ALL THE PEOPLE WHO REPLIED AND COMMENTED,THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH AND I HOPE ONCE AGAIN I DON'T DISAPPOINT YOU ALL.
OKAY GUYS, THIS IS THE SECOND TO THE LAST UPDATE FOR A WHILE.
ENJOY!!
Jai sat in the first class section of the plane taking him back to Mumbai, lost in thought. He was more than taken aback by what had happened in the office with Bani. Truth be told, he hadn't mean to kiss her. He of course had followed her to Bangalore as he had found out her father had expanded his father-in-law's business to include construction, so what better excuse to invite himself into her life than doing business with her father? He had given her father the contract to build the Spa that had caused such a hungama the last time.
She had fire in her bones which was right beneath the surface of her supposedly cool exterior. He just loved how it came to the fore without hesitation of any sort. He smiled at the memory of their kiss. She had turned out to be better than he had expected. Passion he knew she had, he had now experienced it and it was like he couldn't quite write it off as a victory as somehow, it felt different. Like he had achieved something, rather than placed one over her.
The air hostess came and offered to refill his glass and he wordlessly offered it to her to do so. He sipped the cool liquid and let his head fall back on the headrest. He had to be careful of this woman. She had an aura about her that tended to suck a man in without his knowing it and that he could not afford to let happen to him. He would not let anyone or anything lord their power over him again if it was the last thing he did.
His hand went to his lips as he thought about her. She had kissed him back… and if he was honest with himself, he had loved it! She wasn't the most experienced but the freshness of that fact had an allure of its own. She had admitted to being attracted to him and he admitted it felt good. Only problem was he didn't know what he did to make that happen because she didn't follow any of the rules he was used to. I mean he knew exactly what all the other women in his life had wanted and he had given it to them. She had not been impressed by any of the things he had done but some how, she was attracted to him. Well who was he to question it? He must have done something right for her to feel that way. Well then, let's see what the future holds….
Nishikant watched his daughter as she tapped away at his desk, oblivious to what she was doing, totally lost in whatever she was thinking about. He had a good idea what she was thinking. He hadn't missed her swollen lips or her messy hair, or the tension that hung in the air when he entered the office. Obviously he wasn't born yesterday so of course he knew the tell tale signs like the back of his hands. Sighing he picked up a pencil and began tapping too. It was several seconds before she realized her was tapping too.
She looked at him in surprise and then colored slightly, "Sorry Papa."
"No problem Bani," he smiled warmly, "You know, they say a problem shared is half solved."
She gave her father a quick look, wondering how she would tell her father what had happened in the Conference room. What was she to tell him?
"It's nothing Papa."
"Isn't it?" he asked, "You've been absentmindedly tapping away at my desk the last few minutes and I think it's safe to say you've got something on your mind. Come on, I'm not so old that I wouldn't understand the problem of youngsters."
She smiled, "You can never be too old."
"So tell me my child," he came to sit opposite her so that he was facing her, "What problem is there?"
She sighed, "What do I tell you Dad? It's bad enough just thinking about it."
He decided to help her out, "You have feelings for him?"
She gasped and stared at her father wide eyed.
He shook his head, "You're crazy if you think you can hide it from me. It's all over your face beta."
She blushed fully now, "Woh… who…"
"Bani, all I want to know is this," her father said more seriously, "We all know what his reputation is, so that is a moot point. But are you willing to take that kind of risk with your life on a man like him?"
She bit her lower lip while lost in thought, "I don't know Papa. I know I shouldn't, I know I shouldn't feel this way but what can I do? I don't know what to do."
"You love him?"
"Huh?" her eyes widened in shock, "Oh no! No no no no, this is just…well something else but not that."
"How can you be sure?"
"I am not," she admitted, "But I'm guessing love is something more potent than what I feel right now."
Nishikant nodded, understanding the way a heart could confuse infatuation and love. He however wasn't sure which one his daughter felt for Jai Walia as he knew the man to be bad news. His knew his wife wanted Bani and Jai together or something, not that she told him but he could see the signs… Krishna Walia also wanted the same thing. She and Kiran had become thick as thieves since Kiran had saved her life almost seven years ago, and it was only a matter of time before they started talking marriage between the two. Making her accept the job at WGI and all, it was no coincidence at all. He didn't want to interfere as this was his wife's thing but if it involved his daughter getting hurt, he would never take that lying down. No way.
