Part 31
'Pia, you are looking fine. Just hurry, we are going to miss the flight!' Bani quickly checked if they had not forgotten anything. Zyad had turned the private invitation to a Dixit plus a miss Walia invitation. After Jai had complained that if Bani would go to Dubai nobody would be able to take care of his daughter, Zyad had decided to take Bani, her sisters and little Anjali with him to Dubai. Of course he knew his friend was just giving excuses to prevent Bani from going, but Zyad just couldn't disappoint little Anjali. Jai wasn't too happy, but he didn't have much of a choice but to watch how the ones he loved were slipping out of his hands. 'Goodbye mr. Walia. Please take good care of yourself. Don't worry about Anjali. I will take care of her.' Bani inspected Jai's face. He decided to wish them goodbye at home. He wasn't in the mood to see them off at the airport and he was clearly in no mood to wish Bani a happy trip. 'If my daughter needs anything call me immediately.' Before Bani could reply he walked away from her to wish Rano and Pia a pleasant trip. He took his daughter in his arms and hugged her. 'Dad! I need some air!' Jai laughed and let go of her. 'Promise me you will call me everyday. You can do without me, but I certainly can't do without my little princess.' It was now the turn of Anjali to hug her dad tightly. 'I love you daddy!' 'Princess! I need some air!' Anjali giggled and kissed her dad before letting him go.
It has been weeks since the incident at the nightclub and Natwar hadn't seen or spoken to Rano ever since. She had tried to see and speak to him many a time, but he refused. He had forbidden his servants to let her calls through or to let her meet him. He avoided her at college and spend most of his time in office. He had noticed she didn't come to college since a couple of days and despite his resolution to stay away from Rano and forget all about her he found himself thinking of her all day long. Even while sleeping she didn't part him. She haunted his dreams and his very soul. His heart knew along time back that Rano was the one, but his mind refused to acknowledge that fact. His hand reached for the phone and he dialled her number. His heart started beating like crazy, expecting to hear her voice every second. 'Hello?' Natwar was shocked to hear a heavy manly voice on the other side of the phone, instead of Rano's sweet and girly voice. 'Excuse me sir, to disturb you at this hour, but I'm calling for Rano.' Jai smiled by the thought that he had scared Natwar. 'It's ok Natwar. I'm afraid Rano is not here. She is on vacation in Dubai. A good friend of mine has taken her and her sisters with him.' Natwars disappointment didn't went unnoticed by Jai. 'Do you have any idea when she will be back sir?' Jai felt how disappointment took him over by now. 'To be honest I don't know. They will stay there at least for one more week. Next weekend they will attend the annual ball hold by the Amira Hotel Group and I don't know if they will come back immediately after it or if they will extend their stay. Id bet on the last one.' Jai realised he was speaking more to himself than to Natwar and since he didn't like to come across as an old gossiping lady he shut his mouth. 'Well thank you sir. And please accept my apologies for disturbing you.' 'Not at all Natwar. Goodbye.' Jai hung up and dropped himself on the bench. The house was so empty without Anjali around and without Bani of course, but he didn't have the courage to speak that out loud. He felt he was such a jerk to her, while she was always so nice to him. The fact is that he didn't want her to go to Dubai or any other place without him. His eyes fell on a picture of her and Anjali. He picked it up and admired her beauty. 'If you were so desperate to see Dubai, you should have told me and I would have taken you. Why did you have to accept Zyad's offer. You hardly know they guy.' His voice filled the cold living room and sounded odd to his own ears. He put back the picture, grabbed the keys and left the apartment. He decided to spend the night at his mansion instead.
