FF: Separate Journeys, EPILOGUE, Page-20 - Page 8

Part-9

Bani's routine was set… she would help tony in the mornings, learning new dishes from him which had become her newfound hobby now…then she would go to her father's place, tending to him, had her lunch with him, then came in the evening and read… she had discovered that jai's study had a collection of interesting books, she was never a diligent reader but now she has become a voracious reader finishing a novel in about two days time…Jai was still a mystery to her and she did make no efforts to dig that out, she believed that every person needed his or her own space and one shouldn't pester somebody unnecessarily, especially when there was nothing in-between them… they were friends, shared their views, talked about world issues ending up arguing as they were always on the opposite sides, but that was it…he would just smile his self-deprecating smile and shrink into insignificance…as if he never existed… something which amazed her, being down-to-earth even though he was at the pinnacle of success with the world at his feet. She at times found his austerity too engrossing, he under-estimated himself too much as if what he was doing was not his deeds but someone else's…he continued to enthrall her, the man behind the name… …

As for pia and rano they were happily adjusting to their new married life, after their fanciful honeymoon… bani smiled as she rummaged through the gifts sent by rano and pia… she talked to them on and off but somewhere deep she knew that if she had grown up with them their relationship would have been somewhat different…there was something lacking and it was hard to remove that… at least for someone like her… …

*******

"Knock knock…" bani said knocking at the study door…

"Come in bani…" he said not looking up from his file…by now he was used to her grotesques…

"Can you spare a minute…" bani asked…

"Hmmm tell…" he looked up…

"Rano di and pia sent us gifts…I hope you like it…" bani showed him the navy blue silk tie and an expensive watch…

"They are really nice…" jai picked them up…examining them…he smiled fondly…

"Why are you smiling…?" bani asked amused…

"This watch, it's my favorite brand, must be veer's choice…" jai said with a warm feel…

"You are really close to him…" bani asked…

"Hmm…from childhood…and after my parents' death even more…he is a nice boy…" jai said affectionately…

"Can I ask you something…??"

"Yes…"

"Who is she…??" bani pointed out at a huge portraits hung in the study…she knew they were jai's parents, jai was a teenage, lanky and tall wearing a lopsided smile, while the girl was stout with an aristocratic air…

"Who???" jai turned around and scowled…

"I know I shouldn't interfere…but only if you feel like…" bani said moving away awkwardly, she didn't mean to upset him but she realized it was too late…

"She is…jigyasa walia …" jai uttered…

"My elder sister…she is in London…living with her daughter…" jai said banally

"She didn't come to the wedding…"

"No…I mean we…we have simply drifted apart…she has her own life and I my own…" jai sighed…

"But she is your sister…" bani said enamored by the fact that they were not on talking terms…

"She is just angry that I…I stood by jiju trying to save her marriage… she thought I was against her, but I was only trying to spare my little anu from the ugly episode of her parents' divorce…but…" jai kept the watch aside, the twinkle in his eyes gone… bani listened to him patiently…

"Why don't you call her…?"

"No…" his voice was firm…

"But…" jai raised his hand stopping her…

"I don't want to and moreover I have no need to…"

"She is your sister after all…"

"So…what bani…SO WHAT…she never understood me…she had accused me of betraying her and siding Aditya jiju because I was dependent on him for business since I was very young then…but my sister failed to understand that I was only trying to save her marriage and spare Anu the horror of their divorce…" jai shouted at her…puffing…bani stood petrified…it dawned upon jai that he had blurted too much…

"There you go…had it…is your curiosity satisfied or should I give my life history…" jai said sarcastically…

"I hope you feel better now…sharing something reduces your burden…" bani uttered finally finding voice…jai stared at her astonished not even realizing when she left from there…

*******

Jai tossed and turned in his bed. He had not broken any ties with her sister but it was her who was high-handed losing all her relations…when she become so bitter he couldn't pin-point, but it had certainly wiped out his belief and trust in relationships…when your own blood didn't stand by you what can be expected of others, maybe that was a reason he never wanted to serve relationships except a few…but he knew priorities change and one shouldn't cling to anyone…we come alone, we travel the path of life alone and we die alone…but bani's simple statement rattled him…actually he was feeling lighter…at peace…he decided something… yes, he knew it would be right…

*******

"I…I apologize…I shouldn't have shouted like that…it was uncalled for…" jai said sitting at the breakfast table, bani had her mouth stuffed with the sandwich…she waved her hand in the air indicating that it was okay…

"It's okay…" she muttered in a thick voice…

"Can you come with me??" he asked…

"Where…?" finally she finished eating her breakfast…

"Somewhere…"

"Okay…"

"Can you get ready…?"

"Why this is not fine…?" bani said looking down her baggy pant and a long cartoonish t-shirt…

"It is but there will be people…" jai said amused…

"Now I have to dress up…wait…" bani got up sprinting upstairs…

*******

"Can you please kill the suspense Mr. Bond?" bani said

"You don't have patience do you…"

"Of course I don't…"

"Just about five minutes and we are here…" jai said speeding up…

Bani looked around to find an expanse of site, a building kind of thing being constructed… the laborers were working rigorously…

"Now don't tell me that you will push me down the building…" bani joked…

"Bani…" jai looked horrified…

"Oh!!! I was just joking…"

"This is my project…it's an orphanage…" he said…

"My father wanted to build an orphanage in thus place…but before that…anyways…"

"It's wonderful jai…" bani said genuinely…

"It's called Krishnoday after my parents and I want you to take its charge…"

"When did you start joking…" bani said…

"I am serious…"

"No, you are being silly…"

"But what's the harm, you are smart, educated and efficient…"

"It's not about qualifications, it's about something else… look it's an orphanage not an office, it requires a lot of patience and care maybe to nurture it…it has to be done by heart and not mind…"

"So…??"

"So…I am not good at it…I am not good at speaking, this bonding, and relationships…etcetera etcetera…"

"But I don't think so…"

"Really…you know me better than myself…"

"I don't know about that…but there is an inherent goodness in you…" jai said…

"I am so proud of myself…" bani mocked him walking back towards the car…

"Please…" he followed her…

"Give me one valid reason why Bani Dixit…and I promise I will take it up…" bani challenged him…

"You married me because your unwell father wanted it…" came his pat reply…

"That was…no…" bani whined…

"You can't get back on your promise…" jai said with a grin…

"Fine…!!! But I still can't get the point…"

"I trust my decision bani and believe me you will be great…I can't handle it myself…I need someone…and I have got that in you…"

"Why do I fall for everything…God!!!" she groaned sitting inside the car…

"Because you are a very nice person bani…" jai said strapping the seat belt…

"At least someone thinks I am nice…boosts my dying ego…"

*******

God bless

Dhani