IT STARTS….
The hall was full of all the guests who had arrived and were now seated in readiness for the evening to begin.
"I must say, the standards we're used to have not fallen," one of the guests said to Jai as he looked at the splendidly arranged hall.
"I'm glad we didn't disappoint you," he said, giving Bani who stood next to him an appreciative glance.
The elderly man leaned forward in a bid to give Jai a conspiratorial whisper which failed miserably as it was audible enough for Bani to hear, "I see you finally got yourself one."
Jai looked at Bani and she went red in the face, embarrassed at what the man was implying even though her stomach did do a flip at the very thought of it.
"Indeed I have," he said, not taking his eyes off her.
"It'll do you good to hold on," the man adviced.
"Indeed I shall," he agreed.
Bani shifted uncomfortably from one foot to the other, unsure of how to react to his open and unabashed flirting as it was something she was really, really not expecting. Muttering an incoherent excuse, she hurriedly beat a hasty retreat, putting distance between her and the two men. She heard the chuckle of the man as she walked away and he said, "A blusher to boot. You did good son."
She never heard what Jai answered to the man, all she needed to do was get away from them before she made a total fool of herself in front of every body. She found Ranveer at the far end of the room.
"So, how's our princess doing?" he asked, then studied her face, "Woah, you're completely red!"
"I am not!"
"Are too!" he said, grinning, "What happened?"
She turned to look at where Jai stood, found he was still staring at her and did a one-eighty to face Ranveer again.
"Ahh, so that's it," Ranveer nodded in understanding.
"That man thinks…" she couldn't get the words out and turned a darker shade of red.
"Boy oh boy," Ranveer laughed, "Any redder and I'd think you were going to blow!"
"This isn't funny," Bani said, slapping his arm.
"Yes it is," he insisted, "Now spill. What does the man think?"
She looked at him for a second, then replied, "He thinks Jai and I are…" she inclined her head to indicate.
"What?" Ranveer asked, feigning ignorance.
"You know," she said, jerking her head to the left as though that meant something.
"Would you just say it," Ranveer said, completely enjoying himself.
"A couple, ok?!" she said," The man thinks we're a couple, and what's worse, Jai let him."
"He did?" Ranveer frowned a little.
"Yes!" Bani said, fanning her cheeks.
"The dress must be working more magic than I thought," he said, "Can I borrow it when you're done?"
"Ranveer!" she smacked him again while he laughed.
At that moment, Jai's voice came over the microphone to welcome all the delegates from the US to the evening's function. It was a stakeholders meeting of sorts and he began to address them on what they were there for. Somewhere in the middle of his speech, there was a little pause as his eyes flicked towards the door entrance of the hall and then he continued talking as if nothing had happened.
Bani and Ranveer who were seated towards the back to enable them supervise all that was going to happen and they turned to look at the door and there stood Pia, dressed to the nines in a fitted black dress with forest green embroidery and flawless makeup.
"She just had to show up didn't she?" Ranveer said, annoyed.
"We both knew she was coming," Bani said level headedly, masking her own annoyance.
She signaled a waiter and asked him to take the lady to her seat. She, Bani had made sure that Pia was seated far away from Jai. She told herself it was because of the dirty remark the woman had made about the work she had done, but that tiny voice in her head asked her to tell herself the truth. She had done it to keep the woman away from Jai the best way she knew how, without raising brows.
Ranveer looked at her when he saw where Pia was put,a mischievous smile on his lips, "Oh you are evil!"
"What?" Bani feigned innocence, an answering smile on her face, "She insulted my work."
"I'm sure that's it," Ranveer said, chuckling to himself. This evening was more fun than he had envisaged.
After about an hour and half, when all the business formalities had been taken care of, Jai declared that they could now feast to their satisfaction, making a quip about all work and no play.
"That's our cue," Bani said, getting to her feet and going to direct the waiters on what to do, if there was any confusion.
Turns out she didn't need to as they were professionals and knew to do their jobs well so at the end of the day all she really did was stand and watch as they guests served themselves.
"I think I can safely say you did a wonderful job."
She gasped and turned to find Jai had materialized by her side, "Oh…ahh… thank you sir."
"I should thank you," he said, once again fixing her with a pointed gaze, "You made me look good."
She couldn't hold his gaze, and kicked herself mentally for it. What the hell was she doing acting like a school girl?
"Jai, I have been looking all over for you," a female voice said from behind them.
