FF:Destiny's Children (Pgs 1 to 5) Also ck Pg 84 - Page 2

(1)

Two weeks later

It was the last night of Navratri, the festival that honours the three main goddesses of the Hindu religion, Durga (goddess of power), Lakshmi (goddess of wealth) and Saraswati (goddess of wisdom) in all their manifestations. The chawl wore a festive look for the past nine days. Dandiya raas was performed every night and the entire chawl residents congregated in the courtyard in the front to dance with colourful sticks to the latest bollywood numbers. Since Milind was coming home very late, sometimes close to midnight, for the past few weeks, Prachi alone took part in the dances so far, but her heart was never in it.

Prachi noticed a perceptible change in their relationship. While they were quite cordial with each other, there was an unspoken barrier between them ever since that saree fiasco. They both avoided physical contact with each other inorder to prevent their desires from resurfacing. Although they shared the same bed, they no longer held or kissed each other. It was very difficult for both of them since they had gotten used to the cuddling but they feared that their resolve may be weakened if they give in to the physical comfort. Despite their steely resolve there were occasions when the temptation to give in was pretty strong. For instance, only that morning she had inadvertently collided with her husband at the entrance to the bathroom when she was trying to get in and he was on his way out, clad only in his towel. As she hit against his bare, well muscled chest, glistening from the water drops which had still not been dried, shivers ran up her spine. In the few seconds it took for them to unlock their intense gaze and regain their bearings, they could feel the electrifying tension between them. It had taken tremendous effort on both their parts to break it and get back to their normal activities. On the positive side, such instances only served to intensify Milind's will to remain focused in his work so as to attain his goal at the earliest.

That night, however, Prachi was surprised to see Milind return home earlier than usual. The dandiya dance for the night had just begun and seeing him, Ayesha thrust a pair of sticks in his hands and asked him to join in. Although he initially protested, he subsequently gave in and danced. They were going in rounds and Milind landed in front of Prachi. While Prachi was glad to be dancing with her husband, his eyes seemed distant as though he was lost in some deep thought. Prachi soon bore the brunt of his mental absence because he ended up hitting her right hand instead of the sticks. It is only when Prachi dropped the sticks and winced in pain did he realise what he had done. He quickly rushed to her side to examine the extent of damage. Her fingers were bleeding by now. Realising that there has been a mishap, the rest of the crowd stopped dancing as they looked on in trepidation. Ayesha hurried to Prachi's side and admonished Milind for being so careless. Tearing the ends of her dupatta, she tied it around the wound to stop the bleeding. Milind said that he will take her to their place for some first aid. He led Prachi away and asked the rest of the crowd to continue dancing. Back at their place, Milind immediately cleaned the wound and applied tincture. When Prachi flinched at the burning sensation caused by the medicine, he blew on her hand, concern written all across his face. He never stopped apologising even though she kept assuring him that it was just an accident. He fed her dinner and forbade her from doing any household chores till her hand was completely healed.

The next morning he got up earlier than usual inorder to take care of the household chores. By the time Prachi was awake, he had finished preparing tea, breakfast and lunch and had also washed the vessels and the clothes. He was about to sweep the house clean when Prachi snatched the broom from his hand and said that she can take care of it. After Milind left for work that day, Prachi took a stock of their life in the past weeks. She was increasingly concerned over the mental and physical strain he was putting himself through to fulfil his dream. She knew that the previous day's accident was the result of his mental fatigue. She did not like him wearing himself down in this manner. She wished that she could help him in some way but did not know how. She hoped her wound will heal soon so that she does not add to his burden.

One week later

Prachi and Milind were getting ready to go to Lonavala for finalising the arrangements for Mala's wedding which was to take place in three days. Mala had already booked the hall in Lonavala. They needed to get there and ensure that everything is in order before making the payment. The past week had been hectic, getting the wedding invitations printed and distributed and shopping for jewellery and sarees for Mala. The money Baba had set aside for Mala's wedding was sufficient to take care of all the wedding expenses. When Milind offered to get Prachi a saree for the wedding, she declined saying that she will wear her wedding saree for the occassion. They hired a Matador van and Milind's friends accompanied them to Lonavala. As Ayesha's mother had to undergo some special therapy which required her daughter's presence and Ayesha had to leave for Bangalore, she expressed her inability to attend the wedding. Manju and her family had promised to arrive on the wedding day. As Sukriti was close to her delivery time, doctors had adviced her against travel. PL had to stay back to take care of her. Alaap, as usual, cited business as an excuse for not being able to attend the wedding.

On arriving in Lonavala, they quickly got down to business. Milind's friends were of great help in arranging for the priest, the caterer, the light music troupe, the decorations etc. The sangeet and mehendi ceremonies were conducted with great fanfare. On the day of the wedding, the bridegroom arrived on a horse-back as part of the bharat ceremony. As Mala did not have a mother, Prachi welcomed him with the arti and applied the tilak on his forehead. The bride and the groom then exchanged the mala and sat in front of the holy pyre. Just then they heard a lot of commotion at the entrance. Milind went to see what the fuss was all about. To his shock he saw a group of policemen who had come in and said that that they were looking for one Mr.Sushil Joshi who works as a clerk in Madhavpur Co-operative Bank in connection with the lakhs of rupees he has swindled from the bank. They had also received complaints from two families that he has cheated them by marrying their daughters and ditching them after a month or two. They showed him the evidences they had, which included forged cheques, wedding pictures, bank statements etc. As soon as the bridegroom sighted the police, he tried to make a dash to the door but the constables who were standing there immediately nabbed him. Mrs.and Mr.Joshi hung their head in shame but later tried to beg the inspector to let their son go. The inspector asked them to find a good lawyer as their son sure needs one considering that the case against him was fairly open and shut. Even as the shocked crowd who had assembled for the wedding looked on, the bridegroom was dragged out of the wedding hall, followed by a weeping mother and a humiliated father.

Milind later found out that the parents were well aware of their son's activities and encouraged him as they were equally greedy for money. They had reaped quite a harvest by way of dowry in the earlier two weddings. They were keen in this alliance because Mala earned a decent salary and her father was also getting pension. That is why they did not hesitate too much to agree to the wedding even though they were told that she will continue to take care of her father after her marriage. Milind and Prachi were shaken by the events of the day. Prachi rushed to Mala's side to make sure she was alright. Although she was shocked by the sudden turn of events, Mala soon recovered and said that it was good that they came to know the true colours of the groom and his family before the wedding. Milind hurried to his uncle's side worried about the impact all this will have on him. Venkat told him that he needs to take care of the guests who were about to disperse realising that there was not going to be a wedding. He assured him that he will take care of Mala's father in the meantime. Milind requested the guests to have their meal before leaving even if the wedding itself did not take place. He said that they were his guests and he could not let them go on an empty stomach. Although they obliged, everyone was heavy hearted, thinking about Mala's plight.

Prachi who felt suddenly claustrophobic inside the hall ran out into the lawns outside the wedding hall, weeping bitterly. Milind followed her worriedly and tried to comfort her.

"Milind, it is all my fault," she sobbed and buried her head on his chest.

"Sh..., why are you blaming yourself, Prachi?" he asked in confusion.

"Milind, if I had not interfered that day and made a case for the marriage, it would not have come to this. I should have let you break the nose of that senior Joshi when he spoke so rudely about your uncle. We would have got rid of these hawks then and there."

Milind could not help smiling at her description of them. Wiping her eyes, he said,"Prachi, none of us knew their true nature. What you did that day was commendable. You had Mala's best interests in mind. It is our fortune that we came to know the truth atleast now. Imagine what would have become of Mala's life if we were to discover all this after the marriage?"

Just then Milind heard his name being called. He turned around to see a nervous Ganpat and a shy Mala.

