Sorry guys, am in a rush and don't have time for comments. Here is the next update. I hope you all like it. 😃😳 Shireen, you better sing to me after reading this!😉😆
Chapter 21Anu: Sunno sunno sunno! Meri baut ko sunno! (trans: Listen listen listen! Listen to what I have to say!)
Everyone stops chatting with one another and instead look up at a standing Anu and Rano, who looks slightly annoyed.
Anu: Me and Rano are really bored with this grown up talk so we've decided that we all should play a game!
Rano mutters to herself, "It wasn't my decision to play your stupid little game". She knew very well why Anu wanted to play a game, because she purposely wanted Rano to sit next to Saahil throughout it. Rano tried countless of times to make Anu stop pairing her with her brother, but Anu is convinced in making Rano her bhabhi.
Aditya and Jai inwardly groan at this. Just what they need… to play childish games when they could be at the office finishing up pending work to do. Bani nudges her brother, telling him to stop and be kind. She holds in her giggles on seeing Jai's expression. Mausi and Dadi, however, are very excited by the idea and immediately join in. Jigyasa narrows her eyes at Anu, showing her that she clearly doesn't approve how she is associating with a low-classed girl. Anu ignores this though purposely.
Mausi: That sounds like a lovely idea Anu.
Anu: So you will play? (excited)
Mausi: Of course. Me and Beji will.
Anu: Saahil, you will play nah? (winking)
Saahil: (smiling back) Of course, count this brother of yours in.
Saahil shoots a sideway glance at Rano in his laid down position. He smirks at her while she just rolls her eyes.
Anu: Papa? Mama?
Bani: (answering for Adi, knowing that he is about to refuse) Anu, your Papa will happily play.
Aditya glares at Bani, hating her at the moment. Bani just grins back at him, mighty pleased with herself. Jai watches this interaction between the two with amusement. He wonders when Bani will ever be loose and comfortable around him…
Anu: Mami, aap bhi khaalongi haina? (trans: You will also play, won't you?)
Bani: (never having the heart to say no to Anu) Yes, I will certainly play.
Anu: (looking at Jai) Mamaji, you too please?
Jai immediately shakes his head in a negative. He never plays games. This puts a frown on Anu's face.
Jai: No, I'm sorry Anu. I will watch though.
Anu: Mamaji, that's not fair!---- Mami-- aap unko samjado! (trans: You make him understand.) Please!!! Please Mami! Mamaji never plays. (complaining)
Bani turns a little pink by this and stares over at Jai, who looks back at her with a soft grin playing on his lips.
Bani: (sweetly) Please play the game. Anu wants us all to play, which includes you.
Jai looks over to a pleading Anu and an encouraging Rano, then stares back at Bani. He finds that he simply can't say "No" to her.
Jai: Alright, I'm in.
He becomes glad as he sees he has brought a light smile onto Bani's face. Anu smiles widely at this and hugs her Mamaji after pecking him on the cheek.
Anu: Thank you so much!
Jigyasa watches this with horror. Her brother didn't even hesitate in agreeing to Bani. Immediately she speaks up.
Jigyasa: I guess I will play too if everyone else is. (trying to play it off slickly)
Aditya: (sarcastically) The more the merrier.
Jigyasa glares in Aditya's direction. Everyone holds in their laughter at this. So by Anu's annoying excitement, everyone went towards another section of the lawn and sat down in a circle, upon Anu's instructions. Rano tried with all her best to avoid sitting next to Saahil, which she sadly didn't succeed in. Jigyasa attempted to sit in between her brother and Bani, but to absolute failure. She ended up sitting between her two most hated people in the world… her ex-husband and ex-mother-in-law. Bani shyly sat by Jai by Mausi's order.
(Here is the order: Dadi, Jigyasa, Aditya, Mausi, Jai, Bani, Anu, Saahil, and lastly Rano.)
Anu: We'll first play Chinese whispers.
Aditya: (catching the word "first", shocked) First?! We're playing more games?!
Anu: Why of course papa! The best game is right after this one! (smiling, cheerful)--- Okay, let's start. Who wants to go first?
Of course Dadi is the one who raises her hand up in the air, excitedly. Anu giggles at this.
Anu: Okay my lovely Dadi, you can go.
Dadi quickly thinks of something up and whispers it into a grouchy Jigyasa's ear. After hearing what her ex-Mom says, Jigyasa makes a face. How typical of her ex-Saas to say something among those lines. She was probably watching K3G again. Grumpily she turns to Aditya and whispers in his ear, "…You are my Soniya". Aditya, clearly surprised by this, raises an eyebrow at Jigyasa. Despite herself, Jigyasa turns a little pink and tells him to shut up and go on. Aditya turns to Mausi and says the same thing. Mausi, about to whispers the exact same into her Munna's ear, stops herself and sneakily comes up with another. "I love you", she whispers into Jai's ear.
