Forever Yours - Final Part pg. 101 Updt - Page 64

Though they were a little morose about the treatment meted out to them by Mayank's parents, yet they maintained a jovial spirit simply because they could not afford to see their daughter unhappy in life. And they were convinced that Jai loved their Bani and would always keep her happy.

………….

Bani was busy at work when her mobile started humming, she looked at the number and saw that it was Mayank calling.

Bani groaned inwards 'Oh My God, now what? But I guess the final chapter has to be inked.'

Mayank was at his cordial and icy best on the other end of the line and asked whether she could meet him today at around 8 p.m. at The Rouge. Bani replied in the positive and with a hammering head and heart set down to work, once again. She knew she did what she had to do but she also knew that Mayank deserved a full-blown explanation and apology for her conduct the previous day. And to top it all, Mayank was a swell of a person only that he couldn't match up to Jai. Well, Bani thought, maybe no one in the universe could match up to him.

She concentrated on her work and soon plunged into the abyss of official drudgery. At around 6.30 p.m. she exited her Cabin and called for a cab, her car had gone to repairs. Once she was on the road, Bani realized that she had not spoken to Jai at all today and neither did he call her. She suddenly felt angry and sullen and pushed the accelerator harder to reach the venue well within time, she did not want to keep Mayank waiting, not this once at least.

Mayank was already seated when Bani reached The Rouge. The matre d'htel ushered her to the reserved table and as she sat down, Mayank looked up at her with sad eyes.

'Hello Bani', he said quietly 'How are you doing?'

Sitting down, Bani replied 'Am ok.'

Raising his glass as a toast, Mayank continued 'Well I forgot to congratulate you dear. Here's to Jai and you, Cheers'

He gulped down the crystal clear liquid in one go and reached for more champagne.

Feeling extremely uneasy, Bani said softly 'Thanks Mayank. But I want to apologise to you too for making you go through this.'

Twisting his lips in a wry smile, Mayank gazed intently into his champagne filled glass and bringing it up to his eye level, said 'Apologise, a very easy word to utter but is highly loaded.'

Looking down at Bani's ring figer, he gingerly picked it up and observed the gold band earnestly and continued

'Not as expensive as mine's definitely, but surely much more treasured and loved than mine's. Bani may I ask you one question only, Why Now? You could have told me long back. We could in fact have avoided this.'

Pulling her hand back from Mayank's grip and returning it back to its rightful place, Bani replied

'Simply because we were not aware of each other's feelings and hence there was nothing to tell anybody'

Keeping his glass down. Mayank rested his elbows on the table and remarked

'How very convenient Bani. You guys didn't even think of me once, didn't even think that you both owed me a complete revelation of facts and apology and …'

He was cut off by Bani

'Mayank, I am not sure whether you will believe me or not, but there was seriously nothing in our past that would interest you. We were always close friends from the very beginning but did not realize when this deep friendship changed into something else.'

'And it was at this instant that you realized that you two loved each other?' Mayank raised his voice quizzically.

A little irritated, Bani answered back 'So when would you have liked this realization to dawn upon us? Exactly after we got married?

See Mayank, I came here to apologise to you for the turn of events that happened yesterday. But you have to believe me that this was not intentional. It happened all of a sudden but I don't regret it. I am in love with Jai and I believe he loves me too, so that's it. And I will forever be grateful to God for showing us the way when we needed direction, strength and compassion. I don't want to enter into any bickering session with you on this.'

Bani stood up and gathered her handbag. Mayank nearly exploded with rage and shouted

'Yes Ms. Bani Dixit. It is so easy for you to say so and end everything, isn't it? But I wont let you have the last word in this issue. Why you two-timing b**** …'

'And if you want yourself intact in one piece, I would request you to kindly leave that sentence uncompleted and apologise to my fianc, right here, right now', Jai growled across the table.

Jai continued 'Thank goodness I came a few minutes early as per the time given by you to meet you here. Otherwise I would have missed your malevolence definitely. Didn't know that you had called Bani also. Well thank you for everything but would surely ask you to keep your mouth shut',
Jai's arm encircling a shocked Bani's shoulder.

Mayank continued shouting 'Oh so its you to the rescue of your kept …'

A timely aimed punch knocked the air off Mayank's lungs and as he fell on his chair he saw the livid face of Jai Walia, who was shaking with anger

'I told you to keep your mouth shut, but obviously you don't care. Hopefully this will keep you away from my fianc and also stop you from mouthing inane profanities. Come on Bani, let this jerk go to hell'.

Once outside the restaurant, Jai looked at Bani and noticed that she was still shaking from the aftershock. He pushed his anger to the backburner and concentrated on Bani, she needed him more now. As they reached his car, he slowly turned Bani towards him

'Bani I know its difficult but I would request you not to give much importance to that creep and his words. We all know the truth right? And the biggest truth is that Bani, I am in love with you and that's not going to change for anything in the world.'

He picked up his hand and wiped away an errant teardrop rolling down Bani's cheek who now whispered

'Jai, how can people be so mean? To think of it that I nearly lost you to get married to him …', fresh tears threatened to spill over.

Pulling her slowly towards him and encompassing her in his arms, she spoke into her hair

'Shhh baby, please try to forget it. No one can harm you now that you are here with me. You are absolutely safe over here.'

Bani clung onto his blazer and buried her face on his chest and wept silently. The light from the neon board bathed their figures in a shady illumination.

……….