Posted:
Hi All:
Recently, as some of you know, my friend popeye got married :) . We had been chatting and I promised her that for her wedding, I would write a short story for her as a gift... Now, four months after her wedding I have finally completed my gift to her (which she has read and according to her she loved it alot)... Shes been a great friend to me over the past year and so I really had to think to get this story moving. Shes helped me alot with Angel, so much that I dont even consider Angel mine.. but its something that we have worked on together.
My initial thought was to add this into the Monsoon Series as her gift, but its so long.. it wouldnt work!
Im splitting this into three parts, because my SS turned into a 66 page word doc, so its longer than what I had anticipated for it to be...
I hope you enjoy it and I look forward to hearing back from you all :)
He hated the rain. He hated the water, seeping through his leather shoes, into his socks and making his walk totally uncomfortable. And this year, the summer monsoons didn't want to let up. Maybe they knew he hated it.
The city was flooded with cars, and now rain. Potholes deep enough to turn into wells had been created all over the city. He couldn't wait for the rains to end.
And to top it off, construction at the front entrance of his office building was preventing all the cars from entering. Why did his dad have to choose the monsoons to be the time to redo the building entrance? Through this pouring rain, he had to step out near the muddy streets and wait for his driver to arrive. The only bright side, if any, was that after walking through the rain, he had a bus stop to stand under.
Today was no different. Holding his briefcase under one arm and clutching his umbrella with both hands, he ran near the bus stop, hoping to avoid the mud puddles on the way. He grumbled when he reached the stop, the day couldn't have gone worse. As much as he tried to avoid the puddles, his socks were still now soaked.
Everything seemed to have gone wrong that day- the meeting he scheduled was cancelled, and that too just before deadline, on top of that the excessive number of paper jams from his printer, the missed faxes, the spilled coffee on his shirt' could anything else possibly go more wrong?
Jai shook his umbrella, shaking off the excess water that had collected. For the past week, he felt almost no use from the stupid thing. No matter how hard he tried, or what angle he held the umbrella, the rain still seemed to hit him. He shook the umbrella again.
"Hey!" Someone gasped.
Closing the umbrella, he saw a young woman dressed in a simple light pink salwaar kameez, holding her hand to up to shield her face from the water he splashed upon her. Her hair was damp, the bottom of her salwaar wet with the dirty water that she had obviously run through. On her cheeks were extra drops of water, apparently left by Jai's vigorous shaking of the umbrella.
"Sorry! I didn't-"
But before he could finish apologizing, the bus pulled up in front of them and she ran towards it, only briefly turning around and giving a smile. She scrambled in so quickly that Jai lost sight of her. But just the look that she gave him, seemed to make him smile for a second. There was a sweetness about it- something so'. Undescribable.
He tried to see the girl again, stand up higher on his toes, but hoards of people seemed to block his view. The bus drove off and he looked at his watch. Just then his driver pulled up, and Jai climbed in, unwilling to stand in the rain any longer than he had.
***
"How many times have I told you not to stand in the rain?" His mother asked, rubbing a towel against his wet hair. Jai smiled with his eyes closed, loving how his mother still pampered him despite him being a full grown adult.
"Cant help it, Maa' My mean old khadoos boss decided that the front of the building needed a facelift." He said, suddenly feeling tired. He wasn't sure if it was the rain itself, his mother massaging his scalp, or just the general tiredness of the day.
Krishna laughed at her son and tapped him lightly on the head. "Your 'mean old khadoos' boss is your father, and my husband."
Jai smiled. He really felt exhausted now- it had been a long few days at the office. But despite all that, her smile haunted him. The brief, millisecond look of happiness from the girl in pink was still vivid in his mind. The moment her smile met his eyes, he felt his tension fade away' he felt lighter.
"Kya soch mein para hai?" His mother asked him teasingly, after seeing Jai had quieted down.
"The same thing you are thinking.." He said yawning.
"About you getting finally married?" She asked excitedly.
"Maa!" He said in shock. "You really weren't thinking that'"
"Of course, I was. I always am. I was just thinking how instead of me taking care of you and drying off your hair, it should be my daughter-in-law doing so." She said laughing.
Jai scowled quietly. "Ok.. ok'"
Krishna sighed softly.
"I will tell you when I'm ready." He said turning around and looking at his mother.
"I know' but don't wait too long. I do want to see my grandchildren before I-"
"Ma'." He stopped her. "You and Dad will, ok? Just not now'" He hated the idea of his parents growing older. They were his world; everything he did was to repay them for taking care of him.
"Accha beta' you go freshen up. I'll heat up some food for you."
Kissing his mom on the cheek, he ran upstairs to his room and just hoped that the next day the rains would stop. Krishna watched her son run up the stairs- proud that he had grown up to become a fine young man.
***
The next day seemed to be better, Jai decided during his last meeting of the day. Thankfully, he chucked the old printer, put his coffee mug at a safer place, and gave a number of meaningful warnings to those that dared to cross his path- only then he got his way. He stepped out of his building, the rain hadn't let up, and the construction of the building entrance was on a standstill due to the rain.
Jai opened his umbrella and made his way towards the gates. The wind suddenly picked up and within moments he saw his umbrella tumbling across the lot before he could catch it. There was almost no point in catching it as the wind had pushed it further away, and as it was he was already soaked.
Readching the bus stop, he brushed off all the excess water he could and waited patiently. Jai sighed deeply, then from the corner of his eye, his gaze fell upon a girl who had just run under the stop for some shelter from the pouring rains. It was her- the same girl from yesterday.
She breathed heavily as she used the edge of her dupatta to dry off her face as best she could. But something told her she was being watched. Looking up, she saw a pair of brown eyes rested upon her, as if they were trying to recognize her. It took her a moment, but she realized that she had seen him the day before- the umbrella man, this time without his trusty sidekick in his hands.
Jai cleared his throat, wanting to apologize for the day before. Afterall, he would like to think that his parents instilled some values within him. "Excuse me- Miss?"
"Sir, your car," A male voice called. Jai turned to see his driver standing there holding an umbrella for Jai to walk under to his car. By the time he turned around, he saw the girl running towards the bus, just as he had seen the day before.
Jai shook his head. The one time his driver decided to make it somewhat on time. He realized that he would probably never be able to apologize to the girl, and shrugged his shoulders before rushing into his car.
***
Surprisingly, on the third day, he was again at the bus stop amidst the pouring rain.
His mind was deciphering the boilerplate contract that had been given to them, feeling like it was written in some foreign language, and not on the rain that was pouring just as it had the previous two days. A hoard of people suddenly seemed to fill up the bus stand, everyone trying to gain shelter. He hated this stop with all his might. It was packed like sardines in the tiny area, Jai struggling not to drop his briefcase and cursing his driver for never arriving early enough to pick him up.
"Bani!" A female voice called. Jai looked up, not knowing why he would when it was someone elses name being called. His eyes fell upon a tall and thin girl with glasses waving her arm around like a madwoman. "Bani! Over here!"
"Im trying, Di! There are just so many people!" A sweet voice replied back from amongst the crowd.
Jai couldn't figure out why, but he looked in their direction wanting to see who the angelic voice belonged to. He spotted a young woman standing next to the girl with the glasses. The bus pulled up, but the girl in his vision was searching for hadn't moved, waiting for the crowd to ease up before they entered the bus.
A man in a brown jacket, seemed to be popping his head every time Jai tried to sneak a peek. Finally, he moved leaving a clear path to see the girl, but this time could only see her back.
He squinted, subconsciously willing to turn around. A horn honked on the street, and the girl turned to see where it had come from. To his surprise, it was the same girl. Her cheeks were the same rosy pink, accentuated by the red of her dupatta.
She smiled as the girl with the glasses, held her arm and pulled her towards the bus, leaving Jai all alone in the once crowded stand.
"Bani'" He said whispering her name quietly. The girl turned around once before stepping into the bus, looking over the crowd quietly. Jai smiled to himself. What were the chances that he saw her again at this crowded bus stand? He stepped out as he saw his driver pull up in front.
***
Jai walked in his house whistling, his mother easily noticing the happy mood despite being damp from the rain.
"Kya baat hai, Jai? You seem really happy today, even after being in the rain. Something happened?" She said looking up from her book, and setting down her glasses.
"Nothing happened, Ma. Just in a good mood," He said giving her a warm hug before he plopped on the sofa next to her.
"Hmmm did you meet someone?" She asked her son, while her eyes twinkled jovially.
"Again, Maa?" He said laughing.
"Waise, Meera called again, asking for you. I told her you were busy and to call another day," Krishna stated proudly.
Jai cringed. His mother knew his dislike for Meera. She had been after him for quite sometime, and it was hard to get her away as their dads were business partners. Thankfully his mother wasn't too fond of the girl either and was glad to make any excuse for her to stay away from him. He laughed and Krishna laughed alongside for a moment, then her face turned serious suddenly.
"Get up!" She screamed at him.
"What? What happened?" He asked wondering what changed her mood.
"You're ruining the sofa! Go change your clothes before you get it more wet, and before you catch pneumonia!" She said pushing him off.
Jai chuckled as he headed upstairs with his briefcase.
Later that night, he sat in bed with his files later that night, staring at the words, but not reading at all. He couldn't get her smile out of his mind.
Tossing the file aside, he shut off the lamp and closed his eyes. Maybe he was catching pneumonia with these random thoughts.
***
Jai watched as people trickled into the bus stand, avoiding the rain. The rain was lighter than it had been the day before, but still heavy enough to be soaked after some time. Jai hardly noticed his wet socks this time, his eyes were too busy searching.
Something made him curious about her- he wanted to see her- he wanted to see Bani. His eyes searched but as long as he waited, he couldn't find her. Checking the time, he knew his car would arrive at any moment, but still she hadn't shown.
Laughing at himself for expecting a total stranger to show up to the bus stand, where hundreds of people stood each day in anticipation of a ride, he peeked around the corner waiting for his car. He didn't know her, just recently finding out her name that too by accident, but other than that he didn't know anything else. Not if she was married, or her age- just how beautiful she was, and how angelic her voice. Jai mused to himself as the car showed up, shaking his head.
***
"Still working?" He asked his father, who was still sitting in his cabin. It was late into the evening- and Jai had stayed about two hours back in the office to finish pending work.
