Chapter 5
The storm raged on, oblivious to the protest from the burning rubber and screeching tyres. Coming to an abrupt halt in the portico, the occupant jumped down even before the car had stopped completely and ran up the steps regardless of the pouring rain.
The door to the room was closed, mocking her with all its might. Mallika flung her purse to a side and tried the handle, aided by the mobile light. It was closed.
Blast the lights! It was pitch dark. She couldn't see anything.
"Ashutosh! ASHUTOSH! Open the door..." She hammered on the door, commanding with all the authority that she could muster at that moment. What the hell was going on?
And then she heard it. A scramble from within. The door opened.
The lights came on suddenly and she screwed her eyes to accommodate the altered lux levels around her. After a while, she opened her eyes, wide and then wider to the scene that unfolded.
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Suhasini was boiling from within. That nerve of Mallika: why did she have to interrupt the cozy encounter? She herself was after the handsome fellow by hook or crook. And he loved someone else. Huh, as if Mallika didn't know? Curtly admonished to the kitchen by a dominating sister-in law with a demand of tea and snacks, Suhasini's rage was beyond the control of sanity.
The water was boiling and she added the tea leaves. As the colour started diffusing in waves, the events of the past hour came back to her.
The palloo blowing off. The open admiration from Ashutosh.
The lights going off.
Ashutosh lighting a matchstick and beckoning her towards him. She had walked hesitantly towards him, and the communication that followed.
"Ashutosh..." Little more than a whisper.
"Yes, Suhasini..." The voice was strong and confident.
"You remember me?"
"I remember everything!"
"But then...Didi said you have forgotten everything! That accident..."
"God saved me from that. My memory loss is a sham. Anyways, I have to get to the bottom of this all, hence the pretence!"
Suhasini's eyes had widened at this.
"So what do you plan to do now?"
"Many things...to start with..."
Further disclosures had been interrupted rudely by hammering on the door and Suhasini cursed her fate for the umpteenth time that day. Ashutosh had flicked on the emergency light and quietly gestured her to open the door.
Mallika had barged in, her expression unprintable.
"What's happening here? Suhasini? What are you doing here? What exactly...were you upto?"
"Nothing, Didi..." Suhasini tried to keep her stance as neutral as possible. Inwardly, she felt like someone caught with their pants down! How to justify her presence here? and the lights? Why did they have to do the honours at this inopportune moment? And what if Aditya came to know about all this? How would he react?
"You were saying something, Suhasini?" Suhasini suddenly became painfully aware of the fact that Mallika had been observing her minutely. Why didn't the earth open up and swallow her? She mustered a bit of courage.
"N...nothing, Didi...I just came in to see whether he needed anything.."
"Oh really?" Mallika smirked, looking daggers at her, "Well, now that I am here, your services are not needed anymore. Now please go to the kitchen and get some tea! And some snacks as well!"
Suhasini's train of thoughts touched a vulnerable point. Mallika had again reduced her status to a service provider! The tea had boiled over; a uniform decoction of golden-brown colour with black tea leaves here and there. Then she poured the milk and the colour went from a transparent golden brown to an opalescent one, was it a reflection of her own future? Clear one instant and turbulent the next one...
What was it that Mallika had threatened her with? Exposing Aditya's misdeed: over-insistence of repayment of Col Verma's loan, which, unfortunately was quite official. And there was no mention of why he had done it. When mentioned, the devil sister had laughed it off.
"Ohh come on Suhasini...I never interfere in the bank matters, do I?"
Suhasini's jaw dropped. And fortunately there had been enough common sense left over, she had withdrawn quietly to the kitchen.
Ashutosh stared at the ceiling throughout the cozy exchange.
Mallika looked at the retreating figure of her sister-in law and cursed herself. Yes, things were going wrong, or about to go wrong, or had already gone wrong? Going by the odds, they had already gone wrong in a big way. She had to do something urgently. She took a deep breath and broached the subject.
"Ok, Ashutosh...what was happening here?
