SS: Bahut Kathin hai part 8 page 12 (last) 21-7

Part 1

-The day everything changed-

He fumbled with the card in his hand. She was getting married? He was gone for three months and she was getting married? And she had not told him? 'Ho hi nahin sakta' he tried to reassure himself. There was no chance that she could get married without telling him........ right?

She was his best friend. Ever since they were kids they had been best friends. Even though her parents thought that she shouldn't be befriending the boss' son, the 'differences' between both the families never stopped them from becoming friends., nor did their six year age difference. His family adored her and her parents and vice versa. They became part of each others lives, but even then some things never changed. Her parents always addressed each and every member formally and taught her that. It was the day that she started following it that Jai got angrier at her than ever before. He was 12 at the time and got to understand that her parents thought that they were different. He didn't want to be different. He didn't want to be different than his friend. But his friend wouldn't be his friend if she wouldn't be stubborn in her own way. She continued doing what he disliked and in her own innocence told him that she couldn't play at his house anymore if she didn't call him ' aap' as her mother had told her, because after all, her mother told her to call everyone older than her that . He had bullied her, screamed at her, blackmailed her but in the end he had to give up.

Never judge a book by it's cover. That saying could have been written only for her. No one should let her petite frame, big brown eyes and the long black hair, which she hated in her childhood as it was the easiest thing for him to pull one, deceive you. It made her look docile, submissive and sweet. Sweet she was, but docile and submissive........not in a thousand years. Try to irritate her, wrong her or just say anything wrong in her vicinity. She could make anyone shiver in their boots and the worst part of it would be that you would never expect the bout of thunder coming your way. Survive that and he would be sure you could survive anything. He had been on the receiving end a few times, whenever she felt he needed a good dressing down. To be fair, he had deserved it then, but admitting it to her.....never!

The girl with braids, who had fought him for her turns in games, screamed and yelled at him, with whom he had played hide-and-seek, tag and every other childhood game. The girl he had brought to tears and felt bad afterwards, at least bad enough to join her in a game of hopscotch, when he knew that his guy-friends weren't around to laugh at him for playing a girly game. That girl, that Bani was getting married now. And without even telling him! How?....why?

He had told her everything. Always. And the only times he didn't tell her something was only to surprise her. Not even his male friend knew so much about him as Bani knew. During the days that he was away in boarding school, college and later on his further studies, they had kept in touch through letters, calls and e-mails. Okay, she had started sending letters when he was away. He had not replied to any of them. All Bani's letters were about him. Asking him what he was doing, how his studies were going, his classmates and everything around him. About herself she only wrote that she was fine and that her parents were sometimes nagging her. Jai had laughed at every letter, read it carefully and saved it to read again when he felt lonely away from his family. Somehow Jai couldn't bring himself to write something back without missing his family and his friend terribly. He didn't write until his mother once called him. Bani had been sick for days. Jai was feeling so guilty for not bothering to find out how she was. he had called her after six months and scolded her for not taking care. After that their relationship took another turn.. Since that day there had been a letter or a call every other day. And later on e-mails made sure they had been able to tell each other about their days. it became a necessity. Read something written by the other before they went to bed. It had been a strange experience. When he became an adult, legally Bani had been a 12 year old girl. Still there had been a connection Jai didn't have with anyone from his age. They were in different phases of their lives. Bani just stared serious studying when he started dating. Still she knew everything about him. from classes to stupid teachers to classmates to girlfriends. He did censor some things though, but he knew that when Bani would get older, she would understand. They were there for each other during the entire phase. Bani was there or him when his father died, when he sent off his sister to her own house after her marriage. She was there for him when he himself got into a disastrous marriage, when he found out that this marriage wont work and Jai decided to end it, resulting in a messy divorce. When he couldn't break down in front of his family but he still needed a shoulder to cry on. She was there for him. And now she was getting married. Why didn't she tell him?

Jai took his phone and dialled her number. Her smiling face flashed on the screen when he hit the dial button, before he put the device to his ear. Involuntary his lips curved too. Standing in his bedroom, in front of the window, the wind blew softly on his face.
'Hey.' Jai heard Bani mumble.

'What the hell is this!' he started immediately. 'Aise card bhejne ka kya matlab hai? Bataaya bhi nahi!' Jai yelled through the phone. 'Don't I mean anything to you?'
'Aisi baat nahin hai Jai. It just happened' Bani tried to explain him.

'Larka kaun hai?' Jai asked her.
'You don't know him. My aunt's relative. He lives in Hyderabad.'

'Hyderabad?!!" Jai.......... 'Are you insane? You're going to live there after you're married?!!?'
'Hmm.'

Jai sighed. 'Aise phike 'hmmm' ka kya matlab? You are happy na? And what do you mean 'it just happened'. You always wanted to marry for love didn't you? He asked, analysing each and every word, each and every sentence.
Bani took a while to reply. 'Jai......he is a nice guy, ma aur papa ko pasand aaya. I'm turning 26 in a few months. They want to see me settled.'

'Turing 26 next month? It that a reason to get married like this?' Jai thought. She cant do this! She cant cheat herself like this! But screaming at her right now could make matters worse. The cool approach might work.

'Your parents want to see you settled, that means ki tum aise hi shaadi kar logi?'

'Ma-papa kabhi mera bura nahin sochenge. They must have thought something before they came with this proposal.' Bani spoke casually. It was so casual that that it surprised Jai of Bani's indifference. This was about her marriage. Her future. Ask him how a wrong step could ruin your life. And on top of it, she was a witness of his ruination.

'Why are you doing this Bani? Aise bina soche samjhe koi shaadi karta hai bhalla?' Jai was trying hard not to sound agitated.
'Maine aaj tak bina soche samjhe bahot kam kaam kiye hai aur yeh faisla un me se nahin hai.'

Jai let go of his attempts not to scream some sense in her.

'Bani! You cant get married just because your parents want you to okay! What if it doesn't work out?! you know how devastated they will be?! You know how hard that is going to be for you! Really.... I cant believe you!!!' Jai screamed. 'I just....' he wanted to continue, but he couldn't. 'I just......I cant believe you! Meri samajh me kuch nahin aa raha hai.'

'Yehi to baat hai Jai............... Aap kabhi kuch samjhe hi nahin.' Bani's mumbled softly in a strained voice. ' Listen I have to go. Ma mujhe bula rahi hai.'
A second later Jai was listening to the dial tone again with his face marked by lines, of worry.