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PART 38 B
FLASHBACK PART VI
She doesnt say a word to him in the car, almost remorseful may be for her sudden change of mind. He is busy checking e-mails on his Treo, doesnt pay much attention to
her, looks for a tablet to write on find a yellow striped one in the pocket behing the driver seat, lifts the arm rest between the two of them and takes the pen out of the cavity
there, writes some notes dwon, she tries not to be curious, wonders when her laptop can be fixed, decides to call her IT support when she gets home. Relaizes she hasnt
left any note for Anjali, wonders if she will be curious upon her return from the tailor "must look at her new suit designs, and may be borrow some patterns B decides.
Doesnt realize JW is done " Is this yours?"
Turns around to find the old black and white clip in the shape of an 8 with a stick tthru it in JW's hand (her Mom's 80's style clip, one of her faves, she hadnt realized she had
left it in his car that nite on her ride back home from the dinner/elevator/kiss fiasco nite) (blushes) Hmm! thanks! (extends her hand out)
He moves his hand away "not so fast Bani"
B:Kya matlab?
JW: I can give this back to you on one condition! (smiles)
B thinks he is insane
B:U are crazy! (hers eyes tell him)
JW:Nahi Banee main woh nahi soch raha jo tum soch rahi ho (winks) tho that wud be good tho, but no............
B:Plz mujhe mera clip deejiye, meri mummy ka tha, mera fave hai.
JW(his expression changes) I am sorry, u said tha? Iska matlab?.......................
B:Haan.........
JW i am sorry Baneee
B:Dont worry (sadly)
JW: Its ur fave hmm? (trying to cheer her up)
B:Haan (smiles)
JW:So how about you take off the one u are wearing right now, phir maine tumhe yeh de doonga?
B (smiles) koi baat nahi aap hi rakhiye clip
JW: Baneeeee
She tries to lunge at him to get it, he is too quick he tucks it in the map ledge on the door, she has to touch him to reach it, so she stops, gives him a dirty look and looks
away.........
Silence
B sneakily reaches for her hair and take soff her clip, much to his amused satisfaction, her face flaming, but hidden behind the curtain of hair, remembers to put this one in
her purse.
He smiles openly reaches for ther fave BW one and hands it back, she takes it without looking at him, he holds on not letting go, she looks up at him,he makes sure she
sees that intense look in hsi eyes before he hands it.
They reach Mahalakshmi, D parks the car, she leaves her purse in her car, just taking some change in her hand for flowers etc.....they get off.its windy she holdss her hair
with both hands trying to keep it behind her ears.
JW walks close to her, whispers in her ear "I thot u will wear ur clip as soon as u got ur fave one back"
Set JW!
******************
Not being a very religious man he basically follows her, seeing her confidence in weaving thru the Sunday crowd, buying her prashaad and flowers and other things for
offering, he pays before she can annoying her
JW:I hardly come here Banee is baar mujhe dene do plz
B:Aap baad mein apne aap aayiye na (sulks)
JW:I swear next time it will be ur turn, main purse ghar par rakhkar aaoonga OK?
Her hrt skips a beat............ with him? again? here? When? will it ever happen?
Pro'lly not!!, he is just saying that!
B:Aap kyon nahi aate yahan? (both walk towards the winding pathways leading to the temple
JW:Koi saath chalne waala nahi hai, or shud I say chalne waali nahi hai (winks)
B:Mandir hai stop joking
JW: OK sorry, what ever u say
Silence
He is basically being led by her, he is holding her stiuff, the winds were making it impossible for her to clutch her money and hold her hair back she hands it to him, loses
him in the crowds once, turns around finds him lost, looking for her, taps on his shoulder, they smile, he, without asking reaches for and holds her hand, she feels like she
just dipped it into a pot of boiling water, it singes her fingers to her bones, paralyzed she lets him drag her.............his fingers long and tapering, not at all rough, but not soft
either............
Get the darshan, get their prashad, walk back to the car, He watches her with amusement as she hands some prashad out to Darshan who places his left hand on his head
before taking it............
He drives them home.......................
JW reads the day's newspaper, she rests her head back on the seat and without knowing just dozes off, wakes up to realize they are in front of a huge white house, with
carefully landscaped lawns and a long winding drive way leading up to a house that sat on a 15 feet elevation........... overlooking......... the OCEAN!!
She is dazed and confused......... "yeh kya hai?"
JW:Ghar!(blandly)
B(bristling) Thanks, I thot it was a yacht...........
Set BW!
