SS: THE SICILIAN...PART 23 pg 49 UPD 29/06 - Page 7

WOW!! Jai is really nice and I wish he makes suffer AD like Hell of Hells!!!

whoaaa. great part ezther.. AD desereves hell as a treatment.. and pia.. agghhh.. y the hell isnt karan doing anyting if he is sooo worried about bani.. anywayz great part.. continue sooon..

Hi

Wow. AD's destruction is in tow by none other than Jai Walia. I hope Jai tortures him like hell. Jai is so good with the kids. Loved Bani and Tarun's brother-sister sequence. That's not something you would see in KS. Get JB together soon. Please continue.

Looks like Jai is turning into Godfather--mafia style😉 And Deb has no clue, the fool is actually worried about losing the deal and planning to go after Bani... Oh boy, he's gonna have no idea what hit him. Karan seems to be the lesser of the three evils, atleast he thought of the babies. I hope these three are not involved in messing around in Jai's office as well just to make him buy their stupid software. There will be hell to pay. Cant wait to see how this unfolds.
2 weeks Ezther??? First you spoilt us with your lightening fast updates and now a 2 week break 😡 Just kidding😆 Take your time dear, settle in. Goodluck with the moving!

I'm sorry guys, and I think you can all relax a bit cos due to visa delays, I will not be moving until the weekend...............
Good news,here's your next installment of The Sicilian...........

It had been three weeks since she had given birth and she was really giddy with joy. The fact that Tarun hadn't let her leave the hospital since the babies arrived no longer irked her, as he had explained to her that they had to make sure she had no infections that could be detrimental to the kids. And once the kids were involved, she'd do anything! The Nurse who Tarun had specifically chosen to attend to her when he was not there, practically doted on the kids. She would come and spend her free time with Bani, chatting about all sorts of things but never asking personal questions as to why she was still here and that too in a restricted entry ward. The hospital though it had a homely feel was just not quite home. And this morning, she wasn't so sure she could take it anymore. She wanted to go home.

She had waited all day for Tarun and when he showed up, after his usual nok jok with the kids turned to her.

"And how is the newest mother in town doing?" he asked with a broad smile.

"She's doing pretty well," Bani began, "But she would do a lot better if she were to be in her own home."

He paused and looked at her, "Look Bani, I know you're in a hurry to get home…"

"Tarun, I may not know a lot about medicine but what I do know is that I have been here longer than it should take to clear an infection if any from the elevator, so why am I still here?"

He hated it when she had to go and be all smart about things, "Look Bani, you're right, ok? I have been keeping you here for reasons other than that."

She frowned, "Why?"

"For one, the Press would have been looking for you and would not have given you a moment's peace for weeks. You're breast feeding Bani, you cannot be put under any more stress."

"I get that, but…"

"Aparajeet has been looking for you too," he informed her.

He hadn't known what to expect, but had actually expected her to maybe show some kind of relief that the father of her babies had shown some kind of interest in his children after not caring what happened to them for so long. Instead, her eyes went flat and he could see the coldness creep into her face.

"Any particular reason?"

He shook his head, "Not that I can tell…but he didn't seem particularly interested in finding you for you…he seemed to have other reasons for it."

She was silent, "I don't want him near us."

He thought this would be the perfect time to tell her, as she was opposed to the idea of seeing the man, "I kind of have something to tell you."

She looked at him enquiringly, "What is it?"

"I er…I took the liberty of moving you," he said cautiously.

"Moving me?" she was confused, "What does that mean?"

He took a deep breath, "Look, I just wanted you to be safe, so…"

"Tarun, you're scaring me. What do you mean, 'moved me'?"

"I moved you out of your apartment," he said quickly.

She was still trying to comprehend what he was saying, and slowly it sank in, "You moved my things?"

"Yes," he said, "Look, normally I would ask you, but you know the landlord was already going to evict you and Aparajeet very well knows where you live, so I thought it would be best to move you."

