Tarun and Bani remained in a death-like silence for what seemed like eternity….and then Tarun snapped out of his thoughts and rocked forward his chair, still looking a bit dazed and shocked. This is certainly not what he had thought of…..as Tarun glanced at Bani, who was now standing by the plush bay window of his Office staring intently and vacantly at the vast expanse of the Arabian Sea, Tarun, perhaps for the first time in his life, was at a loss of words, ironical for a super-successful Lawyer.
"Aage kya socha hai Bani?" Tarun finally managed to say softly, not knowing what else to say to his client and his best friend's estranged wife. Bani still stood in silence as Tarun got up from his seat and went and stood near Bani and softly said, "Bani…Tum sun rahi ho na?" Bani turned back and looking straight into Tarun's eyes said in a steely, determined tone, "Mujhe kisi bhi kimat mar Mr. Walia ki property aur unka ancestral ghar unhein waapas dilana hai…..Kisi bhi kimat par, Mr. Sablok." Tarun looked back at Bani for some more time and then said, "Tumein pata hai na, Ranveer ne jin papers par Jai ke signatures liye hain, unmein koi loophole nahin hai…They have covered every eventuality…." Bani did not falter her gaze and replied back in the same tone, "Mujhe pata hai Mr. Sablok…..Isi liye, time limit ke poore hone se pehle, mujhe yeh Divorce kisi bhi kimat par chahiye." Tarun immediately replied back, "Jai ko pata chalega toh…." Bani cut him in between and said, "Mujhe pata hai aap Mr. Walia ke sabse acche dost hain, lekin aap ek professional bhi hain, mere Vakil bhi hain…..Isi liye aapki pehli loyalty mere liye hogi." Tarun stared back at Bani unbelievingly for some time and said, "Ab pata chala ki Jai jaise aadmi tumhare liye itna pagal kyon ho gaya." At this sentence, a deep flush covered Bani's face as she averted her eyes from Tarun and turned to stare at the Ocean, as Tarun went back to his desk and said in a professional tone, "Theek hai….Main yeh Divorce Proceedings speed up kara deta hoon…Since Jai is anyway not fighting a case for the alimony claim, I can't see any speedbreaker……" and looking at Bani again, adding his typical sarcasm to his voice said, "Haan, is beech uske dil ke aur uski zindagi ke tookde ho jaaye….toh woh obviously tumhari responsibility nahin hai….Tumhein toh sirf Jai ki property use wapas dilani hai, right?" Bani closed her eyes tight and her eyes burned with tears as she gritted her teeth and getting that icy-cold look on her face turned around to look at Tarun and said sharply, "That would be all Mr. Sablok, jab Court ki date aajaye, toh please mujhe phone kar dijiye." As Tarun kept staring at Bani, without any expression on his face, Bani moved out of the Office and as she opened the huge mahagony door of the Office, her expression softened as she avoided looking at Tarun and said in a soft, almost inaudible whisper, "Mr. Sablok…Please, Mr. Walia ko kabhi sacchai pata na chale…." Tarun kept staring back at Bani, waited for a moment before replying back, "Main sirf tumhein yeh promise kar sakta hoon, ki main Jai ko kuch nahin bataoonga….Magar main ek Vakeel hoon, aur maine apne practice ke 15 saalon mein, hamesha sacchai ko jit te dekha hai….der se hi sahi, magar sach hamesha saamne aa jaata hai. Tab kya karogi Bani?" Bani paused for a while at the door and without turning back said a curt goodbye and walked out of Tarun Sablok's Office.
