Author's Note:Hello, guys! Here's another chapter..quite something that might everyone would like to see and something which has kept me nervous too for the obvious reasons.
Chapter 31
Ishani glanced at Puneet from the window of her cabin who seemed to have had turned into something else since she last talked to him. It had been 3 days since the Valentine's Day but she had not been to the office of Ranveer ever since. Few duties had come in between making her pause many of her works and focus on the things started at that moment. Everything went quite well with all that which left her content.
Yet she could not keep a feeling of uneasiness away from herself which occurred in a while and left her with an unsaid fear. She came to know of Mr. Zaveri's loss and was saddened greatly. "He is such a good man," she said to herself after Ranveer had narrated the entire incident to her. Ranveer had not said anything which could suggest her what were the things he was going to help him and when Ishani offered her own help he denied her saying he would look after the matter himself and she should not worry too much. She trusted him. She knew he would definitely find a way out and help Mr. Zaveri.
Meanwhile she sat in her thoughts, Puneet knocked the door of her cabin bringing Ishani out to the present moment. She beamed at Puneet with a bright smile as he came in.
"Hello, Ms. Parekh," he said.
"Hello!" Ishani returned with her usual mischievous glint in her eyes.
"Well, you know, I have been asked to give few documents to you and you are to finish them by this evening. RV sir said they're urgent and would require extra attention."
"Sure. I will do them soon," Ishani said.
"And there's something else I have to tell you," Puneet said.
"And what is that?" Ishani said, and repeated when Puneet did not say anything for a while.
"Sally and I have fixed a date for our marriage," he said at last. "It's 2nd April."
"That's great," Ishani exclaimed. "Where is she, by the way? I should like to congratulate to her too."
"Sally has been to her parents in Florida. She left in the morning, today," Puneet said happily.
"Congrats!" was all that left her lips in that moment. "Does Ranveer know this?"
"Not yet. Though RV sir and I have had a relationship more than just the professional one"as I have idealize him"it's hard to tell him of the things that make him feel uncomfortable."
Ishani felt she had nothing to say and smiled.
"But, wait! Where is he now? I think he has not yet come?" Ishani said afterwards.
"No, he hasn't," Puneet answered. "Though he should be here by now."
*
The morning for Ranveer was not unusual, for it began with his mother as usual waking him up, telling him how late he was already and he had to go to his office early. Ranveer had not realized he had slept 1 hour late than his normal hours in the morning, and until he got up he could hear his mother's voice returning to him asking him to leave the bed as soon as possible.
After waking up he saw his mother at the entrance of his room with a cup of coffee, smiling at him. He hated tea and his mother made sure he had his first coffee right after he woke up. Ranveer smiled looking at his mother while she came in.
"Good morning, Maa," he said, yawning.
"You spend too much time in sleeping, Ranveer. Don't you remember you had told me you had something important to do with Mr. Zaveri? You should have left early when things were that important," Amba said, as she gave him his coffee.
"I will leave now, Maa," Ranveer said, taking the hot cup in his hands. "It's important but nothing to worry about."
"You cool tamper is scary sometimes," Amba said.
"I feel proud on this," Ranveer returned.
"Ranveer, would you do something I ask you to?" Amba said, as she saw him descending from the bed.
"Of course! Anything for you." Ranveer smiled.
"I have," Amba began hesitantly; "but first promise me you'd do what I have asked you to."
"I promise," Ranveer said. "Now?"
"Ranveer, your father's friend wants you to see his daughter for marriage. Now don't say no. You promised!" Amba said hastily.
"Maa! You know..."
"I know! But I can't see you like this anymore. Whether you want to marry her or not is another thing, atleast go and meet her. Maybe you would like her. She's a nice girl," Amba said.
"Okay," Ranveer said, knowing arguing with his mother would not do any good. "I'll see her. But, Maa, what you did was cheating. Where do I have to go?"
"That I will tell you in the evening. And do try talking to her genuine things instead of your business stuff, alright?"
"Alright," Ranveer sighed.
"What has Maa done now!" Ranveer said as he saw his mother leave his room with a huge smile on her face.