Before he turned Bani saw the slight look of annoyance that flashed in his eyes. She didn't need a soothsayer to tell her whose voice it was. She looked away while he turned to answer her.
"Pia, what is it?" he asked straight faced.
"Do I need a reason to see you now?" she asked, not even acknowledging Bani.
"I'm busy Pia, get to the point," he said rudely.
"Oh I can see how busy you are," she said, giving Bani a hateful glare.
"If you don't need something specific, I'll get back to you."
He turned and walked away from the both of them and in spite of herself, Bani tried to hide the smile that tugged on her lips. Pia turned to look at her and she immediately stopped smiling.
"I'll excuse myself too," she said, turned and headed for the bathroom, a full blown smile on her face.
She was smiling to herself in the mirror, and powdering her nose when the door opened and in walked Pia, her eyes flashing icy fire. She came to stand beside Bani, looking her in the face, but Bani pointedly refused to look at her.
"You seem like a smart woman so I'm only going to say this once," she said, taking a step closer to Bani, "Stay, the hell away from him."
Bani looked at her in the mirror, "Excuse me?'
"Don't play dumb with me," Pia snapped, "I've been in this game longer than you have and I would advise you to desist while you can."
Bani let a frown crease her brows, "Are you absolutely alright?"
Pia smiled wickedly, "Oh I get it. You're the fairytale kind. The princess always gets the prince huh? While I appreciate that, let me be the first to warn you. That man is so much more than what you see. Some doe-eyed school girl is not going to change him."
Bani regarded her thoughtfully in the mirror before turning to face her, "Look, I see things like this all the time. People under a lot of stress start talking crazy after a while. And the way I see it, you're under a lot of stress. I have no idea what you're talking about, much less whom. But if you want to vent your frustrations out on someone, go see a shrink."
So saying, she turned to go but Pia stopped her, "I warn you, you do not want to make an enemy of me. Stay away."
Bani turned at the door, "I don't know you Miss, neither do I care to. Something obviously is threatening you but whatever it is, get a grip, or people will start to think you really are crazy."
With that, she turned and left the bathroom but in that instance, she heard the sound of the flushing of a toilet and froze. The door of one of the stalls opened and one of the woman seated at her own table walked out to the sink, obviously trying her best to keep a straight face.
"Ladies," she said by way of acknowledging them.
She once again turned red in embarrassment and all but fled from the bathroom.
Great, this was just great! Just what she needed on a night like this. The woman had some nerve, telling her to stay away from Jai. I mean it was not like she was after the guy or anything. But if she was telling her that, then it meant there was something she hadn't noticed that was going on. She had dated him or well… she couldn't quite tell what the true relationship quite was, but she definitely knew something was up for Pia to challenge her that way. She almost immediately ran into Natchiket.
"Woah, good to see you're all in one piece," he said.
"What?" she asked in confusion.
"I saw the black widow go into the bathroom after you. I half expected to hear screams coming from in there."
"Not for lack of her trying," Bani said dryly.
"So you did have words," it was more a fact than a question.
"Yeah, and what's more, we had a witness," she said, a little aghast, "Can you imagine what they'll think listening to a conversation like that?"
"They'll think my brother has two beautiful women fighting over him…"
"But I'm not fighting over any body," she said quickly, as they both looked towards Pia who had just walked back into the hall.
"Sure you are," he said simply, "You sat her far away from the reason why she came tonight Bani. Don'tthink she doesn't understand what that means. One thing I know, you women don't have to come to blows or dram swords to have a good old duel."
Her mouth opened and closed involuntarily, shocked into silence at the prospect that even Natchiket knew she had a crush on Jai.
"It's alright sweety," he said, patting her on the cheek, "Your secret is safe with me."
"Yeah, and everyone else," she said finally coming out of it, "How did this happen?"
"My dear, if you knew, then that would be a good thing. The fact that you don't, now that worries me."
"What does that mean?" she frowned.
Before he could answer Ranveer showed up, "Hey you two, anyone hungry?"
He looked from one to the other, and it dawned on him that he had just interrupted a rather interesting conversation between these two.
"We'll get to it right now," Natchiket said, "Excuse me."
"What was that all about?" he asked Bani.
"I'm not sure," she said, a frown creasing her forehead as she could neither make head nor tail of what Natchiket had just said.
"Mhmm," was all Ranveer said.
The evening progressed without much incident and she was quite the hit with the Americans and the Indians who had come with the delegates. They found her quite knowledgeable and were even more so when they found out that she had lived there up until a few months ago. Ironically some had even dined at Santoro's. All the while, she was quite aware of Jai quietly observing her over the rim of his wine glass. She was also aware of Pia observing her and Jai with venom in her eyes.
