Till then here's the update.
Armana
Part XIV is on a new thread.
Part X
Ah love is bitter and sweet, but which is more sweet the bitterness or the sweetness, none has spoken it.
Hilda Doolittle. From "Eros"
Jai was stunned at the intensity of the loss that he felt. The only other time he had felt this way was the unexpected sense of loss he had felt on that far away morning, when he had awakened to a newly minted world, washed clean by the rain and by the aching innocence and sweetness of a stranger. But this time it was not a stranger he was missing. It was Bani. And suddenly Jai knew that if he did not go back to her he would regret it for the rest of his life.
Motivated by a nameless dread, without pausing to think of what he would say, of what he could or would permit himself to offer, he got up and ran downstairs, too impatient to wait even for the elevator. Taking the car keys back from the reception he drove. With no thought in his mind except that he had to see Bani.
Roshni, having gotten dressed appropriately reached Jai's room and knocked repeatedly. Eventually she gave up and called up the reception only to discover that Jai had flown the coop, yet again.
Bani's tears had dried up a long while ago. But she could not find the strength to get up. Perhaps, she admitted, maybe I don't want to…….i want to hold on, for as long as I can to the essence of Jai, which saturates me and this bed right now. Because when I get up and shower and remake the bed I know that I will have to accept its loss forever.
Seven years ago when I walked out of that room I knew that I would always remember you and that night. But I did not know how prophetic my words would prove to be. It took me a while, a long while to realize that you were not the "bright foreigner" of my night but you were my "bright foreigner," period. That you were so deeply imprinted upon my senses that another would never be able to overwrite you. You permeated everything I did. From the independence I forced myself to learn to the long hair I could not cut simply because you had buried your face in it and told me how much you loved it.
It was your memory I toasted when I sold my first painting and it was your subtle presence in every painting that I painted that has the critics sighing about the 'the poignant longing that haunts all of Saraswati's paintings, regardless of the subject matter, that makes her work so compelling; investing them with a sense of pre-lapsarian nostalgia that the viewer responds to almost helplessly.'
And so I waited, with the patience of Penelope. And all of her uncertainty. Never certain of meeting you again. But certain that I would rather spend the rest of my life with that memory than be with any one else. Oh how I tried though. All those dates, all those men whom I tried to like…. But they never measured up to you. And then I found you. And it lead straight to this…..inevitably to this. I love you Jai but I no longer know who you are. And now I must learn to let go off you. To forget you. I must learn to live half a life.
Bani was so caught up in her pain that she never registered the sound of the car driving in. Or even the door opening.
Standing on the verandah, Jai's nerves were stretched taught. He felt more nervous than he could recall in all of his eventful 37 years. Taking a deep breath, he opened the doors. Noiselessly they slid aside. Framing Bani sitting on the bed, head resting on her bed sheet covered knees. Her silken river of hair, glinting with a deep blue sheen, fell on her bare shoulders, forming a fragile curtain. Shutting the door, he approached the bed. At a loss for words, wanting, no, needing; and entirely for his own sake; to take her into his arms and protect her. From every storm. Even himself.
He lowered himself onto the bed in front of her and reaching out, tucked her hair behind her ears. Her head came up slowly. Curiously unsurprised but heartbreaking in its mute appeal, which at the instinctive level Jai understood, but which escaped him entirely at the conscious level.
But it was instinct that had guided Jai back to Bani.
"I promised to leave. I did not promise I wouldn't return," he said softly, carefully.
"and what promise are you making now?" she asked in a raw whisper.
Without quite knowing why he was doing it or even if it made any sense in the least, he reached into his pocket, pressed redial, and waited for the call to go through, without taking his eyes off her.
"Mr.Cherien, it's Jai Walia. I am sorry to disturb you so late. Yes, the immediate report that was made to me earlier was more than satisfactory. But for the detailed report I had ordered I want you to stop compiling it. Burn whatever you have collected……..don't worry, of course you can charge me for the full payment…… No, I don't want it. And I will pay you double if you can guarantee that no trace of that report remains undestroyed. Yes, that's what I want done. Thank you." And switching the cell phone off, was about to put it back in his pocket, when Bani reached a tentative hand out for it.
He gave it to her.
She turned and placed it on the nightstand.
As she stretched her arm to do so, he was startled. Reaching out gently he traced the purpling bruise mark on her upper arm.
"I bruised you when I gripped your arm," he said remorsefully.
"I bruise easily," she told him gently.
Both avoided discussing the obvious, letting their aching silence speak instead.
After a long moment, Bani asked him, "when do you go back to Bombay?"
"I am booked on the 6 a.m.flight. When will you come to Bombay?"
"A week from tomorrow. For Tarun and Rano's reception party."
"you will stay with me," he said as a matter of fact, not as a question.
"will you be on that flight in the morning?"
"no. not for the next three days. After which I have meetings I cannot cancel."
"are you hungry?"
"only if you are."
"my robe is in the bathroom."
He helped her into it.
"you can put your clothes in the first drawer of the Chest in the bathroom," she offered, turning to leave for the kitchen.
With a look of surprise, directed at himself, he told her, "everything is still back at the hotel!" and then, "would you like the drive after dinner."
She smiled in response.
While she cooked he tried to make the bed. And failed miserably.
Bani could not help laughing at his dismal result.
And he laughed because she laughed.
He opened a bottle of wine to go with their picnic meal. And over dinner they talked. Of the weather, of Rano and Tarun. And there was so much that they said without saying anything. And so much they were too afraid of saying at all. He offered to clean up while she got dressed.
She laughed again and directed him to just dump everything on the kitchen counter.
She emerged in a silk caftan hand printed in swirls of merging pinks deepening into violet and a voluminous pashmina wrap.
She locked the house and he put the keys in his pocket before taking her hand and heading for the car.
Unfortunately, the Honda Civic had a manual gearshift and he had to let go off her hand. Enroute to the hotel they had argued about what to listen to on the radio. Bani wanted to hear music. He wanted to hear how the Indian Cricket team had fared in their overseas test against South Africa.
"what's there to check? Obviously the Indian team lost!"
"don't say that Bani, you never know"
"with the Indian team you always know. They are past masters at snatching defeat from the outstretched hands of victory," she persisted.
"and just when you've written them off they create magic. So you never quite know," he persisted.
And they both shared a smile as she gave in and they switched on the sports news.
The match was a draw.
Bani elected to wait in the car. Jai would have none of it. So she sat on the bed and watched him stuff things haphazardly into a suitcase in lieu of packing.
"Jai you are quite hopeless," Bani teased him gently in the car.
"huh?"
