FF:Forces of Love: Ch 5 Updated (02/05/2010) - Page 5

'Now, Bani, you mustn't monopolize Mr.Walia,' Reeva Aunty's throaty voice oozed sweetness. 'I'm sure there are many other people here whom he would like to meet. Remember always, Bani, that it's good manners to circulate at a party. That way no one ever gets bored with your brand of conversation. Don't you agree, Mr. Walia?'

While Bani cringed over the poor wilted bouquet, Jai had risen politely to his feet. He regarded Reeva Aunty with cold eyes.

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'No, I don't,' he said curtly. 'Bani and I have had a most interesting conversation. I'd like to continue it and I want very much to drive her back to town, but so far I've been unable to persuade her to come with me. I wonder if you'd be good enough to assure her that I'm sober, in my right mind and come from a highly respectable and respected family?'

The devil! The infuriating devil! What did he think he was doing? Now she was sure to receive a lecture from Reeva Aunty on how not to treat an honoured and respected guest. Her sea-blue eyes flashed angrily and her dark hair flared out as she swung around to face him. But on meeting his steady gaze the hot words which trembled on her lips remained unsaid, and to her amazement she heard Reeva Aunty saying,

'How could you think such things, Bani? Of course you must go with Mr. Walia. I can certainly vouch for his respectability. But must you leave so soon, Mr. Walia? Chetan and I were hoping that you would come back to our home for dinner. Bani could come too, after all she is one of the family, and you could take her up to town later.'

'Thank you for the invitation, but I'm afraid I can't stay any longer. I've promised to meet some business acquaintances tonight. It's my only chance to see them, because I'm off to Germany in the morning,' replied Jay coolly.

'So disappointing,' cooed Reeva Aunty, 'but I understand. Perhaps next time your own this way. Just give Chetan a ring. We'd be delighted to see you. Now are you quite sure you want to take Bani? She can always go back by train, you know.'

But he was quite sure, and once again Bani was conscious of being swept along by an irresistible force. This time it swept her through farewells to her uncle and her cousins, out of the inn and into a dashing dark green car which soon was nosing its way through the village out onto a road which wound between leafy hedgerows and past pale stone farmhouses.

'We'll have dinner in town,' said Jai crisply. 'Will that suit you?'

'I wonder you bother to consult me,' she returned tartly, and he chuckled.

'I guess I hustled you a bit, but I knew that the time had come for me to leave and I had a feeling you didn't want to stay much longer. Was I right?'

'Yes,' she admitted with a sigh. 'You like to be right, don't you?'

'I do, and I am right, nine times out of ten. How long did you work for Madame Annabelle?'

'Four years. That makes me twenty-two. Is that what you wanted to know?'

'You look and behave younger,' he replied bluntly, and for a while there was silence between them.

Bani watched the elegantly tailored Mount Abu countryside roll by the window. Tall trees cast long shadows over green fields. Little more than an hour ago Raashi and Sahil had come along this same road on their way to the airport, yet because of the strange turn of events it seemed hours since they had left. She glanced sideways at her companion and wondered what he had in store for her next. She had to admit he'd handled Reeva Aunty very well.

'The last thing Reeva Aunty wanted was for you to drive me to Mumbai,' she murmured.

'I know. The invitation to dinner was produced very slickly.'

'And I suppose the business acquaintances you have to see tonight are fictitious.'

'Not at all. They're staying at the same hotel. They're really friends from British Columbia, three wild miners on the spree in the swinging city. I promised I'd have a last game of poker with them tonight. They return to Canada tomorrow.'

Canada. Now she was beginning to place that elusive broken accent.

'Are you a Canadian?' she asked.

'No. I'm British born and I was reared in Goa like Sahil. But I lived in Canada for the best part of nine years. Does it show?'

'A little. Sometimes in your speech, the expressions you use, and you have a slight accent.'

'And sometimes in my manners, perhaps,' he put in dryly. 'Life on a construction site in the wilds can be pretty rough.'

'Why did you come back?'

'My father was ill. I came back to help him in the family business.'

'What sort of business?'

'Do you mean to say you don't know, that you've never heard of Walia Civil Engineering or my grandfather Uday Walia who designed the Kawali Dam and the Fraser Bridge?' His voice shook with incredulous laughter.

'No, never. Should I have done?' asked Bani innocently. Now she understood his association with Chetan Uncle, whose company supplied equipment to construction companies.

'Oh, this is priceless,' he was still chuckling. 'Maa is going to love you.'

'Maa?'

'My mother. She's a sort of elderly hippy. She's always scorned big business and money-grubbing. She lives in a perpetual day-dream and prefers the simple life as long as someone is willing to foot the bill. She writes ' romantic thrillers, I think they are called. Perhaps you've heard of her even if you haven't heard of my illustrious grandfather. Her pen name is Krissy Om.'

Bani, who had recently read the latest offering by krissy Om, was enthralled by this piece of news.

'I loved her last story. It was fascinating. It was called "Ansuni Geet ". But why is she going to love me? I'm not going to meet her.'

'Yes, you are. You're going to have dinner with her, and with a bit of good luck you're going to be her secretary-companion and live in a place which is called Walia Mansion but in reality is a Castle.'

Bani took a deep breath. Somehow she must make an effort to battle against this inescapable force which had entered her life and had taken her over, before it swept her in a direction she didn't wish to go.

'Mr. Walia-------'she began firmly.

'If you're going to object you may as well save your breath,' he said curtly, ' because I'm not going to listen.

There's a motorway ahead. I like driving fast, but I find it safer if I'm not involved in an argument at the same time.'

After several miles of tight-lipped, fist-clenched silence, bani's temper began to simmer down. She wasn't normally a quick-tempered person, but Jai's calm assumption that she should do as he dictated had roused the independent spirit which slept beneath her docile appearance, and it took her some time to control the urge to attack him verbally. By the time she had decided there was little use in speaking to him if he wasn't going to listen and if he wasn't going to retaliate, which for some reason was even more irritating, they were speeding along the motorway towards Mumbai, and she was saving her breath.

Hey, Guys I am Xtremely sorry 4 the really late update but the thing z dat I've got my Xams coming up in June so busy preparing for dat but I promise to Update after the June 15th, which z the last day of my Xam, Pakka Pwomise.....

Loadsa Luv & Hugs,

Shysta👍🏼