Lucky bunch, aren't you? I really don't know what's gotten into me, but whatever it is, you all are benefiting from it a lot. 😆 But please don't get used to it, sadly it's not going to last for too long. So enjoy it while it lasts. Here's another update. It's not much of anything really. Forgive any mistakes. I didn't check over this.
Chapter 20 B:
He walks forward into the darkness cautiously in small steps, not knowing where he is going. All around is pitch black that never seems to end. He just knows that he has to get out of here some way or another----his feet carry him further on. That is until he halts on hearing a distant sound. Listening in closer, he realizes it is a voice.
"….Jai…." it calls for him. Struck to his spot, he remains still for a long moment before racing forward, running after the person who continues to summon for him. His heart beats fast and the drumming of it fills his ears. He doesn't know where it is he is being led to, but he knows he has to find her.
"Jai…," she says again, this time, as a mere whisper.
The more he runs, the more he begins to think that there is no escape from this god forsaken place. Until he sees a light beaming from a distance and feels hope rushing into him. His legs sprint faster as he catches the familiar figure of a woman---her vision blurry, but still there.
"Ananya!" he yells for her. On his continuous shouts, slowly she turns in order to face him…yet, the sudden gleam of a brightening light blinds him and engulfs her body altogether….
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His eyelids fly open and he stares at the ceiling for a good few seconds before turning to the windows, where the sun shines brightly, rudely awakening him from his deep slumber. He has been having this same dream sporadically since the first time he dreamt it. Till date, he does not understand why.
Feeling the sudden mist of water spray onto his face, Jai touches his wet cheek in confusion. He glances around and spots his wife, freshly changed into a red saree, vigorously wiping her soaking hair with a towel. She throws her head back, sending further mist onto her husband's face. Jai blinks groggily from the second attack and wipes away the water residue with the sleeve of his shirt.
"Banee," he groans, not appreciating her drenching him in water as soon as he awakes. Bani, startled, throws a backward glance in his direction, holding the towel close to her chest.
"You are up?" she questions in surprise, not expecting him to wake up till another hour or so since it is his day off. He gives a grunt before turning around and settling himself back onto the pillows, getting comfortable in order to fall back asleep. He feels immensely drowsy.
"I will just go and get your coffee for you…," she says before dropping her towel and swiftly leaving the room. As a response, Jai simply throws the comforter over his face to protect his eyes from the blaring light.
She returned a few minutes later in which he had been drifting back to sleep till she shook him, her bangles tinkling. His facial features distort in irritation for being bothered.
"I have brought your coffee… drink it and get ready. It is nearing 12 o'clock now… You haven't even had breakfast yet," she chides, her words falling to deaf ears since Jai ignores her, snoozing silently.
She shakes him again. "Jai, are you listening to me?"
"Kya yaar, soneh do…," he grumbles in complaint, not heeding to her. Bani frowns at the way he is disregarding her. Not knowing what else to do, she shakes him some more. By her shoving and the sound of her bangles rattling, Jai grows exasperated. In an attempt to stop her, he aims to take a hold of her arm, not realizing that he grips onto her broken wrist instead till hearing his wife's cry of pain.
"Ouch!!!"
He gets up in a jolt, all drowsiness leaving him, and becomes alert by her near shriek. He stares at her in concern.
"What happened?" he asks and follows her pained gaze to her left wrist, which he still clasps onto. He lets go immediately.
"Shit! I didn't realize----Does it still hurt?" he shoots all at once, feeling guilty as hell for causing her pain. His wife blinks at him a couple of times before breaking out into a mischievous smile.
"No… I was just faking so you'd get up," she answers proudly for duping her husband. Jai looks at her, stumped.
"What?" he nearly exclaims for being fooled as he was genuinely worried. Bani shrugs it off and brings forth his cup of coffee into his view.
"Drink it before it gets cold…"
Jai takes the mug from her with a cold glare. "That was completely unnecessary," he speaks grudgingly, referring to her acting.
"Wrong, it was completely necessary… else you wouldn't have woken up till past noon," she complains.
"So? It's my day off," he points out after taking his first sip of the warm beverage.
"So? It does not mean that you can waste the whole day sleeping," she quips back, having risen from the bed now and adjusting the curtains, drawing them fully apart, allowing more sunshine in.
