SS: In The Closet, part 7, page 20 - Page 3

Two

An uneasy silence ensued as soon as Maanyata made her statement. The royals were caught between saying what the hell and ermm, hello beta. Finally, the Rajmata decided to take the safest approach-that of their inborn hospitality. "Welcome inside," she said curtly, wanting to shield the unexpected guest from the cruel imaginations of the paparazzi, who were still lurking outside.

Komal looked uncomfortably at Udayveer's face. It was ashen, as it should have been, but surprisingly there was neither anger, nor a sense of betrayal on it. Instead, he seemed to have locked away all his opinions about the 'other man' in his heart. He stoically took away the luggage from the servants, despite their protestations of 'Let us do it Hukum' and made his way upstairs. J immediately followed him, not wanting to miss an opportunity to show her elder sister in a bad light.

"Come into the study," the Rajmata said. There was no imperiousness in her voice, and yet it was an order everyone automatically followed, even Aakash, though he didn't even know her. As they moved into Dadisa's imposing office, Aakash clasped Maanyata's hand, giving her that confused smile which she knew all too well. It meant: Why haven't you told your family members about me? Though she scolded herself for doing it, she subconsciously compared his grip to the caring hands that had caressed hers just moments ago.

"Maanyata, what is this?" the Rajmata asked sternly, as soon as the doors had closed behind them. Vijay and Menaka had stayed out, knowing very well their position in the family politics. Brijraj sat by the fireplace, pretending to puff on a cigar though he had no desire for any nicotine at the moment. Komal seemed to be the only one who wanted to tell herself that what was happening wasn't true.

"I said it Dadisa," Maanyata sighed. "He's my boyfriend'and well, there's nothing else to it really."

"Are you pregnant?" Brijraj asked, looking up from his chair by the fireplace. "Brijraj!" Dadisa sharply warned. He sulked and went back to staring sullenly at his ash tray.

"No!," Maanyata said, her cheeks flushed. How could her father even think like that? Well yes, Aakash had tried to get physical with her on a few occasions. But she had always reminded him that it wasn't exactly tradition for her family to sleep with a boy before marriage. Not to mention, that if a boy happened to so much as hold her hand, she couldn't help but feel an involuntary current of fear. It was a 16 year old phobia, which even the best psychiatrists had not been able to cure. It was also the reason why she had never really been the 'dating' type even though she was one of the most eligible girls on the block.

"Dadisa, may I come in?" Uday called out from outside. The Rajmata motioned to Komal, who had already stepped forward to open the door. As Uday entered, Maanyata could see his eyes warily scanning Aakash's profile, and she instantly knew that the both of them wouldn't get along, though she had been hoping for the opposite.

"Hi," Uday said, extending his hand out forward. "Namaste," Aakash said brightly, folding his hands. Maanyata mentally slapped her forehead as Uday momentarily recoiled, then smiled and responded with a polite 'Namaste' of his own. She glared at Aakash, who only looked puzzled as to why she was so angry. Now he's going to think that Aakash is some dumb NRI. Great.

"Look Dadisa," she said, wanting to get Aakash out of the clutch of her royal family as soon as possible. "I'I love Aakash." She saw Uday smirk out of the corner of her eye and gritted her teeth. "I know that you were counting on me to marry a fellow royal. But the truth is, Aakash and I plan to settle down together."

"Oh okay," Dadisa said curtly, her lips pressed in a thin line. "I'I really don't have any problems with that. But incase you don't remember, you are formally engaged to Udayveer and-"

"Oh yes, Maanyata told me that," Aakash piped in, "But she also assured me that Uday would be totally cool with our marriage'won't you?" Strike two.

"It's Yuuvraaj Udayveer, mind you," Uday quipped, "And yes, you needn't worry. I'm totally cool with your marriage."

"Well, great then," Aakash beamed. "That's settled, isn't it?"

"Not so fast, young man," Brijraj cut in abruptly. "Tell me one thing-what do you do? And who the hell are you to think that you can get a princess for-"

"Dad, Aakash is a management student, just like me," Maanyata said hastily. "As a matter of fact, we both plan to sit for the CAT exam together. Also, Aakash's parents own a tuition centre here so-"

"A tuition centre?" Brijraj nearly choked on his cigar. "Maanyata, are you kidding me? You're marrying the boy for free tuitions? Tell me this is another one of your stupid tricks so that we can allow you to go for classes."

"It's not about the tuitions Dad," Maanyata said firmly. "I truly love Aakash okay? And please, for my sake, be civil to him."

"Civil?" Brijraj roared. "No girl, expect me to be anything but civil! Sixteen years ago, I had made an agreement with my bestest friend that I would give my daughter's hand in marriage to his son. Agreed you'll were children there, but I had expected you to honour this alliance when you grew up. And now you tell me that you want to marry a tuition teacher's son. Fine then, have your way. Bring shame upon the family-again."

