Hola my dearies, I come with one short, pathetic excuse of an update. But I guess and hope you understand the predicament I am in. Syllabus is always too long and time always too short and only this time, I have genuinely screwed up things, lot's and lot's of things remain to be learned, revised and seen for the first time.
If you guys pray, pray a little for your's truly too. 😊
Chapter 36: A Proposal
The assault of unwelcome light over her tight shut sleepy eyes made Payal groan loudly, when the said assault continued along with additives of thuds and plops she finally forced her eyes open to meet a harried form of a sister ready to upturn their termite infested teak bed.
"What is it now?" her sleepy throat rasped.
She gave her sister a minute long respite, coming over to her side, she placed her foot on the bed, "My anklet's missing." She whispered gloomily. "See. The other is in my left leg. I am afraid, I could have dropped it somewhere at the Bhoot Bangala."
"Bhoot Bangala?"
"RM where else?" she huffed resuming the tossing and turning. Payal yawned and grumbled, but finally came down checking time in the small table clock. 3:27 a.m. Together they searched for the trinket starting from their room to the dining space and even the verandah.
"Oh hell, Amma would be so upset with me in heaven. When my time comes, I am sure to receive a spank from her." Khushi whined.
****
When the world around stopped spinning, she realized the expected advent of painful throbbing in her head from the hangover. Add to that, her boyfriend was at one of his sullen bests, she couldn't blame him. Lavanya felt genuinely embarrassed and apologetic. He handed her a glass of lime juice and a hangover tablet without sparing her as much a glance, let alone words. This only worsened the throbbing in her head.
"I am really sorry ASR, I just lost it. I did not realize when I got drunk..." her voice cracked as she tried to explain.
He got up from the bed, out rightly ignoring her plea. "ASR please, I know you are mad at me, but please can't you give me a chance? I sincerely want to make up for this fiasco. I really do." She entreated, "Please say something. Don't ignore me like that."
He folded his hands in front of his chest, a frown marring his face, "You really want to hear me out? Let me tell then, you ruined the entire party. And that surprise of yours... what were you thinking? Or maybe you weren't at all."
"I am sorry. Nani must be ..."
"Apologize to her." He stated sternly.
"I will. Absolutely."
For once Devyani wouldn't even look at her, but upon Anjali's insistence and watching the young woman's genuine effort to be forgiven, she relented. The Kashyap with a sh' taunt seemed to have worked, for Devyani for the first time addressed her with her first name.
"It's okay Lavanya, you really can't do much about it. I don't blame you, I know your parents never had enough time to look after you." The acerbity of the remark wasn't lost on Lavanya's ears. Once again, the older woman managed to hit at her sensitive point. She simply swallowed the urge to cry. She wished her good night and left.
Devyani sighed. She felt mortified yet again, she had seen the girl's hurt. She hadn't wanted to, but whenever she saw Lavanya all she could see was her grandson's impertinent defiance, and she couldn't help saying something sour.
"She isn't too bad herself. But she just can't be the kind of girl I wanted for Arnav. She can never be that, someone who could knock some sense into him, and not someone who herself requires sensibility be knocked into her." She told Anjali.
****
Emotions went amok for the lawyer, the sight of his best friend fighting for life broke him at some point. He had not known the accident was this bad, until he had reached the hospital. He felt helpless for one moment and rage engulf him the next. Vikram had been coming out of a gift shop after buying a rose bouquet for him and Anjali on the occasion of their anniversary. As the policeman described, he was crossing the road to reach his Maruti 800 when a drunk sixteen year old driving a BMW at 110 kmph hit him. Within half an hour, the teenager's parents had arranged for his bail and saved him from detention. The incident once again triggered bitter memories of past to rise with bile in Shyam's throat. He just wanted to throttle the kid who had been driving drunk without a driving license, whose father had enough money to afford his young son that beast of a car and even buy law and order for him when need arose.
The incessant buzz of his mobile phone distracted his anger a bit and he finally retrieved it from his pocket when it rang the fourth time. It was his only wife asking about the safety of his only friend.
"Jijaji" said Akash, "the doc said that he has gained conscious, fortunately there was no skull injury, just broken limbs."
Just broken limbs.
Shyam couldn't help but let out a mirthless chuckle at that.
****
"What's this place Anjali, why are we here?" Manorma Raizada squeaked in disapproval. She squealed when their car was brought to an abrupt halt when a flock of goats crossed the narrow street. "Hello Hi Bye Bye, was one Laxmi not enough, that you have the entire clan strolling around?"
After the bumpy ride of ten minutes over unintended speed bumpers, a road covered with pot holes and hawkers and cattle appearing out of nowhere in front of their sparkling white Porsche the driver stopped the car in front of a crumbling house with chipping pink distemper at the outside. "Are we there already Mohan?" Anjali asked the driver while checking the address she had gotten from AR's reception earlier that morning.
