PART 13
Thursday evening
Fabio slid his SOR toward him. He sat there surveying the crowd from between his half closed eyes.
The clothes and the designer handbags alone would add up to a few million rupees he thought. "If I were to start estimating the net worth of each of the individuals dancing under the lights, it would take all night"
THIS was the Bombay he knew! THIS was the India he had grown up in. These were the people he most identified himself with. He could just be himself. He did not have to be guilty about being wealthy or being sinful or lecherous or wild. Most under this roof were like him. There was no pretense. People just did not take their life too seriously around here.
He took a deep breath, the thoughts had relaxed him. Why they even swirled around in his mind he did not know but it did relax him.
Tap on the shoulder.
Turns around its his friend Rishi Batra.
Shaan: Hey man!
Rishi: How goes it dude?
Shaan: Just the usual, sights, sounds and '. Taste (sipping his drink after raising it towards Rishi)
Rishi: That's exactly the way it should be (grins )
Rishi: You know''.. I show up I don't show up, its always full (winks, tapping his wallet)
Shaan: No kidding! (smiles mockingly)
Shaan: Ive left her a message .............. I am still waitin. They love to make us wait. Its part of the "Rules of Pursuit"
Rishi: Looks like it.............. but u know......... The wait can be made immensely entertaining (conspiratory)
Shaan looks at where Rishi points with his drinks
A bunch of gorgeous girls make their way to the bar.
Shaan: Of course there aren't any rules about that (grins)
Introductions happen
Laughter, chatting, random dancing, refill drinks, more dancing'''.in between Shaan notices a quiet gal sitting by herself at a booth wearing a skirt like Khanak usualy wore to work, she wore glasses, and was reading a book in the awful light.
Shaan and Rishi pause on their way back to the bar
Rishi: do you know her?
Shaan: I didn't think so
Rishi: She doesn't seem like your type man! (back slapping while mocked)
Shaan: No! She isn't! .............. not at all actually! (after a pause, trying to sound emphatic )
Khanak was winding up for the week, she really didn't want to come in to Prabhadevi next week. She had lots to take care of at her own office. She wore a pistachio green plain Kanjivaram cotton kurta with a two inch turquoise trim at the edge topped with a zari border that was basically her sleeve. With a plunging square neckline at the back held together with two sets of strings. Teamed with a turquoise churidar and a dupatta of the same color. She hadn't seen Shaan all day. She wore her silver umbrella shaped earrings and a dozen silver bangles. The kohl lining her eyes was the only make up.
She hadn't bothered to call or find out where Shaan was all day today. Finding out where he had been last Friday from Paula had made her embarrassed enough. She had jumped to a conclusion. Yet again, with him.
She had never done that with any body for as long as she could recall. Paula had told her in passing that Shaan and couple of Ajemra legal guys had been at the lawyer's all day last Friday trying to figure out some legal glitch in re using the Colaba mansion, Tarang's deisgns. They had actually thought Ajemra had "paid for them" but apparently not. Things were not yet resolved, but they were making good progress she had told Khanak.
They hadn't been able to talk much at the coffee shop as Nivs had come looking for her. She had met his eyes once before walking away with her. It was for some reason becoming a familiar occurrence. Just before they parted their eyes met involuntarily'''..
Even if she had to come in on Monday to finish up here, she wanted to be back at her office after lunch. In order to do that she was working late this Friday past 8.......................... There weren't any phone calls, not from Ritu or from her train or other friends. Neither guys her Aada had talked about had called. She hadn't bothered to check back with him about them either. She knew they would call if her Aada had told her.
The people she worked with wound up for the day and left the conference room. She rested her head on the chair and shut her eyes, let her thoughts wander. She had come a long way since she had lost Sooraj..................... yet not. She still stood there in her cubicle staring at her PC after she had hung up on the phone............ numb upon hearing the news.
She wanted to go back to that day and change things. She would tell him to leave for home early, she would tell him to take an auto. She would have asked him to take the longer route and avoid the by pass road.
She couldn't go back and change anything. She couldn't even go back and change the conversation she had with her aada on Tuesday. What he said was usually carved in stone. For a very quiet and what seemed like an aloof man, he was very much a disciplinarian. If he had said he had started to talk about re marriage then he would have.
