RaBir FF -A Cast of Characters chapter 97/98 & Epilogue pg121/2 (4 - Page 28

Chapter #26

Daadi looked around the table at her dining companions. With the exception of Aryia at one end of the table the rest of them had succumbed, in varying degrees, to what she could only coin as the Sonal Effect.' In addition to today's situation here at home, it looked as if that their encounter at the door had definitely soured Naomi's mood, and by association Rajeev's. Considering that she knew the couple must have spent a lovely day together, she thought it tragic that they would let this pariah override their happiness. Well she had had enough of these somber faces for the evening.

"Nanhe, dear?"

"Daadi?"

"Are the visiting days to be standard now, or will they vary from week to week?"

"Ah, I think they will remain the same for now, unless something happens that results in the schedule to be changed. Why?

"I was just wondering what days I should ensure that I have additional place settings at the table; for Sanjay and his mother obviously. I leave it up to you to decide by whom Sonal will dine beside, but ..."

"Daadi what nonsense are you speaking?"

Daadi smiled inwardly, seeing that she now had everyone's attention. " Well considering it seems that all of you have allowed dear Sonal to have such profound effect on your moods, even in her absence; it seemed only logical that we have her join us. At least then there would be a proper reason for these dour expressions I have to be surrounded by. " She shrugged. "That's all." She hid her smile, watching as the young people realized the truth of her words at once, as they looked at one another. She reached for a serving bowl and dished up a second helping for herself. "Now Rachna, beta, how did you find Mumbai, and more importantly how was your consultation with your very first client?"

A short time later, Daadi clapped her hands. "Much, much better, betas. See all of this good news you had to share that would have been left unsaid, if you had stayed in those miserable moods you let yourselves give in to. Now excuse me for one second I have something for all of you." She disappeared into the kitchen and returned a short time later with a tray laden with bowls. Immediately, Rachna stood to assist her, only to be shooed away. One by one, Daadi began placing bowls of the fragrant warm rice kheer in front each of them.

"Thik hai, for my betis first: Rachana, congratulations on your first client and your successful business trip. And Naomi, dear, back in front of the camera again! I am so pleased for you, even if you are insistent that this to be your last professional shoot." She placed the dessert down in front of her, acknowledging her young friend's smile before turning to serve the next bowl. "Beta, you have a special treat ahead for you, if you do get to witness our Naomi at work," she said winking at Rajeev. "But also, congratulations on your new home, and all the best with all of that furniture shopping, I'm certain you will have an interesting time if nothing else!"

Rajeev glanced sideways at Naomi beside him. "Thank you Daadi, I'm looking forward to both experiences." Reaching her grandson, she smiled indulgently. "And Nanhe, if we count all of your blessings we will be here all night: a beautiful family, the return of one of your best models, good friendship; you can take your pick."

Finally she sat with her own bowl. "And you, Daadi, what is your reason for celebrating?" Enjoying a spoonful of the dessert, Daadi looked around the table at her young people before answering. "Why I'm celebrating the very best of things, Naomi...Love... in all of its stages." She then turned her attention back to her dessert, content to leave them all to interpret what she had said as they so choose.

Rachna entered Naomi's bedroom, digital camera in hand. She closed and locked the door behind her and turned to greet her best friend with a smile and hug. "Naomi, I would lie and say that I missed you terribly, but I think you would see right through that lie. And frankly, I don't want you to have to return the untruth."

"So, KT's plan went like clockwork then?"

Rachna blushed at her memories. "And then some I would say. But you, how dare you send those gifts; one day I am so getting revenge for that!" Her attempt at being cross with Naomi fell well short in light of the fact that her friend wore the most innocent of expressions on her face. Both women collapsed in laughter. Rachna hugged her friend. "Poor KT, you really have him wondering what other mischief we got into together at university now. Of course he totally understands that you were probably the ringleader leading his poor Rachna astray."

"Not fair Ra, all I did was to find a site that has the best collection of Hello Kitty pajamas! It's not my fault that there were so many other , um, interesting items on the site! But all jokes aside, things are much better for you two right?" She smiled happily, when Rachna nodded.

"But enough about me, we've got something more important to discuss, specifically, what you were doing kissing my Sir this morning?"

It was Naomi's turn to blush. "Rachna so much has happened in the last few days, it's just been so overwhelming. I don't how this is all going to play out, but I know he makes me feel so special."

"Accha? Exactly how special are we talking , Naomi?" Rachna watched astonished as her usually self-possessed friend struggled to find the right words to express herself. "So special, that I'm having a hard time even thinking about leaving, and that if I was to leave, the only way I could, would be if he was coming with me." She looked to Rachna for validation, "But it's crazy that I should be even thinking anything like that at this point, right?"

"I think I need to know exactly what you have been up to in the past week, before I can even consider answering that question, Naomi."

In her home, Sonal threw down her magazine in disgust and poured another glass of red wine, her fourth for the evening. She swore if she came across another periodical touting the success of Banaras Beauty, she would kill someone. The headlines had screamed out to her in the past week, and when she had come across another in the magazine she was reading, she had automatically turned the page and began looking at the next article. The woman in the photos had looked very familiar. Profiling a collection of what looked like before and after photos of someone named Naomi, something had called her to read it. And she would have had it not been for the first sentence: "One can say that only one thing was missing from the perfection that was the Banaras Beauty launch; that being one of this magazine's all- time favorite models, Naomi..."

"God now they want to talk about her models?"