Ashutosh's reply was an indifferent shrug.
"Was Suhasini talking to you?"
"Suhasini?"
"Yes, Suhasini...why did she come here?"
Another indifferent shrug.
"Ok Ashutosh, let's drop the pretence. She is heavily smitten by you. And you also have not been indifferent. And she is a married woman, a mother of an 8 yr old boy. But I am not married, and have been waiting for you since eternity. Now how about marrying me?"
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Ashutosh had been silent throughout, mentally calculating his next move. He had anticipated that things would turn out to be this ugly at a point. But it would be so soon? Mallika's question hit him like a sledgehammer and he came back to the present with a thud.
"Marry you? But I don't know you at all!"
"Ohh come on Ashutosh. I know that you are perfectly fine, your amnesia is phoney...You remember everything. And you say you don't know me?"
"What are you talking about? I don't think I understand..."
"I think you do..." Mallika placed a photograph on the table.
Ashutosh froze.
It was a close up of an old man with a row of electrodes attached to his head. The man's face, though partially covered by a host of wires and a grimace, could be easily identified.
It was his Baba.
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There was a knock on the door, followed by a soft "Didi?"
"Come in..."
Suhasini entered with a tray loaded with snacks and tea. She neatly placed the tray on the low table next to the bed, her eyes involuntarily glancing to the occupant of the bed. He was staring in space, as usual.
Mallika reached for the tray and offered it to Ashutosh.
"Suhasini, why don't you sit down? I need your advice in an important family matter!"
Suhasini jerked up in pure astonishment at that. Something was wrong today. Mallika always dismissed her like a maid, after the job was done. And moresoever, after what had happened today. And yet...
"You see, Suhasini...I wanted to include you in an important decision of mine. I have decided to get married!"
Suhasini's jaw dropped.
"What? and to whom?"
Mallika looked like a cat that had the bowl of cream.
"And Ashutosh has also consented!"
Suhasini's eyes darted to the man reclining on the bed. What was the catch? Then she caught it: Ashutosh's eyes showed a sort of desperation she had never known before. She forced herself to smile.
"Ahh nice Didi...You have waited so long!"
"So now, get cracking on the task! We need to decide on the formalities, the shopping, the wedding attires, the venue and all that...there is tremendous responsibility ahead, Suhasini!"
"Yes, Didi. I am sure Aditya would be overjoyed!"
"Of course...I totally forgot about him. When would he be back from the office?"
Suhasini rolled her eyes. They had been staying together for the past year or so. But this sister didn't know what time her brother came home.
"Generally after 10.30 pm, Didi..."
"Fine then. Tell him to see me as soon as he comes!"
So the bossy attitude was still there, eh? Suhasini cursed her husband's laidback attitude and withdrew from the room with the empty tray.
Hey...wait. Was the tray empty? It seemed heavier than usual. Suhasini glanced at the tray, trying to discern the source of weight. And then she located it.
The downside of the tray was stuck with a file. Suhasini's eyes widened as she gently pried away the file. A small note on the file read something.
You promised to help me. Please convey this file to Armaan at his boutique. I am expecting you to do the wedding shopping there'
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A small smile played on the man's lips as Mallika left the room to freshen up. As usual, he had outsmarted her.
The file was below the mattress with Mallika had passed on the tray to him. And then she had been pre-occupied to notice his action.
He had neatly scribbled on the tissue paper and placed the tissue paper in the file. The file he had stuck to the tray.
Mallika, on the other hand, had entirely missed on Bunty handing over the file to Ashutosh. The video recording was current' i.e. it had started with the footage of Suhasini walking towards Ashutosh and her palloo blowing away. Even the admiration from Ashutosh was not missed by the camera. And with that had gone the inclination to watch the past footage, as the alarmed woman had raced home to catch her sister-in law red handed.
As usual, the tables had been turned...or had it? Mallika still held all the cards: she had Baba as a captive!
Fan Fictions
Cricket
Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi 2
