget to get Sneha and Riya tomorrow for the Sangeet! Alright!’
Ranveer gave a smile at his friend and said, ‘Alright. Take care. And please don’t hesitate to inform anyone in the house if you don’t feel well at night…I know you…’
‘I will. I will. Stop fussing! ‘Complained Jai with a grin and left the party to go to his room.
Jai’s Bedroom
Jai was so depressed regarding Bani’s imminent departure that he did not even bother to remove his clothes before collapsing on the bed, his eyes misted and his heart so pained, that he could barely breathe. He felt so alienated...so alone...so helpless. All those things which he had never imagined that he would feel...to put it in one word, for the first time in his life, Jai felt, human.
Not the brilliant Lawyer who had never lost a single case in his professional life, nor the valiant patient who had fought and won against a terminal illness, nor the loner who professed to the whole world that he could live happily alone.
But simply a man in love. A man hopelessly in love with a woman who was slipping away from his life. This time, forver.
He kept lying where he was, thoughtlessly, when the heard a knock on his bedroom door. The same polite knock…which he recognized.
Shaken up from his reverie and thoroughly surprised at the mid-night intrusion, he wondered who could it be. No one came to his room, unless he called them on his own and at 12:30 in the night?
Rubbing his eyes, he walked up to the door and opened it, and it took him a couple of seconds to make out who it was that was standing in front of him, because of the darkness in the corridor and in his room.
‘Bani?’ he exclaimed, sounding disbelieving, like he was seeing a dream.
And despite his amazement at her unanticipated presence, he could not fail to notice how ethereal she looked in the sari she had worn today, her hair plaited loosely and brought to the front and her face…so beautiful despite the deep melancholy in her eyes.
‘What on earth?’ he exclaimed, pulling her inside, more out of habit, than anything else. The house was full of people and from the sounds coming from downstairs; it looked like the party was still on. Anyone could see them together and assume the worst.
Shutting the door, he asked her, in a worried voice, ‘What happened? Are you alright? Why do you look so…so…’ he could not find the word to describe the expression on her face.
She was crying, albeit inaudibly and looking up at him, handed over a brown parcel and said simply, ‘Abdul took the wrong papers from my room…here are the right ones.’
The colour vanished from Jai’s face as he took the brown parcel and opened it slightly, to see that indeed, his medical reports were inside it.
Abdul…the prize idiot, had got them confused with the other parcel which had the wedding related list…and in the frenzy of the party, even he had not bothered to double check it, back in his study, where Abdul had kept it.
Though Jai had wanted Bani to know about his illness, somehow he was completely unprepared when she actually got to know it. And simply had no idea on what to say to her.
‘Bani…I…’ he mumbled, powerlessly, as she broke down sobbing, falling on his chest, clinging on to him.
And this time, Jai neither protested, nor objected, nor did he stop her…or himself.
He simply held her in his arms and brought her as close as he could, near him, even as tears flowed from his eyes.
The dinner had gone on exceptionally well, except that there was a lot of hilarity ensured by Nachiket's purple face, for which he could give no explanation. Bani and Purva met up and the bride could not help but gush on the fantastic arrangements that Bani and her team had made. Jai had been polite and attentive, though no one could fail to notice, least of all Bani, that his mind was clearly somewhere else. And much to Bani's acute embarrassment and wonder, he just kept looking at her throughout the dinner, as if he was expecting something very urgently to happen.
Today was the Cocktail Party thrown by the Groom's family, followed by the Sangeet tomorrow which would be jointly held by both the Walia's and the Raheja's at the Farmhouse. Bani had woken up very early in the morning to oversee the arrangements, besides Jigyasa and the rest of her gang from Bangalore was coming down by 10 am and Bani wanted everything in place, before handing over her responsibilities to Jigyasa for the final execution of the event.
'Bhaiyya...put that canopy over there too...no...no...Don’t cover the tree...it’s the highlight...and where is that electrician guy? He was supposed to put the lights by now! AMBIKA! No, baby...don't play with that...you might get hurt! And what are you doing up so early?' asked Bani, as Karuna's eldest daughter came prancing around the lawns, excited by the activity that had started so early on.
'Bani...Jigyasa Mam just called up...they have boarded the flight...I have told Saurabh to go and fetch them...and what about the rehearsal for the dance? Did you speak to Purva's Mam regarding it?'
Bani nodded her head and replied, 'Yes, I did, Pooja! But we will have to take Anu, Lakshmi and the girls to the place where they are staying...they can't come here...Massiji doesn't want the bride to come here before the Sangeet Function, tomorrow...'
'Oh! God!' remarked Pooja and they both shared a friendly laugh, while going through the list of things they were supposed to do.
Bani had just rushed inside to get a few things, when she almost bumped into Jai, who was in his sweat-pants and T-shirt, getting ready for his exercise.
She flushed and mumbled, 'I am sorry...I didn't see you...'
He too coloured a bit and answered, 'It’s okay...er...Bani...'
She seemed to be in a hurry, yet stopped and asked him politely, 'Yes?'
Looking hesitant, Jai nevertheless asked her, 'Um...did Abdul give you some papers yesterday?'
Blinking her eyes and then remembering something, she exclaimed, 'Yes...he handed over a brown packet! The final guest list, right? I did not find the time to read it at all yesterday night...the dinner ended so late...I will go through it in a while, Mr. Walia.'
And saying that she rushed back to do whatever she was doing, while Jai closed his eyes in exasperation. No wonder, she was looking so normal in the morning and hadn’t asked him anything. Suddenly losing the confidence he had gained yesterday, Jai wondered if he was acting in an emotional frenzy. There was still time in hand...he could simply take back his Case Papers from Bani's room and she would never be wise...and judging by her attitude, it seemed to him that she had completely given up on him and would probably not even bother to hear what he had been hiding from her till now.
The wedding would be over...and Bani would leave for Bangalore...and keep living her happy life...probably holding a lot of bitterness and pain against him...but nevertheless would be a free person. Free to lead a life that she deserved...free to meet someone again...free to fall in love again...free to live a normal life with a normal man.
Feeling utterly hassled by his conflicting emotions, Jai decided that if Bani did not get to read his Case Papers by the end of day today...he would take it as a sign that they were simply meant to go their different ways and it was probably for everyone's good that she never came to know about him.
He decided to wait till the evening and get the papers back, lest someone else see them.
Sometime Later
Jigyasa and her team had arrived from Bangalore and the Farmhouse literally seemed to be on fire. Bani looked thrilled to see the rest of her colleagues from Bangalore and was on top of the world, when Jigyasa oozed praise for Bani Pooja and Saurabh's efforts.
Jai and Jigyasa were catching up over tea, when he said, 'I have to say, Jigyasa...your team did a great job! Especially Bani...'
Jigyasa beamed and replied back, 'I am so glad! And even gladder that Bani and you managed to solve that small misunderstanding you had.'
Bani blushed and avoided looking back at Jai, who seemed unusually pensive and lost.
'Isn't it, Jai? Isn't she a great girl?' asked Jigyasa, making Jai smile faintly in Bani's direction and answer, 'Yes...she is.'
Flushing badly, Bani mumbled, 'Mam...you wanted to discuss about the clothes we are wearing...can we do it now? Pooja and I have to leave for Purva's place...we need to practice for the Sangeet Ceremony.'
'Yes...Yes...good you reminded me! Jai, let us catch up later! Maybe at the Cocktail itself...and don't look so worried! Everything would go fine!' assured Jigyasa, assuming that Jai's sombre mood was due to the tension regarding the wedding than anything else.
Jigyasa, Bani, Pooja and the rest of the girls from their team went inside to one of the room, where Jigyasa had moved in and she took out her luggage, handing out packets to everyone.
'Bani and Pooja...since you girls were here...you couldn't see your dresses till now! I just hope this fits you well...we simply used the measurements from the last wedding we did.'
The wedding planners always wore the same outfits and generally coordinated it with the theme of the wedding. The Sangeet was to be a traditional function and hence the dress was a fuchsia coloured lehenga and choli.
Pooja gushed at the outfit and remarked, 'This is the prettiest thing I have seen, Mam! Wow...this looks amazing!'
Jigyasa smiled and said, 'We had a very generous client, Pooja to sponsor all the outfits! I am glad you liked it!'
Bani looked a bit circumspectly at the dress....the lehenga skirt was in Organza and chiffon and was indeed pretty, but the choli looked a bit skimpy for Bani's tastes.
'Er...Mam...this choli has nothing in the back...just two strings!' she mentioned, as if she was the only one who had noticed it.
All the girls present giggled and Jigyasa replied back, 'It’s the latest in fashion, sweetie! Besides, why are you looking so worried? With your figure, you will carry it off easily! Anyway...enough wasting time. Let’s keep working...and I want all of you to be dressed up latest by 7 tomorrow...and be ready for the Sangeet! The clothes for the Wedding are also on their way and Bani, you don't have to look so hassled...you are all wearing a Sari on the Wedding! No backless Choli's!'
Bani smiled and nodded her head, giving doubtful looks at the Choli, especially when she realized that in her silliness to get back at Jai, she had agreed to do a dance number with Shashank. She could not imagine wearing such a dress and dancing with him...that too in front of Jai.
With the realization of what Pia had told her regarding Jai’s visit and deeply regretting all that she had said in outburst to him, Bani decided that his low mood was because of her and she had to act contrite and apologize to him. To hell with her so-called self-respect and ego! Anything that hurt Jai was not worth holding on to, in Bani’s mind.
Jai's Study
Knocking courteously on the door, she heard Jai calling out in a subdued voice, a complete departure from his usual roar, 'Come in.'
Bani opened the door and instantly evoked a start from Jai.
'She saw those papers...'was his first thought.
'Can I have a minute with you?'
Jai could not help but smile at her question and said, 'Yes, of course. Come in.'
Bani came in, turning pink in her cheeks already and before Jai could ask her anything, she blurted out, 'I am sorry.'
'Looking surprised, he got up from his chair and walking towards her said, 'For what?'
Lowering her eyes, she spoke in a soft voice, 'For all that I said that day...that...that you didn't care enough to find out about me...'
Jai kept silent, realizing with a twinge, that she had not seen his reports. But kept quiet and let her speak.
Tearing up, she looked at him and said, 'I met Pia...she told me that...that you had tried to find out about me....'
'People simply can't keep secrets, can they?' he quipped with a smile and coming near her, wiped the tears off her cheeks.
She went warm in her cheeks at his touch, but remained impassive.
‘Don’t, Bani. Please.’ He said in reference to her tears. It was simply put but somehow the feeling in his words made her even more emotional than before.
'Why didn't you tell me that you had tried to find out about me?' she asked him. Her question wasn’t demanding like before, simply a wonderment.
Jai smiled and said, 'If I had confessed to the fact that I had tried to find out about you, then all those things you said to me would have proved right.' And then giving her a grin, added, 'And you know me! How I hate to be proved wrong by anyone.'
Bani too smiled and gathering courage, said to him, in her tranquil manner, 'I just came to tell you that all that you said that day...I thought about it. And decided that you were right...I did not move on with my life...not in the way that one is supposed to.'
'I suppose I expected too much out of life...without having any basis for doing so.' Pausing for a moment, Bani looked up at him and said, 'I just came to say that I will go back to Bangalore in two days...and...and I have decided to start on a new note...emotionally speaking.'
Jai was quiet, letting Bani speak, though his heart was sinking at a rapid rate...when he had not wanted her to know anything, she had gone out hammers and tongs, trying to find out what he was hiding and now when he wanted her to know what it was that was ailing him, she had decided on giving up on him and move forward. The irony of the situation was such, that Jai didn't know whether to cry at his misfortune or laugh mockingly at his arrogance and attitude, which had got him to this situation.
Bani continued, heedless of what was raging in Jai's heart, 'I just wanted to tell you that if you ever come to Bangalore on work...or otherwise...I would...I would feel really nice if we could meet up...and hopefully remain…friednds…I mean, acquaintances for as long as possible.'
Jai was very quiet and Bani stopped speaking, wondering if he was even listening to her.
'Jai...are you okay?' she asked with concern, looking at the expression on his face.
He mumbled, 'Yes...Yes...I understand...And...and I am sorry too, Bani...for the way I behaved...and for all that I said to you...I don't know what had come over me...there is really no explanation...but I am deeply sorry for the way I have treated you.'
Bani had tears in her eyes but she still smiled and said to him, 'Are we fine, then?'
Jai valiantly tried to hold back his tears and giving her a grin, said, 'Yes, of course!'
And slanting forward, planted a gentle kiss on her cheeks, saying, 'I hope you always do well in life, Bani...and...if you are ever in Delhi...do give me a call. We will meet up...for old time sake.'
Bani was feeling very emotional and before she feared that her tears would overcome her, she looked at him and said, 'I think I should be going now. There is a lot of work pending...take care...bye. I just came today...becaue from tomorrow, there will be so much going on...I just...wanted to see you...and say sorry...and goodbye.'
Almost impulsively, Jai stopped her and said, 'What about your last wish? Don't you want your question to be answered?'
Giving a slow, sad smile, Bani replied, 'No...It’s alright. I realized that there was no point in asking for any wish, if that meant, pushing someone into a corner and forcing them to do something that they don't wish to...I know that you don't want to answer me, Jai...and the only reason why you will answer will be because you had promised me...'
Looking up at him, she said simply, ' you have already given me more than my fair share of wishes...I don't need your answer...you are released from your promise.'
A while later
Jai locked himself in his study for the next few hours, but decided that he had to take back his reports from Bani's room...the one he had handed over to Abdul to place it in her room, so that she might read them.
Life had given him a chance and he had squandered it...and now it seemed, that it was just too late.
He had to get that packet back from Bani's room...before she saw them and changed her mind. She looked at peace today...finally...and he genuinely believed that she wanted to move on. He didn’t' want to come in her way...certainly not as a liability that he was bound to become.
He called up Abdul on the Intercom, 'Abdul! Where are you? Listen...leave everything you are doing and get me that brown packet that I asked to keep in Bani Madam's room. Okay? If anyone asks, just tell that it came by mistake. Go, get it urgently and keep it in my study. I am going downstairs.'
'Ji Sahib' replied Abdul and went to fetch that packet from Bani's room.
Towards Evening
The Cocktail Party was in full swing and Jai seemed to be relaxed, once Abdul had told him that he had taken back the packet from Bani's room, where it was kept on the desk. Nachiket, despite his swollen face, could not help but seem to be in high spirits, conversing with Purva and her cousins, including Meera, who was looking rather striking in a black strapless number. Jai in the meanwhile was in conversation with Purva's father and one of her Uncle's, but his eyes kept wandering off in search of Bani.
He knew that she along with the other people from Jigyasa's team were busy in preparations for the remaining functions, but he could see Pooja, Saurabh and a couple of others too, coming in and out of the living room where the party was being held, but Bani was nowhere.
Jai could not escape the party as of now, so he had to stay put and simply wonder where she had disappeared.
Looking elegant and pretty in a peach and gold coloured Chiffon Sari, that had been a gift from Pia, she was occupying Karuna's three girls, since their parents were both in the party. It was close to ten and the girls were sleepy, so Bani said to them, 'Come...let me take you to your room and put you to sleep!'
'But Didi, we want to play with you!' they demanded.
Bani smiled and replied, 'We will play tomorrow! And you will also have to perform your dance that you prepared for your Chote Mamu's Sangeet, isn't it? You have to look fresh for that...now come, let me take you to your room.'
Leading them to their bedroom, which was next to her own room, Bani sat along with them, as they dozed off. Jigyasa was also in the party and Bani had some more work to wrap off along with the team from Bangalore, deciding on changing her clothes into something more comfortable, she went to her room and switched on the lights.
Her room was unusually littered today...with piles of clothes that belonged to some of her colleagues and other stuff. Tidying it up quickly, she was about to take out her ordinary clothes, when she noticed a brown parcel buried below the stuff.
'Oh! God! I completely forgot! The guest list! But how come it’s here? Abdul had informed me that he had taken the parcel back and given it to Mr. Walia!’ she thought to herself.
Sitting down on her bed, she opened the parcel and was instantly surprised, by the letter-head she saw.
'Rajiv Gandhi Insitute for Cancer Research.'
'What?' she remarked to herself, completely stunned and flicked through the papers! This was not the guest list; someone's medical records had come to her by mistake. But how could that happen?
She was about to keep the papers back in the parcel and ask Abdul about it, when she read the name of the person to whom the papers belonged.
Jai Walia.
And the doctor’s name was printed on the top right corner.
Dr. Karthik Reddy.
Bani remembered his name. Jai’s Oncologist.
30 Minutes Later
Bani sat stunned, holding the papers in her hand...she could not help but go through them when she had seen Jai's name, wondering at first how it had come to her possession and then with a sinking feeling, as she went through them.
ADULT MALE AGED 35
MODERATE CONSUMPTION OF ALCOHOL
NO HISTORY OF SMOKING
FIT AND HEALTHY OTHERWISE
NO DRUGS
ACTIVE LIFESTYLE
HISTORY OF.......
Intramedullary tumour
Severe back pain
Occasional nausea
Weight loss, unintentional but due to the pain after the tumour metastasized.
Loss of sensation in lower back and neck.
Frequent muscle contractions
Blood test results are as follows
GGT 356
ALT 191
BILIRUBIN 11
ALP 373
CALCIUM 2.68
AFP 2
CEA LESS THAN 3
HCG LESS THAN 2
PSA 1.0
Ultrasound showed increased size of tumour
Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) examination - Positive
CT scan shows multiple small lesions in spinal cord
Ultrasound of testes NAD
Though many of the things written in it made no sense to Bani, since they were all complicated medical terms and jargons, she could clearly understand a few things.
One...that Jai had developed a tumour in his Spine again.
Second...that he was scheduled to start on his Chemo Therapy in less than a month.
Third...that he had an operation scheduled in the next three months. The same operation that he had before coming to Mukteshwar.
And fourth...that she finally understood what he had been holding back from her till now.
Trembling like an autumn leaf, from head to toe, unable to stop her tears, Bani could barely able to stand up still.
Downstairs Party
Not feeling in the mood for the party, Jai made an excuse of a headache and addressed Purva’s father, ‘Nikhilji…do you mind, if I excuse myself for now? I have not been keeping too well…and I think I just need some rest.’
