Part Nine
Bani mumbled a quick apology and gathered her appearance once again. The elder woman with whom she got bumped did the same and said in an annoyed voice, "dekh ke nehi chalti ho kya?"
Bani felt disheartened, it was Bani's fault actually as she was unmindful. She very politely said, "I'm sorry auntie, may I help you?'
The woman looked up to say something but her jaws dropped as soon as she saw Bani.
Bani felt uneasy. She's got the experience of men's jaws dropping seeing her but never in her life an elderly woman had her jaws dropped seeing her.
"Bani?" finally the woman said in a whisper.
Bani was confused, How does she know me? Before her confusion got over the woman pulled her in a affectionate hug to confuse Bani more.
Then two things hit Bani at once, first the woman was Krishna Walia whom she saw in the party and second Bani was wearing the JB pendant. She couldn't believe it. She said in a barely audible voice, "Krishna Auntie?"
Krishna looked at her and smiled, "Call me mamma beta."
Bani smiled also but she was still very confused. She just nodded when Krishna shot her the most unbearable question to her.
"Where's your Mamma? Where' Kiran?"
Bani was at loss of words, "Mamma---maamma…she's..she' gone…"
"Where?" this time Krishna was the confused one. "Where did Kiran go?"
"Mamma,,,mamma left me, she left us..forever."
Krishna was shocked. After so long she got seconds hope of finding her old lost friend only to hear that she's never gonna see Kiran again. She didn't know what to say or what to do. She just watched Bani crying silently, her face down. KW finally found her voice, "And your Papa?"
Bani smiled through her tears weakly, "Mom and Dad loved each other too much, so they left together."
"I..I'm sorry dear." Said Krishna as she pulled Bani in her arms again.
"Now,now mom, what are you crying over? Is someone cross married in one of those serials you watch?" joked a deep voice from behind. Bani immediately recognized it and wiped away her tears in a hurry. Krishna also smiled. "that's my son Jai." She told to Bani.
"Hi Jai." Said Bani meekly.
"Hi Bani." Winked Jai. He couldn't help but notice how beautiful she was in a fade jeans and a full sleeved dark red georgette tops with chumkis all over it.
Krishna rolled her eyes, "You know Bani? How?"
Jai shrugged and didn't bother to answer it. He was busy checking her out. He smiled as he noticed he was not the only one who was staring.
Bani was simply unable to take off her eyes from him. He was looking like a greek god in black jeans and black short shirt, sleeves rolled to 1/4. his hair was all gelled back. Is he going to look this good like this all the time? She thought dreamily.
Finally Krishna Walia broke them from their staring contest, "Jai, I thing we are late."
"Hu? Oh yeah off course. Bye Bani, see you again." He winked at her again and moved towards the car, having his arm around his mother. If Bani was not busy thinking of him she would've listened to Krishna snorting, "Sahar ke sari ladkiyo ko janti ho na tum?"
………………………….
Ding Dong! Ding Dong!
Pri hurried towards the door wondering who might come at this hour. Her parents both were on duty and her brother was somewhere with his friends. She opened the door to find the one she was dying to see for days.
"Hi, guess I'm not disturbing you?" said Jai cheerfully, he moved Pri aside with his hand and entered.
"Who are you?" asked stubbornly, "Why are you invading our house?" she closed the front door.
Jai screwed up his nose, "Something is burning."
"What?" asked Pri confused.
"Never mind, guess we've got exams in two weeks?" he settled down in the dining room where he usually teaches Pri. "Where's Pratik?"
"WE don't have any exams, I've got exams and that didn't bother you a bit but you are supposed to be my tutor, you should've at least called me to in form that you'll take a s-h-o-r-t break of 15 days." Snapped Pri crossly.
"Now don't test my temper," warned Jai
"Fine," snapped Pri and went to her bedroom, she was back in 3 minutes with piles of books and her pencil box was balanced on her head. Jai couldn't help but laugh at the sight.
"What is wrong with you?" asked Jai as she dropped all the books with a huge thud on the table.
"Nothing is wrong with me, you're seeing things." Said Pri still cross.
"Ok, then let's start, math test on the first day, right?" Jai reached out and pulled the math book and suddenly stopped.
All on a sudden, the whole flat started to shake a bit in the rhythm of beats of drum.