"Looks like you're the object of someone's attraction honey," the woman from the bathroom whispered in her right ear, and winked in Jai's direction.
She looked to find him openly staring at her with his glass hovering inches from his lips and she blushed furiously.
The woman laughed, "Looks like the feeling is mutual."
Jai sat across the room watching her every move. It was amazing how she was able to hold her own in the midst of all these people. Then again, for the first time in a long time, he felt the first stirrings of the hunter in him begin to awaken. She laughed out loud and he looked up from the dark amber of the contents of his glass. She looked extraordinary when she smiled. It came from somewhere inside her and she was practically glowing with it. She flipped her hair and his eyes shadowed into slits.
This was going to be interesting.
Pia watched the way Jai looked at Bani, and hated the woman even more. This was the first time in a long time she had seen him get this way. He had never indicated any kind of interest in any woman and even if he did, she had always known it would blow over once he had had the woman. But this, this was something else. She had always been the one first in line and he would never bypass her for another woman. For the first time he had put some chit of a girl ahead of her. It wasn't so much that he would say it, but it was in the way he looked at her. She was the new gold fish--- the chase was on. There was something about this Bani girl that he found alluring…innocence. Yeah, that's what it was. She was an unblemished woman with a whole lot to learn, and he wanted to be the one to teach her. Much like he had taught her all those years ago.
She remembered it all so vividly. She had accompanied her father to a stakeholders meeting of the who was who in Mahrashtra a few years ago to get a feel of the business world since she had just finished her MBA a while back but had been into other things. She had noticed him from the very first day of the meeting that was to last four days. She had learned he was 'The Jai Walia' of the hotel business chains all over India and now in some other Asian countries as well. Of course he had since diversified the business of the family and had made inroads of his won in the business world that didn't allow anyone to refer to him as Uday Walia's son. Rather Uday Walia was addressed Jai Walia's father. He had commanded his respect and people gave it to him.
He had seen her on the second day and she was more than willing when he approached her. After all, he was Jai Walia and it was pointless to act like she didn't already know who he was. They had dined together that night and he had charmed the socks off her. By the third day, they had had lunch on his yatch which he gladly showed off to her. It was on hind sight that she realized that he had played a simple but effective game on her. He had simply showed her what she could get if she played her cards right, and she had taken the bait. By that evening, heavy innuendos and a few glasses of champagne led to lovemaking and it was no surprise that she had not returned to her apartment that night,or the night after that.He had owned her from that day on. She felt she had hit a home run where Jai was concerned and for a while, he let her live with that illusion. His family didn't like her as they thought she was spoilt and wouldn't know what it meant to be a Walia, but all these she disregarded, as the person's opinion that mattered was Jai's. In the time they were together, he had slowly but assuredly taught her the art of getting what she wanted without actually having to fight for it. How to think with her mind as opposed to her head. He, not life, had made her into the calculating woman she was today. Everything was like a game of chess, and she played to win. When he finally decided to move on, she had been shocked, then in denial. But she finally accepted that he was one to be pursued with smarts, not pleas. This she had been relentlessly doing the last few years, successfully she might add, seeing as he had always come back to her. But this girl….
Well she would be damned if she let him walk away from her. That, was never going to happen.
Natchiket watched his brother from where he sat and followed the line of his gaze. It was amazing how much his brother thought he was mysterious, yet he was absolutely predictable. This was what he had been afraid of all along, that Jai would set his sights on poor Bani. The girl was tough but he was yet to meet a woman who would be able to say no, much less walk away from his brother. And Bani, not knowing what she was getting herself into was not going to be any different. He wished he could steer her away from him but Jai was like a Pit bull when he set his mind on something. Nothing and no one was going to talk him out of it.
Lord help her, was all he thought.
"May I have your attention please," Jai's voice came over the microphone when it was obvious that most of the guests had eaten, "I realize that it is well into the night and I have no more reason to bore you with speeches…"
That drew a tinkle of laughter from the room.
"But I am glad that we could all come together and have a Conference of this magnitude, to show the good people out there that WGI has indeed not forgotten about its counterparts who have left their home country to a foreign land, all for the sake of the betterment of this company. I appreciate you all."
There was a loud applause after his statement, and Bani in that moment noticed what a smooth talker he was. Damn he could sell ice to an Eskimo!