"It does if you're a doctor who has been on call for the past fifty-two hours…," he replies fittingly back, earning a disapproving look from his wife for using his profession as a defense.
"That is your own fault… Who told you to become a doctor when you have a perfectly good family business to run?" she puts forth, causing Jai to roll his eyes whilst sipping some more on his morning drink.
"Not you too… as if Ma wasn't enough," he moans inwardly. She smiles at his comment.
"Speaking of which, Mummy ji has organized a puja at home this evening for Saahil completing his internship and officially joining the office….and you are expected to be here for it," she adds on warningly, knowing very well how her husband feels about religious ceremonies as he is an atheist.
"Fine, it's not like I have work as an excuse anyway… Where will I run off to?" he responds in resignation, furthering Bani's smile at his plight.
"I have laid out your clothes on the chair… I will just go and have a meal prepared for you since you have missed Breakfast," she informs him and leaves him to finish his coffee as she sets out to the kitchen. After instructing Tony to have Jai's meal ready by the time he comes down, Bani retreats back upstairs to check whether Jai had fallen back asleep or not.
"Mami!"
Bani stops at the foot of the staircase and follows the voice to across the hall where Anu emerges from outside her bedroom. She is dressed in a jean skirt paired with a white top and is in the middle of the task of screwing her earrings properly. Bani wonders where Anu is heading out to since today is a Saturday and she has no classes.
"Mami, have you seen Rano anywhere?" she inquiries from her. Bani is further puzzled.
"Nahi toh… I haven't seen her since Breakfast… Why?"
"We are supposed to go out shopping… That chashmesh promised me for weeks now to accompany me in buying a new dress for Neha's birthday party and now there is no sight of her," Anu whines childishly.
"Anu, have you checked her room? She is probably in there," Bani suggests, knowing very well that Rano chooses the weekends to read in the solitude of her bedroom.
"Twice now… I do not know where the girl has gone," Anu continues in agitation for having to search for her some time now.
"She must be around here somewhere, Anu, I am sure you will find her downstairs," Bani proposes and watches as her niece heaves an exhausted sigh just before running down the stairs to continue her search.
"Bani Mami!"
Bani looks back and sees Saahil at the end of the stairs, calling out for her after having spotted her when passing by.
"Yes, Saahil?"
"Would you mind calling Bhai downstairs? Mom has some work regarding him and has been trying to get him all morning, but he won't budge from his room. She has her suspicions that he has probably fallen back asleep."
Bani smiles understandingly and reassures him that she will just go and check on Ranveer now. On the way to his bedroom, she mentally ponders over what is needed to be done in preparation for the puja later today and not wanting to fail in any regards.
Mindlessly, she twists on the doorknob to his bedroom and pushes through the door.
"Ranveer, you haven't fallen asleep have you? Jigyasa Didi has been----.."
She halts in her words, letting them hang in the air, and stifles a gasp at what she sees in front her. Ranveer and Rano spring apart, their lip lock breaking, and stand awkwardly with flushed faces looking every bit like guilty criminals caught in the middle of their crime. They both look equally mortified as she does right now—both blushing red as a tomato.
"I-I---…y-you….," she stammers, speechless and unable to register the current situation. It takes a good few moments for it to sink in and process what she had just witnessed. Her own cheeks flame in embarrassment.
"S-sorry," she hastily apologizes, not knowing why, and shuts the door shut in a jittery fit. She flees to her own bedroom, her mind racing with various thoughts. She questions whether she had actually seen what she thinks she saw.
"Bani, have you seen my towel? I can't find it anywhere---..," Jai rumbles on seeing her slide back into their room.
"I didn't see anything!" she cries defensively and burns under her husband's fixed, curious gaze on her.
"Okay… I guess I will just go and tell Tony to hand me a spare then," he states slowly, observing her carefully as she seems very odd at the moment looking very wide-eyed. She watches him leave with disinterest as her mind currently reels on what to do with the information she has just gotten by chance. Ranveer and her sister? She doesn't even know where to begin in thinking.
She camped in their bedroom for as long as she could much to her husband's chagrin. She wanted to avoid seeing either Ranveer or Rano and any confrontation of what had just happened. She did not wish to hear whatever they had to say, not yet at least….
