PART 211 C
SPA
Delhi
2:14 PM
She waits for him to start walking
S:Where did you first meet Sooraj?😭
She cant tell his eyes, they are concealed behind his expensive sunglasses
Her eyes shift to his throat, and she loses her voice
She is quite unprepared for that question. Infact let truth be told she didnt think of the man much
The man she thought of every waking moment was posing a question about a man she didnt reminisce about...
K: Mujhe yaad nahi (guilty)
Something about that expression seems genuine to him, he wants to take it at face value, but being in a place where their courtship happened, it was incredibly hard for him to believe that
She shakes her head "Mujhe yaad nahi, main un...mera matlab Sooraj se 3yrd year mein mili"
His sharp as a tack brain does the math in a nano second "If she met him in the 3rd year and married him after the 4th, and he had lived 6 month after, then she had known him 2.5 years in all? 10% of her life!!!"
It was supposed to make him feel better but it hurt him... he hated the fact that some one had been intimate with her, heard her laugh, groan and cry
"All those belong to me!!"😳😳
"Aapko main CAD lab dikhaaoon?"
He is lost in thoughts
"She gently touches his elbow
He holds the hand, he would hold it for as long as he can that day
"Hmm"
They walk by the records room on the way, a portly 60 year old man smiles at her, as if he saw her everyday
She actually does a namaste with folded hands
"To tumhari shaadi ho gayi?" he says cheerfully
"Haan" she nods spontaneously smiling without a second thought...😳😳.
When the man approaches Shaan and asks "Kya karte ho beta?" realization dawns on Khanak that she is separated from him
S: Jee Mumbai ke ek contruction company mein hoon
Man: Kaun se
S:Ajmera
Man is impressed "Yeh hamare college ki sabse honhaar thi 5 saal pehle" "Aur tum bhi padhe likhe lagte ho"
Shaan smiles
Man: Kya naam hai beta?
S:Jee Shantanu Gujral
M: Arey yeh to meri tarah Punjabi hai, Gujarati ladki se shaddi? Vadiya!"
K's blushing trying to avoid looking at her husband
M: Gujarat ki ladkiyan kam hai yaha. Tumhe mushkil se mili hogi
S:Bahut!😳
Her hand being held by him is being squeezed firmly, as her heart explodes into a loud singing tune
K:Mere results dekh sakte hain? (child like)
Man:Zaroor beta
He steers them towards the inside, logs on to a PC, and gets her maiden last name...
Shares her records, she points to various subjects and talks animatedly, he just looks at her eyes, they are sparkling...
She is sittng in a chair, he is leaning over...
Man: Beta chai?
K: Nahi Sir, hame chalna hai
M:Mumbai se aaye?
K: Nahi
S:Haan
He looks at both
K: Abhi main, hum yaha Vasant Vihar mein hai
Man:Alumni group mein to ho na?
K:Jee
Man:Yeh bahut kam bolti thi beta
S: Achha (gently mocking)
Khanak gives the man a bear hug and they leave for the CAD lab
She shows him her fave spot, there is a class going on so they cant go in... girls look at her husband admiringly...
She instinctively creeps closer to him as they peek inside the room
"You want o see the auditorium?"
"If you will show me" smiles
They walk the periphery...
"I enjoyed going to school here"
"Great"
"You prolly think its dull?"
"Why?"
Aapko dekhkar pata chal raha hai aap enjoy nahi kar rahe"
He laughs "From when are you a mind reader?"
"May 29th 2011" she says huskily
He whispers in her ear " Does my mind tell you when I am excited also?"
"THAT I can tell from your eyes" looks at a spot on a tree...
The auditorium is locked for renovation... they walk around the media room and the lobby... she pauses to look at pictures of "famous structures" from around the world...
There is the Empire State Building... she reads the passage underneath...
"Yeh naya hai"
Touches the highest point on the picture...
"Aap gaye hain?"
"Many times"
"Hmm"
"Do you want to go?"
It takes a long time to admit but she responds with a faint "Hmmm"
They walk around, its cold dark and musty in the lobby... "How is Baltimore?"
"Busy, crowded"
"Main nahi gayi" (as if he does not know)
"Oh!" he says as if he did not know
"Aap kya karte the shaam ko?" (FINALLY!)