"Bani listen to me, you are the only one who knows what it is you feel and nothing anyone says or does will change that. You have to decide like I said, if you want to take the risk of getting hurt by this man. I would not be doing my duty as a father if I did not tell you the truth. The man is not the kind people like you fall in love with. He just isn't."
Bani looked at her father, her heart heavy. There was no way she could explain it…there was just no way she could make a decision about anything right now. Too much was going on in her head. It was one thing to have it your head but a totally different thing to have too many heads in your business. She knew her father was right, knew he was telling the truth and well, what could she do? Her heart had gone rogue on her.
"I'll think about what you said Papa," she said finally.
"Good," he said, nodding, "Whatever you decide, I promise I'll accept."
"Thank you Papa," she got up and hugged him, "Thank you so much."
"Any time my angel," he patted her back, "Now, can we get back to work?"
"Sure," she smiled for the first time since Jai left a few hours ago.
It felt good to sleep after a long twenty four hours. Aparajit stretched lazily in bed, a smile curving his lips. It was getting dark outside with the final rays of the sun disappearing behind the curtain of the night sky. How long had he been asleep? He reached over to get his wrist watch from the bedside table. He glanced at the wrist watch and his eyes widened in surprise. He had been out for a good eight hours! Who would have thought he was that tired? He stretched again, punched the pillow to cradle his neck and relaxed to think of her.
Pagli, he smiled.
Rano had brought him right to the front door four days ago when she had gone all commando on him, and his mother who was on her way out had been the one to open the door. Needless to say she was surprised to see the woman whom he towered over by at least a foot and half dragging him by the hand to the door.
"Hello Auntie!" she called brightly.
Taken aback, Karuna Deb looked in confusion at the girl and then her son who was trying to stifle a laugh, "Ji, good morning. Jeet?"
He bent to touch his mother's feet, "Good morning Ma. This is Rano Dixit. Rano , my Mum."
Rano absolutely forgot about her cast and attempted to fold her hands in greetings and a sharp pain shot up her arm causing her to howl in agony.
"Rano!" Aparajit jumped to her side and tried to take her by the arm, "What the hell are you trying to do?"
She was too busy yelling in pain and avoiding him touching her arm as she danced around him, clutching her hand to hear what he was saying.
Karuna had been too shocked to react at first and finally she opened the door, "Well don't just stand there, bring her inside."
"It hurts!" Rano was crying now, "Oh God, it hurts!"
"Easy," Aparajit soothed her as he lowered her into the chair, "Take it easy."
"Anything I can do?" Karuna asked.
"Rano, listen," he said softly as she clenched her teeth together to fight off the stinging ache in her arm, "Rano listen."
She looked at him through brimming eyes. Neither one of them had heard Karuna.
"We're going to have to take the cast off now."
"No!" she screamed and tried to get to her feet.
He held her down, "Rano, you are going to have to listen to me. There is no way we can do anything to stop the pain…"
"But it hurts!" she whined.
"I know," he said, "Rano… Rano look at me."
"No," she avoided his hand that wanted to hold her face.
He held her by the shoulder, "Rano, I know this is going to hurt a little but it has to be done okay?"
She looked at him after a while and nodded slowly.
"Good girl," he smiled, "Now up you get."
"Where are we going?" she asked through hiccups.
"Back to the hospital," he said.
"I don't like it there," she whined, a stubborn look entering her eyes.
"Tough," he said, "But we have to get the cast off."
Karuna who had been silently watching the exchange between the two hid a smile. So this was the reason for her son's cheerful behavior the last few weeks. This girl.
Not bad beta, she smiled.
"Careful," she said to Aparajit as he led Rano back to the door.
"Ji Ma."
"I'm sorry Aunty," Rano said, looking over her shoulder.
"Not at all my child," she said, putting Rano's hair from her eyes, "Take care of yourself."
Nodding in agreement, both Aparajit and Rano headed back to the car. Karuna watched from the doorway smiling fully now. Her son was a bit of a recluse as he had been burned quite a lot of times. The last one, Tania had been an absolute witch! Stupid girl had done just what he had feared. Cheated on him with the likes you wouldn't believe. They had heard the rumors but Jeet, the wonderful person he was had refused to believe a darned thing until she had been going to a meeting in Oberoi hotel and Towers and had run into her draped all over this cheesy looking dude, drunk as a skunk. Not one to cause a scene, she had just smiled and politely greeted Tania, asking how she was and then going on her way. Tania never even had the decency to end things like an adult. She just never showed up to Deb Mansion again.
She had a good feeling about this one. Dixit… she had heard the name before in business circles, she was sure. She made a mental note to find out about them.