JW laughs aloud, "Oh well, woh bhi............actually I am trying to buy a yacht, ek Mauritian of Indian origin se............ (casually)
B: I refuse to get down, yeh kahan le aaye aap mujhe?
JW:Baneeee dont panic this is MY house
B:NOOOOOOOOO (colors again)
JW: Plz, just ek chai? I know u love chai............
B: Mujhe mere ghar jaana hai
JW: Sure wahan bhi .............. lekin abhi tum pehle utro
B: I dont even know you, main aapke ghar nahi ja sakti
JW: Baneeeeee I am not Count Dracula
B:Uske ghar main chali jaati, I know he will kill me BUT u......... (stops!)
JW: Main kya? (taunts, realizes she was getting to his fave part)
B: No! ("Iam not finishing the rest of my sentence")
JW: If I promise NOT to ravish you in my house phir chalogi?
Her heart crash lands on an open field, her entire body bursting into flames on impact, she shuts her eyes and shakes her head...........
JW:If u wont then I will have to ravish you HERE
Her eyes fly open........... to find his laughing
She grabs her purse and lets herself out, slaaams the door and just starts walking towards the entrance.
JW: Pehle gaadi se nahi utar rahi thi, abhi mujhse pehle mere ghar ke andar jaana chahti ho? (teasing)
B: Mujhe aapse koi baat nahi karni
He rings the door bell A guy in a black butler suit and white gloves ;-) opens the door
Guy:Morning Sir, (quickly checks his watch) Oh sorry afternoon sir, afternoon maam
B has a Wow, so he is beheaded if he got the greeting time wrong?" look when she meets JW's eyes
JW: No Banee we dont behead we just use the lethal injection! Beheading is inhumane!(serious)
Set JW!
For a second her face pales, he cant seem to hide his laughter, her face has a furious expression on it,
JW: Tony ghar pe koi nahi hai
T: No Sir Jigyasa Maam Poona gayi hai.........
JW nods ( Tony steps back and disappears! into thin air!)
B is still annoyed............
B: U are the most creepy guy I ever met! (between her teeth)
JW(in her ears) U are the most beautiful woman I have ever met!
Set JW!
B: Just tea! (firmly)
JW:Sure............ absolutely!!
Its a HUGE living room with 5 sets of sofas placed strategically all around, silk woven leather upholstered, comfy, hard as rock on ur b--- kinds....... original artwork on the
walls, exquisite woven rugs and carpets on the floor, crystal chandelairs the works..........
B thinks "hes pro'lly never reported all of his income, God! he is an epitome of conspicuous consumption"
JW: U cud look at my returns Baneeee!
B: I dont want to (guilty)
JW: My sister decorates the house, I hardly live here.........
B realizes he said he was "not married" "then why doesnt he live here?" "maybe he still lives with roshni hoping to rekindle the flames?"
JW: I TRAVEL a lot Baneee, nahi Roshni Mumbai mein nahi rehti .................. ab woh London mein rehti hai (sad?)
B:I dont care!
JW: Ya I am sure u dont (taunt)
A lady in her 50's walks in, when he is just getting her all comfy on the plush red silk and gold couch, a lil heavy wearing an expensive cotton threadwork sareee, with
original pearls around her neck and in her ears, with a sandalwood paste oval on her forehead................
JW: Arey Maasi, aap ghar pe hain?
M:Kyon Munna tum chahte the ki main ghar pe na miloon? (winks mischievously glancing at B)
B just about falls on the floor in shock on heraing the word MUNNA pop out of the lady's mouth. She looks at him with "Was that YOU?"
JW: (smiles fondly) haan Bani Thats my name, another one......... actually.
B concludes that its a family of insane people and she wont delve too much into why his nick name is what it is, she does NOT wnat to know
M is all curious, in a cute "who has my son brought home for the first time today in almost a year?"
B catches JW almost blushing a lil embarrassed may be?, she cant believe what her eyes just saw........ " It cant be?" " He just brought me home, why shud HE BE SHY?"
M: Kya naam hai beta tumhara?
B:Jee, Bani Dixit.
M thinks....... hmm so u are a brahmin?
M: Kahan ki ho?
JW:Maasi plz
M:Main kuch bhi poochti hoon isko lagta hai, mujhe nahi poochna chahiye...........
B:Jee koi baat nahi, main Mt Abu ki hoon
M:Ghar pe kaun hai beta?
JW:Maaaaaaaasi
M shushes him and pries.........
