APRIL 14, 2021
EPISODE 11
With uncharacteristic aggression, Pallavi stuffed the vendor bills into the folder, threw the folder into the cabinetâand slammed the cabinet door shut.
Krishna was draping a saree on a mannequin. She cast a sidelong glance and asked, âWhy all this hostility towards furniture?â
Pallavi began to deny it, but then sighed, and said, âI wish Raghav Rao had not been there yesterday evening.â
âThat was my fault,â Krishna declared ruefully.
âNo,â Pallavi assured her. âA man has a right to come and go from his house as he pleases.â
Krishna whispered loudly, âIt must have been terrifying.â
âInitially, yes,â Pallavi admitted, âBut once I was confident that he didnât recognize me, I enjoyed his company.â
âReally?â Krishna was astonished.
âHe can be charming when he tries. Andâthough heâs not a nice manâwhich is a shameâheâs nice to look at.â
âAgreed,â Krishna said, abandoning the mannequin and joining Pallavi at the desk.
Pallavi continued, âWhen he thought I was Farhadâs cousin, he was friendly. But when I called him later to tell him where I had left the ring, he was rude. No, more than rudeâhe was crude.â
âWell, he does have a right to be, Didi,â Krishna said. âIn his mind, youâve made a fool of him. Not once but twice. Did you expect him to thank you for returning the ring?â
Pallavi shook her head to indicate that that would be an unreasonable expectation.
What Pallavi was not telling Krishnaâcouldnât tell Krishna!âwas that yesterday while in Raghavâs office, their hands had touched.
Accidentally.
They had been studying the Palace model. He was excited about her suggestion regarding the school. They both reached out to lift the roof on the stable block and their hands met.
Her hand was beneath; his was on top. He didnât remove his hand immediately. It stayed on hers for just a bit longer than was proper.
Andâthough she is as innocent as innocence can be about men and sex and all thatâshe knew in her body that he felt what she felt.
It wasâelectrifying.
There is no other word for it.
In that moment, she had understood what some of the girls at college meant when they spoke about that powerful sensation impossible to resist. Moreoverâin that moment, she also understood what had been missing between her and Mandhar.
Krishna was saying, âMen donât like being bewildered. He must be wondering why you returned the ring. Whether your true identity is the girl at the casino or the girl in the burqa?âOr why disguise was necessary at all?â
Pallavi said, âI wishââ but she broke off her sentence.
âWish what?â
âI wish I had never met him, Krishna.â And for reasons she couldnât understand herself nor explain to Krishna, Pallavi burst into large hot tears.
Krishna tried to comfort her.
But Pallavi wouldnât allow herself to be indulged.
She brushed the tears away quickly and said, âForgive me, Iâm worried about money for Mansiâs wedding.â
It was quite a conversational pivot, but Krishna was ready to help change the topic if that is what Pallavi required.
Moving behind the desk to take over the laptop, Krishna said, âLet me show you something.â In a few moments, she pulled up a website and angling the screen, she said to Pallavi, âWhat do you think?â
Pallavi looked, scrolled, clicked in silence.
Krishna observed her and when Pallavi met her eyes, she asked, âWell?â
âImpressive,â Pallavi responded. Looking back at the screen, she asked, âAre you suggestingâ?â
âPrecisely.â
âWhy donât youââ
ââIâll call her now,â Krishna said.
âWhatâs her name?â
âKirti.â
***
An attractive young woman about twenty years old entered the Jayati Jewellers flagship showroom in Banjara Hills. She was immediately recognized, approached, and escorted to the corporate offices.
I have described her as attractive, Sistersâbut I feel I ought to say that she was not looking her best. There were dark circles under her eyes. Her energy was anxious and angry.
She was shown into Raghavâs officeâbut found Farhad there instead.
Farhad looked up and couldnât contain his surprise, jumping to his feet.
âIs he here?â she asked.
âNo,â Farhad said. âBut I can take you to himââ
âI have no desire to see him. Just give him a message. Tell him that I know about the money. I know he has been paying for everything.â
Farhad attempted to mitigate the matter by saying, âHe was only trying to make your life comfortable, Kirti. He meant no harm.â
The womanâKirtiâgave a humourless laugh: âIsnât that always the case with him, Farhad? He never means harm but he causes it. I donât understand why you stay with him.â
âHeâsââ Farhad tried.
She held up her palm to indicate she would not hear any excuses.
âJust tell himâwe do not need his money. Iâve closed the account. Here are the funds. â She removed a large envelope from her purse and placed it on the desk. Lifting her eyes to meet his, she said, âTell him that if he doesnât leave us alone, weâll leave Hyderabad.
Edited by JalebiJane - 4 years ago