"Kaka!" she called to the chauffer.
They had arrived back at the hospital and he saw still trying to cut through the cast as she fidgeted and fussed.
"Will you hold still?" he was getting frustrated.
"Then stop hurting me!" she yelled at him.
"If you'd just hold still it wouldn't hurt as much," he said, calming down, "Just a little more and I'll be done. Okay?"
She nodded and closed her eyes, gritting her teeth together to ward off the coming pain.
As quickly as possible, he cut through the thick dough that was the cast.
"There now," he said as he carefully removed it from around her.
She opened her eyes and studied her arm which looked sallow and pale, "Is it supposed to look like that?'
He smiled, "Yeah."
He got warm water and began to clean her arm with a wash cloth, taking care not to put pressure on the arm. He then took the arm gently, moving it up and to the side to find out where the pain was coming from. When he tried to stretch it, she yelped in pain.
"Sorry," he said, getting up and picking a small tube.
"What's that?"
"Balm," he said, squeezing a generous amount into his palm and rubbing it together.
He motioned for her to hold out her hand. He gently began to massage her arm, focusing intently on what he was doing. Up and down his arm went, slathering her arm which had began to tingle with the sensation of the balm and the feel of his hands on her skin. She watched his eyes drawn together in concentration. Did he know his brow twitched just a wee bit when he was concentrating hard on something?
He tried to straighten the arm again and she sucked her breath in in pain.
"You're doing great," he smiled at her, "A little more."
Okay, she was in pain, but this was something else! The man was driving her crazy. Forget the pain, she was feeling a different kind of pain. The sweet kind. The pressure of his hand increased and her skin started to burn up under his hands.
"You okay?" he asked, smiling down at her.
Her breath had refused to come out and her she looked like she was about to explode.
He frowned, "Sure?"
She nodded quickly.
"Okay then, just let me bandage up your arm," he leaned over and picked up a roll and began to wrap up her arm.
"You're going back home right?" she asked.
He looked at her, "Would you have it any other way?"
Mischief returned to her eyes as she vehemently shook her head, careful not to jangle her arm.
"Okay then, I'll just get my coat," he helped her down from the bed and grabbed his coat from the rack, "Shall we?"
They had left the hospital back to his house and she had made sure he went straight to bed. She had switched off his mobile to make sure he could not be reached and like the owner of the house had instructed the servants to not wake him unless the house was burning down.
As he lay in bed he remembered her theatrics again today. She had sent him home to have a good sleep after having performed a major surgery for sixteen hours with a team of doctors from Udaipur to separate conjoined twins. It had gotten media attention and after the back breaking surgery and hours and hours of observation, the boy and girl were finally out of danger and in recovery. A good day it had been. She was on sick leave from work so all she did was bother him. But if he was honest, he loved it. Pushing back the covers, he got up to go take a shower.
Nishikant called his wife from Bangalore as his talk with Bani had been bothering him all day.
"Kiran."
"Nishikant!" she exclaimed, "My darling how are you?"
A smile touched his lips. One of the things he loved about her was how she always sounded like it was the first time in a long time he was speaking to her, every time he called her. It was always like the first time.
"My love," he said simply, softly.
"When are you coming home? I miss you."
"I miss you too my love," he said softly, "How are things at home?"
"Oh lovely, your younger daughter seems to have found a new past time."
"Really?"
"Mhmm, she took over from where her sister stopped. She's now the one harassing the poor doctor that treated her."
"He enjoys it!" Rano called from the background, "Hello Papa!"
"Tell her I said hello," Nishikant said.
"Your father says hello," Kiran said to her daughter.
"Kiran I have to talk to you about something."
She paused, "Nishikant, what's wrong? You sound upset."
"It's Bani."
"What's wrong with her?" Kiran panicked.
"No no honey, it's nothing serious…"
"Then what's wrong? Speak up Nishi, you're scaring me."
"It's just… why do you think she came to Bangalore?"
"I… I don't know, I guess she wanted to see you?"
"She's running away Kiran."
"Running away?" Kiran was surprised, "From what?"
"Jai Walia."
"What?" Kiran was taken aback and retreated to the garden so there was no chance of anyone eavesdropping, "Why would she do that?"
"Kiran, the girl has feelings for him. We both know what that man is like."
Kiran was silent, wanting to approach this with care, "People change Nishikant."
"People need to change before they start chasing after my daughter. Look Kiran, I know you and Krishna want them to get together, but at Bani's expense?"
"Wh… well…" Kiran stammered, taking the phone and walking out to the garden.