"Just a conference call Im waiting for from some overseas business," Uday Walia explained to his son. "You go on home- its already late and Im sure your mother is wondering where we are."
Jai smiled. "I think you better come home at a decent hour today. She's been taking it out me, instead of you! I know she put extra spice in my food to make me cry." He said laughing.
Uday smiled and nodded. "You tell your mom I will be home earlier tonight."
He bid his father good-bye and braved the puddles. The rain had let up for the time being, but he was sure that it would be short-lived given the clouds that were looming overhead. Thunder rolled in the distance, as he waited for his driver to arrive. He was the lone one under the bus stand, as it seemed everyone rushed home before the rain started. Staring at the clouds above, he didn't even realize when he was no longer alone.
"Acchoo!"
"Bless you," He said automatically, shifting his gaze from the gloomy skies to the girl that was standing next to him.
He nearly stopped breathing for a moment, when he saw her. Bani.
"Thanks'" She muttered, sniffling a bit.
He opened his mouth, finally mustering the courage after a few minutes to apologize for the umbrella water he unknowingly sprayed upon her, but was stopped when a car whizzed by quickly, rolling over a pothole.
He yelped and she screamed simultaneously, and after a moment realized that they were both covered in the muddy water, which splashed from the speeding car.
"Hey!" Jai yelled out after the car. He watched as the car turned, not bothering to stop after messing their clothing.
He turned around seeing the pretty girl trying to wipe the mud off her arms and face, with a grumpy expression.
"Are you ok?" He asked.
"Im fine'" She replied in a dejected tone before sniffling again. She said indicating to the once deep blue tone of the fabric. "It seems to be everywhere."
"Yeah' its beautiful on you'" he said under his breath.
"Excuse me?"
"Huh? Oh.. Nothing..." He said looking at his own jacket. "I' Uh.. It looks like its going to rain again."
She looked up wearily, nodding. The rain had already caused such a mess and it was getting more difficult with the waterfilled roads to get home.
He snickered a bit, realizing their situation, and she looked at him curiously as to why he was laughing. She felt lighter and a soft smile broke out on her face. Soon she was laughing, too, realizing the hilarity of the situation. He reached in his pocket, pulling out a handkerchief so she could wipe the mud off of her face. She looked at him hesitatingly, but quietly took it into her petite hand, not looking up at him. She slowly wiped off her face, but before she could return it back to him, she saw him stepping into his car, giving her a light smile before he sat down. She looked at the cloth in her hand and smiled. The corner had a simple midnight blue 'JW' embroidered onto it, and she could tell it was a pristine white before she had dirtied it with the mud.
The bus pulled up in front of her and she stepped in taking her seat, still clutching the handkerchief.
When he arrived home that night, his mother was horrified to see the mess on his clothes, cribbing about her grown up son who still hadn't lost the habit of playing in the mud. He cheered her up by informing her that his dad would not be working late that night, then hopped upstairs whistling, leaving his mom to wonder why he was so happy when he hated the rain.
***
Bani entered her house, feeling like nothing but a hot shower would take away everything that happened that day. The whole day was terrible- and thankfully her parents were out. They had woken her up pestering her about another 'rishta' that had come for her. She didn't want to meet the guy let alone marry him, but her parents were insisting at least for one meeting. After a long drawn out fight with them, she headed off to college, only to realize she left her term paper on her desk at home and her professor was unhappy with her, and then she was splashed with mud. On top of that she had come down with a cold, which is why she had skipped college the day before.
The only highlight was that strange man, who without cracking any sort of joke, made her laugh it all off. She took out the half dried handkerchief from her purse, wanting to clean it back to its normal state. Her mind couldn't help but wander back to him -he looked vaguely familiar, maybe she had seen him before? Then again, this was Mumbai. The chances of her seeing someone more than once was unlikely. She wondered for a moment whether she would be able to return his possession back to him again. She smiled, then grabbed a fresh set of clothes before heading off to relax under the hot water.
****
The rain continued through the next day, pouring like cats and dogs, causing the streets to be more congested due to the slower pace of the cars. The clouds darkened the evening sky even more, masking the sun from sharing the little light that was left for the day. It seemed that now since night was falling people were scrambling to stay home. It was empty, unlike the other days, as the rush hour had passed.
Bani reached the bus stop later than her usual time and rubbed her shoulders trying to warm herself up. The rains had cooled the warmer temperature, but after just recovering from a cold, the last thing she wanted was to be soaked. She could hear the rumbling skies, and she hoped that the bus would arrive sooner than the rain.
Moving her hands up and down her shoulders, she tried to keep whatever warmth she had generated, but it seemed like a loosing battle. Her eyes fell upon a family rushing towards a taxi, the father scrambling to hold both children in his arms and an umbrella in his hand, while trying to shield his entire family from the rain. She smiled, loving how protective he seemed of all of them.
A man ran up to the stand, using a newspaper to shield himself from the rain. As he moved the paper, Bani couldn't help but look at him. It was him! The same man from the mudsplashing. He was dressed nicely, in fact too nice to be standing in a bus stand. Running his hand through his wet hair, he caught her looking at him. She quickly averted her gaze and looked elsewhere.
His stomach did a flutter. It was her. He smiled to himself, wondering how he got to see her at this bus stand nearly everyday, at the same time wondering how fatuous his thoughts were.
Remembering something, she quickly dug through her bag and pulled out a neatly folded white cloth, with the 'JW' clearly showing.
"I almost didn't recognize you without the mud on your face." She said in a quiet, yet happy tone. She extended her hand to him, holding out the handkerchief. He looked at her briefly, looking at her soft brown eyes, before blindly reaching up and holding the edge of his rumaal.
"Thanks'" he muttered, not taking his eyes away from her. She bit her lip and looked away shyly, and he realized that he was probably making her feel awkward, so he took the hankie, stuffed it in his pocket, and looked out at the street- but not without a smile on his face.
It was the two of them under the bus stand for a few minutes, with the silence between them masked by the pitter pattering of the rain around them. But it wasn't awkward. In fact it was soothing. He looked at her from the corner of his eye and smiled, feeling mildly self conscious. He did want to say something to her, he wanted to apologize. But given his track record of attempts, he didn't want her to run off in the middle of his apology.
She felt like he was looking at her, but everytime she snuck a glance, he seemed to be looking up at the clouds with a hint of a grin on his face. She wanted to thank him for letting her use his handkerchief, but for once in her life she didn't know how to start the conversation.
"Jai Sir?" A man in a white uniform called out. She looked at him as she glanced back at her with the same subtle smile and ran off to his car.
Jai turned around and saw his driver there, wishing for once that he was late as usual. Feeling flustered and awkward if he started a conversation, he followed the driver to the car as Bani looked on.
"JW'. Jai'." She said to herself with a smile. The bus pulled up and she hopped in happy to be on her way home after the long day.
***
"But you should meet him again, Beta!" Her mother argued with her late the next morning. She plopped herself into the chair, waiting for a response from her angry daughter. "He's so intelligent!"
"I don't want to! I have no interest in the 'scientist' you think is so wonderful! Have you seen him? His shirt is tucked into the pants that are clearly too short for him! And his glasses are thick enough to be bullet proof!" She said clearly annoyed.
Rano let out a giggle, as she quietly watched the fiasco. Her Chacha and Chachi gave her a look and she quieted down. They were clearly not amused.
"Pushkar is a very nice man. You really should give him a chance." Her father stated in a quiet tone.
"But Papa, I did meet him! The man was too scared to even talk to me! I think it was his first time ever talking to a girl. I was the one who was talking the whole time. He kept answering in monosyllables and stuttering, like I was going to hurt him or something. Do you really want me to marry a wimp?" She asked batting her eyes at her father. "Or someone who can take care of me?"
"Kiran, shes right." Nishikant said softly.
"Oh, you always take her side. You just cant say no to her, can you?" Kiran said shooting her husband a glance.
Bani indicated to Rano to slip out quickly while they still had the chance. Grabbing her bag, she quickly shuffled out of the house before anyone could stop her.
***
Bani dug into her delectable plate of noodles at her favorite Chinese Restaurant. When she had returned home that afternoon, Bani's mother had informed her they would be going out to dinner. The meal was quiet and normal, with her parents making small talk as Bani happily ate the noodles she loved so much, as if she hadn't eaten for a whole year.
After some odd silence, she looked up to see her mother giving her father a stern look. Swallowing the overfilled bite she had taken, she looked at her father questioningly.
"Whats wrong?"
"Beta, your mom and I have had a few discussions about' Pushkar. She feels.. I mean..we feel, that you should meet him again'" Nishikant looked at his wife for reassurance, who gave a firm nod in return.
Bani just about dropped her chopsticks upon hearing what they were talking to her about. "But Papa'"
"No, buts this time." Kiran said firmly, knowing that her husband would give into their daughters pleas. "Unless you have someone else in mind, you will meet Pushkar again, and that's final!"
"But I did!"
"Yes, but what can you tell by meeting someone only once? Its decided. You will meet him."
Bani was at a loss for words, putting her napkin down on the table and looking around trying to search for an answer. There was no way, absolutely NO way she wanted meet Pushkar again, let alone spend the rest of her life with him. She knew her mother was watching her, and her father looking down at his food, not wanting to break his princess's heart.
"Excuse me'" Bani muttered as she pushed her chair back and stormed towards the ladies room.
"Bani'" Her father called after her, but she had walked away, hearing her mother sternly respond to him. "Don't worry.. she will be back. You eat."
***
Bani splashed some water on her face, wanting to calm herself down. Why couldn't her parents understand? She never denied that Pushkar was a nice guy, but not the type of guy she imagined spending the rest of her life with. Everything she thought about it, she saw the two of them sitting at home doing math problems in their heads for fun for the rest of her life. She shuddered at the thought. There had to be some way. Pulling out her cell phone, she called Rano, hoping that maybe she would have an idea of how to get out of this sticky situation.
"Pick up, Di'." Bani said nervously. She shut her phone when she received Rano's voicemail. "Ive got to do something' I don't want to end up with Pushkar'." Knowing she had been away from the table long enough, and not wanting her parents to send out a search party, she reluctantly pushed the door to the ladies room and headed towards her table.