‘Of course, Jai…please suit yourself! Don’t worry…we are all enjoying here…you take care. And anyway, you need to be fit and fine for the main functions coming up! Purva has been so excited about the Sangeet Ceremony!’
Jai gave a perfunctory smile and left for his room, bidding goodnight to everyone and brushing off concerns, especially from Nachiket and his Massi regarding his health. Ranveer, who was in the middle of a conversation with Aditya, came to Jai and whispered into his ears, ‘Jai! Are you alright? You look quite pale. Do you want me to drive you down to Dr. Reddy?’
Jai shook his head and said, ‘No…No…Ranveer, I am fine. Just tired…see, its almost 11…these guys will go on till 1 or 2 in the morning…I need to catch up on my sleep. Don’t worry…I am okay, as of now. You carry on…and don’t forget to get Sneha and Riya tomorrow for the Sangeet! Alright!’
Ranveer gave a smile at his friend and said, ‘Alright. Take care. And please don’t hesitate to inform anyone in the house if you don’t feel well at night…I know you…’
‘I will. I will. Stop fussing! ‘Complained Jai with a grin and left the party to go to his room.
Jai’s Bedroom
Jai was so depressed regarding Bani’s imminent departure that he did not even bother to remove his clothes before collapsing on the bed, his eyes misted and his heart so pained, that he could barely breathe. He felt so alienated...so alone...so helpless. All those things which he had never imagined that he would feel...to put it in one word, for the first time in his life, Jai felt, human.
Not the brilliant Lawyer who had never lost a single case in his professional life, nor the valiant patient who had fought and won against a terminal illness, nor the loner who professed to the whole world that he could live happily alone.
But simply a man in love. A man hopelessly in love with a woman who was slipping away from his life. This time, forver.
He kept lying where he was, thoughtlessly, when the heard a knock on his bedroom door. The same polite knock…which he recognized.
Shaken up from his reverie and thoroughly surprised at the mid-night intrusion, he wondered who could it be. No one came to his room, unless he called them on his own and at 12:30 in the night?
Rubbing his eyes, he walked up to the door and opened it, and it took him a couple of seconds to make out who it was that was standing in front of him, because of the darkness in the corridor and in his room.
‘Bani?’ he exclaimed, sounding disbelieving, like he was seeing a dream.
And despite his amazement at her unanticipated presence, he could not fail to notice how ethereal she looked in the sari she had worn today, her hair plaited loosely and brought to the front and her face…so beautiful despite the deep melancholy in her eyes.
‘What on earth?’ he exclaimed, pulling her inside, more out of habit, than anything else. The house was full of people and from the sounds coming from downstairs; it looked like the party was still on. Anyone could see them together and assume the worst.
Shutting the door, he asked her, in a worried voice, ‘What happened? Are you alright? Why do you look so…so…’ he could not find the word to describe the expression on her face.
She was crying, albeit inaudibly and looking up at him, handed over a brown parcel and said simply, ‘Abdul took the wrong papers from my room…here are the right ones.’
The colour vanished from Jai’s face as he took the brown parcel and opened it slightly, to see that indeed, his medical reports were inside it.
Abdul…the prize idiot, had got them confused with the other parcel which had the wedding related list…and in the frenzy of the party, even he had not bothered to double check it, back in his study, where Abdul had kept it.
Though Jai had wanted Bani to know about his illness, somehow he was completely unprepared when she actually got to know it. And simply had no idea on what to say to her.
‘Bani…I…’ he mumbled, powerlessly, as she broke down sobbing, falling on his chest, clinging on to him.
And this time, Jai neither protested, nor objected, nor did he stop her…or himself.
He simply held her in his arms and brought her as close as he could, near him, even as tears flowed from his eyes.
In life, as in art,
some endings are bittersweet. Especially when it comes to love. Sometimes fate
throws two lovers together only to rip them apart. Sometimes the hero finally
makes the right choice but the timing is all wrong. And, as they say, timing is
everything. Looks like this story might just have a second act. Let's hope it's
not a tragedy ~ Gossip Girl quotes
Part 17 (a)
If Bani was unable to remember anything about the day, she remembered everything about their first night together. Every single thing. For years to come. She could recall the view from the picture window in Jai's artistically done up bedroom, the muted colour of the drapes and carpets, and each painting and picture and every piece of the period furniture, that was in his room. She could remember the faint sounds coming from outside...the guests leaving after the party, drifting through the open veranda, from which cool breeze blew in. The images of that night were to stay with her the rest of her life. It was magic, multi-coloured explosion in slow motion. It was having Jai undress her, it was Jai's strong, lean body in bed, his roughness and his gentleness. It was laughter and passion. Tears and emotions. Their hunger had built to a greed that had to be satisfied. The moment Jai began to make love to her, the words that flashed into Bani's mind were, I'm lost.
Jai touched her lightly on her cheeks and then she was in his arms, so hungry for the feel of him, that she was dizzy with all the unknown, bewildering urgent sensations shuddering through her, scarcely understood but too powerful to be ignored.
Letting his right hand hold the edge of her Sari, he lifted his finger and traced the rim of her blouse, following it bead by bead, sequin by sequin, till his fingers reached the strings that tied her blouse from behind, untying it but not getting it undone as of now. Putting one foot up on the panel of the bed, he pulled her in between his legs, lazily, savouring every inch of her with his eyes, let his eyes and hands do what his mouth would later.
Lifting her in his arms, he and placed her there. Slowly stripping down her Sari, he threw it on the floor in a silky mess, and carried her to the bed.
He kissed her as if he had found an Oasis, as if he had been parched too long in a desert. Artlessly wanton, she arched and swayed against him, and when the hunger lit a fire too hot, to contain, they ended up rumpling the smooth black amber quilt on his bed, murmuring broken, unintelligent words while they sought relief from the flames devouring them.
Bani felt exquisite torment, instigated by his bare chest, all her throat letting out faint breaths of pleasure, devoured instantly by his pursuing tongue. He peeled off all her clothing and guided her hands to his chest, while touching her everywhere knowing how to send quicksilver thrills of liquid fire throughout her body.
She utters a conquered cry and pulled him down on top of her. It’s been so long for both of them without each other, Bani finally let’s go and holds him tight, running her hands though his silky ruffled hair and kissing him with all the passion she had saved for the last four years and sobs away her body achy and pleasurable all over.
Giving her no time to recover, he swiftly enters her carving a path inside her, and pretty soon both travel to heaven and back.
They made love again and again, and each time was an ecstasy that was almost unbearable.
Hours later, as they lay there quietly, Jai said, 'I feel as though I'm alive for the first time in my life.'
Bani gently stroked his chest and suddenly he laughed out aloud.
Bani looked at him quizzically, 'What's so funny?'
'Do you know what I told myself? That if I went to bed with you once, I could get you out of my system.'
She twisted around and looked up at him. 'And...'
He smiled and whispered back, 'And...I was wrong. I feel as though you're a part of me, Bani. You have always been a part of me...how can I get you out of my system...you are simply ingrained in me.'
She blushed with pleasure and he gave her a leisurely, lazy grin, taking her back into his warm embrace, brought his head down to her and the dark hair on his jaw rasped like sand paper against her soft cheeks, angling his head lower and covering her lips with a satisfied groan.
When he had pulled himself back, she said delicately, 'I need to go...it’s almost morning...'
Not replying to her statement, Jai simply peeled her off his body and turned her around, pushing her silky locks away from her face and placing a million kisses when she least expected it, all over her face and down to her neck and bare shoulders.
Knowing where this was going, she pleaded, 'Jai, please...if I leave your room any later, someone is sure to see me...'
'Shhhhhhhhhhhh' he coaxed, turning her towards him as she closed her eyes, out of shyness and he felt even more aroused and flushed than he had done previously. With a savage grunt, he plunged his mouth on her lips, mirroring the early-morning intimacy he had in mind, paying no heed to any protests she would have made.
Warm heat enveloped her body, as he continued kissing her from shoulder down, reaching her bare mid-riff, her stomach, her waist, pressing her down on the hard mattress of his bed, even as she cried out, 'Stop it, Jai. Please.'
Lifting his head up slightly, he spoke in his usual witty manner, 'you realize why I am acting like a s**-starved desperado? I might never get to even kiss you properly in the future...let me take everything I can...so that if I die...I will die with the knowledge that my days with you were less...but they were complete in every sense of the word...and if I do live and become a vegetable...I can at least remember these moment, sitting on my wheelchair.'
She held his strong shoulder and pulled him up over her, taking his face in her hand and looking into his eyes, spoke calmly, 'I am not letting you die, anytime sooner, Mr. Walia. Considering how much you have tortured me, you need seven lives with me for payback...and you won't become a vegetable...you are too alive for anything like that...'
As he smiled back slowly at her reply, she lifted her head a bit, kissing the tip of his nose and whispered into his face, 'So now, don't make excuses to stay in bed and please let me go...the Sun is already out and I am sure, someone might have noticed by now that my bed was not slept in.'
'Well, this bed too was not slept in, sweetheart!' he commented, making her blush and giggle despite herself.
He placed his hands around her midriff and fell towards his side, uttering a small yelp. 'Ouch!'
'What happened?' she asked with alarm.
'Nothing...my back...too much acrobatics for one night...it’s a pity, my body doesn't seem to support my libido.'
Bani giggled and pulling his nose said, 'Can't you ever be serious?'
'What else was I doing last night? I only do these things when I am dead serious about a woman.'
'And how many times have you done this serious thing?' she teased him.
Kissing her on the tip of her chin, he replied, 'Frankly, the only one I can remember is the night that just passed...the rest seem like a faded memory.'
'Typical lawyer...playing around with words.' she replied, trying to get away from him.
'Don't! Stay with me...please...some more time...'
Colour rose in her cheeks, as the unbridled passion of the night began to give way to the realizations of the morning that had dawned.
'Jai...someone will look for me...and Abdul will get your tea...' she beseeched in vain.
'To hell with Abdul and his tea...and...and I need to say something to you...'
'What?' she asked with concern.
He seemed to hesitate a bit, but one look at her face and he realized that after last night, if he had even a shred of doubt in his mind regarding her feelings for him, he should probably go and shoot himself down with his Mauser C96 there and then.
'You do...you do realize the implications of my medical reports, Bani?' he asked her, looking into her glowing face.
She kept quiet and simply nodded her head.
'I want to tell you something more...ideally, I should have told you all this before...you know...' he trailed off, not knowing how to put the night of passion in words.
And then winking at her, added cheekily, 'but you seduced me before I could say anything!'
She flushed and hitting him gently on his cheeks, said, 'I seduced you?'
'Obviously!'
'Obviously? What do you mean by that?'
'Was it my fault that you looked so gorgeous in your Sari...which I am sorry to say is probably crushed beyond repair by now! What can a man do if a woman comes to his room at mid-night, looking so hot?'
Bani burst out giggling, burying her head in his chest and said, 'Stop it, now!'
'Anyway...getting back at what I was saying...' he spoke, lifting her face and stroking her jawline tenderly.
'Medically I am incapable of having kids, Bani...you need to know that.'
He said it like ripping a band aid off a wound, expecting some volatile reaction from her, but she simply looked with bone-melting tenderness at Jai and said, 'I had guessed it...I...I read about it somewhere...in an article.'
'What you probably don't know is that I had a choice, Bani.'
This statement evoked the necessary reaction from her and she looked at him with questioning eyes.
'Yes...I had a choice. Before I was to start my treatment...the first time round...Dr. Reddy...my Oncologist had explained to me that infertility is one of the most common side-effects of Chemotherapy...and he had offered me a suggestion.'
Looking at the blank expression on Bani's face, Jai could not help but smile and said teasingly, 'I suppose you hadn't read about this...
'Jai...I can't understand...'
He spoke simply, 'Dr. Reddy had told me that I could have children in the future...if I wanted to...freeze my sperms and keep it for the future.'
There was an awkward pause and moving a bit from her, he spoke with a melancholic regret in his voice, 'And the arrogant asshole that I am...I refused it. Telling my doctor that I never wanted to have kids...and as long as I could have s** with any woman I wanted...I couldn't care if I could father a child or not.'
Turning his face towards Bani, eyes moistened, he spoke in a broken voice, 'never did I imagine that one day, I would actually find a girl...whom I would want to make the mother of my children...'
They stared at each other in silence, till Jai broke down crying, burying his head in her shoulders, hugging her fiercely, as if expecting her to storm off in anger after hearing that he had committed such a huge blunder.
But she simply rocked him in her arms and spoke tenderly to him, smiling, despite the tears that flowed, 'you wanted me as the mother of your children, Jai?'
He looked at her like a child who had confessed to his crime and was desperately waiting for redemption...'I had never imagined having kids, Bani...or having a family...or waking up with the same woman every single morning of my life...but it happened.'
'I am just so sorry...that I made such a terrible choice...and it became a reason why I had to go away from you...even now...I know how much you love children...and despite everything, that is one happiness, I can never give you.'
Her heart filled up with emotion and her tears had dampened her entire face, but she still grinned and spoke teasingly, 'where would I have the time to look after kids, when I have this big baby to handle?'
Instantly cheering up, he remarked in mock-anger, 'I am not a big baby...or any baby!'
'Oh, yes you are! Ask anyone who has put up with you! You can put a terrible 2 year old toddler to shame with your tantrums!'
'Hey! I protest to that! Especially after my marvellous performance just few hours back! And I am more than ready to give an encore to prove my point, that I am not baby. But all man...head to toe.'
She flushed and laughed, hiding her face in the pillow, as he took her wrists and placed tiny kisses on her bangles.
'Madam...some of your bangles are cracked...just be careful when you remove them...'
She kept quiet, simply mumbling a reply from underneath the pillow.
Tracing a finger across her bare shoulders and pushing the sheet of her back, he placed a kiss there and said, 'and you might also want to be careful about what you wear today...there might be questions regarding the love bites on your back...'
And added in a mischievous tone, 'and other questionable places too...but that wouldn't be visible, hopefully. At least, not to anyone except me!'
'JAI!' she exclaimed, turning brick-red in embarrassment and trying to get up from the bed.
'What? You can do everything, but talking about you is making you look like a ripe tomato?' he kept teasing her, lying on his back and laughing.
She got up and sat on the bed, clumsily wrapping the bed sheet around her, tying her entangled hair in a bun and said, 'I wasn't doing anything....you were the one doing it.'
'But you were the one enjoying it. Come on! Stop being such a prude! I know I am good!'
She picked up a cushion and hit him on his chest with it, making him throw back his head and laugh with delight.
Holding back her hands, he asked her, 'Tell me...you liked it, didn't you?'
'Is this a question answer session going on?' she blushed, trying not to face him.
'It’s a question every man has in mind after he had spent the first night with the love of his life, Miss. Dixit!'
She instantly turned to face him and asked with unbridled joy and emotion, 'I am the love of your life?'
'No...Meera is! Of course, silly girl! Why else would I risk my back from getting burst by doing it five times in a night? Believe me, that's my personal best till now! At least, with a single woman!'
She flushed again and taking another cushion, threw it on his face this time and spoke in mock-anger, 'you will keep teasing me about this, isn't it?'
'You are absolutely right. I will keep teasing you about it...only till tonight...then I will get serious again.'
'Tonight? You have gone Mad! I am not coming here tonight!' she replied, trying to locate one of her anklets, but not able to find it.
'Fine...I will come to your room...but I am not very comfortable in that bed...this is custom made for me...'
'Stop it, Jai!' she giggled, blushing and hiding her face, embarrassed by Jai's outspokenness and yet amused at the way he kept pulling her legs.
He lifted himself up a bit and giving a small tug at Bani's untidy knot, pulled it open.
'What?' she asked him, as her silky locks, half covered her face and shoulders, giving her the look of a Madonna.
'I hate that silly pony you make...leave your hair open...they are so beautiful.'
Flushing with pleasure at his compliment, she finally abandoned her search for the anklet and got up from the bed, suddenly realizing that her whole body was aching. Noticing her wince, Jai commented saucily, 'Only the first time, sweetheart...you will find yourself feeling much better tomorrow morning.'
She turned to hit him with another cushion, but he was too swift, catching hold of her wrists and pulling her back on the bed with such force, that the bed sheet she had wrapped around her, came undone, as he swiftly pushed her back on the bed and kissing her on the base of her neck, whispered, 'just one more time. Please.'
She shut her eyes tightly and opened them again, focusing on Jai's dark face with momentary difficulty. The heat mounted irresistibly between them and from then onwards, neither games, nor words, nor laughter were evident, as Jai drew her urgently down on the bed, passionately taking her over...as if he could never ever have enough of her.
An Hour Later
Jai had dozed off, placing his arms around her waist and burying his face in her open hair and when she was sure that he was indeed sleeping peacefully, she gently and slowly lifted his arm off her waist, for which he gave a start and placed it on a cushion. Sliding off gently away from him, she wrapped herself in the bed sheet again, her innate modesty not allowing her to walk without anything on her body to Jai's washroom.
Poor Pia...she had gifted the Sari with such love and Jai had crushed it like thrown away wrapping paper...she could not but muse that it quite symbolized Jai and Pia's love-hate relationship. Walking into the huge, stark white bathroom, all glass and chrome, she looked at the reflection in the giant mirror and instantly regretted it, closing her eyes...feeling shy to even face herself.
It was one thing, getting swept by one's passions and emotions, in the heat of the moment...but to face it when everything became like usual, was quite another. Jai was right...her upper body had dozens of marks on it...pinkish-red welts, which could not be attributed to anything but a lover's passionate frenzy.
'Oh God! That Choli!' she exclaimed in horror, realizing that her bare back would be exposed to everyone and what explanation would she give for the mark on it?
Brushing those concerns away, she quickly washed her flushed, slightly swollen face and clumsily draped her sari, before leaving for her room. Every muscle in her body ached...she could barely move her legs. She closed the doors of the washroom as softly as possible, not wanting to disturb Jai at all.
Hoping against hope that no one would see her leaving Jai's room at 6 in the morning, she was about to go, when she noticed something kept on his study table. Recognizing the colourful board instantly, she smiled to herself.
