Posted:
Chapter 18
Devious Plans for Sinister Ends
(December 31, 1980…)
(Army Cantonement, Rourkee…)
"Maan bhai should get married now."
"As you wish O-beautiful-one, point me the damsel you have chosen as the bride and I shall kidnap her and bind her to my best mate for life."
"Ki bolchi tummi Teji? [What are you saying Teji?]" Anupama whacked her husband on his arm that was squeezing her waist playfully in plain sight of the whole club to see. "Be serious, you are not paying attention to me!"
"Meri laado-rani," he twirled her in tune with the music, "oye meri pyaari Pammi, tere te nahi taan horr kehde te dhyaan hai mera? [If not you, then who else holds my attention?] " He tugged her closer to emphasize his point.
"Direct some of your keen attention on your friend too darling hubby."
"Why? What happened to Maan?" Tejbir turned his attention towards Maan. It was the New Year's bash at the Officer's Club. The game of tambola had just got over and the officers and their families were now enjoying their cocktails and dances. Maan was standing in a corner with few senior and immersed in a serious conversation. "He looks fine to me."
"It's a club night and Maan bhai is standing so serious with the seniors. How boring is that? He should be dancing, mingling with the young crowd…"
"Oh Pammi," Tejbir interrupted, "you know Maan doesn't dance at all. As for being serious and boring, Maan respects his seniors a lot and always likes to indulge in intellectual conversations. The guy seeks knowledge like a moth seeks a flame. And that is what makes him one of the wittiest people I have ever known. Why just few minutes ago he was conducting the tambola with his bag full of jokes and anecdotes. The whole ante-room was in splits. Don't worry so much about him. He is fine the way he is."
"You men are so daft!" Anupama gave an exasperated sigh and walked off the floor, followed by a pouty Tejbir. "Whatever it is, Maan bhai still needs to get married. He can't spend his life alone."
"He will get married when the time is right, why are you getting so worked up about it?"
"When?" Anupama snapped. "If you leave it to him, he will never get married. Darjee would not pressure him against his wishes and Maan would not marry a girl of Chaiyyiji's choice. We must do something."
"Alright! Maan needs to get married and we are the only ones who can do something. So what do you suggest we do?"
"Tomake onek bhalobasi [Love you so much]!!" Anupama squealed at Tejbir's acquiescence. "We should find a girl from our Army circle. Someone educated, sophisticated, graceful in her manners…"
"Ah! A clone of you my love…"
"Tumi ekdom pagol [You are mad]," she mock-glared at Tejbir, secretly flattered though. "I was thinking, how about Rasika?"
"Col. Rathore's daughter?"
"Yes," Anupama agreed, "what do you think? The girl is of independent thinking, speaks well, she is elegant in the way she carries herself. I have never seen her to be clumsy or careless. But I have seen her having intelligent conversations with Maan a few times. Infact she is one of the few single girls I have seen Maan talking to except the wives of his colleagues."
"Well that is because rest of the single girls are below the age of fourteen," Tejbir sniggered, "Maan uncle is their favorite though. Rasika is the only 22 year old single girl in our Regiment."
"Whatever, it still sounds a good match to me. She sounds perfect for Maan. And the Rathores really admire him. Col. Rathore always seeks Maan's opinion even though he is a mere Captain in the unit. And Mrs. Rathore adores him. We should do something. Maybe bring them closer. Throw them in each other's company more often. And then if Maan shows any interest in Rasika, we can push the idea further."
"Ok fine, as you wish. But be subtle about it. And don't expect me to influence him. It should be Maan's decision all the way. And one more thing…"
"Bolo…"
"Maan would leave for his RSO course* in the first week of February. Whatever is your plan put it to execution after he comes back."
"Aye aye Captain. Anything else you wish from me?"
"A lot," he leaned forward and whispered in her ears huskily, "so how about we cut the party short and welcome the New Year in our way."
As the couple made their way through the crowd, a female emerged from the shadows. She was full of glee to find that she would now have accomplices in her mission. Poor things did not know that she had her eyes on their friend from the very beginning. She has befriended and tolerated this foolish couple only for the sake of her goal. No one could stop her now.
Rasika Rathore would soon be Mrs. Maan Singh Khurana.
**********************************************************************
(January 1, 1981…)
(Ahmedabad…)
"So no loopholes? No weak links?"
"Nothing!" Harman Oberoi relaxed on the couch, "why do you think me and Meha have resigned to the fact. The first part of the will has to be executed. We can't stop Vardaan to get his share."
"Scones anyone?" Meha came in with a tray of refreshments. "Its so annoying, isn't it? We are the Oberois. We can summon the best legal help with a snap of fingers. But we can't defeat a single clause in the will. Our mother-in-law was one shrewd lady, right Usneek bhabhi?" Meha took her place next to her husband and snuggled close to Harman. "Now I know where our husbands get their business acumen from. I really wish there was something we could do. We can't stop Vardaan anymore I am afraid."
Sartaaj Oberoi and his wife Usneek gave each other a knowing look. Sartaaj leaned forward in a determined stance. "But we can twist our way around the second part of the clause. All we need, is to ensure that the girl he marries is of our choosing."
"And for that," Usneek spoke up, "we would have to be nice to our little devar, take him in our confidence, show him how much his family loves him," she sneered.
"Aww, do we have to?" Meha pouted like a brat.
"Consider this as lesser of the two evils, darling wife."
