New FF: In the shadows chp17B&pg38 18/3 - Page 5

Jai is pushing Bani buttons and watching her,, hmm kind of creepy, anywayz he still thinks that his father was attracted to the girls cuz they are girls? pls continue soon ,waiting on your next update =)

Chapter 5B

Bani was not the one to give up. She had seen a lot of ups and downs in her life. What all things she had to endure with her mother's illness, her father's alcoholic behavior which leads them to deep financial crisis. Then Uday Walia coming in as their savior or was he trying to redeem or doing penance for all the wrong decisions in his life. Yes Bani knew he was a very disturbed man. He had wanted to reach out to his kids towards the last days of his life. But by then it was too late. The barriers were so high that no one could cross them. Then there was his mistress Branalini whom she had met one or two times. God only knows what the men saw in her. But seeing so much of things in a short span of life she knew you had to fight and make a place for yourself or else you would get lost.

Yes her sisters were not happy that she would be moving out of Bombay to Lonavla Bani had fallen in love with that place as just the weekend she had come Pushkar and his family had asked the girls to join a trip planned to their farm house. She found the weather also pleasant and better than Bombay. The place also was not so crowded. She some how felt at home. It was easy to travel down to Mumbai any time. She was also looking for some MBA program she can do part time along with the job at the hotel she had just joined. She was just a graduate with no training in the hospitality industry but the only factor that got her the job was she was quite fluent in various foreign languages and they had lot of foreign guests coming into the resort. And the resort was getting a makeover drawn up. The manager felt she would be an asset. The old manger Mr. Sharma found an instant liking to her and gave her the job. So Bani was quite happy with the ways things were going. Yes the sisters did miss their cozy home environment. As Bani was staying as a paying guest close to the hotel she worked. Their weekend meetings used to be cramped up as now Pia and Rano had a lot to study and Pia was very keen and serious about this modeling thing. She got enough encouragement from Jai too. Bani never interfered but Pia always went to her to see if she liked what she was doing she waited for her sister's approval before committing to anything. Similarly Rano too even though Jai Walia was their guardian to before approaching Jai for anything she always asked Bani her opinion. And Jai was aware too of the fact. Yes the three of them may be living in different parts but hey had a bond and no one came in between.

One evening as Jai walked into Adi's house he couldn't help hear the laughter and the fun coming from the garden. He was surprised to see his sister's kids, Pia Rano Pushkar and some other kids from college along with Bani enjoying a game of anthakshari. They also had dadi in the middle of it as the score keeper.

On seeing Jai Adi greeted him.

Adi: Oh Jai I think its better we moved to the study at the further end of the hall.

Jai: Ya sure what's happening in the house is it someone's birthday all are at home.

Adi: Oh that's because you haven't been her for a month now. This is a normal Sunday out here.

Jai: You mean to say that everyone has stopped their club visits.

Adi: They do go dancing some time. But after the girls have started coming regularly on the weekends and Bani too joins them it seems like a home now.

Jai: So other days it is a dungeon you mean. Don't let your wife hear that.

Adi: Oh she wouldn't mind she is very happy now weekends are for herself she doesn't have to worry about mother and the kids they are at home. You know after Rano has joined the school Anu's and Sahils grades have improved. And Ran veer he seems to be more involved into the house. And not to ask my mother she has found a great fan for the Hindi movies in Bani. They both sit till wee hours of the morning to watch movies. Don't ask it's a racket out here. Now I just wait for the Sundays.

Jai: Well now you can kiss them good bye.

Adi: Oh please Jai no another acquisition. Just tell me one thing for whom is it that you are making so much of money.

Jai: Let's not get into all that. I love what I do and I do not interfere into your affairs.

Adi now knew Jai was back to the business man mode. Initially they had lot in common and they could talk about lot of things just about anything under the sun. But as time went by things started moving away from them that now they hardly spoke and usually it was business.

Jai was quite thrilled about this new project he had acquired the land that he was eyeing in Lonavla for some time. As he was explaining the proposal. Adi interrupted him to say

Adi: What you have approached Mr. Sharma for what.

