Thanks for the wonderful comments! Here's part 3.
Part 3:
Bani dreamt of her wedding day again, this time she saw herself getting ready with the help of Rano and Pia. She wore a beautiful red and light blue lange, very expensive jewelry, and she was glowing. Bani and her sisters were in a lovely room, lit with the sunlight. Bani is waiting impatiently to be called downstairs to the mandap. Her heart is racing. Rano and pia admire her about how she looks and tease her. Their father comes in and tells rano and pia to take Bani downstairs, before going bani takes blessings from her father. Nikishant kisses her on the forehead and adores her. The two sisters lead Bani down the stairs and to the mandap. Everyone has their eyes on her. She is seated next to her groom. "Bani di! Bani di!" someone calls out. Bani turns around and sees rano. "Wake up!" she says. Bani becomes confused.
Rano: (shakes bani) wake up di!
Bani's eyelids flutter and they slowly open. She looks around the room and then sees rano in front of her. She gets up.
Bani: Rano?
Rano: It's 9:30.
Bani: oh wow, I'm very tired.
Rano: you should be, last night was a pretty big night. By the way, I never actually thanked you. Thank you so much, di, for throwing that party for me last night. It was the best day of my life. I've never had so much fun before. And everyone came and celebrated my birthday with me.
Bani: (smiles) were you surprised?
Rano: definitely!
Bani: I'm glad, let me get fresh and I'll make breakfast for us.
Rano: Make some extra, because Vijay is here.
Bani: here? In the morning?
Rano: yes, …he seems a bit worried.
Bani: why?
Rano: I don't know.
Bani gets out of her bed and quickly gets freshened. She goes to the living room and sees Vijay sitting in a chair, with his hands over his face. He's shaking his head.
Bani: Vijay?
Vijay looks up and sees Bani. There is no reaction on his face, he looks the other way. Bani goes near him and places her hand on his shoulder.
Bani: what's wrong? Are you ok?
Vijay: (sighs) yeah. I'm just very tired.
Bani: here, let me make you some coffee.
Bani leaves him in the living room and goes into the kitchen. Vijay follows her slowly. He looks very tense. Pia comes skipping into the living room, looking very happy. She hugs bani from behind and says "Good Morning!" very cheerfully. She kisses Vijay on his cheek and also tells him Good Morning. Again, there is no reaction on his face.
Vijay: where is Rano?
Pia: She's in her room. Why?
Vijay: Could you call her over here. I need to tell you all something.
Bani: (concerned) what is it?
Vijay: (ignores bani) pia, go call Rano.
Pia listens to him and brings Rano to the kitchen. They all sit down on the dining table. Rano notices that their father isn't at home and asks everyone if they know where he is.
Bani: Vijay, wasn't he with you last night?
Vijay: (silent)
Pia: don't even mention papa's name to me. He practically ruined last night by entering in the Hall in front of everyone, drunk.
Rano: he didn't even wish me Happy Birthday.
Vijay: ….yes, your father was with me last night. I took him back here. I stayed with him for awhile, when all of a sudden he started coughing blood.
Bani: what? What happened to papa?!
Vijay: (starts trembling and his voice gets shaky) Well I took him to the hospital, because I wanted to know what was wrong with him.
Pia: papa's at the hospital?
Rano: what are we doing here then, we should go!
Bani, pia, and rano get out of their seats and are about to leave, when Vijay stops them immediately.
Vijay: No. Sit down. (he commands them)
The three do so and look at Vijay with questioning. Vijay gives a deep sigh.
Bani: Vijay, we need to go.
Vijay: Will you three hear me out!
Bani: (taken aback) ….ok.
Vijay: This is very hard for me to say this to you three. After I tell you, I don't know how you'll react.
Pia: stop wasting time, Vijay, and just tell us.
Vijay: (looks at bani) …your father is dead.
Bani felt like she was just slapped across her face, felt like her heart was pulled out and stepped on. The color from Bani's face drained away. She just continued to stare at Vijay, not believing her ears. Bani looks over to pia and rano to see their reaction. Pia and Rano were already in sobs. Bani was hoping for some support from her sisters, but seeing them cry, made her cry also. "papa," bani whispers and begins sobbing into her hands. Vijay gets out of his seat and walks over to bani. He hugs her and tries to soothe her. Bani cries into his chest and clings onto him. She then feels someone hugging her from behind and looks over to see Rano and pia. Bani immediately lets go of Vijay and hugs her sisters.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"What's on your mind, jai?", his best friend, Aditya, asks jai who is in deep thoughts. Jai looks out in the window, at the blue sky and the white puffy clothes, slowly turning gray. It was gonna rain, jai knew it. Jai shrugs his shoulders at Aditya's question.