"Kiran, I notice things. That I don't say anything doesn't mean I don't notice things," he said calmly.
"I just want her to be happy," Kiran said feebly, beginning to toy with the threadwork of her sari.
"You think that's possible with a man like Jai?"
"Nishikant what can I tell you?" she asked, "The man has become a better person since he met our daughter. I mean, he's began to change…"
"Kiran," he said slowly, "I now the both of you mean well but this is not just about Jai Walia. It's about our daughter too. I do not want to see my daughter hurting because of that man."
"You and I both know either way that loving a person is a risk we all have to take. There are no rules Nishi…"
"I know honey, but that does not mean you walk into a lion's den with your eyes wide open."
" Bani is a smart girl…"
"No one is smart when it comes to love Kiran."
"We were," she said softly.
He was quiet.
"Nishikant?"
"I'm here."
"Look at us," she said, "It took us almost seventeen years but we're here. We're together."
"And I thank God everyday that we are. But honey, those were the hardest years of my life. Knowing you were happy with someone else, knowing there was nothing I could do about it… but the difference was even I know how much Carlos loved you. He would have given anything to spend the rest of his life with you but…" his voice broke off.
"I'm sorry," Kiran had tears in her eyes now.
That time was a time where situations couldn't be helped. She had hated hurting him that way but she was in love with her husband. He may have married but in the years they had been married she had come to know that his wife had known about her, but still gone ahead to marry him, knowing fully well that all she would get was her husband's friendship. His heart already belonged to someone else.
"No tears my love," Nishikant said, the hurt evident in his voice, "I didn't mean to bring that up."
"No… no," she sniffed, "It's just that… we never talk much about it and…"
"All I'm saying Kiran, is I don't want my daughter to go through what we had to go through. It's too much pain for one person."
"I understand," she said softly.
"Just… be careful with her," Nishikant said, then paused briefly, "Are you out in the garden?"
"Oh!" the soft sound escaped her as a smile touched her quivering lips through the tears that stained her cheeks, "Yes… yes I am."
"Good." He knew his wife and he didn't want her heart heavy when she went to bed, "What do you see?"
"It's beautiful out here tonight," she said softly………..
Bani stood in the hallway of the house in Bangalore listening to her father talk to her mother. Tears were running down her own cheeks with the heaviness that was in her father's voice. So much hurt…so much pain…. but nothing could be done. It was a series of unfortunate events and though she wouldn't wish God to change any of it, she was glad she had both her fathers and was glad for the life they had both lived. But what was she to do now? Because of her everyone was worried. Why was she doing this? Because of her, her father had had to revisit the most painful years of his life…
She wiped her tears, determination written all over her face. She would not be responsible for anyone feeling hurt. Whatever this was it was going to have to stop. It just had to….
Jigyasa was sitting home reading the papers when Jai walked in, going past her without so much as a word.
"Wow, earlier it was that you avoided the family. Now you've graduated to ignoring us. Good job Jai."
"Nahin Didi," he said tiredly, "It's nothing like that. I didn't see you there."
"Mhmm," she said, not buying it and going back to the paper in annoyance.
"Acha baba, maff ki jiye na."
Jigyasa jumped when she put down the paper to find him on one knee kneeling before her.
"Kya kare hain aap?" she was more than surprised.
"Please?" he made a sweet face.
Jigyasa was really worried now, "Jai, kya hua?"
He feigned being offended, "Lo, first you say I don't acknowledge you, and then you refuse to forgive me."
Jigyasa leaned forward and touched his forehead, and frowned, "No fever, so…"
"Didi," he said finally, "My knee hurts."
"Arre uth," she said quickly, then asked as she gave him a suspicious once over, "What are you up to now?"
He gave her a small smile, "Nothing Didi. I just hired another contractor to build the Spa in Hyderabad and it is cause to be happy."
She was still looking at him suspiciously, "Really? That's all there is?"
"Yeah," he said innocently, "And now if that's all, I'll go change. I'm rather hungry."
"Ji," Jigyasa said, watching her brother retreat upstairs to his room, "What has come over him now?"
Three hours later she was still wondering when Aditya returned from work with Ranveer. She was waiting for them to say something had gone wrong at work or that Jai had taken revenge on someone but when neither one said anything, she had to ask.
"Adi, anything strange happen at work today?"
"Mhmm?" Aditya frowned, wondering where his wife was coming from, "What do you mean?"
"I mean did anything out of the ordinary happen at work today?"