"you don't know how to be self sufficient, you can't pack, you can't make a bed, I'm quite willing to bet that you can't cook…..how do you manage?"
"uuhhhh….servants," he grinned sheepishly.
"to the manor born!"
"with the golden spoon," he agreed.
"what would you do if you were marooned on a desert island?"
"sleep actually! It would be a much needed break!"
and they both smiled in companionable silence.
Jai decided to try unpacking and putting his clothes away himself.
Bani laughed, shook her head and went off to deal with the packages that were still marooned on the living room floor from when she had walked in earlier.
Finished with stuffing his clothes in the drawer, Jai came back to the living room and smiled in appreciation of the picture that greeted him.
The dining table was lay covered under a profusion of fresh flowers, and Bani was arranging them into vases.
"Where did these come from?"
"from the garden. Jaya leaves them all in one jug. I like to arrange them myself," she said with an absent minded smile.
Jai pulled out a chair and joined her at the dining table.
"you really like flowers don't you?"
"hmmmm…yes….how can you tell?"
"you mean apart from the fact that you have an enormous garden, most of the dcor in your house consists of flowers and you have three oils and three water colours of flowers? I'd say have to say it's a guess!" he teased.
He was rewarded with another laugh. And it suddenly occurred to him that he could learn to really love the sound of that laughter. It was so joyous, it made him want to join in, for no other reason than that she was laughing.
"very lucky guess in that case!"
"so tell me, my lady of the flowers, which is your favourite?"
"oh dear, that's a tough question because I tend to love nearly all flowers."
"what? Isn't the automatic, conditioned female response to that question always, but always, roses? Preferably red?" he said in exaggerated shock.
"well..now that you mention it…..actually I'm not too fond of roses….i mean the ones you find flooding the market. I prefer the old fashioned varieties, the kinds that have fragrance."
At his look of mock disbelief, which she misinterpreted as being real, she went on, "sorry to disappoint you. I guess I don't know much about being the typical female, the ones who know how to look pretty and stuff…." she trailed off wistfully, not meeting his eyes.
His large, warm hand covered hers causing her to drop the lily stem she was holding as an electric current of awareness ran through her body.
He waited till she looked up before saying in a serious voice, " Bani, I am sorry for being the typical male who jumps to idiotic conclusions…..no let me say it," he said seeing her attempt to speak, "what I said earlier…was unforgivable and unwarranted….."
Bani remained silent, meeting his eyes with an uncertainty that was somehow far worse than her anger or even her slap had been.
"I guess….i don't know how to deal with a female who is not 'typical.'"
Bani's hand, which was held in his, clasped his in a suddenly tight grip. Returning her clasp with a tighter grip, he went on in a much stronger tone of voice, "you throw me off balance Bani. And that's a new experience. I think I'll make a lot of mistakes. And end up saying a lot of sorry's if the past three days are any thing to go by," he ended with a rueful laugh.
"Tell you what, let's make a pact….you don't say sorry, but you also don't jump to conclusions. And you ask instead of assuming."
"I think that's an incredibly unfair deal," Jai said slowly and then added, with a devastating smile, "for you."
"you're wrong. I get a fantastic deal actually."
"oh really? What is that?"
"I get to be with you," she said shyly, raising glowing eyes to meet his.
Penelope: Wife of Odesseus, who waited for him 20 years despite no news and constant rumours of his death. From Homer's Odyssey.
Part XI
Love is the history of a woman's life; it is an episode in man's.
Germaine De Stael
Bani woke up early as was her habit. And as she lay there in the semi darkness of breaking dawn, she had more questions than answers. Last night and its events seemed like a dream. Except that the heavy arm of Jai was around her waist, anchoring her to his warm body. She turned to look at Jai, slumbering peacefully. The worry lines eased by sleep he looked so vulnerable, so much younger. As she slid out of his arms, he frowned and his arm reached out for her automatically. With a reminiscent smile, she offered her pillow and watched him clutch it contentedly. Quietly she slipped out of bed and taking her caftan and warm wrap tiptoed out of the bedroom.
And sought her refuge.
The room upstairs was cold. Shivering, she turned the blower on and then opened the blinds. Two of the walls in the large rectangular room were of sheer glass. The pale gold of the rising sun flooded the room, creating the illusion of warmth.
This was her space. Never shown to anyone else. Not even Rano. Here she had no defences. No guards from herself. Moodily she settled on the couch facing the expanse of the long glass wall. And contemplated the dream like events of last night.
She knew that Jai had not recognised her as the stranger from the chapel. He had returned for Bani. Not the stranger who he had helped all those years ago. Why hadn't she told him the truth?
When he had left last night, a part of her had broken. It was difficult to love the memory of a man for 7 long, painful years, meet him and then have him leave with no hope of return. And so when did return, it was the seven year old longing and the hopeless dreams of all that while which dictated her acceptance.
But in the cold light of day nothing seemed so uncomplicated, so easy as it had last night. It was the stranger from the chapel who had welcomed him without questions and without a thought to what that return meant.
But Bani could not escape from either the questions or the consequences.
Somewhere along that night she had fallen in love with him. But the man who was sleeping so peacefully in her bed even now was not just the man from that night. He was so much more than that. And so much more complicated. And loving him was no less painful than loving a memory had been. If anything, it would be more difficult. Because Jai was now a harder human being. Who could wound her to the depths of her soul with one blighting remark, with one assumption, with callous indifference.
Bani nibbled her lip in agonised indecision.
She knew nothing about him. And he knew nothing about her.
And yet, he reached into the very depths of her being, touched her very soul as no one ever had. And if the past 7 years were any indication, no one except Jai ever would.
And that meant that she had no choice. And even if she had a choice, hadn't she already made the choice, she asked herself. Made it the instant she had looked up and seen him sitting on the bed.
Bloody Shakespeare, she thought in resignation. Got it in one; tis better to have loved and lost than to have never loved.
Either she accepted being with Jai for however long he wanted her or she consigned herself to a lifetime of regret.
But the price of loving a man who only wanted you for a while, for a fling, that would not be an easy one to pay. She would have to accept it entirely on his terms. And that meant she would have to be his mistress. Something that went against everything she had been brought up to believe. He had not mentioned anything else. And Bani was not sure if she was ready for something else even if he did bring it up.
She looked around the room in bleak despair, and her eyes settled on the only etching that graced the wall above her study table. It was a charcoal sketch she had done of her mother from memory. Kiran Dixit. And suddenly she knew that what she was doing was the right thing. No matter how much it cost her or hurt her in the end.
Getting up she rummaged in her study table's drawer till she found what she was looking for.
Yellowing and faded, it was creased from repeated readings.