***
Jai felt bored as he sat with his father and some colleagues at a business dinner. He would have much preferred to go home and take a long hot shower, or even hit the gym, but his dad insisted he attended this meeting to give some input. He loved working, he couldn't deny that, but somehow lately.. it all seemed so mundane. He missed excitement in his life, and not just the thrill of helping his dad run their business' a different kind of excitement.
"Jai' whats the matter?" His father asked him quietly. "Why aren't you saying anything?"
"Nothing.. I just' I need some fresh air'" He muttered back. "Excuse me.."
Jai tried to step outside, but he realized when he reached the glass doors that it was pouring outside. "Not even a minute to myself'" He said grumbling.
He turned to walk back to his seat, realizing he couldn't just wander about the restaurant when he bumped into someone who was walking without realizing where she was heading.
"Oops!" He said holding on to her waist so she wouldn't fall.
"I-Im so sorry!" The woman moved the hair that had curtained her face and looked up at him surprised for a moment.
"Its ok'" He said softly. He studied her eyes and she too looked at him with an odd sense of familiarity.
It took her a moment to register who he was, until she recalled his beautiful brown eyes from the bus stop. It couldn't be.. could it? It was! It was him'
"I know you' You're from the bus stop'" He said cautiously. But he knew he was right, it could only be the same girl with those beautiful deep brown eyes.
"Jai'" Bani responded, not thinking about blurting out his name.
"How did you' know my name?" He looked at her curiously.
Bani tried to conjure up an answer when her eyes caught sight of her parents, especially her father, who was looking in her direction. A light went off in head and she looked at him, wondering if he would give in.
"Can you do me a huge favor?" Bani asked quickly.
He smirked. Maybe the evening wouldn't be so dull after all.
***
"So you want me to lie to your parents that we've been seeing each other'" Jai felt mildly amused as she led him to towards her table, lightly holding his arm.
"Not lie' just pretend?" She said trying not to make it sound so bad. "Look. I know it may not the brightest idea in the world, and I know that we don't know each other and you are probably wondering who this crazy girl is, but please' just go with it?" She asked sweetly. "And if you think about it, its not a total lie. We have seen each other more than once at the bus stop'"
"Ok'" He said with a nod.
"I know.. I know it sounds completely off the wall and ridiculous especially because we are total strangers, but just this one tiny favor. I'll tell them afterwards and I promise I'll repay you in any way I can. I just need to get my parents off my back for sometime, and I cant think of any other way."
Jai smiled. "No problem' Bani."
"Wait' How did you know my name?" She asked him surprised. He leaned in inches away from her face, with a soft smile. Tapping her nose with his forefinger lightly, he grinned. "Same way you know mine.."
Feeling a little awestruck and oddly not discomforted by the fact he knew her name, they reached the table where her parents were eagerly awaiting her return and an explanation on who this strange man was. Bani held on to the edge of her dupatta, twisting it nervously in her fingers. "Mom, you know how you asked if I had someone else in mind' Well... this is'umm'Jai."
Her mother and father looked at her dumbfounded.
"Pleasure to finally meet you, Sir." Jai said politely, holding out his hand.
"You too'" Nishikant responded somehow in a state of shock.
Dinner was awkward for Bani, as she constantly gave Jai nervous glances while trying to maintain a calm demeanor. She avoided any and all eye contact from her mother fearing she wouldn't believe them.
But somehow her father bought it rather easily and seemed to be enjoying Jai's company as they discussed topics ranging from business to politics. He was thoroughly impressed. Sometime later, Jai's phone rang and he checked the ID to see his father's number flashing. Feeling bad, he cut the call leaving his poor old dad wondering where his son had run off to.
Uday looked at his phone wondering why it was cut and redialed the number. Again the number was cut. Jai had been missing for some time, but without a doubt he knew his son was fine. Their dinner concluded as Uday covered the bill, and he headed towards the door, when his eyes caught his son sitting at another table with some people he didn't recognize.
He eyed his son sitting next to the girl and the way he looked at her. A familiar twinkle in Jai's eyes, just as he had when he had first met Krishna. A smile formed on his face, and inside he forgave his son for leaving the table, especially if it were for this reason. He watched them for a few moments, when the girls parents got up from the table to leave.
***
"Jai beta, it was a pleasure meeting you! You're a fine young man. Im surprised Bani hadn't mentioned you before," Nishikant said giving his daughter a look.
"Papa'" Bani said, trying to stop her father from embarrassing her.
Her father chuckled and shook Jai's hand. "Beta, we'll be waiting at the car for you. Jai, you should stop by the house one of these days, bring your parents as well."
Jai shot Bani a surprised glance, and politely nodded with an amused smile to Nishikant. After bidding goodbye to her mother, the two of them were left alone at the table, while Nishikant and Kiran walked out the door, not noticing an elderly man watching them.
"Bani really proved me wrong today. Im proud of her choice!"
"As am I' but isn't it strange she never introduced him or mentioned him to us before?"
"Kiran, stop speculating' if he is the one she wants to marry, I have no objections'" Nishikant replied as they stepped out of the restaurant.
Uday was rooted at his spot as he heard the couple talking. Was that his son they were talking about? His son was getting married and he didn't know it? Uday knew something didn't seem right. His son was more of a friend to him, they never kept anything from each other, and to keep such a big thing a secret was unlike Jai. Still he knew he couldn't expect his son to bring up such a topic so easily, it was a life decision afterall. Looking at his son gaze at the beautiful young woman with a warmth in his eyes made him forget all the looming questions and he and walked out of the restaurant with a smile on his face and some excitement to tell his wife what he had just witnessed.
***
"My Jai' is getting married. My son?" Krishna asked her husband repeatedly.
"Correction. Our son. And yes' That's exactly what I heard!"
"But he never said anything! I ask him nearly every day when he will get married and not once has he mentioned having some girl in mind. Wait- its not Meera, is it?"
Uday chuckled. "No, its not Meera. She was beautiful though. Reminded me of when I first met you."
Krishna sulked, despite her husband trying to be romantic. "Still this doesn't make sense. Why would Jai hide something so big?" She felt bad. Being his mother, and close to both his parents it was unlike Jai to hide such details of his life.
"Maybe hes too nervous to tell us about her," Uday said trying to reason.
"But he's introduced us to his girlfriends before'"
"Maybe there's something about her that's different." Uday suggested. "He was having dinner with her and her parents.."
"He met her parents and he hasn't said anything?! Well, I wont say anything. I will let Jai tell me for himself. Im his mother after all!" Krishna said confidently, as she heard a car door slam in the front.
As her son walked in the door, Krishna watched him expectantly, with a smile on her face knowing that her Jai would tell everything to his parents.
"Dad, you left the restaurant without me!"
Uday struggled for a moment, but quickly recuperated. "I tried calling you and you didn't pick up, so I assume you had left' where were you?"
"I, uh' I was just taking a walk around the premises. Needed some fresh air." Jai tried to avoid contact with his dad. Glancing at his mom, he noticed a strange look on her face, as if she was expecting him to continue with the story.
"Whats the matter, Ma?"
"Huh? Oh nothing' how are you? Whats new with you, beta?" Krishna asked, her eyes twinkling with excitement.
"Nothing.. same old stuff I suppose," Jai said nonchalantly.
"Nothing new at all?" She prodded slightly.
Jai gave her an awkward look and shook his head. "Nope Just a bit tired from work today. Its been a long day.." Checking his watch, he realized he needed to get up early in the morning and it was already later than he expected. "Im off to bed' long day tomorrow. Goodnight!" He kissed his mom on the cheek and gave his dad a pat on the shoulder before he headed upstairs, leaving a very disappointed couple in the drawing room.
"Are you sure that's what you heard?" Krishna asked meekly as her son disappeared out of sight.
"Positive.." Uday said despondently.
"Then why would he not tell us about her?"
"He will' Im sure he will. Come, its getting late."
Feeling dejected, the two turned in for the night hoping their son would come out with his big secret the next day.
***
Bani found it hard to sleep that night. She tossed and turned, trying to fall asleep with the sound of the rain hitting her window, but it was impossible. Her father really liked Jai, they got along so well. And she couldn't at all figure out what it was about him that made her feel so comfortable. She would have never imagined asking a total stranger for such a favor, but she had the inkling that she could trust him. Hugging her pillow, she stared out at the falling raindrops, wondering why Jai had taken over her thoughts.
What made him so special? What made his eyes make her want to stare into them longer? And most of all what made her feel comfortable around him? Would she ever find the answers to her questions? She bit her lip and sighed deeply. She was just being silly now. There was never a guaranteed she would see him again' afterall Mumbai was a big city.
***
Jai hopped down the stairs, adjusting his tie as he headed towards the breakfast table where his parents were already seated.
"Good morning!" He said cheerfully. He hardly slept a wink that night, but somehow his mood was uplifted and he was quite awake and energized.
"Good morning, beta!" His mother said happily. She picked up a slice of toast and buttered it for him as he took the financial section of the paper and skimmed through it. She glanced at Uday, who nodded- urging her to speak. "Sleep well?"
"Very!" He said happily. He paused for a moment, wondering to himself why he suddenly sounded so excited. Clearing his throat, he casually took a sip of his coffee and continued to read his paper.
Krishna eyed her son. "Beta, the least you could have done is match your tie with your suit."
"That's what you are here for, Maa' to tell me," he said cheekily as he loosened his perfectly knotted tie.
"No, that's what your wife should be telling you'" She joked. Jai looked at her, somehow recalling the events of the night before. He turned back to his paper, trying not to give anything away' It wasn't anything to begin with. Just a favor for a girl.. a very beautiful girl, for that matter.
"So anything 'new' you want to share with us?"
Jai looked up at his mother strangely. "Nothings changed from last night to this morning'" He said trying to figure what his mother was getting at. He quickly ate his breakfast and refastened his tie, deciding he didn't have time to change it. "I better run. I'll be home late! Bye!" He said as he rushed out the door.
Krishna felt sad as she put her fork down. Uday felt her sadness and touched her hand softly. "Maybe I did mishear. Maybe they were talking about something else."
"But you were so sure! You said the way he looked at her'" She couldn't finish her sentence.
Uday nodded, understanding what she was getting at. "I know.. I thought so, too' Come lets go out for a bit. I'll go to the office later. Just you and me, without the kabab mein haddi'"
Krishna laughed at his reference to Jai. "Don't talk about my son like that!" She said swatting his hand lightly.