Maanyata blinked back tears as she heard the words 'shame upon the family.' Uday immediately reached out to place an assuring hand on his best friend's shoulder-and stiffened as Aakash comfortingly wrapped his arm around Maanyata's waist.

"Brijraj please," the Rajmata said, shooting laser beams at her son from her eyes. "You know very well that what happened 16 years ago wasn't Maanyata's fault." Brijraj only 'hmphed' and gave Udayveer a just hear what she's saying look. "Maanyata, I'm sure that you and Aakash must be tired due to the jet lag. I'll ask Anjali to escort you'll both to your respective rooms."

Maanyata turned around; trying to tell herself that she had handled the situation well and that things couldn't get any worse than this. But somewhere in the back of her mind, her father's words echoed-Bring shame upon the family-again.

Dinner was always a quiet affair at the palace. Komal had expected some fanfare with Maanyata's arrival, but thanks to Aakash, her hopes were shattered. Aakash and Maanyata dug uncomfortably at their food, Maanyata preferring to only poke at her salad instead of actually eating. Since she had come back after 16 years, Komal had had a special dinner prepared for her-shahi murg, daal baati and an assortment of Rajasthani and Mughali dishes, which were Maanyata's favorite cuisines. But Maanyata stuck to fruits and vegetables, leaving Aakash at the mercy of Vijay, who shamelessly stuffed morsels into his potential brother-in-law's mouth.

"So Aakash, tell me, how was life growing up in a coaching class?" Vijay said in his typical exaggerated manner, as the five of them-Uday, J, Aakash, Vijay and Maanyata-went out for a stroll in the palace gardens after dinner. It was a warm night and Maanyata was at her wit's end swatting away the mosquitoes before Uday drew a protective shawl around her, causing both Aakash and J to raise their eyebrows.

"Look," she hissed to him as they walked, "I'll apply mosquito repellent cream okay? But there's no need to lend me your shawl."

"Why?" he asked, loudly enough for Aakash to hear "Is your boyfriend so possessive that he can't even appreciate it if someone tries to help his fiance?" Aakash preferred not to respond, and continued to listen to Vijay's taunts instead.

"What's your problem?" she said softly. "Look, if you're thinking about how this spoils your grand plans for our glorious future together-"

By eleven 'o' clock, everyone made preparations to retire to bed, with the exception of J, for who life truly began at the unearthly hours.

"Remember," she hissed to Maanyata, while taking her jeep out of the garage, "Not a word to Mom and Dad. I've got the security bribed, so no worries about that." Maanyata nodded in assertion, feeling both guilty and I-don't-care-a-damn at the same time. She knew that as an elder sister it was her responsibility to reform J's waywardness. But at the same time, having been absent during the better part of her younger sibling's upbringing, she found it difficult to connect with her as easily as Vijay did. Maanyata often wondered whether their relationship would have been better had she not have gone to London. It was common knowledge, even to the Rajmata, that J resented her elder sister for getting the "foreign connection" which she had missed out on for want of better grades, not to mention Komal's selfish insistence that at least one daughter stay with her.

"Where are you going?" Aakash asked curiously. Vijay having trooped off to get his dose of "beauty sleep" he had finally managed to catch up with the remaining three of the unlikely gang.

"To the nightclub," J said coyly. "Why? Are you eager for a slice of the Mumbai nightlife?"

Aakash immediately looked to Maanyata for approval. However, she had sensed his eagerness to escape the palace even before his eyes had expressed the same. "It's okay," she said. Aakash smiled and climbed into J's jeep.

"Aakash," Maanyata whispered as J started the car, "Do me a favour and get my younger sister back before three 'o' clock." "Don't worry," he assured, "I'll make sure she stays safe." Flashing a secret wink, he began to make inane conversation with J as the jeep sped away from palace grounds.

"So, your boyfriend seems the rebellious type to me," Uday remarked, watching the two disappear into the night.

"He's not rebellious," Maanyata argued. "He's just the party kind, the way you and J are."

"Interesting," Uday said; a hint of curiosity in his voice. "I thought you never wanted to get involved with the 'party kind'."

"Well unlike you," she said acidly, "Aakash realizes that there is more to life than parties. So it's okay, I don't really mind."

"Hey hey, back off," he said, looking momentarily hurt. "Why are you speaking so rudely to me? You weren't this pissed in the morning."

"That's because I didn't want to behave improperly in front of the Rajmata," she said dismissively,"I respect my grandmother as much as you do, okay?"

"Fine," he said coldly. "Behave the way you want. Interesting how getting a boyfriend seems to have completely changed you."

"I was always like this Uday," she shot back. "Perhaps you're just suffering from a late realization."