*
His mother's promise kept Ranveer troubled whole day as focusing on the work became slightly harder. He did not want to marry and his mother had to know this. But he could not hurt her sentiments and nor the girl who had agreed to see him. He wondered if she really wanted to see him or only meet him because her parents had insisted her to. He had been so disturbed at this thought that he had not even asked his mother the name of the girl or any other detail that might help him identify her. She had said she would present him with all the details but he had shown no curiosity or enthusiasm over the subject; and on the breakfast there had been no discussion from his own side.
His mother understood this. She knew what he thought and perhaps that was why she herself had left it all upon him to decide what he wanted and wished; and what his final decision would be. However, he wished things could go better and he could make the girl understand the things without hurting her feelings.
Ranveer wondered where Ishani was, and if she finds out what his mother was planning for him what would be her reaction. Would she feel the same he had felt when Mota Babuji had talked about her marriage with Chirag, or she would be as enthusiastic as the time before she had assumed someone else to be his love interest as when once manipulated by Chirag? He could not see that radiant smile of hers in that state. He had hated it last time and still that thought killed a part of his. Why could she not feel the same way he did for her?
Ranveer knew Ishani was worried about Mr. Zaveri. His continuous efforts to make her understand that everything would be fine had failed as she had panicked many a times after he told incidents. She had not been seen since this morning, and a weird eagerness to see her kept stirring in his heart again and again.
Time passed ultimately and the evening sun glided behind the trees. His mother's message came with a letter with details of his bride' while he read the letter uneasily.
"Name: Shreya Mehta.
Galvin La Chapelle, 35 Spital Square, London E1 6DY.
Table No. 10.
Time: 8 O' Clock."
Ranveer kept the piece of paper aside and sank back to his chair. A decision had to be made and without hurting anybody, he thought. There still was time and he wished to see Ishani first but when asked about her he found out she had left early in the noon itself.
At 7 Ranveer came out of his cabin to leave for the meeting, feeling as miserable as ever, but to his surprise saw Ishani walking towards him, or rather towards the way that led to her cabin which emerged from the lane near Ranveer's cabin.
"You're leaving early?" Ishani asked as she stood by Ranveer's side, while he smiled nervously.
"Not leaving, Ishani. There is an urgent meeting today," Ranveer answered.
"Why do you look so nervous, then? Are you alright?" Ishani said, while Ranveer wondered if she had guessed his reason to leave early for there was a different change in her tone of the last question.
"Actually, Maa has planned a meeting with someone she thinks is good for me...to marry," Ranveer said, awkwardly; "and that's where I have to go."
Ishani looked surprised at Ranveer at the mention of the event and smiled quite casually.
"Oh, that's good," she said.
"Don't you have anything else to say?" Ranveer asked Ishani who refused to meet her eyes with his, and looked sideways.
"I...I am happy for you," she said, still looking away from him.
"Thank you," Ranveer said; he could not guess what Ishani's behavior meant at the moment. "I should be leaving now. Ishani?"
Ishani looked towards him, her eyes slightly misty. "Yes?"
"Are you alright?"
Ishani nodded. "What did you want to say?"
"You're a girl. How should I talk to her...the girl I'm talking about? You know, I have not been like that...and it's...kind of driving me crazy. So if you could help me?" Ranveer said, still trying to observe her.
"Just smile the way you do...when we are together. And be polite like you always do when we are together," Ishani said, knowing his behavior with her and others was far too different; and slowly walked away. For a moment Ranveer felt he heard her cry, silently, but before he could say anything she was out of his sight.
Ranveer turned back to leave, with a strong desire to walk back to Ishani.
*
Ishani picked up the files from her cabin for which she had returned at this hour to Ranveer's office. She had not expected anything that happened. She did not expect Ranveer going to see someone. It hurt her, unexpectedly and unknowingly. Tears did not leave her eyes ever since she saw Ranveer leave, and her heart grew heavier as she thought what outcome of that meeting might be. She felt like crying, because just like the time two years ago she felt him leave her. Forever. All her nightmares seemed to be coming true. But so did his promises. He had promised he would never leave her, but it did not make any sense why she felt so.
Ishani came out and took the elevator as she did not find it possible to walk on her own at the moment. A painful sting throbbed deep within her heart. She wanted to let him know, but he was not here. Not this time.