Ganpat seemed like he had something important to say but did not know how to start it. Milind encouraged him to open up. Ganpat stammered out what he wanted to convey.

"Mi...Milind. Ma...Mala and I have decided to get married. We need your approval and blessings."

Milind was shocked to hear this. Ganpat then explained how he was as indignant as him seeing the events of the day. He always had a soft corner for Mala although he was not bold enough to express it. When he heard that her marriage has been finalised, he was happy for her and helped with the arrangements whole heartedly. However, he least expected that things will reach this point. He was upset by the fiasco at the mandap and wanted to make things right for her by marrying her but he wanted to ask her consent before he approached them. He met her separately and expressed his wish to make her his wife. He explained to her that he does not have much to offer her except his undying love. He had a job which paid a reasonably good salary with which he can ensure that she is provided a decent life. He also told her that he has the responsibility of taking care of his old mother who is nearly blind. As he was an only child who had lost his father at a young age, his mother was totally reliant on him. He was willing to let her bring her father along with her and take care of him. He also assured her that if she wanted to work, she can take up some job in Mumbai. All he wanted from her is a life-time commitment to be with him through thick and thin just he he will be with her. Mala was touched by his simple, stitled, but heart-felt speech and had agreed to marry him.

Milind was pleased to hear that one of his close friends was marrying his cousin. He hugged and thanked him for everything. Ganpat said that it is he who should be thankful, as he was going to become a part of Milind's family. Before the guests could leave after their meal, Milind went back into the hall and asked them to wait as the wedding was not yet over. The guests looked at him in confusion. The priest was just washing his hands after the meal when Milind approached him and asked him to conduct the wedding of Ganpat and Mala. The priest, although initially taken aback, gladly agreed to be instrumental in uniting two people who were well-deserving of each other.

Ganpat sat in his simple dress next to his bride who was blushing in happiness. The ceremony went off without a hitch and Ganpat and Mala were finally uited in matrimony. After the wedding, the newly weds first took the blessings of Vinod Sharma, who looked relieved that his daughter's marriage went off well. They then took the blessings of Milind and Prachi. Prachi looked at Milind happily and he returned the look. Later the guests blessed them whole heartedly.

The next day, the bridal couple and Mr. Sharma went back to Mumbai in a separate car. Mala wanted to return later to Lonavala to wind up things there and take her belongings to Mumbai. Manju and her family returned with Prachi, Milind and his friends in the Matador van.

One week later

It was salary day again; only this month Milind did not get his salary, as his dues were settled two weeks back when he was disgracefully discharged from service. As he did not want to tell Prachi that her husband had lost his job on the last day of the Navratri celebrations and that too in such a manner, he had deposited the 20 days pay of Rs.12,000 in his bank account. That morning, he had collected it from his bank before meeting someone important.

He waited at the coffee shop at Cuffe Parade for the person. After about 15 minutes a smartly clad young woman met him and they were deeply engrossed in conversation. Little did they realise that they were not only being watched but also being snapped in someone's cell phone camera.

******

Back in the chawl, Prachi got dressed to go to Mr. Sahoo's residence to take art classes for Ananya, his daughter. Manju had dropped in just then to ask her if she could submit their electricity bill along with hers and left the money and the bill with her. So she decided to first pay the bills before going to Mr.Sahoo's house.

As she waited in the queue in the electicity office, she found to her dismay that Mrs.Veena Shukla was standing right ahead of her. The minute she spotted Prachi, she struck up a conversation with her.

"Praaachi, how are you?" she drawled.

Prachi merely nodded her head, not wanting to talk to her. Mrs.Shukla did not, however, take the hint. She went on.

"You poor girl. You've come all the way in this hot sun to pay the electricity bill? What is that good-for-nothing husband of yours doing? Could he not pay the bill now that he idling away jobless? These Indian men I tell you, if you give them an inch they will take a foot. Don't let the guy take advantage of you."

Prachi was livid with anger

"Aunty, if I remember correctly, uncle does not have a job, does he? Is he not simply sitting at home? Then why has he sent you to pay the bill instead of doing it himself? Have you let him take advantage of you?" She has never spoken so rudely to anyone in her life, especially to someone who is nearly twice her age but she could not take the woman's repeated nasty comments about her husband.

Put in her place, Mrs Shukla turned her head away from her in a huff and did not talk to her after that.

Prachi paid the bills and left for the Sahoo residence.

At the Sahoo residence, Prachi got busy tutoring Ananya. Ananya was a sweet kid who was eager to learn everything there is to know about sketching and painting. Prachi had taken only four classes so far and she showed considerable improvement within the short span of time. With such an enthusiastic learner, Prachi too enjoyed her job. Once she finished the lessons, Mrs. Sangamitra Sahoo came up to her and gave her the fees of Rs.3,200 for the classes she had taken so far. Prachi had already made up her mind what she will do with the money.

She later visited Baba at the nursing home before returning home. Once she reached the chawl she went straight to Ganpat's house. Mala opened the door for her. After the usual small talk, she handed over her pay to her. Mala was surprised to see the money and protested. Already they had spent a lot for her wedding, she said. She did not want to be a burden on them. Prachi shut her up saying that till she finds a job, she will need the money as cost of living in Mumbai is much higher than Lonavala and Ganpat has now two extra mouths to feed. Although Vinod uncle was receiving his pension, that was sufficient only for taking care of his medicines. When Mala still kept protesting, Prachi told her that she can take the money as a loan and repay it piece meal once she gets the job. Mala had no alternative but to accept it.

That evening when Milind gave her the salary, she realised it was short by Rs.6,000. Before he could find an excuse to explain the shortfall, Prachi herself came up with a reason. She told him that she knew he would have taken an advance to arrange the reception they held for Ganpat and Mala in the chawl's community hall because Ganpat's mother was not present at the wedding and many of the chawl's residents did not attend the wedding at Lonavala. His pay for the month must have been reduced by the advance amount he had taken earlier. Milind did not dispute her presumption although in truth the reception expenses were met by Milind's friends who had pooled in their resources.

Over dinner Prachi described her day excitedly. She did not mention her encounter with Mrs.Shukla, though, as even the thought of that woman made her blood boil. She told him how she had given her tuition fees to Mala so that the newly-weds don't face financial problem till Mala finds a job. Milind was amazed at how thoughtful, caring and generous Prachi was. He asked her what she will do about the shortfall in their own budget, since he had given her only Rs.12,000 which was even less than what he was getting earlier before the salary hike. The rent for the new house was also higher. Prachi said that she had managed to save about Rs.1,000 from the past months' budget. They can also utilise the money which is being set aside for Baba's medical expenses, as in any case they will be repaying that amount to PL much later. They can always replenish the amount once they have more money. Milind could not but admire how smart and worldly-wise his naive wife had become in such a short time. On being asked about his day, he merely said that it was the usual.

After dinner Milind went out for a night stroll at the park. His mind was actively engaged in some deep thought. The plan needs to work, he thought. He cannot afford it to flop at this stage for his reputation is in the line. When he returned back, Prachi was already in deep sleep. Poor girl must be really exhausted after her day, he thought. He gently pushed aside the strands of hair falling on her face and gazed at her beautiful face for a long time before sleep enveloped him too.

Part XXI

"It's done, Mr.Shah. I've accomplished the deed".

"Good, Mrs.Shukla. Thanks for everything", he smiled at the attractive model who was sitting on his lap.

"No problem, Mr.Shah. It is retribution time. That Milind Mishra has to pay and I'll make sure he pays big time."

"Didi, please join us in bursting these crackers," they begged her and pulled at her hands.

She tried to excuse herself but they kept pestering her. Just then Milind walked in and seeing the tug of war between his wife and the kids he asked them what the matter was.

"Look bhaiyya, didi is not joining us for bursting the crackers", they complained to him.