She was quiet for a while, trying to understand for herself, his logic in doing such a big thing. Wasn't it too much for someone whom you only met by chance, notwithstanding that he saw her as a sister and all? It must have cost a fortune to move all her stuff!

"Tarun," she began slowly, "I don't know what to say…"

"Say nothing my dear," he said with a big smile, "This one is for the boys. They really need a fresh start away from all the bad vibes in that house."

"How am I ever going to repay you?" she was truly stunned that there were still people like this in the world.

"Oh you will," he insisted, "I am a single bachelor with absolutely no culinary skills, and you madam, are a master chef!"

She laughed at that as the boys began to coo, apparently hating the fact that their mother's attention was diverted from them.

"So, thought of names yet?" he asked, "You are supposed to have named them you know?"

"I have," she agreed, "And I have thought about names for them."

"Really? Let's hear it then."

She picked up the twin that came out first, kissing his forehead, "He is Atharva."

"Nice name," Tarun smiled, "Well, actually anything would sound better than Aparajeet."

Bani smiled, "And the other one… I thought to call him Krishna. I think he is a special child."

"They both are," he agreed, "See how and when they chose to come into the world?"

Her smile faded, "I never sent a thank you note to Mr. Walia for all his help!"

"Don't worry about it. I'll send a bouquet in your name," Tarun said.

"Thank you," she smiled, then as an after thought, "I've never been used to being taken care of with no strings attached."

He smiled at her as he cradled Krishna, "Well, there's always a first time isn't there?"

"Always," she smiled.

"Good, now let's make the most of today. You do know they should just about be ready to have their shots."

She paled, "So soon? But they're barely…"

Tarun laughed, "Bani, it's going to be alright. I'll be right here with them."

"No," she shook her head stubbornly, "I'm not about to let my kids be hurt that way."

Tarun knew this was coming and smiled reassuringly, "I assure you Bani, a moment's pain is better than a lifetime of pain."

She grumpily still wasn't agreeing to it.

"Well I am your Doctor and this is Doctor's orders," he said, "They will be immunized before you leave here."

"When do I get to leave?" she asked.

"End of the week," he said, "That gives us three more days to move the last of your things."

Atharva began to hiccup and then launched into an ear piercing cry, "What's wrong? Does baby need a diaper change?"

"I think he does," Tarun said, noticing that Krishna seemed more interested in something he alone could see, and kept staring at.

Bani with practiced ease began to change the diaper while Tarun was content to sit and watch. He knew she would kill him if she found out that he had absolutely nothing to do with her moving or being moved. He had been pretty worried when he had received that call from Jai Walia….

"Morning Jai, how can I help you?" he had asked, the morning after the twins had been born.

"How far are you willing to go to protect those boys?" he asked point blank.

Tarun weighed his answer, "Far enough."

"Think you can get her to move out of her current apartment?"

Tarun thought for a while, "That can be arranged, besides, she was thinking of moving."

He didn't exactly want to tell him how dire Bani's situation was as he very well knew about the eviction notice. He just didn't want Jai knowing that. It was personal for Bani and it wasn't proper divulging that king of information about her without her consent.

"Good then. It is will be my pleasure to help her move into another apartment. Do you have any idea where she would have preferred?"

"Well…" Tarun thought for a while, wanting to get her completely out of the line of Aparajeet's movements round the city, "Somewhere on Park road I think. She wanted to get a two bedroom apartment in one of the high rise buildings there but never quite got around to it."

"Good, I'll call you up later," he said and disconnected the phone.

Jai had called him back precisely at noon and told him he had spoken to the owners of one of the buildings and he had arranged for a three bedroom apartment. Tarun was to go and see the place and if he found it to Bani's taste, was to immediately start moving her things that very day. The bill should be sent to his office. Traun had tried to explain to him that Bani would be more than suspicious of a three bedroom pad and he wouldn't be able to explain it away but Jai had just said that he, Tarun would think of something,and hung up.

