Ranveer had hoped that a last minute emergency phone call from the Branch would force him to go out. Unfortunately, when Lady Luck is against us, all our wishes come to nothing. So it was just as he came down after freshening up that the doorbell rang. Standing before the watchful eyes of Ratankaka he could do little but turn around and get the door.
Outside on the portico stood a man whose body language and stance clearly announced him to be a security personnel. In his hands was a basket filled with what looked like fruits. Behind him there was another such man with another such basket and behind him, another. Ranveer's eyes narrowed. There stood a line of bodyguards carrying what looked suspiciously like bribes before his house.
He would have closed the door on the face of this invasion but Ratankaka was beside him and the man moved his head in a robot-like manner and asked where they could bring the gifts to. Before Ranveer could say anything, he found himself being pulled aside by Ratankaka and then the train of bounty laden Oberoi minions marched into the house and stood against the wall in a futile attempt to look like part of the decor.
Once the cloud of bodyguards had settled, Ranveer found himself facing Kalyani Oberoi. She smiled at him.
"Ranveer beta, how are you?" she asked, her words carrying a note of such informal warmth and affection, that for a moment, Ranveer felt hard pressed to connect her to the picture of the manipulative old crone he had in his mind. However, immediately the memory of how this lady had used the Commissioner to force him into a corner returned to him and Ranveer was not quite able to bring himself to smile. So he nodded.
The lady then turned around and ushered in the rest who had till then chosen to remain outside. First to enter was Jahnvi Singh Oberoi. Thanks to working on the Gayatri Tambe murder case, if nothing else, Ranveer had managed to get himself familiarised with the entire Oberoi clan. However, Kalyani Oberoi still thought it fit to make introductions as if those previous encounters when he had brought the police to the Mansion had not happened.
"Ranveer beta, this is my eldest bahu, Jahnvi. She is your to-be-saas." Saying this, Kalyani Oberoi laughed, as if she had cracked a joke. Jahnvi smiled on hearing this, even though, Ranveer was pleased to note, the smile wavered a bit as her eyes momentarily met his.
Next came in Rudra Singh Oberoi and Pinky Singh Oberoi. Kalyani made the introductions once more. Pinky was all smiles. And then no one else came in. Ranveer had his eyes on the doorway, expecting someone else to step in but no one did.
"Oh, Mummyji, see how damaadji waits for our Prinku!" Pinky said, between giggles.
Ranveer scowled. Kalyani glanced at Pinky for a fraction of a second. What passed between the two ladies, Ranveer could not see, but he noticed Pinky's face turn crimson and she quickly looked down.
"Ranveer beta, since you do not have any elders in your family, we thought we would--" Kalyaniji began, turning to look at him once again.
"Why would you think that?" Ranveer stopped her before she could go on. Kalyani looked confused for a moment.
Ranveer smiled now.
"This is Ratankaka. He has been a father, mother, all rolled into one for us. There is nothing that happens in the house without his permission," he said, enjoying the myriad emotions that played across the lady's face as he spoke. Beside him, Ratankaka gave a visible start when he talked of his permission. It was common knowledge in the Randhawa circle that Ranveer was as bull-headed as they came, and making him listen to anyone had always been an uphill task.
At first, Kalyani looked like she would be angry but then she smiled and beamed at Ratankaka with such effortless grace, that Ranveer could not help but marvel.
"Namaste. I can imagine how difficult it must have been to single-handedly hold this family together," said Kalyani to Ratankaka.
Ranveer turned now and saw Ratankaka standing there,his face bent, trying in vain to wipe away the tears.
"Ratankaka-" he began but Kalyaniji broke in before he could continue.
"Hopefully our daughter will help to ease your burden."
Ratankaka looked up, his face an odd mixture of happiness and sorrow. Ranveer reached out and laid his hand across the man's shoulder. He wished the entire Oberoi clan to the bottom of the ocean! What right did they have coming into his life like this and upsetting everything and everyone!
Smiling through his tears, Ratankaka now busied himself in making the guests comfortable. Leaving Ranveer no choice, the whole party was shepherded into the drawing room.
"Priyanka could not come but Tej will be joining us soon," Jahnvi said, in an effort to break the awkward silence that had descended once Ratankaka left the room.
"And Shaktiji had to go out of town this morning only," added Pinky.
This time Ranveer spoke. "He seems to be away a lot. When I tried to get an interview with him while I was on the Gayatri Tambe case, his secretary kept putting me off saying that he was out of town."
Pinky glanced around nervously at this and smiled as Kalyani said, "Yes, he has been busy with some meetings."