"Yes Madamji, I have been here before. Sir did send me once." Replied Mohan remembering delivering the heavy briefcase and two folders to a Ms. Gupta, who had in turn treated him with chocolate cake at mid night. Both his employer's party and this Gupta party were bizarre species, Mohan had concluded.
"Hello hi bye bye, are we supposed to get down in this filth Anjali. Why oh why, are you doing this to me?"
"Wait Mami, I told you we have come here to meet someone." She said as Mohan opened her side of the door. Manorma covered her nose once they were down and greeted with the distinct smell of fresh cow dung.
"Shoo shoo" she waved her hand at a street dog whose black patchy skin was sticking to its bones. Anjali checked the house number from the slip in her hands, "Come this way Mami."
Two rotund swollen eyes, tensed and sleep deprived stared at the uninvited guests. The first thing that struck her was in case the two had come for some purpose other than asking for directions to some other house, she would have to offer them tea. If they did not decline she'll silently tell Payal to use milk and sugar discreetly (read scantily). In case they asked for water twice, she might have to tell them flatly that they don't have much. Next her gaze shifted lower and studied their opulent clothing and matching jewelry. The older of the two women wearing goggles with a loud pink tinge looked as if she had wrapped around her the neighborhood goldsmith's entire shop.
"Who are you Nand kissore?" she inquired in a gruff voice.
The woman with pink goggles took them off, and narrowing her eyes at Madhumati announced in a piercing high pitched tone. "No no, not Nand kissore, Raizada. The Raizadas. The one and only Raiza..."
"Oh Nandkissore who else would be crazy enough to come out of their house looking like a walking talking PC jeweler advertisement." Madhumati said and chortled at her own joke.
Manorma scowled. Hard. "I see so you are Khusee's mummy." She snorted.
"Ayeee I am no Ummy Tummy Mummy." Madhumati roared glaring at the relatively thin plump woman, and taking a step out, flinging her braid to the other side in trademark Madhumati style said "I am Bua. The Bua. The one and only..."
Manorma clenched her fists, gritted her teeth and taking a step inside roared back though again high pitched, "If you are the Bua then I am The Mami. The one and only Mami, hello hi bye bye."
Anjali stared at the two dumbfounded. From inside the house Khushi yelled, "Who is there Buaji?" The sound of her slippers dragging on the floor could be heard till the entrance door. She finally appeared and looked at Anjali, pleasantly surprised, "Didi?" and then her eyes fell on Manorma and the surprise this time wasn't anything close to pleasant, "Mamiji?"
"Hello hi bye bye, do you always make your guests hang on the door? Do I look like some salesgirl selling Chamko detergent, whom you wave off?" She was a peeved siren.
"Oh sorry, please come in."
Madhumati grumbled under her breath.
"Anyways, it is already such a tiny house, that it doesn't matter in or out." Manorma snorted and grinned at her own joke.
Madhumati grumbled audibly this time.
Manorma twitched her lips in derision.
Payal offered the two water, Anjali took it gratefully while Manorma, well, well, Manorma said this. "No. No. I know it won't be mineral water anyway. It must be bacteria infested. Hello hi bye bye, it could cause me cholera, if not then gastroenteritis toh surely."
"Ayee, Nandkissore, stop tearing at my ears with your petty complaints, if my house is so bad, you are welcome to take your disgusting self away from here." Madhumati growled.
"Hello hi bye bye, what a serpentine tongue Buaji." She squealed.
"Haye re Nandkissore, what a crooked tongue Mamiji." The other growled.
Anjali, Payal and Khushi facepalmed in unison. In order to distract the two warring parties, Payal intervened, "Will you have some tea?" she asked meekly.
"Ayee, leave it Payaliya." Madhumati grumbled grabbing her head in both her palms, "No need to ask, Maharani has already sucked enough of my blood."
"Thank you, but hello, my taste is much better. If I became one of the Vampires, I'd rather have a classy taste. And then they would have roped me in the Twilight series..." Manorma gazed at her hands dreamy eyed, and clasped her palms together, "I would get to meet Eddy Cullen." She sighed wistfully.
Her reverie was broken by Madhumati who didn't understand the superfluous ires' after Vamp'. Vamp she understood perfectly. "Haye re Nandkissore, Vamp toh you are. You Ramola Sikand of Kahin Kissi Roz!! You Komolika of Kasauti zindagi ki. You Mami of Iss Pyaar Ko Kya Naam Doon?"
Manorma's eyes got wild. Her heavy kohl got smudged at the corners as tears of anger came, "And you Meena of Diya aur baati hum, You Payal of Kyunki Saas bhi Kabhi Bahu thi, You Shagun of Ye Hain Mohobattein..."
By now, Anjali's, Khushi's and Payal's respective foreheads were red by incessant slapping.
"You Duryodhan."
"You Shakuni."
"Hello Hi Bye bye."
"Haye Re Nandkissore."
"Hummm."
"Grrr"
"Enough both of you." Anjali screamed, finally losing it. She dragged away Manorma while Khushi and Payal both pulled Madhumati away, as the two warring parties charged at each other's throats.
