Jai looked horrified at Bani's delirious condition as she mumbled something incoherently and was all over Jai, half-conscious. The steward came running by and gave some water to Jai, who splashed it over Bani's face gently, which kind of regained her a little bit, but she was still too sloshed out to even move on her own. Jai looked at the steward and whispered conspiratorially, "Johnny, please make sure there is no mention of this outside, my wife had consumed some Vodka by mistake, please help me in taking her down to my Car."
Johnny looked delighted with this piece of gossip, which he made sure that everyone should come to know of, and then very reverentially told Jai that he will just go and ensure that the Service Elevator is free and Jai can take Mrs. Walia from there, no one will come to know of it. Jai thanked Johnny and helped Bani get up and tried to move her, but to no avail, she was totally conked out of her senses. "Bani…Bani…get up…we have to get down…Bani, are you listening?" Jai tried to shake Bani out of her slumber, but the lady was on a trip of her own. Jai gave a glance back at the crowded restaurant and mentally made a note that no one was able to look at them right now and then as he saw Johnny signaling him from the Service Door, Jai took one deep breath and picked up Bani effortlessly in his arms and quickly went out of the restaurant through the back door, amusing Johnny out of his life. Jai noticed how light Bani was and had such an urge to laugh out loud at the whole situation they were trapped in, but held his own and quickly took the empty elevator, ably guided by Johnny who made all efforts not to stare too hard at the mumbling and rambling Bani lying happily in Jai's arms!
Jai managed to reach the ground floor and gave thanked Johnny with a thousand rupee note after placing Bani in the back seat of his Car. "Thank God, I send the driver back home, can't imagine his expression at seeing Bani in this condition." Thought Jai to himself. The evening was young and the traffic on the road was pretty dense still and he gave one amused look at the disheveled and unconscious girl lying peacefully in the back of his Car and he couldn't suppress his smile. "How innocent she looks, sleeping like a baby? Oh God, what am I going to tell her tomorrow morning?" chuckled Jai to himself as he flung his blazer gently on Bani and got in the Driver's seat and proceeded to go back home, wishing that no one from the family is around, when he takes Bani to their room, he certainly had no wish to see Dadi or Aditya getting shocked out of their wits on the sight of an intoxicated Bani.
As Jai drove, his eyes kept wandering on the rear view mirror and a sweet smile came across his lips as he saw Bani mumbling something in her sleep and Jai simply couldn't resist staring at her unblinkingly as the Car stopped at the Red Light. As Jai again started the ignition and began driving, suddenly a pair of bangle laden hands wrapped around his shoulders and as a shocked Jai could even react, Bani placed her head on his shoulder, eyes still closed and said incoherently, "Hmm, Mr. Walia, aapne abhi tak khana kyon nahin order kiya?" Jai was so taken aback that he had to pull the Car to a stop once again and as he looked back at his wife, semi-conscious, muttering something, he said worriedly, "Bani…Bani, tum theek toh ho na? Arre tumhein utne ki kya zaroorat thi? Aur mujhe aise pakda kyon? Accident ho jaata toh?" Bani still clingling to Jai from the rear seat answered back unabashedly, "Aur kitna accident ho ga, Mr. Walia? Hamara milna hi sabse bada accident tha….." Jai looked back at Bani, eyes closed, swinging on his shoulders and holding him tightly and just didn't know what to do. "Bani, please let jao…mein Car kaise drive karoonga. Dekho, tumhari haalat kuch bahut acchi nahin hai, is se pehle ke hume yahan koi dekh le, chalo hum ghar chalte hai. Theek hai?" explained Jai gently, praying to God that it makes some sense to his senseless wife. The liquor again seemed to take its toll on Bani as she let go of Jai and plunked off on the rear seat, with her legs dangling below. Jai could not help but let out a small chuckle at her inebriated condition and proceed to drive home as quickly as possible.