For a moment they both simultaneously glared at each other, before they realized the uneasy electric current that was brewing in the air between them. Automatically, they both looked away, restoring normalcy to the atmosphere. The last time they had had such a 'cold war' had been the time when they'd first met, 17 years ago.

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Maanyata's childhood memories were something she had successfully managed to erase, but her first meeting with Udayveer was something the childish, 4 year old part of her had always treasured. That was exactly her age when she'd met him-four years old, and he had been seven.

Both of them had been coerced into introducing themselves to each other. Maanyata was upset because she had been denied an opportunity to play with her dolls. Uday was upset because he had been denied permission to attend his best friend's birthday party. Had they been 20 years older, their meeting might have looked like that of a young boy and girl reluctantly meeting to decide an arranged marriage. Maanyata had pouted and glared at Udayveer, and Udayveer had pouted and glared at Udayveer. It was obvious: They hated each other, and they would never be friends.

Seeing the two children haughtily size up each other, their parents had exchanged those annoying secret smiles and slipped away, giving them an opportunity to shed all their inhibitions and fearlessly wage their battle. When their parents returned, the expectedseemed to have had happened-both children were amicably sitting by the corner and drawing pictures of each other. But their appearance spoke the ugly truth-Uday's mini-turban was in shreds, and the precious centerpiece jewel had been ripped out and tossed across the floor. Maanyata, however, had suffered the irrecoverable damage-her long, Rapunzel-like locks had been cut in an awry fashion, and it was impossible to distinguish which of them was the young prince now.

Both the royal couples had gawped at the children. Then slowly, Giriraj had grabbed hold of Uday's shoulder, and given him a resounding slap across the cheek. It instantly generated howls in the young prince, and in that single moment, Yuuvraaj Udayveer managed to touch the haughty little Princess Maanyata's heart without her even knowing it.

Of course, the slap had only increased the animosity between them. There were still many wars left, the final one being the day Udayveer had mistakenly drawn his sword on Maanyata's shoulder. It had left a deep scar, and the princess had cried out in pain just for a moment-for no sooner had the sword touched her skin that Udayveer had soothingly pressed his palm there and asked in that distressed voice which only a pre-pubescent boy can talk in-"Oh my god, you're not going to die are you? Please, please Princess, I don't hate you that much. Please don't die or Daddy will kill me. "

That day, everyone had praised Maanyata for her courage, for she had remained impassive and refused to cry even though the wound had required five stitches, an astronomical amount for the royals, who had kept their little princess protected even from the tiniest of scratches. As the palace's resident Doctor Sahib had cleaned her wound, Udayveer had remained by her side, and had cried profusely even though he hadn't shed a single drop of blood.

During the night, when Komal had put little Maanyata to sleep, she had commended her daughter for her bravery. Maanyata had smiled in pleasure-and then scrunching up her big innocent eyes, had looked seriously at her mother and said, "But Mumma, it was nothing. I was only brave because I didn't want Uday to die."

"Uday to die?" Komal enquired worriedly. "But Maanyata, why would Uday die?"

"Because if I die," she said, in a frightened voice. "Giriraj uncle will kill him."

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She'd "saved his life" once, and now she was poised to change its direction. For 16 years they had been led to believe that the only soul mates they could ever have would be each other. For the majority of that period, she had believed it, but somewhere along the way, their relationship had soured. They no longer recognized each other as the best friends they used to be. They were just "family friends" now, forced into being close to each other only for the sake of having known each other for a long time.

She hesitantly looked into Uday's eyes, for even though Maanyata wasn't a romantic person, she did believe in the saying that "eyes are the windows to a person's soul." Uday's eyes were emotionless and refused to convey anything, just like him. She wondered whether these eyes could ever be capable of possessing the understanding and love that Aakash's eyes did. Perhaps they had, once upon a time, but now all that understanding and love seemed to be "a load of crap" like her best friend Gemma in England had once told her.

"Good Night Maanyata," he said stiffly as he turned towards his car, as if talking to her caused some kind of unknown ache in his joints. "I will see you tomorrow." There was no mention of Aakash, but she was already aware that her fiance didn't figure in his scheme of things.

"Oh and yes," he said, abruptly turning around. "In case you're wondering, I have no problems with your relationship Maanyata," he said softly, his face turned towards the night sky. "But it's just that, does your boyfriend really know you?"

"Of course he does," she said indignantly.

"And what about your past?" he asked, turning around to look at her, so that the full impact of his words hit her in the face. "Does he know about that?"

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Preview: "Who are you to talk about my past?" she asked, clearly embarassed that he had brought up topic after 16 painful years spent trying to forget it.

"And anyway, Aakash loves me for who I am, and not because of any stupid past connected to me."

"Maanyata, I'm not talking about that past," he smirked, "I'm talking about your other past. I'm talking about us."

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