Jai looks back at his Mausi, stunned. His mausi giggles and urges him to go on and tell Bani, who was waiting to see what was so funny. Nervously Jai looks over to his wife, who stares back at him-- waiting for him to tell her. He swallows hard and feels his insides turn inside out. Jai couldn't say "I love you" to Bani now. Not when they had just gotten onto a good track…. He didn't want to say anything that would make her uncomfortable and send her the wrong idea. He scrambles through his mind for something and says the first thing that comes to him.
"I love… I love peanut butter and jelly sandwhiches", he says with a serious expression. Bani gawks at him and momentarily her lips form a laughing smile. She tries stifling her giggles, but it doesn't work. Jai now realizes how ridiculous that sounded. He becomes embarrassed. Bani didn't mean to laugh, but hearing those words and especially coming from that mouth--- it was hilarious. Quickly she passes it on into Anu's ear who makes a face saying "What the hell?", but she proceeds on and tells her brother. Finally it reaches to Rano who looks at everyone's awaiting faces.
Bani continues to smile as Jai runs his hand through his hair, feeling rather foolish and childish. Rano says with a puzzled face, "I love a baloney and pickled sandwhich? ". Dadi frowns at this.
Dadi: That isn't what I said.
Anu: What did you all hear?
Aditya: I heard my ex-wife here saying so shamelessly to me, "You are my Soniye".
Jigyasa: Aditya, shut up.
Anu: Bani Mami, you said "I love baloney sandwhiches". That's what I heard.
Bani: Nahi to… I just repeated what your Mamaji said. (holding in her growing smile)
Mausi: (not understanding why Bani is finding it amusing) Bahu, what did Munna say? -- Munna, what did you say?
Jai: …(mumbles) I love peanut butter and jelly sandwhiches.
Everyone laughs at this, finding it highly hilarious hearing those words coming from The Jai Walia. Jai watches Bani giggling freely with everyone else… not minding anymore that he had embarrassed himself into making her laugh. He would do it again just to hear it once more. Mausi doesn't laugh with everyone else and opens her mouth to say, "Arre, but that's not what I said. I said 'I love ---'"
Jai becomes worried as Mausi is about to reveal what she had actually said and then everyone would realize why he said what he said. But is grateful to see Aditya hurriedly rush in and speak.
Aditya: Arre Mausi. It doesn't matter anymore. The game is over. Anu, beti, let's get through your other game now.
Anu: Ooh, for that you will all have to wait for a minute.
Anu trails off, leaving everyone behind confused. She comes back quickly though with an empty water bottle and a hat full of chits. She places them in the middle of the circle.
Anu: Okay, so this is how the game goes. A player will first start off by spinning the bottle and whoever the bottle lands on, has to take a chit from the hat and do what it says on it. Then after doing that, the person has to spin the bottle-- and it goes on and on after that. Understand?
Everyone nods.
Anu: Good. So I will start the game off this time.
Anu sits down and takes the bottle in her hand. She twirls it and the bottle slowly lands on Jigyasa, who looks at it without a care. She reaches for a chit and opens it… but just as she finishes reading it she immediately regrets for even participating in the game.
Anu: Mama, what does it say?
Dadi eagerly reads off of Jigyasa's shoulder. She whistles.
Dadi: Arre, Jigyasa has to kiss her lover!
Aditya chokes while everyone else looks at this, equally stunned. Then they all start smiling, but are careful not to laugh to upset both Aditya and Jigyasa.
Jigyasa: This is rubbish. I don't have a lover.
Dadi: Oh so my son has all of a sudden died?
Jigyasa: Mrs. Bali, your son isn't my lover. (fuming)
Anu: But he once was Mama! (teasingly)
Jigaysa: Be quiet Anu. (warningly)
Saahil: (tired voice) come on Mom and just kiss Dad already. Let's get this game going.
Saahil was in a hurry for his turn to come. He was hoping that he'd get something exactly like his mother. Jigyasa unwillingly pecks Aditya on the cheek, and surprisingly blushes as Aditya eyes her and grins. Jigyasa in a rush spins the bottle….and it lands on Saahil. He perks up instantly and grabs a chit, expecting it to be something good, but immediately becomes nervous and upset with what it says.
Rano: Tell your most embarrassing incident. (she reads off of his shoulder, then giggles)
Saahil: (hastily) I don't have one.
Aditya: Saahil, beta, didn't your mother and I teach you to never lie?
Saahil: Papa, but I'm not lying.
