PART 43
FLASHBACK 18
Over three weeks have passed..............
B had taken the afternoon off, skipped the interpersonal conduct training at the new job, promising to take it online later. First stop was Mahalakshmi temple, bursting at the seams due to Karwa Chauth................................
Waiting in line for over an hour, her thoughts drifted................. Papa seemed to have given up on the battle even before it had begun. He was sure she was going to be married to JW. Infact he seemed to derive a lot of pleasure in planning and talking about the wedding over the phone, not giving a chance to B to refute the proposal or even talk abt arranging finances. He was not even interested in talking abt where the "find Shah" case was heading. It was almost as if, JW had taken care of all his worries. He didnt mind being at home he had said " itni saari shaadi ki tayyari jo karni hai"
She had asked him, where the money was going to come from. He had shooed her off saying "Woh sab main dekh loonga beta tum chinta mat karo, main agle hafte Mumbai aa raha hoon, kal "Jai bete" ko call karoonga is baare mein baat karne ke liye" She had frozen in shock hearing her Papa address the man as "beta". It was as if JW had stepped in and had in one stroke taken away HER role in her family. All that she was and had been was replaced by him. A "find replace in a Word document will take longer, she thot bitterly. She felt envious of him for the first time in life. She wanted to be her Papa's "beta", but he had that title now. They had a little over 5 lakhs saved away in the bank in various deposit schemes. She realized that wouldnt even buy the groom's wedding clothes.......... The fact that JW maybe "throwing" his own wedding irked her no end.All the disappointment, despair she felt at the prospect of her own marriage was mounting exponentially when the economics came into play.
Sharing the news with Pia would go down in her life as the second toughest thing she had ever done. First would be, marriage to JW................Bani, kept punishing herself mentally for having wronged her by deciding to tie the knot with this man. Pia was shocked, Bani had not divulged anything abt knowing JW the past month when fighting to get her justice. She wanted to know if B was marrying him so that he can "hush up the case". B had assured her that it wasnt why. She had told her abt their Papa's actions back home, Pia didnt seem half as affected as B was from all the happenings in Mt Abu or the fact that her Didi would be married to the man she had accused of misbehavior not too long ago. In fact she went on to reassure B that all will be well and she shud not "worry too much about what Mr JW did to me". B had expected Pia to be outraged angry and resentful towards B's decision, but those feelings were conspicuous by their absence............................. may be Pia is too stunned to react now, may be she will disclose her real feelings soon? she wondered...........
B had too many things to worry about at this point, she postponed that issue for later.
In fact she had lost count of how many times she had read and re-read the "contract", until this afternoon. She had signed it!!!
Had not sent it to him yet. didnt want to give him the pleasure of victory. "I will go down with dignity" she told herself.
Her heart was crying out to her, pleading with her............ not to sign, she still went on to do it, at the bottom of each page. She had deliberately avoided reading about the annulment of marriage and the baby. What can be two incredibly special things in a girl's life............. marriage and a child, was all inked down in contract where her life was concerened!! Both would be hers and yet not hers............... she was walking into the next phase of her life as if it were a work assignment, a project that had to be delivered before deadline.........................
The document said she would be "well taken care of for life" if and when they parted ways, a sum so high was quoted for alimony, she didnt bother to count the zeros in it..............
Was she doing it for her Papa's happiness? Was it to keep him from serving jailtime?
Was she doing it for Rano's education? Or was she doing it for Pia's wedding? Was she doing it to save the "family honor"?
Was she doing it to keep the word she had given to her mother about never letting her family down?
Her life had never been about her. It had always been about her family, her parents and sisters then, her Papa and sisters now...........................
Her innocence and childishness buried deep inside, never seen the light of day....................
