PART 38 C
FLASHBACK VIII
Maasi walks in breaking that eye contact, JW starts scrolling thru his cell phone messages. B looks away for a minute, trying to calm her thundering heart.
M: Munna chalo beta khaana khaate hain
JW(calm) Jee maasi!
JW: Bani lets go eat (no sign on his face of what happened a few minutes ago between them)
B: Hmmm Both get u and walk over to the dining area, JW sits at the head of the table on one side, Maasi asks her to sit in the first chair to the left and she herself sits in the one on JW's right. Aditya walks in and sits by Maasi. There are more than five covered serving bowls. B wonders who eats such a heavy lunch.
Tony walks by, does a bow/nod again at JW, who seems really happy for some reason.
M: Bete tumhe kya khaana sabse zyaada pasand hai
B: Jee Dal chawal (shy)
M: Woh to mujhe bhi bahut pasand hai beta, lekin Munna ko chicken
B rolls her eyes, when M ad A are talking abt what will be doscovered next in the bowls......
JW catches that
JW: Maasi Bani vegetarian hai! Woh kehti hai agar koi non-veg khaata hoga to woh us se shaadi nahi karegi. Kyon Bani, that still holds true right? (challenge)
B(sweeeeet smile) Haan Mr Walia, I WONT! (a lil dollop extra of vehemence for him)
M: Bani, mera Munna chicken khaata hai par bahut seedha hai, is se nek ladka aaj kal maine to nahi dekha (proud, beaming)
B has a "what ever" look, "Seedha?" and HIM? "LADKA?"
Maasi needs her eyes tested
JW: leans forward poiting to the sabzi on her plate "Dontw orry she wears contacts"
B blushes and starts eating
She loves the paneer and rotis and ofcourse the dal tadka too she takes an extra helping of rice.
She is happy it doesnt contain any cashews
M: Tony, aapne aaj kaju nahi daale chawal mein bhool gaye kya?
T(sheepish) Sorry Maasiji
JW: Good Tony Thanks, Bani ko kaju pasand nahi hai Maasi
M (smiles at A conspiratorily) Are wah mere munna ko abhi se itna khayaal hai Bani ka?
B almost spits her food in shock!
OMG! Maasi thinks "we are dating"!
OMG!
She suddenly loses intrest in the food, bends down in an attempt to hide her face.
A: Bani khaana kaisa laga?
B: Excellent Mr Aditya.
A: Sharmao nahi, please eat well.
B: Jee (she can feel his eyes on her, bends down again, thru the corner of her eyes she can see him eat ravenously. He ate poha at my house almost all of it why is HE so hungry?, she wonders)
M: Munna tumne aaj nashta nahi kiya, Tony ne kaha, kyon beta?
JW: Bhook nahi thi Maasi,tab se kuch nahi khaaya na is liye I am really hungry now
M: Munna breakfast bahut zaroori hota hai beta! (scolds him lovingly)
JW: Jee maasi, aage se dhyaan rakhoonga (looks at B when he responds)
B has a blood sugar count of 400 just listening to that exchange!! Gosh! What a family! The guy is lying thru his teeth and his aunt cant figure out?
She's got to be blind!
A: U shud tie the knot soon my friend!
B chokes on her food, drinks some water
JW: Aditya come off it! I skipped breakfast for one day so I need to be married?
A: Well, u need to be married anyway!
M: Haan Munna main Mrs Ahuja ke yahan ja rahi hoon aaj unke bete ka roka hai. Woh tumse 4 saal chhota hai. Main keh kehke thak gayi hoon tum sunte hi nahi
Bani tum hi isko samjhao na beta
B has a "What the hell is happening here?" look on her face. JW unperturbed just continues to eat, serving himself more of what ever his fave non-veg Tony has made
She can see the twitch on the corner of his mouth, she wants to score her fork over it!
B: Maasi? Ab main kya keh sakti hoon? (shocked, blushing, paling all at the same time)
M: Dekho isne hamari baat to suni nahi, shaayad tumhari sun le?
B is like "Is it MY problem?" but her upringing doesnt allow her to be impolite
She is really furious at JW for not stopping his Aunt.
B: Maasi shaayad yeh bachelor rehna chahte hongey? (taunts and coaxes him to respond)
JW: Vinay Ahuja ki shaadi hai?
M: HaanMunna tum bhool gaye?
JW: I guess. They are all gettin married, except me! (mock-sad face)
M: Tum to isko jaanti ho ab, tum hi batao, yeh kisi ko chahta hai kya?
B Aap inse poochiye na. Main to sirf inke saath kaam karti hoon (she almost wants to say her fave line "Main to jaanti bhi nahi bus do din pehle mili, aur aapke "MUNNA" ne mujhe do baar kiss kar diya!!!!!" but checks herself, what if Maasi asks "if u dont know him what are u doing here today?")
