Epistle 57: The Enigma - Veiled and Unveiled
A/N: Hey there everyone! :D :D Here is the next update! :D :D
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16th April, 2005:
I'm so stupid!
I can't believe that Ranveer tricked me into believing that I had the edge over him again! Argh, this is impossible! He's impossible! Has he hypnotized me or something, or does he have some kind of remote control that makes my brains work the way he wants it to? Ranveer says its simple psychology, but I find this whole "psychology" to be more sinister than simple. It's like some sort of twisted art of manipulation.
Okay, now before I puzzle you more, I'll tell you what happened.
Now that Ranveer and I don't have to worry about our exams, we're considerably relaxed. So, like all the times where we're two jobless people looking to bicker over everything, we found our ideal topic today - Papa. Now you know how I always complain that Papa loves Ranveer more than myself? So as usual, I tried defending and saying that Papa loves me more than Ranveer. That doofus wins at everything, but not at this. He's my Papa, so he has to love me more!
After arguing upon this for half an hour, Ranveer and I finally decided that we'd get out answer from Papa himself. Since he had an off today, we decided to give him something interesting to occupy himself with. So off we run up to his room, hoping that we'd find him there and we were lucky. He was seated in his room, reading the Economic Times like always.
He looked up in surprise when he saw the two of us glaring at each other.
"Now what are the two of you up to?" asked Papa as he looked at us closely. I scowled at Ranveer before looking at Papa, putting on my puppy-dog eyes.
"Papa, he says that you love him more than me!" I wailed beseechingly. He shook his head at me, looking weary.
"I said no such thing!" retorted Ranveer instantly, while Papa looked at him. The two of them shared their annoying eye connection again, before Ranveer added, his voice now sober. "She was the one who accused me, or rather you, of being more partial towards me than her."
"But that's true! You always take up for him!" I whined, hoping that Ranveer would not sway Papa away in this. Papa looked at me as though I was being a difficult child.
"I love both of you equally. How could you even think like that, Ishaani?" he asked me sternly, even though the love was evident.
"No, Papa! If you have to choose from between the two of us, who would it be - me or Ranveer?" I demanded of him stubbornly while he gave me a worried look. He looked at Ranveer and I did the same, only to see him shrug his shoulders nonchalantly.
"Ishaani, what-" he began to protest but I stopped him midway.
Okay, now that I recollect the whole thing, I was really being silly. But anyway, Papa looked at myself and Ranveer for a few moments, before he sighed and gave up.
"I'd choose you," he replied silently and I gave Ranveer a smug smile.
And he smiled back at me, something I thought was half-hearted at the moment, but now I realize what it was. It wasn't half-hearted, it was him smiling because I was happy and had won, and my happiness was his happiness, even though he had to lose for it. And I'm sure that he didn't lose. He must have told Papa to take my name in one of those ever-famous eye contacts of their while I was busy fuming at the wall. But I'm not going to give up so easily. I'll have my chance to corner Papa and get an honest answer out from him soon.
So any way, as per the bet we had on, the loser had to learn a musical instrument from the winner. And since both Ranveer and I branch out in it, he had to learn the piano. The idiot lacked time, so he found the ideal way to learn it from me since I'm good at it. Not boasting, but it is the fact. He always knows how to trick me into things like this. Idiot.
So, like a moron, I took him to the piano and sat him down, explaining the keys and the basic music notes to him. Since he already has an idea about the notes and everything, it was easier to teach them to him. And since he's a quick learner, by the end of two hours he had the basic gist of how to go about with playing the tunes and how to adjust the bass and the settings upon the piano for a simple tune.
And then we decided to give Beethoven's Ninth a try on the piano, the all-time classic for any beginner. Okay, I'm not angry at him, really... It's just... I hate being tricked into doing things. It's not like I wouldn't have taught him how to play a piano (okay, I'd have given him a hard time for it, but you get my point!), but here I was, smugly showing off my piano skills and giving him the best of tips, something I'd worked hard all on my own. It's not like he was even going to eat away credit for my work... It's always been quite the contrary, but still. He shouldn't do that.
Argh, okay, who am I kidding?
It was fun! The two of us playing Beethoven's Ninth while I taught him how to play it at the right bass and the right strength. He silently learnt it along with me, until we both played it together. Yeah, it was fun. We again had one of those out-of-the-world conversations, until Baa shooed us away from there, saying that we were disturbing her during her pooja. Well, me more than Ranveer, anyway. These days, she's again become all sober and tame with Ranveer. I don't know what it was that he really did during that day on Holi, but since then, she's gone really light upon him.
It's been a month almost since Holi and none of us remember anything at all from that day. It's ridiculous! Seven of us, and we remember NOTHING. The last thing I remember was Ranveer trying to trick me into having the bhaang and me pushing him away. The next thing I remember is waking up in my room looking like a frazzled monkey and feeling my head spin. I've had to be in bed like that the whole day because my head wouldn't just stop spinning. And it wasn't just the case with me, it was with all of us cousins and Ranveer as well. Sharman bhaiyya and Ranveer had to be in bed for two days.