Prachi had moved into the bedroom and turned her back to him. Milind came from behind her and whispered into her ear in a teasing voice, "You are scared of crackers, aren't you?"

Milind was visibly shaken. He did not expect Prachi to come to know of his problems. "Pra...Pra..chi...." he stammered but she did not let him continue.

She collapsed on the bed and burst out in tears, unable to hold herself together. Milind's heart just broke into a million pieces seeing her in so much anguish and pain. He felt guilty knowing that it is his silence which had caused it. He sat next to her and lifted her bowed head with both his hands. She refused to meet his eye, her tear-filled eyes fixed on the floor. He wiped her tears with his thumbs and willed her to look at him. When she reluctantly met his eyes, the pain evident in them suffocated him and he silently wept from within.

"Prachi, please don't cry. I can't bear to see you so miserable. Please forgive this fool for his stupidity. If it makes you feel better, hit him", he said and lifted her hand to his cheek to slap it, "but please don't cry."

During Suki's godh bharai ceremony, Milind was called on his cell by one of the customers of Garodia hotels, Mr.Mulchandani. Mr.Mulchaldani, one of the patrons of the hotel, was a businessman from Jaipur. He visited Mumbai atleast twice a month in connection with his business. As customer service executive, Milind had, on his own initiative, distributed survey forms to all the guests of the hotel to get their feedback about the comforts and services provided by the hotel. He also left his cell phone number in them so that they can get in touch with him at any time of the day to voice their grievances. Mr.Mulchandani had called him that day to inform him that there was a prostitution racket going on in the hotel which was bringing disrepute to the once well respected hotel. He had just noticed that the room next to his was among the rooms used in this manner. Milind rushed to the hotel and had discretely vacated the occupants after threatening them with police complaint if they do not leave on their own. After this incident, he tightened the screws and warned the people at the reception desk that if he hears of such complaints in future he will take it up with the management. Soon he forgot about this incident and concentrated on discharging his duties effectively.

"Prachi, the kids must be waiting for us. Come on, lets go," he pulled her up.

Prachi looked at him sheepishly and said she was scared of crackers.

So he did his best to find out something against Milind to effect his plan. He engaged a private detective who gathered information about Milind's interpersonal relations with fellow residents of the chawl. Although Milind was hugely popular with the rest of the residents, he found out that Mrs.Shukla had some axe to grind with him. He decided to use her when required and befriended her. He then planted his man, Mr.Bansal in the housekeeping department. Try as he may, Mr.Bansal could not find anything against Milind for the first six months. On the other hand, Milind seemed to be doing very well for himself. All that, however, changed when the scandal broke out and Milind lost his job. Mr.Bansal faithfully passed on the good news to him. Alaap knew that he needed to ensure that Prachi hears about it, not from him, but from a third party. Who better than Mrs.Shukla to do the honours? He himself wanted to stay away from all this and watch the fun from a distance. So he promptly conveyed the news to her the day Milind lost his job and had later sent her the envelope with the evidences gathered by the private detective. He was hoping that there will be a lot of fireworks at his brother-in-law's residence at the end of which Prachi will walk out on Milind and return to the Shah House. He expected that PL would avenge the injustice meted out to her daughter by throwing out Sukriti and at the end of it all he, Alaap, will be the sole gainer. Unfortunately for him, all his plans backfired. Milind's bond with his wife seems to have strengthened and in all probability his mother is going to exalt him even more once she hears of his success in his career.

"Some men have all the luck in the world", he lamented to himself and chewed at his nails furiously.

Part XXIII

Two days later

The past two days were hectic. As Mr.Garodia was in a hurry to leave for Delhi to finalise a new business deal he speeded the process of transferring the ownership of his hotel to Milind. That afternoon Milind finally received the transfer deed which acknowledged that he was the proprietor of the hotel. Initially he had wanted to change the name of his hotel but Mr.Garodia advised him against it. As the name was a well established one, changing it at a time when the business was floundering would not be a good idea, he said. Obtaining a loan would also be more difficult. He asked him to wait till he turned the hotel around. The name can always be changed after that. Milind agreed with him and left the name unchanged for the present. Now that he acquired legal ownership of the hotel, he decided to finally break the news to Prachi.

When he reached home and rang the bell, he could barely wait for Prachi to open the door. As soon as she did, he swung her in his arms and spun her around. Prachi looked at him, puzzled by his excitement. She asked him if he had obtained a loan. He assured her that it was much more than that and gave her a long envelope. Still puzzled, Prachi opened it to see the title deeds to the Garodia Hotels and there in big bold letters was her husband's name. Her eyes widened in surprise. Milind then explained to her everything that had happened since his meeting with Mr.Garodia. Prachi was elated hearing the news and hugged her husband tightly. They then decided to convey the news to Baba.

At the nursing home, Milind knelt in front of his unconscious father and laid his limp hand on his head. His eyes filled up as he emotionally connected with his father. How he wished his father could see him, hear him and understand him right now. He had always wanted to make his Baba proud of him and he was sure that he would be. If only he knew that his son has finally realised his dream, he thought regretfully. Prachi gently placed her hand on his shoulder and whispered that his father was proud of him and would be wishing him well in whatever mental state he was in.

After they left the nursing home Milind took Prachi to the Jehangir Art Gallery where an exhibition of contemporary art was going on. Prachi was pleasantly surprised that her husband appreciated modern art. It is only after they reached there did she realise that the guy was doing his best to hide his boredom. Prachi understood then that he had brought her there because of her interest in art. Smiling at him, she suggested that they go to some other place. Milind nodded and took her to the Y.B.Chavan auditorium where there was a ghazal programme by Hariharan. As soon as they took their seats, Prachi got deeply engrossed in the performance that she did not notice Milind's reception of it. Soon she was made painfully aware of it when she felt her husband's dozing head on her shoulder. She gazed in love at his sleeping face till he was woken up by the applause from the audience at the end of the performance.

"With you by my side I can conquer the world.

Happy six-month anniversary, darling.

Yours forever,

Milind"

After dinner they returned home. As Milind unlocked the door he whispered, "Our vrat (fast) starts from the minute we enter in till the break of dawn."

Prachi looked at him in shock. "How much longer", she thought to herself but was too shy to voice it.

Seeing her unhappy look he smiled and clarified, "Not that vrat, honey. Have we not done enough abstinence to last us a life time? I meant moun vrat (fast of silence). No words should be uttered once we step in; only action from now till morning. Let's enjoy the beauty of silence."

He then lifted his wife in his arms and carried her to the bed, kicking the door shut as he went in. Prachi buried her face in his shoulders. Laying her gently on the bed, he stretched himself by her side and gazed at her lovingly. Under the streaming moon light, she was looking more breathtakingly beautiful than she ever did in the past, if that was indeed possible, he thought. Her eyes were glazed in passion; her lips quivered in anticipation of the invasion they may soon be subjected to. As her nose took in the fragrance of him, she felt increasingly heady. He pushed aside the tendrils of her hair to get a clearer view of her angelic face. Cupping it in his palms, he lowered his lips on to her forehead, her eyelids, her plump cheeks, the tip of her delicate nose and the space between her nose and her lips before capturing her supple lips in his full luscious ones. She responded with equal fervour and sank her fingers in his mane, relishing every moment of his onslaught. Soon both of them were breathless and had to break free to come up for air. He then proceeded to explore her womanly curves, covering her in kisses, some gentle and some not so gentle. She squirmed as his facial hair tickled her, letting out a seductive moan which only served to heighten his yearnings. Although she was initially coy, his silent encouragement emboldened her and not wanting to be left behind, her hands explored him with equal eagerness, savouring the feel and texture of him.