"Tony, Please mere liye ek Cup chai bhijwa doge, mere kamre mein." Bani was now in entering the fourth month of her pregnancy and felt drowsy and tired a lot of times and as she trudged across the stairs to her room, she felt herself involuntarily stop infront of Jai's room….Their room and suddenly a sense of nostalgia swept across Bani and she felt unapologetically sentimental and emotional as she kept standing in front of the door and involuntarily, she ended up opening the door of the Bedroom gently as she tried to look inside if Jai was around and she quietly went inside the room, only to find it empty…..but still Jai's presence lingered in the room with such a powerful presence, that she could almost feel him everywhere….In the wilting whiteness of his favorite Lilies which graced one corner of the room, in the carelessly flung shoes which lay near the King-sized Bed, near the half-empty cup of Tea which was laying cold on the Coffee Table, in the Books which were bookmarked and kept near his pillow….in the bedside picture of Bani which was kept right next to that side of the Bed, where Jai slept. Bani kept standing in the room and as her eyes fell on the Book, which seemed to have an unusually colourful jacket for a Business Management Book (Which was the only Book that she had always seen Jai reading apart from his Office Files), her curiosity got the better of her, as she went and sat on the corner of the Bed and took the Book, after keeping aside the bunch of Fresh Roses she had purchased from a pesky little waif who had relentlessly badgered her till she had brought the flowers from him. A gentle smile crept upon her face, as she read the title of the Book, "Fatherhood – Easy Guide For the First Time Father by Ben Rothman". Bani shrugged her head as she felt herself flushing and keeping the Book back in the same position, but not before reading that the author had himself fathered some 8 children by 3 different wives! Bani glanced at Jai's shoes flung carelessly on the Floor and smiling to herself, picked them up and kept them back in the Shoe Rack as her eyes fell on the disorganized Wardrobe, where Shirts were piled one on top of another and the whole Almirah looked in complete disarray as Bani frowned with displeasure and reminded herself to giving a ticking off to Tony for this. As she picked up some of Jai's Office wear shirts and folded them neatly, hanging them in a neat order, as she used to always do earlier, Bani realized what she was upto and suddenly flustered at the thought of what came over her all of a sudden and as she nervously realized that someone might see her in Jai's room, she quickly shut the door of the Almirah and hastily walked towards the Door, but not before dropping the Wilted flowers in the Dustbin and keeping her Bunch of Roses in the Vase.
As Bani came out of the Door, her thoughts focused on what Tarun had said about the Legal proceeding of the Case, she caught her breath, as Jai stood in front of her, towering and serene. One look at his face, as Bani simply wished as if the Earth could swallow her right away, she did not what came over her, as she could barely look back at him and felt herself get hotter and hotter as she wondered what explanation would she give to Jai about coming out of his room, especially when he was not around. But to her surprise, rather shock, Jai merely excused himself and got in the room, not bothering to even shut the door behind him or look back at Bani and as she turned to look at him, she saw him disappearing in the Washroom. Bani quietly walked away to her room, her thoughts in turmoil about Tarun's ultimatum on the Papers that she had shown to him, which Ranveer had got signed by Jai and then the solution for the whole problem, a Divorce between Jai and herself. Bani had explained to herself that she could anyway not think of having a future with Jai, but that thought could do nothing to prevent her love and commitment for the man whom she worshipped only next to God, perhaps even before her God. As Bani sipped the now cold Tea that Tony had kept for her, she hoped that Jai never comes to know of Jigyasa and Ranveer's betrayal….He would never be able to bear the truth about his own sister's backstabbing….Bani was still an outsider, Jai would be able to overcome her absence in his life after some time, after all, its different for a man, or is it, thought Bani. She tried to remove these thoughts from her mind as she lay huddled on the Bed, trying to catch some winks before it was Dinner Time, she had no wish to go to the Dining Table and eat with the whole family, it wasn't as if she was unable to face them, after the showdown with Massi, but the very thought of sitting near Jai, feeling his presence so close to her, daring to look in his eyes, unnerved Bani and she knew that, if just once more, he looked her straight in her eyes, the whole truth would come tumbling out of her…..