The sun had retired into the west and the stars had sprung out, twinkling one by one while the reddish glow of the sun still lingered in the distance sky. The wind felt colder, the evening darker to Ishani. A bit of pain felt greater than it usually was. Ishani took a deep breath as she began to drive her car away from the spot. All the memories of Ranveer taking her to Lechlade, their return and events before that flashed before her eyes as tears trickled down her cheeks swiftly.
"What is this happening to me?" she said to herself, for this new feeling still was a mystery to her. She never felt like this before, and she without any qualm hated it.
The night lights of the town did not lure her anymore, and nor did the things that had made her the happiest the last time. Ishani closed her eyes and then opened them so that her vision did not get blurred but the amount of her tears was too great...just like the crevice that had been formed in her heart tonight.
*
Ranveer entered the lavish gates of Galvin La Chapelle and looked for Shreya, though there were minutes left for exact 8. He made his way towards the intended place and settled himself comfortably. The brown painted walls of the restaurant, shimmering chandelier above, the glittering lights inside the hall gave the place a majestic and peaceful look. The restaurant was as usual occupied by various people and it being evening the crowd was huge. That did not bother him as he chose to wait for his guest patiently. It was half past 8 when he noticed a young woman rushing towards him swiftly, also quite clumsily.
"Hey, sorry!" she said in her hasty voice, as Ranveer stood up to welcome her. She put her handbag on the table and sat back.
"It's alright," Ranveer said.
"I know you hate people being late. My Mom told me this, but I had a class organized at the time I was about to leave," she said.
"It's alright," Ranveer repeated again.
"Ranveer, you know why are meeting here, right?" she asked.
Ranveer nodded.
"Why do you look so disinterested?"
"Am I? I don't know."
"If I were you, I would have asked what class did I have to attend which got me so late. But you just shrugged it off."
"Oh, well. Yes. What class?"
"Now you ask me, let me tell you," she began, "I'm perusing Biotechnology from Oxford and helping my father in his diamond business (that is how we are friends with Zaveri sir and thus know your dad, too) which is just not my thing but have to since my family thinks I have a bright future in family business."
Ranveer nodded again but did not say anything.
"Are you hungry?" Shreya asked. Ranveer shook his head.
"You can order if you want," Ranveer said.
"I'd look like a fool if I do so, so leave it. Let's talk about you," she said, which made Ranveer uncomfortable.
"Me? There is nothing to know about me," Ranveer said.
"Of course it is!" Shreya replied. "You know, before coming to meet you I had rehearsed so many times how would I talk to you and much more; simply because there are so many rumors about you in the market. I was scared to see you. That's why I'd like to know more."
"Do you always talk this much?" Ranveer said. "And don't talk about the rumors, please. Sometimes it seems they know me better than I do myself. And that's weird."
Shreya smiled. "I'm a chatterbox since childhood. My Aunt always said I would do better as a politician. But I'm here with my dad and none of my talking skills are of any use."
"I'm sure they will help you someday," Ranveer said.
"Tell me one thing, RV, why are you like that?"
"Like what?"
"Uh...like disinterested in the people around you unless they are your rivals?"
"Rivals are better," Ranveer answered.
"Friends? Don't you have any?"
"I do," left his lips involuntarily, as Ishani's face flashed in front of his eyes.
"Name?"
"That's not necessary, Miss. It's our first meeting and you have already known more than the people that work with me whole day."
Shreya laughed. "Alright. Never saw someone as chivalrous as you, Mr. RV."
"Thank you," Ranveer said, trying to be rather polite than rough, remembering Ishani's advice.
"Well, not sure you are nervous or like this always, but how do you think we will survive like this after marriage?" Shreya said.
"We'll not get married," Ranveer returned.
"What?"
"Look, Shreya, you are a good girl but we cannot be together," Ranveer answered.
"Do you think I speak too much?"
"It's not that."
"Then what it is?"
Ranveer kept quiet and refused to meet Shreya's eyes.
"Oh, I get it now. You are in love with someone else, are you not?"
The last statement left Ranveer perplexed as he slowly turned his gaze away and did not say anything; rather a painful rush of emotions hit him, harder than ever. For another time someone else was going to witness his feelings before Ishani. He wished the woman before him was Ishani, and not Shreya.
Anupamaa