Anjali was gone for three weeks to a Sales Response Team meeting P&G was holding in Ahmedabad. She had called her and given her a hint.............. not abt Mt Abu but abt, a "possibility that a wedding happens soon" she had imm asked her if it was Pia's. B was not offended. She had declared to everyone that she wud be the last among the three sisters to tie the knot............ she had corrected Anjali amidst her excited squealing that it could be HER! Anjali had jumped up and down, wanted to cut short her SRT training and head home to be with her. She knew B had no relatives in Munbai. Her Mom was the only child and her Dad has two brothers both lived in Jaipur.....
She hadnt called Maasi, she didnt know JW's home number. she didnt want to call him. She didnt want him to know. She had wanted to meet Maasi. She was looking for comfort, being with Maasi made B feel like being with her Mummy........ warm affectionate, gentle, patient......... around Maasi B wanted to be a child again. She was very lonely tonite she wanted some loving and caring............ she was going to spend some time with her no matter what JW said or felt............
she vaguley remembered JW asking her to visit on KC day, she had on impulse, completed her darshan and had hailed a cab and asked him to drive to Juhu. She didnt know if JW wud be home or even if he was in town. ........
She stepped off the cab and paid the driver, her new maroon/red chudidar dress was a lil spotted with mud, from passing cars. Walia Mansion guard wudnt allow the driver to park by the gate, so she was a few yards off. It was a cool, breezy drizzly evening. Much like how I feel right now she mused......
She knocks..........
Tony opens, a lil suprised at seeing her at the door. the house is strangely quiet. "Nobody observing the fast?" B wonders. She doesnt know if Jigs still did........
Tony shows her the way and goes in to get Maasi as per her request
M: Baani? Beta tum (Maasi is overjoyed, she almost starts sprinting)
B(shyly) Jee.........
M: Beta tum kab aayi? Bahut der ho gayi?
B: nahi maasi abhi abhi
M: Tony......... Tony
T: Jee maasi?
M: Arrey bhai kuch lao. (stops herself looks at B)
M: Beta tumhara vrat to nahi hai
B blushes big time,"Nnn....nahi maasi" Nahi maasi vrat nahi hai (murmurs, thinks Why shud I, the guy does NOT deserve for me to starve, i am going to eat out tonite, pizza and chocolate cake, celebrate my vanquishment/defeasance." she concludes bitterly)
M is obviously happy that the girl is still unattached
M: Tony, mithai lao, chai,
M: Bani beta chai peeyogi?
B: Jee
M: baitho baitho (pointing to the plush couches)
B sits down
M: Tum soch rahi hogi aaj yahan raunaq kyon nahi hai. Beta Jigyasa ka jab se divorce hua woh to rakhti nahi fast woh apne friends ke saath bahar gayi hai, to bachi Anu, woh oopar apne kamre mein hai gaane sun rahi hai aur padh rahi hai.
B: looks at her like "Who is Anu?"
M: Anu, Jigyasa aur Aditya ki beti............
B: Oh
M: main bahut khush hoon tum aaj ke din aayi (meaningful)
B: Jee woh main Mahalakshmi gayi (touches her forehead)
B: Achha achha (just admires her happily)
Anu steps down. in a while introduces herself and they chat, B likes her a lot........... Maasi tells her its time for lighting the diya and she will be right back................ and steps out. Anu and her talk abt Hindi movies, hollywood ones, songs lyrics, pop albums the works
A: Aapko pata hai aaj FM mein bahut melodious songs aa rahe hain
B: Main ghar pe hoti to wohi sunti hoon
A: Aapko kya achha lagta hai Radio Mirchi ya Times FM?
B: Radio Mirchi
A: Yeeeeey!! Me too (does a high five)
B: Mujeh aap mat kaho, how abt tum? (smiles)
A: OK thanks
A: Ek min main oopar sorround souns speaker ke saath radio connect karke aati hoon, we can chat and listen to songs
B: Hmm (Smiles and wtaches her leave)
Bell rings, B looks around no sign of Tony or any body else.......... waits, it rings again.............. she waits, she doesnt want to be impolite answering the dorr at other people's houses. but it continues to ring........ she goes to open it with a look of urgency on her face.
