Part V
One year later
It was Mohinder's first death anniversary. The Handa family was slowly limping back to normalcy. Rano had arranged a pooja for the departed soul of her late husband. After the pooja, there was an "Annadhan" ceremony where food was offered to the poor. Rano had gradually come to terms with the fact that her husband is no more and she will have to get on with her life for the sake of her children. As Arjun was leaving the house for work, Rano stopped him and asked to speak with him for a few minutes. Anticipating what is in store, Arjun tried to wriggle out, giving the pretext of an urgent business meeting. Rano would hear none of it and insisted that he stay back and listen to what she had to say. Sighing he asked her to make it quick. She broached a subject which was bothering her lately.
"Arjun, it is high time we thought of Geet's future. It has been a year since your father's death and the mandatory period of ban on functions is over. We need to find her a good match and settle her down in life."
Arjun knew that this was what his mother wanted to discuss with him. Nodding his head in approval, he promised to start immediately the search for a bridegroom befitting of their beloved Geet, and left the place in a hurry. On the way to his office, he was wondering how long he can put off Geet's marriage. He was not too keen to settle her down for his position at the company would be endangered the day she gets married. Now, that was something he was not prepared to accept. He had gotten used to the power and the pleasure associated with his post. He will have to come up with something to shut Rano's mouth and also keep Geet from marrying anyone. Try as he may, he was not able to figure out a way to achieve both.
Arjun's office at the Handa Group of Hotels
Anwesha entered in and asked to speak to Arjun Handa. The lady at the reception informed her that he is at a meeting. Insisting that she needed to meet him urgently, she volunteered to wait till the conclusion of the meeting. As the minutes ticked by, Anwesha became increasingly agitated at not being called in. As the office was about to close, she could wait no longer and she barged into Arjun's cabin even as the receptionist tried in vain to stop her from doing so. Arjun looked up at her with a start. Before he can say anything, Anwesha threw herself in his arms.
"Arjun, I can't wait any longer. Please arrange to make me your wife in front of the world, in the presence of our families."
"What? Are you crazy? Do you know who I am? The Chairman and Managing Director of Handa Group of Hotels marrying a poor accountant's daughter? I can get a thousand pretty girls at the snap of my fingers. Why should I sabotage my freedom in your hands?"
"But Arjun we are already married."
"Says who?"
"Did you not marry me in that temple in Khandala? I had to lie to my father that I was going on a college picnic."
"Who is the witness to it? There wasn't even a priest to bless the wedding and you call that a marriage? No court of law will accept that."
Anwesha was shocked to hear Arjun speak this way. He was always so sweet and charming to her. He made her feel like the most wanted woman in the world and now he was saying things which made her feel dirty and ashamed of herself. How could she have been so naive? How could she have trusted him and offered herself to his voracious physical needs? She flung into a fury and dug her finger nails into his chest, screaming he cannot do this to her, he cannot forsake her now after everything was over. Arjun shrugged himself free from her and rang for the security who then dragged her out of his office, kicking, crying and screaming.
****
Maan's chawl
Maan returned home late that evening, dejected that his life was going nowhere. Despite his best efforts, his dreams of making it as a businessman seemed unattainable. Unable to bear his father's biting words every day, he had finally attended the interview for a job at one of hotels in the city. If he is offered the job, he will take it, he thought. He cannot let his father continue to be the sole provider of their family. Moreover, ever since Mohinder's death, his father's health had been progressively deteriorating. As a son he needed to step up and shoulder the burden of his family, allowing his father to rest.
Absorbed in deep thought, he walked in to find Anwesha huddled in a corner. Her eyes were swollen and red from hours of crying. After Maan's endless coaxing, she finally opened up and narrated the details of her relationship with Arjun. Arjun had relentlessly pursued her since her college days. Although initially she resisted his charms, she finally succumbed to them. They frequently met at various places. At this point Maan interjected and asked her if she was with him at the Handa House on the day Geet was to be engaged, remembering the giggles and whispers he thought he heard that day. Anwesha admitted she was, to which Maan cursed himself for not paying enough attention to his sister. Maybe a lot of things could have been averted including the so-called 'marriage' in Khandala which, according to her, took place just a couple of months back. Anwesha finally told him what happened that evening. Hearing that Arjun had spurned his sister after using her, Maan was furious. He left his house immediately and went in search of Arjun.
He knew Arjun frequented a particular pub which was not far from their house. He headed straight to the place and found Arjun drinking there with some of his good-for-nothing friends. He dragged him from the high stool on which he was seated and punched him in the stomach. Before a stunned Arjun could react, he punched him again, this time on his right jaw. What followed was a series of punches at various parts of the swine's body. His friends tried to separate the two but to no avail. Maan was like a man possessed, furiously punching the man responsible for his sister's humiliation. The pub owner, fearing a law and order problem, promptly called in the police. Soon they arrived and dragged Maan away from there.
One of Maan's friends, Adi, happened to be passing by as Maan was pushed into the police van and taken to the police station. He rushed to Maan's house to inform his family about Maan's arrest. Maan's father had entered a few minutes before that, after spending long hours at the office, trying to reconcile the accounts before the annual closing. Anwesha had just finished telling him about what had transpired that evening between Arjun and her. Even before he could recover from the shock of it, hearing the news of his son's arrest for thrashing his beloved master's son was too much for the old man to bear. The man had a massive stroke and crumbled to the floor. Anwesha screamed in horror, seeing her father's plight. Together she and Adi rushed him to the nearest nursing home.
***
Anwesha slowly walked to the police station, her face lined with worries, eyes bloodshot from lack of sleep. How was she going to break the news to Maan about their father's condition, she wondered.