When the mutual exploration became unbearable, his eyes met hers and silently asked for acquiescence to proceed to the inevitable union of body and soul. As she batted her eye-lids to convey her tacit approval, he gently lifted her and dipped himself in. Seeing her face flinch in pain, he tried to make a hasty retreat, not wanting to hurt her. She, however, held his shoulders and pulled him back to her, prolonging their union. What followed was the most exhilarating journey for both of them as they traversed a path that neither has ever treaded. Each concentrated on giving rather than receiving and in turn was amply rewarded. At the end of it, they lay spent and panting but immensely satisfied. He kissed her gently in loving gratitude and she responded in kind. They were finally man and wife in every sense of the word.

"I should warn Milind that however sweet his wife may be, he still can't go around chewing her up," she joked.

Garodia Hotels, Andheri

Milind was shown his new office by his secretary, Mrs.Saldanha. The room was wood panelled from ceiling to floor. The walls were adorned with expensive paintings. On one side of the wall was a show case with a trophy and some handicraft items. Taking the trophy in his hand he looked more closely at the inscription on it. It read "Best Four-Star Hotel of Mumbai ' 1996". That was ten years back, he thought to himself. Since then the hotel has degenerated from four-star to three-star and even in this category it was not amongst the best. He vowed to himself that he will not only ensure that his hotel becomes a five-star one in the near term and a higher graded one in the years to come, but also is amongst the best and reasonably priced one. He also made a mental note to replace all the paintings with portraits sketched by his wife.

He then individually met the heads of each department in the hotel and heard their problems. While some of them could be sorted out immediately, some required time and resources. He jotted down the bare minimum finance required to give the hotel a basic facelift and decided to approach the banks for financing the needs.

He called his wife at lunch and asked her what she was doing.

"I am sketching a portrait of you Milind", she said continuing to draw.

"Don't you tire of drawing me, woman?" he asked, in mock frustration.

"No, I don't. On the other hand I enjoy bringing alive my Samson in my art," she replied with a smile.

"Listen, I want you to paint some beautiful sceneries to replace the pathetic paintings in my office."

"Why, don't you want to hang my portraits of you?"

"Actually that is not a bad idea. Only I don't want to be called a narcissist." He said in mock seriousness.

She smiled and said "OK. Sceneries it will be. Will get down to work immediately."

"Thank you, darling. By the way, do you make self portraits? Would love to have a big picture of you in my office."

Prachi shook her head, "No, Milind. Never attempted one and never will either."

"I guess then I'll have to make do with a photograph," he sounded crestfallen. "Wish I knew how to sketch".

"Wouldn't mind teaching you," Prachi offered.

"Now, that's a real tempting offer. Who would let go of a golden opportunity to be taught by a beautiful damsel like you."

"So do we start our lessons from the coming Sunday morning?" asked Prachi excitedly.

"Done." he said.

"How much do I get paid?" she asked teasingly.

"Thousand per session," he replied.

"You'll pay me one thousand rupees?" she asked with her eyes wide open.

"No, not thousand rupees, darling. A thousand kisses," he guffawed.

"Milind...," she drawled, blushing a deep red.

"Hey, how do you like to receive an advance right now?" he asked in a hushed tone.

XXIV

(1)

It was Sunday morning. After breakfast Milind sat next to Prachi for his first art lesson. Prachi handed him a white drawing sheet, a pad and a well sharpened drawing pencil. Holding a similar pencil in her hand she showed him how to hold it the extended tripod grip in which the pencil is held in the usual manner where a triangle is formed by the thumb, forefinger and middle finger, but the hold is further up the pencil. She explained that in this hold, small movements of the fingers can produce a much larger movement of the pencil-tip, so it is an economical and efficient grip for sketching. Seeing Milind hold the pencil in a tight vicelike grip, she loosened his fingers and asked him to keep a relaxed grip.

On the sheet of paper she held, she drew a straight line and turning to Milind she asked him to do the same. Milind protested saying that he wanted to learn how to draw her, not straight lines which in any case he knew how to draw. Prachi explained to him that they need to go step by step. First he needed to perfect the art of drawing flawless lines. Then he needs to be able to draw shapes, both two dimensional and three dimensional. Then he can graduate to drawing in proportion; and finally learn the different shading techniques before he is ready to draw portraits. Milind looked heavenwards and rolled his eyes, saying that he will grow old and grey before she finishes all the steps with him. She slapped his shoulder playfully and asked him to do what his tutor was telling him to do. Milind folded his hands, paying her mock respect, and proceeded to draw the line. She looked at his sheet and said that as his line was a little crooked he needs to draw it again. Milind grimaced and tried again. Fifteen minutes and ten sheets of paper later there was no progress beyond the line. Prachi's patience was wearing thin. Milind's concentration was wandering everywhere but the task at hand. When she bent her head down and held his hand to show him how to draw the line, he leaned back to admire her long lashes, the tendrils of her shampooed hair flying across his face, the profile of her delicate nose and the soft supple lips which was puckered in concentration. Realising his unwavering gaze on her, she gave a tight slap on his hand and asked him to concentrate on the drawing. Shaking his hand to rid it off the pain he tried again. The line finally came out as near to perfection as she wanted it to.

She then proceeded to show him how to draw shapes. This was an even tougher task. The next one hour was spent in experimenting with circles and ovals. By the end of it, Milind's pencil was reduced to about a couple of inches as he kept breaking the lead and sharpening the pencil over and over again. He showed her the tiny pencil and said that since he had nearly finished up the pencil, they better stop for the day. Prachi handed him her pencil and gave him a couple of sheets from her stock and asked him to continue. Milind tossed the pencil over his shoulders and brought her face close to his. Leaning close to her ear, he whispered that she has worked hard enough for the day and its time he paid her salary. As he does not believe in keeping any dues, he had to pay her then and there. So saying, he proceeded to kiss her all over her face. She tried to break free but he tightened his hold on her face and bent to take her lips in his. After struggling for a few minutes, she soon gave up and he carried her to their bed. He then proceeded to show her his interpretation of drawing, tracing with the tips of his fingers the contours of her face, her neck, her body and her limbs. Soon she was breathing hard; he lifted himself to cover her up and proceeded to show her what she means to him.

Minutes later they lay next to each other, their heartbeats were slowly returning back to normal. Prachi laid her head on his chest and Milind loosely embraced her shoulder. Just then Milind's cell rang. Reaching for it, he picked it up and answered leisurely, but the minute he heard what the caller had to say, he straightened up and said that they will be there as soon as possible. Worry was written all across his face. Seeing his expression Prachi too got up with a start.

Mishraji looked at her confused. Prachi who was standing behind him mimed to her not to reveal about the baby. PL understood and immediately changed the topic, telling him how lucky she was to get a loving daughter-in-law like Sukriti and a loving and respectful son-in-law like Milind.

"Both Milind and Sukriti are like my children", she said. "They have strengthened the bond which always existed between the Mishras and the Shahs."

Mishraji turned to his daughter and nodded his head, beckoning her to him. Sukriti ran into his arms and cried her heart out.

"I'm sorry Baba. I'll never hurt you again. Please forgive me. Please don't hate me."

