MIRAGE 11: INROADS
"Are you serious?" Krishna asked in incredulity.
"My daughter does not kid when she talks about work," Kiran said happily, "Couldn't have gone better if we planned it ourselves."
"I think so too," Krishna said, the smile on her face showing in her voice, "I cannot tell you how happy I am Kiran."
"I thought it was a bad idea at first but now," she said, "I think I see potential in our becoming in-laws."
"Well I hope Uday does not object, but then on second thought he is as eager about getting his son married so I think he'd agree to just about anything."
"It must be a bother to worry about your son that way," Kiran said, knowing the enormous strain they had to go through in a bid to keep a successful relationship with both their sons.
"You do not know the half of it my dear," Krishna said, worry coloring her voice, "This is a day no mother should ever have to see."
"Like every bad season Krishna, this too shall pass," Kiran said wisely, "Just when you think it can't get any worse it really starts to get better."
"Looks like the fates are always asleep when it comes to us Walias," Krishna gave off a bitter laugh, "We have fought the same demons for almost a decade now and still no change."
Kiran felt deeply for her friend, "Courage my friend, courage. No dark cloud hangs forever. Sooner or later it comes down as rain."
"I have no choice but to hope for the best now do I?" she said, shaking her head.
"If you give up who is going to hold the family up?" Kiran asked her, "It's easier said than done but you have to keep your head up. Uday is going to need your strength Krishna, more than you know."
She sighed heavily, "Thank you Kiran. I'll do just that."
"That's more like it," Kiran said, a smile touching her lips, "Now, how was the Motherless babies home fundraiser go?"
"It was great!"
Kiran had tactfully changed the topic to get her friend out of the shallow depths of despair she had been headed for. It was pointless to hang on to all of that when she somehow felt that change was imminent. She however smiled at the enthusiasm with which Krishna began to recount the event's happenings.
Jai was in a chipper mood the following morning at Walia mansion. At breakfast everyone noticed he was smiling. And that didn't happen very often.
"How was your night beta?" Uday asked him.
He looked up at his father, "Wonderful Dad. How was yours?"
"Good," Uday said, still regarding his son warily, "You seem awfully happy this morning."
"Oh I have good reason to be," he said, taking a huge gulp of his freshly squeezed orange juice, "I had great success with the Conference, more than I expected. I have a new project at hand which is the reason, for this smile."
"Project?" Aditya asked in surprise, as this was the first he was hearing about any new project they were undertaking, "I haven't heard anything about a project."
"Oh this one is personal Adi," he said, digging into his sandwich.
"Oh," was all Aditya could manage.
Whenever Jai got like this they knew all hell was about to break loose. What he was up to now was what they could not figure out. They all watched him eat in a relaxed mood.
He paused when he noticed they were all watching him, "What's the matter? Didi?"
"Kuch nahin Jai, bas aise," Jigyasa said, averting her gaze and turning to attend to her husband.
"Well, I'm off to school," Anu said, pushing back her chair and going to kiss her Grandfather and Grandmother good bye, "I'll see you all later on this evening. Bye!"
"Bye my dear," Krishna called after her.
"I'll be off too," Jai said, getting to his feet, "See you at the office Adi. Dad"
He grabbed his briefcase and walked out leaving all of them staring at his retreating back. Jigyasa was the first to speak.
"Well, I guess we can always wait to hear what he is about to pull from Natchiket."
"Not that ever stopped him from doing it," Uday said, shaking his head sadly.
In the car Jai quickly dialed a number, "Hello Rosa, how are you?"
"Ahh Mr Walia, I see you remembered me today. Means there is something brewing in that wicked mind of yours huh?"
"Come on Rosa, do I always need a wicked reason to call you?" he teased the woman on the other end.
"Oh my boy, I know you too well," the woman said matter of factly, but with a smile tinting her voice, "So, to whom do I owe the honor of this call?"
Jai smiled, "Bani. Bani Dixit."
"Nice name, she's a new one isn't she?" the woman asked.
"Yes she is," Jai confirmed, "A special one if you please."
"You like this one don't you?" she asked.
Rosa knew his style was to call her just before he broke up with a girl. Never before, so if he was calling her before the break up, and she was well aware he wasn't seeing anyone just yet, then this woman had done a number on him.
