Part 76 Family court
"Ab kya hua aap dono ke beech mein?" Daadima asked as Geet sulked every step to come stand next to her in the kitchen
"Aap..." She paused now "I was just about to start with lunch. You shouldn't have Daadima" If there could be color-coding chart for every state of mind she exhibited, it would be mustard yellow now. Her mood colored and tasted the same like that of that of the brown seeds that Daadi had just dropped into the searing pan; a very bitter and pungent Geet, heating up as she figured she was late for lunch preparation.
They had left the next morning, even before the sun peeked from the horizon and had reached the apartment before the NY traffic could hit them. Right after, they had explained their stay overnight at New Haven, she had got back to stuffing last minute additions to her suitcases, which is when they had started the verbal affair. Only this time, it was acrid words that slithered and glibly slipped off their tongues, instead of their love wrung selves.
"Really Geet beta, I just couldn't bring myself to hope your arguments would come to a close any bit sooner" Daadima said, as she had a helpless grin.
The case was quite petty, making one think if it qualifies for the bill of appeals of the couple's constitution of household ordeals, to be dealt by a judge and a jury and all. But didn't everything under the sun fit into that category when it came to two people living under the same roof. And so she brought up her plea, quite casually, to Daadima who was busy stirring up the mushrooms and the sharp green colored peppers.
"Main kya Karoon Daadima? I'm taking two suitcases and he wants me to take one…How will I fit everything into just one?" Her hands animated with every word that came out of her mouth, she slightly turned towards Daadima to draw her attention as she cleared up the countertops.
Of course she was loud and so she had her audience from Naini, who was in the kitchen and now he walked out too, making his way to the book cupboard, pretending every which way that he didn't know what she was talking about. She swore she almost could tell that he had just given that classic cavalier shoulder shrug. This made her glower at him as she saw red.
Not a serious issue at all by any means, but when compounded by the number of times he had been playfully silly inside their bedroom, he deserved more by her rule book. He had taken out every single item she had organized inside her carry-ons, hidden a few of the essentials and had argued over every piece of clothing she had chosen to take along with her. If this only took 3 hrs of her time to reorganize and settle on their mindless bickering over choice of office wear, he had introduced the new add-on about the number of suitcases she would be taking with her. By all means not forgetting the times, he had pulled her over to the window sitting and had indulged her in passionate moments of intimacy, which kept their bedroom door embarrassingly shut for quite a while, given the guests at home. There was no doubt she had no complaints over the latter, but as she mentally prepared a checklist of all his peccadilloes and his kiss being the last, she colored immediately, only to give a faint and misleading clue to Daadima upon the very act that had brought about her sullen mood. Obviously Daadima was wrong.
"Ok beta, but what do you have in the other suitcase that you spent all morning in that room?" Daadima asked her, growing all the more curious. She wondered if her grandson and bahu could give a run for the money to her favorite soap opera leads who were, in the last show, wrestling about an equally ludicrous topic.
Geet eyed him, her eyes growing darker by the minute with anger as she sensed the subtle hint of Daadima's stress on the last three words. It was now clear, that just about everyone in her world knew what they had done "in that room". In spite of the sour mood that lurked in the air, she couldn't help color in the cheeks as parts of her body picked up its memory of his touch on her skin; She felt that her own flesh was betraying her. It was a weird self-talk she had to indulge in, urging her mind to flutter a little less, else she was soon going to turn into a big mush of pink and scarlet; her sari in contrast being a pale sandal beige, highlighted her cheekbones that flickered like that of a ruddy candle flame.
He was strangely enjoying this, when he caught a whiff of where Daadima and she were going with this. It was annoyingly mortifying, yet arguably fun, having elders around while the hormones still soared and raged and the newly-wed title remained to masquerade the same. Perhaps that is why joint families always had such long tease stories to tell, he concluded. He had never been in one, but this he could do with for now. And se he continued doing what he did best that moment, which being, stand in the sidelines to watch one of the many to come khurana family moments that was forming. With her in the picture, there were indeed many more of them.
"Oh! It has my toiletries, towels, house and nightclothes. That's all and he feels I'm loading up the entire apartment for my move there" She said as she took the knife from the island and cut up the remaining vegetables. Naini smiled at the case at hand and Maan caught the same when she thought she had been oblivious to everyone else in the room.
With his eyes still on Geet, he left for the bedroom, flushing red, for he expected an accidental slip of words from her anytime now. She often suffered from lack of a blockade when one was quite needed. And he was in no position to be caught red in his face when the last image of him to his little sister was of him lecturing her over how the men of the species simply lacked the ability to keep their hands to themselves. Indeed he had been utterly right about that, so to say, when he had effortlessly proved the theory every time he had been around his wife.
Upon reaching the bedroom, he still could hear them chitter chatter about the incredulously worthless argument they had had all morning. It was beginning to amuse him and tickle in the bones slightly.
