Chapter Nine
(Thanks for making this a hot topic-loved that red envelope sign-and for patiently waiting for Maaneet moments...the hand touching was a bit too little it seems... 😆 Really a lot of thanks. 😊 )
Dev Khurana felt that familiar twinge of annoyance as the cell phone rang.
At that moment, his wife Naintara had gone out to the balcony to talk to one of her high society friends. Dev hated accompanying her to the various parties she loved to attend.
I hope it's not that stupid Geet again... he thought, picking it up. He blew a sigh of relief. It was just his elder brother Maan.
Then he stopped. Why was Maan calling him? Had he come to know about how his latest company had folded up. His hands shaking, he answered the call. "Hello," he said, praying to God that Maan was still oblivious to his business dealings.
"Hello Dev, you got the invitation card?" Maan asked. He would have rather not have had to phone people and tell them about his marriage, but now his grandmother was complaining about laryngitis. Though Maan had no clue what blood cancer had to do with losing your voice. His grandmother had shook him off saying it was a side effect of the drugs.
It was amazing how Maan Singh Khurana never argued with what his Dadi said.
"What invitation card?" asked Dev relaxing. If it had been about Dev's sudden financial shortage, Maan would have straight away started firing questions.
"My wed, um wed-ding invitation card," said Maan hesitantly.
"Wedding?" asked Dev confused. Then the tubelight switched on. "Bro, you're getting married?"
Maan Singh Khurana felt like slapping him, but he was miles away in Canada. If Dadi wasn't so sick, he would have taken a flight there and then.
"No, I'm divorcing. Of course I'm getting married," said Maan, the bitterness in his voice clear.
"But what about that Sianna girl? Or was it Kianna?"
"It was Li-oh forget it. Anyway it's a month away and everybody who is somebody is coming."
"Who's the lucky girl?"
"Come to India and see for yourself,"Maan snapped.
"Oh poor you. Dadi likes, but you don't. I understand. She must be really boring right?"
"She's not boring," said Maan defensively. "She's okay...she's well, interesting."
"Really sanskaari and all."
"What's so wrong if she is sanskaari?" said Maan hotly. "She doesn't make a fool out of herself by wearing clothes that are half her size."
"Then one of those typical rhondu types?" asked Dev, enjoying the banter. It was a nice break from Naintara's obsessive ramblings.
"Which girl doesn't cry? I cry too sometimes."
"Bro, you cry?"
"Shut up. Look, she's not at all bad okay? She's pretty, intelligent, bubbly and-"
"Wait, wait bro. Do you like her or not?"
Maan stopped. And then he thought. And then finally he hit upon an answer.
"Look Dev, Daadi is calling me. I have to go."
And saying that, an embarassed Maan put the phone down.