JW's phone rings he excuses himself, Maasi conducts her interrogation in peace
He returns in a few minutes, Tony has in the meanwhile set tons of snacks on the coffee table, namkeen sweets, cookies and pastries and ofcourse the lowly chai!
B reaches for a chocolate chip cookie (the gourmet kind, moist chewy and HUGE) I love chocolate chip...... ( alil embarrassed when she sees Maasi smilin)
JW:Tony sab le jao
M: Arey beta kyon, abhi lunch baad mein kar lena na, abhi baitho (taps the seat on the other side of Banee, on he other corner...... B dreads he is gonna sit by her.... and
he does, his legs almost brushing her saree clad ones but not quite, she feels the heat anyway................
JW: Maasi sirf chai honi chahiye (looks at B's eyes challengingly, trying to reach for her cookie)
She moves her hand away flushed face, pleading with her eyes for him to stop teasing her. Her stress level was increasing multifold with every passing second, Maasi was
being a sweetheart, her questions were very honest and Bani didnt mind at all responding to them. It was JW who was being annoying, persistent and just a plain pest.
M:Ghar pe kaun kaun hai beta?
B:Jee Papa, aur sabse chhoti sister, beech waali yaha Mumbai mein final year kar rahi hai.
M: shaadi ho gayi?
B blushes beetroot red!
JW: Maasi, main isko is liye nahi laaya ki aap iska interview le................
M: Munna maine to bus poocha............
JW: (turns to her) Iam sorry Bani (whispers)
B:Its OK........ (doesnt look at him but he notices the high color on her cheekbones)
Maasi is still waitin for her answer............
B: Abhi nahi.... Maa.... Aunty
M: Mujeh tum bhi Maasi kaho beta
B: Achha Thank you
She is aware of hsi eyes on her face , but just chews on her cookie, loves it, drinks more than one cup of chai.......she wishes he wud get up and they could go home.
Just when she is wishing that, a very charming man walks in a pale grey suit, he has one of the most dazzling smiles B has ever seen, seems like he may be a few years
older than JW................
Aditya :Wow!! What a surprise! THE Jai Walia not at the office on a Sunday? I see WHY? (grins and looks at B)
B is embarrassed tries to inch as far away from JW ,on the couch, as possible.
A: And who could this lovely lady be? (extends his hand out)
B: Bani Dixit (smiles and reaches for it)
A: Oh!(taps his index finger on his forehead and tries to recall) Oh! The young lady, I shud say GIRL, from AA, junior Associate? (smiles eagerly and waits for her approval)
B: (pleased) Haan. You got! Thats right Thats me!
A: WELCOME!
A: Oh Sorry Mera naam Aditya (whats his last name on the show?). I am his best friend and also his ex-brother in-law
B: (looks at JW curiously)
JW nods and smiles in ack... amused at Aditya's attempt to impress B.
A: He has NEVER brought a girl as beautiful as you home! Infact Jai kabhi kisi ladki ko ghar nahi laya! Its is indeed a pleasant surprise
B is stunned just opens and closes her mouth like a fish for a minute, Jai meanwhile reaches for his purse and takes out a wad of bills, and hands it to a confused Aditya
A:Yeh kis liye Jai?
JW: For what you just said Aditya (tauntingly)
B imm understands what he means, wants to kill JW for implying that B wud assume that he paid Aditya to say what he did!
HOW DARE HE! She fumes!
JW: (grinning) Banee thinks ki main office is liye jaata hoon ki.(Bani interrupts...........)
B (shrilly) Mr Aditya, aap bhi Mr Walia ke biz mein hain (artificial curiosity)
A:(senses the first zap from the undercurrent, looks at her flushed face and his friend's smug one) Haan Ms Dixit
B: Plz aap mujhe Banee keh sakte hain!
JW: She only wants ME to address her as Ms Dixit!
Snap!
B: I hardly know him! (spontaneous) mera matlab KNEW,................ ,................(Does she know him or doesnt she? shud she be here or not? does she know Aditya more than JW or vice versa?😕)
JW: Ya but she will gladly accept an invite to visit my house.............
B has a I DID NOT! look, JW is thoroughly enjoying himself............
A: Jai, stop tormenting her!
B likes him already
JW looks at her questioningly, "Am I" she responds back with her eyes "I will definitely cause more pain when I kill you"
A: (turns to JW) What are u doing at home today?
B starts talking with Maasi not wnating to hear the exchange between the two
M aasi asks her how long she has been in Mumbai etc, tells her JW LIVES at the office or is away on biz trips and is rarely home and thanks B for being able to see HIM at
home on a Sunday. B is totally embarrassed, tries to be evasive and not accept the compliment, but Aditya has overheard the convo and he interrupts........
