Chapter 90

83. Interlude

These will be small chapters all interconnected and should be taken as a part of Back To You. The titles are more or less inspired by the music pieces I used while writing them.

(I) Nahi Saamne

‘Ahilya, you don’t have a daughter, do you?’ Mrs. Bijlani asked.

‘Sorry?’ Ahilya had lost the thread several minutes ago when Bano had been going about her husband’s recent business acquisitions.

‘I was just saying what a pity that you don’t have a daughter. I would’ve loved to introduce my son to her.’ She was busy fawning over Ahilya when Rimjhim walked to their table and sat down.

It was the bi-annual meeting of the Pal Foundation.

‘Hello Ahilya. Hi Bano,’ she greeted, her eyes taking in Ahilya's plunging neckline and slinky blue-sari.

‘Rimjhimm,’ Ahilya trilled. ‘I thought you were avoiding me! She said with a wounded expression.

‘Me?’ Rimjhim looked stricken. ‘How can you even think I would avoid you, Ahilyaa. Your mere presence makes my day! But alas, your company is so coveted. So surrounded you are by your admirers that I have a hard time finding you alone.'

‘Ohh Rimjhim. Sometimes I feel you’re dissing me with that straight face of yours. You’re saying, seeing me makes your days, when you want to say that I am a smelly rotting potato that you’d want to be miles away from. Hahahaha.’

‘Smelly potato, Haha,’ Bano rushed in to make her place in the conversation, ‘You are so funny, Ahilya. Rimjhim is a sweetheart, she’d never think like that. Rimjhim,’ she turned to face the other woman, ‘I was just telling Ahilya how sorry I was that she didn’t have a daughter. Then we could have gotten our kids married!!’ Bano clapped her hands delightedly.

‘Yes, it’s a pity,’ Rimjhim agreed.

‘Would you have dared, Rimjhim?’ Ahilya asked, in a perverse move.

‘Dared to what?’ Rimjhim was clueless.

‘Supposedly I have a daughter, would you dare marry your son to her?’

‘Oh come on, Ahilya,’ Rimjhim patronized and then added, ‘Bano,’ as an afterthought.

‘We are living in the twenty-first century! Our children’s marriage is not something we can decide among ourselves at family dinners or company annual meetings. We left those days long behind. Who my son decides to marry or not is his business. Yes, the most I could do is draw his attention or introduce him to someone I want him to see.’

‘Then will you? Introduce him to her that is?’ Ahilya pressed.

‘Absolutely, Mrs.Lokhande. If she’s anything like you, I would love to.’

‘If she had a daughter, and if she looked even close to what Ahilya looks, I don’t think our sons would need any kind of nudge from us.' Bano quipped and giggled. 'Introduction or draw attention, whatever it is. You know men!’

‘Oh Bano, you are such a darling!’ Ahilya directed a full-blown smile at Bano.

A little giddy and emboldened, Bano said, ‘What happened to your son and Aahana, Rimjhim? I was so waiting for a wedding invitation. We were all geared up for a party-sharty. But kuch hua hi nahi! Then we heard your son went to Chicago while Aahana got married to Sameer Raichand.’

Not showing any visible signs of discomfort, Rimjhim replied, ‘My son got an offer he couldn’t reject. He had to leave immediately while Aahana wasn’t willing to wait so they decided to part ways.’

‘Ohhh. I thought she called off because of his name being linked with the scam reports. We were so surprised when the news hit the TV. I said to my husband, Baby, Nishit cannot do this. He has grown up before me. I have never seen a polite-er child. But Mr.Sulaiman was present and he said it’s the polite and quiet ones that are usually the masterminds. I said, no wayyyy I am believing you Sulaiman.’

Rimjhim's smile was wan.

‘You know what Rimjhim,’ Bano continued, ‘I think you should get a Puja or Havan done at your house. Both Nishit’s and Tejas’ engagement fell flat. Buri nazar wazar hai toh utarwao. Nahi, Ahilya?’

‘I have no idea about nazar-vazar. Sorry.’ Ahilya replied.

‘Excuse me, I think Dr.Panigrahi is looking for me.’ Rimjhim drew her chair back and left.

XxxX

'Now we are going to do a 'putting-yourself-together-pose', okay?' Debbie informed.

It was an off day from work and they were on the terrace of their flat, clicking pictures. 

Luckily Debbie and Kirti had been given keys to houses in the same NBI Staff colony and after office hours they were mostly seen in each other's flat.

'Now what is that?' It had drizzled in the morning and the mossy parapet felt wet and cold beneath Kirti's palms. The pearls on the swaying leaves melted under the sun.

'You will not be looking at the camera and pretend to set your pallu or push back your hair. Just do something, okay.' Debbie set the LUMIX G7 straight, ready to click a picture.

Kiri brought her fingers to lightly touch her hair and pretended to push it behind her ear.

'Smile,' The camera-woman instructed.

Kirti did as she was told.

Snap went the camera. Putting away the camera from her face, Debbie checked the picture.

'No!' She discarded it. 'Smile again. Can you bring some coyness in it?'

Kirti tried once again flexing her cheek muscles.

'No yaar Ki. This is looking too fake. Try thinking about someone, something! What about that Manga Man?!'

And just like that, she was pushed back to the Diwali night when he had pulled her under the fairy lights to look at her. The chords of her heart tightened with a sweet pang and a smile flitted on her face. She remembered how the look in his eyes had made her feel. Strange there were so many ugly memories relayed to that night and now, she remembered only this!

'Yes, that's it!' Snap.

'Now setting- the-pleat pose,' Debbie cried out.

Kirti bent her head a little, half her hair covering the side of her face, and touched the pleats of her green Kanjeevaram.

There were so many memories that tormented her!

Standing together looking at the rains in his office when she had flipped her wet hair at him to blotch his spotless shirt. 

How childish and petty of her!

Supposedly, now someone resented her sari and tried to spoil it?

Then the hints he had left. 

'One day you have a class and you don't want to attend even that.'

'Shut up if you are going to talk about sibling theories!'

'As long as I have your undivided attention!'

But she had always chosen to concentrate on all the wrong words.

Oh! How she missed the man!

Come back even for a day. One chance, she needed only one chance.

'Kirti, did you get an invitation to the dinner at Governor's house?' Debbie asked, yanking Kirti out of her musings. 'I heard the ones who topped the training got invited.'

'Yeah.'

'You excited?'

'Mm-hmm' The Governor's house had once been Nishit's house for her and when she knew he wasn't there, it didn't hold significance for her. 'It would be a perfect opportunity to meet the higher officials. But it would feel so weird and out of place to be alone among them.'

'Just enjoy the night and remember to build a network, Ki.' Debbie had always excelled and topped in her life so it irked that she had missed the medal by a thin margin and missed the opportunity to be recognized by the Governor. But she shrugged the disappointment away. There were other things more important in life.

'The photos have come nice, Ki.' If that manga-man didn't show up soon, she was going to set Kirti up with her brother.

'Now go and lean against the parapet wall,' she commanded.

'Jo Hukum Aaka!' Kirti marched towards the balustrade.

[MEMBERSONLY]

[NOCOPY]