ss 'Naina' last part pg-4, 6/9/9 - Page 3

Part-3 last part

While the driver drove towards ND's house Jai felt restless. He had never felt such uneasiness in his life before. His mind wandered back to what could have happened to make Bani so angry that she did not reply back to his mails or take his calls. Her visit to India was pre'planned then what went wrong that she extended her stay. He was not worried by her extending the stay, what worried him to death was the silence from her side. He knew Bani to be a chatterbox, what was it that was keeping her from speaking to him. He was getting anxious with each passing second.

ND had gone for a conference, taking Kiran with him. He had been avoiding going out of the house for last one month or so after Bani came back from hospital. Settling Bani in her bed, Rano went to the kitchen to put back the left over in the fridge. The door bell rang, thinking it to be her parents coming back, she quickly made it to the door but got the shock of her life as she opened it. Jai stood in front of her with blood shot eyes.

**********

Life could not have been better for Jai. At home it was Bani who filled his life with love and at office he was getting good reviews about his latest project. If he succeeds in materialising this project then there were good enough chances that his bade papa would promote him to the CEO of WGI. Though all the three brothers were handling part of the business but still they were answerable to bade papa. His son Nattu was not interested in joining his father's footsteps. Though being the eldest Walia son, Jai was the rightful contender for CEO, but he wanted to prove himself. He did not want any of his cousins or anybody in the family to say that he got the post because being the elder son. He had heard Rukmini bua complaining about this against bade papa. He did not know if bade papa knew anything about it or not and if he knows then how does he feel about his own sister questioning his capabilities.

The first few months of their marriage went in the blink of an eye. He was on seventh sky with Bani and her tantrums. He laughed at the thought of teasing Bani with her name. He often teased her regarding her name. "You know Bani what is the meaning of your name?"

"I know it means voice, it came from gurbani, and basically it is vani but mom like it more as Bani" she smiled as she sat cross legged in front of him.

"True to your name, u always keep on talking, don't you ever get tired."

"When do I talk Jai, it is only when you come back from office. Whole day I am dying to speak to someone. I don't have my parents or Rano or any of my friends around. Everyone goes out for their work and I am left on my own." she pouted like a child.

"Why don't you do something, join some club, go shopping, change your wardrobe, I don't think either bua or Roshni would mind helping you."

"I don't want to go with either of them. Our tastes don't match. They keep on selecting dresses that I don't feel comfortable in. Hey Jai, why don't you come along with me for shopping? I would love that." She said dreamily.

"Now Bani, no one dresses better than Rukmini bua and Roshni is a dress designer. You should appreciate that they are willing to spend time with you."

"I don't want to spend time with them, I want to spend my time with you only." She said getting annoyed.

"Common Bani, you know I have to get through this project. My whole life depends on it, it was my dream since childhood. I hope you understand sweety. Once I finish it, we will go on a world tour, only you and me." he winked, as she started to get up feeling frustrated. He pulled her with a jerk landing her in his lap and started kissing her.

"Stop it Jai, I said stop it. You are an incorrigible monster. You can only think of one thing." she started hitting him while he kept tickling her until she stopped. After sometime when both got back their breaths, Bani snuggled up to him. He felt that she wanted to say something but checked herself. He brushed her hair back from her face and still holding her in his lap he tried to cajole her.

"Bani your eyes are so beautiful, I reckon your father should have named you Naina. They are the mirror of your soul." Bani looked at him with all the love, she knew he was telling the truth, he had told her several times that though he loved her as she is but he loved her eyes and smile the most.

She smiled at him but could not keep it for long and started hitting him again when he said, "You know the name effects the personality of a person and you are a true example of it. You are true to your name Bani who would keep on talking and talking until the other person runs to save his life. Poor me, I cannot even run away, I have to bear your bak bak throughout my life." He had to run out of the room in order to save himself. Everyone was in the living room waiting for the lunch to be served. With a single look towards her in-laws Bani stopped dead in her tracks. She was mortified being caught running after her husband with a hanger in her hand.