The previous night was a particularly long one. On reaching the hospital her father had been wheeled into the ICU. Not knowing what to do or whom to approach, she had called Handa House and spoke with Rano who was stunned to hear that Prem Khurana's condition was serious. She promptly got herself driven to the nursing home. By the time she had arrived, Prem Khurana had slipped into coma. Rano later came to know of the entire chain of events that day and was furious with her son. As Arjun had not returned home that night, she could not confront him immediately. She, however, assured Anwesha that she will ensure justice for her. Anwesha broke down in her arms, asking her to forgive her for everything. Rano laid a reassuring arm around her and stayed with her through the night. In the morning Rano called home and spoke with Geet, who informed her that Arjun had still not returned home. She then explained everything to Geet who was appalled at what had befallen the Khurana family who had meant a lot to them. Rano asked Geet to get in touch with their family lawyer to secure Maan's bail. In the meantime she asked Anwesha to meet Maan and inform him of his father's health condition, volunteering to stay behind to take care of Prem Khurana. So here she was now, struggling to find the right words to convey to her hot headed brother the most heart breaking news of their lives.
Maan was shocked to hear of his father's condition from Anwesha. Gritting his teeth, he spat out that he will finish off Arjun once and for all, even if it meant he will be sent to the gallows for it. Anwesha tried in vain to reason with him but holding the bars of his cell so tightly that his fist turned white, he kept screaming that he will kill Arjun no matter what. Suddenly she blurted out that if he does so her baby will be fatherless. That stunned him into silence. She then begged him to get her married to Arjun if he wanted to see her alive since she cannot bear the humiliation of becoming an unwed mother. At that moment, the jailer came to unlock Maan's lockup door, informing him that the Handa family have secured his bail. Maan was about to protest that he did not want any one's sympathy but Anwesha silenced him, saying that he first needs to see their father.
The brother and sister then went to the nursing home where Rano informed them that a team of doctors were examining Prem Khurana as of that moment. She also assured them that all medical expenses will be borne by her. When Maan objected, saying that he knew how to take care of his father, she gently explained to him that while she knows that he will do all that he can to save his father, she too has a duty towards the man who had slaved for their family for so many years. She begged him to give her the satisfaction of being of some use to Prem Khurana, now that he needed help. Drawn by her plea, Maan relented and gave in to her. He wanted his father back with them in good health. This was not the time to show his obstinacy, he thought. Nodding his head, he muttered that he has some unfinished business to take care of and rushed out of there, heading straight to Arjun's office.
***
Having been beaten black and blue by Maan, Arjun did not want to take the chance of going to his house that night and be caught and questioned by his mother. He had, therefore, spent the night at his friend's place. The next morning he left for office from there. The upper half of his face was hidden in large goggles and the lower half, by a large scarf which was tied around his neck and pulled up over his chin. As he pulled out a file to examine, he heard the door swing open and saw Maan's towering form at the entrance. He tried to slide under the table, but Maan reached him in seconds and pulled him up.
"Look, Arjun. I've not come here to start another fight."
When Arjun looked at him puzzled, he continued "Let's talk this, man to man. While I despise you and would rather not have anything to do with a creep like you, I do have to think of my sister's future. She loves you and is now carrying your child."
At this, Arjun's mouth fell open. "Look Maan, I didn't mean to impregnate your sister."
"Oh yeah? What were you planning to do then, just trick her into marrying you, sleep with her and then bid her good bye?"
Before he could respond, Maan bit out, "What has happened, has happened. We now have to think of a way to rectify the mistake. Do you want your daughter or son to be called a bas***d?"
Recovering from the initial shock, Arjun managed to stammer out, "I'll pay for the abortion."
Maan gave him a menacing look which led Arjun to cower down in fear. His body still ached from the previous day's thrashings. He was not looking forward to a replay of the action. Maan continued as though he was not interrupted, "Arjun, make an honourable woman of my sister. Marry her and the rest is forgiven and forgotten."
Arjun frantically squeezed his brain to come up with a plan to make good a bad situation. He knew that Maan will beat him to the pulp if he refuses to do so. While he can get the police to handle him, he cannot escape his mother's wrath if she comes to know of what he had done to Anwesha. He suspected that she already did. He was sure she will force him to accept Anwesha as his wife. Now Arjun was one who believed in quid pro quo. If he gives something he will ensure that he gets something in return. It then struck him like a flash, why did he not think of this before? He can hit two mangoes with one stone. He did find Anwesha attractive and did not seriously mind being married to her. The only hesitancy on his part was that he was not getting anything in return for his grand gesture but this will ensure that he gets his price.
Looking at Maan, he calmly said, "Okay, I'll marry your sister.... but under one condition"
Maan who had let out a sigh of relief on hearing that Arjun finally was willing to accept his sister as his wife, looked at him suspiciously.
"I'll marry your sister provided you marry mine."
Maan was shocked out of his skin hearing this. "Your sister? Geet?" he asked incredulously.
"Yes, Geet. And before you jump with joy at having hit the jackpot let me hasten to add that on the day of the wedding you will have to sign over to me the wealth that will pass on to you."
"What wealth?" asked a still confused Maan.
"The wealth that my dear father has left behind for the man who will marry my sister. The old horse has bestowed 51 per cent of the shareholding of Handa Group of Hotels to his future son-in-law. Now that will be you. I don't want to fritter away my family wealth to some outsider. So the two weddings will take place on the same day and right after the wedding you will write off your rights over the Handa wealth. You will have to sign an agreement to the effect before the marriage. In case you back out in the last minute and try to retain my father's wealth, I'll make your sister's life a living hell."
Maan was too stunned by what he heard to react immediately.
"So, what is your answer?" Arjun asked him cockily. He knew he left Maan with no choice.
"Give me a day to think it over," Maan said and staggered out of there.
Edited by Opti - 14 years ago
Cricket
Indian Mythology
60