'Scrabble Board.' she mused, going near it and opening it carefully.
A sudden thought came to her mind and giving a look back at Jai, who was sleeping like a child, she smiled mischievously and went about setting alphabets on the Scrabble Board.
3 Hours Later
It was only when Abdul called out from outside his room, that Massi was going ballistic and wanted Jai to come down as soon as possible, did Jai finally get up, not able to stop smiling at the memory of the best night he had ever had in his life.
Quickly going through his morning ablutions, Jai changed into a fresh set of clothes and was about to go out of his room, when he saw his Scrabble Board laid out on his desk.
At first, surprised and then when realization hit him, with a slow smile, he looked at the board.
The top-most word was, 'T-H-A-N-K-S', the second word was, 'F-O-R-', the third word was, 'T-H-E', the fourth word was, 'B-E-S-T', the fifth word was, 'M-O-M-E-N-T', the sixth word was, 'O-F', the seventh word was, 'M-Y' and the last word was, 'L-I-F-E.'
'Thanks for the best moment of my life.' he repeated slowly, bending on the board and kissing it, whispering back, 'Ditto, sweetheart!'
Downstairs
Bani had only breathed in relief when she had managed to cross over from Jai's room which was in one corner of the Farmhouse to her own room, which was in another corner, without being spotted by anyone. Taking a long, relaxing bath, the warm water soothing her aching muscles, she changed into her most conservative salwar kameez, which was guaranteed to hide every part of her body. She had no idea what she would do by evening, when they would all have to dress up in that barely here, barely there lehenga and choli.
Rushing down, she noticed that Jigyasa and the rest of her gang were already up and running and fearing a blasting from her boss, she instantly started to apologize. But Jigyasa cut through all that and said, 'Oh! Great! Bani, you are here! Sweetie, we need to put those lanterns up on that Gulmohar Tree...but that Gardner is not allowing the boys to do that! Something about taking permission from Jai!'
Bani stared back at her wondering where this was going, when Pooja chipped in happily, 'Mam...send Bani to speak with Jai Sir...he told us a few days back that if we had any issue, we could send Bani to him...he really thinks very highly of our Bani.'
Though Pooja had spoken with all innocence, Bani could not help but go red in the face, especially as she was trying her level best to not constantly remember the details of the night and also the fact that she had gone ahead with such an important decision, without thinking that Jai and she were not a married couple...in fact, technically speaking, they were not even a couple yet.
Despite her objections on pre-marital s**, somehow Bani did not feel guilty. Not one bit...because she knew that Jai was a changed man the morning after...all his lost confidence...all his dejection...all his misery regarding his illness...everything had been put in the back-burner.
Who cared about social conventions in the face of doing something for the one you loved?
'No...No...I won't go. Saurabh can go and speak to him...he likes Saurabh very much too!' Bani spoke hastily, having no wish to endure Jai's relentless teasing anymore.
'Saurabh has gone out to the Vendor's place...he won't be coming back before afternoon! Come on, Bani! You are a professional! You have handled everything so beautifully till now...and Pooja is right! Jai was praising you so highly yesterday! Go and speak to him regarding the lighting arrangements...and a couple of more issues! I have to leave for Purva's house right now...we will be having breakfast there! I want you and Pooja to finish this decoration stuff for the Sangeet and then get on with the dance rehearsals! Okay?'
Bani nodded her head rather reluctantly and went to join Karuna and others for breakfast. Jai was apparently having breakfast in his study as he had some urgent phone calls to make.
Karuna piled on some butter-soaked paranthas on Bani's plate and said, 'Hai Bani! You look so different today? All glowing and Chamko...Chamko! Kya baat hain? What face pack did you put?'
Bani coloured a deep shade of pink and mumbled something incoherently, while Pooja also added, 'Karuna did is right! You are positively glowing, Bani! Hey...don't give competition to Purva Mam, okay?' Everyone laughed, while Bani could actually hear her heart beat, mottling with embarrassment and wondering if it was so obvious on her face when she was on her own, what would it be with Jai around her?
Bani was planning to convince Pooja to go to Jai and speak to him regarding the lighting issue, when Jigyasa who was about to leave for Purva's house saw her and exclaimed, 'What? You are still here? Bani! We need to get that work done asap! The function starts at 6 in the evening! Come on! Go and speak with Jai! He would also be tied up with hundred other things later on! Go! Go! And Pooja, you come with me...I need to show you the seating arrangement once more.'
Left hapless, she made her way to Jai's study, not even bothering to ask Abdul about his whereabouts. She knew by now, what was his favourite place in the entire Farmhouse.
Jai's Study
Closing her eyes in acute awkwardness, Bani hesitated before knocking and even decided to skip away, but when she saw Abdul passing by, greeting her with a wide smile, she knocked on the door almost mechanically.
'Come in!' roared Jai, back to his typical self.
Opening the door with extreme hesitation, she popped in her head and firmly placing her eyes to the ground, said quickly, 'Can I speak with you, Mr. Walia?'
Jai was in the midst of correcting a legal document that Pushkar had typed out for him and he dropped his pen on the table and with a devilish smile, said, 'Of course, Miss. Dixit. Why do you even have to ask?'
She stood where she was and hastily mumbled, all the while, firmly looking at the ground and not daring to look back at Jai, 'There was some lighting problem we had....we wanted your permission to go ahead with our decorations...we need to hang lanterns on the Gulmohar Tree...is it okay?'
Supressing his laughter, Jai spoke seriously, 'I can't understand a single word you are saying, Miss Dixit. Why don't you come inside and tell me clearly and in detail, what is your problem?'
She came in rather reluctantly and kept her hand on the rim of the door, so that it could not shut close.
'Yes, Miss. Dixit, of what help can I be of?' he asked, leaning back on his chair and enjoying his newly found zest for life very much...especially now that the reason for his happiness was standing right in front of him, colouring like a beetroot.
'The Lanterns...they need to be hung on the Gulmohar Tree, which grows behind your room...the Gardner told one of our workers that they couldn’t' allow it, till you give your approval.'
'Would you mind closing the door, Miss Dixit? It has an automatic mechanism...it will force shut, if you try to keep it open and those beautiful fingers of yours with which you caressed me so lovingly last night, might get bruised.'
Shocked by his sudden statement, she left the door and it banged shut instantly, making Jai quip, 'And now I will tell you that I was fibbing. There is no mechanism. The door would have remained open...but then, it would have been a bit difficult to make love to you in this room with an open door.'
'JAI!' she shouted in shock and instantly tried to open the door, but he smiled and said, 'you forgot about the automatic lock? I hope your memory is not bad when it comes to other things, Miss. Dixit!
'Jai! Don't be crazy! Please! Everyone is downstairs...and...and...haven’t' you had enough?' she blurted out, blushing and burying her face in her palms as he walked towards her.
'No...I have not had enough. I can never have enough of you, Bani.' he said hoarsely, taking her into his arms and kissing her senseless.
She was about to protest against his untimely attack, when he stopped all of a sudden and pulling himself back, asked her abruptly, 'Aren't you worried that you are in love...correction...in a Relationship with a man who has a high likelihood of dying?'
Bani looked back at him and Jai expected tears or remonstrations, but she simply shook her head and replied, 'I am more worried, that I am in love and in a relationship with a man who wants to give up on life before even trying to put up a fight for it.'
'It was a rhetorical question, sweetheart. I am not giving up on my life...especially not after now.' he replied, smiling at her.
'Nothing will happen to you, Jai. Nothing. You will be just fine.' she said, taking her hands and kissing them, tearing up yet with that uplifting, beautiful, sunny smile of hers.
'There is one thing as being optimistic and there is another thing as being Bani Dixit type optimistic!' he quipped, laughing
'I know what I am talking about...you will be just fine! My mother had showed my hand to an astrologer when I was very small and he had told me that the man whom I will marry will outlive me! So here it is! I am fit and fine and healthy and I will most probably live upto 100 and you will outlive me!!!'
She hadn't realized that she had talked about marriage, till Jai looked back at her and spoke emotionlessly, 'I haven't thought about marriage yet, Bani.'
Bani mottled with embarrassment...and instantly regretted her gaffe.
'I...I am sorry...it just slipped off my tongue...I should be going now...so, we are okay with the Lanterns?'
Not harping on what she had accidentally said, Jai grinned and said, 'you can hang Pushkar on the tree for all I care! Please go ahead!'
Bani gave him a stern look and said, 'why are you after that poor boy? And where is he since morning? Karuna didi told me that you have sent him down to the basement for some work?'
Jai gave a wicked smirk and said, 'Yes...I have handed him a ten thousand page document, which has over two million words....'
'And?'
'And I have told him to find out all the prepositions in it. All the 'a, the, in, as, at, for, from, of, on, ect....ect.'
Looking bewildered and shocked, she said, 'But that would take ages! And what is the point? Has this anything to do with your work?'
'No, of course not! I just wanted to mess around with him! Don't look so indignant...its not just your beloved friend who is getting a drubbing from me. I have got Abdul to add a laxative in Chote's morning tea...that should keep him in and out of the commode till the function!'
'JAI!' she exclaimed in shock and hitting him on his hand, while unable to stop laughing, remarked, 'you are simply the devil! Poor Nachiket and Pushkar! I am going to give a medicine to Nachiket for his stomach and I am telling Massi that you have stuck Pushkar with this dreary work on such a nice day...'
'Sneak!' he teased her, planting a kiss on her cheeks.
'Brat!' she teased him back, planting a kiss on his cheeks.
'Didn't I tell you that in my world, we don't kiss like that?'
'I am leaving...I have work!' announced Bani, turning to open the door, but he held her back from her waist and kissed her on her neck, mentioning, 'Why the hell are you dressed like a Nun, Miss. Dixit? There is no part of your skin visible to tamper around with!'
'Your tampering is the very reason why I am dressed like a Nun, Mr. Walia!' she retorted, laughing back, as he pulled her into his warm embrace and kissed her longingly on her lips.
'Let me go, please. I really have work to do.' she pleaded.
'Don't you see, Miss. Dixit? You have chosen to fall in love with a very defective piece of God's creation. Not only am I incapable of having children...it is most likely that you might have to lead a celibate life, post my operation...not sure, if anything function-able will be left in me!' jibed Jai, able to make fun of his situation, despite the gravity of it.
It was one of the many reasons why Bani had fallen in love with him. The fact that he could always laugh at his own pain and dismiss it away like it was nothing, when any other person in his place would have crumbled into pieces under pressure.
'So please, let me make the best of what I have! For fear that, I am stuck to a bloody wheelchair for the rest of my life; at least I would be able to remember our time together.'
Looking at him, Bani spoke with poise and steadfastness, 'Nothing wrong will happen to you, Jai. You will be fit and fine like before...and you won't be confined to any wheelchair...and there won't be any need to remember anything...because...'
'Because?'
Blushing a bit, she lowered her eyes and said softly, 'because we will spend every night of our lives together...under star-lit skies...in each other's arms...looking at your favourite constellations...and doing everything that you want to.'
Jai was quiet for a couple of seconds and then fishing out his phone, announced out of the blue, 'If you are so confident, let me call up Dr. Reddy right away and tell him that to hell with the wedding...I am ready for the Chemo right away...I have stars to gaze upon, constellations to identify and lots of kinky things to do that I have in mind! And I simply can't wait any longer!'
She burst out in a fit of giggles, as Jai threw back his head and laughed openly, taking her into his arms, even as both of them burst into tears simultaneously with their laughter.
Part 17 (a)
If Bani was unable to remember anything about the day, she remembered everything about their first night together. Every single thing. For years to come. She could recall the view from the picture window in Jai's artistically done up bedroom, the muted colour of the drapes and carpets, and each painting and picture and every piece of the period furniture, that was in his room. She could remember the faint sounds coming from outside...the guests leaving after the party, drifting through the open veranda, from which cool breeze blew in. The images of that night were to stay with her the rest of her life. It was magic, multi-coloured explosion in slow motion. It was having Jai undress her, it was Jai's strong, lean body in bed, his roughness and his gentleness. It was laughter and passion. Tears and emotions. Their hunger had built to a greed that had to be satisfied. The moment Jai began to make love to her, the words that flashed into Bani's mind were, I'm lost.
Jai touched her lightly on her cheeks and then she was in his arms, so hungry for the feel of him, that she was dizzy with all the unknown, bewildering urgent sensations shuddering through her, scarcely understood but too powerful to be ignored.
Letting his right hand hold the edge of her Sari, he lifted his finger and traced the rim of her blouse, following it bead by bead, sequin by sequin, till his fingers reached the strings that tied her blouse from behind, untying it but not getting it undone as of now. Putting one foot up on the panel of the bed, he pulled her in between his legs, lazily, savouring every inch of her with his eyes, let his eyes and hands do what his mouth would later.
Lifting her in his arms, he and placed her there. Slowly stripping down her Sari, he threw it on the floor in a silky mess, and carried her to the bed.
He kissed her as if he had found an Oasis, as if he had been parched too long in a desert. Artlessly wanton, she arched and swayed against him, and when the hunger lit a fire too hot, to contain, they ended up rumpling the smooth black amber quilt on his bed, murmuring broken, unintelligent words while they sought relief from the flames devouring them.
Bani felt exquisite torment, instigated by his bare chest, all her throat letting out faint breaths of pleasure, devoured instantly by his pursuing tongue. He peeled off all her clothing and guided her hands to his chest, while touching her everywhere knowing how to send quicksilver thrills of liquid fire throughout her body.
She utters a conquered cry and pulled him down on top of her. It’s been so long for both of them without each other, Bani finally let’s go and holds him tight, running her hands though his silky ruffled hair and kissing him with all the passion she had saved for the last four years and sobs away her body achy and pleasurable all over.
Giving her no time to recover, he swiftly enters her carving a path inside her, and pretty soon both travel to heaven and back.
They made love again and again, and each time was an ecstasy that was almost unbearable.
Hours later, as they lay there quietly, Jai said, 'I feel as though I'm alive for the first time in my life.'
Bani gently stroked his chest and suddenly he laughed out aloud.
Bani looked at him quizzically, 'What's so funny?'
'Do you know what I told myself? That if I went to bed with you once, I could get you out of my system.'
She twisted around and looked up at him. 'And...'
He smiled and whispered back, 'And...I was wrong. I feel as though you're a part of me, Bani. You have always been a part of me...how can I get you out of my system...you are simply ingrained in me.'
She blushed with pleasure and he gave her a leisurely, lazy grin, taking her back into his warm embrace, brought his head down to her and the dark hair on his jaw rasped like sand paper against her soft cheeks, angling his head lower and covering her lips with a satisfied groan.
When he had pulled himself back, she said delicately, 'I need to go...it’s almost morning...'
Not replying to her statement, Jai simply peeled her off his body and turned her around, pushing her silky locks away from her face and placing a million kisses when she least expected it, all over her face and down to her neck and bare shoulders.
Knowing where this was going, she pleaded, 'Jai, please...if I leave your room any later, someone is sure to see me...'
'Shhhhhhhhhhhh' he coaxed, turning her towards him as she closed her eyes, out of shyness and he felt even more aroused and flushed than he had done previously. With a savage grunt, he plunged his mouth on her lips, mirroring the early-morning intimacy he had in mind, paying no heed to any protests she would have made.
Warm heat enveloped her body, as he continued kissing her from shoulder down, reaching her bare mid-riff, her stomach, her waist, pressing her down on the hard mattress of his bed, even as she cried out, 'Stop it, Jai. Please.'
Lifting his head up slightly, he spoke in his usual witty manner, 'you realize why I am acting like a s**-starved desperado? I might never get to even kiss you properly in the future...let me take everything I can...so that if I die...I will die with the knowledge that my days with you were less...but they were complete in every sense of the word...and if I do live and become a vegetable...I can at least remember these moment, sitting on my wheelchair.'
She held his strong shoulder and pulled him up over her, taking his face in her hand and looking into his eyes, spoke calmly, 'I am not letting you die, anytime sooner, Mr. Walia. Considering how much you have tortured me, you need seven lives with me for payback...and you won't become a vegetable...you are too alive for anything like that...'
As he smiled back slowly at her reply, she lifted her head a bit, kissing the tip of his nose and whispered into his face, 'So now, don't make excuses to stay in bed and please let me go...the Sun is already out and I am sure, someone might have noticed by now that my bed was not slept in.'
'Well, this bed too was not slept in, sweetheart!' he commented, making her blush and giggle despite herself.
He placed his hands around her midriff and fell towards his side, uttering a small yelp. 'Ouch!'
'What happened?' she asked with alarm.
'Nothing...my back...too much acrobatics for one night...it’s a pity, my body doesn't seem to support my libido.'
Bani giggled and pulling his nose said, 'Can't you ever be serious?'
'What else was I doing last night? I only do these things when I am dead serious about a woman.'
'And how many times have you done this serious thing?' she teased him.
Kissing her on the tip of her chin, he replied, 'Frankly, the only one I can remember is the night that just passed...the rest seem like a faded memory.'
'Typical lawyer...playing around with words.' she replied, trying to get away from him.
'Don't! Stay with me...please...some more time...'
Colour rose in her cheeks, as the unbridled passion of the night began to give way to the realizations of the morning that had dawned.
'Jai...someone will look for me...and Abdul will get your tea...' she beseeched in vain.
'To hell with Abdul and his tea...and...and I need to say something to you...'
'What?' she asked with concern.
He seemed to hesitate a bit, but one look at her face and he realized that after last night, if he had even a shred of doubt in his mind regarding her feelings for him, he should probably go and shoot himself down with his Mauser C96 there and then.
'You do...you do realize the implications of my medical reports, Bani?' he asked her, looking into her glowing face.
She kept quiet and simply nodded her head.
'I want to tell you something more...ideally, I should have told you all this before...you know...' he trailed off, not knowing how to put the night of passion in words.
And then winking at her, added cheekily, 'but you seduced me before I could say anything!'
She flushed and hitting him gently on his cheeks, said, 'I seduced you?'
'Obviously!'
'Obviously? What do you mean by that?'
'Was it my fault that you looked so gorgeous in your Sari...which I am sorry to say is probably crushed beyond repair by now! What can a man do if a woman comes to his room at mid-night, looking so hot?'