As Bani drifted off to to sleep, she felt a soft knock on the Door and without opening her eyes, she called out sleepily, "Darwaaza khula hai." As Bani lay on the bed, still with her eyes closed, she felt familiar footsteps come inside the room and then she heard the door behind shut gently and suddenly Bani opened her eyes and without turning back, she knew who had just come into the room. Bani almost jerked out of the Bed and pushing her disheveled hair back in place, she looked up at Jai, who held a brown envelope in his hands and in a seemingly expressionless voice looked straight at Bani and said, "Tum apni medicines mere room mein bhool aayi thi…Here." As Jai handed over the Medicines to Bani, who felt extremely awkward standing alone with Jai, she realized she didn't have her Duppata in place and felt foolish and awkward as she looked around frantically for it with her eyes. Jai gave once glance at Bani's now increasingly crimson colored face and then picking up her Chiffon Duppata, came forward and handed it over to Bani and turned to leave, but not before Bani murmured softly, "Thank You." Jai stopped in his tracks and turning to look around at her said, "Thank you mujhe kehna chahiye….Mere Shoes jagah me rakhne ke liye, mere Office ke kapde arrange karne ke liye aur apne laaye phoolon ko mere kamre mein rakhne ke liye." Bani now looked up at Jai and they both stared at one another, not knowing what to do or say as Jai averted his gaze from Bani, but not before saying, "Aaj Mohan apni Maa aur Beti ke saath, raat ko Dinner par aa rahein hai, agar tumhein ko problem nahin hai toh, please join us for Dinner….Use tum se mil kar bahut accha lagega." Jai did not wait for Bani's reply and left the room, as Bani collapsed on the Bed and tears welled up in her eyes…..Jai's mere presence could send jitters down her spine, the way he looked at her, still caught the breath in her throat, the way he smiled still made her flush to her skin, the way he softly called out her name, still made her Heart go aflutter…What would be life without Jai Walia for her…wondered Bani and then realized that she since the day she had first met Jai, she had not known one single day, one single moment which passed without Jai touching her life in some way or the other way…..If he was not in front of her eyes, he was there in her thoughts, if he was not there in her smiles, he was there in her tears, if he was not there in her speech, he was there in her silence, if he was not there with the crowd, she could feel him in her solitary moments…..Bani realized with a numbing sensation that come what now, Jai could never leave her in a physical sense, but in spirit, he will inhabit every corner of her heart and soul!
"Hey Jai…." Mohan Khandelwal looking as gregarious and cheerful as ever lunged forward to hug and greet his oldest friend as Jai smiled back and hugged Mohan. Jai smiled back at Mohan's Mother and bent forward to touch her feet, as the Old Lady smiled broadly at Jai and blessing him remarked to Mohan, "Jab Jai aur Mohan dono 7 saal ke the, tab se unki dosti hai, kitna kuch badal gaya, magar Jai, abhi bhi wahi purana Jai hai." Massi and the Others smiled genially at her as a squeaky and cheerful voice called out, "Jai Uncle….." As Jai looked ahead, his face broke into a huge grin, as the 7 year old Chinky Khandelwal came rushing straight into his arms as Jai scooped up the angelic little girl in his arms and picked her up, giving her a warm kiss on both her cheeks as little Chinky kept hugging Jai tightly and freeing herself after quite some time, looked at Jai and frowing a little bit said, "Kya baat hai Superman, aapka chehra itna utra hua kyon hai….Tony ab bhi accha khana nahin banata?." As Jai let go of Chinky, everyone present broke into a huge laugher and Mohan mock scolded his precarious daughter, "Chinky, yeh kya tarika hai, apne Bade se baat karne ka?" Jai waved his hand at Mohan and winking at Chinky said, "Toh ab yaad aa rahi hai tumhein apne Superman ki! Nani ke ghar jaa kar hum sab ko bhool gayi, kyon? Ek phone bhi nahin kiya mujhe." Chinky giggled and hopping on the Couch replied back nonchalantly, "Nahin Jai Uncle, main aapko bilkul nahin bhooli…Magar Nani bechari bahut boodi ho gayi hai na, unko dekhne ke liye koi bhi nahin hai, saara kaam mujhe hi karna padta tha, isiliye, aapko phone karne ka bhi time nahin mila." Everyone roared with laughter at Chinky's comment and as they settled down, Bani who had been watching everyone from upstairs, stepped down gingerly, still thinking if she should just remain in her room, but somehow she just could not turn down Jai's request and Bani stood in a corner of the room, her pale skin glowing in the Crimson coloured