"Exactly- hes your son," Uday chuckled.
***
Jai stared out the window for sometime, twisting the pen in his hand, not listening to the man who was speaking to him over the speakerphone.
"Hello? Hello is anyone there?"
"Oh! Sorry, yes.. Look, can I call you back later? Thanks'" Jai said and ended the call immediately.
He sat back in his chair, his head against the soft leather headrest. He couldn't figure out why he couldn't concentrate today. Standing up, he walked towards the window and gazed over the bustling city. He closed his eyes for a second, and there she was. Bani, with her beautiful smile and twinkling eyes. He opened them quickly, and looked around, running his fingers through his hair.
"Whats the matter?"
Jai turned around to find his father standing at the doorway, his hands folded across his chest and a mischievous smile on his face.
"Nothing.. couldn't concentrate. I don't even know who I cut off on the phone," Jai admitted and shifted his eyes back over the city.
"You have seemed to have a difficult time concentrating lately.. Anything wrong?" Uday peered at his son, who was intently looking outside near the front of the Walia Towers. He followed his son's gaze which seemed to be near the bus stop at the front entrance.
"No' nothing is wrong," Jai said quietly.
"Someone.. or maybe someone' on you mind?"
"Are you and mom feeling ok? " Jai asked curiously. "You two have been acting strange since last night."
Uday smiled and patted his sons back. "You know your mother worries about you. She is always saying she wants you to find someone who can take care of you."
Jai looked out the window and froze, seeing a pink dupatta down below fluttering in the breeze. Was it her? Jai froze for a second, looking with utmost curiosity and at the same time making his father wonder what had caught his attention.
Then Jai realized he was being ridiculous. Here he was, at one of the top floors of a building, staring at a girl whose face he couldn't see and assuming it was her.
"Jai? What happened?"
He smiled to himself, then at his father. "Nothing' I need to get some work done."
Uday watched his son make his way back to his desk. Something told him inside that his son had something other than work on his mind. Neither he, nor Krishna, liked to pry. They wanted Jai to be open with them. He knew that eventually his son would fess up as to what was occupying his thoughts. He looked outside, taking a peek at the bus stop in case he had missed something. Shrugging, he left Jai to his work and went off to finish his own.
The clouds had moved away temporarily, and the sun began to peek from the clouds invoking a rainbow in the once gloomy sky. The bus stop seemed less crowded today, because of the lack of the rain that seemed to be falling from the sky. Jai checked his watch, he was a couple minutes earlier than normal.
***
Bani hurried her way towards the bus stop, hoping not to miss the bus. When she reached the stop, she was happy to find that there was a semi-decent crowd, which meant the bus hadn't stopped there. As a few people shuffled about, she noticed Jai standing there reading a paper contently. She made her way through the crowd, not knowing how to start the conversation.
It turned out, she didn't need to. He sensed someone looking at him and when he looked away from his paper he was surprised to see Bani there, with a smile playing on her lips.
"Hi Bani!" Jai said cheerfully.
"Hi," she responded, feeling a little shy. "I mean.. Hi, Jai' how are you?"
"Im doing well," he said unable to hide his grin.
"Listen' I wanted to thank you for the other day. I cant tell you how much you helped me,"
Jai felt a little embarrassed, but smiled, looking down for a second and rubbing the back of his neck. "No problem. Glad I could help."
Bani couldn't help but notice just how cute he looked when he did that. She lost the words for a moment, and it took her a few to recollect herself. "If you don't mind me saying'" Bani bit her lip before continuing. "Im surprised they didn't question it. And you got along so well with my father, he couldn't stop chatting about you for days." She laughed. "Now when they ask about you, I wont know what to tell them. Im going to have to come up with a story to write you out'." Bani said as her voice trailed off. Although she had said it, she felt she couldn't do such a thing.
"Miss Bani, do you always lie to your parents?"
Bani quickly regained her composure and shook her head. "To be honest, I've never done anything like this before. I know I shouldn't have, but why should I have to spend the rest of my life with someone that my parents want, and not me."
Jai nodded, then smiled. "I wont ever forget the look on your parents face when you introduced me,"
Bani laughed, making Jai feel a strange flutter inside. It made him feel' content. He joined in her laughter, and before they even realized, the bus stop was empty.
Bani turned around to see the bus driving away. "Oh my God! Stop! Stop the bus!" She said attempting to run to catch it. But it was too late, the bus had taken a turn and she knew she would just have to wait for the next one. The clouds above thundered loudly and she knew the rain was going to return at any moment. "How did I miss it?!"
Jai's car and driver pulled up in front of him. He dismissed the driver back to the front, and held open the door. "Need a lift?"
Bani smiled and shook her head. "I can wait for the next bus. It shouldn't be long, anyways."
The sky rumbled again and she looked up as the gray clouds began to gather into a dark mass.
"Come- I insist. Its no trouble at all," He said kindly.
Bani hesitated for a moment, then gave in just as she felt the first few drops fall from the sky. She gave her address to his driver and sat back enjoying simple conversation with Jai.
They soon pulled up in front of a home, it looked cozy and comfortable. The driver opened her door and she stepped out, stopping to thank him for the ride. Their eyes met for a moment, and neither said a word. Not Jai, nor Bani could find the courage to muster the words.
Finally, Bani broke her silence. "Thanks for the ride' I appreciate it."
He smiled in return. "It was my pleasure."
Before Bani could say anything else, she heard her father calling from the front. "Jai beta!"
Jai turned his head to see Nishikant walking from the front briskly towards the car. Jai didn't want to be rude and just drive off, especially after having been seen. He stepped out of the car and found himself warmly being greeted by Bani's father and mother who had just noticed the guest that had arrived at their home.
"Namaste, Uncle," Jai said formally.
Bani stood frozen, not realizing that her parents had seen them. She watched as her mother came out as well, with a huge smile on her face.
"You dropped Bani? So nice of you, beta!"
Jai looked at Bani, giving her a knowing grin. "I knew she was just getting out of class, so I thought I would just bring her home. Its really no trouble at all," he said, winking at her. Bani nearly turned tomato red as he gave her that look.
"Come in, join me for a cup of coffee!" Nishikant said gesturing towards the house.
"No, Uncle. Another time, really."
"Nonsense! Come inside!" Nishikant literally pulled Jai by the arm, while Bani followed slowly, partially in shock and partially trying to figure out what to do next.
Jai had to admit, the coffee was a great welcome especially since it had started to pour outside. Bani obediently helped her mother in the kitchen preparing some snacks to be served, while Nishikant and Jai chatted away about the stock market forecasts. They were deep in their conversation when Bani entered carrying a tray of biscuits. Jai's eyes fell on her as she carefully set the tray down. He watched her for a moment, in utter silence, not failing to be noticed by Nishikant.
He was only taken out by the buzzing of his phone, which he quieted quickly.
***
Uday looked at his phone. Why did Jai cut him off again? Shrugging, he dialed the number again.
***
Jai felt his phone buzz again, but didn't want to look rude and take it out to cut the call. Quietly fishing through his pocket, he pressed a button to silence it blindly.
Uday perked up, when he heard the phone being answered. "Hello? Hello!"
The other end of the phone line seemed silent, until he heard some voices.
"Jai, beta. We wanted to talk to you about yours and Bani's engagement," a mans voice came through.
Uday dropped his phone.
***
"What?" Bani said almost shrieking.
"Shh!" Her mother hissed, trying to get her to compose herself. She smiled at Jai, who looked just as dumbstruck as Bani. He cleared his throat, not knowing how to answer.
Kiran nodded to Nishikant. "I mean'Yeh to hona hi tha, right?" Nishikant, asked expectantly.
Not wanting to turn down the kind man, Jai nodded and felt a little warm under the collar. He glanced at Bani, who couldn't meet his eyes. She felt terrible for putting him through this situation and even more so for dragging out this charade for longer than she had intended.
"Uncle, its just that' for me' I mean' My parents. I need to speak to them first," he fumbled for an excuse.
Nishikant looked pleased. "Of course. Why don't you let me give them a call. I would love to speak to them." He searched for a pen and paper and handed it to Jai, with a proud look.
Jai didn't know what got into him, but he scribbled down his house number. After some awkward small talk, Uday insisted that Jai stay for dinner. It was hard for him to refuse. He genuinely liked Bani's father, they seemed to hit it off well much to Bani's surprise.
After dessert, Jai announced he had to head home as his parents were probably wondering why he hadn't returned home just yet. Nishikant and Kiran gave each other a knowing look, in turn embarrassing Bani, and left the two alone.
They stepped out under the porch, with a strange wave of silence between the two of them. Bani felt a cool breeze and rubbed her shoulders, while Jai looked out towards his car which was now drenched by the raindrops.
When she knew that her parents stepped far enough, she turned to him. "Im really sorry for all this. I didn't think it would get so out of hand."
Jai looked at her pensive expression and gave an understanding smile. "Don't worry about it. Im sure we'll figure a way out," he replied confidently.
"We?" Bani asked surprised. Even Jai paused realizing only then what he had said. It was her idea to begin with, but for some reason he couldn't see her take the fall completely. Slowly nodding, he affirmed what he had said.
A thought hit him at that moment. "Oh my God- My number ' I wrote down my house number. If they call my parents-"
Bani stopped him by holding up her hand showing him the paper that he had scribbled the number on. "I took it when Papa wasn't looking'" She said sheepishly.
He smiled then turned to walk towards his car, but paused for a moment and fished for something from his wallet. He took two swift steps towards her and extended his hand, giving her his business card.
"Call me if you need me, any time of day." With that he turned on his heels and rushed to his car, trying to run in between the drops.
Bani looked at him, still holding his card. As he sped off, she looked down at her hand.
'Jai Walia, Walia Group of Industries.'
Bani smiled to herself. 'JW'. She realized she had never known what his full name was. The more she thought about it, the more she realized she barely knew him. But that didn't change the fact that he was so kind, and willing to help her. He didn't question her once as to the full truth of why she was doing all this. He just smiled all the way through. With those thoughts, she retreated back inside, hoping to run to her room without having to face her parents.
************************
tbc....
Please do take the time to leave your feedback... would really appreciate it!