"What's going on in that head of yours?"

Bani's voice brought him back down to earth with a crash, "Me?...Oh it's nothing. Just spacing out."

"Well don't space out too often, you've got my kid in your arms," she said with a smile.

"Can you hear your Mommy?" he asked Atharva who was now staring at him, "I come to keep her company and this is what she tells me."

He cooed as if in understanding of Tarun's predicament and Bani smiled again. She wasn't complaining about her life right now. Only wonderful people were in it…she felt a slight tinge of bitterness at how badly she had been treated, but looking at her kids now, she felt in some odd way, it had all been worth it if only to see their faces right now.

Tarun's pager went off. He quickly handed the baby to Bani and checked to see it was the hospital, "I have to take this."

"By all means," she said quickly, shooing him off.

He disappeared for a while and when he returned it was with an apologetic look, "There seems to be an emergency at the hospital. I'll have to leave right away."

"Go on," Bani waved him off, "I have my hands full with these ones anyway."

"Great. I'll see you later on today then," he said to Bani, kissed her forehead and left after a final admonition to the boys to behave themselves.

Aparajeet was prowling up and down his office, his mind swirling with thought after thought. He couldn't shake the feeling that something horrid was going to happen, and that it would be connected to that woman. Lord, it had been even more annoying when he had gone to the hospital where the news people said she had been taken and that stupid doctor whatever the hell his name was, wouldn't tell him where Bani and the boys were. Patient's confidentiality my foot! What the hell was that about?

He was however happy about one thing. Jai Walia had signed the contract with his firm for the security software program and it was a relief to know the man wasn't pulling out of the contract. Men, after he had tried to get in touch with the man the morning after the incident, and had repeatedly been told that Jai Walia was out on business, he had certainly lost hope. Then one day out of the blue, the man had shown up with the contract in hand, having asked his lawyer to draw up their terms. Aparajeet had called his head of legal who had gone through the contract and seeing nothing they could not live with, had signed the contract. It was a relief to know they had him in the bag.

Now the other thing he had to do was get rid of Bani once and for all. He would not have her showing up here again to cause another scene and cost him a valuable contract again. What he wanted was to offer her as much money as she wanted so she could leave. Mumbai once and for all…go back to her parents.

It did bother him sometimes…what with the kids being his and all but he was not ready to be saddled with any children right now. And worse still, there were two of them! He knew he had done wrong by her but he had never promised her anything…not marriage and certainly not a family. It had scared him sometimes that he had been unable to look at another woman while he was with her…so afraid of hurting her at the time, in spite of the fact that it was a bet.

But that friend of hers…Pia, she had pursued him relentlessly and well, a man can only run so far right? She had been different from Bani….oh, so different. Something had changed for him when she began to tell him that Bani was already planning their marriage and all what not. It had freaked him out and that was how he had began to pull back…and when she came back pregnant, it was as if Pia's words finally rang true. She wanted to trap him into marriage. Of course he had never looked back after that, but after this scare and what she had almost cost him, he was not about to take chances with her showing up again, trying to force his hand.

He needed to find her, and fast! There was a knock on his door, and when he called out for the person to enter, a man he had never seen before in his life walked in.

"Yes, may I help you?" he asked, a frown on his face.

"Yes you may," the man said, and held out his hand, "I am Faisal Mathur, attorney with Goldpin Associates."

What the hell was a lawyer doing in his office, Aparajeet thought, but said, "How may I be of assistance to you?"

"I'm here on behalf of a Miss Bani Dixit," Faisal began with a gentle smile that Aparajeet was sure was just a formality, "I'm sure you are well acquainted with my client?"

Aparajeet began to chuckle in incredulity, "What does she want?"

"Oh she wants nothing Mr. Deb," Faisla quickly assured him, "All she wants is your signature on this document."

He handed Aparajeet a three paper document which he began to read in stony silence, glancing at the smug lawyer who had that annoying smile plastered on his face. When he was done, he tossed the paper back.

