RaBir FF -A Cast of Characters chapter 97/98 & Epilogue pg121/2 (4 - Page 20

Chapter #19

"Kabir Tripathi, whatever am I going to do with you?"
"Love me for all eternity?"

Rachna closed her eyes at his words before slowly opening them to take in the spectacular ocean view through the picture window of the suite she had checked in to not long ago. "It goes without saying that I do and will always love you, but don't act like you don't know what I am talking about. KT, this suite..."

"Is exactly what you need, and no more than you deserve, Rachna. I know you my love; you will most likely work all hours, so the separate living space is totally necessary. You have a desk there and will have ample room to work, separate from your bedroom. At least I know that when it is time for you rest you will be able to do so well."

She looked around at the King bed, the walk in shower and the inviting freestanding soaking tub in the open planned space. "And how am I to do that in such a beautiful bedroom that has me missing you so much and wishing that you were here with me sharing such luxury?"

"I'm just a telephone ring away and no matter the hour am here to receive your call, Rachna. Are you in for the evening now?"

"Yes, I'm about to order a bite to eat and then turn in. I'm due to meet my client and her family early tomorrow morning for breakfast and then expect a full couple of days ahead."

"Okay Love, just make sure you unpack before you turn in and all the best for tomorrow."

"I hope all goes well for you as well KT. We will definitely talk tomorrow evening. Kiss Aryia for me. I love you."

"I love you as well."

Midway through her unpacking Rachna found the present. Carefully removing the wrap and packing material, her vision soon became hazy with tears and she kissed each framed photo and placed them on the nightstand. She quickly read the small note and grabbed her mobile.

Forevermore you will be my heart, my love, my everything. Thank you.

Kabir had just placed Aryia in her crib and pulled the light blanket over her when he felt the vibration of his mobile. He read the message and smiled, and quickly sent his response.

Good Night My Love.

Shryia Mehta was a single-minded young woman, and the absolute apple of her family's eyes. She saw, she liked and her parents provided. Normally she would make a decision on the spot and took pride knowing it was the right one for her; until today.

"Rachna, I just can't make a choice! Everything is so beautiful, and just when I think that I've seen the one that calls to me, I see another just as spectacular. You will probably look back and remember me as your first and worst client ever."

"Not at all Shryia, this all part of a process; there isn't anything wrong with your indecisiveness right now. Unless there was one specific design you had to have, then this was guaranteed to be a perpetual process to achieve the design that you want for your shaadi. So, this is what we will do, I will give you forty-five minutes and I want you to gather, let's say, six items that personify who you are; that anybody could look at and automatically think Shryia. They need not be articles of clothing, anything will do. The only thing I request is that you conduct this exercise yourself, no help from mummy or anyone else, thik hai?"

Rachna watched along with the young woman's parents as she dashed off, enthusiastic for her task.

"Rachna, this seems a very unorthodox method, we have found that other designers would just attempt to promote one of their current designs and perhaps give her a colour choice."

Rachna smiled acknowledging Shryia's mother, "And certainly Shryia would look lovely in any item, just as I'm confident that she would in any of my collection. However I still think that she should be given the option of having something designed that truly personifies her essence. If one is to go to through of the trouble of consulting a designer, then at the very least the client should be provided with something unique to them."

"Well, I have never thought of it that way. I am very interested in what can be developed here."

Rachna returned her smile; she too was excited for this process as well.

Naomi walked down the staircase and over to where Kabir and Daadi were waiting in the lounge. "Aryia is awake so I've cleaned her up and she's content for the moment. Everything is in order in the nursery; the play-mat is down and I've made sure there are a few things to entertain Sanjay as well. Oh and I have a snack ready for him in the kitchen, if he's ready for one, after his day in kindergarten. Do you want me to remain here, or wait up in the nursery?"

"Unless Aryia is in need, I think you should stay here. That way Sanjay can meet everyone at the same time." Looking at his watch, Kabir thought that it wouldn't be long now. He looked up as the doorbell sounded. He walked to the door to greet Sonal and the young child. Sparing a smile for the young boy beside her, he greeted her. "Sonal, please come in."

She was back, and as she followed Kabir through the house and into the lounge, Sonal reveled in the fact that there was little that anyone could do to prevent her being here today and for the foreseeable future. She noticed the two women gathered there, and smiled graciously. "Daadi and Pari how lovely to see the two of you."

Naomi nodded and moved aside as Daadi went forward to greet the young child. "Hello Beta, I am Daadi, are you Sanjay?" She smiled as the little one nodded and then put his small hands together in greeting. "Namaste Daadi."

"Ji Daadi, this is Sanjay, your great-grandson; actually your first great-grandchild to be exact."

Daadi raised her eyes, the smile on her face fading as she met the stare of the woman who had spoken. "You state that with such pride Sonal. And yet somehow it has taken almost five years before you felt the need to present, as you say my first great-grandchild to his family." The tension in the room rose noticeably from this most unexpected source. Normally a voice of reason, even Daadi's intense dislike for the woman betrayed her at this moment, and as if picking up on this, the young boy turned to look up nervously from his mother to the older woman beside her.

Quickly ascertaining that the situation could escalate into something totally untenable, Naomi crouched down to Sanjay's level and held out her hand in greeting, distracting him from the other adults. "Hello Sanjay, I'm Pari. I help your Papa take care of your little sister Aryia. I thought that I would have to help take care of you too, but you are such a big boy that I think that we should be friends instead. Do you like computer games?" She smiled when he nodded. "I have some here, but am not always good at them. Actually my big brother always beats me when we play together."