Bani burst out giggling, burying her head in his chest and said, 'Stop it, now!'
'Anyway...getting back at what I was saying...' he spoke, lifting her face and stroking her jawline tenderly.
'Medically I am incapable of having kids, Bani...you need to know that.'
He said it like ripping a band aid off a wound, expecting some volatile reaction from her, but she simply looked with bone-melting tenderness at Jai and said, 'I had guessed it...I...I read about it somewhere...in an article.'
'What you probably don't know is that I had a choice, Bani.'
This statement evoked the necessary reaction from her and she looked at him with questioning eyes.
'Yes...I had a choice. Before I was to start my treatment...the first time round...Dr. Reddy...my Oncologist had explained to me that infertility is one of the most common side-effects of Chemotherapy...and he had offered me a suggestion.'
Looking at the blank expression on Bani's face, Jai could not help but smile and said teasingly, 'I suppose you hadn't read about this...
'Jai...I can't understand...'
He spoke simply, 'Dr. Reddy had told me that I could have children in the future...if I wanted to...freeze my sperms and keep it for the future.'
There was an awkward pause and moving a bit from her, he spoke with a melancholic regret in his voice, 'And the arrogant asshole that I am...I refused it. Telling my doctor that I never wanted to have kids...and as long as I could have s** with any woman I wanted...I couldn't care if I could father a child or not.'
Turning his face towards Bani, eyes moistened, he spoke in a broken voice, 'never did I imagine that one day, I would actually find a girl...whom I would want to make the mother of my children...'
They stared at each other in silence, till Jai broke down crying, burying his head in her shoulders, hugging her fiercely, as if expecting her to storm off in anger after hearing that he had committed such a huge blunder.
But she simply rocked him in her arms and spoke tenderly to him, smiling, despite the tears that flowed, 'you wanted me as the mother of your children, Jai?'
He looked at her like a child who had confessed to his crime and was desperately waiting for redemption...'I had never imagined having kids, Bani...or having a family...or waking up with the same woman every single morning of my life...but it happened.'
'I am just so sorry...that I made such a terrible choice...and it became a reason why I had to go away from you...even now...I know how much you love children...and despite everything, that is one happiness, I can never give you.'
Her heart filled up with emotion and her tears had dampened her entire face, but she still grinned and spoke teasingly, 'where would I have the time to look after kids, when I have this big baby to handle?'
Instantly cheering up, he remarked in mock-anger, 'I am not a big baby...or any baby!'
'Oh, yes you are! Ask anyone who has put up with you! You can put a terrible 2 year old toddler to shame with your tantrums!'
'Hey! I protest to that! Especially after my marvellous performance just few hours back! And I am more than ready to give an encore to prove my point, that I am not baby. But all man...head to toe.'
She flushed and laughed, hiding her face in the pillow, as he took her wrists and placed tiny kisses on her bangles.
'Madam...some of your bangles are cracked...just be careful when you remove them...'
She kept quiet, simply mumbling a reply from underneath the pillow.
Tracing a finger across her bare shoulders and pushing the sheet of her back, he placed a kiss there and said, 'and you might also want to be careful about what you wear today...there might be questions regarding the love bites on your back...'
And added in a mischievous tone, 'and other questionable places too...but that wouldn't be visible, hopefully. At least, not to anyone except me!'
'JAI!' she exclaimed, turning brick-red in embarrassment and trying to get up from the bed.
'What? You can do everything, but talking about you is making you look like a ripe tomato?' he kept teasing her, lying on his back and laughing.
She got up and sat on the bed, clumsily wrapping the bed sheet around her, tying her entangled hair in a bun and said, 'I wasn't doing anything....you were the one doing it.'
'But you were the one enjoying it. Come on! Stop being such a prude! I know I am good!'
She picked up a cushion and hit him on his chest with it, making him throw back his head and laugh with delight.
Holding back her hands, he asked her, 'Tell me...you liked it, didn't you?'
'Is this a question answer session going on?' she blushed, trying not to face him.
'It’s a question every man has in mind after he had spent the first night with the love of his life, Miss. Dixit!'
She instantly turned to face him and asked with unbridled joy and emotion, 'I am the love of your life?'
'No...Meera is! Of course, silly girl! Why else would I risk my back from getting burst by doing it five times in a night? Believe me, that's my personal best till now! At least, with a single woman!'
She flushed again and taking another cushion, threw it on his face this time and spoke in mock-anger, 'you will keep teasing me about this, isn't it?'
'You are absolutely right. I will keep teasing you about it...only till tonight...then I will get serious again.'
'Tonight? You have gone Mad! I am not coming here tonight!' she replied, trying to locate one of her anklets, but not able to find it.
'Fine...I will come to your room...but I am not very comfortable in that bed...this is custom made for me...'
'Stop it, Jai!' she giggled, blushing and hiding her face, embarrassed by Jai's outspokenness and yet amused at the way he kept pulling her legs.
He lifted himself up a bit and giving a small tug at Bani's untidy knot, pulled it open.
'What?' she asked him, as her silky locks, half covered her face and shoulders, giving her the look of a Madonna.
'I hate that silly pony you make...leave your hair open...they are so beautiful.'
Flushing with pleasure at his compliment, she finally abandoned her search for the anklet and got up from the bed, suddenly realizing that her whole body was aching. Noticing her wince, Jai commented saucily, 'Only the first time, sweetheart...you will find yourself feeling much better tomorrow morning.'
She turned to hit him with another cushion, but he was too swift, catching hold of her wrists and pulling her back on the bed with such force, that the bed sheet she had wrapped around her, came undone, as he swiftly pushed her back on the bed and kissing her on the base of her neck, whispered, 'just one more time. Please.'
She shut her eyes tightly and opened them again, focusing on Jai's dark face with momentary difficulty. The heat mounted irresistibly between them and from then onwards, neither games, nor words, nor laughter were evident, as Jai drew her urgently down on the bed, passionately taking her over...as if he could never ever have enough of her.
An Hour Later
Jai had dozed off, placing his arms around her waist and burying his face in her open hair and when she was sure that he was indeed sleeping peacefully, she gently and slowly lifted his arm off her waist, for which he gave a start and placed it on a cushion. Sliding off gently away from him, she wrapped herself in the bed sheet again, her innate modesty not allowing her to walk without anything on her body to Jai's washroom.
Poor Pia...she had gifted the Sari with such love and Jai had crushed it like thrown away wrapping paper...she could not but muse that it quite symbolized Jai and Pia's love-hate relationship. Walking into the huge, stark white bathroom, all glass and chrome, she looked at the reflection in the giant mirror and instantly regretted it, closing her eyes...feeling shy to even face herself.
It was one thing, getting swept by one's passions and emotions, in the heat of the moment...but to face it when everything became like usual, was quite another. Jai was right...her upper body had dozens of marks on it...pinkish-red welts, which could not be attributed to anything but a lover's passionate frenzy.
'Oh God! That Choli!' she exclaimed in horror, realizing that her bare back would be exposed to everyone and what explanation would she give for the mark on it?
Brushing those concerns away, she quickly washed her flushed, slightly swollen face and clumsily draped her sari, before leaving for her room. Every muscle in her body ached...she could barely move her legs. She closed the doors of the washroom as softly as possible, not wanting to disturb Jai at all.
Hoping against hope that no one would see her leaving Jai's room at 6 in the morning, she was about to go, when she noticed something kept on his study table. Recognizing the colourful board instantly, she smiled to herself.
'Scrabble Board.' she mused, going near it and opening it carefully.
A sudden thought came to her mind and giving a look back at Jai, who was sleeping like a child, she smiled mischievously and went about setting alphabets on the Scrabble Board.
3 Hours Later
It was only when Abdul called out from outside his room, that Massi was going ballistic and wanted Jai to come down as soon as possible, did Jai finally get up, not able to stop smiling at the memory of the best night he had ever had in his life.
Quickly going through his morning ablutions, Jai changed into a fresh set of clothes and was about to go out of his room, when he saw his Scrabble Board laid out on his desk.
At first, surprised and then when realization hit him, with a slow smile, he looked at the board.
The top-most word was, 'T-H-A-N-K-S', the second word was, 'F-O-R-', the third word was, 'T-H-E', the fourth word was, 'B-E-S-T', the fifth word was, 'M-O-M-E-N-T', the sixth word was, 'O-F', the seventh word was, 'M-Y' and the last word was, 'L-I-F-E.'
'Thanks for the best moment of my life.' he repeated slowly, bending on the board and kissing it, whispering back, 'Ditto, sweetheart!'
Downstairs
Bani had only breathed in relief when she had managed to cross over from Jai's room which was in one corner of the Farmhouse to her own room, which was in another corner, without being spotted by anyone. Taking a long, relaxing bath, the warm water soothing her aching muscles, she changed into her most conservative salwar kameez, which was guaranteed to hide every part of her body. She had no idea what she would do by evening, when they would all have to dress up in that barely here, barely there lehenga and choli.
Rushing down, she noticed that Jigyasa and the rest of her gang were already up and running and fearing a blasting from her boss, she instantly started to apologize. But Jigyasa cut through all that and said, 'Oh! Great! Bani, you are here! Sweetie, we need to put those lanterns up on that Gulmohar Tree...but that Gardner is not allowing the boys to do that! Something about taking permission from Jai!'
Bani stared back at her wondering where this was going, when Pooja chipped in happily, 'Mam...send Bani to speak with Jai Sir...he told us a few days back that if we had any issue, we could send Bani to him...he really thinks very highly of our Bani.'
Though Pooja had spoken with all innocence, Bani could not help but go red in the face, especially as she was trying her level best to not constantly remember the details of the night and also the fact that she had gone ahead with such an important decision, without thinking that Jai and she were not a married couple...in fact, technically speaking, they were not even a couple yet.
Despite her objections on pre-marital s**, somehow Bani did not feel guilty. Not one bit...because she knew that Jai was a changed man the morning after...all his lost confidence...all his dejection...all his misery regarding his illness...everything had been put in the back-burner.
Who cared about social conventions in the face of doing something for the one you loved?
'No...No...I won't go. Saurabh can go and speak to him...he likes Saurabh very much too!' Bani spoke hastily, having no wish to endure Jai's relentless teasing anymore.
'Saurabh has gone out to the Vendor's place...he won't be coming back before afternoon! Come on, Bani! You are a professional! You have handled everything so beautifully till now...and Pooja is right! Jai was praising you so highly yesterday! Go and speak to him regarding the lighting arrangements...and a couple of more issues! I have to leave for Purva's house right now...we will be having breakfast there! I want you and Pooja to finish this decoration stuff for the Sangeet and then get on with the dance rehearsals! Okay?'
Bani nodded her head rather reluctantly and went to join Karuna and others for breakfast. Jai was apparently having breakfast in his study as he had some urgent phone calls to make.
Karuna piled on some butter-soaked paranthas on Bani's plate and said, 'Hai Bani! You look so different today? All glowing and Chamko...Chamko! Kya baat hain? What face pack did you put?'
Bani coloured a deep shade of pink and mumbled something incoherently, while Pooja also added, 'Karuna did is right! You are positively glowing, Bani! Hey...don't give competition to Purva Mam, okay?' Everyone laughed, while Bani could actually hear her heart beat, mottling with embarrassment and wondering if it was so obvious on her face when she was on her own, what would it be with Jai around her?
Bani was planning to convince Pooja to go to Jai and speak to him regarding the lighting issue, when Jigyasa who was about to leave for Purva's house saw her and exclaimed, 'What? You are still here? Bani! We need to get that work done asap! The function starts at 6 in the evening! Come on! Go and speak with Jai! He would also be tied up with hundred other things later on! Go! Go! And Pooja, you come with me...I need to show you the seating arrangement once more.'
Left hapless, she made her way to Jai's study, not even bothering to ask Abdul about his whereabouts. She knew by now, what was his favourite place in the entire Farmhouse.
Jai's Study
Closing her eyes in acute awkwardness, Bani hesitated before knocking and even decided to skip away, but when she saw Abdul passing by, greeting her with a wide smile, she knocked on the door almost mechanically.
'Come in!' roared Jai, back to his typical self.
Opening the door with extreme hesitation, she popped in her head and firmly placing her eyes to the ground, said quickly, 'Can I speak with you, Mr. Walia?'
Jai was in the midst of correcting a legal document that Pushkar had typed out for him and he dropped his pen on the table and with a devilish smile, said, 'Of course, Miss. Dixit. Why do you even have to ask?'
She stood where she was and hastily mumbled, all the while, firmly looking at the ground and not daring to look back at Jai, 'There was some lighting problem we had....we wanted your permission to go ahead with our decorations...we need to hang lanterns on the Gulmohar Tree...is it okay?'
Supressing his laughter, Jai spoke seriously, 'I can't understand a single word you are saying, Miss Dixit. Why don't you come inside and tell me clearly and in detail, what is your problem?'
She came in rather reluctantly and kept her hand on the rim of the door, so that it could not shut close.
'Yes, Miss. Dixit, of what help can I be of?' he asked, leaning back on his chair and enjoying his newly found zest for life very much...especially now that the reason for his happiness was standing right in front of him, colouring like a beetroot.
'The Lanterns...they need to be hung on the Gulmohar Tree, which grows behind your room...the Gardner told one of our workers that they couldn’t' allow it, till you give your approval.'
'Would you mind closing the door, Miss Dixit? It has an automatic mechanism...it will force shut, if you try to keep it open and those beautiful fingers of yours with which you caressed me so lovingly last night, might get bruised.'
Shocked by his sudden statement, she left the door and it banged shut instantly, making Jai quip, 'And now I will tell you that I was fibbing. There is no mechanism. The door would have remained open...but then, it would have been a bit difficult to make love to you in this room with an open door.'
'JAI!' she shouted in shock and instantly tried to open the door, but he smiled and said, 'you forgot about the automatic lock? I hope your memory is not bad when it comes to other things, Miss. Dixit!
'Jai! Don't be crazy! Please! Everyone is downstairs...and...and...haven’t' you had enough?' she blurted out, blushing and burying her face in her palms as he walked towards her.
'No...I have not had enough. I can never have enough of you, Bani.' he said hoarsely, taking her into his arms and kissing her senseless.
She was about to protest against his untimely attack, when he stopped all of a sudden and pulling himself back, asked her abruptly, 'Aren't you worried that you are in love...correction...in a Relationship with a man who has a high likelihood of dying?'
Bani looked back at him and Jai expected tears or remonstrations, but she simply shook her head and replied, 'I am more worried, that I am in love and in a relationship with a man who wants to give up on life before even trying to put up a fight for it.'
'It was a rhetorical question, sweetheart. I am not giving up on my life...especially not after now.' he replied, smiling at her.
'Nothing will happen to you, Jai. Nothing. You will be just fine.' she said, taking her hands and kissing them, tearing up yet with that uplifting, beautiful, sunny smile of hers.
'There is one thing as being optimistic and there is another thing as being Bani Dixit type optimistic!' he quipped, laughing
'I know what I am talking about...you will be just fine! My mother had showed my hand to an astrologer when I was very small and he had told me that the man whom I will marry will outlive me! So here it is! I am fit and fine and healthy and I will most probably live upto 100 and you will outlive me!!!'
She hadn't realized that she had talked about marriage, till Jai looked back at her and spoke emotionlessly, 'I haven't thought about marriage yet, Bani.'
Bani mottled with embarrassment...and instantly regretted her gaffe.
'I...I am sorry...it just slipped off my tongue...I should be going now...so, we are okay with the Lanterns?'
Not harping on what she had accidentally said, Jai grinned and said, 'you can hang Pushkar on the tree for all I care! Please go ahead!'
Bani gave him a stern look and said, 'why are you after that poor boy? And where is he since morning? Karuna didi told me that you have sent him down to the basement for some work?'
Jai gave a wicked smirk and said, 'Yes...I have handed him a ten thousand page document, which has over two million words....'
'And?'
'And I have told him to find out all the prepositions in it. All the 'a, the, in, as, at, for, from, of, on, ect....ect.'
Looking bewildered and shocked, she said, 'But that would take ages! And what is the point? Has this anything to do with your work?'
'No, of course not! I just wanted to mess around with him! Don't look so indignant...its not just your beloved friend who is getting a drubbing from me. I have got Abdul to add a laxative in Chote's morning tea...that should keep him in and out of the commode till the function!'
'JAI!' she exclaimed in shock and hitting him on his hand, while unable to stop laughing, remarked, 'you are simply the devil! Poor Nachiket and Pushkar! I am going to give a medicine to Nachiket for his stomach and I am telling Massi that you have stuck Pushkar with this dreary work on such a nice day...'
'Sneak!' he teased her, planting a kiss on her cheeks.
'Brat!' she teased him back, planting a kiss on his cheeks.
'Didn't I tell you that in my world, we don't kiss like that?'
'I am leaving...I have work!' announced Bani, turning to open the door, but he held her back from her waist and kissed her on her neck, mentioning, 'Why the hell are you dressed like a Nun, Miss. Dixit? There is no part of your skin visible to tamper around with!'
'Your tampering is the very reason why I am dressed like a Nun, Mr. Walia!' she retorted, laughing back, as he pulled her into his warm embrace and kissed her longingly on her lips.
'Let me go, please. I really have work to do.' she pleaded.
'Don't you see, Miss. Dixit? You have chosen to fall in love with a very defective piece of God's creation. Not only am I incapable of having children...it is most likely that you might have to lead a celibate life, post my operation...not sure, if anything function-able will be left in me!' jibed Jai, able to make fun of his situation, despite the gravity of it.
It was one of the many reasons why Bani had fallen in love with him. The fact that he could always laugh at his own pain and dismiss it away like it was nothing, when any other person in his place would have crumbled into pieces under pressure.
'So please, let me make the best of what I have! For fear that, I am stuck to a bloody wheelchair for the rest of my life; at least I would be able to remember our time together.'
Looking at him, Bani spoke with poise and steadfastness, 'Nothing wrong will happen to you, Jai. You will be fit and fine like before...and you won't be confined to any wheelchair...and there won't be any need to remember anything...because...'
'Because?'
Blushing a bit, she lowered her eyes and said softly, 'because we will spend every night of our lives together...under star-lit skies...in each other's arms...looking at your favourite constellations...and doing everything that you want to.'
