Chapter 8
I hope nothing is wrong with her bua, but then why will she resignâŚPushkar called her mobile, it was switched offâŚhe looked at his watchâŚhe will get late if he doesn't leave now, he has to find out what is the matter.
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Jai looked out of the bay window of his office and watched the sea, the weather was calm, infact the world from his 20th floor office looked calm, he tried to stop the storm which was raging inside him..
Yesterday was a peculiar day, after he had left Bani's room, he had walked into his room quietly to find Roshni already up and waiting for breakfast, she did not ask her usual questions about how the dinner nor where he was the night. He could not look at her face but went straight to the bathroom and stood underneath the shower. At breakfast Jai found Bani to be unusually quiet, not that she spoke much but she was visibly uncomfortable, steeling glances at him but avoiding to look at RoshniâŚRoshni was trying to be her normal self but was sounding horribly artificial.
Yeh keya ho rahe hai, how will I handle things, thought JaiâŚsuddenly his cabin door opened and Aditya his brother-in-law enteredâŚ
Keya baath hai salesahab, chintith lag rahe hoâŚ
Jai watched him for sometime, not knowing what to sayâŚ
Aditya tried reading his face, keya Roshni & Bani jhagra kar rahe haiâŚ.
No, not so drastic AdityaâŚ
TohâŚ.
I don't know they have just become very un-easy in each other's companyâŚ
WhyâŚ
Jai kept silentâŚ.
Kuch toh waje honge, JaiâŚ
Well, keya bataye, you understandâŚ
Aditya frowned, he never knew Jai could talk in riddles, he looked sharply at him, Oh I see, he said at lastâŚ..
Jai turned crimson, Aditya tapped the desk with his fingers thoughtfully then said, Jai it is best that you remain yourself, do not show your preferences, things should be alrightâŚ
You are right AdityaâŚ
I don't know I am right or not, but this is the best for the meanwhile, after Aditya left, Jai released his sigh, when they retired for the night, Jai simply could not go to Bani's room, he remembered Bani's fleeting glance towards him before going up to her room, with Roshni around, Jai quietly went up to their room. As long as he was with Bani he did not feel the guilt but with Roshni around, he went into the covers and turned to his sideâŚtowards the morning, he felt Roshni's hand over his bodyâŚafter many many months she was initiating itâŚ.
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There was a soft knock on her door, she looked up to see Buaji enteringâŚBani stood upâŚ
Beti mai bahut khush hu, tu Munna ke bare me soch rahi hai...
Bani smiled, she and her munna, though Buaji ran the house, but all her activities was to please her Munna, his comfort, his needs, Bani doubted whether she saw the other house members individuallyâŚ
Dekh tu ne naukri chhor kar bahut achcha kiya, abh tu yeh kitchen sambhal le, Munna ko jo pasand hai woh bana, malkin bolti thi admio ka dil jeetne ka isse achha tarika aur nehi haiâŚBuaji went into her pastâŚ
Ji Buaji, Bani said, whatever little she has as seen of Jai Walia, he is a very frugal eater, sticking to very simple basic food, lekin haath me haath dalke baithe rehne se so achha hai ki mai kuch karuâŚ
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It was Jigyasa and Aditya's 25th wedding anniversary, there was a big party at their home, Buaji had left early, Jigyasa wanted her to oversee the arrangements. Bani stood in front of the dressing table putting finishing touches to her makeup. She did not have any jewelry except for the mangalsutra with diamond pendent and matching earrings with it⌠since her marriage was sudden her parents were also not prepared for the same, the ornaments she wore of Pia's wedding she had left it behindâŚand knowing her Bua, well she was her family so Bua will not go out of the way to get things for her, she got the dresses as her Bua knew as a college student she might be lacking in formal clothingâŚ..Bani turned around to see if she is looking o.k. a black sari with silver sequin work, her hair open, clipped at the back with her mangalsutra and its matching earringsâŚnot too bad, giving one satisfied glance, she went out to the gallery to see Roshni & Jai going down the stairs holding hands, Roshni was saying something to him and he was listening to her totally engrossedâŚ.They were looking ravishing, Jai in black suit and Roshni in pink sari with diamond jewelry, Bani was about to call out then changed her mind, she will take a taxi, she turned to go inside her room to get the purseâŚ.
