Battle of The Hearts
Part 1
The night was young and so were the people who were making the dancefloor unsave dancing to their heart content. Everybody seemed full of energy and happy, but there was one lost soul. He sat at the bar. His head hanging down, his eyes all red and gazy fixed on a couple dancing not far from him. They didnt seem to notice him or anyone else for that matter. They were too busy with themselves. He was holding his glas full of liquor with his right hand, while he formed a fist with his left hand. The music was beating in his head and by every minute that passed his terrible headache seemed to increase. He kept drinking without averting his gaze from the couple, especially the girl. According to him she was looking absolutely dashing in her high heel boots, short skirt and top. Her hair was dancing behind her back and her kohl eyes seemed to see nothing else but her dancing partner. 'Jai, this is enough yaar. They don't deserve it. Why are you killing yourself?!' Jai recognized Roshini's voice. He laughed out loud and tried to turn his heavy head towards her. 'Killing myself? They have killed me a million times already!'. He pronounced the words slowly and in a stuttering way. It was clear that he was drunk. It took him much effort to lift his head and look straight in the eyes of his friend. He couldn't make out to speak to which of the three Roshini's that where standing in front of him. 'Are yaar stop moving around!' Roshini felt so bad for Jai and wished she could do something for him. She hold his shoulders to sustain him and prevent him from falling off his chair. He kept brabbeling things to her, while she convinced him to get up and leave. After what seemed a century she managed to drag him out of the disco , to the parking lot. They had almost reached Jai's car and he kept making funny guestures and walking unsteadily, making it a hell job for his friend to hold him. She tried her best to reason with him, but he wasnt in a mood to listen. He pushed her off him and walked towards his car, not able to set one straight step. 'Roshini, get in get in. Today we will celebrate the end of my life. Where are you? Come! Ill take you to a nice restaurant and we will dance, till our feet will hurt us. Who needs this disco anyways? We will have fun, far away from here!' He laughed hystarically in an attempt to control the tears that invaded his eyes. Roshini tried her best to convince him not to drive and give her the keys, but Jai was admanant. She didnt have a choice but to get into the car.
Rano felt how her feet couldnt bear her no more. She has been wandering the streets from early morning. She had tried to stop, to take a rest, but her sister didnt allow her. 'Bani didi! I'm tired I can't take it anymore.' Bani turned around and saw how exhausted her little sister was leaning on a traffic light. She walked away from the car she was standing next to and hold her sister. She knew she has been harsh on Rano, but what could she do. The life of the streets was hard. She quickly took the tissue boxes out of her little sisters hands. 'Alright Rano. You go and sit there infront of that closed shop. I will continue to work for a little while. Tonight is a beautiful night. It's saturday night and rich people are going out to enjoy there lives. Every rupee we will get, will be good.' Rano just nodded her head and went to drop herself on the cold ground. She looked at her sister who had already turned back to the cars. Trying to sell tissue boxes and flowers and cleaning the windows, in a attempt to get some money. Rano watched how fancy cars stopped at the traffic lights. How boys hit on her sister and how girls laughed at her. She saw how men insulted her and how women closed their car windows scared to catch some kind of disease from her. Rano smiled as she thought that Bani never gave up. She would curse those bad people and try her luck with others sweettalking them to buy something from her or let her clean their windows and mirrors. Rano closed her eyes for a while and burried her head in her arms. All she could wish for right now was a shower, a hot meal and a comfortable bed. She felt how a hot tear fled from her eye at this wish and she laughed at herself thinking 'You silly girl. People dream of fancy car and huge houses and all you want is a decent meal.'