Aditya: Accha, I will just go on and tell everyone one. When Saahil was two, Jigyasa had just given him a bath and was about to dress him, but he ran off and even went outside running down the sidewalk-- completely naked. I , of course, ran after him to stop him. Our poor neighbors were scarred for life.
Everyone laughs at this, finding it extremely funny, while Saahil drops his head down into his hands, turning red from embarrassment. Rano laughs the most. Dejectedly, Saahil spins the bottle and it lands on Rano, who instantly fears with what she will get. She reads the chit to herself and blushes. Quickly she closes it and faces everyone's curious eyes.
Mausi: Arre Rano, what does it say?
Rano shakes her head shyly and lowers her head down. Bani stares at her sister with puzzlement. Why is she so shy all of a sudden? Anu sneakily grabs the chit from Rano and reads it out loud, shocking Rano a whole lot and further shaming her.
Anu: Tell us your sweetheart/crush's name.
Mausi, Dadi, Aditya, and Anu "oooooo" at this, making Rano turn pink. Saahil watches this interestedly. Bani doesn't understand why Rano has any reason to be shy by this…. From what she knows, Rano isn't involved with anyone….. Or is she?
Anu: You know Rano, I have been noticing lately that you barely pay attention nowadays…. You even daydream while doing your homework, which you never do. Bolo nah Rano ji, akaar chakaar kya hai! (nudging her)
Jai watches this scene with great interest. He joins in with teasing his Saali.
Jai: Hm, Anu is right. Even I have been noticing something lately strange in Rano's behavior.
Jai winks at Rano, who had looked at his with pure shock. She knows that he is referring to how he had caught her this morning wearing a silly grin and in a lost daze at the Breakfast table. She further blushes. Bani looks back from Rano to Jai and then again at Rano. She was definitely going to have to find out the reason behind this blushing….
Rano: There is nothing like that.
Anu: Oh I bet there is! (teasingly)
Anu winks at Saahil, who smiles broadly.
Mausi: Arre, I bet there is no one and you all are just harassing Rano for no reason. The girl is just shy… it is common for every girl to become shy on the mention of a sweetheart or crush, especially in front of family.
Anu: Chalo… you got saved this time Rano by Mausi…. Now spin the bottle.
Rano does so and the bottle lands on Bani…who looks at the bottle with full dread. Jai smiles at this, now very engrossed with seeing what Bani has to do. Slowly she opens the small piece of paper and reads what it says…. She looks at Anu with shock and shakes her head in a negative, closing the paper as she does this.
Bani: No, Anu--- I- I can't do this.
Anu: (can tell by her face with which one she got) Oh come on Bani Mami! Don't be a spoiled sport!
Bani: Nahi I---
Mausi: Arre Bahu, karo nah…. Everyone has done their part, you must do yours also.
Bani looks at Mausi desperately. Jai watches her worry to herself and becomes puzzled by this.
Aditya: Come on Bani, how bad can it be?
Anu: Mami, I'm not taking "no" for an answer!
Bani: Paar---
Mausi: (sternly) Bahu.
Anu takes Bani's wrist in a grip and pulls her up to her feet.
Anu: You all have to close your eyes because it has something to do with Mami's chit. … Come on, close your eyes!
Everyone unwillingly listens obediently. Anu drags Bani far off to the other side of the farmhouse and hands her nervous Mami the long green hose.
Bani: No Anu, I can't do this! Your Mamaji will---
Anu: Mamaji won't be mad. Don't worry! Besides Mami, I wouldn't make you do this if things between you and Mamaji are rocky…. But everyone has been noticing that you two seem fine with one another now. So what's the harm?!
Bani: Anu----
Anu thrusts the hose into Bani's hand without listening to any of her protests and gives her a lot of pushes back over to their circle on the lawn, where everyone has their eyes closed.
Anu: Okay, everyone, BUT Mamaji can open their eyes!
Jai: (puzzled) And why can't I open mine?
Anu: Because I said so….. No peeping Mamaji! Keep them closed.
Jai impatiently keeps his eyes closed, wanting to know eagerly about what the hell is going on. He hears everyone whisper around him and giggles, making him even more impatient. After a few seconds Anu gives him the signal to open his eyes.
Anu: You can open them now Mamaji.
Jai opens his eyes and is about to ask for the reason behind this, but finds his voice trailing off by the sight in front of him…. Bani with a hose aimed right at him. Alarmed, he looks away from the hose and at Bani's apologetic looking face. Quickly he stands up from the ground and tries walking towards Bani, to make her stop from something she will later on regret.
