Chapter 33
Ha Rano jaldi jaldi karo, I don't want to upset Mr Walia any further, I don't want him to know that I have already taken money from the Randheria's behind his back, Mr Walia is such a self respecting man….
Bani Bani, Masi was calling out for her…
Rano tum please dekho what can be done at the earliest...o.k. bye let me see why Masi is calling me...
+++
Meera looked around, it was a big house, massive compared to Mumbai standards...Masi asked her to sit and has gone to call Bani, apparently wife of Jai Walia, weren't their marriage a farce, she had heard something in those lines from her cousin Mohan....
Keya baath hai Masi, aapne mujhe bulaya
Ha, Tujhe Munna kuch bolke gaya hai...
Kis bare me?
Idhar a, yeh Meera hai, Monhan Khandelwal ki bahen...tu jab nehi thi woh aye the party me....
Oh Namaste, Bani greeted Meera
Meera was surprised to see a much younger girl than herself as Jai Walia's wife...
Ji Namaste...Mr Walia, I mean I have an appointment with him at 2.30 in the afternoon after the lunch break...
Oh I see but he does not come home to lunch, you must have an appointment in the office then...
Yes but I mean
Beta aisa hai, Jai ne kaha ki Meera ko outhouse me rehne ke liye...
Bani was surprised, I mean
Areh Meera tum a chuki ho, tumhara saman kaha hai....Jigyasa asked....Tony Tony tumne outhouse prepare kiya....Jigyasa called out to Tony...
Ji nehi maam, I was not asked to...
Oh Jai bhaiya, must have forgotten never mind, Tony tum yeh saman guest room me rakh do, woh wala guest room jaha Roshniji rehti thi...I am sorry Meera, you see yesterday's party broke up quite late and we went to bed straight, Bani toh thi nehi to useh keya pata, outhouse will take long to get ready, it has been locked since Bani and her sisters moved from the outhouse to the main house, tabh takh you stay in the guest room, theek hai...Jigyasa showed her best courtesy...
Bani gave a smile as Meera passed her following Tony...
Keya baath hai Jigyasa tumne usse guest room me kiyu taheraye....Masi spoke as Meera went out of hearing reach...
Masi aap, maine keya kiya Jai bhai himself had invited Meera to stay in the house
Outhouse Jigyasa ghar me nehi, ek anjaan ladki hai woh, jawan hai, ghar me itne sare mard hai...Masi muttered to herself...
Sab shaadi shuda mard hai, mera sahil ka bhi shadi ho giya lekin phirbhi aapko yaad dila du ek din yeh tino behene bhi isi tarah ayi thi, haa tabh aap nehi the idhar Jai bhai ko rokhne ke liye aur jab Bani ka shaadi ho giya, Rano akeli kaise outhouse me rehti, a gaya hamare sar ke upar, phasa liya mere Sahil ko....anyway you are right Meera is good looking indeed....hmmm...Jigyasa walked away...
Masi looked at Bani....
Masi aap chinta na kare, she is Mohanji's sister and Mr Walia must have thought about it before offering, anyway abh ke liye theek hi hai...
Ha beta, Tony ko jaldi jaldi outhouse taiyyar karne ke liye mai bolungi, ladki ya ladka bahar ki hai aur kitne sare ghar ki baate hote rehte hai woh hum bahar walo ko kiyu janne de...
Bani smiled, she had to go out, must get something as a present for Jai, yesterday she hated herself for lying to Jai once again.
++++
Meera unpacks her luggage, she cannot believe that she has got such a beautiful room to herself. Her father worked as a middle level executive in a government concern. Meera was very ambitious from childhood, she did summer jobs to buy dresses and accessories for herself, flirted with teachers and professors so get extra marks, to make them ignore her low attendance....no she did not want to marry as of yet but the 'rishta' was good, khate pite family, the boy was bright doing a good job, Meera marks were not good unfortunately in degree courses, her father was not very keen that she does some vocational course before getting a degree against her name, after all tu apne aap ko graduate to keh sakegi uske baad koi course kar lena....Meera got herself admitted, she hated disturbance at home, being a discreet person she tried her best to put a happy face in front of everybody, keeping everybody happy and pleased, nobody ever complained about her, her parents never came to know about her other face....unfornately when her father lost his job, the office was closed down, he fell ill and Meera had to take up any job came in her way to keep the hearth running, from telephone operator/receptionist to doing door to door selling of kitchen appliances/ cometics/ toilet cleaners etc., and then this 'rishta' came, the boy was about 5 years older to her, already a General Manager with a big firm, drawing hefty salary, own car, own house, what could Meera want, she was fed up of her small jobs so thought lets get married, do some course and then revive her career again...
Lekin Bhagwan ke kuch aur hi marzi thi, Meera's husband was not too keen she has a career, help mother in the house, she has suffered a lot, itne saare members hai ghar me...
Naukrani rakh dete, Meera had said...
Naukrani hai but personal touch ke kaha hai woh logo ke kaam me...
Meera hated doing house work, pocket money from her husband was also not much, though he had a good job, Meera realised major portion of his salary went towards running of the house, there were other relatives who were not doing too well in life, he helped them with monetary help...in short after a month or so, Meera was bored with her married life, could not wait to break free the shackles ...
Meera finished her packing , she looked around in the room, the windows were open, it was a warm day and it seems there was still sometime to go for Dinner as informed by Tony butler, iss ghar me hare ek cheej keya kaide ka hai...Meera started closing the windows, one by one, today she got a job as Receptionist of the executive floor of Walia Industries, this floor was for Jai and other top executives of Walia Industries Headquarters
Chalo Big Boss ke office me kaam aur unke ghar me rehne ke liye jagah aur keya chahiye...Meera pushed back the curtain of the 3rd window, she was about to close it then stopped...
