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Hello every one, I am back with an update, sooner than later....😆😆😆 It's not much...This is for my friend Ras who has been eating too much coffee nips lately and she knows what happens with too much nipping...LOL!!
Also for my readers, Janu, SwatiNarang, Bugs_bunny, RidhiJai and Aimee (Where are you?) Thanks a lot and appreciate your best wishes and thoughts very much!
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"Retribution is a double edged sword, it hurts the giver as much as it hurts the person who is at the other end." - Unknown.
Part 41
"Retribution is a double edged sword, it hurts the giver as much as it hurts the person who is at the other end." - Unknown.
Part 41
"You told me that you were not pregnant!"
Rano breathed in. So here come the recriminations.
"Yes, I did!" She closed her eyes desperately.
"I asked you if you were pregnant and you told me you weren't!" Ranveer repeated.
"Yes, I did!" She opened her eyes to look at him pleadingly.
"Damn you, Rano? Why? Why would you do that? I told you that I will stay here and look after you!" Ranveer shook with anger.
"I thought it was for the best" Rano whispered, her whisper was barely audible.
"Best for who? Best for the boy? Best for you? Best for me?" He targeted her with a barrage of questions.
"Mostly best for you!" Pia answered calmly.
"And who is she to judge what is the best for me?" Ranveer turned to Pia and glared at her.
"Don't look at me, I told her to go to you and have you pay for your mistakes" Pia answered with derision.
"Answer me, Rano! I thought you were mature enough to want your kid to have both the mother and father raising a child!" Ranveer was relentless.
Rano squirmed uneasily. Her glance fell on Rohan who is cringing behind his maasi. Immediately her maternal instincts came to the fore.
"Ranveer, Rohan needs to be at his school right now, he has won couple of trophies for Chess and Music. I need to take him there!" She warned him not to continue his tirade with her eyes.
Ranveer opened his mouth to argue and stopped just in time as he saw the fear in the boy's eyes.
"I want to continue this conversation later!" Ranveer's words held a challenge that wasn't missed by Jai or Rano.
Ranveer looked lost, he didn't know how to react to this new revelation and how to interact with his son who was mighty comfortable with him just a few minutes ago.
He saw Rohan hugging Pia's shirt until she bent down to hear him whisper in her ear.
She looked up both at Rano and Ranveer with amusement.
"Yes, Rohan, the tikka man is indeed your dad!" She replied mockingly. "Hmm, I wonder if I can use that look for my male models!" She reflected thoughtfully.
Ranveer looked at her as if she lost her mind. He ignored her completely and bent down to touch the boy's cheeks. Rohan hid his face behind Pia again.
"My name is not Tikka man, it's Ranveer Bali" he introduced himself.
"You must be Rohan Kanhai" he looked at the boy gravely. He deliberately named the famous West Indies cricketer.
Rohan quickly came out from behind, "Who is Rohan Kanhai? My name is Rohan Bali" he put his hands on his waist and looked at Ranveer belligerently. "If you are my dad, how come you don't know my name?"
"I think you should ask your mother that question" Ranveer threw the answer bitterly.
"Please!!" Rano pleaded again to stop the confrontation in front of the child.
Ranveer ignored her presence and stared at the boy, taking his fill at the child's appearance. His son, he wanted to hug him and bawl his eyes out, he blinked rapidly to stop the tears that threatened to fall.
"Would you mind if I come to your school to see you getting your awards?" Ranveer tried to keep the emotions off of his voice so that he didn't overwhelm the boy.
Rohan's eyes rounded and the joy that reflected there made Rano swallow the lump in her throat. Rohan nodded shyly.
"Just don't hug me in front of my friends and I don't like those yucky kisses either!" Rohan warned Ranveer and he rubbed his cheeks with remembered disgust. Pia tried to catch him to place a kiss on his cheek threateningly and he ran to stand next to his mother.
"Yes, I don't like the yucky kisses either!" Ranveer laughed heartily. Rohan was so easy to love! A swift rage hit him hard, how could Rano do this to him, he thought they were friends and they had an agreement.
Jai leaned on the bar and looked at the unfolding scene in front of him. The day was taking a toll on him already, truth after truth, he felt like a weak opponent thrashed in the boxing ring by Mohammed Ali.
A vision in the palest pink distracted him and he looked up to see Bani and Reya in the corridor. Reya was dressed in a black mini skirt with pale pink stockings and a pink blouse with black stars on it. Her face looked scrubbed and delectable. The hair was tied in two pigtails with pink butterfly pins adorning them. Soft tendrils escaped and fell on the forehead. The dark eyes with wet, curly lashes spiked looked into the room with interest.
