SS - O Re Piya update pg 19 28th dec - Page 14

Three months later

Jai Walia ground as he reached for his alarm clock whilst still under the covers. He tried to press the snooze button but with out success,

Annoyed at the clock for falling, he whipped the duvet cover off, quickly got up, put his slippers on and picking up his alarm clock, he switched it off. Only after glancing at it did he realise the time,

'Goddamit', shouted Jai.

Washing and dressing quickly into a white t-shirt and black jogging bottoms, he was tying up his laces on his trainers at the top of the stairs when he almost bumped into Tony/ who was shocked out of his wits to at his masters strange behaviour. His master was never up before six, and as his master sailed past him after muttering a quick good morning. Picking up the small cup of strong black coffee, he had made for his master and smelled it. Checking for any extra-added ingredient, which might explain his master's unusual behaviour recently. Smelling nothing unusual he took a tentative sip and nearly spat out the strong coffee on to the stairwell, running the steps two by two, he found Jigyasa's favourite plant at the top of the stairs and pushing a few leaves aside, he spat the disgusting concoction before anyone could see. Wiping his face with a hanky, he grinned to him self. Next time Jigyasa blasted him for a no existent mistake, he would remember this incident with fondness and grinning to him, self knocked on the family's bedrooms to give them their early morning tea.

Jai lay in wait near the entrance of Walia mansion, checking his hair in Mercedes wing mirror he adjusted his hair a little and gave a killer smile that the girls at his office sighed over, not bad he thought looking at his reflection, but why does she prefer that goody two shoes . Sighing he looked at his gleaming custom made Swiss watch, it was precisely six fifteen and he noticed the huge gates to Walia mansion open slowly, quickly jumping back Jai hid in a large bush near the gate, he pulled back a few branches to get a better view.

He saw the back of the woman first, she was wearing black tight sweat pants and a tight baby pink top, which had thin spaghetti straps exposing her delicate collarbones, which also revealed her taut stomach and showed off her figure to perfection. She had a ipod tucked into a back pocket, while she was dong a few stretches Jai could't help admiring her toned body, feeling hot hiding he wiped his forehead and gave himself a pep talk,

'Come on Walia, you single handily built a multi core empire, you crack company executives like eggs, what's talking to the woman of your dreams'.

Taking a deep breath to steady his nerves he stepped out of the bushes and nearly scared poor Bani to death. She was in the middle of a calf stretch and lost her footing seeing a man come out of the bushes. Bani opened her mouth to let out a scream and quickly Jai grabbed her waist and clamped a hand over her mouth, waking up every one else was not a good option.

Bani had her eyes closed out of fear and while she did Jai took the opportunity to examine the change in her, for she was no longer simple salwar kameez type Bani, she had become a Mumbaiite.

Long gone was the ugly glasses, her hair was still long but cut with a few layers to frame her face. Her horrid salwar kameez replaced with trendy, modern but still modest clothes. She looked different like a new person but her personality, ideologies and morals were still the same, and even Mumbai could not change that acknowledged Jai. Jai liked this change in her but frowned when he thought who had bought this change on, in fact the frown soon became a murderous rage.

Bani slowly opened her eyes and on seeing Jai became furious.

'Let go of me this instant', boomed Bani's voice.

'You sure', smirked a Jai, a mischievous smile playing on his lips, he tightened his grip on her to annoy her more.

'YES', she screamed and once she landed on the hard pavement.

'AWWWWW', howled Bani, giving Jai an earful of expletives in Hindi.

'I didn't mean literally drop me', moaned Bani, stroking her sore shoulder.

'You said it', grinned Jai, enjoying the look of annoyance she was giving him.

Bani quickly picked her self up, ignoring the helping hand Jai was offering and dusted herself down, she took her pink ipod out and started to untangle the headphones when Jai snatched it from her hands and examined it with a look of rage on his face.

'It would be silly to ask you who bought this for you, obviously your BOYFRIEND Mr Pushkar Shukla', Jai emphasized the boyfriend just out of sheer jealously.

'How dare you Mr Jai WALIA' said Bani emphasized the Walia in his name just to insult him.

'Your big ego can't see past your own nose, how dare you assume things about mine and Pushkar's relationship, and I have you know I bought this my self', Bani snatched the ipod off him and continued, 'from my part time JOB as you know, considering I'm a receptionist at one you YOUR hotels'

Bani had only been working a few days when she met Pushkar Shukla, Pushkar had seen past her glasses and oiled hair and horrid hotel uniform and seen a real beauty waiting to bloom. Taking Bani under his wing, he had befriended her. Bani at first avoided him but his easygoing manner and perseverance soon won her over and his boyish charms helped. He eventually won her over and they become fast friends. Bani took days off work and in her, free from college saw the real Mumbai through Pushkar's eye's. Pushkar she learnt was a social worker who worked in the slums as a teacher teaching under privileged, Pushkar also let slip that he had rescued many children from child labour and was campaigning for laws against this.

Bani learnt that Uday Walia and Risabh Shukla (Pushkar's father) were great childhood friends. The Shukla's owned a big share of Walia industries and as the Walia's hoped to turn this friendship into rishtadaari until Anu disappointed, them by marrying else were. Pushkar was secretly quite happy, as Anu was not his type.

Jai was infuriated when one Sunday he had planned a family picnic as an excuse to spend time with Bani, only for her to drop out at the last minute, when the rest of the family went any way, they dragged a sulky Jai with them. Jai moaned all the way there secretly praying it rained so he could drive them all back, but to his astonishment at the quite river spot he had chosen he saw Bani having a picnic with Pushkar and his friends and even a few of Bani's colleges .

Seething with rage, he marched over and demanded she join the rest of the family. Bani coolly replied that she had arrived with Pushkar and would leave with him. Masi and Dadi scolded Jai for ruining Bani's picnic secretly pleased over his jealousy.

Jai was heart achingly in love with Bani and Bani was in love with him too, not that she wanted him to know, the first time she saw him on the station platform her heart has skipped a neat and as far as she was concerned the kiss they shared has sealed their love for eternity. She was worried that she was just another pretty girl in Jai's life and that he would breeze in and out like a whirlwind breaking her heart in the process.

One lonely night Bani was crying on her pillow, the agony of being in love with Jai was too much, plus the avoiding him was getting too much for her, she had managed a week, but could not manage another. Bani got up suddenly when she felt some one stroke her hair lovingly, thinking it was Jai she was surprised to see Masi.

TO BE CONTINUED