Dum! Dum dum! Dum!
Jai and Pri both looked up from where the sound was coming. Pri exclaimed looking upwards, "That's all he does, either drum or his stupid songs."
Jai grinned, "Looks like old Pusky is back on form."
"you know him?" wondered Pri.
"Yeah, he's my frined."
"That boy has got Friends?" Pri rolled her eyes in disbelief.
"Why not? He's a bit odd, but he's alright otherwise. You better get used to him, cause he's going to teach you as well after I leave."
"He? Teaching me? Impos…wait, you are leaving? Where?"
"yesh, I've got a full scholarship from University of Waterloo, I'm leaving in two months, who knows, probably forever." He said unmindfully.
Even seven months ago, he wouldn't have used the word "Probably". He would have been confident that he's not coming back once he leaves this country and his family. But now, he knows he has to come back, he has to come back for the most important thing of his life, his Bani.
"You're..you're not coming back?" said Pri weakly. Jai shrugged.
The thought of Jai leaving the country tormented Pri throughout the night. May be I'll never see him again; the thought gave her trembling fear in deep down her heart.
…………………………
Bani got well attached with the Walia family in a week. Soon, she was found helping Krishna in different work, hearing Ranveer's countless chatterings, scratching her head when Jigs found that it is necessary for Bani to know which artery carries which form of blood. But the most fun was to be with Jai.
Krishna watched amusedly how good they went along. Truly, they were made for each other. Bani was sad that Jai will go abroad for studies, but she tried to neglect the fact.
Her exams were approaching. Her weakest subject was biology. Jigs was more than glad to tutor her in biology, not because she liked Bani. But because it made her feel that she was superior.
The exams came and went, both the girls did pretty well. Bani was naturally good and Pri got the full guidance of Jai. After the exams, Jai informed Pri that he's handing over his duty of tutoring her to Puskar right away. Cause, he wanted to see that Puskar was doing his job.
Pri's experience with Puskar was horrible. He behaved like he's a child and all the time thinking of music or girls. He was a big flirt. Pri couldn't help but get annoyed the way he flirted with both Pri and her mother in the same hour.
Well, as for the tutoring part, he was good. And he was more bearable than Jai. Cause Jai was very much impatient but Puskar seems to have the whole bucket full of patience. Within a month, Pri found that she was actually enjoying working with her new tutor.
But every night, when everyone was sleeping, they got into a dangerous fight. The only barrier between them was Pri's roof and Puskar's floor. In the middle of night, when Puskar started to play songs like, Rock n Roll Soniye, Pri threw anything she could get to the roof to annoy Puskar. Puskar wasn't any better. He'd play basketball in his room to give Pri a vibration in her room.
…………………………………..
Bani was amused by her friend's mood swing business. One day, she'd come and say that her tutor is really cute and the next day she'd say there is not one bea** like her tutor. Bani didn't know what happened suddenly. Pri was supposed to be Fida over her tutor. Bani was so busy with Jai and his family that she missed the point that Pri had a tutor change.
……………………….
Bani was getting dressed. Tonight there was a party at the Shenakunjo. The occasion of the party is that it is Uday Walia and Krishna Walia's 30th Wedding anniversary. Bani's chacha-chachi was out on a trip to Comilla with their two sons and Nihan and Auditi. Bani has purposefully left behind. She didn't want to spend even one day without Jai as he's leaving soon.
She's asked Jai to pick her up. She was waiting impatiently when he finally came. He was awestruck to see her. She was quite pleased to get the reaction she was hoping to see.
She was wearing a white chiffon Kameez that reaches only a few inches below her thigh. The kameez was almost skin tight. The sleeves were full of Doris. With this white kameez she wore red churidar and red dupatta which was pinned in her one side and the other side was wrapped around her hand. She wore red and white beads ear rings and both hand full of red and white glass bangles. Even with the three inches white glass heel she reached only till the shoulder of Jai.
Jai tucked on loose strand of her hair behind her ears and whispered, "Do you know we're never going to reach the party?"
Bani shievered at the tone of his voice, "Why?" she asked also in a whisper.
"Don't blame me" was all he said as he pulled her in his arms.
that's all for now, hope you've liked it...let me know your response...