Part 2 Page 3
Part 3 Page 4
Recently, as some of you know, my friend popeye got married :) . We had been chatting and I promised her that for her wedding, I would write a short story for her as a gift... Now, four months after her wedding I have finally completed my gift to her (which she has read and according to her she loved it alot)... Shes been a great friend to me over the past year and so I really had to think to get this story moving. Shes helped me alot with Angel, so much that I dont even consider Angel mine.. but its something that we have worked on together.
My initial thought was to add this into the Monsoon Series as her gift, but its so long.. it wouldnt work!
Im splitting this into three parts, because my SS turned into a 66 page word doc, so its longer than what I had anticipated for it to be...
I hope you enjoy it and I look forward to hearing back from you all :)
Rain, Love... and a Little Fate
Part 1
He hated the rain. He hated the water, seeping through his leather shoes, into his socks and making his walk totally uncomfortable. And this year, the summer monsoons didn't want to let up. Maybe they knew he hated it.
The city was flooded with cars, and now rain. Potholes deep enough to turn into wells had been created all over the city. He couldn't wait for the rains to end.
And to top it off, construction at the front entrance of his office building was preventing all the cars from entering. Why did his dad have to choose the monsoons to be the time to redo the building entrance? Through this pouring rain, he had to step out near the muddy streets and wait for his driver to arrive. The only bright side, if any, was that after walking through the rain, he had a bus stop to stand under.
Today was no different. Holding his briefcase under one arm and clutching his umbrella with both hands, he ran near the bus stop, hoping to avoid the mud puddles on the way. He grumbled when he reached the stop, the day couldn't have gone worse. As much as he tried to avoid the puddles, his socks were still now soaked.
Everything seemed to have gone wrong that day- the meeting he scheduled was cancelled, and that too just before deadline, on top of that the excessive number of paper jams from his printer, the missed faxes, the spilled coffee on his shirt' could anything else possibly go more wrong?
Jai shook his umbrella, shaking off the excess water that had collected. For the past week, he felt almost no use from the stupid thing. No matter how hard he tried, or what angle he held the umbrella, the rain still seemed to hit him. He shook the umbrella again.
"Hey!" Someone gasped.
Closing the umbrella, he saw a young woman dressed in a simple light pink salwaar kameez, holding her hand to up to shield her face from the water he splashed upon her. Her hair was damp, the bottom of her salwaar wet with the dirty water that she had obviously run through. On her cheeks were extra drops of water, apparently left by Jai's vigorous shaking of the umbrella.
"Sorry! I didn't-"
But before he could finish apologizing, the bus pulled up in front of them and she ran towards it, only briefly turning around and giving a smile. She scrambled in so quickly that Jai lost sight of her. But just the look that she gave him, seemed to make him smile for a second. There was a sweetness about it- something so'. Undescribable.
He tried to see the girl again, stand up higher on his toes, but hoards of people seemed to block his view. The bus drove off and he looked at his watch. Just then his driver pulled up, and Jai climbed in, unwilling to stand in the rain any longer than he had.
***
"How many times have I told you not to stand in the rain?" His mother asked, rubbing a towel against his wet hair. Jai smiled with his eyes closed, loving how his mother still pampered him despite him being a full grown adult.
"Cant help it, Maa' My mean old khadoos boss decided that the front of the building needed a facelift." He said, suddenly feeling tired. He wasn't sure if it was the rain itself, his mother massaging his scalp, or just the general tiredness of the day.
Krishna laughed at her son and tapped him lightly on the head. "Your 'mean old khadoos' boss is your father, and my husband."
Jai smiled. He really felt exhausted now- it had been a long few days at the office. But despite all that, her smile haunted him. The brief, millisecond look of happiness from the girl in pink was still vivid in his mind. The moment her smile met his eyes, he felt his tension fade away' he felt lighter.
"Kya soch mein para hai?" His mother asked him teasingly, after seeing Jai had quieted down.
"The same thing you are thinking.." He said yawning.
"About you getting finally married?" She asked excitedly.
"Maa!" He said in shock. "You really weren't thinking that'"
"Of course, I was. I always am. I was just thinking how instead of me taking care of you and drying off your hair, it should be my daughter-in-law doing so." She said laughing.
Jai scowled quietly. "Ok.. ok'"
Krishna sighed softly.
"I will tell you when I'm ready." He said turning around and looking at his mother.
"I know' but don't wait too long. I do want to see my grandchildren before I-"
"Ma'." He stopped her. "You and Dad will, ok? Just not now'" He hated the idea of his parents growing older. They were his world; everything he did was to repay them for taking care of him.
"Accha beta' you go freshen up. I'll heat up some food for you."
Kissing his mom on the cheek, he ran upstairs to his room and just hoped that the next day the rains would stop. Krishna watched her son run up the stairs- proud that he had grown up to become a fine young man.
***
The next day seemed to be better, Jai decided during his last meeting of the day. Thankfully, he chucked the old printer, put his coffee mug at a safer place, and gave a number of meaningful warnings to those that dared to cross his path- only then he got his way. He stepped out of his building, the rain hadn't let up, and the construction of the building entrance was on a standstill due to the rain.
Jai opened his umbrella and made his way towards the gates. The wind suddenly picked up and within moments he saw his umbrella tumbling across the lot before he could catch it. There was almost no point in catching it as the wind had pushed it further away, and as it was he was already soaked.
Readching the bus stop, he brushed off all the excess water he could and waited patiently. Jai sighed deeply, then from the corner of his eye, his gaze fell upon a girl who had just run under the stop for some shelter from the pouring rains. It was her- the same girl from yesterday.
She breathed heavily as she used the edge of her dupatta to dry off her face as best she could. But something told her she was being watched. Looking up, she saw a pair of brown eyes rested upon her, as if they were trying to recognize her. It took her a moment, but she realized that she had seen him the day before- the umbrella man, this time without his trusty sidekick in his hands.
Jai cleared his throat, wanting to apologize for the day before. Afterall, he would like to think that his parents instilled some values within him. "Excuse me- Miss?"
"Sir, your car," A male voice called. Jai turned to see his driver standing there holding an umbrella for Jai to walk under to his car. By the time he turned around, he saw the girl running towards the bus, just as he had seen the day before.
Jai shook his head. The one time his driver decided to make it somewhat on time. He realized that he would probably never be able to apologize to the girl, and shrugged his shoulders before rushing into his car.
***
Surprisingly, on the third day, he was again at the bus stop amidst the pouring rain.
His mind was deciphering the boilerplate contract that had been given to them, feeling like it was written in some foreign language, and not on the rain that was pouring just as it had the previous two days. A hoard of people suddenly seemed to fill up the bus stand, everyone trying to gain shelter. He hated this stop with all his might. It was packed like sardines in the tiny area, Jai struggling not to drop his briefcase and cursing his driver for never arriving early enough to pick him up.
"Bani!" A female voice called. Jai looked up, not knowing why he would when it was someone elses name being called. His eyes fell upon a tall and thin girl with glasses waving her arm around like a madwoman. "Bani! Over here!"
"Im trying, Di! There are just so many people!" A sweet voice replied back from amongst the crowd.
Jai couldn't figure out why, but he looked in their direction wanting to see who the angelic voice belonged to. He spotted a young woman standing next to the girl with the glasses. The bus pulled up, but the girl in his vision was searching for hadn't moved, waiting for the crowd to ease up before they entered the bus.
A man in a brown jacket, seemed to be popping his head every time Jai tried to sneak a peek. Finally, he moved leaving a clear path to see the girl, but this time could only see her back.
He squinted, subconsciously willing to turn around. A horn honked on the street, and the girl turned to see where it had come from. To his surprise, it was the same girl. Her cheeks were the same rosy pink, accentuated by the red of her dupatta.
She smiled as the girl with the glasses, held her arm and pulled her towards the bus, leaving Jai all alone in the once crowded stand.
"Bani'" He said whispering her name quietly. The girl turned around once before stepping into the bus, looking over the crowd quietly. Jai smiled to himself. What were the chances that he saw her again at this crowded bus stand? He stepped out as he saw his driver pull up in front.
***
Jai walked in his house whistling, his mother easily noticing the happy mood despite being damp from the rain.
"Kya baat hai, Jai? You seem really happy today, even after being in the rain. Something happened?" She said looking up from her book, and setting down her glasses.
"Nothing happened, Ma. Just in a good mood," He said giving her a warm hug before he plopped on the sofa next to her.
"Hmmm did you meet someone?" She asked her son, while her eyes twinkled jovially.
"Again, Maa?" He said laughing.
"Waise, Meera called again, asking for you. I told her you were busy and to call another day," Krishna stated proudly.
Jai cringed. His mother knew his dislike for Meera. She had been after him for quite sometime, and it was hard to get her away as their dads were business partners. Thankfully his mother wasn't too fond of the girl either and was glad to make any excuse for her to stay away from him. He laughed and Krishna laughed alongside for a moment, then her face turned serious suddenly.
"Get up!" She screamed at him.
"What? What happened?" He asked wondering what changed her mood.
"You're ruining the sofa! Go change your clothes before you get it more wet, and before you catch pneumonia!" She said pushing him off.
Jai chuckled as he headed upstairs with his briefcase.
Later that night, he sat in bed with his files later that night, staring at the words, but not reading at all. He couldn't get her smile out of his mind.
Tossing the file aside, he shut off the lamp and closed his eyes. Maybe he was catching pneumonia with these random thoughts.
***
Jai watched as people trickled into the bus stand, avoiding the rain. The rain was lighter than it had been the day before, but still heavy enough to be soaked after some time. Jai hardly noticed his wet socks this time, his eyes were too busy searching.
Something made him curious about her- he wanted to see her- he wanted to see Bani. His eyes searched but as long as he waited, he couldn't find her. Checking the time, he knew his car would arrive at any moment, but still she hadn't shown.
Laughing at himself for expecting a total stranger to show up to the bus stand, where hundreds of people stood each day in anticipation of a ride, he peeked around the corner waiting for his car. He didn't know her, just recently finding out her name that too by accident, but other than that he didn't know anything else. Not if she was married, or her age- just how beautiful she was, and how angelic her voice. Jai mused to himself as the car showed up, shaking his head.
***
"Still working?" He asked his father, who was still sitting in his cabin. It was late into the evening- and Jai had stayed about two hours back in the office to finish pending work.