Jai was quiet for a couple of seconds and then fishing out his phone, announced out of the blue, 'If you are so confident, let me call up Dr. Reddy right away and tell him that to hell with the wedding...I am ready for the Chemo right away...I have stars to gaze upon, constellations to identify and lots of kinky things to do that I have in mind! And I simply can't wait any longer!'
She burst out in a fit of giggles, as Jai threw back his head and laughed openly, taking her into his arms, even as both of them burst into tears simultaneously with their laughter.
“If I am to be
fallen into love, I will. And if as a result I will appear to be stupid,
disillusioned, and of poor judgment, I will. And I would be damned if I cared
what other people think. For I would rather be thought of as all of these
things, than not in love. If in loving, I become the naked woman on the horse,
I will ride that horse with my head held high. This is my spirit. I am
unbreakable.”
― C. JoyBell C.
Part 17(b)
Evening
Jigyasa had ordered her team to get ready by six in the evening, so that when the guests started arriving; they should all be prepared and not be running about, looking for their clothes and shoes. All the girls in Jigyasa's team met in Bani's room and began changing their clothes, gushing and laughing and giggling with excitement. This was one of the most high-profile weddings they had ever organized and they could not wait to see it get executed.
Bani wore her lehenga and put on all the corresponding jewellery, but she still had the choli in her hand, and was wearing her full-sleeved purple kurta on top of the Lehenga. Pooja who could not stop admiring her bare back in the mirror, looked at Bani and exclaimed, 'Why are you still in that kurta, Bani? Its five minutes past six....Jigyasa Mam will start shouting for us anytime! Come on! Take this off and put your choli...I will tie the strings for you.'
Bani did not know what to say or do...the moment she wore the choli, her back would be patently obvious and there would be very little doubt left as to the marks on it. But there was no other option, except that she could wear the choli and then try and cover her back with the duppata, which unfortunately was also of a transparent, gauzy material.
She went inside the washroom and took off her kurta, slipping on the tight-fitting choli, that much to her shock, only came to her bust line. There was just too much skin on display all the way from where the Choli ended and her Lehenga started.
'What on earth made Jigyasa Mam come up with this kind of dress for the Sangeet Ceremony? God...it looks so...so...' she murmured, going red in the face. She kept trying to tie the strings on the back, but heR hand did not reach there and in desperation, she opened the door and called out to Pooja.
'Poojie...can you please tie the strings...'
Pooja laughed and said, 'Bani, why are you so shy? We are all girls here! Come out!' As Bani came out reluctantly, Pooja couldn't help but add with a wink, 'I wonder if you are so shy in front of us, what would happen when a man disrobes you.'
Bani all but fainted out of embarrassment on hearing the comment, even as the other girls giggled. She wondered how Pooja would react, did she even have an inkling of what had transpired between Jai and her the previous night. Jai had more than just undressed her clothes...he had literally seemed to strip her very soul to the barest essential possible.
Trying to shield her bare back, she came into the room, holding her skimpy choli with clumsiness, so that it didn't come out in front of everyone. Not only was Bani a complete prig in such matters, unlike her colleagues, who were absolutely comfortable being stark naked in front of each other, but she also wanted to shield the marks on the front part of her body, which would probably have no explanation for it, except the obvious.
Pooja came bouncing happily towards Bani, standing behind her and taking the silky cords in her fingers to tie them up.
'What on earth are these marks, Bani?' asked Pooja, fingering the love bites and making Bani close her eyes in mortification.
'A-a-allergies..' she mumbled her rehearsed answer.
'Allergies? But...these look...I don't know...like someone has bitten you?' sounded Pooja incredulous and then added with a shocked expression, 'If I didn't know you better Bani, I would attributed this to love bites...but because I know you so well, I think I will agree that these are some sort of an allergic reaction!'
Bani went a deep shade of pink on her face, matching her clothes perfectly. This was getting to be highly difficult and she hadn’t even gone down yet. How in the name of god was she going to face everyone without them staring at her back and then that dance performance with Shashank?
'God...I have to let Jai know...'she exclaimed to herself, not wanting to upset him in anyway. She knew how explosive his temper was and how irrational he could be, when something against his wishes happened. She had to find Jai and tell him about the dance with Shashank and somehow convince him that it was just a professional obligation on her part and nothing else. She had been doing nothing but avoiding Shashank like Plague for the last two days, even though he kept following her all through the Farmhouse.
'Come let me put some make-up on you!' said Pooja and before Bani could protest, she shooed the other girls out, who had already finished dressing up and making Bani sit on the bed, took out her extensive make-up case.
'Poojie...there is no need, really! I don't look nice at all in make-up!' protested Bani, already suffering from mild anxiety regarding the evening and feeling highly uncomfortable in her clothes.
'Come on! You are very pretty to look at...despite how you always dress down so much! Do you know, Saurabh was telling me that Shashank Sir was telling Nachiket Sir that he was going to kiss you tonight?'
'What?' exploded Bani, half in horror and half in indignation.
Pooja giggled and said, 'Hey, steady! See, my hand shook and the eye-liner got smudged...don't open your eyes!'
'What did Shashank say?' asked Bani, sounding nervous and upset, that her flirting had led to him making remarks, that were sure to reach Jai's hears and all hell would break loose.
'Ha! Ha! He has a crush on you, Bani! Though mind you, bit of a challu guy...you be on your toes okay? But what's the harm in having some fun?'
'I don't want to have any kind of fun with him! Oh! It’s all my fault...I shouldn't have acted in that way during the Bonfire night...that has given him ideas!' remarked Bani, looking depressed.
'Come then! Stop taking everything to heart! You simply have a dance to perform with him and there, you are done! And what is the harm in one kiss? He is a good-looking chap!' teased Pooja, unaware of what was going on in Bani's mind.
'I will never kiss another man in my life now!' announced Bani, without thinking.
'Another man? Whom did you kiss before?' demanded Pooja.
Going warm in her cheeks, Bani flustered and getting up, said, 'I think I can hear Jigyasa Mam calling us...come...come...you go, I will just tie my hair...okay? Let us meet at the Gazebo...and please check if Karuna didi's daughters are ready or not! If we have time, we can get them to do one more rehearsal!''
Pooja, being slightly dim-witted, did not suspect that Bani had completely changed the subject to avoid any suspicion on the comment she had made.
Ten minutes after Pooja had left, Bani tied her hair into a loose plait and pulled it forward, more in an attempt to hide her bust, which was being displayed prominently in the skin-tight choli than any attempt at being fashionable. She gave a cursory glance at herself in the mirror and blushed...she did look very pretty...and young...and charming...and with that special glow, specific to those who are in love and who are loved dearly by someone special.
It would be a miracle if someone tonight did not guess what had happened with her.
Downstairs
Everyone was assembled in the lawns and the Walia Family could not stop gushing on how lovely the arrangements were, especially when the lights came on. The Lanterns, which had been Bani's idea, were hung up on every branch of the Gulmohar and Palash Trees that formed the backdrop of the venue where the Sangeet Function was to be held. Bani had specifically asked for rice-paper lanterns from Taiwan to be brought for the decoration and even though Jigyasa had objected, saying that it wouldn't go with the theme, Bani had persisted and it had paid off.
The setting looked enchanted...there was nothing garish or over-the-top about the place. Bani had merged the decorations her team had in mind with the natural beauty of the Farmhouse...the trees and plants were all used as propos, instead of the usual synthetic decorations that was preferred by wedding planners in general. As a substitute of using expensive flowers for the venue, Bani had simply used the in-season Marigold flowers and had spread a canopy of its petals on which Purva and Nachiket were to be seated.
Jigyasa could not help but gush, 'Bani...this is just PERFECT!' Oh-My-God! This looks breath-taking! I think it’s one of the best Sangeet Ceremony Venue I have seen in my career! Well done, Sweetie!'
Bani glowed with pleasure on the praise and instantly included Pooja and Saurab in her effort, evoking laughter from both of them.
'Bani...you don't have to include our names everywhere! Agreed, that we all worked as one team...but the fact is that you put in the maximum hard-work and frankly, the idea was all yours! Kudos, yaar! This really looks stunning! Purva Mam's family is going to be blown away!' remarked Saurabh.
Just then Nachiket, whose face was finally recovering from Jai's punch and Pushkar, who looked beyond harassed made an appearance and were instantly mesmerized by the beauty of the venue.
'Wow...that is just amazing!' they both remarked and Bani asked them, 'Nachiket, are you feeling better now? Did that medicine help?'
'It did! Thank you so much! You are a life saviour! Else, I would have looked like a clown in all my wedding pictures! Dada bhi naa!'
Bani had a hard time supressing her giggle, as she turned to Pushkar and asked him, 'Are you done with the work that Mr. Walia had given to you?'
Looking totally exhausted, Pushkar replied gloomily, 'I have identified about a thousand prepositions...I guess a million more to go!'
They all laughed and Bani told him to relax and that she would speak to Jai regarding the useless work he had deliberately piled on Pushkar and would relieve him of it.
Looking visibly elated, Pushkar went about searching for something to eat, along with Karuna, while Jigyasa who was on the phone with someone, came striding towards Bani and said, 'Sweety...we have an issue with the caterer! He says that he needs some extra space for his cooks to do the preparations...and Jai's domestic helps are not budging. Can you get hold of Jai and resolve this issue?'
Bani could not help but give out a sigh of frustration. She knew where Jai would be and she knew what would happen if she landed in Jai's study, dressed like this.
'Mam...but...'she protested, but Jigyasa was already on the phone, urging Bani with her hands to go quickly and speak with Jai.
'If only she knew how I make him agree to everything!' muttered Bani, blushing and laughing despite feeling highly apprehensive approaching him.
Covering her back as best as possible with her duppata, she reached Jai's study and knocked politely on it, but felt surpised when there was no response. Instantly panicking that something was wrong with him, she started banging on the door in haste, calling out his name, when Abdul came by, dressed nattily in what seemed like new pair of clothes for the function.
'Arre Madamji...Bade Sahib is not in his study...he is in his room. You can go there.'
Bani had absolutely no wish to go to Jai's bedroom of all the places in the house. The very thought of going back to the room, where she had recently spent a scorching night with him was giving her jitters all over. But if she went down without speaking with Jai, then Jigyasa would have one of her fits...her boss was particularly susceptible to losing her cool during such events, when everything that they had worked on was supposed to come together.
Jai's Bedroom
She walked reluctantly towards Jai's room and knocked just once on the door, deciding to act as professional as possible and ask Jai to come out of his room, so that she could speak with him.
'Come in!' he called out, not a roar, simply an order.
She pushed opened the heavy oak door and peeping in a bit, said, 'Can I speak with you, Mr. Walia?'
Bani scanned the room quickly, consciously avoiding looking at the four-poster bed, which had been the occasion for her losing her virginity, many times over, in just one night. She could only hear Jai humming a song, but could not see him.
'Mr. Walia?' she called out, sounding surprised on his invisibility.
'I am here, sweetheart!' he replied, popping his head from his walk-in cupboard and she flushed, lowering her eyes, especially when he came in full view.
Dressed in just a thick black bath towel, covering the lower part of his body, he was dripping with water and shaking his head, which was still completely wet and Bani was sure that he would catch a cold instantly. Bani could see his strong, sinewy legs and his glistening upper body, echoing his virulent manliness in every movement.
'I need to speak with you.' she repeated, still standing outside, blushing pointlessly.
'Come in, then. I can't come out half-naked, can I? Besides, help me choose what I should wear! Don't want to overshadow Chote by wearing great clothes...as it is, he pales in front of my dashing good looks and overwhelming masculinity.
Bani rolled her eyes at his impudent display of immodesty and chuckled, coming in, jingling from head to toe, because of the dozens of bangles she was wearing in both her hands.
Jai gave her a measured, leisurely, top to toe glance, making her warm all over and simply said, 'WOW!' His simple exclamation was so loaded, that Bani felt herself going hot and cold at the same time.
'We need some extra space for the caterer...I wanted to...' she blustered, before, Jai shut her up, by grabbing her ravenously in both his arms and inundating her with kisses, whispering, 'Now, this is what I call a dress! Lots of skin in display to tamper with...and what the hell is this...'he exclaimed, as his hands clasping Bani's back noticed that she was wearing a choli that had just two strings holding it in place.
'Jai...'she objected, before he pushed her back towards his cupboard, till her back hit it and then she realized that he had undone the strings in her choli and she had to cross both her arms across her bosom to simply keep it in place.
'What have you done?' she yelped, as the flimsy piece of choli came capitulating forward, exposing her smooth shoulders and baring her entire midriff and waist.
Ignoring her vehement remonstrations, Jai took her chiffon duppata, putting it around his neck and said, 'I should be asking you this question, Miss. Dixit! What have you done? And by the way...are you wearing nothing underneath this thing? Cool!'
Going brick red, she snapped, 'It’s padded, that is why! And...that is not the point! You can't just do...Jai...Jai....for god sake!'
He had already lifted her in his arms and placing her on his shoulder, walked toward the bed, even as she shouted and protested in vain.
'Jai..get me down! My choli...Jai! Jai, you will hurt your back...please! Don't do this!' He dropped her on the bed, audaciously ripping apart the loose choli from her body, which came into his hands in one go and flinging it on the floor, put one knee on the edge of the bed, as she flipped over in panic, trying to cover her anterior.
'I have popped in several pain killers...so my back can survive picking you up for once! And your choli...is intact, don't worry...you can wear it when I am done with you.'
'Done with me? What do you mean? You are just completely mad! Jai...I just dressed up...please! My colleagues are all waiting downstairs...the guests would be coming...what are you doing?' she gushed out, half in panic, half in sheer frustration at her inability to put a stop on Jai.
Her bangles shouted in protest as he leaned over his damp body on her bare back and placed moist kisses all over her soft skin. His cold hands borrowed some heat from her flaming cheeks, as he powerfully turned her over, even as she gasped at his action and coming on top of her, started exploring her body, with the same passion and hunger that had consumed him the previous night.
'Jai...my bangles will hurt you...Jai...listen...please...'she begged him, even as he impatiently lapped her body, not bothered by her jewellery that pricked him all over his chest and arms. Her heart was thudding like a sledgehammer and blood flowed into her face, as he ravished her with his mouth and eyes and hands.
She had given up opposing, when suddenly he cried out in agony, 'Oh! Fuck!' and slumped over her, his face burying itself on her chest, and he grabbed both her shoulders in an iron grip, making her wince with pain, since he was unintentionally hurting the same place where she was already bruised.
But she instantly realized that he was in pain and grabbing him in his arms, exclaimed in panic, 'Jai? What happened? Jai! Are you in pain? Oh! God! I knew it would pain you...why did you...'
He had recovered slightly by now and peeling himself off her body, he slumped to the side and got up, holding his lower back with both his hands, as Bani noticed how much he was supressing his physical agony.
Completely forgetting the fact that she was not wearing anything on top, she simply held him in her arms and asked sympathetically, tears springing in her eyes, 'Does that hurt a lot?'
Jai was in so much pain, that he could not even formulate an answer and simply nodded his head, trying to steady his breathing.
'Should I call the doctor? Should I give you some medicine? Jai...I am worried...'
He had calmed down by now and holding his left hand in hers and supporting himself with the rim of his bed, he spoke in a slightly fragmented voice, 'Am fine...muscle contraction...bloody painful...just comes and goes...don't worry...I have taken my medicines...it’s just that...now...you know...couldn't help it when I saw you looking like this...and well...lost control.'
Tears streaming down her face, she slammed out on him, 'Who the hell told you to do this, then? Why did you have to lift me? Do you have to act like Tarzan all the time? Whom are you trying to impress? Me?' Jai looked at her, half in astonishment at her lashing out and half in amusement; because he noticed that she hadn't noticed that she was barely wearing any clothes.
Taking a deep breath, she looked into his eyes and said calmly, 'If you are so desperate to have s** with me, then fine! I will come to you whenever you want...' and then folding her hands, she beseeched, 'But for god sake, don't attempt anything that might hurt you, Jai. Please! I am ready to do anything you want, anywhere you want, any number of time you want...but don't hurt yourself. I beg of you!' And saying that, she broke down crying, holding Jai from his back and caressing the long incision that was the result of his first surgery.
Jai closed his eyes as her wet cheeks felt against his bare back and she planted soft, tender kisses on the place where he had the laceration that marked a thin line from his neck to his lower back.
'Does that pain?' she asked him tenderly.
'Not anymore.' he replied lovingly.
She hugged him fiercely, clutching her fingers on his chest and keeping her face on his back and stayed like that for some time. A while later, she asked him in a tiny voice, 'Are you feeling better now?'
He instantly quipped back, in a smooth voice, 'I can sense your chumps on my bare back...evidently, I am feeling better! Who wouldn't?'
'What is Chumps?' she asked in a bewildered voice, wondering if it was a slang for something she was wearing.
'Chest plus Lumps is equal to Chumps...in other words, Boobs!' he replied cheerfully.
Colouring up deeply, she pinched him playfully on his cheeks and moved back, feeling utterly self-conscious and bashful, trying lucklessly to cover herself up with something.
She flickered her wet eyelids and lowered them, realizing with deep shame that she was half unclothed. Jai simply leaned forward and placed a kiss on her cheeks and walked to his cupboard to pull out a shirt from inside, tossing it across Bani.
'Please cover yourself up. (a) I will definitely go senseless with lust if I keep seeing your two beautiful and shapely...
'JAI' exclaimed Bani, going purple with mortification, as she hastily buttoned up his shirt which was at least twice her size.
'I was going to say eyes...but whatever...' he quipped mischievously and then added, '(b) I know what a hopeless prude you are...so...I am glad you covered yourself up.'
'You are mad!' was all she could say, still flushed and warm in her cheeks.
'I know. My Oncologist even referred me to a top psychiatrist!'
Feeling thoroughly annoyed and abashed, she replied sourly, 'you should have gone to him then, it is highly required!'
'Hey...that shirt you have on is mine...this room you are in is mine...and that girl sitting there, flashing her fake anger on me is also mine. I can do anything to you...don't provoke me!' he teased her back.
