Before I start - just saw JW in his suit and yellow tie yesterday - looked like a trussed up chicken!!! Those ties have to go 😆 -Sorry Raam
**** Part 1 ****
------Scene setting
Bani makeover is as shown in KS,
Ganga is as shown but has inherited Jai's temper and Bani's patience so takes a lot for her to flair up and has pride in her family, calls Daksh DM.
JW makeover - I wanted classy so wears roll-neck polos in black, white or grey with black or grey suits, never buttons the jacket (obviously!)
There is no marriage between JW and Meera. She is his PA who doubles up as his hostess when Jigs is not there.
In the Dhaba, the kitchen is divided from the front by a parition with a hatch, there is Khan chacha an old man who acts as the cashier and order taker and Chottu a boy who helps out serving/cleaning/etc.
------Walia headoffice
JW sat thinking of his latest company takeover. Adi had just asked him again why he was doing all this, it was not as if he had anyone to pass things over to. A year after he had thrown out Bani, Pushkar had come to JW with a DNA report showing Veer was his son and not JW's. Thinking about it his jaw hardened - all he had ever got form the Dixit sisters was betrayal. Work was his main stay in life now, what did it matter what happened to his life's achievements once he died. Let them fight over it, he thought cynically.
It was not as if there was anyone to moan him except maybe his sister Jigs.
------Meerut
That's where the Walia clan had come for Laksmi's marriage. The bride and bridegroom lived in Chandigarh but the groom's parents did and they were loath to travel anywhere so the wedding would be held here and the reception in Chandigarh.
JW had been the last to arrive and now stood besides his car observing the usual wedding paraphenalia. He watched a young girl with a tiffin box and plate try to get into the house but was turned back by the servants. She argued with them waving the box and pointing to a lady who looked to be the groom's mother but to no avail. Eventually she stood on the side, arms crossed watching the guests arrive. Jai could just imagine her
clogs clicking away in that brain of her's. Karuna and Jigs walked past her with their long pallu's bellowing out behind them. In a blink, the girl had stepped between them and passed into the house! He smiled and thought obviously someone who doesn't take No as an answer lightly.
Ganga looked around at the decorated house and the equally bedecked guests with awe. Auntyji was still receiving the guests so she would just wait for her to be free so that she could get her to taste her mother's cooking and maybe mamma would get to cook for the occasion - even if it was just one dish it would help them enormously. She turned and saw the chandelier falling towards a man and quickly shouted a warning whilst running towards him, the tiffin falling on the ground and disgorging it's contents on the floor.
JW looked up and moved aside quickly so the chandelier crashed inches from him spraying crystal chips on him and Ganga. Ganga and JW stood still looking at each other, blood dripping from JW's hand where a shard of glass had pierced it. Suddenly Ganga turned around and ran to where the tiffin box was. Kneeling down tries to clear the mess pushing the contents back into the box, tears in her eyes
'Oh no, ohhhhhh nooooo this had to happen now' Glares at JW. 'Look what you have done and now Auntyji can't taste it so mamma can't cook for the guests here!'
'Here.....' takes a bundle of notes and holds them towards Ganga 'something for saving my life.... and your mamma will be happy to get it without having to do any work....'
Ganga looked like a bristling kitten whose fur had been stroked in the wrong direction 'It was my duty to warn you about the danger and I do not want any payment for it.... and my mother would never accept a cent from anyone for free!!' Glares at him again, picks the tiffin, head held high marches out. JW just stares at her departing back.
Adi was looking on 'Well JW, there goes one person who doesn't want to know you for your money! Come let us see to your hand...'
As the celebrations proceeded JW was disconcerted with memories of his and Bani's marriage flashing unbidden through his mind so he mostly absented himself from the various celebrations preferring instead to either walk or drive around assessing for potential ideas for new businesses. He had already seen a site that would be perfect for a hotel for the discerning worshippers who flocked to nearby Hardivar. He had just come to check out the site once more and wondered towards a dhaba nearby when he hear a familiar voice
'...if I let you eat the biryani then your credit limit will go beyond the what you are allowed every month...'