Bani was dressed in a pale pink sari, with a simple blouse that had short sleeves. Her hair fell straight on her shoulders and her face was devoid of any makeup except for a little Kohl surrounding her almond shaped eyes and a pale pink glass touched her luscious lips. She looked good to eat. Jai swallowed hard. His heart started racing rapidly and he felt his stomach doing funny things.
Bani's eyes locked as the passion swirled and she felt faint with feelings that she suppressed for so long. He was dressed in a black trouser and white muslin long sleeved shirt tucked in, a casual sports jacket hung on the chair next to him to finish the outfit. He wore semi-casual black loafers to go with the black trouser.
A dry cough alerted both of them to the present and they blushed to find everyone's eyes on them. Pia was looking at both of them wryly. She had a small smile playing on her lips. She remembered the famous lines of Bani di about fate and destiny. She flung her hair back and sauntered to Reya and held her hand.
"Reya darling, meet your Cousin Rohan's dad, Uncle Ranveer!"
Reya reached for Pia's hand and looked uncertainly at Rano, Bani and Rohan. She looked for confirmation. Rohan nodded eagerly and went running to Reya throwing himself at her, forgetting the fact that he didn't like hugging in public.
Ranveer passed a malignant look at Jai. "Did any one do the honors of punching you?" Jai's foreboding expression didn't scare him one bit.
"Meet your mami-ji. I married her 6 years ago; It does seem that, their family has a history of running away and screwing the unsuspecting males over in the process." Bani flinched as his malicious words hurt her deeply.
"You are married?" Ranveer was taken aback. "But, that day she left you at the mandap!" he looked confused.
"It's a long story, remind me to tell you one of these days" Jai's voice was laden with irony and sarcasm.
"If you don't mind, I have had enough of the truth finding missions, we should be leaving to the school now, other wise we will be late!" Pia looked bored. It seemed her mission was only to bring them back to earth.
Ranveer and Jai looked at her with evil eyes and distaste but complied without protest.
While they were walking out to the elevator, Pushkar stepped out with a stunning, long legged, skinny model look alike on his arm. He was dressed casually in Jeans and a long sleeved olive green polo shirt and his black hair fell on his forehead attractively. He looked dashing and happy with the attention he was receiving from his date. Ranveer and Jai looked at each other and shook their heads at the hopelessness of Pushkar's many dating fiascos. He looked up finding the attention of many eyes on him. He hastily moved away from the girl and greeted Jai and Ranveer.
"Sir! Ranveer!" He nodded at both of them self-consciously. "I met her in the lobby, she was looking for the directions to the penthouse" he mumbled with difficulty.
"Save it!" Jai raised his palm to stop Pushkar from explaining himself. "Just use protection! We don't want any little Shuklas running around without you getting married first!"
"Sir?" Pushkar was shocked at the bluntness in his employer's voice. He looked around to see the Dixit girls staring at the floor. His eyes brightened as he spotted Pia in a designer saree looking as if she just came out of a beauty parlor.
Pia recovered first! She glared at Jai and said sweetly, "You should try to practice what you preach! Sir!!" She stressed on the 'Sir'.
Bani wanted to shrivel and die right there. How dare is he being so brutal and frank with Pushkar?
Jai sighed, Pia was not going to let him go easy and looked at the girl in the elevator. "OK, that was uncalled for! I am sorry! Just blame it on some shocks we received!" He turned to Pushkar with his eyebrows raised.
"Pushkar, why are you here? You are supposed to be in Delhi today, aren't you?"
Ranveer had the grace to look ashamed.
"Mama-ji" He hesitated a bit before blurting why Pushkar was there.
Jai rolled his eyes and walked into the elevator with the kids, and the reluctant girls, Ranveer. As the doors started closing, Pushkar came running with the girl and entered the elevator.
He pushed his hair back from his forehead and grinned at no one in particular. "I think she saw the penthouse floor, now she is going back to her mother who is waiting downstairs for her."
The girl glared at him in anger and sulked as the elevator went down. Pushkar disposed her off and tagged along with them, engaging Pia and the kids in an animated conversation.
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"Ranveer, order the valet to bring the cars"
As the Mercedes came and stopped in front of him, he pushed Bani in to the back seat and sat in the middle and gently tugged Reya inside to sit next to him. He looked at Ranveer to do the same in another car. Pushkar looked delighted to chaperone Pia in the next car. He made a sweeping gesture to ask her to take his arm and went around, to shut the door after she sat in the back. Pia laughed at his antics. She was beginning to enjoy this new Pushkar who looked confident and successful.