"I like all of them Rosa," he said, smiling to himself as he thought of Bani clutching his hand on stage when he sprung the speech on her. He held up his hand to inspect it, as though he would still find that she was clutching it.
"What are we sending?" Rosa got back to business.
"How about the arrangement with the single white rose?" he suggested.
"Wow, a message that says it's all about you," Rosa said, suddenly wanting to meet the woman who was making Jai Walia send her flowers.
"And that should be the message," he said, "Can I trust it to get to the office just before lunch?"
"You bet," the woman said gaily, making a mental note to deliver it personally.
"Thank you Rosa," he said, and just before he disconnected, heard Rosa calling for her attendants to come as they had a special order.
"Why don't I work at WGI?" Rano said grumpily.
Bani laughed heartily, "Aap bhi na! Who was it that cursed Jai Walia for making her sister work so hard?"
"That was before the accolades you received for a job well done," she said, slipping her sunshades on to reduce the effect of the glaring sun as she headed towards WGI to drop her sister off.
"I tell you, it was the best feeling in the world," she said for the umpteenth time.
"Di, are you going to admit it yet?" Rano asked seriously.
"Admit what?"
"How you feel," Rano said as a matter of fact.
"About what?" Bani asked, knowing fully well what Rano was talking about but was hoping against hope that they weren't talking about the same thing.
Rano smiled at her sister, "Di, it's more than obvious. You have feelings for him… strong feelings."
Bani made to deny it, looked at her sister's face and saw that it would be pointless to deny it.
"When it happened Rano, even I don't know," she said softly, watching as the cars inched along the road which was slowly becoming more jam packed, "I just know that one day, I started to look forward to seeing him, to talking to him even if for a brief moment. It was always best when he had me jumping through hoops cos I knew that in some weird way, we got to spend time going through my progress on the project."
"Wow, I guess 'feelings' was the wrong word to use, "Rano looked at her wryly, "So what are you going to do about it?"
Bani sighed, "I don't know Rano, there is nothing I can do. He doesn't even know I'm there to the best of my knowledge, and if office gossip is anything to go by, he's a bit of a predator."
"I agree, but people change when they find the one person that makes them want to change," Rano said reasonably.
"Do you know how many times they thought he had found the one to make him change?" she said, getting agitated, "Something went horribly wrong Rano, and no one who knows will tell what it is. I'm even afraid to ask."
"That's horrible," Rano said, "But Di, just know this. Whatever decision you make will be fine by me. I know you know what is best for you so I'm with you in everything."
"Thank you Rano," Bani smiled at her younger sister, "Feels good to be able to share what I feel with someone. I know I can't tell Ma, she'll lead the way to the Walia's house for the alliance without a second thought."
Rano gave a knowing smile as she pulled into the gates of the imposing WGI building, "Mhhmm, some how I don't think they would mind an alliance between you and Jai."
Bani looked at her sister oddly, "What are you not telling me?"
"Nothing, but as you know, the Walias' are indebted to us as Ma saved Krishna Walia's life. Remember?"
"Yeah I remember," Bani said, "But the last thing I want would be for them to agree to the alliance because they want to settle a debt."
Rano brought the car to a stop in front of the building, "You're up!"
"Thanks Rano, I'll see you later on today," she said, "You be good now."
"Later Di," she called as she drove off.
What she hadn't told her sister was that she knew for a fact that neither her mother or Krishna Walia were opposed to the idea as it was very much their plan. She had come home early from work one day and her mother hadn't known she was back. Kiran had received a call from Krishna and she had been coming down the stairs when she heard her mother in the study talking about the progress they had made to get Jai and Bani together and eternally bind the two families together. Rano had been upset when she heard the conversation, knowing fully well the kind of person Jai Walia was, and had made up her mind to tell everything to Bani once she got home.
But then Bani had come home on a high, going on and on about the praises Jai had given her for doing this and that right, and Rano looked at her sister's flushed face and bright eyes and knew that her sister was a goner. Nothing she could say would make a difference, as once a woman had fallen for a man, unless she made up her mind to forget about him, nothing anyone said would make sense to her. She saw that her sister for the first time was excited about a man, which for some reason or the other, she prior to had never been.
She prayed that her sister was the change Jai Walia was looking for, or else her sister was going to suffer. She had decided that time would be the decider of the fates. If she saw anything she didn't like then she would speak up. No way was she going to let anyone hurt her sister… no way….
