Part 4
The words momentarily caught in his throat…The eyes which had so long haunted him, burned through his dark ones… It was as though they could read that which was closed to the rest of the world… For a moment nothing was spoken, or done. And then he looked down gathering the scattered pieces of paper. In the process, his hand brushed against hers… Goosebumps slithered along the length of his arm. She too, seemed to have felt some sort of connection… something beyond the momentary touch, as indicated by her sudden movement… She shivered.
Finally, he held up the stacked papers and slowly they stood. Holding the papers towards her, the silence was broken by his deep, husky voice… "Khud se toh aap jhoot bol sakti hain, lekin aapni in aankhon ko kaise samjhayeingi?… Sambhaliye apne papers… aur khud ko." And with that he walked away leaving the girl pondering over the truth with which this stranger had just met her with…
Her fork disinterestedly worked with the rice sitting on her plate, long gone cold with time… "Khud se toh aap jhoot bol sakti hain, lekin apni in aakhon ko kaise samjhayeingi?…" His whispered words rang in ears… They had been since she had left the mall. Frusterated, she let out a deep sigh turning her attention towards the file containing her certificates etc. that she had presented at the interview. She held it in her hands for a moment, once again the man's voice ringing in her ears… Getting up, she felt something slip… A little piece of paper caught her eye on the marbled floor. Bending down, she picked it up and turned it realizing it was a card. "Mr. Jai Walia of Walia Industries."
She felt awkward and helplessly nervous standing in the drive-way of a massive house. Why had she come… she struggled with the prospect of running back home. Her eyes wandered around, seeing men and women, all dressed up in their exquisite designer suits and saris… It was not that she was unhappy with her violet and white shaded salwar kameez, but she felt sort of… Out of place. Perhaps it was the thought of being amongst so many people… But then, she had always remained alone, be it in the solace of her room… or the midst of a crowd. Finally making up her mind, she stepped into the entrance…But just as she did, something caught her eyes. "Walia Palace" read the name plate. She did not have to fumble her mind for realizing where she had heard it. "Jai Walia." Maybe it was another Walia she told herself… Afterall, he can't be the only Walia in a city like Mumbai.
Her eyes wandered beyond the line of invitees waiting to get passed the entrance… Desparately she searched for Rano… Anyone she may know… Finally it was her turn to be greeted by the elderly lady standing by the door, accompanied by a man… She saw him somewhere before, but could not be bothered… "Namaste", she bowed low seeking the woman's blessings. The woman said nothing for a moment and then her face beamed in a bright smile. "Humesha khush raho" she blessed the girl. Another man, younger than the other showed up calling the lady, "Maasi… chaliye sab aapka intezaar kar rahe hai." The lady nods and tells the man, "abhi ayi Ranveer beta." She then turns back to the girl and engulfs her face in her warm hands. "Bahut pyari bachi ho… naam kya hai tumhara?" Before she could speak another voice interrupted, "Ye Bani hai, meri dost" smiled Rano. Relief showered the girl's innocent voice. Rano took her by the arm and Bani was lost amongst the crowd…
The gentle movement of bodies in sync with a passionate rhythm reflected through moist, kohl-layered eyes… Not too far off, the same picture came off of a pair of deep set ones… Amongst a crowd of people, two souls lost in their "tanhayee" faintly heard the music… "Ab mujhe raat din, tumhara hi khayal hai.. Kya karoon pyar mein… deewano jaisa haal hai…"
Looking at the boxes of gifts piled high, Dadi giggled excitedly coaxing Billo Massi to open and unravel the mysteries… The Walias gathered in the living room relaxing after an evening of party… One-by-one Massi unfolded firstly the gifts she received from her family. "Hmm… Mere munna ki taraf se" she smiled curiously. What she pulled out was a beautiful red chiffon sari with an off-white touch… She was baffled at her son's exquisite taste, smoothing the material gently with her hands… The next to be opened was another package about the same size… There was no card, just a little note on the side of the wrapped gift. "To Maasiji, from Bani." For a moment she thought of where she had heard the name, and then it came… The innocent looking girl she met earlier. She remembered the meeting… There was an immediate connection… For some reason she felt it would not be the last time she would see the girl… Shifting her eyes back towards the red-wrapped box, she gently unravelled it to reveal a red material… Chiffon… off-white touch… She looked over it in awe and surprise as did the other eyes… "Aisa kaun hai joh bilkul humare Jai bhaiya ki tarah soch tah hai?" commented an overly dressed woman…
Jai Walia stood sort of aside from the rest of the family… Not that he wanted to isolate himself, but he had been so lost in other thoughts… He constantly recollected the moment where he came face to face with the stranger again… The deep orange of her sari, the kohl-layered eyes, the intoxicating fragrance… He had noticed it today again…Felt it so closely… Yet his eyes did not settle upon that face… At the mention of someone having a similar taste to his, he looked up and proceeded towards the group… Indeed, someone did have a similar taste as compared to his…
"Sir, aapse koi milne aya hai…Who apna naam Bani Dixit bata rahi hai," the receptionist spoke into speaker. He searched his brain trying to put a spot on the name… but to no avail. "Send her in" he responded roughly…
He was busily working away on his laptop and did not bother to look up when the sound of the knock on the door echoed in the room. "Come in" he called. From the corner of his eye, he could make a bangle-layden hand push against the glass… a peach-coloured dupatta flared in response to the sudden movement…. Dancing in the air with the AC breeze blowing through… "Hello sir." That was all it took… He looked up to see his eyes lock with beautiful kohl-layered ones…
The way he looked at her, sent an unknown current run through her… Her eyes lowered in shame… For a moment, nothing was said… She felt his eyes unfold the layers… and she could feel the knot in her stomach tighten… "Sir, meine paper mein parah ke aapko ek banquet manager ki zaroorat hai… Aapke naye hotel ke liye…" Her sentence was to remain unfinished as he interrupted, "Your hired…" She looked up in surprise. "Lekin sir, aapne toh…" His hand waved up, silencing her lips. "Meine aapki kabiliyat ko usi din pehchaan liya tah… jis din aapne mujhe us bheed mein pehchana tah."…
It had been three months since she had been working with Walia Industries. In the process, she had become well aquainted with the family members… Especially Maasi, who treated her more like a daughter…She enjoyed their company, but despite the relationships she had unknowingly stepped into, there was always something… something lacking…
Although they met each day, little besides work was ever discussed between her and Mr.Walia, and whatever was, had to do with business… Now she sat in her office next to Jai Walia's cabin… Her pen strokes gently writing the destiny of a newly selected employee… Startled by the ring of the phone, she drew an unintentional line across the page. Silently cursing the act, she responded to the deep, husky voice on the other end… "Bani, come to my cabin." Holding the quiet receiver in her hand, she pondered over the urgency in his voice… and the way in which he took her name… It was not often that he did, despite working together… but when he did, he seemed to take hold of her in a manner, which she struggled to put into words… Replacing it, she gets up, leaving a trail of mesmerizing fragrance behind her…
Cheers,
dc
Bade Achhe Lagte Hain
CID
Book Talk
