Part 9:
Bani is sitting down in front of the dressing table, looking back at her reflection in the mirror. Today, she had decided to wear her black suit with silver bordering. Bani had never worn this suit before, because she had been waiting to wear it for a special occasion. And that special occasion was today. Bani puts in her last earring. She looks at it and sees that it's winking back at her. She then puts on her silver choodiya, slowly while smiling to herself. Rano comes over to bani and takes her hair out of a ponytail. Bani looks at rano with questioning.
Rano: didi, you look better with you hair down.
Bani smiles to her. Pia walks over to bani and gives her anklets to her. Bani cheerfully puts them on. Pia hugs bani with sisterly love.
Pia: you look beautiful, di.
Bani: thanks, pia.
Pooja bhabi comes walking in.
Pooja: bani, you are looking very pretty.
Bani: thank you bhabi.
Pooja: uh, I'm here to tell you that Jai walia is here, he's waiting outside for you.
Bani stands up in excitement. She quickly grabs her purse and leaves the room. Bani then walks back into the room and quickly hugs rano and pia, then leaves again. Pia walks towards the window and looks out of it. She sees the handsome Jai Walia handing red roses to her sister. Pia smiles to herself when she sees bani blush. Jai takes bani's hand in his and leads her to the car. Pia watches them leave while smiling. She looks at the stars and is slowly reminded of Vijay. Her smile fades away and her eyes begin to fill with tears. Pia feels someone giving her a warm hug from behind. She turns around and sees Rano. "I hope didi has fun," rano says to Pia. "me too, rano…," pia says while wiping away her tears. "Me too…"
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Jai and bani both arrive at the restaurant. Jai, being a gentleman, opens bani's door for her. Bani steps out of the car and looks at the fancy restaurant.
Jai: come on, bani. (takes her hand and leads her inside)
They go in and are seated at a lovely table, in the back of the restaurant, where there are huge glass doors, decorated with dark red curtains. The doors were open and the curtains were pushed aside, Bani could feel the gentle breeze tingle her skin. What fascinates bani is that there is a garden behind the restaurant, and in the center is a huge amazing water fountain, surrounded by small spotlights on the concrete. She was definitely going to check that out, after dinner. Jai notices bani looking outside, fascinated. He smiles at her.
Jai: I knew you'd like it. That's why I reserved this table.
Bani smiles at jai.
Jai: you know bani, you are very easy to please.
Bani: (continues to smile and shrugs her shoulders) I guess I am.
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Pia turns off the television and looks at the clock. It's been an hour and almost 30 minutes since bani had left for dinner with jai. Pia sighs and gets up from her cozy position that she was in. She hears laughter coming from the kitchen, and follows it. Pia watches rano talking with suraj bhaiya and pooja bhabi from a distance. She decides not to join them. Pia isn't in the mood to laugh. She wants to be alone for awhile. She walks quietly to her room and sits down on the bed. Pia takes off her silver watch and places it on the side table. Her attention goes to a piece of paper lying on the table. She takes it with a confused look on her face. Pia opens it and reads it.
Bani,
I know I have hurt you , but believe me, I did not intentionally try to. Bani, you know I'd never want to hurt you in anyway. I love you too much, to do so. Please also forgive me for my idiotic act last night. Please also tell Mr. Jai Walia that I am sorry, I wasn't in my senses. If you can, please forgive me. Bani, if you forgive me, then please meet me on Monday night, 8:00, at the Bombay Restaurant. I will be very glad if you come.
Vijay.
Pia rereads the letter. The scene which Vijay yells at bani flashes through pia's mind. Her eyes fill with anger. She takes one last look at the letter and then tears it up. "Let me see how you'll meet my bani di ever again," pia says to herself.
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Jai and bani have finished their dinner and are now walking in the garden, talking the night away. The garden is lightly lit by the moon and stars. There is gentle breeze in the air, making bani feel chilly. She rubs her arms to make them warm. Jai takes his coat off and puts it around bani. Bani feels warmth right away, she smiles at jai and slightly blushes.
Bani: thank you.
Jai: (smiles back) you're very welcome. Now, you were saying that love is…?
Bani:..love is a beautiful thing to experience. To love is to receive a glimpse of heaven. If you are in love…(smiles to herself) that's about the best thing that can happen to anyone.
Jai: (amused) you really do believe in love, don't you?
Bani: yeah,…I do. But I can't believe you don't! (hits him gently on his arm)
Jai: (puts his hands in his pockets) I never said I don't believe in it.
Jai walks over to the water fountain and sits down onto a bench. Bani joins him.
Jai: (shrugs his shoulders) I don't know, ..I guess I'm beginning to believe in it again.
Bani: Again?
Jai: (sighs) yeah, again.
Bani: jai, …were you in love before?
Jai: I'm not sure if I'd call it love, I mean back then I thought it was love. But when I look back at it, maybe it was more attraction than love.
Bani: who was she?
Jai: Her name was Roshini and was the most beautiful girl in college. Every guy was in love with her, including me. Her looks drove me crazy. I wanted her to be mine and only mine. She would always be hanging out with her friends, so it was mostly impossible for me to ask her out. One day, I found her alone and sprung it out on her. She agreed immediately saying that she had also liked me. So roshini and I began spending a lot more time, and at first were inseparable. Later on, we found a lot of differences with each other which always caused fights between us. One night, we had a very big fight and we decided not see each other anymore. Roshini left to England and has been there ever since. I lost all hope in love, thinking that if love is about fighting and going through pain, then I don't want to be in love.