'And besides, you have just given me permission to do anything with you, anytime I want, anywhere I want...and I don't allow people to go back on their word...so let’s meet up after that damn Sangeet is over...and babes...keep wearing this dress...this time I will show you how it can be unfastened just using my teeth...'
'Keep dreaming!' she muttered, getting up from Jai's huge bed and placing her delicate feet on the carpeted floor, picking up her choli, which was lying in a heap.
'You do realize that you are still in my room, that you are still my woman and that you are still wearing my shirt, don't you?' he threatened, with mischief in his eyes.
Reddening, she refused to indulge in any more banter with him and simply frisked herself to the washroom along with her choli.
Ten Minutes Later
Despite trying her best, she could not tie the strings on the back and giving up, she opened the door of the washroom and called out self-consciously, 'Can you help me? I need to tie the threads...of my choli.'
'Babes...I only specialize in untying them...'
'Jai...please...it’s going to be seven...Jigyasa Mam must be going ballistic by now....' she begged to him, almost in tears out of anxiety.
He grinned and came towards her, turning her around and taking the strings, tied them up deftly.
'Here you go...your modesty has been restored...but not for long...remember not to change into anything else when we meet again here, at night.' he whispered seductively into her ears.
She simply gave up arguing with him and picking up her duppata, pinned it back on and mentioned casually, 'I am doing a dance...'
'Lovely...after we do it or before it?' asked Jai, in a matter-of-fact voice.
Flushing deeply, she answered back in an annoyed voice, 'Neither. I will dance in the Sangeet Function. With Shashank...'
'YOU MUST BE FREAKING KIDDING ME!' he thundered, his romantic mood melting into a puddle and instant rage coming into his eyes.
She mottled and spoke in a comforting tone, 'I...I ended up committing to it, Jai...I can't back out now. I tried to...but...please! It’s just one dance performance...'
'I DON'T GIVE A DAMN! You are not dancing with that Shmuck! Or with any other man! Do you get that? YOU ARE MINE, JUST MINE...don't you dare even lift your eyes and look at anyone else, till I am alive.' he roared back in anger, freezing her to the spot, as tears came into her eyes,
'Now why the hell are you crying?' he screamed fury raging on his face.
'I just...it was a danc...'she could barely complete her sentence, having been put down so badly by his volcanic temper.
Holding her powerfully by her upper arms, he yanked her face up and spoke with chilling calmness, 'Bani...you were flirting with that bastard that day...I let you...but things are different now. I can't stand anyone touching my personal possessions even...You are my woman, then. I will rip apart anyone who dares to even look at you...and I won't hesitate to do the same to you, if you ever try to get away from me. Got that?'
She sniffed and kept quiet, wiping her tears constantly, till he sighed deeply and ruffling his hair, explained, 'I am paranoically possessive, Bani...and given the state of my health...let me tell you frankly, that I am insecure as hell regarding you. So please don't make it any more difficult for me.'
Bani looked up at him and said, weepingly, 'I am making things difficult for you? And you are insecure about me? When I haven't even as much as thought about anyone else except you in my entire life! And what about you? Always boasting about the number of woman you have been with.'
He was at a loss of words, but only for about ten seconds and then quipped cheerfully, 'I am a man, it’s different for me.'
'WHAT?' she shouted, her eyes flashing with righteous indignation.
'Oh! God! Now, don't go all feminist and women's liberation etc. etc. I will be loyal to you; but realize that, I am highly attractive to women and they will always flock to me like flies to a pot of honey. But YOU, are my woman and YOU are not allowed to look at any man except me. This is the way I am. Accept me as it is. In any case, YOU don't have a choice, babes.'
Bani was no feminist but Jai maddened her so much with his flagrant hypocrisy and his arbitrary mandates, that she simply could not help but stomp on his feet in fury and storm out of his room, dissolving him in peals of laughter.
(Author's Note : All the smiley's and icons used in the text message between the characters are part of the exchange between the characters themselves!)
A While Later
Bani came down to the lawns, all red and flushed and even more flustered when Jigyasa gave her a dressing down on her sudden vanishing, for which she had no decent explanation. Bani was in the midst of some last minute organization, even as the guests had started trickling in. Her mobile suddenly beeped and she looked at it;
'U forgot 2 help me choose my evening wear, sweetheart. Should I cm 2 d party, naked?
'
Blushing and still fuming with him, she jabbed back a message;
'I don't care how u cm 2 d party
.'
Her mobile beeped in exactly 30 seconds, 'R u upset with me? Dont' worry...I'll cheer u up by 2morrow morning
.'
Bani sighed in exasperation and wrote back a reply. 'Nt cmng 2 ur room. Forget it.'
He answered back promptly, 'I'll drag u forcibly if u dnt cm on ur own.
'
She flushed after reading his message and wrote, 'U r impossible.
'
He replied back, 'I agree. At least tell me wht clr shud I wear?'
She wrote back with a wicked grin on her face, 'Wear Black...it will match with the colour of your soul!
'
He instantly messaged, 'Ha! Ha! Ur sense of humour has also increased with the size of your chumps!
'
She blushed beetroot and jabbed the words, 'SHUT UP!' and put her mobile phone back in her pouch. It was hopeless arguing with Jai. He always won, hands down.
Karuna, who was dressed like it was her wedding and not her cousin's, came rushing towards Bani, jingling and jangling with all the gold she had put on and asked her frantically, 'Hai Bani! Where is Potlu? Chote's in-laws have arrived...we have to start the function!'
'Er...I don't know didi...he might be in his room.' she answered, trying to keep a straight face.
'Oh! Okay...is everything else in place?'
'Yes...don't worry. Everything is arranged...by the way, you look very beautiful!' smiled Bani.
'Hai, really? Thank you Bani! And you look very beautiful too! Except that...what are those marks on your back?' asked Karuna, making Bani cringe in embarrassment.
'Erm...nothing! Just...allergies...'she trailed off, pretty much unconvincing.
Karuna gave her a look and then a shrewd smile came on her face, as she said, 'Baniji...I have been married for more than 10 years now...I know the difference between allergies and those marks on your back! Naughty girl!'
Bani all but died out of mortification and tried to defend her honour, but to no avail. Karuna was teasing her relentlessly, adding with concern, 'But Bani...I hope you are on guard with that man of yours...one can't help falling in love, that I agree...but a murderer? Such a nice girl as you?'
Looking shocked, she mumbled, 'Murderer? Who said that?'
'Hai! Who else? Potlu! He said that your boyfriend is a murderer and he can't stand any other man even looking at you and that he carries a meat knife with him all the time!'
Bani puckered her lips in vexation and said, 'Didi! Nothing like that! My boyfriend is not a murderer! And...And you should not take everything your Potlu says, so seriously!'
Karuna looked muddled and said, 'Oh! Wonder why he joked like that! Anyway...take care of that back...and I want to give you one piece of advice...Woman to Woman.'
Bani blushed and was expecting to get a moral lecture on how she should not defile herself before marriage, instead Karuna whispered into her ears, 'Men are like hungry wolves...as long as you keep tempting them with little amount of food...they will keep coming behind you...once you give them everything you have on offer...there they go, in search of fresh meat!' And saying that she burst into a hysterical laughter and bounced away, trying to look for one of her daughters.
Bani could only stare behind with stupefaction, having gone zapped with shock on Karuna's advice.
Purva looked beautiful in her baby pink and silver lehenga dress and she waved smilingly at Bani, when they spotted each other! Most of the guests had arrived and Jai was nowhere to be seen. Bani began to get worried about him, his back was in a bad condition and he was prone to get severe attacks of pain any time. Just then, someone tapped on her shoulder and she turned to see Ranveer, Sneha and their new born baby.
'Ranveerji...Snehaji!' she gushed, as Sneha hugged back Bani and said, 'Ranveer...you were wrong. Bani doesn't look pretty now...she looks positively beautiful!'
Bani blushed and asked her, 'How are you doing?'
'Not badly...considering that my daughter refuses to let me sit for one moment in peace.' laughed Sneha, as Bani took little Riya in her arms and snuggled lovingly against her, making baby talk and causing the child to giggle.
'Where is our Vakil Sahib, Bani? Everyone is here and the host is lost?' quipped Ranveer.
Bani could not help but blush at the mention of Jai, especially infront of Ranveer and hoped against hope that Ranveer knew nothing about what had transpired between Jai and her. She realized that they were best friends and could not help but wonder if Jai had said something to Ranveer regarding her.
'I don't know...'she mumbled, changing the topic and taking both of them to the seating area, handing over the baby rather reluctantly back to Sneha.
Just then, Saurabh came rushing towards Bani and said, 'here you are! Take his head-set...Jigyasa Mam gave us...will be easy for all of us to communicate when the function starts! By the way, where on earth is Mr. W?'
Bani closed her eyes in frustration and said, 'Why does everyone keep asking me, where is he?'
Before Saurabh could respond to her unusual outburst, they saw Jai making an appearance and almost every pair of eye in the 800 plus strong gathering turned to face the man.
Dressed in a well-cut black Jodhpuri Vest over a stark white kurta, first two buttons open, teamed with straight white linen pants, his hair pushed back to reveal his broad forehead. The sleeves of his kurta were rolled up three-fourths, showing off his Patek Phillip watch on his left wrist.
Most of the men in both side of the family were dressed up in much more magnificent clothes, but Jai, in his simple yet indisputably chic and classy ensemble simply took the breath away from every woman present in the gathering and evoked both envy and admiration from the men present.
He was instantly besieged and surrounded by all the guests from the Raheja Family and even though, Bani could see that he was greeting and meeting them with warmth and courtesy, his eyes were searching for someone else.
And Bani could not help but feel a twinge of pride, knowing who he was looking for with such distraction in his eyes. She was standing somewhere in the distance and though she could see him pretty clearly, he could not.
Pooja came panting and puffing to her and spoke with longing in her voice, ‘Baneeeeee…did you look at Mr. W? Oh! My! God! He looks sooooooooooo handsome! I think I need Saurabh’s inhaler…I am out of breathe after seeing him in that Black dress! Ooooh….’
Bani burst out giggling and pulled Pooja’s cheeks, saying, ‘Have you checked on the music thing, Pooja? We need to double check before the performances began?’
‘Oh! No! I was busy getting the little girls dressed up!’
‘Never mind…I will check it! And are the girls ready?’
‘Perfect! What about you and Shanky?’
Bani flushed and replied back, ‘I can’t do that dance with him, Pooja. Which reminds me, where is he? Let me tell him so.’
‘But why? I saw him with a couple of his friends…somewhere in the lawns.’
‘I…I can’t explain to you right now. I will request him to do the dance with either Anu or Lakshmi…they both know the steps.’
Saying that she went in search of Shashank, just as her mobile buzzed again.
‘Where r u?’
She smiled and replied back, ‘Busy. Btw, u luk very, very handsome. Touchwood.’
Her mobile buzzed in approximately 20 seconds. ‘Thnx…I thought the only way to convince u 2 spend the night with me was 2 luk as attractive as possible.
’
She laughed and wrote back,‘U r incorrigible.
’
Ignoring a guest who was trying to get in a word with him, Jai wrote back, ‘Nice word. Glad u culd put all those Scrabble sessions 2 gud use. Btw, did you tell Shmuck that u r nt dancing with him?’
She simply shook her head on reading his text and typed back, risking Jigyasa's ire on not sending personal text messages during client time.
‘Dnt call anyone names, unnecessarily. No, I haven’t told him…wl tell him.’
Little did Jigyasa know that Bani was using the client time to send messages to the client himself.
Her mobile buzzed again and she stealthily looked at it,
‘Gud. Listen, can we meet for five minutes? Before this nonsense starts?’
Looking shocked at the fact that Jai wanted to meet her in the midst of such a big function, she typed back,
‘Now? Impossible. And don’t call your own brother’s sangeet function as nonsense.’
He wrote back promptly, this time ignoring Purva's grandmother who was trying to speak with Jai,
‘Whatever. Meet me near the Koi Pond…in d nxt 5 min.’
Bani who could see Jai from her spot, looked worried at the fact that he was being so rude to everyone by ignoring them and spending all his time writing back and forth messages to her. Knowing that he would never give up, she agreed and sent a final SMS;
‘Okay…Okay…pls stop mssg me…everyone is staring at u…u’ve been on the phone 4 d last 15 min now.’
He wrote back,
Bani bit her lips and had a hard time supressing her giggles.
Koi Fish Pond
Bani made an excuse of looking at the music arrangement and could easily slip away and go to the Koi Fish Pond, which was in another corner of the Farmhouse, far away from where the function was taking place. She wondered how Jai would make an excuse and come, considering that someone or the other kept coming to meet him.
She stood there, waiting querulously, exasperated that Jai always got his way and uneasy that someone might spot them together.
He came literally out of nowhere and placed his palms on her eyes.
‘Very funny! I know its you!’
‘Oh! How on earth did you guess that, sweetheart?’ he teased back.
She felt temporarily disabled, as the woody fragrance of his cologne hit her senses and she felt herself lost in his twinkling eyes.
He took her in his arms, wrapped it around her waist, as her hands fell on his chest, she melted into his arms her face against his jodhpuri jacket, her eyes closed. He held her tight, one hand around her waist, the other cupping hers on his chest, it was like she died and was in heaven, they moved in fluid yet sensuous movements.
She noticed how unbelievably s**y he looked with his slightly damp hair curling in the ends and the smell of his aftershave attacking her senses.
‘Have I told you how beautiful you look tonight?’ he whispered into her face.
‘Yes, I know.’ She answered audaciously.
Jai threw back his head and laughed heartily, she had this knack of catching him completely unawares like this this, when he least expected it.
‘Did you wear this ridiculously s**y dress only to impress me?’ he asked her, moving the back of her fingers against her bare midriff.
She blushed a bit, wiggling at his sensuous touch, but replied back mischievously, ‘Actually, I did.’
A faint groan escaped his throat, ‘I will return this favour tonight, sweetheart.’
She buried her face in his chest and he ran his fingers all across her almost bare back, speaking in a hoarse voice, ‘God…I am so bloody tempted to pull away these cords…’
‘Here?’ she asked him in a scandalized voice.
‘Pity, isn’t it? Have to wait till this bloody thing gets over!’ he sighed in frustration, ruffling his hair, as he always did when he was impatient and desperate to do something.
She yanked herself back and spoke in an irritated voice, ‘We have worked really hard to make this thing happen, Jai! And it’s your brother’s function…don’t keep calling it names!’
‘Whatever! Say, have you told that Skunk that you won’t’ be dancing with him? He demanded.
‘Jai! What did I just tell you? Don’t call people names! And No, I haven’t told him yet. I was looking for him when you asked me…no, correction…ordered me to come here.’ She said, half annoyed and half laughing at the juvenile way he sometimes behaved in.
And then looking at his sulking expression, added in a pleading voice, ‘But Jai…please try and understand…if he insists on doing the performance, then I will have no other option. He might go to Jigyasa Mam if I refuse.’
‘So? Let him! Why does it bother you?’ he asked, taking out an Apple from his pocket and munching on it.
Despite her exasperation with Jai’s unreasonableness, she spoke tolerantly, ‘It bothers me because Jigyasa Mam is my boss…and I might lose my job if I don’t fulfil my professional obligations…’
‘I don’t understand! This wedding is obviously your last assignment…and you won’t be working for her from day after tomorrow…then why are you so worried about what Jiggy will think?’ asked Jai, in the most casual manner.
It was Bani’s turn to look bewildered and she asked him, ‘Last assignment? Why? I have already two assignments coming up next week when I go back to Bangalore!’
Jai stared at her, throwing the core of the Apple aside and looking at her, asked her in a very serious voice, ‘You will go back to Bangalore?’
Taken aback by his question and feeling rattled, she mumbled in a confused way, ‘Yes…I mean, that is where I live…and my job…’
He did not even let her finish her sentence and spoke in a final voice, ‘you were living there and you were working there. Not anymore. You are not going back to Bangalore and you will obviously not be working anymore.’
‘Jai…’
‘I am not letting you go, Bani. Don’t be preposterous! I can’t move to Bangalore…so it’s pretty obvious, that you will have to stay back here.’ He announced, as always despotic and stating only what he wanted to happen.
It took a couple of moments for Bani to react to his diktat, but she replied back steadily, holding his hands, ‘I understand that you want me to be here, Jai…and I will be. Give me some time. I can’t simply leave everything and stay back here…I am living with Pushkar’s family…I am answerable to them…I am employed somewhere…I am answerable there…and how can I just live here with…’ she trailed off, not wanting to mention that they were not married and though she had indulged in pre-marital s** with him, she could not just live with him, without giving a name to their relationship.
He looked hurt and asked her in an irate voice, ‘So you will just leave me and go away?’
Closing her eyes in frustration at his inability to understand her point of view, she answered back, ‘I am not saying that, Jai…all I am saying is…’
He moved away from her, looking deeply aggrieved and snapped in a cold voice, ‘Fine…go away then. Go and live with your foster family and your boss and your friend and your wonderful life in Bangalore. Abandon me and go away.‘
‘NO JAI!’ she cried out, tearing up and catching hold of his hands, before he could storm off. No matter how unreasonable and how unmanageable he was, Bani could still not see him hurt in anyway.
‘I…I was trying to say something else…but, please don’t get upset…I will stay back. Okay…I will stay back with you…I…I won’t go back to Bangalore.’ she said soothingly.
‘Promise. You won’t leave me?’ he asked her, in a desperately craving voice.
She smiled through her tears and said, ‘I will never leave you. Promise.’
He kissed her on both her cheeks and cheering up instantly like a child who had been given the lollipop for which he had thrown a tantrum, he quipped, ‘Good. Now go and find that Shmuck and tell him that you won’t dance with him. And come to my room around midnight…even if the Sangeet is not over…I will excuse myself from it.’
Bani could just nod her head in defeat at his list of demands and spoke resignedly, ‘Okay…anything else?’
‘Yes…kiss me.’
‘What?’
‘K-I-S-S M-E.’
Bani quickly threw a glance to her left and right and standing on her toes, planted a fleeting kiss on his lips and drew herself back.
‘What nonsense? Didn’t I tell you that in my world this sort of kiss was reserved for elderly relatives and far off cousins?’