A: Maasi, hame Bani ko Thank karna chahiye, warna aisa kabhi nahi hua ki Jai ne Sunday ghar pe bitaya ho.
JW: Thats enough Aditya (cheerfully) I am hungry
B: I am not!
Its hard for Maasi and Aditya to ignore the undercurrents again, they try to be as polite as possible but have to literally excuse themselves to let those two fight in private
M: (half happy half cusrious) achha main dekh ke aati hoon Tony ne lunch mein kya banaya hai (starts to leave)
A: Maasi, aapko to Ahuja's ke yahan jaana tha na lunch ke baad? (Follows her)
The couple cant wait they go for it
B: I am not hungry mujhe ghar jaana hai
JW: Hum ghar par hi hai Bani, u ate two cookies tumhe kyon lagegi bhook?
B: (angry and ashamed) Mr Walia how rude! U saw how many I ate?
JW( calm, again amused at seeing her agitated) Not only how many Baneee, but i also saw how you ate them!
She is confused for a second, and then suddenly dusts her lips and cheeks frantically with her hand, he watches her do it and quietly extends his left hand out and picks off
a tiny speck of a crumb from the edge of her saree, near the collar bone and pops it into his mouth.
She watches in horror, doesnt speak for a minute
B:I want to go home, TO MY apartment (shaky)
JW: lets eat first! (as if she is talking in Persian!)
B: NO!
Silence! He lets her sulk for a while.................. his phone rings he answers and talks for a few minutes, she fidgets with her saree first and then her purse, checks her
instant msgs tos ee if there are any from Rano or Pia, there are none.............. he hangs up and taps his Treo on his knee, rotates it there, holding the center, she is
watching all of it surreptiously...............
B: Maasi ko prashaad nahi diya...........
(she gets up to go)
He casually places a hand on her knee to stop her, she can feel the heat of his touch thru her saree, recoils as if someone punched her
JW: I am sorry! (takes his hand away) Banee dont go! Koi lekar aa jaayega.................... (leans his head back exposing the strong column of his throat, B can see the
adam's apple move thru the corner of her left eye)" Baneee tumhe ghar dikhaoon?
B: No! (husky)
JW: You want to sit here jab tak khaana nahi lag jaata?(curious)
B: Hmmm........
JW: I cud show you the study atleast.........(childlike eagerness)
B: I shudnt even be here, I dont know you! (phir shuru ho gayi)
JW: Baneeeeeeee!!! Not AGAIN!(shuts his eyes, and moves his head from side to side, opens it finds her sitting straight, towards the front, back all stiff ready to get up)
Pulls her by her elbow, gently back on the couch, she falls back with a thud, her hair flying all over, some strands on his face, she quickly laces her fingers thru them and
shoves it behind her neck) Stop it!!
JW: Baneeee RELAX! ( throws his head back again, right leg on his left knee, taps the cell phone on his right ankle rythmically..............she CANNOT!, her forearm rubbing
his tee clad one, she could almost see sparks when they rub off like that)
B:Lets go see the house!
JW: Not now! Khaana khaakar
B: Mujhe abhi dekhna hai!
JW: No Baneee! Tell me tum free time mein kya karti ho?
B: Kabhi Switzerland jaati hoon kabhi Spain! (caustic)
JW: Bus do jagah?
Howzzat!
B: Not every body is Jai Walia u see! (turns to him and smiles)
He just looks at her laughing eyes the teeth the face................ ends up just staring, shuts his eyes)
JW: Jai Walia's life is boring Baneee
B: I am sureee (ya right! tone)
JW: U dont have a very high opinion of me do u?
B: I dont have an opinion AT ALL
JW: Liar! (Softly, looks at her, she looks at him)
JW: U shud spend a day at the office with me, phir tum mujhe sympathize karogi! (eyes on her lips)
B feels bad suddenly but doesnt want to apologize!
B: Even I have a brutal schedule, have u heard how over worked and underpaid accountants are ;-)?
JW:I am sure you do! (sincerely)
B: Atleast u make the BIG bucks!
JW: Baneee why do u WANT to hate me?