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Due to Yash's insistence, Jai and Bani took him to the nearby park briefly, keeping in mind that the upcoming puja required preparation and Bani would need to go back and provide her assistance. When sitting on the bench side by side watching Yash play, Jai decides that this is the right time to speak with Bani as he has her alone. He has delayed it enough.
He clears his throat before speaking up, breaking into the silence that has surrounded them.
"Bani, I've been meaning to ask---.."
"Okay, I lied! I did see it!" she instantly crumbles, taking Jai aback by her sudden outburst and when seeing her dump her face into her hands, shaking her head grievously. His brows rise in question, not knowing what is going on through his wife's mind as she has been strangely quiet so far.
"Bani, what are you talking about?" Then it dawns on him. "Are you talking about my towel? Because it's okay, I used a spare," he continues incredulously, baffled that she could possibly be upset about something as minor as that.
"No, not that," she moans into her hands.
"Then what?" he asks, quizzically. Despite himself, Jai feels tickled with amusement by her dramatic behavior. He wonders what has been eating her up since early afternoon. He had noticed something peculiar going on with her but resisted the urge to pull her leg over it.
She waits for a pausing moment before saying in one go,"Anu was looking all over for Rano, not being able to find her and then Saahil asked me to go to Ranveer's room and call for him since Jigyasa Didi had some work with him and then I walked in without knocking and saw them both there kissing and all over one another like a pair of eels, I didn't know what to do so I ran from there!"
A silence passes between them in which Bani hesitantly glances up, peeping through her fingers at her confounded husband, dreading his reaction. She observes as the corners of his mouth twitch and gradually a grin unfold onto his lips.
"…What?" he chuckles, not able to resist as he hadn't caught onto a single word in the midst of her fast rambling that was muffled by her fingers. She is both relieved, yet dismayed that he hadn't heard her. She did not want to say any of it again. It was painful to say it even once.
He reaches for her hands, pulling them away from her face, and continues to laugh lightly at her expense.
"Now tell me slowly, Flash… What's the matter?" he urges and Bani takes in a deep breath before complying.
"… I caught Ranveer and Rano…uh, err… kissing," she states reluctantly, watching her husband carefully and witnesses the bewildered expression that overtakes him when registering her words.
"You what?"
She nods her head gravely. "Earlier today, in Ranveer's room… I didn't know what to do so I left from there," she ends meekly. Seeing that her husband still remains fazed by this piece of information, she ducks her head and puts across her woes to him regarding the subject.
"Oh Jai, what will everyone think once they come to know about this? Today I had caught them, what if tomorrow Mummy ji or someone else does?... It will not look good to anyone in our family that two young people are sneaking around behind everyone's backs… God knows how long their affair has been going on… I cannot just turn my back on this and act as if I don't know… Sooner or later, it will come out," she presses, stating the seriousness in the situation.
Jai rattles himself out of the temporary shock that absorbed him and notes how upset Bani is over the given topic. He places a comforting hand over hers, causing her to look back at him with big doe eyes.
"Don't worry, Bani… We will take care of this together and discuss it with both Ranveer and Rano. .. You are right, sooner or later everyone will learn about it. It's best that we get to the bottom of it now."
She smiles feebly at him, appreciating his support, and feels at ease knowing that she alone does not have to bear the burden of such a secret. She squeezes his hand back….
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On their return, Bani became wound up in instructions from her mother-in-law for the puja that was just a couple of hours away. In this time, Rano tried continuously to get her sister alone in order to speak with her. Bani, however, did not oblige.
"We'll speak later, Rano," she insisted steely, as now was not the time since she was currently busy in preparing for the ceremony.
"But Didi—..," Rano beseeches, wanting to address what her sister had seen and explain herself. She did not want her own sister thinking maliciously about her actions.
"Bahu! Pundit ji has arrived… What are you doing in here? Come, come!" Krishna exclaims when entering the kitchen, alerting both sisters.
"Ji, Mummyji" Bani replies dutifully while exiting the kitchen promptly after her mother-in-law to greet the holy priest. The puja went smoothly with everyone's attendance and later they all praised Saahil and wished him good luck for his first day on Monday.
Bani had left Yash to play with his older cousins, Saahil and Anu, to assist in any remaining chores in the kitchen but is intervened by Rano who suddenly appears in her way.
"Rano, not right now--," Bani dismisses. Instead of listening, Rano takes a grip onto her arm and steers her off to a secluded corner.
