Hey guys,
I felt bored revising the chapters, thought of posting this story.
I was going to write a SS but it turned out too long, nearly 50 pages, so I split it into 4 parts!!!! I had written this, ages ago, just didn't post it!!! Since KS has gone off air so I don't know how much sense it makes to post it!!!! Thank you to all of you wonderful people!!!! This is dedicated to all KSians!!!!!!
ENJOY!!!!
Please do comment!!!
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Silent Whispers? ?
PART 1
Her screams seemed to reverberate through the amorphous membrane of darkness to grate annoyingly upon the nerves of the hard knot of gathered women in white. The woman, however, was being given assistance through the birthing process. After the much needed was done the women in white, stood there to act only as observers of the birth. Grunting and panting violently, she crawled, a hand clutched to her engorged belly, copious tears mingling with the streams of perspiration that streaked her body with vivid color. The pains were close now, almost one on top of the other. Her time had come. A sudden violent contraction caused her eyes to roll back and her throat to convulse and a scream became as guttural as that of a wild animal in its final death throws... she felt he hands being held and her doctor whispering something highly inaudible to her. The women in white watched, stoically immobile and on the surface unmoved by the woman's agony and obvious panic and fear. Only the faint twitching of Kiran dixit's hands and the strong pulse in her neck betrayed her conflicting emotions. There was a hush of silence at the moment of birth. Even the mother in the grip of bearing down had become silent. The 'expected child', looking suspiciously like any other baby, slid from his mother's body in a sluice of blood and water. The doctor lifted the child by its feet while the nurse cut the cord and finally ministered to the exhausted mother? The claustrophobic operation theater which smelled of disinfectant was filled with the cries of the new born girl? ?
*******
She was convinced that her father looked at her; really saw her, only once. After t1hat. She didn't know whether her father saw her mother before or after he stood outside the window of the nursery for his first glimpse of her? she rather thought that it was after?
She was normal?her entire body was normal from toes to shoulders? Twenty-one inches was her length, eight pounds five ounces her weight? A strapping female infant, fair-skinned, though probably still red from her unremarkable recent journey... ?
It was a very difficult delivery for her mother, very painful and risky, but she had survived only to hold her?kiss her?name her?after a few hours she started sinking due to excessive bleeding?and that was the end of Mrs. Kiran Dixit's journey of Life?
Of course, her father, Nishikant Dixit could not do anything to prevent her coming home? And, of course, her presence, her existence, caused a monstrous rift within him...after all he had lost his wife who he loved immensely, the same wife for whom he went against his family, the same wife for whom he had left behind a mammoth inheritance, the same wife for whom he lived?
At home, her father's most vivid quality was a capacity for hating and despising. Those two verbs often went together? He hated and despised certain foods, makes of automobiles, music, manners of speech and modes of dress, radio comedians, and, later on, television personalities, along with the usual assortment of races and classes it was customary to hate and despise in his day (though perhaps not as thoroughly as he did)? It was his vehemence that brought out an uneasiness that could also amount to admiration?
He had to face her, his daughter, his own flesh and blood, much to his dismay, every time he opened his own door... It was clear that she did not contribute to his comfortable living? ?
And she had practically spent most of her life in boarding schools, in hostels, eating in the subsidized student mess, just traveling to places unknown, away from her father, away from her elder sister, Pia. It wasn't hard to scratch out a living, selling her paintings to the people who had least sense of Art or anything to do with it.
She had very much accepted the fact that there were words or acts that could never be forgiven, barriers between them never to be washed away? ?but she still loved him dearly?very dearly?after all he was her father?
Bani Dixit quite uninterestedly packed her bags, for the first time in her short lifetime she was not in favor of going somewhere, her life has been a travelogue, something which she intended to write once she became a sexagenarian if at all she managed to live till then?
*******
Bani, wide-eyed, looked at the imposing palace-like mansion in front of her, she never knew massi had such pouring rich relatives?it hardly mattered to her, she picked up her wooden crate, and advanced towards the building?
Shobna Kapoor was Nishikant Dixit's far off relative, her husband was related to Nishikant somehow, even Antarctica and India were geographical close than their relation according to bani. But Massi was a kind lady who pretty much kept in touch with them, she even attended Pia's hush-hush wedding affair. Even though bani didn't interact with her much, but she had a soft spot for massi. And here she was in Mumbai, in her house, Nishikant was livid that she would be traveling to Mumbai, the Big Bad City, all alone, so he called up massi and requested her that bani could stay with them and she readily agreed. Bani was thoroughly confused by her father's sudden concern inching towards her, in fact for the past few months he was behaving strangely, unceremoniously talking to her, asking her about her whereabouts, When did this sudden Father in him evoked?? She wondered. She often looked for symptoms of Schizophrenia or Alzheimer's disorder, but surprisingly found none; he was hail and hearty though suffered from occasional pressures of rising blood.