Settling back on the couch, Bani looked at the letter, which had completed the process Jai had started that night seven years ago.
She had woken up on Christmas in bed with a man whose name she did not know, but who had changed her and her life forever. As she had plucked the poinsettia blossom to anchor the note she had written, she had been shocked to realise that no matter what life brought her she would never regret what had happened. And so she had walked away from him with a new found confidence in herself. She had for the first time since her mother had died, felt that 25 th December was indeed her birthday. And that she had received the best present of all.
And so she had reached her house, endured her father's scolding for disappearing without a word and Pia's cautious attempts to gauge her state of mind without feeling like a failure. She had sat down with both of them and calmly stated that it was perhaps better if Pushkar and Pia were married to each other. Her father had an apoplectic fit, demanded an explanation, asked if she had lost her mind and finally given in. Pia had found it difficult to contain her relief. Rano, in whom Pia had had to confide the details (since she had assumed that Bani would have run to Rano) had been quietly supportive to her, beyond anger with Pia, and carefully contemptuous with Nishikant Dixit. And the only person who actually remembered that 25 was also Bani's birthday. Her 21 st birthday in fact.
Two days later, when all the wedding preparations were in full swing, Bani had received a courier from a law firm in Bombay. It had contained some legal documents and a letter from her dead mother.
She was now in possession of her trust fund, which had been created for her by her mother. Pia would similarly receive her's on her 21 st birthday.
But the letter had been far more precious, allowing her to finally be free.
"Dear Bani,
Happy Birthday my darling. How I wish I could be there to wish you in person. To see you all grown up. 21 st birthdays are special. They welcome us finally and fully into our adult life.
And so today I want to share with you a part of my life. And as a mother offer you some advice.
Your birthday present, as you will have realised, is the trust fund you now come in possession of. The trust fund belonged to me, and is now bequeathed to you and Pia equally.
When I chose to marry your father against the wishes of my family they disowned me entirely but my trust fund they still gifted to me.
Very early on I realised that life with your father would not be one showered with material wealth. And so I saved my fund, splitting it in to two equal halves for you and Pia.
I wanted you to have the financial means to pursue your dreams. Till each of you turned 21 your father received an income from it allowing for you girls to have the best of education.
But now you are old enough to control it and spend it as you deem fit.
I know that you must be wondering why I did not just give it to your father instead of tying it up like this.
This is not an easy explanation to give, and I am certain it will be even harder to accept.
Make no mistake, I love your father. And I do not regret my marriage with him. He may not have been able to give a life rich with material comfort but he has made me happy. But loving him did not blind me to his shortcomings. And being happy with him did not prevent me from thinking about the future of my children. Even before I had the accident that made my death inevitable I had already decided this course of action.
And that brings me to a really tricky point. What I did and what I am saying now point to shortcomings in your father. And that will undoubtedly lead you to wonder about us.
Well, darling, the point I am trying to make is this. Don't be angry with your father because he is not perfect. And don't for a minute think I was unhappy. Because you see, imperfect he though he is, he is perfect for me. And that Bani is love, not finding the perfect person, but the very flawed human being who is perfect for you.
Soon, very soon it will be time for your marriage. I know that at this point we all hope and assume it will be with Pushkar. But Bani that is our hope for you and him. Not a binding obligation. I would want you to marry Pushkar only if you think he is perfect for you. If you don't find that to be the case, don't marry him, especially not for the memory of your mother. Or because I had wished it for you.
Because what I wish for you is that you should be with the person who makes you happy. Even if it's not an easy choice to make. The same goes for whatever you do in life.
I know you Bani, I ought to as your mother. It comes naturally for you to place the wishes and needs of others above yours. But I want you to promise to me today that you will remember to consider your own wishes. That be it love or work, you will find and follow your own path.
I wish I was there to say this to you I person.
But I'm not and so this letter will have to suffice.
Take care of yourself. And remember that I will always be watching over you and taking care of you.
I love you.
Kiran."
Yes, Bani told herself as she folded the letter and out it away. She was making the right choice. Just as it had been the right choice all those years ago to start painting, much against the wishes of her father.
Accepting the inevitability and rightness of the choice she had made even if she was more than a little nervous about what it would entail, Bani made her way downstairs. To where Jai was still sleeping.
Smoothing the hair of his face, she asked him in an aching whisper, "I wonder who broke your dreams? I can't promise to mend them again, but if you will let me then I'll fill your world with so much love that you will find the courage to dream again."
Sealing her promise with a gentle kiss on his forehead she went to bathe.
Jai woke up to droplets of water raining on his face and the sound of Bani's laughter filling his ears.
"wake up sleepy head, it's past 9."
"another minute," Jai mumbled with his eyes closed.
"Not a chance," she announced, flinging her wet hair over his face, "after ages I've made breakfast with my own hands…..if it gets cold you're going to be in a lot of trouble."
"how much trouble?" he asked with a sigh, squinting at her through half open eyes, the beginning of calculation gleaming in his eyes.
"well, I have work to do….so I'll just leave you to your own devices for the whole day if you don't wake up now!"
"Hhhmmmm…..accha baba, theek hai….yeh lo. Main uth gaya," he capitulated, sitting up in bed.
"now how about a nice cup of strong coffee to wake me up fully?" he cajoled.
"how do you take it?"
"which type would take you the longest to make?"
"Jai!"
He reached out and pulled her into his arms so suddenly that she tumbled onto his chest.
"or you could just join me in bed and we could both go back to sleep……eventually," he murmured seductively, in between tiny, nuzzling bites at her neck.
As those warm lips nuzzled her and the stubble roughened skin rasped against her delicate skin, that whiskey soaked voice whispering suggestions in her ear had almost seduced her into doing just that, but just then a cell phone rang.
"Saved by the bell," Jai teased as she reached out her hand and grabbed her cell.
"or not," Jai murmured wickedly into her other ear, nipping her ear lobe, just as she picked up the call.
"H..hi Rano," she stammered uncharacteristically.
"Bani? What's wrong?"
"nothing," Bani managed to say despite Jai's wandering hands, which were seriously interfering with her concentration powers.
"……….it's so different here….can you believe it, it's not cold here? Man, after the bloody delhi winters this feels like heaven. What's it like over there?"
"hmmm…hot….ummm …no….i mean it's cold, very cold,"
"Cold huh? Let's see what we can do about that!" Jai murmured provocatively.
"…..haan so I'll see you here soon. I'm telling you now, you'd better stay for a while…..no rushing back to delhi….god Bani, I'm missing you so much…."
