CHAPTER NINE
No one had told Kunal Roy that Arnav and Anjali's Nani-ji was insane. After driving Anjali home at the end of her first day, he had been almost forced by Anjali to come in and have a cup of tea before leaving. Kunal decided that Anjali probably thought that all Kunal and Arnav needed to become besties---braiding each other's hair and giggling over boy bands---was to spend more time together. This would never work, of course.
But, there was a catch and Anjali, that devious minx, had used her knowledge of him well. He was here, in her living room--and she had gotten Kunal to come by indicating that if he came, he might get to see for himself if there was a bra underneath that skin tight silver choli of hers. All afternoon, this vital question had plagued him more than anything else. Kunal Roy thought to himself that as a top journalist, it was essential that he did everything he could to confirm or deny important information like this.
So, he had come in, seen Devvyani Raizada sitting, apparently about to eat a leafy tree branch, and decided that he finally understood why Arnav Singh Raizada was such a moron. These old families always had madness hidden somewhere in the bloodlines. Arnav Singh Raizada probably got his brains from the crazy leaf eating side of his family tree.
But this was the matriarch of the Raizada family, and the poor woman, however mad, was an elderly person. Kunal Roy had been brought up right. His parents, large brood of aunts, uncles, grandparents and relatives had all given him a good solid Bengali background in manners, "tameez" and "adobh kaida". Of course, these lessons had been completely ignored for years, but Kunal could still pull them out when the occasion called for it. Right now, manners were needed, even if the woman was insane. So Kunal Roy stooped down to take Nani-ji's blessings, sat politely near her (but far enough to run for it if she started to offer him a leaf or something) and formally asked after her health.
Nani-ji herself was stunned to see the man she had blamed, (and then secretly blessed) for the whole "Love Story On Page Three" situation was now seated in her living room. He looked very sympathetic, and for once his face was unguarded and respectful. He was also here at Anjali's invitation, something which was incredible. Anjali, her granddaughter, who she worried about more than anyone, had asked...this man... to tea. Giving into burning curiosity, Nani-ji proceeded to ask Kunal all manner of nosy questions about his background, family and marital status. Out of kindness, Kunal pleasantly answered this batty old woman's questions, tolerating the inquisition with grace and good humor. Thus when Anjali came in, bearing tea and snacks, she found herself looking at a completely different man than the one she thought she knew.
The goat Lakshmi had joined Kunal Roy and Nani-ji by this time. Kunal had liked Nani-ji on sight, and he was extremely happy to realize the tree branch was for the goat and not the grandma. He felt quite relieved from his initial worry about Nani-ji's sanity. Now, his sense of humor having taken over, Kunal was hugely enjoying himself, feeding Lakshmi the leaves, and encouraging his hostess to tell him stories about her own youth and marriage. He was abrasive, caustic and rude---and Kunal was making the stiff autocratic old woman laugh and giggle like a besotted schoolgirl. A bigger contrast to Shyam's smarmy, dripping saccharine behavior could not have been found anywhere.
Kunal Roy was just being himself --which was basically being brash, outrageous and irreverent. But since he was also inherently a decent, well brought up man, that quality of respect and good breeding came through loud and clear. He did not try to be syrupy sweet or flattering. In fact, if anything he was almost careless about how he was coming across--but Kunal's charm was all the more devastating for being unrehearsed, and totally unconscious.
Lakshmi and Nani-ji, if they had their way, would have adopted him as a family member on the spot.
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At this moment, the youngest Raizada made her entry into the love fest between the journalist, the aristocrat and the goat. Naina Singh Raizada was, at almost three years of age, the heartbeat of the house. As willful and autocratic in nature as her adored Arnav Mama-ji, little Naina shared another character trait with her Mama-ji aside from his infamous temper and his ability to raise hell. This was her complete and total worship of her lovely, living angel-- her Khushi Maami. Today, her Khushi Maami had been ill, because the baby inside her had made her uncomfortable and "throw-uppy."