Massi gasped as she saw the incomprehensible state of things, Bani was standing at the doorway, holding a huge wooden crate in one hand, her other hand clasped an orange covered book, The Alchemist, along with a white scarf dangling down, a huge backpack behind her back. She seemed as if she had just come down from a mountaineering expedition.
"Bani?" massi shrieked, in delight or in shock was presumably not understood.
"Massi, how have you been, you look sexy as ever?" bani said boisterously as she approached her, Massi was used to hear such inexpiable talk from her mouth, it didn't come as a surprise, but Daadi who was seated next to her munching potato wafers was quite amused, finally someone of her species had arrived, it would be fun, she chuckled in her mind.
"Tune phone kyun nahin kiya, main gaadi bhijwadeti?" massi said
"I love public transport, you know" bani replied planting a kiss on her cheek?
"Tony!!!" massi called out
"Tumne shaadi karli Shobna and you didn't invite me, too bad?" bani said only to be hit.
A prim and proper tall man arrived, wearing a black and white ensemble.
"Yes, Massi?" he asked promptly?
"This is Bani, she will be staying with us for sometime, take her luggage to the guest room" massi ordered
"Yes, massi" Tony proceeded to take the crate.
"Tony dear, I must say you are really cute?" bani complimented, Tony unconsciously blushed?
"Madam, your bag please?" Tony asked
"Please Tony no formalities you can call me bani, and I like to do my own work, I can carry my stuff, you can hold this carefully" bani said handing him over the book and scarf. Tony stood there unsure.
"After you darling." Bani said nudging him.
Just then when they were about to make a move, a young man, bare-chested whose chest was looking like a forest of hair, clad in a white dhoti came towards them carrying a plate, ringing a small bell?
"Massi, prasad "he offered her a ladoo, he distributed other ladoos to Tony and daadi and hesitantly to Bani also. He quietly went away.
"You have such a handsome personal pujari at home, wow massi" bani exclaimed putting the whole ladoo in her mouth?
"He is not a pujari, he is my grandson, "massi said sadly, bani choked?
*******
Bani sat on the dining table, getting introduced to the house-mates, she liked most of them, Daadi was an adorable cute thing, just like her, Adi, Daadi's son was a jovial guy, anu was sweet girl almost her age, saahil was a year or two older but nice, he was already giving her those lovelorn looks which bani replied by flashing her long natural eye-lashes, Ranveer the unofficial pujari was hardly interesting, jigyasa, Adi's wife, a snobbish lady but was interesting who clearly unwelcomed her.. There was another member, The Jai Walia, massi's son, he was quite pig-headed, stubborn, arrogant, moody, reserved, introvert, high-handed, authoritative, short-tempered, aloof, serious, workaholic, but with a golden heart, as Tony described him in colorful adjectives, she was indeed quite curious to meet the Master.
Bani heard a low grumble, her stomach was pestering her for food, she wondered when will this feast begin, her mouth watered seeing all those lovely looking items, the noisy table suddenly fell silent, a man came and seated himself on the chair, Tony started serving him, everybody helped themselves with the servings?bani watched him, daadi whispered in her ears that he was Jai and he hated any noise during dinner, he was certainly a very handsome man, the single grey strand on his front hair added to his charm, his personality certainly had a magnetic aura, Tony did forget to add killer-looks to his list, but how would he do that. She chuckled to herself. She would certainly harbor a crush on him; she was so damn sure of that.
"Munna?" massi called out
"Massi, ghar main ek bacha bhi hain, you didn't tell me?" bani asked as Tony poured water in her glass, he accidentally spilled a bit of water on the table?
Sahil, anu and Adi covered their mouths taking deep breaths to control their bubbling laughter, while jai looked at this new specimen in his house tardily, daadi nudged bani and again whispered something, before massi could say anything, bani spoke up.
"I just got updated that, you were calling Mr.Walia, sorry for misinterpreting it?" bani said feeling least apologetic, jai gave her a disgusted look which she didn't see, he hated people who talked unnecessarily at every given occasion.
"Jai, woh maine kaha tha na, Bani aane waali hain, she is Bani Dixit?" massi said smiling weakly?
"Hello, Mr.Walia" bani said chirpily, Jai curtly nodded his head signaling that he acknowledged her, bani felt like hitting his head with the first thing that came to her hand, what an attitude, she hated people with an attitude of Mt. Everest and he was added to her most hated list, standing second to her father.
