Chapter 2
It was finally almost 2.30 am when Vikram indicated that they could go home now. It had been more than 3 hours since they were sitting in the car, waiting to "show" their wives how much they were enjoying life when left alone.
Ram dropped Vikram home and turned the car back towards Kapoor Mansion. He was totally puzzled. Yes, he knew that Vikram and Neha had daily fights and Neha pestered him every day with detailed questions on where he was and with whom and why. But hadn't he seen Vikram actually enjoying it? Hadn't Vikram confessed to him many times over that he loved Neha badgering him with so many questions even if he pretended to Neha that he didn't enjoy the interrogation one bit?
Then even if Ram confessed first and this led to Priya asking him the same set of questions everyday of his life, wouldn't he also enjoy it? Why did Vikram stop him in that case?
What was the point in lying to their wives and then in sitting in a car for half the night pretending to them that they were enjoying?
Ronit's image came to his mind. Was it true that Priya was only trying to make him jealous? Apparently yes, but deep down in his heart, there was a sense of insecurity, a fear, that his wife, though fond of him, might have actually preferred a fitter man as her husband. Lean and well built, like Ronit. And she had made fun of him, too. Indirectly. She'd broken the deal they had. Why Priya? He'd reached the gate of Kapoor Mansion but stopped the car a little before the gate. And switched off the lights and sat in the darkness again.
For the last 3 hours he'd tried to puzzle out what had happened and why. Without any answer. It was Vikram who'd advised him to rush back from the US and confess to his wife … that he loved her. He had been so happy when the coin showed "heads". He had wanted to blurt out everything to Priya then and there. He thought he had also seen love in her eyes. For him.
But Neha had called Vikram to find out where he was. However, there was no call from Priya. Didn't she care? Didn't she miss him? Didn't she wonder where he was?
He was inexperienced in affairs of the heart. Had no idea of how women thought, dreamt, felt, reacted. He knew Vikram had told him that it was impossible to read women. But like he solved all business problems logically, was it not possible to solve this issue logically too? Treat it like a management case? Should he try?
He took out a piece of paper and started writing.
Question 1 : Did he love Priya? YES
Question 2 : Did Priya love him?
He thought about their initial days. When she cooked for him and took care that his meals were served to him, warm and at the correct time. And then recently when she changed his eating habits and persisted with throwing away his medicines inspite of his shouting at her.
But a small doubt crept into his mind. Was it because they were legally wedded and she felt it her duty to take care of him?
Ok, he would discard this reason and concentrate on reasons for which he could be absolutely reassured.
Affirmatives :-
1) When she had come all the away to the airport to see off him inspite of seeing him off at Sharma house just an hour before.
2) Tears in her eyes when she bade him farewell at the airport and told him to return back soon.
3) Her unfinished sentence … aap hamesha mere …..
4) On the day he was going to collect the reports …. when she had refused to go … saying that she had experienced so many happiness in the last 7 days that she was afraid of seeing a positive cancer report and losing all this happiness?
5) Her happiness at being surprised by him so many times and still not acknowledging it … and finally confessing that she wanted to see how much more he could be pushed ..
6) The tears of her happiness in her eyes when he'd danced with Neha. For her.
So the answer to question 2) was also "YES"
Next? He suddenly realized that there were no more questions that needed any answer ! He loved Priya and Priya loved him. What more did he need ? He chuckled to himself … men were so rational and logical !
Bah ! Such a simple issue .. he suddenly started laughing in the car, in the darkness. Suddenly all the tension of the evening left him. Why hadn't he tried analyzing this logically earlier? Why was he so bent upon following Vikram's logic? Yes, Vikram may have been right from his point of view but that was a "time tested" reaction, in management lingo. That was the procedure to be followed when best practices had been established after a few years of operations. Here, this was the beginning of his love story ! He was going to build up something from scratch ! Obviously that needed different techniques. He recollected the Lohri episode when he'd goofed up on Vikram's theory but managed to placate Priya, all by himself. So he could do it too !
From now on Mr. Ram Kapoor did not need any "love guru". He would apply logic to every issue and solve everything himself. "Yahoo" ! I'm so intelligent, he thought J
He folded the piece of paper and kept it safely in his pocket. When he was getting ready to start the car, another question came to his mind.
Question 3 : Was she ready to take their relationship to the next level ?
Now he had a doubt. He took out the piece of paper again and started thinking.
Affirmatives :-
1) On the night of Natasha's party, when he was closing the hook on her blouse, he had felt her trembling when his fingers touched her bare back. Even though he could not see her face, he knew that she had her eyes closed.
2) On the same night, when he had taken her to a corner to set her bindi straight , she had closed her eyes at his touch. And remained like that. As if in anticipation for something more.
3) And he remembered the Lohri day too. When he had touched her lips with his fingers. How she had continued to stare at him? She had been shocked but had not moved away.
He had felt the tugs of physical attraction all these times. And he was very sure that she had felt the same too.
Then why, dammit, did she put him down in front of Ronit today? When she saw Ronit, did she realize what she was missing? Did she feel that she was stuck with a 40 year old unfit, fat man?
No, he hated himself for that thought. He knew deep down in his heart that his wife was not like that.
He finally answered YES to Question 3) also.
So … it was simple. All it needed was a SWOT analysis. In case of any issue, any problem, he needed to analyse the strengths, the weaknesses, the opportunities and the threats. And he grinned to himself as he remembered Ronit. Yes, "fit' people like Ronit were a "threat". He would ensure that Priya did not come in contact with such "fit" people to the extent he could manage.
He started his car and drove in. Smiling. Sure of what he was going to do.
Marathi TV