Bani took a deep breath and put her best smile on when a brand new black BMW approaced her. The window of the driver seat was down and she could see a young men sitting. The music coming out of his car filled the noisy street. Bani screamed in an attempt to be heared by the handsome hunk. 'Goodevening sir. I hope you had a nice day sir. I can see you and your wife must have enjoyed a great party. Here sir, please take this flower for your wife, so your life together will blossem just as this red rose.' With a big smile she handed the rose to Jai. He just kept starring at her. Annoyed by her go happy nature. She kept talking and talking. He tried his best to ignore her but he couldnt. Just when he was about to close his window, he changed his mind. Out of the blue he grabbed the rose out of Bani's hand. She got scared and stepped back looking at him with wide eyes. 'Well since you insist miss, thank you!' And without saying anything else he pushed the button of his seatwindow and got himself seperated from Bani. Roshini was shocked at Jai's behaviour, but she knew he was not in his senses. Bani on the other hand didnt have any reason to bear Jai and she angrily knocked on his blackened window. Jai with a sigh dropped the glass a little and gave her a deadly annoying look. 'Now what?' Bani couldnt believe the guy. 'Mera paisa sir. You took the rose but didnt pay for it.' Jai rolled his eyes and said: 'Whats your problem? You begged me to take the rose and I did, so what do you want from me now?! Please leave me alone and get lost!' Jai made a waving gesture with his hand as if he was slapping away an annoying bug. But Bani didnt let him scare her and with full confidence replied back to him. 'Sir I'm not a beggar, I work for my money and all I want from you right now is money!' Jai laughed out loud and opened his door. He got out of his car and stood right infront of Bani topping over her and looking down at her with a wicked smile on his face. Roshini felt that something bad was going to happen. She quickly got out of the car and walked towards Jai. Before she could say anything he raised his hand as a sign that he didnt want to hear anything from her. He had a hard time standing up straight and still. He kept giving Bani some evil looks and then grabbed her arm, making her drop the roses and the two tissue boxes she was holding. In the meantime the traffic light had gone to green and back to red again. The people behind Jai started to get angry and blow their horns, but he couldnt care less. Infact he didnt even notice the big massa of people that got out of their cars, that stopped walking and driving down the street and all gathered around him. He was holding Bani in a tight grip and bent down to her breathing into her ears. 'What did you say? You want money?' Bani smelt his alcohol breath and she felt her stomach getting upset. She realised the guy was drunk and she was scared, but she refused to show it. She tried to pull herself out of his tight grip and as she looked him right in the face she replied back. 'Yes, you heard me right. I want my money!' Jai pushed her away and laughed out loud. Bani felt the pain in her arm, but didnt give a kick. Instead she kept looking at Jai as if challanging him. She was wondering why he was wearing sunglasses as it was night, but quickly decided to herself that it must be one of those cool things rich people do. 'Achha accha.', Jai said. 'Well you know, who ever wants money has to work for it.' He sniffled as he once again came close to her. Everyone around them was holding their breaths. Out of all the men standing there watching, no one bothered to interfere. It was as if they were watching a Bollywood movie, eagerly waiting for the next scene. 'Well I'll make you a deal. I have this good butler, who works very hard. So hard he has no time to have a wife or girlfriend. Since he has always been a very good and faithfull employee I want to gift him something, or its better to say someone. I'll gift you to him to be his girlfriend for a night and I'll give you whatever money you want. Thats what you girls always want right? MONEY! So do we have a deal?' Bani was frozen to the spot. She couldnt believe what she had just heard. She has been living on the streets long enough to hear all the dirty talk people could think of. She was running away from guys who tried to hurt her and take her pride and honor more than she was running to give herself and her sister a nice meal. But never did she ever think that a rich and supposedly a sophisticated man would treat her like this and say such things to her, just because she was asking for what was rightfully hers. She felt disgusted and before she knew what she was doing she gave Jai a tight slap. And another one. She then grabbed his collar and snatched away the sunglasses from his eyes. 'It's true that I'm living on the streets. And its true that these streets are filled with dust and filth and its true that I'm poor and don't have much money, but its also true that I'm rich at heart and I'm cleaner that you or the people of your kind will ever be. You are one disgusting fellow. I curse you for a lifetime! One day you will come across yourself and you will repent humilating and mistreating a poor orphan infront of all these people. Take the rose and take your money. The rose wont make me poorer and your money won't make you richer!' She spitted right in his face dropped his glasses, picked up her roses and tissue boxes and walked away, trying to find her way through the silent massa who were standing watching her. Leaving a stunned Jai and a teary Roshini behind her.
Current Affairs