Meha consider the idea thoughtfully. "Hmm…"
The Oberois were a rich Punjabi family settled in Gujarat past two generations. Rich because they were shrewd businessmen who pursued their profits with a zeal. The riches of Mr. Oberoi had made the elder two sons so accustomed to their positions that they eyed their new-born brother, 12 years younger than Sartaaj and 10 years younger than Harman, as a liability rather than a blessing. It did not help when the babe became the favorite of their parents, who treated this unplanned pregnancy as a boon. He was, thus, named Vardaan.
With the passing away of their father, the running of the business became the responsibility of a 22 year old Sartaaj and 20 year old Harman. And the ten year Vardaan, simply grew cocooned in the love and care of their mother. Not used to being responsible for the money they spent like water, Sartaaj and Harman resented the fact that the young Vardaan had it easy. For them he was the leech who was sucking their blood.
And that is how they treated him when Mrs. Oberoi passed away. The mother knew her sons the best. And she knew that her little boy would be prey to vultures if left unprotected. So the will came into being. The business and the house was divided into two equal parts between Sartaaj and Harman to appease their greed. And Vardaan was left with two protective clauses.
The first clause stipulated a trust in his name, to look after his growth and education. A small amount was released each month to meet any bill and expenses incurred on his behalf. But the moment he was to reach the age of 25, he would be awarded the complete trust fund including every profit the trust had earned in his name.
The second clause went a step ahead. Every propert, every asset, liquid or otherwise, which was apart from the family business was left in the name of the first child Vardaan would father.
This was the only way Mrs. Oberoi could make sure that Vardaan too enjoys the fruits of his father's success and a position equal to his brothers without being accussed of snatching the business and its assets from them. By doing this, she could atleast ensure that Vardaan has a family of his own and would lead a comfortable life till his child is born. Because the inheritence if not released in the name of Vardaan's child, would go to charity. And that would mean a loss as great as loosing the family business. That was how huge the inheritence was.
Because even if Sartaaj and Harman did manage to snatch the inheritence from Vardaan's child, he atleast would have a wife to share his life with, a child to take his name forward. And her Vardaan would be left alone to wither away in the streets of Ahmedabad.
But for the brothers, and their spouses, even this was not acceptable. For them, they had no younger brother Vardaan. Only a liability left by their mother.
"So this New Year, we will plot and plan our way to get what should have been rightfully ours," Meha chirped.
Yes, we will. The four concurred menatlly.
**********************************************************************
(January 15, 1981…)
(Khalsa College, Amritsar…)
"Hi Geet."
Geet looked up from her books to find Ruby, one of her classmates standing before her. She had her hair done up in a bouffant style like the actress Sharmila Tagore but stood like the vamp Bindu. Wearing a bell-bottoms of indecently tight fitting and a top with such a low neck that left nothing to imagination. She was one of the snobs of her class, a late admittance from Bombay. Geet liked to keep away from her. Firstly, Geet had the company of her sisters and Pari in college. And she did not like the way Ruby always hung around with boys. Not that Geet judged her on those grounds. Each to his own. But she liked to keep away. But whenever Ruby smiled at Geet whenever they passed each other, Geet always responded the same way. Thus, Geet was one of the few girls Ruby spoke to, that was whenever she needed notes or get some help during exams.
"Hi Ruby," she smiled back.
"May I sit with you today Geet?"
"Umm…sure…" She moved to make space for Ruby.
"I hope it is fine with you," Ruby asked smilingly sweetly.
Geet shrugged, "I thought you liked sitting on the last benches only."
"It gets very lonely there Geet. And being the only girl who sits do far back, I have started to feel very odd."
"So why don't you sit here, in the front?"
"Oh! All the girls are mostly paired up. Initially when I came, none of them would even talk to me…"
"But Ruby, every girl of our class is very sweet. I am sure if you spoke to them…"
"I tried Geet," Ruby spoke sadly, "but you wouldn't have noticed. You always run off to your sisters the moment you get free. No one likes me. The girls don't understand me. The find me too forward. But Geet, how is it my fault. In Bombay, everyone is like this."
"Oh…"
"Geet," Ruby looked on pleading, "will you please be my friend? Atleast stay with me in the class. Please!"
"Alright," Geet replied hesitantly. How bad could that be? As it is, I only have to give her company in the class. Once the class is over I will run back to my sisters.
The class started soon after this and came to an end after forty minutes. Geet ran off to meet her sisters, promising to sit with Ruby in the next class too. And Ruby made her way to the back of the corridor to meet someone.
"So what did she say?"
"Nothing much," Ruby shrugged.
"What? Didn't you talk to her?"
"Ofcourse I spoke to her. Spoke sweetly to her. Befriended her."
"Then when can I talk to her?"
Ruby rolled her eyes at his impatience, "Hold your horses cousin. Today was the first step. Let me take the friendship forward. Make her accept me. Take her into my confidence…"
"But…"
"Look," Ruby cut him, "if we make a wrong move we will never be successful. Your impatience will cost you your chance."
"Don't worry Rahul. Soon you will have your Geet with you," she replied with a smirk.
**********************************************************************
*RSO course – a staff course done by junior officers of the Regiment.
Btw...just to make it clear, in the first part its not Teji and Pammi who are plotting but Rasika. Pammi is just keen to see Maan married.
And if you have not caught it, Pammi speaks Bengali.
PMs later and Maaneet moments later😆
Celebrity Fan Clubs
12