"Hang out with friends" (think abt you)
"Beer, tennis, pubs, dancing?" (hurting)
"Not in that order" (laughs)
She tugs her hand...
"I may have missed a few"
He is confused
"I shud have added "Scotch, kissing, women"
He looks at her face, her eyes are igniting... a strange huskiness envelops her voice, its fiercely posessive now
"I just kissed" "Didnt make out" (softly)
She tugs her hand free and walks out... he folows her
It delights him to go after her in her school, where once some other man received all her attention. Now he was making her mad...
"Mujhe ghar jaana hai" (short)
"Mumbai?"
Nahi Ahemedabad!" she says not being the one to give up easily when it came to verbal sparring
"What about my lunch"
They are walking close to each other, the school is not imp any more their conversation is creating a longing in both... at some level Sooraj was out of the picture...
"Aap Baltimore jaakar khayiye"
"Abhi?"
"Kyon nahi"
She is about to step on a puddle, he wraps his arm around her waist and steers her
"Lets go to ur hostel"
"Nahi mujhe bhook lagi hai"
He smiles willing to enjoy her tantrum...
"Canteen mein chai?"
"Mera purse?" thinks... "Oh! car mein hai, shaayad"
He smiles at her forgetfulness
"At this rate you are going to forget about me some day" jokes
She stops, looks at his face deeply, and in a voice overcome with emotion says firmly "Nahi!"
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They get her purse go to her cafetria, she buys chai and samosas, she gorges, he drinks the chai and tears off some skin from her samosa and chews on it, he likes it, eats more...
"Shaam ko 5 baje ek dum fresh" she smiles
He smiles
"Main din mein 6 chai peeti thi"
He shakes his head
"Aap?"
I dont know... may be two?" "Beer was three" winks
She clamps her hand over her mouth horrified "Aap to bahut bigde hue the"
"Tha nahi hoon" softly
She knows the implication
The spoilt brat, getting his way with her at nite, in bed, and many times during the day...
She finshes her chai, letting it scald her tongue
"Baat nahi karogi"
"Hmm"
"What did you do in the evenings?"
"Ritu and I went to Connaught Place to look at cute guys"
He knows that must be the pattern until 3rd year...
"How many did you find?"
"Many"
"Aaur aap"
"Went dancing, or to a pub"
She shakes her head...
You are such a prude."
"Ofcourse not! Ritu and I drank brandy one winter nite and walked around Maharani Bagh until 4 AM"
He is truly shocked
"Does your Dad know this?" (mocking)
"Umm...mmm"
He goes to return the cup one guy walks by and starts chatting, wants her phone number she is flattered... smiles and thanks him
Husband appears is ready to punch the guy
"I LOVE this place"😉😆
"I can tell" (jealous)
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They eat a "real" lunch at ITO, much to his chagrin, The thali looks "great" he secretly acknowledges but the place is might crowded
His wife fits right in...
Actually asks people to "make room" on a greasy wooden bench...
"Khanak, paani, atleast bottle ka PLEASE"
"Hmm" she says unmindlful
She orders more rotis, he says he will eat off her plate "Man aapke saath share kyon karoon?"
"How many reasons do you need?" gives her the most cryptic look
"NONE!" Hot and bothered
He starts reluctantly but enjoys the meal
She eats his dessert, its partly tainted with chicken tikka gravy... he mocks her
"I am a rebel now, I have no shame" defensive (All becoz I married you)
"Your Bai would kill you"
"If I left you she would" her heart screams
"Main Diwali ke liye ghar"
He cuts her off by saying "Nahi"
She enjoys being wanted, being controlled, its just the best thing her heart says...
They argue over which movie to watch and finally decide to make the choice when they get home...return at 6 ish...
A package awaits her at the door... she grabs it assuming its for her, he casually unlocks the door and goes in, is on the phone again...
Jamuna asks him what he would like to eat he says "Sandwiches for both"
Pours himself a drink walks to the balcony answers his messages
She pulls the gauzy paper out,,, its a card like envelope, sealed... opens it to reveal a gift card from Amatra Spa (Ashok Hotel)
The attached note says
"To Khanak
For when you ache...
From Shantanu"😳😳
She hears him walk in the balcony, she quickly stuffs it back in the bag, places a hand over her racing heart... shuts her eyes and leans on the wall...relishing the many ways he would assuage her aches...
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