"Stop that," Bani ordered Jai, mustering the last of her will power as he began to unbutton her shirt
"what do you mean 'stop that?'," Rano asked in a voice quivering with outrage, "why can't I miss my best friend?"
"no, no, not that…..i mean….oh god, Rano, I'll have to call you back," Bani mumbled in desperation, using the last bit of he remaining brain function, before cutting the call, without waiting to hear Rano's response.
And then gave herself up entirely to the tender ministrations of Jai.
On the other end Rano was staring at the phone as if it were an alien object.
Turning to Tarun, she poked him into wakefulness and when he opened a bleary eye, informed him, "Bani has gone nuts."
"ok. Can I please go back to sleep now?" he mumbled.
"Tarun!"
"ok fine I'm awake," he sighed and opened his eyes.
And listened to her hyper worrying over Bani for all of five minutes before diverting her energies into channels of mutual satisfaction.
Breakfast in both households grew stone cold.
Part XII
"I am not yours, not lost in you,
Not lost, although I long to be
Lost as a candle lit at noon,
Lost as a snowflake in the sea.
You love me, and I find you still
A spirit beautiful and bright,
Yet I am I, who long to be
Lost as a light is lost in light…."
"I Am Not Yours"
by Sara Teasdale
The landing jarred. As the disembodied voice of the pilot apologized, Jai gathered the papers spread out in front of him.
He had meant to work. But found himself unable to do so. He had been lost in thoughts of Bani and the wonderful, almost magical, three days he had spent with Bani. Boarding the flight had been a lot harder than he would have imagined. And that shocked him.
He stepped out of the airport, handed his baggage receipt to the chauffer and got in the car, and started in surprise to find Nachiket already seated there.
"Bahi aap kahan thay? Aapko pata maine aapko contact karne ki kitni koshish ki? Ranveer and I have been going crazy trying to locate you."
Four hours later Jai ran his hand tiredly through his hair for the umpteenth time and leaned back in his chair.
"ok. So that's it for now. Monitor the situation and get back to me in two hours."
There were nods all around and they stood up as he left the conference room and made his way to his office.
Standing next to the window, he stared moodily at the sea. Three days of absence and it seemed that all hell had broken loose. Anger and adrenaline had kept him going for the last four hours, while he sorted through the crisis. Rationally he knew that this was not unexpected. Walia Inc. was in the middle of a tricky takeover. Which conversely made them vulnerable. The experience of Aditya would have handled the problem easily before it escalated into a crisis. But he had been in Germany. Leaving the two young, not very experienced Ranveer and Nachiket in charge. True there was the very counsel of the senior management, but they lacked the authority to take the kind of steps which were needed. And Ranveer and Nachiket lacked the confidence to take such a gamble.
But anger is never governed by rationality. He could not blame Ranveer and Nachiket. But he could and did blame himself. How could he have been so careless? Absent himself without a word for three whole days, when they were in the middle of such delicate negotiations?
The buzz of his cell phone beckoned. Without bothering to look he picked it up.
"Yes?" brusquely.
"a….Jai? it's me….Bani…." the familiar voice said softly.
"Oh."
"Bad time?"
"yes."
Silence.
"want to talk about it?"
"well, it's...." just then the phone on his desk rang, "listen my other phone is ringing. I'll call you back. Ok?"
"Okay."
It was already dark by the Jai could leave the office and head home.
As he sat down at the dinner table after a refreshing shower, he was surprised to see himself alone.
"Nachiket kahan hai?" he asked Tony.
"Nachiket Sahib has not arrived home. I believe he is still in the office," his ever efficient butler informed him.
"Hold dinner for a while. I will dine with him. Oh and Ranveer will also be dining here," Jai said as he walked out onto the vernadah, phone in hand.
Nachiket and Ranveer arrived together from the office. As they approached him on the verandah, both seemed a little apprehensive.
Nodding, Jai said "go and freshen up. And join me for dinner. I need to talk to you both."
As they sat down and silently started on their dinner, Jai looked them over. Both took their jobs at Walia Inc. seriously and he could see the blow their confidence had suffered from the current crisis. Both blamed themselves for not having had the foresight and courage to do what he had done.
"Do you know about the first company father put me in charge of taking over and incorporating into Walia Inc.?" he asked them, conversationally.
"The xyz co.?" Ranveer ventured.
"Nope. That's the first one I successfully took over. The first project that I worked on solo was the acquisition of this tiny chain, consisting of four resorts, in Almora, Nainital, Kasauni and the Sat Taal lakeside."
"And?" Nachiket asked.
"And I failed. I was negotiating with the owner, a cantankerous old British Army Major well into his 70's. He had a family, grandsons and granddaughters who were more than willing to take over the business. They had been trying for years to get him to relinquish control. But he held on. And was determined to hold on till the end to what he had spent a lifetime building. He outsmarted me. Plain and simple. It was galling to accept my failure but finally accepting the fact that I had lost I was about to leave Nainital when he invited me over for dinner. Curious, I went. Expecting him to gloat over my youthful errors. Instead, I found a friend who taught me the real secret of success."
"well?" "what did he say?" both Ranveer and Nachiket asked similarly absorbed.
Smiling at them reminiscently, Jai continued, "he told me, son, never go after something until you want it with everything you've got. And once you go after it, be willing to risk everything you have in order to get it. In trying to acquire his resorts I had always been conscious of possible losses and therefore was not willing to risk beyond a point. And he used that against me, to defeat me."
"so did you finally go after him and acquire them?" Ranveer asked.
"No. By the end of that dinner I respected him too much and found myself liking him far too much to try again. "
"What did father say?" Nachiket asked with curiosity.
"told me that he could not think of a better start to my business experience than a failure. It would, he told me always remind me that I was not perfect. It turns out that Father had been eyeing and trying to acquire those resorts for years. They were one of his noticeable failures too. But the process had taught him to respect Major Winston."
"I refuse to believe that you accepted that and walked away," Ranveer said flatly.
"I didn't. Major Winston and I became friends. And out of respect for that friendship I never tried again. Instead, I helped him stave off a takeover form another hotel chain. But on his deathbed, he sold me his resort chain. Not because I was still pursuing them but because unlike his money greedy descendants, he felt that I would look after them and maintain them the way they were meant to."
"but the last time I checked, there are no Walia hotels in that region," Nachiket said with a furrowed brow.
"well, they were never merged into the Walia Inc. Instead, they are run as a separate subsidiary company, handled directly by me. And they still retain the original name, "The Mountain Mist View Resorts."
Both Ranveer and Nachiket gasped in surprise. This was a name every one in the hospitality industry was more than familiar with. They were an award winning resort chain, providing world class spa and resort facilities but in an entirely environmentally friendly way and with a great emphasis on indigenous resources and development. They were the preferred destination of the reclusively rich and famous. And they featured among the top fifty world wide resort/spa destinations.