"Just a conference call Im waiting for from some overseas business," Uday Walia explained to his son. "You go on home- its already late and Im sure your mother is wondering where we are."
Jai smiled. "I think you better come home at a decent hour today. She's been taking it out me, instead of you! I know she put extra spice in my food to make me cry." He said laughing.
Uday smiled and nodded. "You tell your mom I will be home earlier tonight."
He bid his father good-bye and braved the puddles. The rain had let up for the time being, but he was sure that it would be short-lived given the clouds that were looming overhead. Thunder rolled in the distance, as he waited for his driver to arrive. He was the lone one under the bus stand, as it seemed everyone rushed home before the rain started. Staring at the clouds above, he didn't even realize when he was no longer alone.
"Acchoo!"
"Bless you," He said automatically, shifting his gaze from the gloomy skies to the girl that was standing next to him.
He nearly stopped breathing for a moment, when he saw her. Bani.
"Thanks'" She muttered, sniffling a bit.
He opened his mouth, finally mustering the courage after a few minutes to apologize for the umbrella water he unknowingly sprayed upon her, but was stopped when a car whizzed by quickly, rolling over a pothole.
He yelped and she screamed simultaneously, and after a moment realized that they were both covered in the muddy water, which splashed from the speeding car.
"Hey!" Jai yelled out after the car. He watched as the car turned, not bothering to stop after messing their clothing.
He turned around seeing the pretty girl trying to wipe the mud off her arms and face, with a grumpy expression.
"Are you ok?" He asked.
"Im fine'" She replied in a dejected tone before sniffling again. She said indicating to the once deep blue tone of the fabric. "It seems to be everywhere."
"Yeah' its beautiful on you'" he said under his breath.
"Excuse me?"
"Huh? Oh.. Nothing..." He said looking at his own jacket. "I' Uh.. It looks like its going to rain again."
She looked up wearily, nodding. The rain had already caused such a mess and it was getting more difficult with the waterfilled roads to get home.
He snickered a bit, realizing their situation, and she looked at him curiously as to why he was laughing. She felt lighter and a soft smile broke out on her face. Soon she was laughing, too, realizing the hilarity of the situation. He reached in his pocket, pulling out a handkerchief so she could wipe the mud off of her face. She looked at him hesitatingly, but quietly took it into her petite hand, not looking up at him. She slowly wiped off her face, but before she could return it back to him, she saw him stepping into his car, giving her a light smile before he sat down. She looked at the cloth in her hand and smiled. The corner had a simple midnight blue 'JW' embroidered onto it, and she could tell it was a pristine white before she had dirtied it with the mud.
The bus pulled up in front of her and she stepped in taking her seat, still clutching the handkerchief.
When he arrived home that night, his mother was horrified to see the mess on his clothes, cribbing about her grown up son who still hadn't lost the habit of playing in the mud. He cheered her up by informing her that his dad would not be working late that night, then hopped upstairs whistling, leaving his mom to wonder why he was so happy when he hated the rain.
***
Bani entered her house, feeling like nothing but a hot shower would take away everything that happened that day. The whole day was terrible- and thankfully her parents were out. They had woken her up pestering her about another 'rishta' that had come for her. She didn't want to meet the guy let alone marry him, but her parents were insisting at least for one meeting. After a long drawn out fight with them, she headed off to college, only to realize she left her term paper on her desk at home and her professor was unhappy with her, and then she was splashed with mud. On top of that she had come down with a cold, which is why she had skipped college the day before.
The only highlight was that strange man, who without cracking any sort of joke, made her laugh it all off. She took out the half dried handkerchief from her purse, wanting to clean it back to its normal state. Her mind couldn't help but wander back to him -he looked vaguely familiar, maybe she had seen him before? Then again, this was Mumbai. The chances of her seeing someone more than once was unlikely. She wondered for a moment whether she would be able to return his possession back to him again. She smiled, then grabbed a fresh set of clothes before heading off to relax under the hot water.
****
The rain continued through the next day, pouring like cats and dogs, causing the streets to be more congested due to the slower pace of the cars. The clouds darkened the evening sky even more, masking the sun from sharing the little light that was left for the day. It seemed that now since night was falling people were scrambling to stay home. It was empty, unlike the other days, as the rush hour had passed.
Bani reached the bus stop later than her usual time and rubbed her shoulders trying to warm herself up. The rains had cooled the warmer temperature, but after just recovering from a cold, the last thing she wanted was to be soaked. She could hear the rumbling skies, and she hoped that the bus would arrive sooner than the rain.
Moving her hands up and down her shoulders, she tried to keep whatever warmth she had generated, but it seemed like a loosing battle. Her eyes fell upon a family rushing towards a taxi, the father scrambling to hold both children in his arms and an umbrella in his hand, while trying to shield his entire family from the rain. She smiled, loving how protective he seemed of all of them.
A man ran up to the stand, using a newspaper to shield himself from the rain. As he moved the paper, Bani couldn't help but look at him. It was him! The same man from the mudsplashing. He was dressed nicely, in fact too nice to be standing in a bus stand. Running his hand through his wet hair, he caught her looking at him. She quickly averted her gaze and looked elsewhere.
His stomach did a flutter. It was her. He smiled to himself, wondering how he got to see her at this bus stand nearly everyday, at the same time wondering how fatuous his thoughts were.
Remembering something, she quickly dug through her bag and pulled out a neatly folded white cloth, with the 'JW' clearly showing.
"I almost didn't recognize you without the mud on your face." She said in a quiet, yet happy tone. She extended her hand to him, holding out the handkerchief. He looked at her briefly, looking at her soft brown eyes, before blindly reaching up and holding the edge of his rumaal.
"Thanks'" he muttered, not taking his eyes away from her. She bit her lip and looked away shyly, and he realized that he was probably making her feel awkward, so he took the hankie, stuffed it in his pocket, and looked out at the street- but not without a smile on his face.
It was the two of them under the bus stand for a few minutes, with the silence between them masked by the pitter pattering of the rain around them. But it wasn't awkward. In fact it was soothing. He looked at her from the corner of his eye and smiled, feeling mildly self conscious. He did want to say something to her, he wanted to apologize. But given his track record of attempts, he didn't want her to run off in the middle of his apology.
She felt like he was looking at her, but everytime she snuck a glance, he seemed to be looking up at the clouds with a hint of a grin on his face. She wanted to thank him for letting her use his handkerchief, but for once in her life she didn't know how to start the conversation.
"Jai Sir?" A man in a white uniform called out. She looked at him as she glanced back at her with the same subtle smile and ran off to his car.
Jai turned around and saw his driver there, wishing for once that he was late as usual. Feeling flustered and awkward if he started a conversation, he followed the driver to the car as Bani looked on.
"JW'. Jai'." She said to herself with a smile. The bus pulled up and she hopped in happy to be on her way home after the long day.
***
"But you should meet him again, Beta!" Her mother argued with her late the next morning. She plopped herself into the chair, waiting for a response from her angry daughter. "He's so intelligent!"
"I don't want to! I have no interest in the 'scientist' you think is so wonderful! Have you seen him? His shirt is tucked into the pants that are clearly too short for him! And his glasses are thick enough to be bullet proof!" She said clearly annoyed.
Rano let out a giggle, as she quietly watched the fiasco. Her Chacha and Chachi gave her a look and she quieted down. They were clearly not amused.
"Pushkar is a very nice man. You really should give him a chance." Her father stated in a quiet tone.
"But Papa, I did meet him! The man was too scared to even talk to me! I think it was his first time ever talking to a girl. I was the one who was talking the whole time. He kept answering in monosyllables and stuttering, like I was going to hurt him or something. Do you really want me to marry a wimp?" She asked batting her eyes at her father. "Or someone who can take care of me?"
"Kiran, shes right." Nishikant said softly.
"Oh, you always take her side. You just cant say no to her, can you?" Kiran said shooting her husband a glance.
Bani indicated to Rano to slip out quickly while they still had the chance. Grabbing her bag, she quickly shuffled out of the house before anyone could stop her.
***
Bani dug into her delectable plate of noodles at her favorite Chinese Restaurant. When she had returned home that afternoon, Bani's mother had informed her they would be going out to dinner. The meal was quiet and normal, with her parents making small talk as Bani happily ate the noodles she loved so much, as if she hadn't eaten for a whole year.
After some odd silence, she looked up to see her mother giving her father a stern look. Swallowing the overfilled bite she had taken, she looked at her father questioningly.
"Whats wrong?"
"Beta, your mom and I have had a few discussions about' Pushkar. She feels.. I mean..we feel, that you should meet him again'" Nishikant looked at his wife for reassurance, who gave a firm nod in return.
Bani just about dropped her chopsticks upon hearing what they were talking to her about. "But Papa'"
"No, buts this time." Kiran said firmly, knowing that her husband would give into their daughters pleas. "Unless you have someone else in mind, you will meet Pushkar again, and that's final!"
"But I did!"
"Yes, but what can you tell by meeting someone only once? Its decided. You will meet him."
Bani was at a loss for words, putting her napkin down on the table and looking around trying to search for an answer. There was no way, absolutely NO way she wanted meet Pushkar again, let alone spend the rest of her life with him. She knew her mother was watching her, and her father looking down at his food, not wanting to break his princess's heart.
"Excuse me'" Bani muttered as she pushed her chair back and stormed towards the ladies room.
"Bani'" Her father called after her, but she had walked away, hearing her mother sternly respond to him. "Don't worry.. she will be back. You eat."
***
Bani splashed some water on her face, wanting to calm herself down. Why couldn't her parents understand? She never denied that Pushkar was a nice guy, but not the type of guy she imagined spending the rest of her life with. Everything she thought about it, she saw the two of them sitting at home doing math problems in their heads for fun for the rest of her life. She shuddered at the thought. There had to be some way. Pulling out her cell phone, she called Rano, hoping that maybe she would have an idea of how to get out of this sticky situation.
"Pick up, Di'." Bani said nervously. She shut her phone when she received Rano's voicemail. "Ive got to do something' I don't want to end up with Pushkar'." Knowing she had been away from the table long enough, and not wanting her parents to send out a search party, she reluctantly pushed the door to the ladies room and headed towards her table.