Daadima smiled. Well there was no better way to explain what she made of it, and so she thought it was best to come out with her own story. Daadima was now travelling back in time to the good old days of her yore.
"You know Geet beta…this reminds me of the time your Daadaji had created a similar fuss when I was leaving to my maika" She thought her age and her silver strands would have taken over her blushing abilities. To her own surprise, it did not and she had a tinge of pink too come over her. The whole family was glowing the shade of the very colors they were capable of, only varying in degrees of luminance though.
She picked up from where she had left off, as she reminisced a bit in the almost black and white memory that came back to the forefronts of her mind.
"Infact every time I wanted to go my maika, he would never let me take my perfume. And every time I would have to buy a new one" She chuckled now. Geet stood still at her spot, listening in utter reverence. The word "Dadaji" always had its own hooks for Maan and he was now already close to the door and stood listening in earnest, leaning on their crisp white wall. His interest was quite keen, that his piqued ears would have put an alert pincher to shame easily.
"And then the next time around, by the time I got used to the new one too, he would not let me taken that one either…it went on"
Daadima nodded, while Geet came to hold the sides of both her arms from behind and titled her head to rest her chin on her shoulder. Naini came close too; a bit mellow and bothersome at the mention of her Dadaji, albeit the cheerfulness showed up to cover the same.
"But only later I came to know that he missed me so badly that to keep him going, he would always spray a little into the air, every day. To keep him convinced I was still not very far physically…at least matter-of-factly by his senses" She said, as she rested her hand on her waist with a questioning look on her face. It only confused Geet more. She conked up her eyebrows back at Daadima.
"Ab tak nahi samjhi?…Maan, I feel was always one step ahead of his Daadaji…" She laughed up more heartily as the inference slowly dawned upon Geet.
An overwhelming sense of pride and pleasure haunted her. It could only be a possibility, she thought. But she felt it was farfetched to extrapolate the same to her husband; he was a shy romantic, nonetheless, it was a bit bordering on being corny. And yet the feeling gushed in her, that he still played hide and seek with words. She could not help ponder what words Maan would choose to explain the same, but then would he have begun to do so? The thought plagued her in the deep ruins of her. Even after three long days of silent treatment, he had learnt nothing; that she preferred him to speak rather act out. Secrets like his sister she could deal with, of course only after hours of self-pacifying that it was perhaps required for his own good to escape his guilt over his effrontery with his sister. Although these hints at his own love for her…his in-expression were slowly being expressed. It escaped her small brain, how she would read him 3000 miles apart.
In spite of her husband's inability to claim his affections verbally, his cues were driving her crazy. Another side of her reveled in being the center of the universe for him. She couldn't help but think if she would have done the same had the situation been reversed. How very differently they loved each other, she thought; practically he acted out what he felt for her and she verbalized all that she had for him. It did balance out in some way, but would never add up, she knew now. Perhaps that was not the idea at all, she corrected herself. Shouldn't their love for each other be whole by itself?
He let out a smile upon hearing that he had done well, keeping up the family tradition. After all, the women of the house were all only meant to be cherished ardently. Secret obsessions were not his thing, but then when it came to her, his own transformation awed him. He had gone from being a loner to one who could not deal with his wife's parting, even if it was only in physical distance. He didn't mind being her marionette. He had read many a time that love was blind and now he was living it too.
Daadima had mistaken her still nature for befuddlement, and so she went on to clarify.
"His Daadaji only took my perfume…He is only retaining your entire house stuff…that's all" It looked like Naini and Daadima were ganging up against her, as Daadima moved out of her hold, towards the sink where her other granddaughter was standing. There were ready to tease the blush out of her living skin and so sensing the same, she quickly excused herself.
"Main abhi ayi Daadima.." She said and darted towards their room.
He had heard her in time and had paced sly to disappear outside into their balcony. The seasonal April chill was bearable and they quietly assured not to nip him for his misdeeds that morning. He only let them play up his hair in return. While he was beginning to immerse in the idea to rekindle his passion for the reclusive Manhattan view, she showed up behind him. Manhattan will just have to wait until she would leave him for another city. But not being down with the idea of his sudden abandonment, the spiteful city coughed up a gust of biting cold wind upon them. He smiled wide, when it only brought her to him as her skin prickled at the touch of the frigid air. His arms traced the length of her hand, his chin coming to rest close by her nape; he embraced to keep her close and warm. Surely the city had failed upon its attempts of ill will.
"You remember the last time we were here Maan…?" She asked, as she looked up and settled back in his chest; still standing to face the wide expanse of the view that lay ahead of them.
He nuzzled in his check against her, before he spoke. "Hmm…New year?" he asked in an unsure tone.
"Only I was downstairs…" Both looked down at her old balcony, reliving the golden sunrise and smiled once again.
