Proud & Passionate
Smrita and Satyen both observed Raanav and Viveka closely for their own reasons. Satyen observed them to spot tension, and he did spot a reservoir full that night. Smrita watched them to make sure there was no love, and boy was she happy!!
Satyen believed from the very time he saw Viveka and Raanav size each other as adversaries that they belong together, something about them told him clearly they would have an incredible marriage.
It would be a union of equals!
Both fiercely independent and fiercely possessive
Rakshit was his non confrontational, peace making shy son who easily let himself be led in life
Raanav was the exact opposite
Viveka, did not wear her achievements as a badge but every word that came out of that mouth seemed to rile his handsome son
She owned the room, wearing her glasses and her carelessly tied knot, whether in her saree or gorgeous tussar silk outfit ( like tonight)
She didn’t get bogged down by his wife’s Smrita’s expectation to look a certain way or say certain things to fit into the highest echelons of Delhi society
His friend Gujral was considered “kingmaker” in political circles, Viveka held her own…
And boy did she!
Rakshit and Lekha fed each other food and cooed and leaned on each other’s shoulders and fondled each others’ shoulders and waist and cheek and neck and felt each other up as discreetly as they could
Raanav and Viveka stood close to each other the chemistry was crackling but they avoided touching each other in anyway
When Viveka turned accidentally at the buffet and slammed into Raanav they looked at each other, and didn’t offer an apology or smile to the other person
She did not choose to sit next to him at dinner, he chose to mingle with people he found interesting o chat with
His friend Swastik showed up with his girlfriend for a bit and Raanav was in his element laughing and socializing
Viveka met with them and stepped away to hang with Mrs Sethi and Mr Gujral who appeared greatly interested in talking with her
Sarika was a replica of Lekha Tandon, and did not have any desire to be seen with Viveka Parashar
Satyen noticed after dinner as the guests wandered waiting for dinner to be removed and dessert to be served Raanav walked over and bend down holding her elbow and said something in her ear
Satyen wanted to be a fly…
“I don’t think I want to go” Viveka said looking at him deeply
“Have something more important?” he accused
“Yeah, you can say that” she nodded
“Then you wont mind if I stay up late”
“I don’t think I have… ever… have I?” she taunted him gently
They were both giving it back to each other
“I am bringing Sarika with me” he said bending down into her ear
The music was not loud but the clattering of fine china was
“Lekar jao… zaroor” she nodded into his collar. They owed each other serious love making, but it was not going to happen tonight
He stood straight … Viveka caught an errant tendril of her hair stuck to his 9 PM shadow and pulled it back hurriedly
He stepped back to assess her reaction of announcing he was going away for the might
“Tumhari cousin hai raanav, tumhe lagta hai mujhe bura lagega?” she asked simply refusing to give him a win
“Got it” he nodded blandly almost feeling her waist but withdrawing his hand forcefully
He wanted to say he hated her outfit because he could not feel her waist like he did with sarees
“You can hate my outfit all you want, but with that jaw I am letting you nowhere near my skin tonight” she told him with her eyes
But he didn’t
He left her alone
Satyen received a call from Akash Mathur around 10:45 PM
Akash had texted him first
“Soye nahi aap?”
“Arey kaha sir friends aaye hain, looks like everyone is happy I made it” satyen teased
Satyen walked away towards a quieter part of the sprawling house to take the call
Smrita watched him walk away as Nupur stressed over her life’s many “luxury dilemmas”
“Pahunch gayi Viveka”
“Jee jee, aapko text nahi kiya usne?”
“Umm.. nahi bhool gayi hogi shaayad”
“My friends adore her Akashji”
“Achhi baat hai Khushi hui Sir”
“Arey aap Sir na kahen bilqul”
“Chaliye Bhaisaab keh loonga”
“nahi nahi SATYEN kahen… aapki beti hame Dad nahi keh paati”
“Achha? Hmmm” Akash worried
“Don’t worry its all new” Satyen reassured him
“She is very cautious and formal usually, she does not jump to conclusions like a true economist”
“My son is smitten hum yeh baat bilqul maan lenge aapki”
“Haha… chalo its good they agreed to marry sirjee”
Satyen did not tell Viveka’s Dad Viveka and raanav were circling each other like prey all evening.
Hoping for the first sign of weakness to destroy the opponent
“Aap log aa jaayen Sunday ko, NY bhi aa raha hai, us din Savi hamari ghar par pooja rakhti hain, aap log us se pehle aa jaayen Sir, lunch par
“satyen keh deejiye aa jaayenge, waise ban kya raha hai?”
Akash listed the whole menu including whether it will be chhoti rayi or badi rayi ki chhaunk
Satyen then explained how adrak has to be grated and not diced for some UP subzis
The men gushed over each others’ culinary knowledge
Satyen explained how his grandparents would dote on him at the “royal” (Smrita’s words) haveli in Rajasthan
Then they both hugged each other virtually because their foods were so similar and how much they loved each others’ love for food
They were kinda goofy but totally real
“Viveka ka mood achha ho gaya hamey Khushi hai Satyen ji”
“Who to hamesha khush rehti hain” Satyen smiled
“Aaj asal mein who reject ho gayin Kharagpur se”
“Arey rey… I did not know that”
“Phir mujhe bhi batana nahi chahiye tha shaayad, aap kripya SHOW na karen sir”
“Bilqul nahi” satyen promised
Satyen realized how protective Akash must feel
He knew!!
Two days ago his own son had dropped the legal ball on the Singapore under sea pipeline deal due to his lack of oversight on transfer price clause and not reading through that Power Engineers has actually a smaller equity participation on the whole deal as previously thought in the JV agreement
Raanav had spent the last two days on the phone trying o persuade the legal partners on the side, but to no avail
Satyen had given him the benefit of doubt of being a newly wed, caring for the parent in hospital etc. but Raanav was hard on others professionally and extremely hard on himself and so there was little Satyen could do for the sense of loss Raanav felt
“Bache aaj kal ke kaafi ambitious hain” Akash sighed upon hearing silence for a while as Satyen pondered
“Jee sir” Satyen nodded
“You must be laughing… even YOU are ambitious and successful… I should not include you in my generation of non achievers” Akash laughed
“Kar leejiye bhaisaab mazaak hum aapke culinary sibling jo ho gaye” Satyen nodded not taking offence
“Jee culinary bhaisaab” Akash cracked himself up as always…
Satyen walked back to the courtyard as he spotted Raanav leaving with Rakshit and Lekha and Sarika, and his friends, Viveka turning to look at him, and their eyes meeting across the vast room
She quickly turned away, when she realized Raanav had caught her staring
But did not bother to come back and give her the customary high society spousal hug and peck on the cheek (peck on the lips if it was a young couple)
He was going to just watch them for now and not intervene he decided…
Edited by Nisha0604 - 4 years ago
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