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Jai could not believe Rano had closed the door on him. She had told him that she would not allow him to see her sister when her parents were not around. Frustration was a small word for what he was feeling now. He could guess that Rano was seriously furious to see him with whatever he saw of her through the safety chain lock. He felt like crying when Krishna called him. He told her what happened and that he was waiting for Bani's parents to return back. After waiting for some time which felt like the longest waiting of his life he saw Nishikant's car approaching. Nishikant turned around when he heard someone call him "Papa", Kiran gasped as she saw Jai coming towards them.

Nishikant allowed Jai to come inside his home, he did not want to create a scene for the society to see. As ND asked Rano to bring water for them, Kiran demanded to know what Jai was doing there. Before Jai could ask them what happened to them to behave like that, they found that his father and mother were both on the door. As everyone settled, there was a lot of tension. As Krishna started to speak, ND interrupted her in between and asked Rano to go upstairs and stay with Bani. This infuriated Jai to no end, "It is between me and Bani and I think either you call her downstairs or let me go to her room."

"It is no more between you and Bani." snapped ND and asked Rano to do as asked.

Krishna started again, "I think there is a misunderstanding somewhere bhai sahib. We are so concerned about Bani, she did not call back since she came back here and had even prolonged the stay that was planned."

"What do you think she should have done? Give a friendly call to those people who have crushed her confidence, who cheated on her."

Nothing was making sense to Jai or his parents. As ND and kiran looked towards him so did his parents. "Why are you all looking at me like that? Why would I cheat Bani?" he shouted back at them.

But everything started to fall back in place when ND narrated that Bani was a bit upset when she came back. They thought that she was missing her home and Jai. She refused to take Jai's call, sometimes by pretending to be asleep or saying that she would call him later. Though she never told them anything, but they suspected that something was wrong somewhere. She was not her normal self. She avoided going out, meeting her friends or throw tantrum if asked to accompany for a party. Hardly three weeks had gone when she fainted and we had to take her to the doctor. She had a miscarriage. Krishna cried out loudly, surprising ND and Kiran. Jai had tears in his eyes, he felt miserable but his sixth sense told him that the worst was yet to come. ND continued by saying that Krishna was a good actress as she was the one whom he had told about the miscarriage. Krishna denied it vehemently. But ND was sticking to his version of the story. He carried on by telling them that he had called them to tell about the unfortunate incident and specifically asked her to tell Jai to come down and support Bani in her time of need. But when they did not get a call or see Jai for a week, Rano called Jai.

It was difficult for ND to carry forward as he slumped on the couch. He looked like a man who had aged a decade in days. He felt completely broken but he knew he had to be strong for his daughter and wife. Uday, who was listening to the whole conversation, was sitting silently. He knew that ND was telling the truth but he also knew his wife. She had a heart of gold though she was a recluse. He offered water to ND and touched his shoulder showing his support to him. Jai was still reeling the facts that his father in law had told. He was in a gamut of emotions. He felt happy that his Bani was carrying his child. But the next second, he was sad as his mind registered that he had lost his child. The next moment he felt betrayed that she had not told him about their child, either his /her conceiving or death. He was angry with Bani, sure she had to answer him for a lot of things.

All hell breaks loose when they were told what happened when Rano called Jai. After a few missed calls, his mobile was picked up by Roshni. She told him that Jai was with her for a vacation in New Zealand. He wants not to be disturbed. When Rano asked whether he knew about her di's miscarriage, she was told that he knew about it and though sorry for her di but indeed was happy that now there would not be any problem in getting a divorce. Now it was Jai's turn to be shocked. He was out of his wits. He never went to New Zealand in his life, and why would he go for a vacation with Roshni. He felt like killing someone. He could not believe what his father in law was telling, but if it was true he was sure he would kill Roshni for it.