Gauri, Disha and Prateik were still alright by half the next day, but it took Devarsh and myself some time to get into the groove of things. But try as we might, we couldn't even remember one, single thing from what happened ever since we did have the bhaang. And the moment I did feel a little better, Maa fulfilled the remaining dose of enigma surrounding the mysterious previous day. I've not been scolded like this my whole life as much as she did so that day.
I still can't believe that she grounded me for a whole month! A month! She said that I had the most unruly and abysmal behaviour the previous day and I'd even abused and spoken a whole lot of nonsense to the guests as well and that she was ashamed of this kind of behaviour after all the manners she'd taught me. Papa didn't interfere because he knew that the intervention was required. It's not like it was even my fault, you know... I was tricked into getting drunk!
Ranveer was right... the day I would be caught, it would really get me into a lot of trouble. It did.
And the next day, when finally all of us kids were capable enough to get upon our feet, Baa convened a meeting of the whole house. And this meeting was nothing short of a shocker. A shocker for several reasons, at that. One, because, for the first time ever, she's actually spewed venom and given her usual crappy speech especially reserved for myself and Ranveer to all the other kids as well. Disha even began to cry, but there was no stopping her anger. She somehow overlooked me because she 'didn't expect anything better' from me, as she phrased it.
Well, after Maa's fusillade of words, Baa's leniency felt like a wave of relief for once. All the others had their heads hung down in shame as their grandmother went on and on about how they had been a disgrace to the Parekh blood and how they'd embarrassed her in front of all the others. And then came the biggest shocker of all - she absolutely said nothing to Ranveer about any of this, and on the contrary, she actually gave him a loving look! Can you believe it?! Not one taunt or anything! She just patted his face, asked him whether he was alright, and waltzed past him like he was the prodigal son or something!
Sharman bhaiyya, Devarsh and I were so sure that somebody had given Baa a little bhaang as well to have. Okay, it's not like we were jealous of him when it came to Baa's affection; God alone knows the humiliation he's borne at her hands and we've all been witness to that. But what was surprising was the way he was suddenly the saviour of the family's reputation', as per how Baa phrased it.
Not just Baa, but everyone else also did mention how in spite of being drunk, he was trying to curb our stupidities and divert us away from making a fool of ourselves in front of all the people. Baa was about to begin a whole lecture about how we girls had crossed limits by drinking bhaang, but Sharman bhaiyya atleast remembered that he was the one who initiated the idea and took the blame upon himself in spite of Ranveer trying to save him. Well, let's just say that all of us were happy that we were not in Sharman bhaiyya's place that day.
But there was one thing I learnt that day - it does NOT help when you're being fired with insults left, right and center and the most unexpected person escapes it all. Even if it's your best friend. In cases like these, it's even more infuriating. Baa still hasn't told us what Ranveer did that makes her behave like a human with him since the past one month, and my genius perfectionist doesn't remember either. *rolls eyes*
His lack of memory from the day is frustrating him like always whenever he doesn't remember something. The last thing he remembers was being picked up from his room on the day of Holi. The next thing - waking up magically in his room a day later. He says that the only dim recollection he had was something like a saree on fire, but he thinks that he may have been dreaming. But it can't be, since he does have burns upon both of his hands. Another mystery we have no answer to. And Kaka hasn't been able to put any light upon this matter either, since he was also... well, under the spell of bhaang. But then again, all of our fathers were.
I still don't understand - why must he drink so much when he cannot handle it!? But Ranveer is again apprehensive, he doesn't like this new-found decency she's been showing him. The last time she showed this much decency was from two months before his accident four years ago and his five months of therapy after that. So again, his fears are legit.
But seriously though, I'll get to the core of this. Sharman bhaiyya, Devarsh and Gauri may have gone back to their respective lodgings empty-handed, but I'm still here. I'll get to the crux of the whole thing. These 'mood swings' that Baa keep having are even more extraordinary than my own ones. Oh, Ranveer and I have laughed so much upon her, we'll do a little more so once we find out what it was that he did that's made Baa go all dewy eyes on him. Ranveer and I could use the same method in the future as well. If not love, atleast we can change hate into being neutral.
Argh, if only my punishment would get over! I can't believe there's still a whole week to go! Even our tennis classes got delayed because of that. I don't know why there's always an obstacle for our classes and sessions - first the pottery classes, now this. This is so unfair! Why must Maa be this harsh upon me?! I haven't even been to the beach in this one month and because of me, even Ranveer doesn't go just so that I don't feel left out! Not fair!