"The Major's wife, Daphne loved the mountains and she had chosen the name," Jai informed them. "I could not bring myself to change it."
Ignoring their startled faces Jai continued, "and now, as of tomorrow, I am putting the two of you jointly in charge of it."
"what?" "us! Why?" they chorused simultaneously.
"but after what happened…." "the way we mishandled….." both protested simultaneously.
" Failure is perhaps the greatest teacher. I now have every confidence that the two of you will handle the responsibility perfectly."
"Bhai…." "Mamaji….." both were too overcome to say more.
But after a moment they began to bombard Jai with their fervent avowals and assurances that they would not let him down. Laughing, Jai told them to shut up. "I've had more than enough of business talk for the day! so what have you boys been upto?"
As they regaled him with tales of the other's marked lack of success with the ladies, and other bits of family doings, they slipped naturally into the teasing camaraderie of friends. At 25 and 26, they were close enough in age to make that possible. Good looking young men both, they shared as many characteristics as they differed in their personalities. Ncahiket was a gregarious good-natured extrovert, always ready with a smile and a joke. Ranveer was the more serious of the two. More intense but his rare smiles and wit were both worth waiting for. But despite the outward differences they genuinely connected and cared for each other. Which was more than could be said for the strained relationship Nachiket had with Ranveer's younger Sahil. A sullen young man, he had never accepted Nachiket as a part of the family. And disapproved entirely of Ranveer's easy acceptance and close friendship with Nachiket. At 21 he was still finishing college. And then automatically expected to join Walia Inc. Jai was not so sure if he wanted that. Sahil was not a young man who inspired any confidence in Jai. But that was a decision into the future. Why think about it now, Jai told himself. Grinning he allowed himself to be drawn in by Ranveer and Nachiket, into their earnest discussion over the relative merits of motorcycles. From past experience Jai knew it would be wiser to not take sides and so he refused. Enjoying their boisterous slide into boyishness, which filled the house with laughter and noise.
Dinner was long over before Ranveer and Nachiket not so politely agreed to disagree over their choices. For the umpteenth time.
Ranveer decided, as usual, to spend the night over in Walia House itself rather than return home and called up Jigyasa to let her know. And then yawning proceeded to his room. Since he spent so many nights here, he did indeed look upon Walia House as his second home, much to Jai and Nachiet's pleasure and Sahil's displeasure. Accordingly, his room, next to Nachiket, contained everything he needed or wanted. Nachiket decided to head out for a party. Jai retreated to the study to tie up a few lose ends before heading to bed himself.
Hanging up Jai tiredly made his way to his room. It had been a long day. But just how long he realised only in the sudden silence of his darkened bedroom. And he remembered that he had forgotten to call Bani back.
"hello?" she mumbled sleepily into the phone.
"Bani." Just that one word uttered in his deep baritone was enough to wake her up.
"I thought you'd forgotten."
"then why didn't you call again?"
"I….i figured you might be busy…."she offered, trying to hide her relief that he had called. As the hours had ticked by she had begun to lose confidence.
"I was until now."
silence.
"there was a crisis at the office," he found himself explaining, to his own surprise.
"Oh. I hope it's all sorted out now."
"yes."
Silence.
Bani had to bite her tongue from blurting how much she was missing him.
Jai was at a loss for what to say.
But somehow neither could bear the thought of hanging up.
"so what are doing now?" he finally asked without thinking, just wanting to hear her voice.
A soft laugh, followed by, "sleeping. And you?"
"trying to sleep."
After a long pause Bani finally ventured, "you must have had a long day. Shouldn't you sleep now?"
"mmmhhmmm…."
"goodnight."
"goodnight." And yet neither hung, each strangely loath to be the first to hang up and sever the tenuous tie.
"Go to sleep Jai!" she admonished softly.
"okay."
"this is ridiculous," she announced after another pause, "hang up and go to sleep."
"why don't you hang up?"
"okay."
"well?" he asked after a moment.
"Count of three?"
"okay."
But after they both finally hung up the phone, Jai found sleep elusive. He settled for thinking about Bani. She was an unusual woman. She had more than charmed him, she had beguiled him. And that was an unusual experience for Jai, who through experience did not think much of women with a few notable exceptions. Bani intrigued him, no doubt her independence, her attitudes, her personality played a part in it but there was more to it. She interested him with her unexpectedness in a way no woman had ever done save the stranger in the chapel whom he liked to call his Angel.
What a strange night that had been. And as time passed Jai had found himself clinging to the memory of that night and her with increasing tenacity. There had been that unfathomable generosity with which, in the midst of her agony, she had sensed his pain, and helped. Not necessarily healing it entirely but certainly helping him to come to terms with it. And her innocence, the faith with which she had accepted his help, even the help that he had not intended to give. Jai knew that he should feel guilty about what eventually happened that night, he was the older, experienced man who had taken advantage of a vulnerable, innocent young girl. But try as he might he could never taint the memory of that night and of her with guilt. It had been just right. Beyond logic, beyond rationality and certainly beyond guilt. And she had left. Because he had told her that it was better if they remain strangers. At odd moments in the past 7 years Jai had often found himself wondering, what if he had not said that. Would she then have been besides him as he opened his eyes on that morning, crisp with potential? And if she had been there what would he have said, done? To this day Jai did not have an answer. But he did have his memory of his Angel. Who had become his personal touchstone. He found himself forever wanting to live up to the person he had been for his Angel.
Shaking his head Jai came back to the present and to Bani. Her spirit reminded him of his Angel, as did her gentleness. But she was not a shadowy memory, clung on to in his mind. She was a real person, who got angry, got hurt, and whom he did not entirely know.
Returning to her house that night and calling off the investigation, Jai had been obeying a dimly acknowledged impulse, which he had never tried to understand. And now it was not that impulse he was trying to understand but the enigma Bani herself presented.
The three days he had spent with her in her house had been as close to perfection as he could have imagined. Peaceful, laughter filled days and tender, passionate nights. And yet Bani remained an enigma. She had asked for nothing and yet given so much. And so when he had sensed her instinctive hesitation in welcoming him into certain aspects of her life, he had backed off. Perhaps the guilt of that intrusive investigation he had ordered and then cancelled also played a part in his retreat. He knew that the room upstairs in her house was her workspace. But, she had never asked him to come up there and he never asked. And now he found himself curious about it. And apart from the little that had been inadvertently revealed the night when he had senselessly accused her, he knew nothing about her family, her background. He found himself curious, wanting to know about her and not just her.