Sari which draped her now slightly curvaceous figure, Mohan and his Mother's eyes fell on her and suddenly there was pin drop silence in the room, as every pair of eye in the room begin looking at one another, apparently asking the same question, "Bani neeche kya kar rahi hai?" Only Jai looked at Bani with no questions in his eyes and after a pause called out to Bani, who came walking quietly and as she stood in front of Jai, Mohan broke out into a wide grin, as he greeted Bani warmly and told his Mother, "Maa, agar Jai beech mein nahin aa jaata, toh shayad Bani, Mrs. Jai Walia ke jagah, Mrs. Bani Khandelwal hoti." As Bani flushed and a polite flutter of laugher spread across the room, the atomosphere lightened a bit, and everyone settled down, while Jai introuduced Bani to Mohan's Mother, whom she immediately touched her feet as she planted a gentle kiss on Bani's forehead and looking affectionately at Jai said to Bani, "Main jab bhi Jai se milti, toh us se Shaadi karne ke liye kehti thi, aur woh hamesha yeh keh kar taal deta ki, use ek aisi ladki ka intezaar hai, joh sirf uska ghar hi na basaye, uski zindagi ko bhi apne saath se bhar de….Tumhein dekh kar, aaj lag raha hai, thodi de se hi sahi, Jai ko uska Saathi mil gaya hai." As Mohan's Mother handed over a neatly wrapped box to Bani, blessing her, Jai looked at Bani and his eyes became a little moist as she realized that indeed, even if a little late, he had found his soul mate….even thought their lives are not meant to be shared together. As Mohan's Mother kept looking at Bani, she exclaimed a little surprised, "Jai, koi khush khabari hai tumhare yahan?" As Bani turned a deep shade of pink and Jai also blushed unwittingly, Jigyasa who had been looking at a moment to jut in, chimed in sarcastically, "Haan, Aunty…Hamari Bani Bhabi Maa ban ne waali hai…..Mohan, tum Jai Bhaiyya ko badhai nahin doge." Mohan who looked elated now came back and shaked hands with Jai, who was giving a cold look at Jigyasa who averted his gaze and slipped back someplace else. "Hey, heartiest congratulations buddy….and ofcourse to you also, Bani….Main bata nahin sakta mujhe kitni khushi hui hai yeh sun kar…." As Mohan's Mother beamed at Jai and blessed Bani once again, Mohan called out to Chinky, shouting, "Chinky, ab shaayad agli Raakhi mein tumhein meri kalai par raakhi nahin bandhni padegi….Jai Uncle ke ghar main ek chotta sa mehmaan aa raha hai." Chinky not fully comprehending her Father's words, nevertheless jumped excitedly and came hopping to Bani who couldn't help smiling at the chubby cheeked and perky little girl who came and wrapped herself around Bani's waist. "Bani aunty….Jab aapke ghar mein chotta sa baby aayega, toh kya mein uska naam rakh sakti hoon?" Bani who struggled between blushing coyly and grinning at the cherubic little girl, bended to come face to face with Chinky and said, "Haan, magar uske liye pehle tumhein apni Bani aunty ko ek Kiss dena hoga." As Chinky hugged Bani and kissed her ferociously on both her cheeks, Jai, Bani, Mohan and Chinky made way to the Dining Table and the evening was spent over a lot of laughter and reminiscing and suddenly it felt as if life has never been better…….
Jai had insisted on Mohan and his family to stay at Walia Mansion for the night and ordered Tony to make arrangements for the same. As all the family members' lumbered down to their respective rooms for the night, Chinky came hopping to Jai and stated matter-of-factly, "Superman, kya main aapke aur Bani aunty ke saath so sakti hoon?" As Jai looked on dumbstruck at Bani, who pretended to have not heard anything, Mohan said awkwardly, "Chinky…..Koi zaroorat nahin hai, tum Dadi ke saath so jao….Bani aunty ki tabiyat theek nahin hai na, tum unhein tang karogi." Chinky who had made up her mind ignored her Father and lugging on to Jai, said in a tantrum throwing way, "Mujhe Jai Uncle aur Bani Aunty ke saath sona hai….." As Mohan chided Chinky again and Jai stood awkwardly, Chinky's faced reddened and her eyes smarted as Mohan raised his voice and scolded her. "Please Mohan ji, Chinky ko mat dantiye…Bacchi toh hai…." Bani looked affectionately at the little girl, who was now openly weeping and leaving Jai went straight into Bani's arms and insisted on sleeping with her and Jai. Bani gave one glance at Jai who just looked back at her and silently they conveyed something and Jai smiled at Chinky, picking her up in his arms, "Ok Boss…Whatever you say! Chaliye aaj aap hamare room mein so jaayiey." As Chinky did a yippee and shouted happily, Mohan apologized to Jai who gesticulated at him saying, "Its alright Mohan, bacche zidd nahin karnege, toh aur kaun karega….I will drop her into her Dadi's room, when she is asleep."