Ranveer, like a dog with a bone, pushed on relentlessly, "Well, he and indeed, all the Oberois, had been instructed by the Crime Branch to not leave town while investigation was on."
All complacent smiles disappeared and Ranveer saw with pleasure, that all the Oberois looked a trifle abashed. Pinky tried to say something but not much could be heard other than 'special permission'.
But before he could say anything else, the doorbell rang. Ranveer saw Ratankaka hurry to the door and there was a sound of someone coming in. Ranveer could hardly believe his ears as he heard the muffled voice addressing Ratankaka. The voice increased in agitation at whatever Ratanakaka said and Ranveer felt ready to collapse.
He heard Rudra in a low voice,saying to Jahnvi, "Papa must have come."
But the curtain was shoved aside to reveal not Tej Singh Oberoi but Prem Manohar Devamani.
His booming voice rang out through the room and everyone looked around at this tall imposing white-haired gentleman who stood at the doorway, looking half excited, half-angry.
"Ranveer!" he called out.
"Prem Uncle, I--," Ranveer tried to speak, words failing him. This was worse than a nightmare. Prem Uncle here?! So soon!
"Ratan called me and told me of your marriage and so naturally I rushed down! What is this?!" Prem Uncle boomed out, his eyes turning in fierce scrutiny to the Oberois in the room.
Ranveer tried to move towards the man, explain to him the awkwardness of the whole situation, apologise for not telling him about the whole fiasco, but no words came out. He opened his mouth, didn't know where to begin and closed it again.
Ratankaka turned to Kalyani identifying her as the senior most member of the group and moved forward till he stood towering above her.
"Namaste jee! This idiot of mine has failed to tell me that he has decided to get married! I am sorry for not meeting you earlier. Let me introduce myself!"
Here he folded his hands and after directing a scowl in Ranveer's direction, said, "I am Prem Devamani. Ranveer's father was my childhood friend. Ranvi is like a son to me."
Not for nothing had Kalyani Singh Oberoi managed to keep her dysfunctional family together all these years. A calm head and presence of mind were her particular traits. Unfazed before this 6 ft something man booming down at her, she returned a smile at his speech and stood up. Doing namaste, she introduced herself and then those family members who had come with her.
Once they were done with introductions and had moved onto talking about more general things like the fact that Ranveer did not want the gifts and that the Oberois absolutely refused to take back their first gift to their damaad, Pinky excitedly asked Prem Uncle, "I buy my diamonds from Devamani jewellers. Are you any relation of the--"
Jahnvi had reached out a hand to stop Pinky, but Prem laughed jovially and said, "Oh madam! Then I now have the pleasure of meeting one of my clients. I am the owner of Devamani Jewellers. How do you like our products?"
Pinky made a sound that sounded far too much like a squeal while Jahnvi looked at Prem and then at Ranveer in some shock.
None of this was missed by Ranveer. Of course, he thought, they would be shocked at the idea that a middle class guy might have a diamond merchant for a relative.
****************
Ranveer walked out of the room unnoticed by everyone and stood on the balcony. Out here as the cool evening calmed him, he tried to take stock of what was happening. He had been holding hopes that somehow the Oberois would not push him into this marriage and over time they would break off the engagement when they saw that he was not to be put on a leash by them. He had not taken into account the desperation his own loved ones felt to see him 'settled'.
Prem Uncle had rushed down simply because Ratankaka had called and informed him of the phone call from the Oberois. Ranveer had hoped that by the time the man came down to be beside Rajju, the whole trouble about the possible marriage would have blown over. But now, the way Prem Uncle and Tej Singh Oberoi were cracking jokes about their alma mater, St. Xavier's College, it seemed impossible to be his usual self around the Oberois. Oh of course! Fate was having its cruel laugh at Ranveer's expense! Tej Singh Oberoi had indeed joined them and had turned out to have been a junior in the same college when Prem Uncle had graduated.
Standing out here, he could hear the bursts of laughter from within. He ran his hands through his hair in frustration. Prem Uncle had never been told the secret about Rajju's accident that Sanjay had shared with Ranveer. The time had never been right, and furthermore, Ranveer had little proof other than Sanjay's statement which in anyway, Sanjay could not back up, owing to the nursing home's policies. But could he now tell Prem Uncle? What proof did he have? The fact that Priyanka was suffering from trauma-related anxiety and depression? The fact that Omkara had a history of drug abuse? There was no proof! Did they hit Rajju on the head and then hit her with the car to make it out to be an accident? Were they somehow working for the company that had engineered Amal jeeju's death? Did Amal jeeju actually kill himself or was it a suicide? And even if jeeju's death wasn't a suicide, why would they try to kill Rajju? There were far more questions than answers. Ranveer had started out on a path that he had hoped would force the Oberois to confess their crimes, but faced with such tenuous reasoning, would Prem Uncle support him?