"Here she comes, star of he hour!" Ranveer announced, making a show of bowing to her.
"Will you cut that out?" she said, a little blush creeping into her cheeks, "Hello Kavs!"
"Hey yourself, I hear you caused quite a stir last night," she said with a huge smile.
"Come on, it was no stir," she said in a bid to be humble, though she knew that by now it was common knowledge to all, the occurrences of two nights ago.
"I hear you been marked too," Kavs went on.
"Kaveri!" Ranveer said in exasperation, "I said don't tell!"
"Sorry honey, the girl needs to know," Kaveri said.
"Know what?" Bani looked from one to the other in confusion.
"The whole thing with you and Mr. Walia on Saturday night," she said.
"What happened with me and Mr. Walia?"she asked again.
"The thing with the stage, holding your hand and showing you off to everyone, that meant you're off limits my girl."
"Off limits from whom?" she asked, "And why would I be off limits?"
Kaveri slapped her forehead in frustration, "You really are annoying sometimes. Look, once you give a dog a bone it's off limits to anyone else right?"
"Yeah," Bani said, as it slowly started to sink in.
"That's what he did Bani, he showed you to every man, and I'm guessing some women too, and indirectly declared you off limits. That's the way things work with him Bani, so don't be surprised none of the male staff want to hang out with you anymore."
"He can't do that," she said, getting a little upset.
"Hate to break it to you Mami, but he already did," Ranveer said.
Bani frowned and bit her lip in contemplation, as she couldn't decide whether to be happy or upset. He was going to hedge her in against her will? What the hell kind of nonsense was that?
"Speak of the devil," Kaveri said, looking past her to the elevator doors that had slid open to admit the very busy looking Jai Walia who was engrossed in a call he had been making and briskly walked past them without so much as a hello.
"Well, I guess you could say he hasn't begun the process yet," Kaveri said.
"I don't know if that's a good thing or a bad thing," Bani said.
"Depends on how you see it," Ranveer said, "But hey, you have inside information so I think you'll do great."
At that instance Natchiket walked out of the elevator, and called cheerily, "Good morning troops!"
"Good morning sir," Bani and Kaveri chorused.
"Morning Mamaji," Ranveer said, going to touch his feet.
"Will you stop that already? It makes me feel old," he said in mock irritation.
"But you are," Ranveer said, mischief dancing in his eyes.
Natchiket slapped him over the side of his head, "Congratulations once again Bani."
"Thank you sir, I couldn't have done it without your help," she said.
"Such humility," Natchiket smiled, "Any thing major to look forward to Ranveer?"
"No Mamaji," he said, "But you do have a lunch appointment with Dadaji."
"Thanks, now get to work," he said to Ranveer, then turned to the rest, "Ladies."
As Bani watched them walk away chatting to each other she couldn't help but comment, "How can two people be so different?"
"Beats me my dear," Kaveri said, "Beats me."
"Okay, I better get to work now. See you for lunch."
"Can't wait, there's still some things about Saturday I wanna know."
"And you will," Bani called as she disappeared into her office.
Kaveri was taking a message from a caller when her attention was caught by the most bizarre thing she had ever seen. A huge bouquet of red roses and a distinct white rose smack dab in the middle being carried by a man who was hidden from sight by the size of it, approaching her with an eccentric looking woman in all white and several rows of pearls around her neck, approaching her desk.
"What the…." She began.
"Hello love," the woman said in a throaty voice, "I am looking for a Miss Bani Dixit."
"Bani?" Kaveri asked in surprise, as people who were walking by had stopped to find out what the woman with the bouquet wanted, better still who the roses were for.
"Yes, do you know where I might find her?" the woman continued in a raspy voice with a funny accent.
Speechless, Kaveri pointed towards Bani's office.
The woman smiled her thank you and with a flourish, "Come Shekhar, we have work to do."
She rapped on Bani's door and went in before Bani could answer. The woman she saw was simply stunning!! She had just finished typing something and had turned up to see who knocked on the door. Wide eyes, full sensual lips, a pert nose, classic features and when she smiled in a question as to who she was, Rosa knew what the intrigue with this one was. A flower yet untouched. Si, si, a diamond in the rough.
"May I help you?"
"You are Bani Dixit?" Rosa asked.
"Yes," Bani answered, still wandering what the woman wanted.
"I have a special delivery for you," the woman said, smiling at her with a hint of something she could not put a name to in her eyes.