Maybe they could talk about it when she came down to Bombay. And that set him off another tangent of thought.
What would everyone make of their relationship? Especially Tarun and Rano. thank god Massi was not here. She was off to visit Karuna, her daughter, or there would have been awkward explanations to be made. It was not that massi was unaware of his relationships with various women over the years. But they had never been conducted under his own roof. It was not massi's morality which was responsible for that, rather Jai's own unwillingness to let those women into what he considered to be a private part of his life. And now he had invited, no ordered, Bani to come and stay here. In his house. And that he knew was bound raise quite a few expectations and eyebrows. While the latter did not bother him in the least, the former did. Especially if those expectations belonged to Bani. He hoped that would not be the case, but in his experience women had incurable nesting instincts, and profess independence they might, they inevitably wanted the legitimacy of marriage. Too bad, he concluded, if Bani and his relationship ended on that note. Or even ended now, because after a long time Jai was keen to be in a relationship, even if only for the novelty of it.
Perhaps, he finally told himself, on the verge of falling asleep, all his meandering apprehensions were groundless. Bani would come to Bombay, and in the harsh light of everyday life the magic a secluded farm house had bestowed on their initial encounter would disappear. Perhaps, Bani would bore him and perhaps his refusal to head to the altar would put her off. And so they would go their separate ways with no regrets and no recriminations.
Part XIII
"Love has nothing to do with what you are expecting to get, it's what you are expected to give -- which is everything." Anonymous.
The next three days flew by for Jai as he untangled the reins of his business. And got their projected takeover bid back on track.and realised with a start that he had begun taking for granting the late night phone conversations with Bani. In fact, he found himself looking forward to it during the day.
Day 1
Aditya's return from Germany was a big help. Ranveer and Nachiket's promotion to taking charge of the "Mountain Mist View" Resorts meant that Jai was now faced with the headache of training an executive to take the place earlier divided between Nachiket and Ranveer, that of an executive who was well versed with the business but who also functioned as Jai's man Friday in the business. Aditya, as usual had a quiet suggestion, and as usual, his quiet suggestion was worth its weight in gold. Pushkar Shukla, who had been doing rather well in the division Aditya ran.
"I've had my eye on him for quite a while, Jai. Very good worker, and very bright. I'd been thinking of promoting him and I do think he would be ideal for the position of your personal executive…..of course this now leaves me with the headache of finding someone to take his place in my division," aditya finished with a sigh.
"Mrs. Lobo, schedule a meeting with Puskar Shukla as soon as there is an opening in my schedule," Jai said into the intercom and then turned to face his colleague, brother in law, and most importantly, his friend.
Late that night Jai found himself calling Bani and telling her about his day. And asking about her's.
In another, less spacious Mumbai home, Pushakr hurried home to share with his wife the news of his promotion.
Roshni walked out of the party early, irritated. She had been told with absolute certainty that Jai would be present but he had not been there. She had to find a way to reach him. She knew his office and home were out of the question. If she tried, security would not let her in without explicit instructions and she knew Jai would not give those instructions unless she resorted to creating a huge tantrum. And public scenes were not Roshni's style.
Nachiket was convinced that he'd met the woman of his dreams and Ranveer was convinced that Nachiket needed glasses.
Day 2
Rano and Tarun came over to Jai's house for dinner. Aditya and Jigyasa, accompanied by Anu, Sahil and Dadi also came. Rano was a little awed by the quiet splendour of Jai's house. It bespoke of serious money. Old money. The dinner was a huge success. Everyone laughed and teased and had a good time.
Day 3
As he hung up the phone after their daily night time chats and after confirming the details of her flight's arrival time Jai suddenly found himself in a fever of anticipation. Tomorrow after noon could not come soon enough. It was strange to contemplate that they had met only 11 days ago, on an airplane.
12 December, 2006
Mumbai
4.00.p.m
Bani could not help being both, excited and nervous at the prospect of meeting Jai as she walked into the airport terminal at Mumbai. She scanned the crowds for him. And instead saw a ghost from the past she thought she had managed to leave behind. Even as she stood still in shock his searching gaze came to rest on her face. With a determined expression he walked up to her.
"hello Bani," Pushkar said softly.
"hello Pushkar," she said with all the composure she could muster.
"This way," he said, taking over her baggage trolley.
"I am sorry, what are you doing? I am …a…meeting some one else…."she said in confusion.
"Jai sir sent me. He was tied up in an unexpected meeting. Your phone was off so he couldn't tell you in person," Pushkar informed her, not quite questioning her but unable to keep a tinge of curiosity from creeping in to his voice.
"Oh! Ok," was all she said as she followed him put of the terminal. A gleaming Black Mercedes awaited her. The chauffer sprang to quick, respectful attention, opening the door to seat her before going over to stow the luggage.
Finally Bani broke the silence in the car.
"How are you? And Pia, how is she?" she asked with polite formality.
"We're both well. She is also working. In an event management company. Run by Jai sir," he informed her, flashing a fleeting curiosity filled glance in her direction as he mentioned Jai's name.
Bani was well aware of what was going through his mind. He wanted to know how she knew Jai. But Bani saw no reason to answer his unspoken query. Unlike she was mistaken, and she didn't think she was, it would become clear soon enough. Bani sighed. Somehow, she had not expected her past to intrude onto her present. What were the odds, she mused, that both Pushkar and Pia worked for Jai?
The last time she had seen both was when their father had passed away. Three months after Pia and Pushkar's wedding.
It had not been pleasant. Pia had accused Bani of breaking Nishikant Dixit's heart by dropping out of her M.A. in Economics to pursue art. It had been his dream that Bani do an MBA. When she had failed to clear the CAT exam in the first attempt, it had been his decision that she enrol for an M.A. and try the CAT exam again. When Bani had instead announced her decision after Pia's wedding, Nishikant had been livid. And in the innumerable ensuing arguments- where he tried everything from pleading, cajoling, screaming and once even slapping her to get her to change her mind- he had suffered a heart attack.
And Pia held Bani responsible for his death. For her it was Bani's selfishness, her stubbornness and her new found money courtesy of their Mom's bequest that killed their dad. Funny, Bani though humourlessly that all those accusations had not prevented Pia from contacting Bani a few months later asking if she could borrow some money from Bani. Unfortunately, by that time Bani had already committed all her money: she had enrolled herself in Art school, paid all the fees in advance, and bought her land and started planning her house with the remainder of the money.