Before Bani could respond, he gathered her ravenously into his arms and kissed her fully on the mouth, releasing a guttural groan in his throat.
‘This is just the trailer of the film that is going to play tonight…’he whispered impishly, adding, giving a roguish look at her choli, ‘it will be an adult only film, by the way!’
Despite her escalating tension on the impulsive decision she had made; promising Jai to stay back in Delhi, she could not help but blush and laugh at his relentless and unfailingly outrageous way of flirting.
― C. JoyBell C.
Part 17(b)
Evening
Jigyasa had ordered her team to get ready by six in the evening, so that when the guests started arriving; they should all be prepared and not be running about, looking for their clothes and shoes. All the girls in Jigyasa's team met in Bani's room and began changing their clothes, gushing and laughing and giggling with excitement. This was one of the most high-profile weddings they had ever organized and they could not wait to see it get executed.
Bani wore her lehenga and put on all the corresponding jewellery, but she still had the choli in her hand, and was wearing her full-sleeved purple kurta on top of the Lehenga. Pooja who could not stop admiring her bare back in the mirror, looked at Bani and exclaimed, 'Why are you still in that kurta, Bani? Its five minutes past six....Jigyasa Mam will start shouting for us anytime! Come on! Take this off and put your choli...I will tie the strings for you.'
Bani did not know what to say or do...the moment she wore the choli, her back would be patently obvious and there would be very little doubt left as to the marks on it. But there was no other option, except that she could wear the choli and then try and cover her back with the duppata, which unfortunately was also of a transparent, gauzy material.
She went inside the washroom and took off her kurta, slipping on the tight-fitting choli, that much to her shock, only came to her bust line. There was just too much skin on display all the way from where the Choli ended and her Lehenga started.
'What on earth made Jigyasa Mam come up with this kind of dress for the Sangeet Ceremony? God...it looks so...so...' she murmured, going red in the face. She kept trying to tie the strings on the back, but heR hand did not reach there and in desperation, she opened the door and called out to Pooja.
'Poojie...can you please tie the strings...'
Pooja laughed and said, 'Bani, why are you so shy? We are all girls here! Come out!' As Bani came out reluctantly, Pooja couldn't help but add with a wink, 'I wonder if you are so shy in front of us, what would happen when a man disrobes you.'
Bani all but fainted out of embarrassment on hearing the comment, even as the other girls giggled. She wondered how Pooja would react, did she even have an inkling of what had transpired between Jai and her the previous night. Jai had more than just undressed her clothes...he had literally seemed to strip her very soul to the barest essential possible.
Trying to shield her bare back, she came into the room, holding her skimpy choli with clumsiness, so that it didn't come out in front of everyone. Not only was Bani a complete prig in such matters, unlike her colleagues, who were absolutely comfortable being stark naked in front of each other, but she also wanted to shield the marks on the front part of her body, which would probably have no explanation for it, except the obvious.
Pooja came bouncing happily towards Bani, standing behind her and taking the silky cords in her fingers to tie them up.
'What on earth are these marks, Bani?' asked Pooja, fingering the love bites and making Bani close her eyes in mortification.
'A-a-allergies..' she mumbled her rehearsed answer.
'Allergies? But...these look...I don't know...like someone has bitten you?' sounded Pooja incredulous and then added with a shocked expression, 'If I didn't know you better Bani, I would attributed this to love bites...but because I know you so well, I think I will agree that these are some sort of an allergic reaction!'
Bani went a deep shade of pink on her face, matching her clothes perfectly. This was getting to be highly difficult and she hadn’t even gone down yet. How in the name of god was she going to face everyone without them staring at her back and then that dance performance with Shashank?
'God...I have to let Jai know...'she exclaimed to herself, not wanting to upset him in anyway. She knew how explosive his temper was and how irrational he could be, when something against his wishes happened. She had to find Jai and tell him about the dance with Shashank and somehow convince him that it was just a professional obligation on her part and nothing else. She had been doing nothing but avoiding Shashank like Plague for the last two days, even though he kept following her all through the Farmhouse.
'Come let me put some make-up on you!' said Pooja and before Bani could protest, she shooed the other girls out, who had already finished dressing up and making Bani sit on the bed, took out her extensive make-up case.
'Poojie...there is no need, really! I don't look nice at all in make-up!' protested Bani, already suffering from mild anxiety regarding the evening and feeling highly uncomfortable in her clothes.
'Come on! You are very pretty to look at...despite how you always dress down so much! Do you know, Saurabh was telling me that Shashank Sir was telling Nachiket Sir that he was going to kiss you tonight?'
'What?' exploded Bani, half in horror and half in indignation.
Pooja giggled and said, 'Hey, steady! See, my hand shook and the eye-liner got smudged...don't open your eyes!'
'What did Shashank say?' asked Bani, sounding nervous and upset, that her flirting had led to him making remarks, that were sure to reach Jai's hears and all hell would break loose.
'Ha! Ha! He has a crush on you, Bani! Though mind you, bit of a challu guy...you be on your toes okay? But what's the harm in having some fun?'
'I don't want to have any kind of fun with him! Oh! It’s all my fault...I shouldn't have acted in that way during the Bonfire night...that has given him ideas!' remarked Bani, looking depressed.
'Come then! Stop taking everything to heart! You simply have a dance to perform with him and there, you are done! And what is the harm in one kiss? He is a good-looking chap!' teased Pooja, unaware of what was going on in Bani's mind.
'I will never kiss another man in my life now!' announced Bani, without thinking.
'Another man? Whom did you kiss before?' demanded Pooja.
Going warm in her cheeks, Bani flustered and getting up, said, 'I think I can hear Jigyasa Mam calling us...come...come...you go, I will just tie my hair...okay? Let us meet at the Gazebo...and please check if Karuna didi's daughters are ready or not! If we have time, we can get them to do one more rehearsal!''
Pooja, being slightly dim-witted, did not suspect that Bani had completely changed the subject to avoid any suspicion on the comment she had made.
Ten minutes after Pooja had left, Bani tied her hair into a loose plait and pulled it forward, more in an attempt to hide her bust, which was being displayed prominently in the skin-tight choli than any attempt at being fashionable. She gave a cursory glance at herself in the mirror and blushed...she did look very pretty...and young...and charming...and with that special glow, specific to those who are in love and who are loved dearly by someone special.
It would be a miracle if someone tonight did not guess what had happened with her.
Downstairs
Everyone was assembled in the lawns and the Walia Family could not stop gushing on how lovely the arrangements were, especially when the lights came on. The Lanterns, which had been Bani's idea, were hung up on every branch of the Gulmohar and Palash Trees that formed the backdrop of the venue where the Sangeet Function was to be held. Bani had specifically asked for rice-paper lanterns from Taiwan to be brought for the decoration and even though Jigyasa had objected, saying that it wouldn't go with the theme, Bani had persisted and it had paid off.
The setting looked enchanted...there was nothing garish or over-the-top about the place. Bani had merged the decorations her team had in mind with the natural beauty of the Farmhouse...the trees and plants were all used as propos, instead of the usual synthetic decorations that was preferred by wedding planners in general. As a substitute of using expensive flowers for the venue, Bani had simply used the in-season Marigold flowers and had spread a canopy of its petals on which Purva and Nachiket were to be seated.
Jigyasa could not help but gush, 'Bani...this is just PERFECT!' Oh-My-God! This looks breath-taking! I think it’s one of the best Sangeet Ceremony Venue I have seen in my career! Well done, Sweetie!'
Bani glowed with pleasure on the praise and instantly included Pooja and Saurab in her effort, evoking laughter from both of them.
'Bani...you don't have to include our names everywhere! Agreed, that we all worked as one team...but the fact is that you put in the maximum hard-work and frankly, the idea was all yours! Kudos, yaar! This really looks stunning! Purva Mam's family is going to be blown away!' remarked Saurabh.
Just then Nachiket, whose face was finally recovering from Jai's punch and Pushkar, who looked beyond harassed made an appearance and were instantly mesmerized by the beauty of the venue.
'Wow...that is just amazing!' they both remarked and Bani asked them, 'Nachiket, are you feeling better now? Did that medicine help?'
'It did! Thank you so much! You are a life saviour! Else, I would have looked like a clown in all my wedding pictures! Dada bhi naa!'
Bani had a hard time supressing her giggle, as she turned to Pushkar and asked him, 'Are you done with the work that Mr. Walia had given to you?'
Looking totally exhausted, Pushkar replied gloomily, 'I have identified about a thousand prepositions...I guess a million more to go!'
They all laughed and Bani told him to relax and that she would speak to Jai regarding the useless work he had deliberately piled on Pushkar and would relieve him of it.
Looking visibly elated, Pushkar went about searching for something to eat, along with Karuna, while Jigyasa who was on the phone with someone, came striding towards Bani and said, 'Sweety...we have an issue with the caterer! He says that he needs some extra space for his cooks to do the preparations...and Jai's domestic helps are not budging. Can you get hold of Jai and resolve this issue?'
Bani could not help but give out a sigh of frustration. She knew where Jai would be and she knew what would happen if she landed in Jai's study, dressed like this.
'Mam...but...'she protested, but Jigyasa was already on the phone, urging Bani with her hands to go quickly and speak with Jai.
'If only she knew how I make him agree to everything!' muttered Bani, blushing and laughing despite feeling highly apprehensive approaching him.
Covering her back as best as possible with her duppata, she reached Jai's study and knocked politely on it, but felt surpised when there was no response. Instantly panicking that something was wrong with him, she started banging on the door in haste, calling out his name, when Abdul came by, dressed nattily in what seemed like new pair of clothes for the function.
'Arre Madamji...Bade Sahib is not in his study...he is in his room. You can go there.'
Bani had absolutely no wish to go to Jai's bedroom of all the places in the house. The very thought of going back to the room, where she had recently spent a scorching night with him was giving her jitters all over. But if she went down without speaking with Jai, then Jigyasa would have one of her fits...her boss was particularly susceptible to losing her cool during such events, when everything that they had worked on was supposed to come together.
Jai's Bedroom
She walked reluctantly towards Jai's room and knocked just once on the door, deciding to act as professional as possible and ask Jai to come out of his room, so that she could speak with him.
'Come in!' he called out, not a roar, simply an order.
She pushed opened the heavy oak door and peeping in a bit, said, 'Can I speak with you, Mr. Walia?'
Bani scanned the room quickly, consciously avoiding looking at the four-poster bed, which had been the occasion for her losing her virginity, many times over, in just one night. She could only hear Jai humming a song, but could not see him.
'Mr. Walia?' she called out, sounding surprised on his invisibility.
'I am here, sweetheart!' he replied, popping his head from his walk-in cupboard and she flushed, lowering her eyes, especially when he came in full view.
Dressed in just a thick black bath towel, covering the lower part of his body, he was dripping with water and shaking his head, which was still completely wet and Bani was sure that he would catch a cold instantly. Bani could see his strong, sinewy legs and his glistening upper body, echoing his virulent manliness in every movement.
'I need to speak with you.' she repeated, still standing outside, blushing pointlessly.
'Come in, then. I can't come out half-naked, can I? Besides, help me choose what I should wear! Don't want to overshadow Chote by wearing great clothes...as it is, he pales in front of my dashing good looks and overwhelming masculinity.
Bani rolled her eyes at his impudent display of immodesty and chuckled, coming in, jingling from head to toe, because of the dozens of bangles she was wearing in both her hands.
Jai gave her a measured, leisurely, top to toe glance, making her warm all over and simply said, 'WOW!' His simple exclamation was so loaded, that Bani felt herself going hot and cold at the same time.
'We need some extra space for the caterer...I wanted to...' she blustered, before, Jai shut her up, by grabbing her ravenously in both his arms and inundating her with kisses, whispering, 'Now, this is what I call a dress! Lots of skin in display to tamper with...and what the hell is this...'he exclaimed, as his hands clasping Bani's back noticed that she was wearing a choli that had just two strings holding it in place.
'Jai...'she objected, before he pushed her back towards his cupboard, till her back hit it and then she realized that he had undone the strings in her choli and she had to cross both her arms across her bosom to simply keep it in place.
'What have you done?' she yelped, as the flimsy piece of choli came capitulating forward, exposing her smooth shoulders and baring her entire midriff and waist.
Ignoring her vehement remonstrations, Jai took her chiffon duppata, putting it around his neck and said, 'I should be asking you this question, Miss. Dixit! What have you done? And by the way...are you wearing nothing underneath this thing? Cool!'
Going brick red, she snapped, 'It’s padded, that is why! And...that is not the point! You can't just do...Jai...Jai....for god sake!'
He had already lifted her in his arms and placing her on his shoulder, walked toward the bed, even as she shouted and protested in vain.
'Jai..get me down! My choli...Jai! Jai, you will hurt your back...please! Don't do this!' He dropped her on the bed, audaciously ripping apart the loose choli from her body, which came into his hands in one go and flinging it on the floor, put one knee on the edge of the bed, as she flipped over in panic, trying to cover her anterior.
'I have popped in several pain killers...so my back can survive picking you up for once! And your choli...is intact, don't worry...you can wear it when I am done with you.'
'Done with me? What do you mean? You are just completely mad! Jai...I just dressed up...please! My colleagues are all waiting downstairs...the guests would be coming...what are you doing?' she gushed out, half in panic, half in sheer frustration at her inability to put a stop on Jai.
Her bangles shouted in protest as he leaned over his damp body on her bare back and placed moist kisses all over her soft skin. His cold hands borrowed some heat from her flaming cheeks, as he powerfully turned her over, even as she gasped at his action and coming on top of her, started exploring her body, with the same passion and hunger that had consumed him the previous night.
'Jai...my bangles will hurt you...Jai...listen...please...'she begged him, even as he impatiently lapped her body, not bothered by her jewellery that pricked him all over his chest and arms. Her heart was thudding like a sledgehammer and blood flowed into her face, as he ravished her with his mouth and eyes and hands.
She had given up opposing, when suddenly he cried out in agony, 'Oh! Fuck!' and slumped over her, his face burying itself on her chest, and he grabbed both her shoulders in an iron grip, making her wince with pain, since he was unintentionally hurting the same place where she was already bruised.
But she instantly realized that he was in pain and grabbing him in his arms, exclaimed in panic, 'Jai? What happened? Jai! Are you in pain? Oh! God! I knew it would pain you...why did you...'
He had recovered slightly by now and peeling himself off her body, he slumped to the side and got up, holding his lower back with both his hands, as Bani noticed how much he was supressing his physical agony.
Completely forgetting the fact that she was not wearing anything on top, she simply held him in her arms and asked sympathetically, tears springing in her eyes, 'Does that hurt a lot?'
Jai was in so much pain, that he could not even formulate an answer and simply nodded his head, trying to steady his breathing.
'Should I call the doctor? Should I give you some medicine? Jai...I am worried...'
He had calmed down by now and holding his left hand in hers and supporting himself with the rim of his bed, he spoke in a slightly fragmented voice, 'Am fine...muscle contraction...bloody painful...just comes and goes...don't worry...I have taken my medicines...it’s just that...now...you know...couldn't help it when I saw you looking like this...and well...lost control.'
Tears streaming down her face, she slammed out on him, 'Who the hell told you to do this, then? Why did you have to lift me? Do you have to act like Tarzan all the time? Whom are you trying to impress? Me?' Jai looked at her, half in astonishment at her lashing out and half in amusement; because he noticed that she hadn't noticed that she was barely wearing any clothes.
Taking a deep breath, she looked into his eyes and said calmly, 'If you are so desperate to have s** with me, then fine! I will come to you whenever you want...' and then folding her hands, she beseeched, 'But for god sake, don't attempt anything that might hurt you, Jai. Please! I am ready to do anything you want, anywhere you want, any number of time you want...but don't hurt yourself. I beg of you!' And saying that, she broke down crying, holding Jai from his back and caressing the long incision that was the result of his first surgery.
Jai closed his eyes as her wet cheeks felt against his bare back and she planted soft, tender kisses on the place where he had the laceration that marked a thin line from his neck to his lower back.
'Does that pain?' she asked him tenderly.
'Not anymore.' he replied lovingly.
She hugged him fiercely, clutching her fingers on his chest and keeping her face on his back and stayed like that for some time. A while later, she asked him in a tiny voice, 'Are you feeling better now?'
He instantly quipped back, in a smooth voice, 'I can sense your chumps on my bare back...evidently, I am feeling better! Who wouldn't?'
'What is Chumps?' she asked in a bewildered voice, wondering if it was a slang for something she was wearing.
'Chest plus Lumps is equal to Chumps...in other words, Boobs!' he replied cheerfully.
Colouring up deeply, she pinched him playfully on his cheeks and moved back, feeling utterly self-conscious and bashful, trying lucklessly to cover herself up with something.
She flickered her wet eyelids and lowered them, realizing with deep shame that she was half unclothed. Jai simply leaned forward and placed a kiss on her cheeks and walked to his cupboard to pull out a shirt from inside, tossing it across Bani.
'Please cover yourself up. (a) I will definitely go senseless with lust if I keep seeing your two beautiful and shapely...
'JAI' exclaimed Bani, going purple with mortification, as she hastily buttoned up his shirt which was at least twice her size.
'I was going to say eyes...but whatever...' he quipped mischievously and then added, '(b) I know what a hopeless prude you are...so...I am glad you covered yourself up.'
'You are mad!' was all she could say, still flushed and warm in her cheeks.
'I know. My Oncologist even referred me to a top psychiatrist!'
Feeling thoroughly annoyed and abashed, she replied sourly, 'you should have gone to him then, it is highly required!'
'Hey...that shirt you have on is mine...this room you are in is mine...and that girl sitting there, flashing her fake anger on me is also mine. I can do anything to you...don't provoke me!' he teased her back.
'And besides, you have just given me permission to do anything with you, anytime I want, anywhere I want...and I don't allow people to go back on their word...so let’s meet up after that damn Sangeet is over...and babes...keep wearing this dress...this time I will show you how it can be unfastened just using my teeth...'
'Keep dreaming!' she muttered, getting up from Jai's huge bed and placing her delicate feet on the carpeted floor, picking up her choli, which was lying in a heap.
'You do realize that you are still in my room, that you are still my woman and that you are still wearing my shirt, don't you?' he threatened, with mischief in his eyes.