B: I dont (huskily)
JW: Thanks! (he takes it as "I dont hate you")
B:(she means to say "I already KNOW that I hate you, I dont want to hate you") I said....... I dont want..........(he interrupts)
JW: If u dont shut up now Baneee, I am going to stop u the only way we both know works! (husky warning)
***********************************************
FLASHBACK PART VI
She doesnt say a word to him in the car, almost remorseful may be for her sudden change of mind. He is busy checking e-mails on his Treo, doesnt pay much attention to
her, looks for a tablet to write on find a yellow striped one in the pocket behing the driver seat, lifts the arm rest between the two of them and takes the pen out of the cavity
there, writes some notes dwon, she tries not to be curious, wonders when her laptop can be fixed, decides to call her IT support when she gets home. Relaizes she hasnt
left any note for Anjali, wonders if she will be curious upon her return from the tailor "must look at her new suit designs, and may be borrow some patterns B decides.
Doesnt realize JW is done " Is this yours?"
Turns around to find the old black and white clip in the shape of an 8 with a stick tthru it in JW's hand (her Mom's 80's style clip, one of her faves, she hadnt realized she had
left it in his car that nite on her ride back home from the dinner/elevator/kiss fiasco nite) (blushes) Hmm! thanks! (extends her hand out)
He moves his hand away "not so fast Bani"
B:Kya matlab?
JW: I can give this back to you on one condition! (smiles)
B thinks he is insane
B:U are crazy! (hers eyes tell him)
JW:Nahi Banee main woh nahi soch raha jo tum soch rahi ho (winks) tho that wud be good tho, but no............
B:Plz mujhe mera clip deejiye, meri mummy ka tha, mera fave hai.
JW(his expression changes) I am sorry, u said tha? Iska matlab?.......................
B:Haan.........
JW i am sorry Baneee
B:Dont worry (sadly)
JW: Its ur fave hmm? (trying to cheer her up)
B:Haan (smiles)
JW:So how about you take off the one u are wearing right now, phir maine tumhe yeh de doonga?
B (smiles) koi baat nahi aap hi rakhiye clip
JW: Baneeeee
She tries to lunge at him to get it, he is too quick he tucks it in the map ledge on the door, she has to touch him to reach it, so she stops, gives him a dirty look and looks
away.........
Silence
B sneakily reaches for her hair and take soff her clip, much to his amused satisfaction, her face flaming, but hidden behind the curtain of hair, remembers to put this one in
her purse.
He smiles openly reaches for ther fave BW one and hands it back, she takes it without looking at him, he holds on not letting go, she looks up at him,he makes sure she
sees that intense look in hsi eyes before he hands it.
They reach Mahalakshmi, D parks the car, she leaves her purse in her car, just taking some change in her hand for flowers etc.....they get off.its windy she holdss her hair
with both hands trying to keep it behind her ears.
JW walks close to her, whispers in her ear "I thot u will wear ur clip as soon as u got ur fave one back"
Set JW!
******************
Not being a very religious man he basically follows her, seeing her confidence in weaving thru the Sunday crowd, buying her prashaad and flowers and other things for
offering, he pays before she can annoying her
JW:I hardly come here Banee is baar mujhe dene do plz
B:Aap baad mein apne aap aayiye na (sulks)
JW:I swear next time it will be ur turn, main purse ghar par rakhkar aaoonga OK?
Her hrt skips a beat............ with him? again? here? When? will it ever happen?
Pro'lly not!!, he is just saying that!
B:Aap kyon nahi aate yahan? (both walk towards the winding pathways leading to the temple
JW:Koi saath chalne waala nahi hai, or shud I say chalne waali nahi hai (winks)
B:Mandir hai stop joking
JW: OK sorry, what ever u say
Silence
He is basically being led by her, he is holding her stiuff, the winds were making it impossible for her to clutch her money and hold her hair back she hands it to him, loses
him in the crowds once, turns around finds him lost, looking for her, taps on his shoulder, they smile, he, without asking reaches for and holds her hand, she feels like she
just dipped it into a pot of boiling water, it singes her fingers to her bones, paralyzed she lets him drag her.............his fingers long and tapering, not at all rough, but not soft
either............
Get the darshan, get their prashad, walk back to the car, He watches her with amusement as she hands some prashad out to Darshan who places his left hand on his head
before taking it............
He drives them home.......................
JW reads the day's newspaper, she rests her head back on the seat and without knowing just dozes off, wakes up to realize they are in front of a huge white house, with
carefully landscaped lawns and a long winding drive way leading up to a house that sat on a 15 feet elevation........... overlooking......... the OCEAN!!
She is dazed and confused......... "yeh kya hai?"
JW:Ghar!(blandly)
B(bristling) Thanks, I thot it was a yacht...........
Set BW!