His driver was standing, Jai held his hand out, the driver gave him the keysâŚtheek hai Sankar tum chhutti karlo, kal subah time say ajanaâŚ
Didiji nehi jayegiâŚ
Kaun?
Woh didiji, jo abhi Maji ki maayke se ayi haiâŚ.
Bani, Ma ke saath nehi gayi...
Ji nehi...Maji jate waqt mujhe batake gayi thi unko le ane ke liye...
Jai looked at Roshni,
She shrugged and turned her face away...
Bani, did not have any fashionable clutch bag to go with the sari, she took her handbag and stood in front of the mirror it was not going..she sighedâŚtook out whatever money she had tied it in a handkerchief and put it inside her blouseâŚturned to see Jai was standingâŚ
Chale, he askedâŚ
Bani smiledâŚit was an unsure smile, she did not know what to doâŚ
Jai held out his hand, she placed hers and blushedâŚ
Roshni, was already sitting in the front seat, the driver opened the door at the back, Jai helped Bani to get in, before taking his place behind the wheels.
They enter the party, with Roshni holding Jai's arm and Bani a little behind them, already feeling lostâŚ.as Jai & Roshni mingle, Bani approaches Anu, Jai's niece the only person whom she knows other than the Aditya & JigyasaâŚ.they exchange pleasantries and Anu introduces her brothers, Bani find though they were polite they were equally uneasy in front of her as she was of them. Jigyasa barely acknowledged her when she got a chance to convey her good wishes while Aditya smiled at her broadlyâŚsoon Bani found herself standing at a corner, next to a pillarâŚ
Jai was observing Bani, he noticed her feeling left outâŚhe tried to make his way towards her slowly, but was getting caught by the guests wanting to have a word with himâŚ
Hi young ladyâŚ.
Bani looked up to find a middle aged man, with a glass in his hand greeting herâŚ
HelloâŚ
I am Mohan Khandelwal, Aditya's friend and you areâŚ
Bani
Bani?
Ji
Bani whatâŚ.
Bani smiled tried to look past himâŚ
Oh newly married still confused with your surname is itâŚâŚBani nodded affirmativeâŚ
So your husband is hereâŚ
Ji, must be somewhere aroundâŚ.
Lucky man, a beautiful wife lekin akela chhor diya, what a shameâŚ.
Bani excused herself and went past him to be collided with Jai, Jai steadied her, she released herself and went to the other side of the hallâŚ
Jai heard Bani and Mohan's exchange, he did not what to how to make her at ease, they were yet to announce their wedding in public, Jai was reluctant as he was not yet comfortable with Bani at home and in public and Roshni, who was over enthusiastic of getting him married the 2nd time, somehow is yet to show the same amount of enthusiasm yet.
The hall went dark suddenly and the dance floor lit up, Aditya made the announcement and a dance troupe glided onto the floor, Bani saw a perfect opportunity to escape, she never felt so uncomfortable in her entire life, like someone who barged into the party un-invited, she slowly made her way out.
Bani waited for the late arrivals to get down from the lift, they gave a curious look towards her, an unknown face, leaving the party early too, Bani quickly got into the lift and pressed the downward button, as the door was closing, Jai Walia inserted his foot and got inâŚBani looked at himâŚ
Idhar bahut stuffy lagrahe hai mujhe..she wanted to give an excuseâŚ
Mujhe bhi, he said and waited patiently for the lift to do downâŚ
As the lift opened, he lightly touched Bani's hand signaling her to follow him, after the security got his car, he slid into the driver's seat and waited for Bani make herself comfortable.
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