This was not what Sonal wanted to see as she tried comprehending how her seemingly foolproof plans were coming up against one obstacle after another. From the onset, nothing had progressed as it should have. The news alone of Kabir's son, should have garnered more of a reaction than it should have, and yet she had to contend with Kabir's insistent and insufferable defense of that behengi over and over, culminating in the confrontation this evening.

She swallowed the claret liquid as she tried to grasp that such an exchange of fates between her and that simple girl could have occurred. That Rachna should have gotten it all, everything that was due to her, while her life had disintegrated to this, one long downward spiral since the night Kabir had rejected her was unbearable. She knew she should have reached some level of contentment once she had had her child, but even that had its own challenges. Not for the first time she wondered if it wouldn't have been better to have ... "No" she muttered shaking her head and unsteadily raising her goblet, "No Sonal, he is the key... you need him to get what is due to you." But when she thought of all the she had been through, a part of her always wondered at the child's role in it all.

In the time following his birth, her modelling career seemed to have dried up overnight, the cache of designers unwilling to work with her had increased daily it had seemed. Her parents, although in love with their grandchild, remained disgusted with what she had made of her life, and she had no time for them as she wallowed in the self-pity at her misfortune: her lost love, the collapse of her career, not to mention the unjust rumors that seemed to endlessly follow her. Now, when she should have everything under control, to finally be in the driver's seat, she had to contend with one unexpected difficulty after another. And all the while Miss Garg, she thought spitefully was gaining more and more. Derisively she raised her glass and toasted her rival "Cheers Rachna Garg, designer extraordinaire, enjoy it all while it lasts."

She conceded that today had been abject failure, another setback on her planning, but she would just regroup that's all. "But", she thought giddily, now fully under the influence of the alcohol she had been consuming, at least some fun had been had. Her first impressions of some connection between Kabir and the nanny must have been wrong. It appeared instead that young Pari had a definite tendre for that attractive Rajeev Argawal, and had demonstrated quite the jealous streak today. Still, while inciting the young woman's envy had been enjoyable, it was of no help in her situation. In fact, Sonal thought, Pari should count herself very lucky for her she was of no real consequence in this situation; if there was ever a young woman deserving to be taken down a peg or two, it was the young nanny .

Rachna yawned and looked at her watch, "Good grief, look at the time, I'm surprised KT hasn't come looking for me!" Beside her Naomi yawned as well. "Oh wow, it is late, but hasn't this been so much fun? I mean when was the last time we were able to do this, to have some real quality girl time?"

Rachna got off the bed to leave. "I know, I say we ditch the guys more often." She turned when she realized Naomi was following her out of the room. "Excuse me miss, where are you off to?"

Naomi smiled. "I just needed to speak to Rajeev, if he's up, that is."

"Oh really, perhaps I should wait here and chaperone this meeting after the stories you've been telling."

" Really Ra, I think you should be more concerned over the amount of chocolate you're eating; the ones you been describing sound particularly fattening, you know of the nine month weight gain variety."

"Ouch that was a low blow, even for you Naomi."

They both broke out in a fit of laughter before hugging each other and wishing each other good night, each going their separate way.

The soft rap on his door caught his attention immediately. He smiled to himself, and picked the spare key off the dresser. He opened the door to find Naomi there, her back to him waving at Rachna, who was walking away towards her own bedroom. "I take it you girls had a good time catching up?" She turned, and her brilliant smile warmed his heart. He returned it, his dark eyes twinkling mischievously, when she held out her hand. "May I have my key now, Rajeev?"

"Only if you assure me that you understand that I was just being polite this afternoon."

Her smile faltered slightly. "Well you may have been, but she certainly wasn't; trust me she knew exactly what she was doing, and I didn't like it."

Rajeev shook his head, and held up the key . "Jealousy is a useless emotion; you do realize this, Naomi?"

She took the key, making a point of caressing his hand when she did. She answered him as she turned to walk away. "Agreed, but the bigger problem, would be if I didn't care enough to be jealous, don't you think, Rajeev? Good Night."

Rachna put her laptop aside, her pout evident to Kabir when he entered the room. "And there I was worried that my husband was missing me so much, that I rushed to come back, only to find an empty bedroom." She accepted his kiss and smiled up at him. "The campaign calling, now that Naomi has confirmed that she will do it?"

"It was just supposed to be a quick email, just to let them know that she had agreed, and it just grew to an all-out design session. Needless to say everyone is very excited."

"Hmm, I can understand that, after our talk this evening, even I'm inspired to design." She giggled at her husband's raised eyebrows. "Accha?"

Rachna nodded. "I'm not saying that it will be right away, but I really think I at least need to start thinking about it."

"Obviously it's because we've been such a good example so she is seeking to emulate what we have."

Rachna smiled naughtily and reached for her husband. "And what sort of example is that; I've seemed to have forgotten. I think I may need a reminder; what do you think?"

"I don't know Rachna, it has been a really long week; I just don't know if I'm up to it," he teased.

Rachna let go of him, sniffed her disdain, and retrieved her computer. "Oh that's really too bad, KT. You really had me fooled these past few days, but a good wife should always consider her husband's wellbeing, shouldn't she?" She gave him access to see the site she had been on in his absence. "I guess I'll just remove these things from my shopping basket, if you are going to be suffering from these stamina issues on a regular basis."

She laughed when he stilled her hand. "Hold on Rachna; no need to make hasty decisions, Love."