JW laughs aloud, "Oh well, woh bhi............actually I am trying to buy a yacht, ek Mauritian of Indian origin se............ (casually)
B: I refuse to get down, yeh kahan le aaye aap mujhe?
JW:Baneeee dont panic this is MY house
B:NOOOOOOOOO (colors again)
JW: Plz, just ek chai? I know u love chai............
B: Mujhe mere ghar jaana hai
JW: Sure wahan bhi .............. lekin abhi tum pehle utro
B: I dont even know you, main aapke ghar nahi ja sakti
JW: Baneeeeee I am not Count Dracula
B:Uske ghar main chali jaati, I know he will kill me BUT u......... (stops!)
JW: Main kya? (taunts, realizes she was getting to his fave part)
B: No! ("Iam not finishing the rest of my sentence")
JW: If I promise NOT to ravish you in my house phir chalogi?
Her heart crash lands on an open field, her entire body bursting into flames on impact, she shuts her eyes and shakes her head...........
JW:If u wont then I will have to ravish you HERE
Her eyes fly open........... to find his laughing
She grabs her purse and lets herself out, slaaams the door and just starts walking towards the entrance.
JW: Pehle gaadi se nahi utar rahi thi, abhi mujhse pehle mere ghar ke andar jaana chahti ho? (teasing)
B: Mujhe aapse koi baat nahi karni
He rings the door bell A guy in a black butler suit and white gloves ;-) opens the door
Guy:Morning Sir, (quickly checks his watch) Oh sorry afternoon sir, afternoon maam
B has a Wow, so he is beheaded if he got the greeting time wrong?" look when she meets JW's eyes
JW: No Banee we dont behead we just use the lethal injection! Beheading is inhumane!(serious)
Set JW!
For a second her face pales, he cant seem to hide his laughter, her face has a furious expression on it,
JW: Tony ghar pe koi nahi hai
T: No Sir Jigyasa Maam Poona gayi hai.........
JW nods ( Tony steps back and disappears! into thin air!)
B is still annoyed............
B: U are the most creepy guy I ever met! (between her teeth)
JW(in her ears) U are the most beautiful woman I have ever met!
Set JW!
B: Just tea! (firmly)
JW:Sure............ absolutely!!
Its a HUGE living room with 5 sets of sofas placed strategically all around, silk woven leather upholstered, comfy, hard as rock on ur b--- kinds....... original artwork on the
walls, exquisite woven rugs and carpets on the floor, crystal chandelairs the works..........
B thinks "hes pro'lly never reported all of his income, God! he is an epitome of conspicuous consumption"
JW: U cud look at my returns Baneeee!
B: I dont want to (guilty)
JW: My sister decorates the house, I hardly live here.........
B realizes he said he was "not married" "then why doesnt he live here?" "maybe he still lives with roshni hoping to rekindle the flames?"
JW: I TRAVEL a lot Baneee, nahi Roshni Mumbai mein nahi rehti .................. ab woh London mein rehti hai (sad?)
B:I dont care!
JW: Ya I am sure u dont (taunt)
A lady in her 50's walks in, when he is just getting her all comfy on the plush red silk and gold couch, a lil heavy wearing an expensive cotton threadwork sareee, with
original pearls around her neck and in her ears, with a sandalwood paste oval on her forehead................
JW: Arey Maasi, aap ghar pe hain?
M:Kyon Munna tum chahte the ki main ghar pe na miloon? (winks mischievously glancing at B)
B just about falls on the floor in shock on heraing the word MUNNA pop out of the lady's mouth. She looks at him with "Was that YOU?"
JW: (smiles fondly) haan Bani Thats my name, another one......... actually.
B concludes that its a family of insane people and she wont delve too much into why his nick name is what it is, she does NOT wnat to know
M is all curious, in a cute "who has my son brought home for the first time today in almost a year?"
B catches JW almost blushing a lil embarrassed may be?, she cant believe what her eyes just saw........ " It cant be?" " He just brought me home, why shud HE BE SHY?"
M: Kya naam hai beta tumhara?
B:Jee, Bani Dixit.
M thinks....... hmm so u are a brahmin?
M: Kahan ki ho?
JW:Maasi plz
M:Main kuch bhi poochti hoon isko lagta hai, mujhe nahi poochna chahiye...........
B:Jee koi baat nahi, main Mt Abu ki hoon
M:Ghar pe kaun hai beta?
JW:Maaaaaaaasi
M shushes him and pries.........
JW's phone rings he excuses himself, Maasi conducts her interrogation in peace
He returns in a few minutes, Tony has in the meanwhile set tons of snacks on the coffee table, namkeen sweets, cookies and pastries and ofcourse the lowly chai!