(2)

XXVII

(1)

The next day Ayesha returned from Bangalore after nearly one and a half months. She dropped in at Milind's place to say hello. Milind was about to leave for work. Seeing her, he sat down with her for a few minutes and asked her how her mother was doing and why did she not turn up by mid-November when she was supposed to. Assuring him that her mother was fine, she explained that when she was about to leave for Mumbai she received a call from her company asking her to stay back and take care of a few things in their Bangalore branch as the manager of the branch had absconded without giving them any notice. Things were in a mess and some urgent consignments had to be shipped to Singapore. So she stayed back to straighten things out and ensure that the consignment reached Chennai as per schedule so that it can be shipped to its final destination. Having finished her task she was back again. She then enquired what was the news back here in the chawl. Giving her a cup of tea, Prachi smiled and said that a lot had happened in her absence, both good and bad. Milind and Prachi then gave her a brief rundown of how Milind became the proprietor of Garodia Hotels. Ayesha was elated to hear this and gave Milind a bear hug. Asked when he will treat her, he assured her that he will do so soon enough. They then recounted how Sukriti lost her baby. Ayesha was deeply saddened to hear this and enquired how she was doing. They assured her that she was feeling much better now, especially after she saw her baba out of his coma. Ayesha's eyes widened in surprise. Prachi then held her hand and took her into the bedroom where Mishraji was still sleeping. Ayesha sat next to him and took his hand in hers. He slowly opened his eyes and tried to get up. Ayesha gently pushed him back and asked him to relax. He asked with his eyes how she was. She said that she was doing well and was very happy to see him conscious. Milind in the meantime excused himself as he has getting late for work and quickly took Baba's blessing before he left. Prachi followed him to the door and kissed him goodbye, voicing her hope that atleast the bank he was to visit that day will consider his application favourably, for which he smiled ruefully. The previous day did not bring much luck as that bank had rejected his application outright. Milind was slowly losing hope of ever securing the loan he so desperately needed. There were two to three banks left. If he is unable to get the loan from one of them he will sink along with his hotel. The thought made him shudder as he shook his head and proceeded to the bank.

Ayesha spent a few more minutes with Baba before she too left as she had to report back for duty. Prachi later wheeled Baba to Mala's house yet again before leaving for her mysterious outing. Mala was aware of where she was going but was sworn into secrecy.

That night Sukriti called Milind and asked him if Baba can stay with her for a few weeks. She missed him very much and wanted to spend more time with him. Although Milind was initially reluctant to let go of his baba, he realised that it was not fair to hold on to him when he himself was not able to devote more time for him. Moreover, Baba's presence will help her emotionally heal faster. He asked Prachi whether she was OK with the arrangement. Prachi nodded her head. So he agreed to drop him at Shah House before he left for work the next morning. Sukriti was glad to hear this.

(2)

Two days later

It was Christmas eve. Milind set out that morning, holding on to the last vestiges of hope. This was the last bank he will be visiting for his loan. If this one too declines to give him the loan, he will have to file for bankruptcy. He wondered whether he made the worst mistake of his life by accepting Mr.Garodia's offer. Atleast earlier he had a regular job. If not in the Garodia Hotels, he could have found another job in another hotel, especially with his experience. It would have been easier to have followed the beaten path. Instead he chose the path riddled with stones and thorns, hoping that it will lead him to riches which would help him buy all the comforts his wife so deserves. Now there was the danger that instead of acquiring riches they may be reduced to rags. While he did not fear facing poverty, he could not bear to thrust his wife in it. No, if he did not get the loan, he will eat humble pie and approach Mr.Garodia himself for help. He hated to do it but then he needed the money. He was convinced he can repay it in less than six months as he had full faith in his own abilities. It was only a question of having timely liquidity to revive the hotel.

At the bank, he was asked to wait for a few minutes before he can meet the manager. The minutes soon turned to more than an hour. Milind was getting impatient and he finally got up to leave when he was called in by the manager, Mr.Khurana.

"Mr.Mishra. I have gone through your application and your business proposition. I must admit that I am very impressed. For someone who has been in this field for only a short time, you seem to understand what ails your hotel and how to set it right. The precision with which you have chalked out your strategy for its revival is amazing. I have no hesitation in sanctioning the loan, for I know you will make good use of the funds and repay it in time."

Although Milind was extremely happy to hear this, he was still a little apprehensive.

He hesitatingly said, "I do not have any funds to place as margin money. You may have to give me the loan solely based on my credibility."

"No problems Mr.Mishra. We will release the funds in a couple of days." With that Mr.Khurana got up and shook his hands warmly.

On his way to his hotel, Milind called up Prachi to inform her the good news. He could barely contain his excitement as he stuttered and stammered out that he finally managed to secure the loan. Prachi was overjoyed to hear this and assured him that now all their problems will soon melt away. He agreed that they will and it is all because he had his lucky charm, his beloved wife by his side, making Prachi blush. He then asked her to bring Ayesha along for the Christmas eve party at the hotel that evening. She agreed to do so and left for her appointment.

That evening, the guests of the hotel gathered in the banquet hall for the party. Prachi was wearing a beautiful indigo blue Mysore crepe silk saree which Ayesha had bought for her from Bangalore. Ayesha too was wearing a similar saree in wine red colour. Milind who was dressed up as Santa Claus could not take his eyes off his wife. His eyes kept following her wherever she went. Ayesha came up from behind him and twisting his ears, she teased him about it.

"What a lecherous Santa you are! Instead of taking care of the kids, you are drooling over a pretty dame?"

Milind reddened but soon recovered to retort back, "Santa is human after all. He cannot help himself when the woman in question is criminally hawttt." He emphasised the last word. Soon the band played the carol 'Jingle bells' and Milind Santa went to his seat to entertain the kids who came up to him and sat on his lap one after another. He kissed them and gave them the bars of chocolates he had in his large red sack. One of the little boys wanted to test whether his beard was real and tried pulling it. Milind was quick to anticipate his action and averted his stretched hand. He gently whacked his bottom as he put him down, making the boy giggle.

Prachi then joined the band in singing a couple of carols including 'Joy to the world' and 'Deck the hall with boughs of holly'. As the kids had to go to bed, the Christmas cake was cut by the youngest kid. After the kids and their parents left, the party continued till mid night although Milind excused himself and left with his wife and Ayesha by 10.00 p.m. as he had planned to report for duty on Christmas day too. They left Ayesha at her house and returned home. After they showered and changed into their night clothes, Prachi asked Milind to wear the Santa mask and cap. Although he was puzzled he did as she asked him to. She then sat on his lap, held his neck and whispered into his ear that her Santa had so far fulfilled all her needs. For a change she wanted to give her Santa what he desires. She then gently bit his ear, pulled his mask off and bent to enfold his voluptuous lips in hers in a deep kiss. Milind's eyes widened first in surprise and then in happiness. Holding her face between his palms he returned the kiss, measure for measure and gently pushed her down on the bed. When they finally came up for air, both of them were panting. Linking her arms around his neck and looking deeply into his eyes, Prachi then proceeded to demonstrate her love and desire for her Santa, pleasantly surprising him with her zest. It was a merry Christmas indeed for the young Mishras.

XXX

Three days later

Jai Hind chawl had the tradition of respecting and celebrating all the festivals of the residents. Hence it geared up to celebrate Lohri which is a festival to worship fire. A huge bonfire was started in the middle of the courtyard and people gathered around it, throwing til, puffed rice and popcorns into its flames. Prayers were offered to the bonfire, seeking abundance and prosperity and the residents danced the typical bhangra dance with Mrs. Vandana Kapoor singing traditional Punjabi folk songs.

Before he could respond she whispered to him, "Milind, how long do you want to monopolise Prachi and chew her up like a teething baby? Do let your baby do the chewing."

Milind turned red in embarrassment. Manju never minced words. He told her that he wanted to stabilise a little in his business before they start a family. Mala asked him not to postpone these things for too long. At that moment Venkat arrived there with the two boys who had earlier dragged their father to the nearest store to get them chocolates. "See these two little mischievous brats. They drain us out every day and yet we can't imagine a life without them. Children are the blessing of any marriage." She picked up Anu and kissed his cheek. Milind caressed the little boy's head and assured that they will soon give her the good news she wants. Satisfied with his answer she wished them all the best and after inviting them to her house the next day for Pongal celebration, she left with her husband and children to their house.