'But....But....'
'See it from my point...mamma has to buy the ingredients to do the cooking and she can't do that if you don't pay so how can she cook for you to eat?'
'Alright, here is 5 rupees and I will pay half tomorrow and half next month....'
'Ok, you can eat but not biryani....just aloo tikki...'
School was out so Ganga helped in the Dhaba mostly sitting with Khan chacha. The old man indulged the little girl and let her handle the money and customers always passing on his experiences of how to deal with difficult customers and the handling of the accounts. JW walked towards the voice and sure enough there was the girl who had the audacity to indirectly blame him for the broken chandalier.
He stood on the side and watched her taking orders and the money and giving the food out as it appeared in the hatch window dividing the front from what was the kitchen. There was something about the girl that reminded Jai of someone but he could not quite recall who it could be. True she was the same age as Krishna when she died but Krishna had been soft and innocent compared to this little firebrand.
There it was again, the feeling that someone was watching her. Ganga looked up and espied the man from the big house. What is he doing here, she thought as she saw him walk towards her reminding her about the telling off she had got from her mother. When Bani had heard of the incident from the cleaning lady, she had scolded Ganga about venturing into big peoples houses and hugged and cried when she thought about the chandelier falling so close to her daughter.
She had made Ganga promise she would not do anything like that again and now here was the man himself walking towards her! Maybe he hadn't seen her and she could just duck under the counter... or maybe not....
'So.... this is the place that serves the best food in town....' JW gives the place a once over and raises his eyebrow questioningly at Ganga.
Ganga puts her nose in the air 'Yes.... Would you like something?'
'Ummmmmm....just coffee....strong, no milk no sugar...'
Ganga mutters 'why don't you just go drink some mud mixed with water...tastes the same!'
'Ganga!! I'm sorry sir, please go take a seat there and I'll bring the coffee to you...'
'Khan chacha I didn't say anything wrong.... it does look the same so must taste the same too'
Coffee comes and Khan chacha hands it to Ganga 'Now, go and give it to him and apologise...'
'I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said that....' turns to go back
'Wait.....' looks for something to say 'Aren't you supposed to be in school?'
'Arreh uncle, eveyone knows schools out for a week...'
Both sit and chat for a time. Bani peers out the hatch window looking for Ganga, sees her seated with someone whose back is towards her and goes back into the kitchen. JW looks at his watch and extracts a note 'I have to go...here...' Ganga looks at the note and then at him but doesn't take it. JW looks at her and then down at the note '...Sorry...' puts it away and holds out some loose change.
Ganga smiles at him and takes the required amount before closing his fingers over the rest. JW gives her a strange look.
Next day JW finds himself back there without really knowing why especially as the girl was quite sharp for her age and forcefully argued with him over what she considered important. JW holds a piece of paper towards Ganga 'Here...'
'Ohhhhh wowwww....' get's excited 'Thank you Uncle...' Jumps up hugs him, is so excited, starts to run towards the kitchen, stops after a few steps, comes back giving him another hug 'I got to tell mamma....No....I'll surprise her tonight...it will be so exciting...Thank you...'
From her insistent chatter he had gathered that her family consisted of a mother, Dadi and a mama who came visiting once in a while and the money from the contract would make their life a little better as the landlady always made her mother unhappy and was an even bigger Khadoos then him! Her hands had flown to her mouth with her eyes nearly popping out when she realised what she had called him and expected him to take back the contract but Jai had just given her a stern smile.
'I'm sorry uncle....I didn't mean that...' smiles cheekily '... you were a Khadoos only the first time!'
Bani and Masi had been over the moon about it and Bani was planning on personally thanking the man and assuring him that they would not let his family down.
However, Jai did not come down for the next couple of days until one day
'...where is Ganga today ? I can't see her.....' Bani who was near the kitchen hatch froze. That voice ... she closed her eyes ... she could never forget it ... it had been and still was an integral part of her.... But she must be mistaken, what would Mr Walia be doing here in Meerut ??