Jai: Listen to me Bani, put the hose down and I won----
Bani doesn't even let him finish his sentence and shocks him by spraying him with cold water, wetting the whole front of his body. Jai uses his arms to avoid the water from getting into his eyes. "Bani! Bani--stop!", he manages to say while being splashed. Instantly on his word she stops and she drops the hose onto the ground in fright. Everyone at first gasps, but then quickly begin to giggle at the sight of a dripping wet Jet, who stares at his wife with pure astonishment. Bani looks like she is about to cry.
Bani: Mr. Walia, I'm so sorry!--- But that's what it said on the chit-- and Anu kept on persuading me---
Jai stares at her for a good long moment with his stormy eyes, which makes Bani freeze in her spot and stop trying to explain herself to him. He takes slow predator like steps to her, making Bani feel small as a mouse. Everyone else watches this scene quietly, feeling equally scared about how Jai is going to react.
As Jai finally approaches Bani, he stares down at her and says, "I don't want an apology Bani… I want revenge". Bani's eyes open with fright as she sees him take a hold of the hose from the ground and point it at her, he grins evilly at her.
Bani: Mr. Walia, please no----
Jai unwinds the hose's knob, letting the water rapidly flow out and all over Bani. Bani let's out a shriek from the cold contact with the water and attempts to move out of the way, but Jai just splashes her everywhere she goes.
At the same time Saahil and Anu come out with two other hoses in their hands and start splashing water on all of their other family members, laughing as they do this. Everyone becomes alarmed by being splashed and try running away from the crazy, lunatic twins.
Bani tries grabbing the hose away from Jai, while in the process of being splashed, but fails. Jai laughs at this as Bani pleads.
Bani: Mr. Walia, please! Stop! I'm getting wet!
She attempts one more time with taking the hose away. Bani stands on her tip toes and tries to take the hose away as Jai lifts it up in the air, out of her reach, the water splashing them both now. She jumps and successfully takes the possession of the hose. It is now her turn to laugh and him to run…. Jai swears under his breath and tries to stop Bani, but she is hell-bent on getting him back. He tries moving out of the way and losing her, but she follows him quickly around, determined to get him soaking wet.
Jai approaches her from behind and wraps his arm around her waist, pulling her tight against him, and tries reaching for the hose with his available hand because his other is tightly around her. Bani puts the hose out of his reach and keeps dashing his outstretched hand. They struggle with one another, fighting over the hose, and laugh together. Somehow they trip and fall onto the ground with Bani on top and Jai on the bottom. The hose is released from Bani's hand and rolls right next to them, the water flowing into the green grass…..
Their laughter long gone, Jai and Bani stare at one another as if they are seeing each other for the very first time. … Everything seems to still around them as they focus on each other. Jai feels breathless as he gazes up at his wife, whose wet hair is pushed to one side…curly wet eyelashes blinking at him…and hazel eyes boring into his own. Right at that moment, he knew that he was looking at the most beautiful woman in the world…who was in his arms and his….
Bani stares down at him with a hypnotized look…..She drinks in his appearance greedily…. His thick black hair now slightly curly from being wet…. Dark electrifying eyes piercing right through her…. making her feel as if he can see right into her soul. … Her heart races and breathing becomes rapid…
Jai, only focused at the moment right now, travels his hand up her back and the wet thin material of her saree, loving the feel of the outline of her body. He feels a shiver run down her back as he does this…. Jai holds his other hand tighter against her waist and takes his other to gently cup the side of her face. He strokes her cheek with his thumb and sees Bani close her eyes by the contact….Slowly they open once again, looking back at him.
Jai lowers his eyes down to her rosy lips, which slightly quiver…. Bani watches him do this and a blush creeps into her cheeks. For the second time since his marriage, he wonders how it would feel to have those soft looking lips on his…. Just as he is about to figure out, by leaning up to kiss her lips which are only a few centimeters away, Bani shyly turns her head to the other side and ducks her face into the crook of his neck. ….A smile forms on his lips because of her shyness….
"Jai! Bani!", they hear someone shout. Jai and Bani look over to the left and see Aditya standing from a distance, looking at them awkwardly from intruding in on them.
Aditya: Ah,…errr… everyone's going inside to change and have lunch.
They then notice everyone's retreating backs going into the farmhouse, all of of them wet from head to toe. Jai and Bani look back at one another and blush. Bani hurriedly leaves his arms and runs off in the direction of the farmhouse, completely embarrassed by what happened and Aditya for noticing. Jai gets up himself and tries to act as if nothing had happened between him and Bani, when really inside he was on burning. He joins Aditya, who stares at him suspiciously.
Aditya: (extremely awkward and embarrassed) I didn't intrude in on anything, did I?
Jai: (hastily) No, you didn't. We just fell…. That's all.
Relieved Aditya lets out a sigh and follows after a rushing Jai……..
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Edited by Indian_Goddess - 17 years ago
Anupamaa
Pocket Mein Aasman
Cricket