***
Jai felt bored as he sat with his father and some colleagues at a business dinner. He would have much preferred to go home and take a long hot shower, or even hit the gym, but his dad insisted he attended this meeting to give some input. He loved working, he couldn't deny that, but somehow lately.. it all seemed so mundane. He missed excitement in his life, and not just the thrill of helping his dad run their business' a different kind of excitement.
"Jai' whats the matter?" His father asked him quietly. "Why aren't you saying anything?"
"Nothing.. I just' I need some fresh air'" He muttered back. "Excuse me.."
Jai tried to step outside, but he realized when he reached the glass doors that it was pouring outside. "Not even a minute to myself'" He said grumbling.
He turned to walk back to his seat, realizing he couldn't just wander about the restaurant when he bumped into someone who was walking without realizing where she was heading.
"Oops!" He said holding on to her waist so she wouldn't fall.
"I-Im so sorry!" The woman moved the hair that had curtained her face and looked up at him surprised for a moment.
"Its ok'" He said softly. He studied her eyes and she too looked at him with an odd sense of familiarity.
It took her a moment to register who he was, until she recalled his beautiful brown eyes from the bus stop. It couldn't be.. could it? It was! It was him'
"I know you' You're from the bus stop'" He said cautiously. But he knew he was right, it could only be the same girl with those beautiful deep brown eyes.
"Jai'" Bani responded, not thinking about blurting out his name.
"How did you' know my name?" He looked at her curiously.
Bani tried to conjure up an answer when her eyes caught sight of her parents, especially her father, who was looking in her direction. A light went off in head and she looked at him, wondering if he would give in.
"Can you do me a huge favor?" Bani asked quickly.
He smirked. Maybe the evening wouldn't be so dull after all.
***
"So you want me to lie to your parents that we've been seeing each other'" Jai felt mildly amused as she led him to towards her table, lightly holding his arm.
"Not lie' just pretend?" She said trying not to make it sound so bad. "Look. I know it may not the brightest idea in the world, and I know that we don't know each other and you are probably wondering who this crazy girl is, but please' just go with it?" She asked sweetly. "And if you think about it, its not a total lie. We have seen each other more than once at the bus stop'"
"Ok'" He said with a nod.
"I know.. I know it sounds completely off the wall and ridiculous especially because we are total strangers, but just this one tiny favor. I'll tell them afterwards and I promise I'll repay you in any way I can. I just need to get my parents off my back for sometime, and I cant think of any other way."
Jai smiled. "No problem' Bani."
"Wait' How did you know my name?" She asked him surprised. He leaned in inches away from her face, with a soft smile. Tapping her nose with his forefinger lightly, he grinned. "Same way you know mine.."
Feeling a little awestruck and oddly not discomforted by the fact he knew her name, they reached the table where her parents were eagerly awaiting her return and an explanation on who this strange man was. Bani held on to the edge of her dupatta, twisting it nervously in her fingers. "Mom, you know how you asked if I had someone else in mind' Well... this is'umm'Jai."
Her mother and father looked at her dumbfounded.
"Pleasure to finally meet you, Sir." Jai said politely, holding out his hand.
"You too'" Nishikant responded somehow in a state of shock.
Dinner was awkward for Bani, as she constantly gave Jai nervous glances while trying to maintain a calm demeanor. She avoided any and all eye contact from her mother fearing she wouldn't believe them.
But somehow her father bought it rather easily and seemed to be enjoying Jai's company as they discussed topics ranging from business to politics. He was thoroughly impressed. Sometime later, Jai's phone rang and he checked the ID to see his father's number flashing. Feeling bad, he cut the call leaving his poor old dad wondering where his son had run off to.
Uday looked at his phone wondering why it was cut and redialed the number. Again the number was cut. Jai had been missing for some time, but without a doubt he knew his son was fine. Their dinner concluded as Uday covered the bill, and he headed towards the door, when his eyes caught his son sitting at another table with some people he didn't recognize.
He eyed his son sitting next to the girl and the way he looked at her. A familiar twinkle in Jai's eyes, just as he had when he had first met Krishna. A smile formed on his face, and inside he forgave his son for leaving the table, especially if it were for this reason. He watched them for a few moments, when the girls parents got up from the table to leave.
***
"Jai beta, it was a pleasure meeting you! You're a fine young man. Im surprised Bani hadn't mentioned you before," Nishikant said giving his daughter a look.
"Papa'" Bani said, trying to stop her father from embarrassing her.
Her father chuckled and shook Jai's hand. "Beta, we'll be waiting at the car for you. Jai, you should stop by the house one of these days, bring your parents as well."
Jai shot Bani a surprised glance, and politely nodded with an amused smile to Nishikant. After bidding goodbye to her mother, the two of them were left alone at the table, while Nishikant and Kiran walked out the door, not noticing an elderly man watching them.
"Bani really proved me wrong today. Im proud of her choice!"
"As am I' but isn't it strange she never introduced him or mentioned him to us before?"
"Kiran, stop speculating' if he is the one she wants to marry, I have no objections'" Nishikant replied as they stepped out of the restaurant.
Uday was rooted at his spot as he heard the couple talking. Was that his son they were talking about? His son was getting married and he didn't know it? Uday knew something didn't seem right. His son was more of a friend to him, they never kept anything from each other, and to keep such a big thing a secret was unlike Jai. Still he knew he couldn't expect his son to bring up such a topic so easily, it was a life decision afterall. Looking at his son gaze at the beautiful young woman with a warmth in his eyes made him forget all the looming questions and he and walked out of the restaurant with a smile on his face and some excitement to tell his wife what he had just witnessed.
***
"My Jai' is getting married. My son?" Krishna asked her husband repeatedly.
"Correction. Our son. And yes' That's exactly what I heard!"
"But he never said anything! I ask him nearly every day when he will get married and not once has he mentioned having some girl in mind. Wait- its not Meera, is it?"
Uday chuckled. "No, its not Meera. She was beautiful though. Reminded me of when I first met you."
Krishna sulked, despite her husband trying to be romantic. "Still this doesn't make sense. Why would Jai hide something so big?" She felt bad. Being his mother, and close to both his parents it was unlike Jai to hide such details of his life.
"Maybe hes too nervous to tell us about her," Uday said trying to reason.
"But he's introduced us to his girlfriends before'"
"Maybe there's something about her that's different." Uday suggested. "He was having dinner with her and her parents.."
"He met her parents and he hasn't said anything?! Well, I wont say anything. I will let Jai tell me for himself. Im his mother after all!" Krishna said confidently, as she heard a car door slam in the front.
As her son walked in the door, Krishna watched him expectantly, with a smile on her face knowing that her Jai would tell everything to his parents.
"Dad, you left the restaurant without me!"
Uday struggled for a moment, but quickly recuperated. "I tried calling you and you didn't pick up, so I assume you had left' where were you?"
"I, uh' I was just taking a walk around the premises. Needed some fresh air." Jai tried to avoid contact with his dad. Glancing at his mom, he noticed a strange look on her face, as if she was expecting him to continue with the story.
"Whats the matter, Ma?"
"Huh? Oh nothing' how are you? Whats new with you, beta?" Krishna asked, her eyes twinkling with excitement.
"Nothing.. same old stuff I suppose," Jai said nonchalantly.
"Nothing new at all?" She prodded slightly.
Jai gave her an awkward look and shook his head. "Nope Just a bit tired from work today. Its been a long day.." Checking his watch, he realized he needed to get up early in the morning and it was already later than he expected. "Im off to bed' long day tomorrow. Goodnight!" He kissed his mom on the cheek and gave his dad a pat on the shoulder before he headed upstairs, leaving a very disappointed couple in the drawing room.
"Are you sure that's what you heard?" Krishna asked meekly as her son disappeared out of sight.
"Positive.." Uday said despondently.
"Then why would he not tell us about her?"
"He will' Im sure he will. Come, its getting late."
Feeling dejected, the two turned in for the night hoping their son would come out with his big secret the next day.
***
Bani found it hard to sleep that night. She tossed and turned, trying to fall asleep with the sound of the rain hitting her window, but it was impossible. Her father really liked Jai, they got along so well. And she couldn't at all figure out what it was about him that made her feel so comfortable. She would have never imagined asking a total stranger for such a favor, but she had the inkling that she could trust him. Hugging her pillow, she stared out at the falling raindrops, wondering why Jai had taken over her thoughts.
What made him so special? What made his eyes make her want to stare into them longer? And most of all what made her feel comfortable around him? Would she ever find the answers to her questions? She bit her lip and sighed deeply. She was just being silly now. There was never a guaranteed she would see him again' afterall Mumbai was a big city.
***
Jai hopped down the stairs, adjusting his tie as he headed towards the breakfast table where his parents were already seated.
"Good morning!" He said cheerfully. He hardly slept a wink that night, but somehow his mood was uplifted and he was quite awake and energized.
"Good morning, beta!" His mother said happily. She picked up a slice of toast and buttered it for him as he took the financial section of the paper and skimmed through it. She glanced at Uday, who nodded- urging her to speak. "Sleep well?"
"Very!" He said happily. He paused for a moment, wondering to himself why he suddenly sounded so excited. Clearing his throat, he casually took a sip of his coffee and continued to read his paper.
Krishna eyed her son. "Beta, the least you could have done is match your tie with your suit."
"That's what you are here for, Maa' to tell me," he said cheekily as he loosened his perfectly knotted tie.
"No, that's what your wife should be telling you'" She joked. Jai looked at her, somehow recalling the events of the night before. He turned back to his paper, trying not to give anything away' It wasn't anything to begin with. Just a favor for a girl.. a very beautiful girl, for that matter.
"So anything 'new' you want to share with us?"
Jai looked up at his mother strangely. "Nothings changed from last night to this morning'" He said trying to figure what his mother was getting at. He quickly ate his breakfast and refastened his tie, deciding he didn't have time to change it. "I better run. I'll be home late! Bye!" He said as he rushed out the door.
Krishna felt sad as she put her fork down. Uday felt her sadness and touched her hand softly. "Maybe I did mishear. Maybe they were talking about something else."
"But you were so sure! You said the way he looked at her'" She couldn't finish her sentence.
Uday nodded, understanding what she was getting at. "I know.. I thought so, too' Come lets go out for a bit. I'll go to the office later. Just you and me, without the kabab mein haddi'"
Krishna laughed at his reference to Jai. "Don't talk about my son like that!" She said swatting his hand lightly.