ND even told them that Bani used to have nightmares as they have turned her life into one. They did not ask anything else as everything was clear from her dreams and Rano's conversation with Roshni. It then make sense to them what Bani saw in her dreams. He told one of her dreams. Bani used to dream that Jai was getting angry at her for wasting his time. He had missed a flight because of her. It was a very important function where Roshni's summer collection was on display and he was the chief guest. She was asking Jai to take her along with him when Rukmini bua started laughing at her. All of sudden Jai is not with her and Rukmini bua is taunting her for her poor dressing sense and lack of etiquettes. She keeps on telling her that she was not worth being Jai's wife or in any way related to the Walia family. Bani tried not to hear her taunts by putting her hands on her ears. Then she finds herself alone in the empty room. She finds the room has no door, panicking as she tries to see through the window, she finds Jai going with Roshni who is wearing a wedding dress. She tries to call Jai but her voice is choked in her throat. She would get up shrieking in the middle of the night.

It was then that Uday concluded that the call made by ND was received by his sister Rukmini and not Krishna. Krishna told them that Rukmini wanted her friend's daughter Roshni to get married to Jai. She even made her stay at their place by saying that she was like her own daughter. She had mentioned it quite often that Bani was immature and did not have the grace to be a hostess for their parties. She at times chided Bani for her poor dressing sense. But they could not believe that Rukmini and Roshni could go to such extent to destroy their family.

Bani got up listening to voices. She could not stop herself as she made her way downstairs avoiding pleading Rano all the way. "Papa, do we have some guests, I felt like I heard Jai." Everyone heard Bani before she came in front of them. They could not believe she was the same Bani who lived with them a few weeks ago. Before anyone could guess, Jai rushed to her, crushing her to himself, he cried out that he loved her and how could she ever think that he would cheat on her.

It was later in the evening when ND and Kiran left with Uday and Krishna for Raashi's function, leaving Jai and Bani to themselves. Rano brought food for her di and Jiju, she was really happy that it was a misunderstanding caused by a conniving aunt and a social butterfly. But she knew that the elders had already decided to take action against them.

Bani and Jai attended the marriage while Jai stayed at ND's place. Bani took time to open up. She told him that all the time his bua made her feel inferior to Roshni. She had even heard her suggesting his mother that Roshni would have made a better wife for him. She never took these things to heart because she knew he loved her, though she used to feel low when compared to Roshni's good looks and fashionable dressing sense. She was ecstatic when she discovered that she was pregnant two days before leaving for India. She had planned a candle light dinner with him, but as usual he came late. She would have told him but Bua told him that he was supposed to be attending a function as a chief guest. When Bani asked him to take her along, bua told her not to behave like a child and then he had left alone. After he left bua said that atleast Jai had that much of sense that not to take his immature wife who does not know how to dress up,in public. Later while waiting for him she saw that he was in a fashion show sitting with Roshni. The last nail in the coffin was when she was told by his secretary that he has asked not to forward her call and Roshni picked up his mobile telling her off. It was not difficult for them to find out that Roshni was helped by Rukmini bua. It was she only who had provided her with his mobile while he had been in a meeting.

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Few months later in Walia Mansion

As Jai sat back to read his mails on a fine Sunday morning, Bani came with the newspaper. It has only been a few minutes as she found something related to her college. She could not control herself to tell about this guy whom police had caught with drugs. Jai wanted to finish his mails and then take Bani out for a barbeque to his friends place. Being not interested in any news that she was telling him, he said,

"I would have been a happy man if you were named Naina instead of Bani."

Jai cringed the moment these words slipped off his tongue. Bani had gone very silent all of a sudden, though she smiled when he cracked a joke but her smile was restrained. Jai knew he had a very hard task ahead of him. He was not sure whether she completely trusted him or not. Like it is said that relationships are like a fine thread, if broken, you may tie them again but a knot remains.

The End

Nosy, evil relatives.....Bani has lost some of her self-confidence, but Jai will take care of that. Nice job!