B reaches for a chocolate chip cookie (the gourmet kind, moist chewy and HUGE) I love chocolate chip...... ( alil embarrassed when she sees Maasi smilin)
JW:Tony sab le jao
M: Arey beta kyon, abhi lunch baad mein kar lena na, abhi baitho (taps the seat on the other side of Banee, on he other corner...... B dreads he is gonna sit by her.... and
he does, his legs almost brushing her saree clad ones but not quite, she feels the heat anyway................
JW: Maasi sirf chai honi chahiye (looks at B's eyes challengingly, trying to reach for her cookie)
She moves her hand away flushed face, pleading with her eyes for him to stop teasing her. Her stress level was increasing multifold with every passing second, Maasi was
being a sweetheart, her questions were very honest and Bani didnt mind at all responding to them. It was JW who was being annoying, persistent and just a plain pest.
M:Ghar pe kaun kaun hai beta?
B:Jee Papa, aur sabse chhoti sister, beech waali yaha Mumbai mein final year kar rahi hai.
M: shaadi ho gayi?
B blushes beetroot red!
JW: Maasi, main isko is liye nahi laaya ki aap iska interview le................
M: Munna maine to bus poocha............
JW: (turns to her) Iam sorry Bani (whispers)
B:Its OK........ (doesnt look at him but he notices the high color on her cheekbones)
Maasi is still waitin for her answer............
B: Abhi nahi.... Maa.... Aunty
M: Mujeh tum bhi Maasi kaho beta
B: Achha Thank you
She is aware of hsi eyes on her face , but just chews on her cookie, loves it, drinks more than one cup of chai.......she wishes he wud get up and they could go home.
Just when she is wishing that, a very charming man walks in a pale grey suit, he has one of the most dazzling smiles B has ever seen, seems like he may be a few years
older than JW................
Aditya :Wow!! What a surprise! THE Jai Walia not at the office on a Sunday? I see WHY? (grins and looks at B)
B is embarrassed tries to inch as far away from JW ,on the couch, as possible.
A: And who could this lovely lady be? (extends his hand out)
B: Bani Dixit (smiles and reaches for it)
A: Oh!(taps his index finger on his forehead and tries to recall) Oh! The young lady, I shud say GIRL, from AA, junior Associate? (smiles eagerly and waits for her approval)
B: (pleased) Haan. You got! Thats right Thats me!
A: WELCOME!
A: Oh Sorry Mera naam Aditya (whats his last name on the show?). I am his best friend and also his ex-brother in-law
B: (looks at JW curiously)
JW nods and smiles in ack... amused at Aditya's attempt to impress B.
A: He has NEVER brought a girl as beautiful as you home! Infact Jai kabhi kisi ladki ko ghar nahi laya! Its is indeed a pleasant surprise
B is stunned just opens and closes her mouth like a fish for a minute, Jai meanwhile reaches for his purse and takes out a wad of bills, and hands it to a confused Aditya
A:Yeh kis liye Jai?
JW: For what you just said Aditya (tauntingly)
B imm understands what he means, wants to kill JW for implying that B wud assume that he paid Aditya to say what he did!
HOW DARE HE! She fumes!
JW: (grinning) Banee thinks ki main office is liye jaata hoon ki.(Bani interrupts...........)
B (shrilly) Mr Aditya, aap bhi Mr Walia ke biz mein hain (artificial curiosity)
A:(senses the first zap from the undercurrent, looks at her flushed face and his friend's smug one) Haan Ms Dixit
B: Plz aap mujhe Banee keh sakte hain!
JW: She only wants ME to address her as Ms Dixit!
Snap!
B: I hardly know him! (spontaneous) mera matlab KNEW,................ ,................(Does she know him or doesnt she? shud she be here or not? does she know Aditya more than JW or vice versa?😕)
JW: Ya but she will gladly accept an invite to visit my house.............
B has a I DID NOT! look, JW is thoroughly enjoying himself............
A: Jai, stop tormenting her!
B likes him already
JW looks at her questioningly, "Am I" she responds back with her eyes "I will definitely cause more pain when I kill you"
A: (turns to JW) What are u doing at home today?
B starts talking with Maasi not wnating to hear the exchange between the two
M aasi asks her how long she has been in Mumbai etc, tells her JW LIVES at the office or is away on biz trips and is rarely home and thanks B for being able to see HIM at
home on a Sunday. B is totally embarrassed, tries to be evasive and not accept the compliment, but Aditya has overheard the convo and he interrupts........