With a bow, the woman opened the door and before she saw them, Bani's nostrils filled with the smell of fresh roses. In walked a man carrying a huge bouquet of flowers with a white rose in the middle.
"Oh my goodness!" she exclaimed, "What… I don't understand."
"I know," the woman said, "But the card more than explains all."
The man set the flowers down on her table and she picked out the card cradled in the bowel of the arrangement, opened it and read the words:
ROSES FOR A WOMAN THAT MAKES THINGS HAPPEN.
JAI.
She re-read the lines and then looked up at her office doorway to see the small group of inquisitive people covertly watching, wanting to know who the flowers were from.
"I see you have quite an admirer in your boss," Rosa said.
"I guess I do," Bani said, coloring a little under the woman's intense gaze, then she said in Spanish, "But I think you wanted to see for yourself who he was sending flowers to this time."
The woman's eyes became like saucers, "Dio dio dio, you speak Spanish?"
Bani laughed at her expression and once again said in Spanish, "Yes madam, I am part Spanish."
The woman flew round the table and hugged her hard, before placing kisses on both her cheeks, "Oh my Lord, I never thought I would speak my mother tongue ever again unless I left this country. It has been so long!"
"I can imagine," Bani said, amused at the woman's reaction.
"I am Rosa. Come my child, you must tell me everything. You speak without an accent."
"I know," Bani said, offering her a seat, "I haven't been here very long."
"First of all tell me," the woman said, getting serious for a bit, "What are you doing getting flowers from the Big guy?"
Bani blushed, she tried to deflect the answer, "For a job well done?"
"Nonsense!" Rosa said, "Everyone knows as of the moment these arrived that he is after you."
"Wow, I have heard that for at least the hundredth time today," Bani said seriously.
"My child, you do not play with sharks, no?" she said seriously, "Them very nasty creatures."
"So I keep hearing," she said, glancing at the roses, "But the white rose…"
"Purpose," Rosa said quickly, "It means you are the chosen one. His chosen one."
Bani smiled at that,then quickly glanced at Rosa to see her shaking her head.
"Aye mami," she said with a sigh, "That horse already bolted, no?"
"Si Rosa, it already did," she said going to inhale the heady scent of the roses.
"All is not lost," the woman said, "I tell you how to break a wild horse."
Bani laughed at her description of Jai, and wondered what he would say if he knew he was being referred to as a wild horse.
"Come, we have much to talk about!" the woman said, waving her to her seat.
"What do you think they're doing in there?" Ranveer asked, "It's been almost an hour!"
"Guess we'll have to wait to find out na?" Kaveri said, "Heavens, the suspense is killing me!"
"Who do you think sent those roses?"
"Who else could it be fool?" Kaveri snapped.
"Oh," Ranveer said in understanding, "The mark."
"Yeah, the mark," Kaveri said, "And if only she would just come out…"
They got no further as the door to Bani's office opened, she and Rosa appeared, all smiles.
"So my child, you will come see me no?" Rosa asked.
"Of course I will Rosa," she said warmly.
"I shall see myself out," the woman said, then glanced at Ranveer and Kaveri who were clearly trying to not pay attention to the two women, "Be sure to tell your friends what just happened. Or I fear they may die of curiousity."
Bani laughed at that, "I will. Bye Rosa."
"Bye my child."
Bani looked at both Kaveri and Ranveer, "You can come in now."
"Thank the Lord! I thought that woman was never going to leave!" Ranveer said, pulling her into the office.
"Where's the card?" was the first thing Kaveri asked, peeled it open and turned to Ranveer, "I knew it, marked!"
"For a while there I was confused what with the woman kissing your cheeks and all," Ranveer said, and Bani swatted his arm, "Hey, the woman is strange."
"She's adorable," Bani said.
"I must say, the man does know his stuff," Kaveri said, picking a rose and inhaling.
"I'll say, after all he is a Walia," Ranveer said proudly.
"How many women have you got with that wonderful Walia pedigree of yours?" Kaveri asked him.
"Hey, I'm just being careful," he said, "These Indian girls will mess up yourlife."
"You can't handle Indian girls," Kaveri corrected him.
"Hey, don't mess with this right here or your husband and kids are going to be missing a wife and mother," he said, a mischievous look on his face.
"Oh I'd like to see you try," she said.