+++
Jai returned from office, after a long time it was good to see Bani home waiting for his return, today was a long day, the police had come to question him on his dealings with Aparajit Deb, how long he knew him, from when did he start feeling threatened by Aparajit etc, he kept his answers to basic and honest, press was calling up, Jai did not take their calls on the advice of Tarun instead issued a sentence that he too is shocked on the death of Aparajit Deb, which has left him speechless..
Masi asked him whether he would like some light refreshment....
Nehi masi, I think I will have an early dinner instead,
O.k. Munna, I will just see make everything ready,tu zaara haath muh dho le...
Bani's eyes were gleaming, it seems she had something to tell him, something private...
He went up to his room, as he removed his scarf, Bani came in, with her hand behind her back....
Hmmm toh woh gift tumhe mil hi gaya....
This is not fair Mr Walia, how mean of you to guess before I hand over my gift...
Jai smiled....tumhe ni toh kaha tha that you want me to gift something that I won't forget the day...so I am waiting for my gift,,,,
Bani with her free hand pushed him to sit on the bed then handed over the box....
Jai tore open the wrapping paper, what could it be...when he saw it it took his breath away...
In a silver and guild frame there were two photographs, both taken from the newspapers which published them after Jai's speech to the press, one Bani kissing Jai on his cheek and the next hiding her face in his chest, she downloaded them alongwith the caption from the internet sites of the newspapers....Jai could not have thought of a better gift, he looked up to see Bani waiting for his reaction, he extended his hands hugged her to himself, Bani bent down to kiss his head, as she ruffled his hair, she looked up to look into Meera's, who quickly averted her eyes and started closing the windows....
Bani became still, she felt like the day she saw Daksh peeping into her room, but that time she thought she was dreaming but today was no dream, she felt naked, it is not her fault, the window was open alongwith the curtains..phirbhi it did not feel nice...
As Jai got up looking for an appropriate place to display the photographs, Bani went and closed the window, she made a mental note that as long as Meera is here, she should keep the window closed...
++++
Ranveer watched Raashi moving about in the room, writing something, then getting up, going over to the dresser, picking a few items, observing them and then noting down something...Ranveer tried to concerntrate on his laptop but his eyes kept straying towards Raashi, Raashi started putting things in the bag, as if to get ready to go out....
Tum ja kaha rahi ho raashi...
Mai, bus aaj kuch der ke liye niklungi, just to submit a project....I mean the workbook we were required to prepare...
Workbook submission ke liye all the way you are required to go to the institute that too on a Sunday...
No I mean I am not going to the institute but to the house of a friend who stays near, she has helped me with certain things many a times, my workbook is ready but her's not so she wants to see mine and take my help...
So why did you say submission of workbook, tum jhoot bol rahi ho mujhse...
Nehi it is just the way I joke with her, I told tell her once I finish I will submit my workbook to her...
I am seeing tum bahut bar gayi ho, enough is enough, you are not going anywhere specially in this Sunday afternoon...
Dekhiye Ranveer let me go and just handover this workbook to her, she is waiting for it, I will not stay back...
Tony jakar de dega...give the address and the workbook to him...
Today is Sunday Ranveer, today there is no Tony remember....no drivers even, I have given my word, so I have to go...
Why cannot she come a take it....
She is, I mean she is not keeping too well hence she cannot come, I will be back within a hour....
Suddenly before Raashi could realise anything she found herself on the floor, her nose bleeding badly and before she could get up, her workbook torn into two halves were flung across to her...
When I said no, I mean no, samaj me aya tumhe...Ranveer glared at Raashi...
+++
Daksh was sitting in the lobby with his painting equipment, he was trying to paint but nothing was coming out, he was getting annoyed with himself...he stared out of the window, everything seemed to be quiet, like a typical holiday everyone in the house was taking an afternoon nap, he watched towards his parents room they were also resting, Daksh was feeling restless he could not concentrate on his work....
Areh Daksh bhai, aap soye nehi, Arushi came out of her room, looking ready to go out...
Tum kahi ja rahi ho Arushi....
Bus yuhi, keya baath hai, you are looking restless..
I wish I could go out, mujhe painting karne ka man nehi kar rahe hai...
Keya baath hai, Anamika ki yaad a rahi hai, Arushi asked softly as if no one should overhear...
Daksh turned his face away....
Keya baath hai Daksh Bhai, Anamika aajkaal dekhai nehi deti...
Woh Anamika nehi hai, woh Bani hai, kisi aur ki biwi...
Achha lekin humlog sab jante hai woh Anamika hai, uski ankhe dekho, uski side face dekho, accident ke baad plastic surgery karna para tha isiliye thora face change ho giya lekin ankhe, ankhe to wohi hai....
Lekin woh toh kehti hai woh Bani hai, kisi walia ke patni, Rano ki didi...
Hindi picture mai toh aisa humeshai hote rehte hai, lekin dekha jata ladki wohi ki wohi hai, sirf woh batana nehi chahati kiyuki abhi usse aap se achcha koi pati mil gaya....lekin wohi hai...
Daksh frowned...Tumko pakka maloom yeh Anamika hi hai...
I swear Daksh Bhai why should I lie, tum apna Anamika kaha rehti hai dekna chahoge, pass i me hai...
Tum mujhe lekar chaloge....
Chalo chalte hai, lekin ek baat kisi ko maath batana humlog kaha gaye the....
Daksh looked excited, his eyes were shining hard....Anamika picked up the car keys
+++
Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi 2
Current Affairs
Anupamaa