The next morning Milind and Prachi visited the Iyer's residence to celebrate Pongal. The entrance of the house was decorated with an elaborate and intricate kolam (rangoli). Prachi asked Manju to teach her to draw such kolams. Manju nodded and said that these things should be child's play for an accomplished artist like her. After the usual puja, Manju mixed rice with finely chopped ginger, cumin seeds, pepper, cashew nuts and ghee in a brass pot and let it boil over as per the custom. This delicious dish was then served to the guests. Prachi asked her what was this dish called.

"This is called ven pongal. We also add jaggery or sugar to make sarkarai pongal which is sweet pongal. Pongal means boiling over. We let the food boil over to indicate abundance and prosperity. Pongal is a harvest festival and is celebrated over four days. Here in the cities we do not have time to observe all the days. Hence we only celebrate it on one day", she explained.

Adi and Anu begged their mother to give them sarkarai pongal. Manju smiled and brought out the sarkarai pongal which disappeared into their little tummies within minutes.

"See, how fast they eat sweet stuff," she remarked to Prachi.

After breakfast, Venkat gave them pieces of sugarcane to bite and chew. He chopped off the hard exterior and gave the softer inner portions to his sons who happily munched them before spitting them out. They later bid goodbye to their parents, Milind uncle and Prachi aunty and ran off to play with their friends.

Prachi looked at her piece of sugarcane, wondering how to bite it. Milind showed her how, by biting into his piece. After trying to rip off the hard skin a couple of times and not succeeding, she gave up. Milind took the piece from her and ripped off the hard exterior with his teeth and gave her the inner portion which she then chewed to a pulp before spitting it out. Some of the sugarcane juice spilled from the corner of her mouth as she chewed on the cane. Milind caught the dripping liquid in his index finger and sucked his finger. Prachi playfully slapped Milind's hand. Manju and Venkat who were watching this, looked at each other and smiled.

Once the sugarcane biting, chewing and sucking were done, Manju requested Prachi to sing for them.

"Tomorrow I can tell my colleagues at school that the new singing sensation sang exclusively for me," she said.

Prachi smiled and sang one of the songs from the album. Both Manju and Venkat rose and gave her a standing ovation when she finished the song. Milind smiled at her proudly.

That evening there was a kite flying competition in the chawl on the occasion of Magar Sankranti which is celebrated on the same day as Pongal. The kids in the chawl got together and flew colourful kites. They offered a kite to Prachi too but she declined saying that she does not know how to fly it. Milind offered to help her. He held the ball of string and asked her to hold the kite facing her and the wind. He then unwound the string for about 30 yards or so and signalled to her to release the kite. When she did, he quickly drew in the string towards himself to launch the kite. Once the kite was in the air, he loosened the string to let it fly higher. He then asked Prachi to hold the string. Standing behind her, he too held the string and helped her move the kite around. Soon the kids brought their kites closer to hers and tried to cut off her kite. Prachi got excited and in trying to avert them, moved backwards, tripped and fell on Milind who, in turn, lost his balance and the two of them went crashing to the ground. Their legs got entangled in the string and their kite came down with a thud. The kids laughed merrily at the spectacle. Mala and Ganpat who had come down to watch the competition could not hide their smile. Ganpat walked up to Milind and lifted him up. Milind then pulled Prachi up.

"Kya, yaar. You are a disgrace to men. You lost to small bachchaas?" he pulled his leg. Milind scratched his head and said that his better half literally brought him down this time. Prachi glared at him and stomped off with a sullen face. Seeing this, Milind excused himself and ran behind her to appease her. Mala and Ganpat laughed loudly.

Milind's business was progressing well. Milind had taken a loan for Rs.40 lakh for undertaking some renovation work at the hotel. Prachi's settlement money came in handy for obtaining the loan. With the face lift to the exteriors of the hotel coupled with the marked improvement in services after Milind's takeover, the hotel soon started attracting more and more guests. Mr.Mulchandani, the businessman from Jaipur had been very impressed with the improvements during his last visit to the hotel and had promised to recommend it to all his business associates. When Milind tried to thank him he told him that he was not doing him any favour and was only promoting what was good. He said that Milind does not need any recommendation as what he has done to the place spoke volumes of his hard work and perseverance. The occupancy rate at his hotel increased by the day and soon the hotel was running to near full capacity even during off season times, as opposed to the 50-60 per cent occupancy rate when Milind had taken charge of the hotel. The increased volumes translated into higher revenue and Milind was able to comfortably meet his repayment obligations and also pay good salaries to attract the best talent in the industry.

On the home front, he paid the advance for a two bedroom apartment which was very close to the chawl as Prachi had wanted. They moved into their new home in the first week of February. Milind brought his baba back from Shah House into the new home. Baba was given his own bedroom. Mich's bedroom was right next to his so that they can attend to his needs at night. Baba's health showed marked improvement with the physiotherapy and speech therapy. He was able to say a few mono syllables which were decipherable. He was also able to stand up with help although he still could not walk. The doctors were amazed at his progress and ascribed it to his will power and the loving care of his family. They hoped that at this rate he should be able to return back to a near normal life. Mala cited the example of her uncle to her father to encourage him to try moving from his immobile state. This along with the news of Mala's pregnancy seemed to encourage Vinod to put in more efforts. Although there was not much progress in his physical health he seemed more cheerful. Mala's mother-in-law was very happy that she would soon become a grandmother and took good care of her daughter-in-law inspite of her own problems with impaired vision. Luckily Mala's pregnancy was relatively hassle free with no morning sickness and other associated discomfort.

They landed in Ayesha's place that night. She was thrilled to see them and welcomed them in. Over dinner, they caught up with what was happening in each other's lives. Ayesha told them that her company was taken over by another company but her job was secure as they let her continue as manager of the Bangalore unit. Ayesha was very happy to note that Prachi's singing career has taken off well and her album was doing brisk sales. Prachi was getting lot of offers but she was being selective and is yet to sign any fresh contract. Ayesha was happy to note that Milind's hotel was also doing well. She hoped that he will soon turn it around. They all said Amen to that.

The next morning Milind left for the conference which was held at the Oberoi Hotel. The chief guest of the conference was the Tourism Minister from the Centre. During the interactive session in the afternoon, Milind suggested to the Minister that hoteliers and the tourism ministry need to work in closer co-ordination which will be of mutual benefit to both parties. Boosting the tourism industry will not only help in increasing their share in the country's gross domestic product (GDP) but will also create job opportunities for several people in the hospitality industry. However, the biggest hurdle in developing tourism is the lack of proper infrastructure in the form of road/rail connectivity and it is here that the Government needs to do more so that people have better access to the places of tourist interests. He suggested that the pace of privatisation of state-run hotels should be increased so that the Government can concentrate on areas such as infrastructure development. Approach roads to the hotels also need to be properly maintained, for however much the hotels do in improving their services, if the roads leading up to their hotels are bad and riddled with pot holes, people may be discouraged to pick their hotels for stay. He also thanked the Government for instituting the National Tourism Awards which are presented to state governments, classified hotels, heritage hotels, approved travel agents, tour operators and tourist transport operators, individuals and other private organizations in recognition of their performances in their respective fields and also to encourage healthy competition with an aim to promote tourism. The Minister welcomed his suggestions and promised to do his best to promote greater co-operation between the various arms of Government both at the Centre and State Level to enable them to achieve their common objectives.

What is your spouse's favourite book?

Milind: My wife's favourite author is Jeffery Archer and her favourite book is 'Not a penny more, not a penny less'.

Prachi: I love Jeffery Archer's 'Not a penny more, not a penny less'

Prachi: My husband is not fond of fiction. He is more into non-fiction books and autobiographies. His favourite book is 'Wings of Fire' by A.P.J.Abdul Khalam.

Milind: My favourite book is 'Wings of Fire' by our honourable President.

What is your spouse's favourite colour?

Milind: Blue

Prachi: I love the colour blue

Prachi:Black

Milind: I am fond of black

What is your spouse's favourite sport?