Jai reached Walia Mansion and was relived to see most of the lights gone off at his house, as he realized that the rest of the gang must be out and only the servants would be around. Jai looked back at Bani, sleeping soundly in the back of his Car and then quickly made his mind to carry her back to their room through the back-entrance which had an emergency exist leading to his room directly. Feeling much like a thief, Jai took Bani again in his arms and stealthily carried across the lawns, all the while crossing his fingers that no one should see both of them in this manner and he quickly came across the emergency exit and climbed his way up to his room, only to realize that the alternate door to his room was locked from the inside. "Oh shucks…what I am going to do now?" said Jai desperately as he looked at Bani, now again regaining her senses and having put her hands around Jai's neck was cooing something which he couldn't understand. "Oh shut up will you Bani, yahan mein soch raha hoon ki hum apne kamre mein kaise jaaenge, aur tum keh rahi ho ke maine woh White Shirt Tony ko kyon di. Yehi time mila tha kya in baton ke liye?" Commented Jai, half irritated and half laughing! Jai was now getting tired holding Bani in his arms, and lost as to what could be done, when he saw the windows of his room partly open. "Oh…trust Tony to be careless, but thank God for this." Jai laid Bani on the floor gently, and had to almost shrug her off as she refused to let go of him and then he precariously climbed the narrow ceiling leading to the window and opened the window and very carefully jumped inside his room and heaved a sight of relief.
Even though his room was only on the first floor of the Mansion, Jai had a fear of heights and only he knew how terrified he was while balancing himself on the edge of the terrace and doing an acrobatic trick like this. "Oh, let Bani get back into her senses tomorrow, phir bataoonga….kabhi kisi ke liye aisa nahin kiya…Can't believe it, 40 ki umar mein diwaarein kood rahan hoon." Mumbled Jai to himself as she brushed off the dust of himself and opened the back door of his room to get Bani inside.
It had started pouring all of a sudden and Jai was shocked out of his wits to see that Bani was no where around and then suddenly he saw her swinging in an abandoned manner in the lawns getting drenched to the core in the pouring rain. "BANI….BANI….What the hell are you doing there? Hey bhagwaan, kahan phas gaya? Bani, vapas aao….its raining….tumhein cold ho jaayega…Bani….." Jai shouted from the top and then ran below as he realized that his wife had taken a trip to the heaven today with that glass of Vodka and had absolutely lost sense of herself. Jai lugged Bani besides himself, getting drenched in the rain and tried to pull her back to the stairs but she was enjoying herself too much in the rain and suddenly hugged Jai and said, "Mr. Walia…..mujhe baarish bahutttt achhi lagti hai….pata hai Tony Butler nein kaha tha ki jab bin mausam ke barsaat hoti hai, toh kuch accha hone waal hai….Kya accha hone waal hai Mr. Walia?"
Bani asked still intoxicated but with a childlike innocence and Jai despite himself could not control his smile and picked up Bani once again in his arms and carried her upstairs as he replied back, "Tum se accha mere liye aur kya ho sakta tha Bani….." as Bani continued enjoying the outpour vacillating happily in an bemused Jai's arms.
Jai gently laid down Bani on the bed and closed the door behind him and switched on the lights only to switch them off hastily as Bani shouted, "LIGHTS OFF MR. WALIA…Aapko pata nahin hai ki mere Pati ko 10 baje ke baad kamre mein lights bilkul pasand nahin hai." Jai gave a sardonic look at Bani rolling happily on the pillows, all drenched and drunk and replied satirically, "Ji Madam, aapke Pati ka toh pata nahin, par haan, is bechare ka haath aaj zaroor toot gaya hai, aapko Restaurant se ghar tak laane mein…" Jai just nodded his head in exasperation as he went to the Bathroom and quickly changed into a dry pair of clothes and came out with a towel for Bani, who was now warbling some silly Hindi Film song, amusing Jai a lot. "Lagta hai, Dadi ki sangat ka asar ho raha hai Bani par…." Thought Jai to himself as he went near Bani to dry her hair, much to her protestation. It was kind of very hilarious yet heartrending to see the normally tranquil and restrained Bani behaving in such an obnoxious manner but as Jai looked indulgently at the intoxicated girl happily lying down on the wet, drenched to the core, he couldn't help think that there was such a child in Bani….and despite all the hardships she had to endure which had made her grow up much before her actual age, she was still so vulnerable and innocent.
Will wrap off the Fan-Fic in the Third installment where Bani, oops accidentally kiss's Jai and tells him that she is in love with him....and Jai gives her Hell the next morning!😉😆
I sincerely hope you guys are liking the fic.....will be awaiting your views and comments...
Cheers,
MT
PS: Part 1 of the Fan-Fic is linked below!
https://www.indiaforums.com/forum/kasamh-se/299682/fan-fic-is-raat-ki-subah-nahin
Shiv Shakti
Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi 2