"Yes, right now, Didi. I need to talk to you," she pleads desperately and Bani realizes that she should put an end to her sister's personal misery. She has been giving her the cold shoulder enough already. Releasing a sigh, Bani looks here and there to see if anyone will notice whether she is gone and gives a nod of her head.
"Okay,… right now," she agrees. Rano smiles faintly in relief.
"Go to your room…. I will meet you in there," she instructs quietly. She watches Rano nod before carrying out with her instruction. Bani sets out to find Krishna, telling her that she wants to retire to the bedroom for some time to take rest as she does not feel well. Krishna nearly scooted her away to the bedroom, saying that she should indeed take rest as she has been working all day. With this excuse, she knows no one will beckon for her. Bani discreetly makes her way to Rano's room, making sure not to draw any attention to herself.
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She discovers that Rano and Ranveer are in love and that their affair has been going on for nearly three months. They did not come out with their relationship yet as they had not been sure of their feelings till now.
"Rano, you should have told me this earlier," Bani admonishes, making Rano's face fall.
"I know, Di, I was just scared, that's all…"
"I am your sister," she protests. Rano appears even guiltier.
"Di, I wanted to tell you as soon as I was sure of what I felt… I didn't want to come to you about some petty crush."
"Crush or not, you could have told me either way…. I can't believe that I had to find out by catching you two. Since when have you been keeping secrets from me, Ran? I thought we told one another everything," Bani stresses, deeply hurt as she feels far removed from her sister's life for missing out on an important experience of hers—her first love.
"Oh Di, please don't be mad at me," Rano begs, close to weeping.
"I was mad before… but now I am just hurt," Bani says in all honesty, silencing Rano altogether. On seeing how crestfallen she looks, Bani sits beside her on the bed and gathers her into a comforting hug.
"You are so silly … Why you would be scared in telling me, I do not know… But what I do know now is that this matter needs to be addressed… You and Ranveer cannot sneak around anymore. We are a respectable family, Rano. What will the elders think? They will feel cheated… above that, when finding out, they are going to want the both of you to get married considering this family's traditional values…they will not allow the two of you to share a relationship when living in the same house… perhaps you should considering moving into a hostel…," she rambles to herself, going over the various options as an outcome to their relationship getting out.
On the mention of marriage, Rano's whole face flushes bright red and she grows unbelievably shy.
"I would not mind…," Rano hesitantly responds, distracting Bani from her racing thoughts.
"Moving to a hostel?" she inquires.
"No… I-I… I would not mind marriage," she finishes sheepishly, averting her gaze elsewhere as Bani looks at her in deep shock.
"You want to marry Ranveer?" she sputters with disbelief. Rano blushes some more whilst nodding her head demurely. Bani is bowled by her response.
"But… but you wanted to finish studying… get a career first… stand on your own two feet… then marriage," she argues, not believing that her sister is actually considering marriage. Rano has always been a headstrong, modern girl just like how she was at her age. Marriage was always the last thing on her baby sister's mind. In fact, Rano refused to even discuss it.
"Di,… I love him," Rano simply states as matter-of-fact.
"You have only just now discovered that you are in love with him….. Already you want to marry him?"
"It will happen sooner or later…. Why not now? I can carry out with all of my plans even while being married… Ranveer will not get in the way of my studying," Rano insists defensively.
"I didn't say you couldn't Rano…. But still, marriage is an important step… I don't think you should rush into this so hastily… especially since you are still very young and have a long time before you till you have to settle down," Bani advises gently, wanting the love-struck Rano to see some sense. She does not want her sister jeopardizing her bright future over a premature relationship when really she could possibly just be infatuated.
"Di, I am turning 21 very soon… and you were only nineteen when you got married to Jiju…younger than me….and look at you, you are getting to finish your studies and pursue your career despite being a wife and mother… Now why is it that I can't do the same?" Rano objects stubbornly.
"Yes, but you know in what circumstances me and your Jiju were married in… it was completely different," Bani justifies.
"So you are saying that you regret getting married? Is that why you are advising me against it?"
"No, of course not! I have no regrets," Bani clarifies openly, not wanting herself to be misunderstood.
"I know you don't Di… In fact, you seem very happy with Jiju… If you have ended up being happy with a marriage you originally did not want, then imagine how happy will I be with a marriage I do want with the man I am in love with?"