"In all of this however, I cannot forget to thank the person who has made tonight possible, seeing as it was on such short notice," he continued.
Right where she was, Bani went very still, the color draining from her face.
"What the hell is he doing?" she asked Ranveer.
"I think we're about to find out," Ranveer said, not able to figure out where he was going with this.
"I would like to call on Miss Bani Dixit to share a few words," he said,searching her out in the hall and pinning her with a cat-like stare.
He joined in the applause that was offered as people craned their necks to seewho it was that he was inviting on stage.
"I don't know what to say," she hissed at Ranveer as she slowly got to her feet, "I was not expecting this."
"Neither was I honey, but you're up," he said, "Now go!"
"Don't worry darling, it'll come to you," the woman from the bathroom said, "Just get up there and take a deep breath."
She arranged the shawl around her shoulders and tried to walk with her chin up high, and noticed that the applause increased as most of the people she had mingled with realized she was the one they were waiting for. As she got up the stage, Jai held out his hand to her and after the slightest of hesitations, she took it. When she however turned to face the open hall, she involuntarily tightened her grip on his hand, causing him to look at her in amusement.
"Ladies and gentlemen may I add that having just joined us at WGI, she might be a little microphone shy," he added, drawing additional laughter. He turned to look her in the eye and said, "Take it easy. You can do this."
She nodded slightly, let go of his hand and turned to face the microphone and the room, slowly she inhaled and then let the breath out in one go. The room dissolved in laughter at that and her eyes widened in shock. She turned to see Jai chuckling as well.
"Don't blame me, I did that under advisement," she said, a grin forming on her lips.
More laughter followed.
"Okay… suffice it to say, I was not expecting this," she said, with a sidelong look at Jai, "But coming from a man full of surprises, I am not surprised." She turned to face the crowd again, "It is actually an honor to work in this company and to be able to do all I have done in it, because I can say confidently that I have worked for one of the best companies there is in all of Asia, and sometimes I imagine the world."
Jai leaned in to the mic, "I agree."
That drew laughter and she playfully shoved him away.
"When I first got this assignment I thought the man was out of his mind to think we could pull something like this off on such short notice," she said, a note of incredulity entering her voice, telling everyone in the hall exactly how she had felt in that moment the assignment was handed to her, "But I guess you never know what you can achieve until you are put in an impossible situation. I guess what I am trying to say is, thank you to Mr. Walia, for affording me this opportunity to host some of India and America's finest here and to show them the warmth and hospitality of India."
A thunderous applause filled the hall as she turned to shake his hand, wave to the room in general and leave from the stage. She was congratulated and commended by the people she walked by until she got to her seat.
"Honey you did great!" the woman said, "I just didn't think you were literally going to take a deep breath."
"Trust me, it was the only thing I could think of for a while there," she said, grinning widely.
"See? I knew you had nothing to worry about," Ranveer said.
"Ladies and gentlemen, I must say I am glad none of what Miss Dixit said, was said under oath," Jai said once she had taken her seat, causing a ripple of laughter to reverberate through the room, "And on that note, I would like to say thank you for making this evening a memorable one, and should you choose to leave your chauffers will be waiting outside to take you back to your hotels. Once again, thank you for coming, and enjoy the rest of your evening."
An applause followed him off the stage as the room filled once again with soft music and the guests returned to their chit chats and some, to their food. From where Natchiket sat, he clearly saw it all. Jai had just announced to all that Bani was off limits. The few Walia staff that were present at the Conference he was a hundred percent sure would spread the word and woe betide anyone who made the mistake of hitting on her. Pia on the other hand he saw, was the picture of determination. She was not about to let this all happen. She had hung around Jai so much that if anyone deserved to be Mrs. Jai Walia using that as a yardstick, she ought to win. She knew Bani was a different breed from the other girls Jai had flings with and in a way, she was right to be threatened. Bani was the kind of girl a man fell in love with without knowing how the hell it happened.
For this reason alone he wished that Bani would come into Jai's life. But going by his track record he feared for Bani. Jai was a hurricane who feared neither friend nor foe and would destroy everything he touched if it so pleased him.
He hoped that when Jai finally got together with Bani, her goodness would heal the twisted hurt he carried inside him… for all their sakes.
GOTTA STOP HERE GUYS, I'M HUNGRY AS A WOLF!!HOPE YOU ENJOY READING THIS PART AS I TYPED IT IN A BIT OF A RUSH SO AS NOT TO UPSET POOJA.
😉
Edited by Ezther - 17 years ago
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