Aditya: Ever since yesterday, you've just been out of it. You're not yourself.
Jai closes his eyes and thinks to himself. He immediately sees her beautiful face smiling at him. Her gorgeous eyes twinkling at him. He opens his eyes and smiles. Jai turns around and faces Aditya.
Jai: have you ever experienced love at first sight?
Aditya: …yeah, your sister. And that was a complete disaster. (he laughs to himself) but why are you asking me this? Jai Walia who says that he doesn't believe in love, is asking me about love at first sight?
Jai: I never said that I don't believe in love, I just don't understand why people fall in love.
Aditya: have you experienced love at first sight?
Jai: (silent)
Aditya: (gets the message) who is she?
Jai: (laughs to himself) I don't really know. I don't even know what I'm feeling for her. But ever since I met her, I've been acting and feeling very strangely. She's on my mind 24/7. I've never felt this way with all the other women I've been with, then why with her? (he asks more to himself than aditya)
Aditya: (places his hand on jai's shoulder) you're in love, my friend.
Jai: you think so?
Aditya: definitely, this is what love does to you. But whose the lucky woman?!
Jai: her name's Bani. She came yesterday, she's the drunk man's daughter.
Aditya: Ooohhh. Now I remember. I bumped into her yesterday. She is very sweet.
Jai: (walks back over to the window) I hope I see her again. (he wishes to himself)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~
One Week Later:
Vijay: (hands a piece of paper to bani) now here's the address to my brother's house, I told him that you'll be staying with him for awhile, until you find a place to stay. Are you sure you want to leave Mount Abu and go to Mumbai?
Bani: yes, Vijay. I need a better job that pays good money. How am I supposed to support pia and rano with such little amount of money?
Vijay: (gives up) ok. Will you come back and visit?
Pia: (answers for bani) of course we will!
Vijay smiles and hugs both pia and rano. Bani finishes putting their luggage into the train and comes outside to say her goodbye.
Vijay: Take care of yourself, bani.
Bani: (smiles) I will.
Vijay hugs bani and then kisses her on her cheek.
Vijay: I'll miss you.
Bani touches her cheek in shock. The train whistles to signal that it is time to leave. Bani takes pia and rano's hands into hers and leads them into the train. Bani turns around one last time at an upset looking Vijay and steps inside the train.
Vijay: I'll truly miss you, bani. (he says to himself and walks away)
~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~
Bani, rano, and pia arrive at Vijay's brother's house. They are greeted by him and his wife.
Vijay's Brother: Welcome! Nice to meet you. I'm Suraj, Vijay's older brother, and this is my wife (points to his wife)
Suraj's wife: Nice to meet you, I'm Pooja.
Suraj and Pooja lead the three to their room.
Suraj: you must be tired, you should all rest.
Bani: thank you for letting us stay here.
Pooja: it is our pleasure.
Suraj: bani, once you find a job, you will need to pay rent.
Bani: ji. I will try finding a job tomorrow.
Suraj: good. Now you go to sleep, I'll see you again in the morning. Good night.
Bani: Good night.
Pia and rano fall asleep, but bani is wide awake. She goes over to the window and looks out into the dark sky. She looks at the stars and sees a shooting star. Bani closes her eyes and wishes. "I hope that we have a better future stored for us." She opens her eyes and continues to look at the stars. Bani remembers her father and mother. "how will we survive in this city?" bani asks herself. She fiddles with her B necklace and then takes it off. She walks over to the dressing table and takes her purse. Bani places her necklace into her purse. While doing so, she finds a picture of her, rano, and pia. She smiles to herself and remembers her childhood. She puts the picture back inside and then finds a business card. It's the business card that Jai Walia had given to her. "if you ever need anything, just contact me", jai told her. Bani reads his telephone number. "maybe I can call him tomorrow for a job?", she says to herself. She places the card safely into her purse and decides to go to sleep.
part 4 on pg. 3