Her arm went up to hold his other cheek and cupped it softly.
"Main kya karoon aapke saath?" She asked as a strange melancholy sprayed in her voice. The best answer was only in his silence…perhaps a kiss would do too, and so he puckered up to kiss her cheek that lay to his side. It was gentle yet his lips stayed up there for a while, like it had resolved to be there for eternity. She closed her eyes, as she felt his kiss came to live inside of her; it seemed now to speak its own language too, for it sadly whispered how much he would miss her.
"Perfumes are fine…but don't try to dress up in my clothes Maan…I can't have someone call you a cross dresser..ok?" She asked, snorting a laugh and his lips were working up into a pliant chortle too.
"I will try…" he continued to give a mocking smile and attempted in a weak tone. If she was only his unseen strength, this his tone was already justified.
"Promise you will come see me…and I will be back here too the minute I get settled in" She affirmed. Just then he let go of her and took her inside by her wrist. She followed with a puzzled look wondering what had made him do so. He sat by his writing desk, and she came to seat on his lap. This close was still not close enough, not when the heart dreaded the distance of the future. Her smile and his matched like they mirrored each other, a gleam in their eyes let the touch of grey in the air seem lighter. Both noticed the heavy grindstone in the bottom of their heat and yet remained to act unnoticed.
"Here…sign this" His hand went around her waist to hand a bunch of filed papers and added "Your green card application. Hopefully in three to six months you should be back" She signed with a hushed word of prayer and blinked at him in wonder. He was thorough and his obsession for order was proving to be of her benefit this time around.
He watched her keenly, as she traced her name proudly. He wondered if his words to the grace above would strengthen her prayers too. He didn't mind to let a word or two slip into the air to join the ones she had just let out.
"And this too…" Taking away the bulk of papers from her hand, he replaced it with another file "Here….and Here."
He pointed to two other papers that had a yellow tag asking for Geet Maan Khurana's Signature.
"Yeh…what's all this Maan?" She asked, her brows knotting up as her eyes glanced through the legal scribbling page by page.
"I'm transferring a part of my assets and shares to your name…you are now 23% share holder of Khurana Group of companies" She let out a silent gasp. Why did he think she could own to any of what came with the name?
Although he felt quite differently about the same and resolved to have her carry the burden he shouldered. This was one sure way, she would not be left behind, like the last time in her other marriage, he had decided.
"But Maan…" she stuttered with disbelieving eyes.
"With my vote you can literally have your way at the stakeholders table, as we will have the say of the major share holder of the company" He smiled on at her comically puzzling look. But it was all soon melting and gave way to a familiar softness; the speck in her eyes let go of her questions and glinted at his undoubting trust.
"I'm…May be…." She was still at a loss of speech and rambled on for a bit unable to grapple her mind on a string of words. And when she did, she could only manage "You shouldn't have done this"
"Geet…this is my responsibility. I want you to feel entitled to everything that is mine…Now you have no choice but to take an active interest in what you are…You are a Khurana…And trust me…there are strings attached to it every which way"
Well strings…she knew were part of their lives and she had her share too.
He blinked in quick assurance and she looked back to the papers. She had to give up now, there was not much to say to avoid what he had already intended for her to go through. With an overwhelming roller coaster of emotions, her eyes cascaded down the thick block of lines, directly above where she was to sign.
"Naintara Khurana?" She croaked as her eyes caught up a surprise. The name sounded familiar and unknown all at once.
"Haan…Naini" he answered her question. She was getting lost in the wealth of information that had crossed over. She didn't know how to begin or end her mind's accusations at her stupidity. She had to get to the Internet or to his journals NOW. There was so much she still didn't know.
"Lekin…" Her thoughts scrambled as those hushed phone conversations of Dev cropped back into her stream of consciousness. She had picked up the call from Naintara many a time and had handed it to him only to have him take the call in a room far away from her. She had had her doubts then, but when the alone, sad and a mournful pair of eyes of her now sister-in-law popped back into her mind, her worries started dissipating swaggeringly and slowly. They all knew if Dev had been her man, she would have gone right back to him. And yet she didn't. She was determined to know Naini's story too before she left.
"Actually kuch nahi"
His eyes had studied her and she had appeared thoughtful. But then she had come out of her stern holds of her thoughts suddenly and had got back to signing the papers. At that he discarded his intention to find out what had bothered her momentarily. There was nothing he could decipher with just her eyes, when they came back to meet his, that much more intense and soulful.
"Since we are all taking care of things here, lets deal with mine too" She put down the file to the side and came to bolt her hands around his neck. Her forehead rested on his and as her fingertips traced down his face, he closed his eyes.
"Hmmm" He had other things on his mind as her touch tingled his skin on contact, although she was far from it. It was too late already to hold court for his impartiality with his sister, at least that is what she felt.