If Maa thinks that I'm going to lose the habit of cussing in this one month, she hasn't been wronger. If it's even possible, she's gotten me riled up to the point where I can cuss in my head and pass it off with the broadest of smiles. Ranveer says that the smile is so plastic, but nobody else can tell the difference now, can they? Not everybody is Ranveer. I just can't wait for this one week to pass off! Ranveer has promised me that he'll take me for a long, long drive to our escapade and even the beach, if time permits.
Now, I told him no for the escapade because that's his hide-out. I don't want to intrude upon it just because he's being so big-hearted about it in terms of sharing it with me. I may be stupid and thick headed many a times, but I do have those fits of using my brains as well. At first, he was afraid that I'd lied about liking the place and God... my heart sank at his expression. But once I explained it out to him, he just caught my hand and smiled. His smile. I knew that he'd understand.
But seriously, how does he understand me so well? How can he predict every single reaction, every single emotion that I'm feeling or am even going to feel? It's like he knows me better than I know myself, he knows me better than even he knows himself, I think. Take today for instance. Ranveer knew how much it would mean to me if Papa would say that he loved me more than him, because he knows the insecurities I've always faced when it came to this.
I'm not going to contradict anything, but I know how much Papa loves Ranveer as well. He treats him like the son he's never had. Papa always says that no two people can ever love the same - love differs from person to person. I cannot compare the way Papa loves me to the way Papa loves Ranveer, but the two of them share a bond that nobody can understand, even Baa.
It's... different.
They have their own code, their own way of communicating and their own unique relationship that no one can beat or combat. And try as anybody *coughs* Baa *coughs* might, they can never succeed in creating a rift between the two of them, no matter what. If it's even possible, their bond keeps growing stronger with every passing day.
Oh God, I've got to stop ranting! Coming back to my point, just like how Papa and Ranveer understand each other without even saying a word, Ranveer understands me the same way. He doesn't need me to say anything... he'll just understand. He knew that I'd be so happy to win the bet with him that I'll bid my common sense ta-ta-bye-bye and give him the best piano class that he'd require, because he's currently busy working on another thesis paper, something he hopes that could get him a scholarship in the future, and since I haven't been out anywhere in this whole month, even he's restricted himself at home during the times when he's not with Papa at the stock exchange.
These days, Papa's been training him not just about the stock markets, but about the diamond markets as well. Since Papa also runs Mumbai's most esteemed diamond trading company, he's been giving Ranveer first-hand knowledge about that whole section of business as well. Since diamonds are something that's got excellent scope for the future in terms of a stable business and its growing demand, he's been training Ranveer for the same. And because Ranveer just loves to learn and learn as much as he can, he's loving the new experience.
Er, where was I again? Oh yes, him getting the best piano lesson. He knew that had he normally asked me to teach him, I wouldn't have given it my 100% because... well, I suck as a teacher, really. I have confidence issues and I tend to get muddled up into my own thoughts since I always have a different way of keeping a theory in mind that 99% fails for other people. But with my confidence given such a boost, he knew that I'd put on my best show, flouting every now and then that I'd won - that Papa loved me more, and that I was being noble by teaching him a new musical instrument as well.
It was a win-win situation for him.
He really knew me too well for his own good at times. It's not like I don't know him... I know him way, way better than anybody ever does. Perhaps only Papa is at par with me, but again in different ways. In the ways I know him, there's no competition. Even Kaka doesn't know him the way I do. But he still knows me much better than I know him. I can predict what he'd do whenever he is in any mood and what he must be feeling or going through too, but he is more... precise.
Exact. Spot on. Perfect. Unerring.
Sigh, I've never going to figure out how he does it. Many a times, I wonder how is it that he's got the brains of twenty-one people stuffed into one person where he knows so much and he does so much. But as days pass by, I realize that this is far less got to do with his brain and is more got to do with his heart. When it comes to the people he loves and cares about, he thinks from his heart. That's why he's so perfect and passionate when he sets his mind upon doing something. And when it comes to the professional front, his heart takes a back seat. He knows how to make the two parts of him into parallel lines, each only strengthening the other, never weakening.
Wow... even talking about him these days is like spiritual meditation. Eh, I better not get flowed away into discussions about him or how he's managed to hook himself into my brain. I think I should get an MRI done - he might have bugged it. From the way he knows me, I wouldn't be surprised if he even ends up writing a whole book upon me - Ishaani Parekh: The Enigma Unveiled. Okay, now I'm just talking stupid. But wait... maybe I should try Occlumency with him! The concept may be fantasy-based, but hey, Rowling knows what she's talking about. Yeah, I better not let him fiddle with my brains too much.
I might just be his ideal experiment for this whole art of manipulation theory.
Constructive criticism will be more than welcome and sorry for any typos. :D :D
Next chapter:
Epistle 58
Edited by LadyMeringue - 8 years ago
Geet - Hui Sabse Parayee
Bade Achche Lagte Hain Naya Season