Milind: Well, she is not much into sports but she loves playing kho kho with the kids in our colony.

Prachi: I am not a sports person but I do like to play kho kho

Prachi: Football

Milind: Football anyday, although I like all sports

Who is your spouse's favourite Bollywood actor and actress?

Prachi: Amitabh Bachchan and Maduri Dixit.

Milind: The angry man Amitabh Bachchan and the dancing queen Maduri Dixit.

Milind: Amir Khan and Kajol.

Prachi: I simply love Amir and Kajol, though not in the same film.

What is your spouse's favourite dish?

Prachi: He loves my dhoklas

Milind: Anything that is cooked by my wife. My favourite has to be dhoklas.

Milind:She loves all types of junk food but I think her favourite is bhel puri.

Prachi: Chat dishes like bhel puri

After this round of questions, the couple were asked questions about love and what do they like in their spouses.

What is love?

Milind: Love is a six letter word- PRACHI

Prachi: Love is a six letter word ' MILIND

What is it that you like most about your wife Mr.Mishra?

Milind: There is nothing I dislike about her. I love the entire package. Her beauty, her love, her concern, her dedication, her simplicity, her talents, her intelligence, her wisdom, her courage to face everything, her willingness to adapt to her environment, her selflessness... the list is endless.

Do you mean to say she has no flaws?

Milind: Of course, she has. She is not God. But then I have my flaws too. If you love someone you accept them in whole, not just a few of their qualities.

So what are her flaws?

Milind: To be frank, I really don't remember because they don't appear as flaws to me any more.

What about you Mrs.Mishra? What do you like about your husband?

Prachi: Everything, I simply love the man. His high self-esteem, his determination, his large heartedness, his tenderness, his simplicity, his love, his devotion, his generosity, his honesty, his diligence, his compassion, his inability to hold a grudge, his ability to forgive, his ability to make me feel so special and loved always, the respect he shows to elders....(she was panting by the end of it)

Any Flaws?

Prachi: Flaws? You mean like his short-temper, his moodiness, his impatience? Well, I love him for them. They are part of his personality. I love my grumpy man because he can't hold on to his grumpiness for more than a few hours and he looks mighty cute when he is grumpy.

If there is one wish you will be granted, what will you ask for?

Milind: Her happiness. For in her happiness lies mine.

Prachi: His happiness. I don't see my happiness as different from his.

He said, "Falling in love is easy. Staying and growing in love in the face of all adversities is the challenge of true love. I hope all couples here find true love like we have. Once the seed of love is planted, one can't ignore it and expect it to grow on its own. The couple need to work hard in nurturing it and helping it grow into a healthy tree which will bear fruit. There are four things love can do without - L for lie, O for oppression, V for vindictiveness and E for Ego. If these are removed from the relationship, there is nothing to stop it from becoming the strongest human bond."

Prachi looked at her man with great pride as he took his seat by her side at the end of it.

(2)

That night Prachi packed her clothes in her bag expecting to leave for Mumbai the next day. She asked Milind who had just come out of the shower what time was their flight and whether they can drop in on Amrita Aunty before they returned to Mumbai. Milind then revealed the surprise honeymoon he had planned for her. They will visit Amrita Aunty the following morning and go around Bangalore in the afternoon. The following day they will leave for Mysore and Madikkeri. After spending three days there they will go to Mangalore which was the nearest airport and take the flight back to Mumbai. He told her that he had packed her clothes for the four days in his bag since he wanted to surprise her. Hearing this Prachi excitedly hugged and kissed him.

"Mama, this is Prachi. Remember my friend from college? She has come to our house in Mumbai?"

Amrita gave her a faint smile but it was clear she still could not place her.

Ayesha explained to her that Milind and Prachi are married and have come to Bangalore on an official/personal visit.

Milind and Prachi took her blessings. Milind then sat next to her and asked her how she was. Amrita told him that they were taking very good care of her at the hospital. She liked the climate of the city too. Her only grievance was that she had not got an opportunity to move around much. She lamented that Ayesha had promised to take her to Lal Bagh but did not have the time to do so as she was busy at work. Milind told her that he will gladly take her there if she wants. Amrita looked at Ayesha expectantly. Ayesha tried to tell her that they should not be troubling Milind who is on a honeymoon with his wife but Prachi intervened and said that they would love to show her around. Ayesha obtained the permission from the hospital to let Milind and Prachi take Amrita out for the day and rushed to her factory as she was expecting the new boss to visit their unit in the afternoon.

Lying on the bed, Ayesha closed her eyes wearily. Why did all the unexpected things have to happen on the same day? First shock that she got that day was when she realised who her new boss is. The name of the company should have rung a bell in her mind but somehow she did not make the association. From his expression it was clear he did not recollect who she was. He seemed to have changed a lot. His face was drawn, his lustreless eyes sunken and rimmed with dark circles which indicated he had not slept well for days, maybe even weeks. His shoulders were stooped. He sported a stubble which did not really suit him and he did not seem to care much about his appearance going by the creased suit he wore. He was a far cry from the smartly dressed person she had briefly seen all those months back. What was responsible for this transformation she wondered. They did not interact much as he had to leave for another meeting that day. She briefed him about the functioning of the unit and appraised him of the problems they were facing on the labour front. The trade union was strong and was creating problems about the long shifts the workers were subjected to in the recent months. He wanted her to give him a detailed report about the number of days when the late shifts were operational and reasons for the same. He also asked her to arrange a meeting with the trade union leader the following day. She had to sit late to complete the report and was wondering how the man is going to face the hard-nosed trade union leader the next day. As though the problems at work were not enough, she was made aware of her mother's strange behaviour at the gardens that afternoon. If it was indeed her father she had seen, her mother is not going to rest in peace till she is taken to him. Whatever progress was achieved in the last ten months would go down the drain. She just hoped that her mother would forget that day's encounter but she was not sure. Still troubled by all these thoughts, she slipped into a restless sleep.

(3)

Early the following morning, Milind and Prachi had left by a tourist taxi to Mysore. On the way they visited Srirangapatnam where Tipu Sultan was killed, betrayed by one of his own confidants. They visited his palace and his tomb. They then reached Mysore and checked into the Viceroy hotel which was a 3-star hotel. After freshening up they went on a city tour. First they visited the famous Mysore palace which was the official residence of the former royal family of Mysore, the Wodeyars. The opulence and the splendour in which the royal family lived left them speechless. They admired the ornately gilded columns, the rosewood doorways inlaid with ivory, stained glass ceilings, decorative steel grills, chandeliers with fine floral motifs, the peacock mosaic flooring, the rich oil paintings, Indian and European sculptures and the beautiful doll collection from the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. In one of the halls was a unique mirror which made the person standing in front of it look short and fat. Prachi found it highly amusing to see her distorted image in it. Giggling at herself she told Milind that she may end up looking like that after pregnancy and child birth.

"Would you be still interested in that fat woman, then?" she asked Milind, pointing at her image.

Hugging her shoulder from behind he whispered that the woman in his arms will always hold his interest no matter how old, or fat or clumsy she may look, in his eyes she will remain as beautiful as ever. Prachi turned around and gave him her best smile, showing her deep dimples. He pinched her cheek and asked her to move on.

Mysore Palace

As Prachi was interested in art, they went to the Jayachamarajendra Museum and Art Gallery which housed some of the finest paintings of stalwarts like Raja Ravi Verma and Nicholas Roerich. The gallery also had some fine curios in ivory, sandal wood, ceramics and stone including Japanese porcelain and English glass, traditional musical instruments, antique furniture and carvings from China. Prachi feasted her eyes on such rich artefacts and thanked Milind for bringing her there.