"I'm not signing that," he said firmly.

"Oh but you will Mr. Deb," Faisal said, his eyes taking on a different hue as he spoke, "My client does not want a thing from you Mr. Deb. Just that you sign over your rights as a father to those children and agree to never bother them ever again. Not now, not in the future."

"I said no," Aparajeet repeated.

Faisal sighed heavily, as if he wished things didn't have to go this far, "Then I have no other choice but to serve you these papers Sir," he brought out another paper and threw it o the table next to Aparajeet, "These papers are to sue for child support and to make every other necessary arrangement as will enable mother and children to live in the same comfort she was accustomed to before you decided to walk out on her and the children."

"She can't do that," he hissed.

"I'm afraid she can, and she has," Faisal said, his face going predatory, "You have two choices before you Mr. Deb, you either take the easy way out, or subject yourself to the humiliation of being dragged to court and the Press having a field day carrying out a smear campaign on you. Wonder what the prospects of your business would be then."

Aparajeet glared at Faisal who stared him down, knowing fully well that he had the other man cornered. If he knew this man's kind well and he did, after years and years in the legal business, like all cowards he will take the easy way out. He was too money conscious and was more concerned with the family name. He watched the light of decision come on in Aparajeet's eyes and smiled.

"Wise choice Mr. Deb," he said, "Now if you would sign here…"

He pushed the paper back in front of Aparajeet and leaned back in his chair, waiting for him to sign. Slowly, Aparajeet took his pen and signed, giving Faisal a hateful glance. He was to hand it over to Faisal and snatched it back.

"After this, I never want to see her face again," he said through gritted teeth.

"Rest assured Mr. Deb, the feeling is mutual," Faisal said with a smug smile. He handed the paper to Faisal who tucked it in his pocket and rose, "Nice doing business with you Mr. Deb, I hope our paths cross on more pleasant terms next time."

"I don't think so,"Aparajeet said.

Faisal gave him an indulgent smile and left his office.

Aparajeet grabbed the phone and dialed, "I cannot believe this….Hello?"

"Jeet?"

"Karan, you will not believe the stunt that idiot of a woman just pulled," he barked into the receiver.

"Who?"

"Bani!"

"What did she do?"

"She got herself a lawyer and was going to either sue mefor child support, or have me sign over my rights as a father."

"Hell!" Karan swore, "What did you do?"

"What do you think I did?" he hissed, "I signed the papers."

"You what?!" Karan exploded, "Are you out of your mind?"

"What the hell was I supposed to do?" Aparajeet shouted, "It was either her or my family name, my business and my reputation."

"That was a rash thing to do Aparajeet," Karan said disapprovingly, "You should have at least tried to talk to her."

"Do you think I haven't tried to find her? Well if this is how she wants to play it, then so be it. No skin off my nose. She's not getting a penny from me."

"I don't like this Aparajeet," Karan said, "Feels to me like you're digging a hole for yourself."

"No way, I'm the one having things my way. I wanted her out of my life right? Well now she is."

"I hope you know what you're doing."

"I'll talk to you later," Aparajeet said.

"Take it easy."

They hung up.

LATER THAT EVENING………..

'It was easy enough, the man loves himself more than anything in the entire world."

Jai took the paper from Faisal and screened it, "I thought so too."

He had thought this out perfectly. Aparajeet would be happy that he had gotten the contract he was after and even happier that what happened with Bani had not affected his credibility. And when he sent this blow, it would be mitigated by the fact that the evil he feared had been averted so this would be no problem at all. He would not be ready to get into another squabble with her, least of all in court.

"Thank you Fasial," he said, keeping the document in his own jacket pocket, "Drink?"

"Please," Faisal said.

They were easy friends due to business alliances which had brought them together and Jai had inevitably retained him as their legal representative in court, as Pushkar couldn't well do it.