Wracked with sympathy for her suffering Maami, Naina had nobly spent the entire afternoon with Khushi. It spoke volumes for Khushi's naturally sweet nature that this day-long "help" from the little girl had not driven Khushi insane. Khushi had in fact gifted Naina with a small pink dress she had been sewing for her, a dress patterned after her own anarkali kameezes, with gold pompoms and gotti work.
A large part of her young life so far had been devoted to trying to basically BE Khushi Maami, so Naina was ecstatic to get this gift. She had worn it immediately, and she had been impatiently waiting for everyone to come home so they could see how incredibly lovely and Khushi-like she looked. Arnav Mama-ji had arrived first, immediately showing up in Khushi Maami's bedroom, interrupting their girl-time. He had made Khushi Maami drink nimbu paani, rubbing her belly and behaving as if Naina had not taken excellent care of Khushi Maami all afternoon.
Naina was a bit mad at her Mama-ji. She was disgruntled by how he has shooed her out of Khushi Maami's bedroom when he came home, so he was out of favor with her at the moment. But right now, hearing voices, Naina had come out to look for her mother, and instead she found a brand new Uncle sitting and talking to Bari-Naani. Kunal heard the patter of small feet and looked up at Naina with surprise. Naina had never met him before, but as she stared at this large, strong Uncle with the funny silver-streaked locks and the laughing eyes, she recognized kindness when she saw it. So, having watched him and decided that he was worth her time, Naina now approached this new Uncle, and shocked Kunal to death by climbing into his lap.
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Nani-ji was the only one who noticed Anjali standing stock still with the tea-tray near the kitchen. Her old eyes saw something on her granddaughter's face that even Kunal Roy's sharp glance did not catch. Anjali stared at Kunal, and her daughter, on the living room couch. They were speaking to each other in solomn tones, getting to know each other, Kunal's arm carefully wrapped around the little girl on his lap. They had eyes only for each other, and as Anjali watched them, Naina reached up to tug at a premature streak of silver in Kunal's hair, saying something that made Kunal throw his head back in laughter.
Nani-ji, no fool, observed her granddaughter, and man and child before her. All three had forgotten her very presence. Nani-ji got up and left the living room quietly, Lakshmi following her. Some events needed privacy. This moment, when this unusual young man was meeting little Naina for the first time was one of them.
Devyani Raizada smiled hugely as she headed to her room, her old, shrewd head filled with thoughts and revelations. This needed some deep thinking, maybe some subtle planning and nefarious plotting. And of course, this needed Khushi. Now was that madcap girl up from her nap or not?
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As he interacted with the fascinating little girl in his lap, once again, Kunal's large brood of family members and his experience with 47 nieces and nephews stood him in good stead. He had not been lying earlier when he had said that his sisters were fertile. Between the three Roy sisters, Kunal was the adored Mama-ji to nine little boys and girls, not to mention an in-demand "cool" Uncle to 38 other kids belonging to cousins and relatives. Kunal knew to sit and talk to the little angel with the enormous eyes and pouty lips, and to ask about her doll collection, about her dance classes and whether she had a kitten or a puppy for a pet.
His sharp eyes had taken in the similarity between this little girl's pink outfit and the rainbow clothes he had always seen on Khushi. So, right now, Kunal loudly expressed extreme admiration for Naina's gold and pink dress, paying particular attention to the flashy pompoms, and the long (probably fake) braid of hair hanging down the little girl's back. Naina asked various questions about whether her shoes and ribbons matched. She was assured, with flattering detail, that she was the prettiest little girl in the whole world. And Kunal meant it---Naina had eyes exactly like Anjali---and he knew those were the most beautiful eyes in the world.
Children always know. They just know how to read the adults they meet. Children can sense sincerity and kindness and will respond to genuine affection with their own large hearted love. Naina climbed down from this agreeable Uncle's lap, brought her dolls to show him, and told him that she liked him more than Arnav Mama-ji, who (sadly) did not know what compliments to pay to a young lady of almost three years of age.
Arnav, naturally, entered his living room to catch the tail end of exactly this comment, and got to hear his adored little niece telling that bas***d Kunal Roy that she liked Kunal more than she liked him.
...Oh, this crap-fest of a day would NOT END...
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Edited by napstermonster - 12 years ago
Cricket
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