Chapter 8

Let me know what ya'll think! 

----------------------------------------------------

Her nervousness showed on her face as she gazed up at the majestic haveli in front of her. Maybe coming back here wasn’t such a good idea. She wasn’t ready for all the questions. Or the answers she would have to give. What would she say to the rest of the family? She’d left after giving them the vaguest of details and hadn’t let the subject be brought up when they spoke on the phone. There was no way they would forgive her for leaving without a proper reason. The truth was, there was no proper reason to give for her indiscretion. 

Rithvik saw the hesitation and panic in her face and knew she needed a push to help her face what was sure to be an explosion of epic proportions. “Hey Taani, look at me. Meri taraf dekho. You are Taani Shekhawat- Dhanjani. You are the top fashion designer at Melee of Colors and are heading your own project in Delhi in a few weeks. You are a confident woman who has worked very hard to achieve her dream. You will face them with that confidence and you won’t allow them to question your decisions. They were yours, and yours alone to make. Yes, they are family, par tum ek independent woman ho, jisne apne liye is world mein khud ek jagah banayi hai. Tum meri behen ho, jisne har struggle ka dat-ke saamna kiya hai. You can do this.” Rithvik brought her back to herself. He was right, she could do this. She could see Asha nodding her head out of the corner of her eye in agreement with Rithvik. 

They were right. She was Taani Shekhawat-Dhanjani. She would not be pushed around. Rithvik had officially adopted her into his family as his sister a year ago. She was already his sister, this just made it official. Taking a deep breath, she stepped towards the door and rang the bell. 

No, she couldn't do this. Who was she kidding? She could still go back. Jackie wouldn’t mind. She wasn’t ready to face them. That was wrong. Jackie would positively, absolutely, very assuredly kill her. Then resurrect her and kill her again, very creatively. She wrung her hands, glancing at the taxi, disappearing into the distance. Her voice could still reach the driver if she shouted loud enough. “BH-” as her mouth opened to form the sound, she heard a gasped voice call out her name. 

“Taani.” She turned around to see her dadi standing there. “Meri bacchi! RISHI! DEKHO TO KAUN AAYA HAI! SUPARNA, PUJA KI THAAL LAAO! Meri bacchi paanch saal baad iss ghar mein kadam rakh rahi hai.”

“Dadi-sa. Khammbaghani! Yeh sab ki kya zaroorat hai? Main koi mehman thodi na hun! Haan, Rith bhai aur bhabhi ki aarti utharni hai, to theek hai. Main to chali!” She tried to duck around her grandmother’s small frame, into the house. 

“Ae chhori, chup chaap kadhi reh. Jee bharke mujhe jo karna hai, karne de. Paanch saal se main meri bacchi ki nazar nahin utaar paayi hun. Pata nahin kis kis ki buri nazar lag gayi hogi meri bachhi ko.” She chastized the young girl. 

Rishi’s face peeked out from around the door and lit up at the sight of the three standing there. “Rithvik, Asha, Taani! Bacchon, kaise ho? Flight kaisi thi? Chalo chalo, andar chalo. Bahut baatein karni hai. Aur Taani and Rithvik, tum shaam ko mere office chaloge. Mujhe tum dono se kuch zaroori kaam ki baatein karni hain. Asha, beta tum araam karo. Inn dono ko to bohot saara kaam hai, par tum to thodi din ki chutti lekar Jodhpur ghumo, mazaa lo. “

Soon after the ceremonies, puja and the kaala teeka for all three, they collapsed onto the sofa. “Bacchon! Chalo khaana khaane table par aa jao. Aaj Taani ki saari favorite dishes bani hain!” 

All of a sudden, a spurt of energy burst through the three exhausted bodies and they rushed over to the dining table, from where the aroma of several dishes was wafting towards them. Mouths watering, they had a tough time deciding where to begin the feast. Taiji sat beside Taani and turned her, so they faced each other. “Aaj main apni beti ko apnein haathon se khilaungi. Bahut time ho gaya hai, mujhe yeh sukh nasseb nahin hua.”

Her eyes shone with unshed tears as her aunt fed her. It had been so long since she’d eaten at home. She’d let the quarrel with her brother and his friends drive her out of her house, her town, her country. She’d run away, to put it simply but she wouldn’t change her journey to this moment, right here for anything. She’d learned so much and grown by leaps and bounds. She was a driven woman who focused on her career, her life and herself. She wasn’t going to put anyone before herself any longer. That was a mistake she wouldn’t make again. 

“Bas Taiji. Aur nahin. Mera ho gaya. Itni chutki si to hun. Aur kitna khaaungi? Aur khaaya na, to main hil nahin paaungi.” Taani held her hands up in surrender. As much as she’d missed home and the comfort it provided, she needed some time alone to take it all in. 

“Kya itni si to hun. Tune khaaya hi kya hai?” But looking at the exhaustion on the faces in front of her, Taiji relented. “Chalo theek hai. Abhi maaf kiya. Par shaam ko office se aane ke baad, khoob saare pakode khaoge. Maine specially paneer banwaaya hai apni Taani ke liye. Poore paanch saal ka laad jo poora karna hai!”

“Main thoda thak gayi hoon. Tauji, main jaake so jaaun? Shaam ko office bhi to jaana hai. Phir waapis aake, mujhe pakka pata hai ki taiji tab tak pure sheher ko bata dengi ki main aa gayi hoon aur sabse milte milte raat se subah ho jaayegi.” She shot a teasing look at her aunt as her uncle laughed his booming laugh. 

“Haan tum jaao beta. Varna tumhari taiji abhi hi tumhe sabse milne le jaayegi. Mohalle ko to kabse pata hai ki tum aaj aa rahi thi. Tumhare sab doston ko khabar de di gayi hai aur vo sab parson aa rahe hain tumse milne. Tum teeno abhi jaake rest karo. Lambi journey thi, aur tum log bahut thak gaye hoge. Shaam ko baat karte hain.” 

“Ji Tauji. Chalo bhabhi. Main aap dono ko aapka kamra dikhaa deti hun.” The three of them headed up the stairs, bellies full, eyes drooping with sleep.