Walks over to the door and opens it..................... it cant be anybody else....... yes, its HIM! Dressed in offwhite cords that is so fine it looks practically like velvet from where B is, teamed with coffee colored cotton shirt, sleeves folded uptill the elbow, coffee leather on his feet, Rolex in place....
JW: (a mixture of elation, surprise, confusion and back to elation cross his face) Oh Hi! What a pleasant surprise..........Its Ms. Dixit! Or shud I say soon to be Mrs Walia?
She just stands there........ numb.............upon hearing "Mrs Walia"
Bends her face to hide her rouged cheeks, still holding on to the double wide doors with both hands
JW: We arent even married....... yet, I am not allowed in coz I am late? (winks)
Her hands drop like theyve just touched burning coal
B: Ummm I am s I am....... come in
JW: Thanks ("look who is inviting who" tone)
B: Main maasi se milne aayi
JW: I am sure........ (taunt)
B: I mean it! (hot)
JW: U just told me Bani........
The sorround sound speakers start playing the following song:Both walk by to the couch and she takes her fave spot, not a word said.................. B is all nervous and shaky, wishes, Anu or Maasi wud come out soon.
He just sits there and stares at her, almost as if he cant believe his eyes, watching her squirm under his gaze, reddening listening to the song, nervously wiping off the beads of sweat from her upper lip
sajan ghar aana tha - 2
sajan ghar aaye hai
sajan ghar aana tha
sajan ghar aaye hai
piya mann bhana tha
piya mann bhaaye hai
har khushi hai ab tumhari
mujhe de do gam
jaaneman jaaneman - 2
sajan ghar aana tha
sajan ghar aaye tum
piya mann bhana tha
piya mann bhaaye tum
har khushi hai ab tumhari
mujhe de do gam
jaaneman jaaneman - 2
JW: maasi se mili
B: Hmmm I have to go! (really jumpy)
JW: where to?
B: I am late (checks her watch)
zindagi mein aaye tum chaahaton ke raste - 2
kaash yeh raste sanam kat jaaye haste haste
sone dildara tere pyar to main vaariyaan
meri ya duvaawa tainu lag jaave saariyaan
chaand ho tum chaandani se bheega jaaye mann
jaaneman jaaneman - 2
khwaabon ke iss ghar ki khair kare o rabba - 2
duur talai kalash aur bair kare o rabba
naaz se bade maine kari hai tayyariya
din raat pyar diya nazara utaariya
yeh mohabbat hai ibaadat kabhi ho na kam
jaaneman jaaneman - 2
aaghosh mein meri zulf sanwari teri
chahat ke rangon se main maang saja du teri
maahiya ve aaj mainu aaive kyon ve lagda
aashiq je sachha hove roop honda rab ka
ham yahaan hai tum yahaan ho hone do milan
jaaneman jaaneman - 2
Maasi walks in...........
M: Munna tum kab aaye?
JW: Jee abhi 5 min pehle (not taking his eyes off B)
M: Dekha Bani aayi hai aaj
JW: Jee dekh raha hoon Maasi
Tony brings tons of food.............
M: khao beta
B: Jee
JW: Tum fast nahi kar rahi? (taunting)
B: Nahi....... (smiles at Maasi) Maasi is giving some instructions to Tony....... B looks at JW "fast kiske liye karoon? (nasty, taunting)
JW: For me ofcourse!! (smug, riling) kya sawaal kiay hai Bani
B: Never! aapke liye kabhi nahi karoongi.......
Starts to eat, tauntingly, drinks her chai while he just looks on...........
M: Beta aaj mandir mein bahut bheed thi kya?
B: Jee maasi........
M: Munna tum Bani se baat kyon nahi kar rahe?
JW Maasi B mujhse naraaz hai!