Everybody started eating, bani clasped her hands, closed her eyes, bowed her head. Jai looked on amused.
"Bani, prays before meals" massi said totally fizzed out, not knowing what to say
"No, massi, there are so many items, I was just telling myself not to over-eat or else I have to take that stupid ayurvedic medicine for constipation" bani said opening her eyes?
Jai again gave her a disgusted look, which again went unnoticed by bani who was savoring the taste of the warm sweet corn soup.
"There are so many men in the house, my job would be easier" bani said stuffing the naan into her mouth, massi prayed for the ground to open up so that she could just get earthed, this girl was all set to ruin her reputation,
Jigyasa for the first time paying attention to what Bani said, she looked at her aghast, so did everybody.
"What do you mean?" jigyasa asked ready to explode
"Chill jigy, I didn't mean anything which your little mind is thinking" bani gave a dimpled smile to her
"How dare you call me with that cheap fancy name" jigyasa roared
"Common dear, jigyasa aunty is too long a name, so jigy, actually I have to submit a project for my Psychology paper, and my topic is 'Men Psychology'" bani said while jigyasa just looked about.
"Sahil you will help me out na?" bani gave him a lovey-dovey look.
"Sure, Bani?" sahil said meekly, ignoring jigyasa's glares
"You will be your first patient Ms. Dixit" jai spoke up for the first time during the entire dinner proceedings. Jigyasa smiled as if she had won an onerous war.
"And you will be the second Mr. Walia, don't worry I will give you some concession, as it is the market is suffering from serious recession" bani said without blinking an eyelid, looking at him straight, her eyes flaring, everybody's eyes popped out, Tony was mentally applauding Bani for her guts, this was certainly entertaining for his boring life.
Aditya's gaze swayed from jai to bani and bani to jai like a swinging pendulum, no one had ever dared talk to jai like that, probably he at times joked around but this was getting serious.
"If at all I ever needed help I would certainly not come to you, I don't want a permanent mental disorder" jai said finishing off the last bit of rice
"Even I wouldn't treat you...before bani could complete, Aditya intervened,
"Bani, you had some work in Mumbai, tell me?" aditya asked?
"I have my painting exhibition in Mumbai" bani said looking at aditya.
*******
Jai sat in his brooding study feeling rather uneasy, he was surprised at his own juvenile actions few hours ago, he was never so extrovert with his comments, his mind automatically went to the fresh face that he saw tonight, there was no need to get involved in a verbal duel with a guest like that, but he was so fed up with her constant rambling that he thought may be his rude comment would shut her up, out of insult she would zip her huge mouth but he was surprised again to witness the sharp tongue she had, anybody in her place would have fled away like a whirlwind, but she answered him back with menacing words, no one ever did answer back Jai Walia, he was not used to being answered back, but a chit of a girl proved that mountains can be conquered.
Jai smiled, after many many years he had found someone who would dare to cross his path, it was going to be an interesting battle, he somehow could see a mere reflection of him in her, though he was not a talkative parrot like her but her eyes held something fiercely similar.
He got back to reading his file?
*******
Bani was forcefully brushing the canvas with a thick coat of black, she always did her paintings in black and white, her only favorite colors, people who ever saw her paintings spoke rather highly of her inborn talent, they were impressed by the size (enormous), rather than skill, of her oil-painted or charcoal still-life sketches. The careless, reckless lines were mistaken for artistic confidence, though in truth, their creator was no artist. Yes, she was no artist, painting was her passionate hobby, nothing else than that, she had never been ambitious. Ambition was a word which didn't exist in her dictionary.
Even in college where she got admission by chance since she had accidentally passed the entrance exam, she didn't display any interest in what was going on. The girls thought she was loony, the other students, particularly the boys, were intimidated by her way-wardens and almost fierce lack of ambition. They left her alone. She didn't mind. She didn't mind at all. All she wanted was aloneness. She was never invited to their nice homes or noisy parties. Even her professors were a little wary of her bizarre, colorless, black and white paintings, presented on anything, on a cheap brown paper, on tissue papers, on a canvas, and her indifference to their passionate critiques.
She occasionally visited Pia and puskar, she hated the boastful mother-in-law of Pia who blabbered like the 24x7 news channels, at times she had controlled an over-flowing urge to kick her a**.