Bani had felt the desperate need to have a shelter over her head. In his anger over her decision, Nishikant had, before his death, disowned and disinherited Bani entirely from the Mt. Abu house, leaving it all to Pia. Which Bani did not resent that in the least, but she did feel as if she were cast out in the world with nothing to shelter her from the rain and the sun. And so, against the advice of everyone, she had started building her own house. At the time it had been a desperate gamble. Art school did not guarantee employment, everyone had warned her. 'you would do better to keep the money in the bank as a back up,' had been the common refrain. But Bani had cast all certainty to the wind and taken her chance. It was to earn some extra money to put away for a rainy day that Bani had started illustrating children's books. And she had continued even after paintings began selling because it was a convenient cover. Apart from a select few, no one knew that Bani was the painter Saraswati. All the others assumed that her lifestyle came from the illustrations alone. Not that she did not do a good job with the illustrations. She was damn good at it, genuinely enjoying it.
The buzz of her cell phone broke into her reverie. It was Jai.
"hi."
"I'm so sorry I could not be there at the airport as I had said I would be. I hope Puskar, my executive found you without making you wait for long?"
"yes he did."
"listen, I'm stuck in this very urgent meeting…..i can't get out of it for another hour atleast…..but you head on home. Tell Pushkar. Earlier I had told him to bring you to the office as I'd hoped the meeting would be wrapped up by then…but no such luck. I've already spoken to Tony……he knows what to do…and will look after you….if you need anything, don't hesitate. Ok?"
"allright."
"seriously, make yourself at home. I'll be there as soon as I can be. And I'm really sorry….oh, and could you tell Pushkar to head to the office and wait for me there? I've left word with Mrs. Lobo for what I need him to do."
"I will. Don't worry! Go finish your meeting," she reassured him with a soft laugh and then stiffened in self-consciousness as Pushkar threw her another curious glance.
She ended the call and turned to Pushkar, relaying Jai's instructions before taking a breath and adding, "and drop me off at the house please. Jai will be busy for a while so he's asked me to head home directly." She met his gaze steadily, until he dropped his surprised eyes and turned to address the driver, "Jai sir ke ghar."
As the car entered the formidable gates, set in a very high boundary wall, which ensured absolute privacy for the house within, Bani found herself looking around with eagerness, more so when she read the template on the gate, which announced in bold, plain script: "Jannat."
The house took her breath away. It was an exquisite reminder of a bygone era. A rambling colonial house, it demanded the word mansion. Bungalow did not quite cover its dignified splendour. Deep wide veranda's ran its entire length on both floors. Blindingly white walls were adorned by creeping vines. Clematis in all its hues of blues, reds and yellows jostled for space with the purple of the Haycinth Beans. Morning Glory staked its claim with bold bicoloured and monocoloured profusions of maroon, pink, magenta and blue. The shy yellow garden trumpet peeped naughtily from here and there. The roses climbed tranquilly, ignoring the white and yellow jasmines with all their superior disdain. While the deep scarlet flowers hung heavily on the Thunbergia Mysorensis with regal disdain for all the other pretenders. And framing this was the deep expanse of the sea, which ran along one side of the garden before curving around it, making it seem as if the garden gave way to the sea.
Bani gasped in sheer delight. She could not wait to explore. If the gardens were anything like the house they promised to be spectacular.
The car came to a smooth halt in the portico where the doors were flung open with admirable timing and a serious looking man, clad in the livery of a butler reached to open the car door before she could do it.
"welcome maam."
"thank you. you must be Tony."
"yes maan. If you will follow me?" he asked politely, gesturing towards an underling standing in the doorway to deal with the luggage..
Turning Bani thanked Pushkar and smiled at the chauffer before allowing Tony to lead her into the dim shade of the house. Blinking to adjust her eyes to the sudden shade, which contrasted with the bright sunlight outside, Bani could no more than register a fleeting impression of the house. Depositing her luggage in the room, and pointing towards the bathroom, Tony made polite noises about tea and refreshments.
"downstairs. 15 minutes?" Bani said.
"certainly maam. And in the meantime, the intercom no is …3," Tony said before leaving.
As Bani took stock of her surroundings, she realised that this was Jai's bedroom. Decorated entirely in varying shades of Blue, with splashes of white, it was a room that loudly proclaimed its masculine occupancy. A huge, antique four poster bed, with a quilted bedspread in geometric in blues, graded from the lightest to deep navy faced huge glass doors that opened onto the veranda. A solid mahogany chest of drawers graced one corner and a beautiful rosewood study table with its matching chair stood in the other corner. The wide expanse between the bed and the glass doors was taken up with a Persian rug and two deep armchairs upholstered in ivory, with blue cushions adorning them. The en-suite bathroom was sumptuous, and a included a large dressing room.
All around was evidence of Jai's occupation. From the silver backed brushes on the dressers top, to the careless tie flung across the bed, the files neatly stacked on the study table, and most importantly, the photographs which were scattered through out the room. The one on his table, him and a beautiful, middle aged lady who resembled him enough to be obviously his mother; the one on the wall, of Jai with his arms around a married couple, clearly older than him; the one of him with another middle aged woman on top of the dresser; all pointed to this being his room. But Bani was too pre-occupied to worry about that.
Her attention was taken by the painting that hung above the study table. It was one of her very early works. And one she genuinely regretted selling. The construction of her dream house had cost more than she had budgeted for, and even with the income from the sale of her first few paintings, Bani had been nervous enough that she had allowed her manager to persuade her into selling this painting. It had been a part of her very first exhibition but Bani had marked it among the paintings not for sale. And one persistent collector had hounded her agent, offering a very generous sum. It was unusually for Bani, not a landscape or a garden-scape, which were her trademark speciality as Saraswati. Instead, it had a human subject. The silhouette of a man, walking next to an old, gnarled tree. The scene was set on a late winter evening, and the whole was mist shrouded. Making it difficult to tell whether the man was walking towards the viewer or going away. The streetlight, painted in one corner, cast its diffused yellow light over the whole. Somehow, it ought to have been a banal painting. Instead, it was recognised as one of her best. The ambiguous melancholy that it captured was so poignantly powerful, that it had lured more than one viewer to tears. For years, it had been one of her most cited work, and the owner who had always remained anonymous had been gracious enough to let its image be duplicated without citing owner's copyright.
It would have to be you, she thought with an inward smile.
She showered, changed, and then made her way downstairs, determined to take up the issue of her room with the right person: Jai.