B Nahi to! (blurts realizes thats exactly what he wants her to say)
M: Munna kyon tang kar rahe ho isko, tum chalo mere saath beta.....
B: Jee (doesnt look at him)
Anu walks in too, "Bani tumhe main apna room dikhaati hoon I have the cutest posters of Matt McCoughnehey........."
B is all excited, follows anu ignoring JW
M: jao beta jao, main yahi hoon............
***********************
Anu's room, B is sitting on her bed facing Anu, Anu is facing the door.
Maasi walks in excitedly
M: Bani beta, tumne bataya nahi. Aaj saari khushiyan mere ghar laut aayi hain mere Munna ne shaadi ke liye ladki pasand kar li.
B drops the CD she is looking at, it falls to the floor.
B: Iam sorry (bends down, prays its not HER! sees Maasi's feet by her, shuts her eyes)
Raises her head M is looking at her all smiles
Gives her the warmest hug, doesnt let her go. JW is leaning against the door jamb staring at her!
B is affronted and confused, wonders how Maasi found out looks at JW, "Why did you tell HER?" look
JW has a bland expression Anu is hugging him........
M: Bete tumhe to aaj vrat rakhna chahiye tha. Chalo koi baat nahi agle saal se sahi, lekin agle saal agar tumhari god bhari ho to phir uske baad (places her order in for a grand kid)
B wants to die of ambarrassment
M: Munna wahan kyon khada hai aa, aashirwaad le. He walks over to where she is both bend down Maasi blesses them with lots of kids and happiness
B thinks "not in this lifetime Maasi, not from me, dont wish either for ur Munna"!
M is all charged up like a teenager now, scurries to her room, brings B a saree, a jewlry box, decalres the day off for servants, starts planning for the biggest wedding Munbai has seen
Anu is jumping all over the place, hugging her, hugging him, squeals shouts
JW and B are the most silent ones. B is shell shocked, JW just plainly amused by M and A's reaction
B is ready to explode, he sees that and deliberately delays the explosion
M helps unkowingly "munna isko apna kamra dikhaake lao, us din bhi bhool gaye the" (hints to them that they can go hug kiss what ever)
JW: Jee! Bani? (mock-innocent)
B:(sullen) Hmph!
Walk over to his room
A HUGE room overlooking the ocean, in grey and blue/black very masculine, lots of books, strewn everywhere, smells like him, B avoids looking at the bed, she is in no mood to "see his room" anyway.
B: Aaapne bataya maasi ko?
JW: Hmm
B: Itni jaldi kya hai?
JW: what did u expect Bani I shud have waited a week, a month a year? (walks over to the study desk at the corner by the patio door and leans on it, she stands there in the middle of the room, agitated)
B: I didnt not say a year
JW: U wanted me to. I cant wait anymore Bani. Period. Teen weeks diye maine tumko. I didnt even call you. Neither did you bother (accusing). Is this how you work with biz partners?
B: U are not.......
Silence!!
His phone rings, he takes the call and walks over to the baclcony lreaving teh door open the curtains swaying, sending a chill up her spine, the room the smells all overwhelming her senses. She walks over to the maple dresser, a few bottles of cologne on it, looks at her reflection, there is high color on her cheeks.
Little did she know a couple of months ago that she would be standing here in the bedroom of one of the leading hoteliers in the country........ about to be his wife!!
To suppress that thot she nervously starts reading the names on the bottle, opens the cap smells a few, one particularly intrigues her, she is trying to recall if thats what he wore to her house on his Bday. sets it back, presses the nozzle the spray shoots into her left hand, the hole in the nozzle exactly in the opp direction of where it shud be.
JW: Stop messing with my things Bani!
The cap falls on the dresser and rolls a while.
He picks it up and closes the bottle.
B: Its spraying wrong, mere haath mein aa gaya saara
He walks over with an intense look takes her left hand and rubs her palm on his cheek. She feels like someone just placed a bunch of burning coal on it, it dries her mouth and she starts gasping for air.