He poured two scotches and handed one to Faisal, "This will stand up in any court of law?"

"It will," Faisal assured him, "And produced another tape from his pocket, "This is a recording of the conversation between us. Just in case he tries to deny anything."

Jai took it, "Thank you Faisal."

Jai knew the other man had questions in his mind about why Jai was doing this but Jai was not about to explain himself to anyone. He knew Faisal was used to doing a lot of odd jobs for him and had by now learned that Jai kept him on a need to know basis in spite of the fact that they were friends and associates in business.

A short rap on the door, "Jai?"

Both men looked up to see Roshni Chopra enter his office, a broad smile in place. She had just returned from a pleasure trip to the Bahamas and was looking really tanned.

"I'll take my leave now," Faisal said, getting to his feet and shaking Jai's hand, "Miss Chopra."

He rose when she approached and she flung herself into his arms with a happy smile.

"I have missed you so much!" she murmured against his ear before raising expectant lips to his and kissing him deeply.

"And I you," he said, holding her close, a little unsettled at her sudden appearance.

"What have you been up to?" she asked.

"Oh the usual," he shrugged, "But I would love to hear about your trip."

"I have the most amazing pictures," she said, going to pick up her bag, pulling him behind her to the couch set in the corner with two other single pieces for when he wanted to have informal chats with friends who had come by visiting.

They settled down for him to go through her pictures.

Later that night as he lay next to her in her apartment, he just couldn't go to sleep. He was really truly bothered, by what exactly, he had no idea. He had called home that he wouldn't be coming home that night and was spending the night with Roshni. He looked at her now as she lay sleeping in his arms. He wasn't exactly sure what the problem was, but she was sure something had changed. Bigger problem was, was it him who had changed, or was it her? He wasn't sure, and it bothered him.

Slowly, he extricated himself from her hold and went into the bathroom. He washed his face and then stared at himself in the mirror. He had to admit to himself, that perhaps he was the one who had changed. Truth be told, he had been unable to think of anything else but Bani Dixit and her boys in the last one month since the delivery at Hussein Place. Perhaps that was why he had felt strange on Roshni's return. His mind was beginning to mess with him and he for one did not like it.

His mind once again drifted to her very tired but content smile as she had mouthed a thank you to him for helping her out. She was a good woman as far as he could tell, going by the way Tarun was treating her and he himself had seen during the altercation between her and the father of her children. He went back into the room and took out the sheet of paper. He glanced at the signature again. He knew he wanted her to be totally free from this man to begin a new life, but how did he swing this one with her? It was bad enough leaving Tarun to lie to her at every turn, but this….maybe he would hold on to it for the time being. Everything in its time.

Roshni stirred and he quickly replaced it as her eyes flew open and began to search for him in the dim room.

"Jai?"

"Right here," he said, going back to join her in the bed.

"What happened?"

"Nothing, just couldn't sleep."

"Is something wrong?"

He thought a while, "No, nothing is wrong."

"Are you sure?" she searched his face worriedly.

"Yes," he gave her a reassuring smile, pulled her down to lay her head on his chest, "You go back to sleep now."

"Okay," she said obediently, and settled herself to get most comfortable.

Soon, she was asleep again. Jai stared at the ceiling, sure that sleep was not for him this night.

END!!

Mine!!

gr88 part ezther

Ok so Deb is legally out of Bani's way, ironic considering it was Deb who was trying to get rid of her. I guess Jai is happy to just keep the guy away from Bani, he will only get into revenge mode when the creep tries to harass her. Why in the world is he looking for her, hes gotten the contract and hes signed the papers now. Hope he doesnt try to torment her or the little ones anymore.
So Jai has bonded with Bani and co. and is confused about his feelings. Poor Roshni, oblivious to everything. Looks like she never even heard about Jai delivering the twins in an elevator.
Cant wait for Bani to find out Jai is behind everything. I can totally picture her storming into his office and screaming thanks but no thanks😆