The portion of the house that she did see delighted her with its elegant beauty but also made her a little uncomfortable. From the moment she had realised that Jai was Jai Walia she had known he was very rich. But till now that had been an abstract concept. Its visible presence; specially when that presence informed her that Jai was not just very rich, he was in fact in a very elite class of super wealthy Indians; was a little overwhelming. While sipping her tea she looked around and counted the paintings: one Jamini Roy, One Ravi Verma and again one of her own work. A more typical sea scape, which she had painted after her vacation in Goa. After tea, she opted to explore the gardens, expecting them to be a treasure trove. But was curiously disappointed. They were the very well tended, impersonal gardens one would expect to find in any very rich owner's house. They lacked entirely the brilliance and genius of the vines covering the house.
She walked back into the living room to discover a missed call and an sms from Jai. He would be tied up for another two hours atleast and would she please make herself at home? Feel free to explore or anything else. Bani knew what she was dying to do, explore the house and then settle outside in the garden with her sketch book in hand. But what she had to do was get in touch with Rano, who was expecting her to arrive in Mumbai tomorrow morning. This was not going to be an easy conversation. Taking a deep breath she dialled Rano's number.
"Baniiii,"
"Hi Rano."
"So what time is your flight landing tomorrow? I'm coming to pick you up myself and no arguments about that!"
"…er….Rano, actually I am already in Mumbai. I arrived today."
"what?....where are you? aur tumne mujhe bataya kyun nahin? Where are you calling from? The airport? I'll just come…"
It was difficulty that Bani broke through her monologue, "listen, It's kind of a long story….i'd rather meet you. right now, if you are free."
"ok. Why don't you just come home? I'll give you the address…"
"no, I'd rather meet in a coffee shop. Please. It's important. Name a place."
Rano did, and after consulting with Tony, Bani told her, "see you there in 20 minutes."
She asked Tony for the number of a Taxi service only to be informed that car and the chauffer were available at her convenience.
Bemused Bani sat in the same Mercedes and then cursed her luck when she arrived at the hotel's entrance alongside Rano, whose eyes narrowed with suspicious recognition as she saw Bani alight from the car.
Bani emerged from the meeting with Rano feeling exhausted. It was difficult to quell you friend's concern when deep down you shared many of them. But Rano had finally accepted. Because she had no choice and as she put, "I'm damned if loose my friend because of man. It's bad enough that my friend is heading for major heartbreak without adding lack of friend to that!" and a really touched Bani had been overwhelmed with love for Rano. Who had always stood by her, through thick and thin.
When Rano repeated the same sentiment to a shocked Tarun later in the night, he promptly got over his shock and jumped to Jai's defence. Thus Rano and Tarun engaged in their first marital quarrel, but the making up was more than worth it.
Bani returned to Jai's house and gave free reign to her curiosity on the ground floor, since none of the family bedrooms, except one according to Tony (and she made a mental note to avoid that room), were on the ground floor she assured herself that she would not be violating anyone's privacy. The tiny, clearly unused corner room caused her to stop and fight back sudden tears. It was a puja room reminiscent of the one her mother had maintained in Mt. Abu. She had missed that. When her father had given everything to Pia, she had very hesitantly asked Pia if she could have the idol of Durga that their mother had worshipped. Pia had coldly declined. Here, amongst the other idols, was a similar idol of the goddess.
Bani knew what she was doing was probably wrong but she could not stop herself. Opening the tiny cupboard in one corner she located what she wanted. Stepping outside she gathered flowers, and then setting the thali she lit the diya and closed her eyes in prayer. As she was finishing the sound of car doors slamming drew her attention and automatically picking up the thali she walked out.
The meeting had gone on far longer than expected. But since it gave him what he had been aiming at for a long while Jai was not complaining. His bold counter-move which had been entirely against traditional business sense and completely unexpected by his beleaguered opponents had caused them to fold like a pack of cards. Walia Inc was now the latest entrant in the burgeoning domestic airline market. The other side had been the one to call this unexpected meeting where they tiredly threw in the towel. A tired but high on victory Jai could not contain his smile and it was with real pleasure that he looked forward to meeting Bani. Unfortunately; Nachiket and Ranveer, excited and still in awe of the negotiating skill Jai had displayed in the boardroom; also decided to call it a day, and unusually for them, head home with Jai. Who was too happy to really worry about it.
As Ranveer and Nachiket bounded into the house, Jai paused at the doorway to ask Tony where Bani was. But just then Ranveer and Nachiket's sudden halt and exclamations of surprise made the enquiry redundant.
Bani had excepted Jai. Instead she found two good looking young men literally rooted to the floor in shock. She went red in embarrassment and was racking her brains when Jai appeared at their shoulder. Breathing a sigh of relief she looked at him, silently asking for help.
It was the sight of that thali that caused Jai to draw in a sharp breath. It was the same silver thali, with all its ritual accompaniments that his mother used. And every day had performed the ritual arti. It was her puja room Bani had emerged from. And then as he took her in he nearly forgot to breathe. In the deepening gloom of the evening, the flickering flame of the diya threw its dappled light over her porcelain fair face, highlighting the deep pink that had begun to bloom in her cheeks, the colour deepening till her cheeks threatened to match the deep rose of her silk kameez. A delicate chiffon, swirling with the pink of the kameez and the darker violet of her salwar, was perched precariously over her head and her large eyes were focused on his with embarrassment writ large in them.
Tony switched the lights on and released Jai from the spell. Stepping forward he walked past till he was right in front of her, blocking her from Nachiket and Ranveer's view. Holding his hands out in the traditional request for Prasad, he smiled at her, a slow sensuous smile of masculine appreciation, and something warmer, more personal.
Wordlessly Bani put Prasad in his hands, regaining the composure lost due to the unexpected presence of the two young men, only to loose it a second later as Jai smiled at her. She stared at him in bemusement till he leant forward slightly and huskily said, "tilak nahin lagaogi?" her hand shook slightly as she put a tiny tilak on his forehead. Turning his head he called out to the boys, to come forward and take Prasad and meet Bani. As she turned her head to follow his gaze, her duapatta slipped and so did the pin stick she had used to anchor her hair in loose knot at the nape of her neck. Before she could react, Jai's arms were around her. Plucking the pin stick out of the half-open knot he released her hair, letting it cascade across her shoulders and then very gently draped the dupatta back on her head.
The very, very curious Ranveer and Nachiket had to settle for a polite exchange of names and Prasad before Jai hustled (that's how they saw it!) the very beautiful houseguest out of their sight.
Bani was still feeling incredibly embarrassed when Jai shut the door of his room and turned to her.
"Jai …I am so sorry…I should not have…" she began only to be silenced by his gentle finger across her lips.
And then taking her face between his hands he lowered his head till his forehead rested against hers.
"welcome to 'Jannat' Bani."
Itti Si Khushi Sab TV
Anupamaa
Love Friendship Dating and Relationships