As Chinky jumped excitedly onto the spring cushions of Jai's King-sized Bed, Bani stood awkwardly at the Door, not knowing what to say or do and Chinky jumped out of the Bed and literally dragged Bani inside, shutting the Door of the Room and said, "Bani aunty, aapko koi accha sa gaana aata hai?…aap mujhe sunaiye…Jai Uncle ne pichli baar mujhe ek gana sunaya tha…woh toh papa se bhi bura gaate hain." As Jai mock scolded Chinky, unable to hide his embarrassed laughter, Bani turned away, her face turning pink, as she suppressed her giggle remembering the last and only time she had heard Jai singing…..Especially for her…..It was the most toneless song she had ever heard in her life, yet nothing had sounded more beautiful than that. As Bani sat perched delicately on her side of the Bed….Where she used to lie before, Chinky kept doing somersaults on the Bed, constantly chatting up with Jai and making some or the other disparaging remarks causing both Jai and Bani to laugh out despite the strange situation they had been trapped in. As Chinky was regaling Bani with some story of her Nani, Bani's eyes fell on Jai looking desperately for his Night-gown, muttering something irritated under his breath and without thinking for a moment, Bani got up from the Bed and went near Jai, as he looked at her and stopped his search….Bani quietly rumbled through his clothes and took out his Blue Night-gown and handed it over to him. Jai kept looking at Bani and without saying a single word, took it and went inside the Washroom to change his clothes. As Bani begin closing the Almirah, her eyes fell on an unopened packet which contained a White Shirt and immediately Bani was transported a few months back, when she had been in Goa with Jai and had selected a White Shirt for him, which he had brought and then in the most heartbreaking twist of event, gifted it to Tony, right in front of her eyes…..As Bani fingered through the cellophane wrapping, she suddenly realized how she had also given away her Bangles to Seema, the ones which Jai had gifted to her with such affection, yet, the very next day, she had surprised Seema by taking them back, almost begging them back from her…..She wondered if Jai had also taken the Shirt back from Tony….How Odd it would have seemed for Jai to take back what he had given to his servant and as an odd smiled flickered on her face, Bani grinned to herself wondering Tony's usual poker face getting twitched when his master must have demanded his gift back. Bani shut the door and sat on the Bed, as Chinky begin to yawn sleepily and keeping her head on Bani's lap, told her to sing something for her. As Jai came out of the Washroom, smiling a little formally at Bani, he sensed how uncomfortable it must be for Bani, to be in the same bedroom as him and he took to a far corner of the room with a book in his hand, as Bani once again, avoided smiling broadly, as she remembered the colorful jacket of "Fatherhood – Easy Guide For the First Time Father by Ben Rothman". As Jai pretended to read the book, his ears were filled with the pleasant and low-hummed tone of Bani singing a lullaby to Chinky who seemed to finally drift into sleep, lying peacefully in Bani's lap.
As Jai closed the book, surprised at how engrossing it was, he realized it was close to midnight now and that he had to put Chinky back in her grandmother's room, when his eyes fell on Bani, who was lying, sprawled in a discomfited position with her back resting on the head-rest of the Bed and her leg's hanging onto the floor. Jai got up and came near them, smiling at the pair of two young ladies sleeping peacefully. Jai lifted Chinky up and after dropping her into her grandmother's room came back into his room, completely forgetting about Bani's presence in the room and as she shut the door and switched off the lights, he looked at Bani's silhouette in the dark and he suddenly caught his breath as he kept looking at her in the dark. Jai moved forward to Bani and in the most gentle and tender way made Bani lie down on the Bed and covered her with his quilt and lied down sideways on the Bed, staring at Bani for the rest of the night, as the darkness gave way to light……..
As Bani rubbed her eyes, while the sunlight streamed inside the room, it took her some moments to realize where she was, and as she tried to turn away, she realized that Jai's head was resting on her left arm and his one arm lying carelessly over her waist, and Bani found herself in a breath's distance from the man she loved to death, sleeping blissfully and unaware……..
Will continue……
MT
PS: I will be posting the sequel to Ajnabi tomorrow!
Geet - Hui Sabse Parayee