A: Maasi, hame Bani ko Thank karna chahiye, warna aisa kabhi nahi hua ki Jai ne Sunday ghar pe bitaya ho.
JW: Thats enough Aditya (cheerfully) I am hungry
B: I am not!
Its hard for Maasi and Aditya to ignore the undercurrents again, they try to be as polite as possible but have to literally excuse themselves to let those two fight in private
M: (half happy half cusrious) achha main dekh ke aati hoon Tony ne lunch mein kya banaya hai (starts to leave)
A: Maasi, aapko to Ahuja's ke yahan jaana tha na lunch ke baad? (Follows her)
The couple cant wait they go for it
B: I am not hungry mujhe ghar jaana hai
JW: Hum ghar par hi hai Bani, u ate two cookies tumhe kyon lagegi bhook?
B: (angry and ashamed) Mr Walia how rude! U saw how many I ate?
JW( calm, again amused at seeing her agitated) Not only how many Baneee, but i also saw how you ate them!
She is confused for a second, and then suddenly dusts her lips and cheeks frantically with her hand, he watches her do it and quietly extends his left hand out and picks off
a tiny speck of a crumb from the edge of her saree, near the collar bone and pops it into his mouth.
She watches in horror, doesnt speak for a minute
B:I want to go home, TO MY apartment (shaky)
JW: lets eat first! (as if she is talking in Persian!)
B: NO!
Silence! He lets her sulk for a while.................. his phone rings he answers and talks for a few minutes, she fidgets with her saree first and then her purse, checks her
instant msgs tos ee if there are any from Rano or Pia, there are none.............. he hangs up and taps his Treo on his knee, rotates it there, holding the center, she is
watching all of it surreptiously...............
B: Maasi ko prashaad nahi diya...........
(she gets up to go)
He casually places a hand on her knee to stop her, she can feel the heat of his touch thru her saree, recoils as if someone punched her
JW: I am sorry! (takes his hand away) Banee dont go! Koi lekar aa jaayega.................... (leans his head back exposing the strong column of his throat, B can see the
adam's apple move thru the corner of her left eye)" Baneee tumhe ghar dikhaoon?
B: No! (husky)
JW: You want to sit here jab tak khaana nahi lag jaata?(curious)
B: Hmmm........
JW: I cud show you the study atleast.........(childlike eagerness)
B: I shudnt even be here, I dont know you! (phir shuru ho gayi)
JW: Baneeeeeeee!!! Not AGAIN!(shuts his eyes, and moves his head from side to side, opens it finds her sitting straight, towards the front, back all stiff ready to get up)
Pulls her by her elbow, gently back on the couch, she falls back with a thud, her hair flying all over, some strands on his face, she quickly laces her fingers thru them and
shoves it behind her neck) Stop it!!
JW: Baneeee RELAX! ( throws his head back again, right leg on his left knee, taps the cell phone on his right ankle rythmically..............she CANNOT!, her forearm rubbing
his tee clad one, she could almost see sparks when they rub off like that)
B:Lets go see the house!
JW: Not now! Khaana khaakar
B: Mujhe abhi dekhna hai!
JW: No Baneee! Tell me tum free time mein kya karti ho?
B: Kabhi Switzerland jaati hoon kabhi Spain! (caustic)
JW: Bus do jagah?
Howzzat!
B: Not every body is Jai Walia u see! (turns to him and smiles)
He just looks at her laughing eyes the teeth the face................ ends up just staring, shuts his eyes)
JW: Jai Walia's life is boring Baneee
B: I am sureee (ya right! tone)
JW: U dont have a very high opinion of me do u?
B: I dont have an opinion AT ALL
JW: Liar! (Softly, looks at her, she looks at him)
JW: U shud spend a day at the office with me, phir tum mujhe sympathize karogi! (eyes on her lips)
B feels bad suddenly but doesnt want to apologize!
B: Even I have a brutal schedule, have u heard how over worked and underpaid accountants are ;-)?
JW:I am sure you do! (sincerely)
B: Atleast u make the BIG bucks!
JW: Baneee why do u WANT to hate me?
B: I dont (huskily)
JW: Thanks! (he takes it as "I dont hate you")
B:(she means to say "I already KNOW that I hate you, I dont want to hate you") I said....... I dont want..........(he interrupts)
JW: If u dont shut up now Baneee, I am going to stop u the only way we both know works! (husky warning)
***********************************************
Kumkum Bhagya
Tu Dhadkan Main Dil
Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi 2