"Naini…you can't just stay silent and expect it all to go away Maan" His eyes flickered open instantly and a strong emotion heightened his face. His excited senses sobered and he looked away not to have her catch his disinterest.
"Maan…please look at me" She turned to have him face her as her hand gently maneuvered the same by a hold on his cheek.
"She trusted us and came here…she is in the house" She stressed on the words. How quickly had she taken her side, she wondered. Indeed, she had no qualms over the woman and Dev now. She was clearly still in love with that husband of hers and it showed with the silence and the hurt she carried in her invisible presence around the house.
It made him uncomfortable to stay so close to her and ignore her words. Not when his neck was wrapped in her hold and her body on his coerced him to answer.
"Believe me Geet…had she known the apartment downstairs is occupied, she never would have" His arm went out of his hold in frustration and gestured pointing his index finger down. Even he knew it was lame to get back at her that way. He was still not there to disavow his sister with anything logical.
"Don't give me those reasons…you are just mad at her…but can't you work on letting it go?" She urged him, as she continuously traced her nose over the side of his face. Her breath tickled him as she used the physical powers she had over him to calm him down. And he did, when she took his stray hand and brought it back to her waist.
"She has come back to us…now its up to us…" She whispered and lingered her lips close to his. He smiled at what she was beginning to attempt and mildly gave in with full acknowledgment of how limp his will had gone under her slow and long kisses.
"Ok…bus bus…" He moved away from her abiding kiss "I have been trying to reach Rishab…but he is out on a trip for their hotel launches in Asia Pacific" The truth came tumbling down as she sighed and let out a smile. She had hoped nothing less. He was not a person who would spare a second to see his own kind tormented. Her surprised abated as he continued.
"Haan…Rishab Oberoi…Sole heir to Oberoi group…everything that has five stars in it…He owns it" He paused as she fled in a rush to kiss his forehead. And he smiled at that. Her mind registered the name for the other Internet search that lay impending at hand. So the name was Rishab, the new addition, she was yet to meet. But when was he planning on tell her?
He was impressed by her skills by now, at how she had made him spill the beans. He was touched beyond his comprehension for her concern. Such a friendship between his sister and wife, he was yet to see.
"His manager contacted me back saying he will be in NY for two weeks in May and that I can have an appointment" Her straight face left him hanging.
"Don't tell her…she will run away…" He wiggled his head a bit, before he caught her lips for a quick peck.
"When were you planning on telling me all this? She wanted to continue with his passionate indulgence at her lips, but the thought gnawed at the back of her mind, with such coarse gruff for a voice that she had to pull back. It left her puzzled and clueless whether if she was to pursue the matter further. His blatant omissions were killing her. But there was something else that called for his attention now and so she brought forth the same.
"It doesn't end there Maan…I was talking about your communication too…you have to talk to her…I have seen her around.,.she seems quite lonely" She said, shrugging aside every thought that screamed of him leaving her out on such details.
"Is she…." He quivered to face the dreadful gory details of the state of his sister.
"Is she crying a lot?"
"You should check on her yourself" She made a face now for she knew where he was getting at.
"No…Not at all…go find out for yourself" Waning her sweet voice, came a sternness that spread her discontent over the reluctance in his eyes. His concern grew many folds and at that she gestured the no with a quick nod of her head to the sides. Giving out a loud sigh, she gave up her silence. Above all, Naini was stubborn as he was and there were no immediate resolutions she could look forward to. Not with her husband, when he had resigned upon the issue a long time ago.
"Maan…Take your time…Do make things count between her and you…" Came a pleading look over her face, as she slightly bent to come to his level. He was taken over by the soft hazel that spoke of an unknown discomfort in her. Suspecting it to only be arising over the course of topic of his sister, he jumped to assure her.
But it was a whole another problem he was alien and accustomed with. She didn't even know if she was rightfully conflicted over his secrecy. And then again he had just transferred his assets to her to involve her with the proceedings of the company. There was a part of him that was in fair light, and even that seemed to pass off illusion for reality, like the way he had pursued his efforts to contact Naini's husband under wraps to appear detached from the subject. There was again how he had argued that morning over baggage to indirectly find ways to tell her how much he needed her at NY; all so cryptic. She pondered, who lay more complicated of the two. Between them, there could only be a tie for now.
"Teek hain Mrs Maan Khurana…Your wish is my command" He smiled as he broke her vagrant thoughts. Minutes were flying by and two minutes seemed as two horizons apart, and so she decided to make do with the promise and lunged forth to close down that long awaited kiss.
Oh! Bring on the Drama... !
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Does "in that room" = "behind close doors"? My imagination runs wild with those 3 words...:)
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my fav! line...
"How very differently they loved each other"!
This is where I wish 'love' came with a hand-book...!
ps.. I loved the update and now naming you... Drama Queen!!!
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Morning :-)
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