B slowly turns towards JW "Aapko Maasi ji ka dil rakhne ke liye shaadi kar leni chahiye (taunts)
JW: Kis se karoon? (back at her)
B has a "I give up! Go to HELL!" look
Starts eating again
A: Bani how do u like your job?
B: I LOVE it Mr Aditya
A: I hear you will be on a team that will help us with the public issue. Is that correct?
B: Jee!
JW and him start talking abt work, Maasi just heaps and heaps and heaps more food on her plate. She tries to gobble it all up but gives up towards the end
Maasi requests T to get dessert, he wheels a CART in! It has cold desserts in the bottom tray and hot ones on top.
B wonders if today was some festival she missed. she knew she wasnt being very good about keeping track of them since she came to Mumbai.
Or may be there was a wedding in the family? She wonders
She wants to ask but does not.
She excuses herself, to go wash up. JW follows her. She refuses to talk with him again!
JW: Khaana kaisa laga?
B: It was great! Thank you (short)
JW: Ab kya hua? (walking close by, almost rubbing her shoulder with his arm)
B: Kuch nahi. I am late mujhe ghar jaana hai!
They wash up and walk back to the couch.
JW: Baneeee I was just teasing you!
B is quiet.
M aasi is following them close by, so they dont get a chance to fight again.
JW: Bani what is ur fave dessert?
B: Iam sooooo full. Main nahi khaoongi
M: Munna isko ghar nahi dikhaya? (hint hint kinda tone)
JW: Jee Maasi abhi
JW: Bani? (she almost gonna sit down, when he calls her, she follows him)
M and A sit down and watch them climb the curvy winding stairs
JW: Where do you want to start first?
B: How about Ancient History? (a tinge of sarcasm, equating it to a Museum sightseeing trip)
JW: Ouch! (smiles)
B: I am so full, mujhe neend aa rahi hai
JW: Kitna so-ogi Baneee? Car mein bhi so gayi thi
B: I am tired! (irritated) If ud idnt sleep all nite phir aap ko bhi neend aayegi
(bites her lip as soon as that slips out)
JW: Kyon nahi soi? (curious, flirty)
B: Mujhe..... Main aur Anjali movie dekh rahe the............
JW: Kaun si
B: Yaad nahi!
JW: Sach mein neend nahi aayi hogi tabhi naam bhi bhool gayi, kyon
B: Get lost!
He is heading twrds his study. She is taken aback by the masculinity of it all, the huge desk, with the latest high-tech conferencing equipment, flat screen monitor, multiple lap tops, a rolled up projector screen hanging from a wall, sorround sound, leather sofas with shiny steel studs on the trim, an entire wall lined with books tapes, CDs, DVDs and a few family pix on the wall among original art
It was stately and aristocratic but NOT comfy and cozy she realizes
B gravitates towards pix. she LOVES looking at pix, in fact first thing she does when she visit people's homes is look on their walls for family pix ;-)
There is one..... what seems like him with his sister? may be or ex-wife?
B wants to ask brings her hand out but stops
JW: Meri girlfriend ya ex-wife nahi hai, its my sister Aditya's wife, ex-wife I shud say, Jigyasa
B: I never said she was YOUR wife.
JW: Baneee u dont have to! Ur eyes do half your talking......
B: NO!
She turns away, a few more, may be with their parents, one with a very young Maasi and him,
B: Maasi aur "munna" (taunting)
JW: U really hate it that she loves me dont you? (amused)
B: NO!
(shrugs) "Aapki Maasi hai, aapko kuch bhi kahe, Munna kahe sweetu kahe!" (nonchalantly)
JW: No Baneee only Munna. I will let u call me sweetheart! (winks, flirtatiously)
B: U are NOT sweet!
JW: Are u sure? (husky)
Turns away abruptly and walks to the DVDs.............
B:Aap yahan movies dekhte hain
JW: Kabhi kabhi Banee, I really dont get too much time
B: Throw pillows blankets kuch bhi nahi hai.............. I like to lay on the rug when I am watching a movie....... (thoughtful)
JW: We could get some..... (husky)
He is behind her leaning on the edge of the book case by the wall, hands in his pockets, feet crossed at the ankles, wtaching her touch, feel and admire stuff, read titles of books with eyes crinkled.........
B realizes a warm flush cover her entire body at that statement
She tries to ignore it............. but he is persistent "Want to watch a movie?"
B: Mmmm.... mmmmm
JW: U cud always come by later?
B: I dont know..............
He creeps up on her just when she is trying to pry a leather bound encyclopedia on math ;-) out with her index finger............
JW whats eems to her like effortlessly, pulls it out and hands it to her, she doesnt look at him, stares at the cover...........
He pulls at the book, she doesnt let go, shuts her eyes, she knows whats coming!He has his back against the oak shelves she is afoot or two away
JW: I said I wont ravish you in my house but I didnt say I wont kiss you (softly.......continues pulling on the book, drawing her closer in the process)
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Shiv Shakti