Bani: oh, I'm so sorry.
Jai: it's ok. Now I have realized that it was just a simple attraction, there was no true love between us for each other.
Bani: (silent)
Jai: have you ever been in love before, bani?
Bani: (laughs) no,…only crushes. I haven't experienced true love yet. (lying to herself. She knows that her feelings for jai is not an ordinary crush, but something more) I'm still waiting for my prince charming.
Jai: have you pictured how your prince charming looks like?
Bani: yes, in my dreams.
Jai: ..and?…
Bani: (blushes) …he's tall and handsome. (smiles to herself) very handsome. He's kind and sweet. One of his adorable smiles makes my heart flip. When my name comes out of his lips, …butterflies begin to build up in my stomach. (giggles to herself) and he makes me laugh a lot.
Jai: …have you met him yet?
Bani: no…not yet. (lies to herself again) I'm still waiting for him. (looks at jai while she says this)
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Pia looks dazed while sitting on the bed, with the lamp switch in her hand, turning it on and off. So in one second, she is in light, and then the next, she is in complete darkness. Pia's mind is on Vijay and remembers moments that she had spent with him.
(Flashback):
Pia: oh, wow! Vijay look at this beautiful red dress!
Vijay walks over to pia and examines the dress.
Vijay: it's very nice, pia. Why don't you get it?
Pia: oh, no. I couldn't. plus, I don't have the money for it.
Vijay: Well, that's why I'm here. It's ok, I'll buy it for you.
Pia: no, Vijay. It's ok, I was just looking.
Vijay: no, pia. I am going to buy this dress for you, ever since we entered this store, I've been seeing you eyeing this dress. (holds her hand) just let me buy it for you.
Pia: (smiles at him and hugs him) Thank you, Vijay.
Vijay: (hugs her back)
(Flashback ends).
Pia then remembers seeing Vijay and bani talking in the park, on Valentine's Day, two years earlier. She had heard everything.
Bani: Vijay, I don't know why I don't love you. I mean, you're handsome, smart, funny, any girl would fall in love with you, but not this girl. I know one girl who loves you truly with all her heart, and that is Pia. She loves you, Vijay.
Vijay: But I don't love, Pia! I love you, bani.
Pia had cried all the way home and locked herself in her room. It was the worst Valentine's she had ever had. After knowing that Vijay didn't like her, pia had tried everything to impress him, or get him to like her, but she had failed.
Tears begin forming in her eyes, she tries to hold them back. Pia blinks hoping for them to go away, but more start to form. She gives up, and let the tears come out. After a few seconds or so, she begins sobbing her heart out. Pia wipes away her tears, while walking to her suitcase. She opens a pocket and pulls out a picture of her and Vijay together on New Year's Eve. She hugs it and starts crying again.
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Jai pulls into the driveway. He puts his car on park and looks at a cheerful bani.
Bani: I had fun tonight, jai.
Jai: same here.
Bani: well,…goodnight.
Jai: (leans over to bani and kisses her gently on her cheek) …goodnight, bani.
Bani turns a deep shade of red and opens the car door. She gets out and turns back to look at a smiling jai. She smiles back.
Jai: hopefully, I'll see you tomorrow at work, ..if I'm not busy. (winks at her)
Bani: (continues to blush) hopefully.
Bani shuts the car door and watches jai pull back out of the driveway and drive off. She turns around and walks up the driveway and into the house. As soon as she enters the house, she hears laughter. Bani looks at the clock, and sees that it's 11:00. She walks into the Kitchen and sees rano, suraj bhaiya, and pooja bhabi sitting on the dining table.
Suraj: oh, bani. You're back?
Pooja: (teasing) …so soon?
Bani: yes.
Rano: did you have fun, di?
Bani: yes, I did, rano. Thank you for asking.
Bani notices that Pia isn't there and looks around, but there's no sign of pia.
Bani: bhabi, where's pia?
Pooja: bani, I think she's sleeping.
Bani: oh, ok…well, I think I'll go to sleep as well. Goodnight everyone.
She exit's the kitchen and enters hers and her sisters' room. Bani sees that the light is on, and sees pia lying on the bed, her back facing bani. Bani thinks that she is asleep and walks over to the dressing table quietly, not making a sound. She takes her right earring off first, and then her left. Bani is about to take her choodiya off, when she hear's a sob and then sniffing. She turns around to look at pia and sees that she's shaking, and her cries get louder. Bani is stunned and quickly walks over to pia. She seats herself right next to her, on the bed, and places her hand on pia's shoulder.
Bani: pia?
Pia finally finds out that bani was in the room, tries to quiet herself down, but can't because she can't never hide her feelings from bani. She turns her face the other way and hugs her picture tighter.
Bani tries to get pia up, but pia moves away from her. Bani is very concerned.
Bani: pia, why are you crying? Please, pia, you know you can tell your big sis anything.
Pia finally gets up and looks at bani with her red puffy eyes looking at her desperately. Bani wipes away pia's tears and hugs her. Pia continues to weep on bani's shoulder. "..Di!," she cries. Bani's hand hits something hard and she looks to see what it is. She sees pia holding a picture of her and Vijay together. She takes the picture away from pia's grip and stares at it. Pia takes her head off of bani's shoulder and looks at her, heartbroken. Bani takes her eyes off of the picture and looks back at pia.
Bani: Pia?….
part 10 on pg. 14Edited by indian_godess - 18 years ago
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