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Jai pondered about the trip back home and the explanations to Maasi, Adi and others. He was so angry with Jigyasa at the moment, he wanted to slap her silly. But violence was not something he enjoyed, although he punched Ranveer in a fit of anger, he would never do that to his sister. He pushed the thoughts of the possible punishment to his sister aside and concentrated on his lovely wife who tried to push herself as close to the door as possible in an effort to avoid physical contact with him. He deliberately spread his legs so it touched her leg and enveloped it with the heat emanating from him. He smiled at his beautiful daughter who was following his mother and looking straight. As the car took a curve, Reya leaned on him and he closed his eyes as a frail hand fell on his thigh to hold herself from falling.
Her hands were small, the chubby fingers held the promise of being slender and long when she grew up. He wondered if her toes were perfect too. He presumed they were. She looked like a princess, a perfect, model princess that had no blemish whatsoever. He kept looking at her awed. This was his daughter!
Without a thought, he took the hand that was placed on his thigh for support and held it. His hand was so large, the small hand was engulfed in it. He squeezed it gently.
"I like your dress!" his voice was husky and held a hint of roughness that came with tears.
"Thank you, Pia Maasi made it!" Reya gave him a sidelong glance and smiled shyly.
"She has good taste!" Jai approved.
For a reason that was not apparent to her, Bani felt jealous. She pretended to watch the moving traffic with interest.
"When is the last day for the school?" Jai questioned, changing the subject €" he didn't let go of her hand.
"Tomorrow, then I have holidays till September" Reya looked ecstatic.
"Don't you like the school?" Jai looked puzzled.
"I do, but mom promised to put me in the horseback riding school in the summer" Reya supplied him the answer.
"I see! Where is this school?" Jai was curious.
"In U.S! it's a special equestrian school in California. Uncle Vik lives there, he suggested I go there." Reya was eager to tell him about the school.
Jai turned his head to look assessingly at Bani who refused to look at him. He was sick and tired of whoever this Uncle Vik is. He is not letting another male to come and take over his role and be a father figure to his long lost daughter.
Another curve on the road and this time, it was Bani who fell on him and his stomach knotted with reaction. He smelled a light perfume on her, jasmine and lilies? Whatever it was, it was intoxicating to say the least. He didn't know how long he could control himself around her. Every time, he came in contact with her, it was as if sensations exploded within him. He brought his attention back to his daughter with much difficulty.
"What kind of awards did you get?" He engaged her in conversation.
"I won the horserace, I got first place in the Violin concert and I got the award for best behaved award in the school" she dropped her eyes shyly.
"Wow, three awards?" Jai was proud of his daughter's accomplishments.
"Rohan got three too, in Chess, in Piano and in recitation" Reya wanted to be fair to her cousin.
"Really, I have an accomplished family" Jai smiled at his daughter and ruffled her hair. She brought her hands to her head and brushed her hair down immediately.
"I don't like my hair messed up!" She was prim.
"Oh! Sorry!" Jai was apologetic.
"It's OK" She pulled her hand out from him and placed it in her lap. "Just don't do it next time." She ordered him like a school teacher, it reminded Bani of Jai's arrogance.
Bani wanted to laugh at the expression in Jai's face, but contained her humor because she knew it was not going to be appreciated.
Reya dug into her little backpack and fished out a candy bar that looked worse for the wear. It had melted in the sun and looked very unappealing.
She stretched her hand to Jai and offered him the candy.
Jai had no choice than accept it. He gingerly put a piece of it in his mouth and smiled at Reya, Mmmm, it's really good!"
"Rohan found it on the playground, I have been saving it" Reya looked happy he accepted the gift and ate a piece of it.
Jai looked horrified and looked about to spit but swallowed it for his daughter.
He looked at Bani irritated when he heard her tinkling laugh.
"You enjoyed that, didn't you?" the melted candy stuck to the corner of his mouth and she couldn't take her eyes off of him.
She would be even more horrified if he knew the thoughts that crossed her mind at the candy smeared on his lip.
She looked down hastily, trying to conceal her desires. She handed him a tissue from her handbag.
"You have candy on your lips!" she waited for him to take the tissue from her hand. He took her hand into his instead.
"Why don't you lick it off?" he whispered in her ears still holding her hand.
She extricated her hand from his forcibly, shivered at the sensuality in his voice and moved closer to the window.
"Chicken!!" he whispered with a laugh.
"I am not a chicken!" She crossed her arms tightly across her bosom and refused to look at him.
"Ba, Bak, Bak!" He taunted her mercilessly.
She glared at him impotently but didn't respond and looked relieved when they reached the school. She didn't know if she is punishing him or he is punishing her. It didn't look like either of them are winning after all.
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Next Chapter will be Rano and Ranveer's conversation and Jigyasa's punishment - I did think of some really good things for her.
I know this is sort of a filler, hope you forgive me, sometimes, you need these as stopgaps...
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