However for practical purposes, in a hopelessly practical world, she started putting up her canvas for shows, exhibitions, and they got sold out like hot cakes, it was just a way of earning, and a way to show her father that she didn't require anything, not even monetary support from him, a silent vengeance of sorts. The paintings got sold out for huge prices, why? She still couldn't understand, there was nothing spectacular about them, but people were mad, making holes in their never ending pockets, fighting over her black and white paintings, Madness had method, who would know it better than her, she just kept a required amount of it, that too was stagnating in some bank, the rest, which was huge amounts she gave away to different charitable organizations, she just blindly filled an amount on the cheque and sent it to the NGO's via post without any name and address, but with a covering letter requesting them to make use of the money efficiently to help the needy, practically threatening them that if she came to know about any mishaps she would publicly sue them.
Bani suffered from serious insomnia problems, from childhood itself she had sleeping disorders, never being able to sleep properly, waking up in the midnights to gloomy closed rooms, she hated going to doctors, so she decided to spend her nights painting, she derived great pleasure in calling herself an Owl, a lonely white owl perched on a thick dry tree branch, what pleasure she derived she only knew.
As bani whipped the paint in circles, her mind went to Jai Walia, she was indeed surprised at how she replied him back unwittingly to do so, she was know for her spontaneity and thoughtlessness, but it was a safe kept that she never uttered a single word without thinking, in fact she was damn serious at times even while joking around shamelessly, it was her way of snubbing people. People, she hated, people she loved, anybody she knew, anybody she didn't know, she didn't quite like this male-female world, she often wished world to be just like that, only nature without a single human race to destroy it's virginity, but Alas!!!
Jai Walia arouse her curiosity, she was always attracted to mysterious things, be it Life, tarot cards, palmistry, music, astrology, past life courses, supernatural powers, space, power of sixth sense, universe, human mind, languages, et al? and Jai Walia was anything but an open book, she wanted to know more?She found an instant similarity between him and her, like there was an imaginary bridge between the two? ?throwing his image away she concentrated on her painting which was almost complete.
*******
Jai looked at bani through the door which was left ajar, much to his dismay the guest room was besides his room, her not so long, not so short hair ended in small curls which tumbled down her shoulder to reach just below the arm joint, her cheek was smeared with a black paint, she was working seriously, she looked beautiful, very beautiful, he felt a sudden urge within him, something which he hadn't experienced for many years, he left to his room before his untamed thoughts became wary.
*******
"Yes, yes, I am about to finish all the paintings Joe" bani said quiet loudly as she came down the stairs in a blue denim jean Capri and crisp white cotton shirt, seating herself on the table she wished everybody good morning, everybody were half through their breakfast, she sipped the orange juice as she continued talking. Jai had left long ago.
"A crore Joe, are you sure you have estimated it right, do you think we will have such kind of customers" bani exclaimed
"I am no Picasso Joe, and frankly I don't care if it's a crore or ten crore"
"You better book the gallery; I don't want last minute running around to find a place"
"Okay bye, call me later" bani hung up her mobile only to encounter completely stunned faces looking at her, jigyasa's dropped jaw was about to touch the exquisitely tiled floor.
"What!!!" bani said picking up an apple and biting a large chunk of its flesh.
"What was that you were talking about?" Sahil managed to ask
"Oh!! The total sale of my paintings, my manger estimated a crore" bani said as a matter of fact.
Nobody replied, they had nothing to reply.
*******
"I can't believe bani" aditya said disbelievingly.
"No surprises" jai said wondering why aditya all of a sudden remembered bani between reviewing the stock rates.
"Aaj subah kya hua pata hain"
"Nahin"
"She was talking to her manager, her paintings get sold in lakhs and she earns in crores"
"So"
"Yet she is so?so?"
"Normal" jai said eyeing aditya who was bewildered
"Ya!!! Money infuses power, authority, how can someone be so uninfluenced by it, anybody in her place would splurge it on themselves, and look at her, she wears the simplest of clothes, hardly any jewelry, jigyasa seems so right at times, make use of money if you have, how can someone be so uninterested in things when they are getting so much"
"Lack of ambition, Aditya, bani has no desires; she is just flowing away like a river to an unknown destination"
"How can you say that, you have met her only once and she has been pretty rude to you and you have been pretty rude to her as well?"
"I was rude but she was not rude; she was just defending her honor and pride, one meeting is enough to know people adi, especially for me"
"Ya, but I seriously think something is wrong with her, she is so in the moment, how can someone live with such exuberance always"
"Because she doesn't expect anything"
"Hmm?but I must say one thing, kal dinner table par, I seriously felt like laughing when she said Massi, ghar main ek bacha bhi hain, you didn't tell me" adi mimicked
"It was quite amusing, I have told massi so many times not to call me that but when did she listen to me" jai said without a smile.
*******
God bless
Dhani
