FF:Broken Dreams&... Note Page 104 3/9 - Page 7

Part 19B

The next morning, when Jai woke up, he did not find Bani beside him. This was not a surprise. He sat on the bed for sometime, then walked to the balcony. She was not there. Jai started to panic. He immediately left the room and climbed down the stairs. He looked in the living room. Nobody was there. His heartbeat rose to a record rate. He looked around. Then he shouted, "TONY!!!"

Tony stood before Jai in few seconds, "Yes, Sir!"

Jai wiped his face, then asked, "Tumne Bani ko dekha?"

Meanwhile Masi had come out of her puja room.

Tony replied, "No, Sir!"

Jai placed his fingers on his forehead.

Masi asked, "Kya hua, Jai?"

Jai turned to Masi. He walked to her, "Masi, pata nahin Bani kahaan hai. Subah se dikhayi nahin di…"He said tensed.

Masi frowned, then said, "Yahin kahin hogi Jai… Fikar mat karna…"

Before Jai could say anything, Tony said, "Sir, shayad garden mein honge."

"Garden?!" Jai said and walked fast towards the garden.

He reached the garden. He looked around. He was not able to find her. He walked further. Then he stopped. He took a deep breath. "There she is…!" his mind sighed.

He walked to her in a steady pace. He saw Bani lost in her own world, with a smile playing on her lips, one of her palm resting over her belly, the fingers of other hand making patterns over the grass. When she noticed two legs standing in front of her, she raised her head to look at the face. When she saw it was Jai, she gave a big smile with dimples on her cheek.

Jai felt as if he was flying in the air. It was a long time eversince he received such a smile from Bani… her smile… He smiled back. "Kya kar rahi ho?" Jai asked as he sat beside her.

Bani shrugged her shoulders as she said, "Kuch nahin… Bas aise hi baiti hoon…"

"Subah subah yahaan kaise?" He asked taking her hand in his.

"Main hamesha subah yahin rehti hoon." She said normally.

Jai noted the work 'rehti' in her sentence. He looked from her hand to her face. There was so sign of sadness or regret as she said. But it ached somewhere in Jai's chest. He could not imagine her living in the garden. But that is what she said… He smiled to ease himself.

He said, "Mujhse bataye bina kahin mat jaana. Darr lagta hai."

Bani's smile vanished. She looked into his eyes, then his face…

Jai said, "Teek hai?"

Bani looked at his face and nodded her head.

"Chalo… Mujhe tumse bahut saari baatein karni hai…" He got up catching one of her hands. Bani looked up as Jai stood. She blinked.

Jai's eyebrows rose as if he was asking 'What?' Bani shook her head and stood up.

Both of them walked towards the house holding each other's hands.

***

Jai wanted Bani to feel and understand that they share their life with each other. He decided why not from that morning!

After they came to their room, Jai told Bani before entering into the rest room, "Bani, Tony se kaho ki hum donon ke liye chai lane ko."

He heard Bani saying from behind, "Lekin main toh chai peeti nahin hoon."

Jai turned and looked back at her. Then said, "Koi baat nahin. Aaj se piyo. Mujhe company dene ke liye." And entered the rest room without looking back at Bani again.

Bani looked at the shut door and then walked to the phone to inform Tony.

Jai came out minutes later. He noticed Bani sitting on the bed. He went to the phone and asked Tony to bring newspaper with chai. He went and sat beside Bani. He put his arms around her and asked, "Kya soch rahi ho?"

Bani looked at him and said, "Kuch nahin…"

Meanwhile, they heard a knock at the door. Jai got up to open the door. Tony came in with tea and newspaper. Then leaves the place.

Jai sat on the bed with the newspaper. He said, "Bani chai lao."

Bani brought the tray near them and offered one cup to Jai.

Jai took it from her hand and said, "Thanks!"

Jai browsed through the headlines as he sipped tea. Bani started to sip tea as she waited for Jai to turn his attention towards her.

Then out of impatience, she said, "Suniye…"

Jai without taking his eyes from the newpaper said, "Haan…"

Bani said, "Woh Pushkar ne bataya ki mere sketches aapke paas hai?"

Jai looked at Bani taking his eyes away from the newspaper. "Haan, mere paas hai." He saw Bani relaxing. He decided to play along. "Lekin main bahut gussa hoon." Bani's eyebrows rose. "To phir kya? Mujhse bataya kyun nahin ki tum sketching karti ho…" He sounded complaining.

"Aapko pasand aayi…" she asked curiously.

Jai thought that was a good sign. Atleast she had started asking positive questions. He smiled, he placed the newspaper aside and put his arms around her. "Haan… bahut… kahaan se seekhi?"

"Kahin nahin…" Bani said lowering her head.

Jai looked at her lowered head for sometime. Then he walked to his closet and collected the sketch collection and walked back to her.

When he gave it to her, he said, "Promise karo ki tum apna sketching kabhi nahin chodogi…"

Bani did not promise anything. She just got the sketches and hugged to her chest looking at him.

"Bani, main tumse kuch pooch raha hoon…" Jai reminded her.

"Thank you." That's all what she said after which she went to her cupboard, opened it and placed them inside securedly.

Jai looked at her. He tried to change the topic. He went to his closet and opened it. He took a suit and said, "Bani, is suit ka matching shirt kya hoga." He said looking towards the closet.

Bani went and stood behind him. She stood on her toes and looked into his closet. Her eyes widened. 'So many shirts! How come he manages it!!!' she thought. She looked at the suit held in front of him. Then her eyes started to search for the color which might go well with the color of the suit. At last her eyes fell on the cemented grey and she pointed out to it. Jai noticed a hand pointing out from behind. He looked at the pointed direction and collected the shirt and showed in front of her. At last he said, "Nice selection. Thanks Bani." And he entered the bathroom with a towel.

Within an hour, Jai had left for the office with Aditya.

hey that cute part...

So Bani finally gave Jai a BIG smile. Yay!! Chalo, some progress at last. Good part, Abhi.