Jai: Adi you know that belonged to the hotel group which we acquired last year.

Adi: Well that's news to me.

Jai: Oh it was not in the list of the hotels because it was a joint family holding and there were lot of settlement issues. Also they had some dealings with the bank over the expansions plans as the land was mortgaged anyhow it took over year to solve all those issues. And now I have acquired also the adjacent plot. By the way how do you know Mr. Sharma I have met him that to last month only once.

Adi: Oh Bani works for him.

Jai: Oh really and he had a smile on his face which Adi missed to see. While Adi was looking through the files Jai walked towards the garden side and was just looking out with a cigar in his hand Jai felt the thrill as it was an interesting development which he had not for seen. Yes he knew she worked in the hill station but as he was out of town he did not come to know where she was working and how she was holding up. But he did come to know that she knew how to live up to the challenge but now she would be willing to work for the new boss. She would not be reporting to him.

Adi then walks in with the file saying I need some time to go through all the details of this. So are you planning to stay for dinner?

Jai: No I think I will just let the girls know I am back in town and going to be here for a while. Also I have told Sonali I will meet her for dinner.

Adi knew as usual Jai would refuse and he always wondered what he saw in the woman that he dated. The latest flavor of the month seems to be Sonali she is a designer whom he had met at one of the recent fashion shows. All Adi knew was the woman seems to be head over heels over him but for Jai t was just another endeavor. Like his business deals He lived on the thrill of acquiring things but once he got them and molded it he would soon loose interest and he is on the hunt for something new. He is always excited by a challenge. Would there be any woman like that who could hold his interest and be a challenge for him so that he would tie himself down. Massi had come last month and enquired with Adi what was happening in Jai's life. Once she quite an important person in his life but as time went by like all his relations that too got side lined. They spoke rarely and always it was to the point. It was so formal. To think that once upon a time they used to be inseparable like mother and son.

As Jai was approaching the garden Pia notices Jai and jumps with delight and goes and hugs him. Rano follows suit but she is very demure and says a polite good evening.

Jai: So what's up now?

Pia: There is so much to tell.

Jai: Don't worry me will be here for a while. Bani doesn't miss the look he gives her as he says that.

Pia: Really. Then may be one day when we are all free we could...

Jai doesn't let her complete: I have something for you in the car.

Pia is all excited about hearing that she wants to know what it is.

Jai just hands the keys of the car and tells Rano: I have got the books you have asked for. Knowing Pia that packet would never come out of the car unless you go to get it.

Rano just smiles. Pia and books were like water and oil they would never gel.

His sister's kids all of them had moved away when Jai had come in now it was dadi and Bani only.

Dadi: Jai Puttar so how long now you are in town.

Jai: Oh that depends on a lot of things and some people looking at Bani. It send s shiver down her spine. She felt something was not right and she had a feeling in the pit of the stomach things were going to change once again.

Dadi: Oh business as usual I guess tell me the day you get a dream girl.

Jai: Why dadi and break the heart of so many.

Dadi: You are devil.

Jai: Of course as some of them would vouch for it too looking at Bani.

Just then the butler calls for Dadi enquiring something about the dinner she goes to check that it's just Jai and Bani.

Jai: So Miss Digit how is India and I see you have made friends. Jai's eyes did not miss the closeness Pushkar shared with Bani as he was leaving he said that tomorrow he would drop her as he did not have his morning lectures.

Bani: India sure is interesting and I believe in a good social life and love to make friends.

Jai: Oh that's nice but I think you have found a special friend in Pushkar.

Bani: Mr. Walia I am not one of your wards so I guess I owe you no explanation.

Jai: Fine by me. So how's work?

Bani: Great now if you will excuse me I think I better help dadi to set for dinner. Have a nice evening Mr. Walia.

Jai knew he was being dismissed now. He held little importance to her. But for how long Bani. The pieces have all been set for the game and now it is show time.

To all my readers I don't think I will be able to do lengthy updates. But I will try to do an update every week.