That evening they visited the widespread terraced Vrindhavan Gardens below the Krishnarajasagar dam. The garden is renowned for its musical dancing fountain. At the gardens, a group of college students passed them by. One of them turned around and immediately squealed, "Hey, isn't that Prachi Mishra". The rest of them turned around too and their eyes widened in surprise. They rushed to her and asked her if she was Prachi Mishra. Prachi looked at them in confusion as she did not recognise a single one of them. Admitting that she was, she asked them how do they know her.

"How can we not know you? You are the latest rage, your songs are just too good," said the first guy.

The girl next to him agreed and said to her that her voice is so captivating that they just can't seem to stop listening to her. As if to prove her point she gave her the ear phones to her ipod and sure enough Prachi got to hear her own voice in it. Blushing at the sudden popularity she seemed to have gained and that too in a place so far away from her own city, she looked at Milind who couldn't hide his pride. The students followed her gaze and asked her who he was.

"That's my husband, my strength and my support."

"You are married?" exclaimed one the guys."Why is it that all the good ones are already taken?"

Milind smiled at that and tapping the back of the guy's head, he said, "Even if she wasn't, don't you think that she is a little old for you?"

"That is no problem, Sir. 'Older the wine, better the taste' or is it 'older the fiddle better the tune?!'" said the guy naughtily.

Early next morning they left for Madikeri or 'Mercara' as it was called earlier. It is a hill station in Karnataka, popularly known as Scotland of India. The mist clad hills are adorned with thick forests, tea and coffee plantations and orange groves. Prachi fell in love with the natural setting. They checked into their hotel and later walked down the hills, enjoying the beautiful scenery. They went to the Abbey Falls(see picture below) and admired the lacey frills of the crystal clear water gushing down.

Ever since he returned to Mumbai he couldn't stop thinking about her. She had looked vaguely familiar as though he had seen her somewhere but he could not recollect when or where he had seen her before their meeting in Bangalore. More than her looks, what impressed him most was the courage with which she confronts problems and addresses them. He was particularly impressed with the way she took charge of the situation seeing him wounded and bleeding on the roadside. He could vaguely recollect her lifting him and making him sit on the scooty. Although she was a frail girl, she seemed to have a lot of stamina to be able to do that. He wasn't a well built man but still must be atleast one and a half times her weight. Yet she managed to heave him on the vehicle and then later ride it to the clinic, bearing the weight of his body slumped against her back. He turned red with embarrassment recollecting those moments where he was helpless and had to be supported by a puny woman. He was also impressed with her managerial abilities, having watched her in action from close quarters. Their Mumbai branch can well do with a woman like her at the helm. Was he calling her only for business reasons? That is what he kept telling himself. Anyway he was not ready for anything more than that. His personal life has been in shambles for some time now. The hurt and pain were still raw. As they say 'Once bitten, twice shy.' He did not want to complicate his life more than it already was. Making up his mind, he buzzed his secretary and asked her to place a call to their Bangalore unit. When she connected him, he said, "Good morning, Ms.Singhania. How's work progressing in your unit?"

"Good morning, Sir. We are doing well here."

"Is there any resurfacing of the labour problem?"

"No Sir, the workers are very happy and co-operative. Your timely intervention has prevented the situation from spinning out of control."

"Good, I want you here at Mumbai on the 4^th of March for an important meeting. Can you make it?"

"I'll be there, Sir. Is there any information I need to bring along with me?"

"No. Just present yourself here. Good day."

"Good day, Sir."

After he replaced the phone he realised that his hands were sweating. His heart beat which had accelerated in hearing her voice was slowly returning to normal. What was wrong with him, he wondered.

*****

It was the day before Holi, the spring festival. The children of Jai Hind chawl lit up a huge bonfire and sang and danced around it. The ritual of burning dead leaves, twigs, dirt and filth is supposed to symbolise the burning of evil spirit to welcome the good. The next morning, the residents got together at the courtyard and smeared colour on each other. Milind and Prachi had come over to the chawl in white dresses and joined in the fun. Milind smeared his wife's face with 'gulal' and snatched the pichkari (big syringe to squirt coloured water) from the kid standing next to him to drench her in yellow colour. Prachi squealed and retaliated by squirting blue colour on him. There was a lot of dancing and merry making amidst all this colour splashing. Just then Ayesha walked into the chawl with her air bag and got caught in the cross fire of colour squirting. Soon she was drenched from head to toe in multi-colours. It is only then she realised that she has landed in the city on Holi day. For a moment she forgot that she had come for some official work and had dropped in at the chawl only to say 'hi' to her friends before reporting for duty. Instead she got carried away by the vibrance of the place and joined in the fun. It is only after playing with them for half an hour did she realise that she needs to meet her boss. As she did not have time to change into clean clothes, she excused herself, telling them that she will meet up that evening and left her bag with Prachi before taking an auto rickshaw to her boss's office.

"Is this some sort of joke Ms.Singhania? You come to the office looking like some specimen from the children's comic books." He tried hard to suppress his smile and look sternly at her.

"I'm sorry, Sir. I forgot today was Holi since your office was working unlike most offices which are closed today. I got drenched in colour by my friends. Since I was running late for the meeting and did not want to waste your precious time in waiting for me, I could not change into some clean clothes before coming here."

"You can use my washroom to wash up and change, Ms.Singhania. I'll wait till you make yourself presentable," he said.

She took the suit from him and went to the attached wash room which had a hand shower apart from the western closet. She removed her multi-colour suit and washed off the colour from her body and face before drying herself with the towel slung on the rack. She then changed into the suit and went back to him.

"That's better Ms.Singhania. I'll now be able to converse with a young attractive woman instead of a Martian from space," he smiled.

He then explained to her the problems they were facing in their Mumbai unit and asked her what were the solutions to these problems. She thought for some time and told him ways to solve them. Nodding his head thoughtfully, he agreed that they were indeed very good suggestions.

"How do you like taking over the Mumbai unit to implement your suggestions?" he asked, nonchalantly.

She was shocked to hear this. The managerial position of the Mumbai unit is a huge promotion as the business this unit was doing was more than 65 per cent of the total turnover of the company. At the same time she was worried about leaving back her mother. Seeing her confused expression, he asked her if she had any problems. She hesitatingly informed him about her mother's health. Although there was some improvement in her health after the regression witnessed three weeks back when he visited the Bangalore unit, she was still not normal. He was amazed at the resilience of this woman. Inspite of her own harrowing experiences at that time she did not let her personal problems come in the way of discharging her duties. On top of it she took care of him too when he was hit by the union leader and his gang. He promised to settle all her mother's medical bills and allow her to fly to Bangalore every weekend to be with her mother. He told her that when employees take care of the interests of their company, it is the duty of the employer to take care of their problems. She was surprised by his generosity and agreed to join the unit in Mumbai by April. He then called his secretary to type out Ms.Singhania's transfer orders. He also asked her to inform everyone that they can leave immediately to celebrate Holi with their families. Ayesha smiled and thanked him for his thoughtfulness. He told her that it is he who should thank her for making him realise that he was depriving his staff of their rightful enjoyment. He then asked her if he can take her out for lunch. She agreed after briefly hesitating and they left after half an hour to have lunch at the most posh restaurant in that locality.

******

Back in the chawl, people exchanged Holi wishes and distributed light snacks. The men had a milk-based cool drink called 'thandai' which was laced with an intoxicant, 'bhaang'. Milind's friends forced a little too much of the drink down his throat although Prachi tried in vain to stop him from drinking. Soon Milind got tipsy and amorous with his wife in public. He declared loudly that he has the most beautiful wife in the world and was hence the most envied amongst his peers. He hugged his wife around the waist and tried to kiss her cheek. Prachi turned red with embarrassment and pushed his face away. She then asked Ganpat to help her take her husband back to their house. With his hands on either of their shoulders, Milind was finally dragged to his house where he passed out on the bed.