'Arre Sahib.... Ganga looked for you the past few days and was terribly disheartened when you didn't come so today her mother asked her to go tend to the plants in her secret garden....'
'and where is that ?'
As Khan chacha explained, Bani peered out of a little hole in the partition, getting frustated when she could not see the speaker. Just as she was going to give up, Jai turned to go and came in full view momentarily. Bani clutched her hands and looked at him, tears flooded her eyes recollecting their last meeting. All she could think of was that he shouldn't see her or know about Ganga, after losing him she could not lose Ganga ever...
'Khan Chacha.....please look after things here ... I have to go....' Bani rushed out as soon as she recovered from her shock. Jai had already left in his car towards the garden which by the sound of it was on the edge of the property he was buying.
Bani arrived at the garden to see Ganga taking Jai's hand and leading him to look at her favorite parts. Bani stood drinking in the sight of father and daughter. He was dressed in a grey suit with a black polo and looked thinner. He looked sterner and although he was smiling now at Ganga she felt it was a rare site.
Ganga turned and spotted her mother 'Mamma........' running towards her. Bani quickly managed to cover her head and hold the dupatta in front of her face before Jai had turned around to face her.
'Mamma..... this is the uncle I was telling you about .... he got us the contract for the food....'
Bani softly 'I wanted to thank you for that...'
The voice was faint and Jai could hardily make out the words but there was something vaguely familiar about it. He tried peering at the face but it was turned sideways from him and glancing down and he shrugged the feelings away. He didn't think women still acted like this in front of strangers but then this was a small town...
'No problem... and the young lady did save my life...' ruffles Ganga's hair (she hates it!) while she bats his hands trying to stop him. Laughter ensured between the two as eventually she covered her head with both her arms and hands while he tried to tease any uncovered bits with his fingers.
'Ufffff.... uncle, what are you doing....'
Bani was amazed at how Ganga seemed to accept him and she had saved her father's life without realising it! She looked at his bandaged hand and felt herself pale...was he looking after it...she always had to tell him off for not tending to himself... shakes her head to come back to the present and quickly makes an excuse to leave.
Later at night, after Ganga was asleep Bani made her way to Masi's room.
'Masi... we have to leave here ...'
'Why?'
'Mr Walia...' pauses 'Mr Walia is here. I can't let him know about Ganga...' looks around panic stricken ' ..he might see us and then what will happen...'
Masi thinks
'No Bani... we cannot take up roots just because he is here for a few days...what will you tell Ganga about why we have to leave?'
'But Masi...Ganga and he know each other...he is the one she saved the other day...don't you see, if he comes looking for Ganga then he might see us....' cries '...what if he takes her away from me?'
'You cannot keep on running Bani. Can you say he won't turn up at the next place we go to? ... or the next?' pauses 'Now listen, this is what we will do.......'
At the end, Bani thinks and nods
'Alright Masi.......Masi...' pauses 'Masi.. they looked so good together....' weeps in Masi's arms for all the lost years...
Next day, a message was sent to the big house that the food would be cooked at the dhaba and be delivered in ample time to the house thus preventing anyone seeing Bani. After much protesting that she would go after meeting her uncle at the Dhaba, Ganga was eventually dispatched to a friend's house where she was supposed to have extra lessons.
Bani waited for Jai to appear with trepidation and it didn't help that he didn't come until quite late in the morning.
'Where is Ganga today ?'
'Today she has to study so she won't be in'
Jai hides his disappointment and turns to go when he hears
'Suneya please..' Bani with face hidden
'Yes?'
'..please don't take this in the wrong manner and you have done so much for us but I have to make sure Ganga doesn't get hurt...'
Bani pauses gathering her courage together
'...It would be better if you didn't see Ganga.. she is getting attached to you in such a short time and will be terrible hurt when you leave... as you must...'
Jai's heart missed a beat but he could see what the woman was getting at.
'Don't worry... it will be as you say... As it is I am leaving tomorrow so can I just meet her one last time today to say bye ?'
'Alright... I will send her to the garden in the afternoon...Thank you for understanding...'
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