JW: Yeah some men have to shave twice, unfortunately! (makes a sad face)
B: oh!?
Rubs her palm again it rasps again across his cheek......
JW: Now its all gone! Satisfied?
B: I want my hand back!
JW: hmmm.. (holding it and walking with her)
She pulls and steps back hitting the wall by the dresser, he follows
B: I just wanted to know what it smelled like................ Un.
JW: Unforgiveable?.................. now u know, its on me............... (bends down offering her nostrils, his cheek)
She turns her face avoiding his head)
JW: I thought women who were engaged fasted today
B: I am not, aur main kabhi nahi karoongi aapke liye
JW chuckles looks at her in mock despair!
B: I am not quitting my job (trying to speak over the drum roll of her noisy heart)
JW: Aur kuch? (following her face from side to side, left hand framing her head on the wall right still holding her left)
B: Main Mt Abu mein shaadi karna chahti hoon
JW: Aur kuch?
B: Main weekends mein apne apartment chali jaaoongi
JW: Hmm......... sounds good!
B: I dont want your money............
JW: Good!
B: I want......... main...... i want it to be in name.......... I want the marraige to be............ I dont want to.............. I wont............. (shuts her eyes trying to come up with "sleep with you")
JW: Too bad!! (still following her face) It cud have been fun..........
B: I mean it!! You sleep elsewhere! Or on that couch (points to the couch on the corner with her left hand, tho still held by him)
B: Mera haath chhodiye!! (irritated, her silver bangles joining her protest)
JW: Mmm..hmmmm
JW: We shud start dating now dont u thing, we shud know find out more abt... each other...... (nuzzling)
B: I know all I want to know abt you, u marry for biz reasons, you hate John Cusack, u shave twice, u always have more shirt buttons open than necessary and ur cologne bottle works all wrong!
Throws his head back and laughs........... totally amused
JW: What abt i love to stay up all nite? (husky)
B: That I DONT want to know!
JW: I meant for work Bani (winks)
Silence!
Both check each other out, memorizing every facial feature the number of eyelashes the crease by his mouth when he laughed, him her fading lipstick, her bindi and her teeka, a zit on her chin....................
He bends down to claim her lips........ eyes not leaving hers........
She turns her face
JW(chuckles again tumne kya socha? " kinda look in it) Lets get some pizza and watch a movie?.............. baad mein I will treat you to chocolate cake
B: I hate pizza and I ha.............. (her dinner plans out in the open thru ESP!)
JW laughs at her openly
JW: Liar!
JW: you never said "yes" abhi tak to my proposal.
B: U did NOT propose. Aapne ne file folder diya kaha padh lo aur shaadi kar lo (lump in her throat)
He immediately goes down on his knee, still holding her left hand
looks up into her eyes deeeply
JW: Bani Marry me?
B is too stunned to react, she never expected a "proposal" from HIM!
"I HATE HIM, he ruined my family, he roped me into marriage on the pretext of saving my papa, how can he be so cruel and heartless and propose like this"
JW: Baneeeeeeeeeee! My knee is hurting!
B: Abhi nahi
JW: If u take too long, I will exact my price
B: I .............. i...................need............(just looks at him her eyes answer in affirmative)
He holds on to her eyes and raises himself up in their strength like a kid being rescued out of a pool................
Silence!
Takes her in his arms, brings her close............ holds her chin, kisses her zit, she wont let him.. hides in his open chest, smears her teeka on his shirt yet again
JW: At this rate after we are married........ ur paycheck is prolly going to be barely enuf for the cleaners.
B groans........
He holds her face in his palms
Bends down, "Happy Karwa Chauth! welcome into my life soon-to-be-Mrs Jai Walia!" brings his lips down
Anupamaa
Pocket Mein Aasman
Cricket