"You have a big brother too, but you're big!"

"I know, and my brother is bigger, but once we were little, like you and Aryia."

"Will Aryia be able to play the computer games with me?"

"No, not yet, but I know you two will have someone much more fun than any computer game to play with."

"Who?"
"Why Papa of course."

Naomi watched as Sanjay peeked around her to look at KT, smiling when he then turned his attention to his mother. "Mama can I meet Papa now?"

"Kabir this is our son, our Sanjay." Looking down at the hand she had casually laid on his arm, Kabir raised his eyebrow sardonically at Sonal. She removed her hand quickly and took a seat in a nearby armchair. Likewise Kabir took a seat and brought the young boy to his side. "Hello Sanjay, did you have a good day in school today?"

Deciding that Papa wasn't as scary now that he wasn't standing tall like a giant, Sanjay smiled. "Yes Papa and I made sure to be good so I could come and visit you this afternoon." He looked around the room as if searching for someone. "Is my little sister home today?" His brown eyes lit up when his Papa nodded.

"You will meet her in a few minutes after I talk to your mother, thik hai?"

"Can Mama meet her too?"

"Nay Beta, not today."

"But Kabir, if it makes Sanjay more comfortable, what is the harm in allowing the introduction to be done here with all of us present?"

The attempt to force Kabir's hand in this matter was not lost on any of them, but in answering the young boy directly, KT quelled the issue immediately. " Sanjay, because Aryia is little sometimes she gets frightened around too many new people, so we like to let her meet one new person at a time. Today is your turn Sanjay. Do you want to give your mother your turn and meet her another day?"

"Nay, it's my turn. You have to wait for your turn, Mama."

"Good that's settled. Pari has made a snack for you, would you like to have it now before we visit the nursery?"

He smiled and reached out for Aunty Pari's offered hand. "Okay, bye Mama."

"I would ask you not to attempt to overstep your limits Sonal. I will not tolerate it."

"It was a reasonable request Kabir, I only wanted to see to Sanjay's comfort as he gets used to his new family."

"Exactly Sonal, his new family, not yours. My daughter is his and his family only, so you need not concern yourself with her."

"And I am to take it for granted that your wife will actually stay away from my son?"

"Ji, because she is an honorable woman although I realize this is something unfathomable for someone like you to understand." He looked at his watch and then back at her. "Now you are eating into my visitation time, so I would ask that you leave. We will see you this evening when you collect Sanjay, but after today perhaps we will have to sort out the Sanjay's pickups and drop offs. If this is any indication, I can see one contentious episode after another with you coming here. Like you I too want to see to my child's comfort when he is visiting. Let me see you out, Sonal."

"Wait, I'm sorry, I know I shouldn't have asked, but surely you understand I meant no harm Kabir. Please be reasonable."

"Goodbye Sonal, we will discuss this later."

Kabir walked down the steps holding the sturdy little boy's hand as he kept up the constant chatter that he had subjected his papa to for most of the afternoon. "So when I come back we will be able to play some more with Aryia?"

"Yes Beta, we will make sure that Aryia has a good nap before you come so that she will be wide awake." Sanjay nodded and smiled. "That will be good Papa." Spontaneously, he let go of Kabir's hand and jumped off the step he was on, flying over the last three stairs to the floor below.

Naomi gasped as she turned to see Sanjay mid-leap and fought the temptation to close her eyes in anticipation that he would get hurt. She cringed when it seemed he would stumble and sighed when he stuck his landing. She shook her head.

"And that's why Daadi, if I'm ever blessed with children, they will be sweet docile girls, just like me." She didn't have the chance to question the silence that met her comment when Sanjay dashed over to her. "Aunty Pari I have to go home soon, but next time can I see the computer games?"

"You certainly may. I'm going to make sure I practice so I can beat you though." She bent to give him a hug. "Make sure you say goodbye to Daadi." She watched as he darted to bid Daadi goodbye and then after, came to a stop when he noticed someone new.

"Who are you?"

Daadi came over to the little boy and made the introductions. "Sanjay beta, this is Uncle Rajeev. He is our guest and is staying here with us right now."

"Are you Aunty Pari's big brother who she plays computer games with?"

Rajeev laughed at the youngster before answering. "No Sanjay, I'm definitely not Aunty Pari's brother, and no we don't play computer games together."

"Why not, have you been naughty to her?"

Sanjay was thinking about his afternoon the whole drive home. He liked his new Papa and even though his sister was little and noisy, she was pretty and he liked her too. Only one thing puzzled him.

"Mama you were wrong, there wasn't a bad lady there. Everybody was nice and they did let me play with Aryia."

Because Sanjay had been prattling from the moment he had got in the car, singing the praises of his newfound family, Sonal had almost dismissed this new bit of information in her effort to ignore his telling of the perfect Tripathi household.

"Beta, did Aryia's mummy not come to see her; remember I told you about her?"

"No Mama, it was just Papa and Aryia and Daadi and Aunty Pari. Oh and there was a uncle there too, the one who is not Aunty Pari's brother. But no bad lady, mama; maybe she doesn't live there anymore."

"Oh it would be so wonderful if that was true and she was gone for good, Sanjay. We will have to find out what has happened to her."