Bani remains tongue-tied by her question, not having an answer to it as she realizes that Rano is potentially right in her stance. But still, she wants her sister to think with a clear head and not allow Ranveer's love to sway her abrupt decision.
"Look… you may be right. But I just want to make sure that this is something you really want and it isn't a spur of the moment decision… What if after marriage, you feel differently?"
"It is something I want… I love him so much, Di… and I do believe that I want to spend the rest of my life with him… And if for some reason after marriage, I begin to feel differently… then Ranveer and I will address that problem when we get to it and solve it together…," she answers with all the maturity she possesses, astonishing Bani as it is clear that Rano has thought this through before.
"… We will see, Rano… that is if Ranveer feels the same way… and if our families will allow it. We will save this discussion for later."
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Jai shrugs off the black kurta, which his wife previously had forced him to wear against his will, and carelessly discards of it when reaching for his nightshirt. He had pulled it over his head, throwing it onto himself, when Bani entered the room with a snoozing Yash held upright in her arms. He flashes a disapproving look just before taking their son out of her hold and gently placing him onto the bed.
"Bani, what are you thinking? … You shouldn't be putting any strain onto your wrist…," he scolds.
"He had fallen asleep on the couch downstairs… I didn't have the heart to wake him," she mumbles in her defense. Jai takes a hold of her left hand carefully and leads her to the bed where she follows in sitting down beside him. He examines it closely.
"How is it feeling?"
"It does not hurt as much as before."
"Hm, it has only been two weeks…it will take a few more weeks for it to properly heal." He looks up at her, noting the sullen look settled on her beautiful face.
"What is wrong?" he prods.
"… I spoke to Rano earlier… She tells me that she is in love with Ranveer and even wants to marry him," she tells him exasperatedly, as if not knowing what to do with the matter. Jai grimaces on hearing this.
"Ranveer had come to my study some time before to speak with me…," Jai informs, causing Bani to lift her lowered gaze.
"Apparently your sister spoke to him about what you two had discussed…. He and Rano assumed correctly that I knew along with you…. He wants to marry Rano as well…," he voices expressionlessly.
"Jai… do you think they should get married?" she questions softly, wanting to know his honest opinion as she doesn't know what to think herself.
"Well, I do not see any harm in it… If they truly want it, then we should respect their decision and support them. Besides, Ranveer is twenty-five, quite old enough… His parents have been looking for marriage proposals for the past year."
"… Rano is older than I was when I got married to you…," Bani adds. Jai looks sharply to her when hearing this, observing the pensiveness embodied on her features. It dawns on him that his wife had been very young when entering into a life-long commitment with him… far too young.
"Maybe I'm being overly cautious… Rano and Ranveer are both mature for their age…and they are consulting adults… I shouldn't be treating Rano as if she is incapable of making her own life choices… Perhaps we should talk to Aditya Jiju and Jigyasa Didi about this?...,"she continues, unmindful of how her husband suddenly appears troubled by something.
"That seems like the next logical step…, don't you think?"
Jai mutters something inaudible that Bani takes as an agreement to her suggestion. It is finalized between them that they will speak to the elders when given the chance and see what their views are. When settling into bed to go to sleep for the night, Jai turns to his wife who reaches for the lamp next to her.
"Bani…."
Her hand halts and lingers by the switch, her eyes trailing back over to him. She stares at him with silent question. Jai meets her probing honey brown eyes and convinces himself to speak what had been occupying his mind for the past many days, but finds his throat dry and no words able to come out.
"Yes?" she asks after a slow, long moment later. Jai forgoes the chance by shaking his head.
"Nothing…. Goodnight," he wishes her, receiving a small smile before she murmurs her wishes back and switches the light off, allowing darkness to unveil in the room.
He lies on his back, his gray eyes staring blankly at the ceiling, demanding from himself why he is unable to put across his thoughts to his wife. Is he afraid of her answers? Does he not want to hear her side and hence he will have to make some kind of decision regarding their marriage? Or is he purposely getting in the way of his own happiness once again? Denying himself of a perfectly good relationship? After all, what is it?
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Not much of JB romance, I know, disappointing. Also, sorry to say, but Jai will continue to be frustrating a little while longer. But have faith in me. I will set him straight, don't worry. 😃
CID
193