Both the women huffed but finally settled, turning their faces perpetually away from each other. Anjali got her chance to begin.
"I had a proposal for you Khushi." She said softly. All the other heads stared at Anjali in shock and surprise, which emotion belonged to whom is for the reader to ponder.
"I had a job proposal for you."
"What?"
"Anjali, what are you..." Manorma interjected.
Anjali lifted her hand silencing her Aunt, "Let me finish. Khushi is just the perfect person for the job I have in mind."
"What sort of job would it be?" Khushi asked apprehensively.
Anjali took a deep breath before she began, the idea of course she knew sounded ridiculous to her own ears, but given the predicament her family was currently in, it seemed as a plausible course of action. The night before when her Grandmother had once again listed the reasons of not liking Lavanya, she had inadvertently added her reasons for liking Khushi. Anjali recalled the various instances where she had herself found the young woman admirable.
"You'll have to train Lavanya, in three months you'll have to make her like yourself. And don't worry you'll be amply paid for the job." She ended with a smile.
Khushi stared on wordlessly.
Madhumati jumped from the crumbling sofa chair, sending the miserable chair tumbling back. "Tee-rain??" she cried incredulously, "Is your Raizada house some circus where animals are to be trained Nandkissore?"
For the first time Manorma looked at Madhumati with a degree of reverence, "Bang on Buaji, a stellar observation, Circus it is." Madhumati lifted her non-existent collars with pride. "And you know who is Babber Sher and the Ring master? My dearest nephew and my mother in laa(law)" Manorma too rejoiced in drawing out the successful parallels.
Madhumati went a step ahead, "And who is the Circus ka Joker Mamiji. You?" She guffawed.
Manorma's scowl would have burned any lesser human, but then it was none other than Madhumati at the receiving end. She ground her teeth, clenched her fists tighter and launched herself at the older and fatter woman.
"Ee-re you repeat telecast of the worn out record of bhule-bisare geet on Vividh Bharati, hello hi bye, I told you na, I am no Joker, I am Mami. The Mami, the one and only..."
Once again the three younger women struggled to free the warring parties from each other's clutches.
When all were settled, Anjali resumed, "Look Khushi I know it sounds ludicrous, native disposition of a person cannot be altered, but the thing with Lavanya is that she isn't that bad. I only want Nani to see that. Nani has warned the rest of us, if anyone tries to help Lavanya he/she would end up messing with Nani. But she hasn't denied from using hired help. All you have to do is to help Lavanya out with whatever Nani asks of her. It could be something as simple as, teaching her to cook."
Khushi stared at her feet.
"And as I may add, I know your family is facing a financial crisis, and you don't even have a job now."
Khushi still did not reply.
"You know Khushi, opportunity knocks thy door once. Don't let it slip." She urged.
Khushi shook her head, "I am sorry Didi, but I cannot take this job."
Anjali's face fell in disappointment.
"Thirty Thousand per month." She said.
Khushi's eyes widened a little. "It's not that Didi, the issues between Arnav Singh Raizada and me, simply overrule every other aspect..."
"Forty Thousand?"
"Didi, please don't pressurize me."
"Forty Five Thousand. Just think dear." Anjali was relentless. Her lawyer husband had been right in his observation, he had once told her that how beneath a calm and soft exterior Anjali was every bit her brother when it came to the things she wanted to have.
Khushi's jaw slackened. For a moment the chiding voice of Manorma and Madhumati's defense did not register in her mind. She also remembered vowing to never show her face to ASR, the night before. She finally made up her mind. "Look Anjaliji," she deliberately dropped Didi', Anjali's shoulders slumped at this sudden distancing. She felt like her own sister was cross with her. "I know we are in desperate need of money, but my need is not above my self respect. My experience with your brother has been mortifying, I cannot bear to stand that anymore. I have made my decision. I cannot take this job, but I am sure you'll find more capable candidates with this offer." She said with a finality.
"And this is your final decision?"
"I am sorry, but it is."
Anjali sighed, this was not what she had come for, she had half expected Khushi to jump at the proposal. And however she hated to admit, she did not like no for an answer. She turned to leave.
Khushi felt bad for her, she felt miserable for having so rudely rejected her earnest request. Little did she know that Anjali had inherited as much Mallik-Raizada genes as her brother. When she turned to face Khushi again standing at the threshold of the exit, Khushi almost let out a gasp, the look in Anjali's eyes was every bit the one she recognized in Arnav's.
"It's your call Khushi, but do you remember this?" she said tightly fetching out a document from her handbag. Khushi recognized it in an instant, it was the contract she had signed with ASR earlier this month. "Well, my brother seems to have forgotten about it, but you still owe AR a compensation amount of Rs One Lac. If you refuse, it'll be considered as breach of contract. But you have an easier way out, if you agree to my offer, I'll make sure you are exempted along with earning a monthly income of forty five thousand." Anjali's voice did not betray the guilt she felt upon black mailing the poor girl like that.
*****
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