There was a sound as someone came out on the balcony. Ranveer turned around to see Rudra Singh Oberoi standing behind him. Grimacing, Ranveer leaned against a pillar and watched the young man as he came and stood before him. Rudra Singh Oberoi was everything that Ranveer detested about this family. He exuded wealth and irresponsible carelessness with his every word and gesture. This was a man who had never been sad in his entire life. One who had never had to worry about anything. Whose every need was taken care of even before he could realise that he needed something. During the investigations, Ranveer had dismissed even the thought of interrogating Rudra because he had known that it would be useless.
Unknown to him, a scowl descended on Ranveer's brow. He stood there drowned in his own disgust for the Oberois, at that moment, as embodied in Rudra Singh Oberoi.
Rudra studied the man. Randhawa was obviously a grumpy bas***d. Not a single time over the several encounters they had, had the ACP smiled. Oh, he was smirking alright as he delivered judgements, albeit incorrect ones, on all and sundry, but never had he smiled. Was Prinku to be saddled with this loser? Would he perpetually spend the rest of his days alternately scowling and smirking at her? He hoped Daadi knew what she was doing! Prinku needed someone to take care of her. Someone who would protect her and make her believe in herself. Someone who would make her smile. Lord knows, she needed some laughter in her life after the hell hole that the Oberoi mansions had been throughout their childhood and adolescence. No wonder Prinku was forever taking a hundred different pills! O wasn't talking to the rest of the family thanks to Daadi's decision on Prinku's engagement to the ACP. Shivay Bhaiya had also tried to reason with Daadi but no one was listening to the Great Wall of Shivay Singh Oberoi at present. Daadi had forced Anika Bhabi to stay in the mansion at the same time as Bhaiya had decided to push her out of his life. Really, Bhaiya must have lost some of his brain cells. He had a fine way of pushing someone out of his life! Who would marry the person they claimed to hate and that too forcefully!
Then Saumya had moved out of the house after Shivay Bhaiya's marriage and was now living in the girls' hostel. That meant there was no one to unload on and Rudra was tired of it all. He was tired of not being able to help Prinku as she faced a marriage she was not ready for. He was tired of being unable to put a smile on Anika Bhabi's face even after he tried to clown around with her with double the energy than usual. He was tired of trying to get Om to stop sulking and instead help him in trying to make sense of what was happening. And most importantly, he was tired of being unable to help Shivay Bhaiya as he tried to hide his heartbreak. Because try as he might, Bhaiya could not hide the disappointment on his face as Anika Bhabi refused to reply to his barbs, as she treated his every word with an indifference that was as stark as her carefree attitude towards him in the past. Rudra would have liked to sit Bhaiya down and explain it all to him but he knew that Bhaiya would firstly, not listen to him and secondly, wouldn't understand even if he did. Saumya would have known how to fix it but for some strange reason she was avoiding him.
Only this morning, Rudra had spent two solid hours at the punching bag, trying to work off some of this frustration. But it had not helped. Rudra had tried to get his two brothers to accompany them on this visit to the ACP's house. O had stormed out, got in his car, slammed the door loud enough to be heard from Rudra's room and not returned. Shivay Bhaiya had left for work sometime in the morning and that was the last that was seen of him. So it was up to Rudra to try and be there for Prinku. And here he was, however helpless he might be feeling thanks to the absence of his two guardian angels on either side of him. He glared at the ACP. He needed to show the man that the Oberois were not likely to be an easy prey.
"Hey," he said.
The ACP's eyes narrowed and his face looked even more carved of stone than usual. But he replied.
"Hello," Rudra heard him say.
"So you know our Prinku--" Rudra began and at once fumbled.
The ACP said he did.
"I mean, you better watch out!" Rudra said in a rush.
ACP raised his eye brows questioningly.
Rudra forged on desperately, "Remember Prinku's not alone!"
ACP mumbled and Rudra thought he heard the man say something like 'how could I forget'.
He ignored this and continued, "Well, she has her brothers with her so you be careful."
Rudra was beginning to tire of the ACP's blank face.
"So there!" he added with emphasis and then turning around, walked back into the room with his head held high.
And thus, he missed seeing the expressionless face of the ACP break into a grimace as he gestured to the heavens as if trying to strangle it.
All things Korean
Ganesh Kartikeya
Anupamaa