"Guys, what do I do?" Bani asked, "Do I go to say thank you, wait for him to come to me, what?"
"I think you go to him," Kaveri said, "Just don't let him push you into anything too soon. Roses in my experience usually obligate a person."
"What do I say?"
"Hey, you're used to thinking on your feet. I'm sure you'll think of something," Ranveer said.
"I'm going to make a fool of myself," she groaned.
"Go before lunch hour gets over," Kaveri said, "It's better then cos I think he has meetings after noon and will not have time to lay into you."
"Lay into?" Ranveer said, emphasizing each word.
Bani blushed furiously when she got the line of his thoughts, "You have a dirty mind!"
"Hey, she said it, I didn't. Now up you get," he pulled her up from her chair, "And of you go."
"Chin up baby," Kaveri said, "Nothing to worry about."
Bani made her way to the office, checked with the secretary that he was in and then rapped lightly on the door.
"Come in," came the impatient reply from within.
Taking a deep breath, she pushed open the door and walked into the office and stopped dead in her tracks. He had his sleeves rolled up, a pen clutched in his teeth and a fierce look of concentration on his face.
"Sir?" she said a little cautiously.
He looked up at the sound of her voice, "Hello Bani, come in."
She took a step forward and stopped before the huge mahogany desk, "Sir I… I came to thank you for the flowers, they were lovely. It was very thoughtful of you."
He leaned back in his chair and laced his fingers behind his head, regarding her through amused eyes, "I did nothing out of the ordinary, just appreciated the efforts of a beautiful woman."
She looked at him from slightly lowered eyes, "I just came to thank you."
She turned to go, "Wait."
She turned around and looked at him expectantly, "Anything I can help you with?"
He was still regarding her through those eyes that nakedly showed he was sizing her up and not caring that she knew it.
"I would like your opinion on something," he said, a smile she didn't quite know how to describe, curving his lips.
"I'm listening," she said, shifting gears to business mode.
"I want something," he began.
"Oh?"
"And for once I don't know how to get it," he said.
"I find that very hard to believe," she said, smiling softly, "You're Jai Walia, you can have anything you want."
"I think you will find that to not be true," he said, getting to his feet and coming to stand next to her.
Her breath quickened and she swallowed hard, her eyes widening a bit at his proximity. Her nostrils once again filled with the scent of his aftershave. His eyes never left her face for a second, holding her gaze. He wanted her mind to work overtime.
"Why is that?" she asked, and was mortified to find that her voice had dropped several octaves.
He inched closer, "It's a fine work of art, a little elusive if you will, but priceless. It has been staring me in the face." He inched closer, "Teasing me… messing with my mind… I want it… but it won't tell me how to get it."
His face was inches from hers. Her skin broke out in goose bumps and her breath seemed to stop circulating as it came in quick, short bursts. Her palms became sweaty and her eyes she was sure, mirrored exactly what he wanted to see, for his smile turned victorious.
"Priceless," he said again in a husky voice, his hand pushing a strand of hair from her face and tucking it behind her ear.
His breath somehow found its way into her ear and she shivered, "Mr. Walia…"
He quickly placed a hand over her lips, silencing her. Her eyes looked from his finger to his eyes, and what she saw made her shiver the more.
He was standing so close… to close for comfort and he was wrecking havoc on her systems. Nothing seemed to be functioning right… she couldn't move even when her head told her she needed to step back. She was paralysed…
Jai tipped her chin up so that she looked him in the eye, "You are an exquisite piece of art Bani. To think that I never saw it… shame on me."
"Mr. Walia…"
"Shhhh," he said, his eyes dropping to the pink softness that were her lips, running his thumb over her bottom lip.
She gasped, causing her lips to part in a soft oh.
"So beautiful," his voice was now raspy and his eyes clouded over with passion.
He dipped his head to taste the luscious goodness he had just stroked…
"Hello Jai."
He paused in mid-motion and swore under his breath. Bani whirled around guiltily, her face highly flushed from the tension of the last few minutes, embarrassment causing her to look away from the woman who now stood in the doorway.
"I… I'll…. I'll be in my office," she said, and beat a hasty retreat from the office, leaving the other two alone.
He turned to the door, "What is it now Pia?"
Smirking with a taunting smile, she walked into the office and shut the door softly behind her.
THIS IS WHERE I PUT MY HANDS UP! HAPPY READING!
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