Reddening, she refused to indulge in any more banter with him and simply frisked herself to the washroom along with her choli.
Ten Minutes Later
Despite trying her best, she could not tie the strings on the back and giving up, she opened the door of the washroom and called out self-consciously, 'Can you help me? I need to tie the threads...of my choli.'
'Babes...I only specialize in untying them...'
'Jai...please...it’s going to be seven...Jigyasa Mam must be going ballistic by now....' she begged to him, almost in tears out of anxiety.
He grinned and came towards her, turning her around and taking the strings, tied them up deftly.
'Here you go...your modesty has been restored...but not for long...remember not to change into anything else when we meet again here, at night.' he whispered seductively into her ears.
She simply gave up arguing with him and picking up her duppata, pinned it back on and mentioned casually, 'I am doing a dance...'
'Lovely...after we do it or before it?' asked Jai, in a matter-of-fact voice.
Flushing deeply, she answered back in an annoyed voice, 'Neither. I will dance in the Sangeet Function. With Shashank...'
'YOU MUST BE FREAKING KIDDING ME!' he thundered, his romantic mood melting into a puddle and instant rage coming into his eyes.
She mottled and spoke in a comforting tone, 'I...I ended up committing to it, Jai...I can't back out now. I tried to...but...please! It’s just one dance performance...'
'I DON'T GIVE A DAMN! You are not dancing with that Shmuck! Or with any other man! Do you get that? YOU ARE MINE, JUST MINE...don't you dare even lift your eyes and look at anyone else, till I am alive.' he roared back in anger, freezing her to the spot, as tears came into her eyes,
'Now why the hell are you crying?' he screamed fury raging on his face.
'I just...it was a danc...'she could barely complete her sentence, having been put down so badly by his volcanic temper.
Holding her powerfully by her upper arms, he yanked her face up and spoke with chilling calmness, 'Bani...you were flirting with that bastard that day...I let you...but things are different now. I can't stand anyone touching my personal possessions even...You are my woman, then. I will rip apart anyone who dares to even look at you...and I won't hesitate to do the same to you, if you ever try to get away from me. Got that?'
She sniffed and kept quiet, wiping her tears constantly, till he sighed deeply and ruffling his hair, explained, 'I am paranoically possessive, Bani...and given the state of my health...let me tell you frankly, that I am insecure as hell regarding you. So please don't make it any more difficult for me.'
Bani looked up at him and said, weepingly, 'I am making things difficult for you? And you are insecure about me? When I haven't even as much as thought about anyone else except you in my entire life! And what about you? Always boasting about the number of woman you have been with.'
He was at a loss of words, but only for about ten seconds and then quipped cheerfully, 'I am a man, it’s different for me.'
'WHAT?' she shouted, her eyes flashing with righteous indignation.
'Oh! God! Now, don't go all feminist and women's liberation etc. etc. I will be loyal to you; but realize that, I am highly attractive to women and they will always flock to me like flies to a pot of honey. But YOU, are my woman and YOU are not allowed to look at any man except me. This is the way I am. Accept me as it is. In any case, YOU don't have a choice, babes.'
Bani was no feminist but Jai maddened her so much with his flagrant hypocrisy and his arbitrary mandates, that she simply could not help but stomp on his feet in fury and storm out of his room, dissolving him in peals of laughter.
(Author's Note : All the smiley's and icons used in the text message between the characters are part of the exchange between the characters themselves!)
A While Later
Bani came down to the lawns, all red and flushed and even more flustered when Jigyasa gave her a dressing down on her sudden vanishing, for which she had no decent explanation. Bani was in the midst of some last minute organization, even as the guests had started trickling in. Her mobile suddenly beeped and she looked at it;
'U forgot 2 help me choose my evening wear, sweetheart. Should I cm 2 d party, naked?
'Blushing and still fuming with him, she jabbed back a message;
'I don't care how u cm 2 d party
.'Her mobile beeped in exactly 30 seconds, 'R u upset with me? Dont' worry...I'll cheer u up by 2morrow morning
.'Bani sighed in exasperation and wrote back a reply. 'Nt cmng 2 ur room. Forget it.'
He answered back promptly, 'I'll drag u forcibly if u dnt cm on ur own.
'She flushed after reading his message and wrote, 'U r impossible.
'He replied back, 'I agree. At least tell me wht clr shud I wear?'
She wrote back with a wicked grin on her face, 'Wear Black...it will match with the colour of your soul!
'He instantly messaged, 'Ha! Ha! Ur sense of humour has also increased with the size of your chumps!
'She blushed beetroot and jabbed the words, 'SHUT UP!' and put her mobile phone back in her pouch. It was hopeless arguing with Jai. He always won, hands down.
Karuna, who was dressed like it was her wedding and not her cousin's, came rushing towards Bani, jingling and jangling with all the gold she had put on and asked her frantically, 'Hai Bani! Where is Potlu? Chote's in-laws have arrived...we have to start the function!'
'Er...I don't know didi...he might be in his room.' she answered, trying to keep a straight face.
'Oh! Okay...is everything else in place?'
'Yes...don't worry. Everything is arranged...by the way, you look very beautiful!' smiled Bani.
'Hai, really? Thank you Bani! And you look very beautiful too! Except that...what are those marks on your back?' asked Karuna, making Bani cringe in embarrassment.
'Erm...nothing! Just...allergies...'she trailed off, pretty much unconvincing.
Karuna gave her a look and then a shrewd smile came on her face, as she said, 'Baniji...I have been married for more than 10 years now...I know the difference between allergies and those marks on your back! Naughty girl!'
Bani all but died out of mortification and tried to defend her honour, but to no avail. Karuna was teasing her relentlessly, adding with concern, 'But Bani...I hope you are on guard with that man of yours...one can't help falling in love, that I agree...but a murderer? Such a nice girl as you?'
Looking shocked, she mumbled, 'Murderer? Who said that?'
'Hai! Who else? Potlu! He said that your boyfriend is a murderer and he can't stand any other man even looking at you and that he carries a meat knife with him all the time!'
Bani puckered her lips in vexation and said, 'Didi! Nothing like that! My boyfriend is not a murderer! And...And you should not take everything your Potlu says, so seriously!'
Karuna looked muddled and said, 'Oh! Wonder why he joked like that! Anyway...take care of that back...and I want to give you one piece of advice...Woman to Woman.'
Bani blushed and was expecting to get a moral lecture on how she should not defile herself before marriage, instead Karuna whispered into her ears, 'Men are like hungry wolves...as long as you keep tempting them with little amount of food...they will keep coming behind you...once you give them everything you have on offer...there they go, in search of fresh meat!' And saying that she burst into a hysterical laughter and bounced away, trying to look for one of her daughters.
Bani could only stare behind with stupefaction, having gone zapped with shock on Karuna's advice.
Purva looked beautiful in her baby pink and silver lehenga dress and she waved smilingly at Bani, when they spotted each other! Most of the guests had arrived and Jai was nowhere to be seen. Bani began to get worried about him, his back was in a bad condition and he was prone to get severe attacks of pain any time. Just then, someone tapped on her shoulder and she turned to see Ranveer, Sneha and their new born baby.
'Ranveerji...Snehaji!' she gushed, as Sneha hugged back Bani and said, 'Ranveer...you were wrong. Bani doesn't look pretty now...she looks positively beautiful!'
Bani blushed and asked her, 'How are you doing?'
'Not badly...considering that my daughter refuses to let me sit for one moment in peace.' laughed Sneha, as Bani took little Riya in her arms and snuggled lovingly against her, making baby talk and causing the child to giggle.
'Where is our Vakil Sahib, Bani? Everyone is here and the host is lost?' quipped Ranveer.
Bani could not help but blush at the mention of Jai, especially infront of Ranveer and hoped against hope that Ranveer knew nothing about what had transpired between Jai and her. She realized that they were best friends and could not help but wonder if Jai had said something to Ranveer regarding her.
'I don't know...'she mumbled, changing the topic and taking both of them to the seating area, handing over the baby rather reluctantly back to Sneha.
Just then, Saurabh came rushing towards Bani and said, 'here you are! Take his head-set...Jigyasa Mam gave us...will be easy for all of us to communicate when the function starts! By the way, where on earth is Mr. W?'
Bani closed her eyes in frustration and said, 'Why does everyone keep asking me, where is he?'
Before Saurabh could respond to her unusual outburst, they saw Jai making an appearance and almost every pair of eye in the 800 plus strong gathering turned to face the man.
Dressed in a well-cut black Jodhpuri Vest over a stark white kurta, first two buttons open, teamed with straight white linen pants, his hair pushed back to reveal his broad forehead. The sleeves of his kurta were rolled up three-fourths, showing off his Patek Phillip watch on his left wrist.
Most of the men in both side of the family were dressed up in much more magnificent clothes, but Jai, in his simple yet indisputably chic and classy ensemble simply took the breath away from every woman present in the gathering and evoked both envy and admiration from the men present.
He was instantly besieged and surrounded by all the guests from the Raheja Family and even though, Bani could see that he was greeting and meeting them with warmth and courtesy, his eyes were searching for someone else.
And Bani could not help but feel a twinge of pride, knowing who he was looking for with such distraction in his eyes. She was standing somewhere in the distance and though she could see him pretty clearly, he could not.
Pooja came panting and puffing to her and spoke with longing in her voice, ‘Baneeeeee…did you look at Mr. W? Oh! My! God! He looks sooooooooooo handsome! I think I need Saurabh’s inhaler…I am out of breathe after seeing him in that Black dress! Ooooh….’
Bani burst out giggling and pulled Pooja’s cheeks, saying, ‘Have you checked on the music thing, Pooja? We need to double check before the performances began?’
‘Oh! No! I was busy getting the little girls dressed up!’
‘Never mind…I will check it! And are the girls ready?’
‘Perfect! What about you and Shanky?’
Bani flushed and replied back, ‘I can’t do that dance with him, Pooja. Which reminds me, where is he? Let me tell him so.’
‘But why? I saw him with a couple of his friends…somewhere in the lawns.’
‘I…I can’t explain to you right now. I will request him to do the dance with either Anu or Lakshmi…they both know the steps.’
Saying that she went in search of Shashank, just as her mobile buzzed again.
‘Where r u?’
She smiled and replied back, ‘Busy. Btw, u luk very, very handsome. Touchwood.
’Her mobile buzzed in approximately 20 seconds. ‘Thnx…I thought the only way to convince u 2 spend the night with me was 2 luk as attractive as possible.
’She laughed and wrote back,‘U r incorrigible.
’Ignoring a guest who was trying to get in a word with him, Jai wrote back, ‘Nice word. Glad u culd put all those Scrabble sessions 2 gud use. Btw, did you tell Shmuck that u r nt dancing with him?
’She simply shook her head on reading his text and typed back, risking Jigyasa's ire on not sending personal text messages during client time.
‘Dnt call anyone names, unnecessarily. No, I haven’t told him…wl tell him.’
Little did Jigyasa know that Bani was using the client time to send messages to the client himself.
Her mobile buzzed again and she stealthily looked at it,
‘Gud. Listen, can we meet for five minutes? Before this nonsense starts?’
Looking shocked at the fact that Jai wanted to meet her in the midst of such a big function, she typed back,
‘Now? Impossible. And don’t call your own brother’s sangeet function as nonsense.’
He wrote back promptly, this time ignoring Purva's grandmother who was trying to speak with Jai,
‘Whatever. Meet me near the Koi Pond…in d nxt 5 min.’
Bani who could see Jai from her spot, looked worried at the fact that he was being so rude to everyone by ignoring them and spending all his time writing back and forth messages to her. Knowing that he would never give up, she agreed and sent a final SMS;
‘Okay…Okay…pls stop mssg me…everyone is staring at u…u’ve been on the phone 4 d last 15 min now.’
He wrote back,
Bani bit her lips and had a hard time supressing her giggles.
Koi Fish Pond
Bani made an excuse of looking at the music arrangement and could easily slip away and go to the Koi Fish Pond, which was in another corner of the Farmhouse, far away from where the function was taking place. She wondered how Jai would make an excuse and come, considering that someone or the other kept coming to meet him.
She stood there, waiting querulously, exasperated that Jai always got his way and uneasy that someone might spot them together.
He came literally out of nowhere and placed his palms on her eyes.
‘Very funny! I know its you!’
‘Oh! How on earth did you guess that, sweetheart?’ he teased back.
She felt temporarily disabled, as the woody fragrance of his cologne hit her senses and she felt herself lost in his twinkling eyes.
He took her in his arms, wrapped it around her waist, as her hands fell on his chest, she melted into his arms her face against his jodhpuri jacket, her eyes closed. He held her tight, one hand around her waist, the other cupping hers on his chest, it was like she died and was in heaven, they moved in fluid yet sensuous movements.
She noticed how unbelievably s**y he looked with his slightly damp hair curling in the ends and the smell of his aftershave attacking her senses.
‘Have I told you how beautiful you look tonight?’ he whispered into her face.
‘Yes, I know.’ She answered audaciously.
Jai threw back his head and laughed heartily, she had this knack of catching him completely unawares like this this, when he least expected it.
‘Did you wear this ridiculously s**y dress only to impress me?’ he asked her, moving the back of her fingers against her bare midriff.
She blushed a bit, wiggling at his sensuous touch, but replied back mischievously, ‘Actually, I did.’
A faint groan escaped his throat, ‘I will return this favour tonight, sweetheart.’
She buried her face in his chest and he ran his fingers all across her almost bare back, speaking in a hoarse voice, ‘God…I am so bloody tempted to pull away these cords…’
‘Here?’ she asked him in a scandalized voice.
‘Pity, isn’t it? Have to wait till this bloody thing gets over!’ he sighed in frustration, ruffling his hair, as he always did when he was impatient and desperate to do something.
She yanked herself back and spoke in an irritated voice, ‘We have worked really hard to make this thing happen, Jai! And it’s your brother’s function…don’t keep calling it names!’
‘Whatever! Say, have you told that Skunk that you won’t’ be dancing with him? He demanded.
‘Jai! What did I just tell you? Don’t call people names! And No, I haven’t told him yet. I was looking for him when you asked me…no, correction…ordered me to come here.’ She said, half annoyed and half laughing at the juvenile way he sometimes behaved in.
And then looking at his sulking expression, added in a pleading voice, ‘But Jai…please try and understand…if he insists on doing the performance, then I will have no other option. He might go to Jigyasa Mam if I refuse.’
‘So? Let him! Why does it bother you?’ he asked, taking out an Apple from his pocket and munching on it.
Despite her exasperation with Jai’s unreasonableness, she spoke tolerantly, ‘It bothers me because Jigyasa Mam is my boss…and I might lose my job if I don’t fulfil my professional obligations…’
‘I don’t understand! This wedding is obviously your last assignment…and you won’t be working for her from day after tomorrow…then why are you so worried about what Jiggy will think?’ asked Jai, in the most casual manner.
It was Bani’s turn to look bewildered and she asked him, ‘Last assignment? Why? I have already two assignments coming up next week when I go back to Bangalore!’
Jai stared at her, throwing the core of the Apple aside and looking at her, asked her in a very serious voice, ‘You will go back to Bangalore?’
Taken aback by his question and feeling rattled, she mumbled in a confused way, ‘Yes…I mean, that is where I live…and my job…’
He did not even let her finish her sentence and spoke in a final voice, ‘you were living there and you were working there. Not anymore. You are not going back to Bangalore and you will obviously not be working anymore.’
‘Jai…’
‘I am not letting you go, Bani. Don’t be preposterous! I can’t move to Bangalore…so it’s pretty obvious, that you will have to stay back here.’ He announced, as always despotic and stating only what he wanted to happen.
It took a couple of moments for Bani to react to his diktat, but she replied back steadily, holding his hands, ‘I understand that you want me to be here, Jai…and I will be. Give me some time. I can’t simply leave everything and stay back here…I am living with Pushkar’s family…I am answerable to them…I am employed somewhere…I am answerable there…and how can I just live here with…’ she trailed off, not wanting to mention that they were not married and though she had indulged in pre-marital s** with him, she could not just live with him, without giving a name to their relationship.
He looked hurt and asked her in an irate voice, ‘So you will just leave me and go away?’
Closing her eyes in frustration at his inability to understand her point of view, she answered back, ‘I am not saying that, Jai…all I am saying is…’
He moved away from her, looking deeply aggrieved and snapped in a cold voice, ‘Fine…go away then. Go and live with your foster family and your boss and your friend and your wonderful life in Bangalore. Abandon me and go away.‘
‘NO JAI!’ she cried out, tearing up and catching hold of his hands, before he could storm off. No matter how unreasonable and how unmanageable he was, Bani could still not see him hurt in anyway.
‘I…I was trying to say something else…but, please don’t get upset…I will stay back. Okay…I will stay back with you…I…I won’t go back to Bangalore.’ she said soothingly.
‘Promise. You won’t leave me?’ he asked her, in a desperately craving voice.
She smiled through her tears and said, ‘I will never leave you. Promise.’
He kissed her on both her cheeks and cheering up instantly like a child who had been given the lollipop for which he had thrown a tantrum, he quipped, ‘Good. Now go and find that Shmuck and tell him that you won’t dance with him. And come to my room around midnight…even if the Sangeet is not over…I will excuse myself from it.’
Bani could just nod her head in defeat at his list of demands and spoke resignedly, ‘Okay…anything else?’
‘Yes…kiss me.’
‘What?’
‘K-I-S-S M-E.’
Bani quickly threw a glance to her left and right and standing on her toes, planted a fleeting kiss on his lips and drew herself back.
‘What nonsense? Didn’t I tell you that in my world this sort of kiss was reserved for elderly relatives and far off cousins?’
Before Bani could respond, he gathered her ravenously into his arms and kissed her fully on the mouth, releasing a guttural groan in his throat.
‘This is just the trailer of the film that is going to play tonight…’he whispered impishly, adding, giving a roguish look at her choli, ‘it will be an adult only film, by the way!’
Despite her escalating tension on the impulsive decision she had made; promising Jai to stay back in Delhi, she could not help but blush and laugh at his relentless and unfailingly outrageous way of flirting.
― Anonymous, Holy Bible: New International Version
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