"Exactly- hes your son," Uday chuckled.
***
Jai stared out the window for sometime, twisting the pen in his hand, not listening to the man who was speaking to him over the speakerphone.
"Hello? Hello is anyone there?"
"Oh! Sorry, yes.. Look, can I call you back later? Thanks'" Jai said and ended the call immediately.
He sat back in his chair, his head against the soft leather headrest. He couldn't figure out why he couldn't concentrate today. Standing up, he walked towards the window and gazed over the bustling city. He closed his eyes for a second, and there she was. Bani, with her beautiful smile and twinkling eyes. He opened them quickly, and looked around, running his fingers through his hair.
"Whats the matter?"
Jai turned around to find his father standing at the doorway, his hands folded across his chest and a mischievous smile on his face.
"Nothing.. couldn't concentrate. I don't even know who I cut off on the phone," Jai admitted and shifted his eyes back over the city.
"You have seemed to have a difficult time concentrating lately.. Anything wrong?" Uday peered at his son, who was intently looking outside near the front of the Walia Towers. He followed his son's gaze which seemed to be near the bus stop at the front entrance.
"No' nothing is wrong," Jai said quietly.
"Someone.. or maybe someone' on you mind?"
"Are you and mom feeling ok? " Jai asked curiously. "You two have been acting strange since last night."
Uday smiled and patted his sons back. "You know your mother worries about you. She is always saying she wants you to find someone who can take care of you."
Jai looked out the window and froze, seeing a pink dupatta down below fluttering in the breeze. Was it her? Jai froze for a second, looking with utmost curiosity and at the same time making his father wonder what had caught his attention.
Then Jai realized he was being ridiculous. Here he was, at one of the top floors of a building, staring at a girl whose face he couldn't see and assuming it was her.
"Jai? What happened?"
He smiled to himself, then at his father. "Nothing' I need to get some work done."
Uday watched his son make his way back to his desk. Something told him inside that his son had something other than work on his mind. Neither he, nor Krishna, liked to pry. They wanted Jai to be open with them. He knew that eventually his son would fess up as to what was occupying his thoughts. He looked outside, taking a peek at the bus stop in case he had missed something. Shrugging, he left Jai to his work and went off to finish his own.
The clouds had moved away temporarily, and the sun began to peek from the clouds invoking a rainbow in the once gloomy sky. The bus stop seemed less crowded today, because of the lack of the rain that seemed to be falling from the sky. Jai checked his watch, he was a couple minutes earlier than normal.
***
Bani hurried her way towards the bus stop, hoping not to miss the bus. When she reached the stop, she was happy to find that there was a semi-decent crowd, which meant the bus hadn't stopped there. As a few people shuffled about, she noticed Jai standing there reading a paper contently. She made her way through the crowd, not knowing how to start the conversation.
It turned out, she didn't need to. He sensed someone looking at him and when he looked away from his paper he was surprised to see Bani there, with a smile playing on her lips.
"Hi Bani!" Jai said cheerfully.
"Hi," she responded, feeling a little shy. "I mean.. Hi, Jai' how are you?"
"Im doing well," he said unable to hide his grin.
"Listen' I wanted to thank you for the other day. I cant tell you how much you helped me,"
Jai felt a little embarrassed, but smiled, looking down for a second and rubbing the back of his neck. "No problem. Glad I could help."
Bani couldn't help but notice just how cute he looked when he did that. She lost the words for a moment, and it took her a few to recollect herself. "If you don't mind me saying'" Bani bit her lip before continuing. "Im surprised they didn't question it. And you got along so well with my father, he couldn't stop chatting about you for days." She laughed. "Now when they ask about you, I wont know what to tell them. Im going to have to come up with a story to write you out'." Bani said as her voice trailed off. Although she had said it, she felt she couldn't do such a thing.
"Miss Bani, do you always lie to your parents?"
Bani quickly regained her composure and shook her head. "To be honest, I've never done anything like this before. I know I shouldn't have, but why should I have to spend the rest of my life with someone that my parents want, and not me."
Jai nodded, then smiled. "I wont ever forget the look on your parents face when you introduced me,"
Bani laughed, making Jai feel a strange flutter inside. It made him feel' content. He joined in her laughter, and before they even realized, the bus stop was empty.
Bani turned around to see the bus driving away. "Oh my God! Stop! Stop the bus!" She said attempting to run to catch it. But it was too late, the bus had taken a turn and she knew she would just have to wait for the next one. The clouds above thundered loudly and she knew the rain was going to return at any moment. "How did I miss it?!"
Jai's car and driver pulled up in front of him. He dismissed the driver back to the front, and held open the door. "Need a lift?"
Bani smiled and shook her head. "I can wait for the next bus. It shouldn't be long, anyways."
The sky rumbled again and she looked up as the gray clouds began to gather into a dark mass.
"Come- I insist. Its no trouble at all," He said kindly.
Bani hesitated for a moment, then gave in just as she felt the first few drops fall from the sky. She gave her address to his driver and sat back enjoying simple conversation with Jai.
They soon pulled up in front of a home, it looked cozy and comfortable. The driver opened her door and she stepped out, stopping to thank him for the ride. Their eyes met for a moment, and neither said a word. Not Jai, nor Bani could find the courage to muster the words.
Finally, Bani broke her silence. "Thanks for the ride' I appreciate it."
He smiled in return. "It was my pleasure."
Before Bani could say anything else, she heard her father calling from the front. "Jai beta!"
Jai turned his head to see Nishikant walking from the front briskly towards the car. Jai didn't want to be rude and just drive off, especially after having been seen. He stepped out of the car and found himself warmly being greeted by Bani's father and mother who had just noticed the guest that had arrived at their home.
"Namaste, Uncle," Jai said formally.
Bani stood frozen, not realizing that her parents had seen them. She watched as her mother came out as well, with a huge smile on her face.
"You dropped Bani? So nice of you, beta!"
Jai looked at Bani, giving her a knowing grin. "I knew she was just getting out of class, so I thought I would just bring her home. Its really no trouble at all," he said, winking at her. Bani nearly turned tomato red as he gave her that look.
"Come in, join me for a cup of coffee!" Nishikant said gesturing towards the house.
"No, Uncle. Another time, really."
"Nonsense! Come inside!" Nishikant literally pulled Jai by the arm, while Bani followed slowly, partially in shock and partially trying to figure out what to do next.
Jai had to admit, the coffee was a great welcome especially since it had started to pour outside. Bani obediently helped her mother in the kitchen preparing some snacks to be served, while Nishikant and Jai chatted away about the stock market forecasts. They were deep in their conversation when Bani entered carrying a tray of biscuits. Jai's eyes fell on her as she carefully set the tray down. He watched her for a moment, in utter silence, not failing to be noticed by Nishikant.
He was only taken out by the buzzing of his phone, which he quieted quickly.
***
Uday looked at his phone. Why did Jai cut him off again? Shrugging, he dialed the number again.
***
Jai felt his phone buzz again, but didn't want to look rude and take it out to cut the call. Quietly fishing through his pocket, he pressed a button to silence it blindly.
Uday perked up, when he heard the phone being answered. "Hello? Hello!"
The other end of the phone line seemed silent, until he heard some voices.
"Jai, beta. We wanted to talk to you about yours and Bani's engagement," a mans voice came through.
Uday dropped his phone.
***
"What?" Bani said almost shrieking.
"Shh!" Her mother hissed, trying to get her to compose herself. She smiled at Jai, who looked just as dumbstruck as Bani. He cleared his throat, not knowing how to answer.
Kiran nodded to Nishikant. "I mean'Yeh to hona hi tha, right?" Nishikant, asked expectantly.
Not wanting to turn down the kind man, Jai nodded and felt a little warm under the collar. He glanced at Bani, who couldn't meet his eyes. She felt terrible for putting him through this situation and even more so for dragging out this charade for longer than she had intended.
"Uncle, its just that' for me' I mean' My parents. I need to speak to them first," he fumbled for an excuse.
Nishikant looked pleased. "Of course. Why don't you let me give them a call. I would love to speak to them." He searched for a pen and paper and handed it to Jai, with a proud look.
Jai didn't know what got into him, but he scribbled down his house number. After some awkward small talk, Uday insisted that Jai stay for dinner. It was hard for him to refuse. He genuinely liked Bani's father, they seemed to hit it off well much to Bani's surprise.
After dessert, Jai announced he had to head home as his parents were probably wondering why he hadn't returned home just yet. Nishikant and Kiran gave each other a knowing look, in turn embarrassing Bani, and left the two alone.
They stepped out under the porch, with a strange wave of silence between the two of them. Bani felt a cool breeze and rubbed her shoulders, while Jai looked out towards his car which was now drenched by the raindrops.
When she knew that her parents stepped far enough, she turned to him. "Im really sorry for all this. I didn't think it would get so out of hand."
Jai looked at her pensive expression and gave an understanding smile. "Don't worry about it. Im sure we'll figure a way out," he replied confidently.
"We?" Bani asked surprised. Even Jai paused realizing only then what he had said. It was her idea to begin with, but for some reason he couldn't see her take the fall completely. Slowly nodding, he affirmed what he had said.
A thought hit him at that moment. "Oh my God- My number ' I wrote down my house number. If they call my parents-"
Bani stopped him by holding up her hand showing him the paper that he had scribbled the number on. "I took it when Papa wasn't looking'" She said sheepishly.
He smiled then turned to walk towards his car, but paused for a moment and fished for something from his wallet. He took two swift steps towards her and extended his hand, giving her his business card.
"Call me if you need me, any time of day." With that he turned on his heels and rushed to his car, trying to run in between the drops.
Bani looked at him, still holding his card. As he sped off, she looked down at her hand.
'Jai Walia, Walia Group of Industries.'
Bani smiled to herself. 'JW'. She realized she had never known what his full name was. The more she thought about it, the more she realized she barely knew him. But that didn't change the fact that he was so kind, and willing to help her. He didn't question her once as to the full truth of why she was doing all this. He just smiled all the way through. With those thoughts, she retreated back inside, hoping to run to her room without having to face her parents.
************************
tbc....
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Part 2 Page 3
Part 3 Page 4