She didn't want to be married again. She liked living and working and Mumbai. She liked the freedom. She liked the peace and quiet this crowded, noisy insomnia ridden city offered her. She loved her solitary life amidst the chaos. She could live like this the rest of her life................................
If she agreed to marry one of the two men her Aada had selected for her, she would be gone from Mumbai. Departing from Mumbai would mean.................. leaving Shaan. That would definitely be a good thing!
The cube was almost three times the size of hers. There was a huge flat screen monitor at the center of the squarish cube. A chair had been slid under the desk. There was a jacket wrapped around the back with UMASS printed on it. There were some nature pictures on the cubicle walls along with what looked like a set of three pictures of a blonde blue eyed young girl. There was a Stanford and UMASS-Dartmouth seal pennant (a triangle flag) on both sides of his monitor. The cube was clean and functional.
No personal fx or pictures. A UMASS coffee mug sat by his mouse pad. In the corner on one side there was what seemed like a brown oblong ball in a rectangular glass case with signatures on it.
She walked around not even sure why she was there at that hour. Maybe she had walked by hoping he would be around, may be not..................... something drew her inside and here she was............................ holding the glass case in her hands and generally gawking at his cube. The office was unusally quiet almost all had left for the weekend, copiers whirred in a distance and some phones rang occasionally. The crew of cleaners were quietly walking around pushing their carts, doing their work.
Her eye is caught by the set of three pictures on the wall, she walks up to it with the glass case in her hands, set it down and touches the BIG blue eyes. The most beautiful blue eyes she had ever seen.
She looked like she was very young........."may be she's his girlfriend?"
Shaan: Did u need anything?
Turns around startled.................. he stood there, leaning on one side of the entrance, blue jeans and a turquoise tee with 4 letters on it SRUF''.. or may be its........... Oh! ITS SURF, her mind corrected her.
Their eyes meet knowingly..................
Khanak: Not really'''. Well actually............... My network cable broke and my lap top wi fi is not working.
Shaan: And...............??
Khanak: What? (wrong place at the wrong time she realized)
Shaan: Khanak............
Khanak: well........... Ummmm most people were gone and I couldn't find your admin I was hoping u had another one (ya right! After she had packed up for the day)
Shaan: You need one NOW? (checked his black sporty watch) 9 baj chukka hai Khanak.............
Khanak: I am sorry. I shud'nt even be here. It must seem like I am snooping (embarrassed, pushing her hair back)
His hands are back in his pockets, he just waits and watches...................
Shaan: You weren't actually looking for me were you?
Khanak (alarmed) Oh! No! I knew most people have checked out, so you might be gone also,( though you weren't here all day)
Shaan: Nope! I am here!
Khanak in an effort to dilute the tension "That's an odd shaped ball" (picking it up again)
Shaan: It's a foot ball............... (hand out of his pocket, explaining gently) "It's the team I follow a lot"
Khanak: Oh! Really?
Shaan smiles
Khanak: I love the pictures on your wall. They are beautiful. Did you buy em or shoot them urself?
Shaan: Those are mine! (BUY THEM? He thinks, who BUYS?)
Khanak: Oh!........ I better go. I will check with your admin in the morning. (confidently)
Shaan: Are you coming in tomorrow? (teasing)
Khanak: I thi'' Oh! I mean Monday (piqued)
Shaan: That's what I thought
Khanak: I am sorry, I came in and looked (waves her hands all around)
Shaan: Nope!.............. its fine....... (notices her glimpse at the blue eyes again)Welcome back any time.....
Shaan: She's not my girlfriend Khanak. It's the daughter of a friend I went to school with (he means grad school in the US)
Khanak: Oh! (hiding her blush)
Shaan: Yep! (leans back sideways allowing her room to pass hands tucked in his pockets, one leg bent, and up on the frame a foot or two)
Shaan: She's 14 BTW!
She turns around and meets his eyes...................( a janitor rolls his cart near the cube and turns on his hand held vaccum)
Bindi
Udne Ki Aasha
Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi 2