He frowned further, "No, nothing at all. Why?"
She quickly folded the shirt in her hand and turned to him, "It's Jai. He's acting strange again."
Aditya sighed, "What's he done this time?"
"I was hoping you could tell me," Jigyasa said, "I mean he comes home lost in thought and almost walks past me. I reprimand him and he apologizes. I mean like he used to all those years ago, he….something is wrong Adi, I just know it."
Aditya was thinking, "I don't know Jigyasa, but…he did take a sudden trip to Bangalore today. Didn't say why until he got back and informed me that he had hired a new construction company to take care of the Spa Project in Hyderabad."
"Why go all the way to Bangalore?" Jigyasa frowned.
"You know your brother. Always has something up his sleeves."
"Well which company got it?"
Aditya thought a while, "I think it was Mehta Constructions Company. It's a subsidiary of the Mehta Holdings."
"Mehta? That name sounds… familiar."
"It does?" Adi frowned again, "What…"
Jigyasa's eyes widened, "Oh my God!"
"What?" Aditya was apprehensive now.
"Mehta Holdings. Kiran Dixit's father runs the company. He's doing it again!"
"What?" Aditya was even more confused.
"Don't you see?" Jigyasa said slowly, "He's going after Bani Dixit."
"Bani? What does she have…" then realization dawned, "Oh."
"Yes," Jigyasa lowered herself to the bed, "I knew it was too good to be true."
"Everyday your brother amazes me," Aditya said, truly awed that Jai would go this far, "This is the height yaar!"
Jigyasa just stared ahead of her. She wasn't going to sit back and let this happen. Enogh was enough.
At dinner that night, she and Adi were quiet, watching Jai quietly as he ate, seemingly oblivious to the stares he was getting from them.
"Didi, any more and I swear I would surely burst into flames," he said, cutting into a piece of chicken, before looking up and setting his cutlery down, "The two of you have been watching me all evening and I would really like to know why."
Jigyasa looked at Aditya who motioned for her to speak up if she wanted to know what he was up to. Ranveer, Krishna and Uday were also paying attention now.
"Why Mehta Constructions?" she asked directly.
He was slightly taken aback by the directness of the question and even more by the question itself. He wiped the corners of his mouth with the napkin.
"What's going on?" Uday asked.
"Jai just hired Mehta Constructions of Mehta Holdings to take care of the Spa Project in Hyderabad and I want to know why." Jigyasa said, straight faced.
"Didi, it was a business decision, nothing more."
"Oh really?" Jigyasa pounced, "And it's just a coincidence that it happens to be Bani Dixit's father running the company?"
"What does that have to do with anything?" he asked in surprise.
"Why don't you tell us?" Jigyasa snapped.
"Jigyasa," Aditya placed a hand on hers on the table, asking in silence not to raise her voice.
Jai sighed, "What do you want to hear Didi? That I'm after her for hitting me? You really think I would go that far?"
"Jai, this is you we're talking about. I wouldn't put anything past you," she said, her voice dripping sarcasm.
"Jigyasa, why are you being so confrontational?" Krishna asked, "He said it was a business deal."
"Ma, why are you talking like you don't know your own son?" Jigyasa was irritated by her mother's refusal to face facts, "He never just does anything. There is always a reason behind it."
"Jai, we could ask you and you would deny, but for honesty's sake, tell us the truth, "Uday said finally, "Why did you really hire that company?"
Jai raised his glass of juice and took a sip, "I told you Dad, it is just business. But if it will make you all feel better, I'll call Mr. Dixit tomorrow and have him tear up the papers. Happy?"
"It's not that Jai… but you have to see why we would be skeptical about this," Aditya said.
"Then I shall put your mind at ease," he said, getting to his feet, "The contract will be rescinded first thing tomorrow."
So saying, he left and went into the study, closing the door softly behind him.
"What was the need to get so fired up?" Krishna asked Jigyasa.
"There is a need Ma," she said defensively, "If he was doing this because he likedthe girl I would be all for it. But Jai as he is right now is poison…"
"Jigyasa!" Uday raised his voice.
"It's the truth Papa," she turned on Uday, "You may not say it but I will. I'm tired of making excuses for him."
The atmosphere was tense. Ranveer dared not say anything as he didn't know what to think. He felt like kicking himself as it seemed to him like it was his fault that all of this was happening. He didn't know what to think or what to do as this one had kind of gotten away from him. Natchiket Mama was not here to make matters worse so how to manage the situation would be a problem.
He had no idea what would happen now.
The end.....for now too!!!
