Hey guys,
Well, I am writing after a long time?so excuse the errors?I had read somewhere that the storyline of KS was different with jai and pia getting married but it changed overnight and jai and bani got married and the rest as they say is history? I was just thinking of how different it will be if the characters were more realistic and the storyline a different?I found it quite appealing so I just sat in front of the PC and started typing? ? it may seem bizarre but take it as fiction? Hope you all enjoy it!!!
Note: I know, I am not able to continue my two FFs which are hanging mid-way, but I will try, I simply don't have time?it took me about three weeks to write this as I was caught up with so many things?my BIG FAT GATE book is glaring at me?I will have to pick it up now? ?
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The Vine of Desire... ...
[A]
It was summer?the mango season? ripe, sweet mangoes, bursting with juices?a season which she wasn't too fond of?it was too dry?too arid?Bani looked around, everything was packed?she had spent some great moments here, with her two sisters, they had cried, laughed, teased each other?she could still envisage rano running after pia throwing a pillow at her? almost instantly a smile lit up her face?this barren outhouse had so lovingly become their home when they even didn't have a roof to take shade?somewhere deep down her heart pricked to leave this place? this house was testimony to the most dramatic changes occurred in their lives, all of their lives had transformed?
It was only three months ago that the three sisters, Bani, Pia and Rano?all alone and recently orphaned had entered the big bad world of Mumbai?searching for Jai Walia, whom their father had mentioned before taking his last breath, lying helpless and pale on the hospital bed, ready to die?Bani had instantly felt great respect for the man who gave them shelter without asking a thing?Jai Walia remained a mysterious, edgy enigma for her?which only fueled her unaccustomed fright and secret admiration for him?
"Di?" pia's shrill voice disturbed her solitude?who came in, in her usual swinging style of walking?clad in a pair of jeans and a bright tank top, her mangalsutra hanging around her neck, glowing like any new bride would?it was just two days ago that she was married in all pomp and show? ?accompanying her was the loyal servant of the Walia house, Tony?
"Haan pia?" bani said a bit unmindful? she hasn't been quite impressed by the turn of events?she was yet to come to terms with the fact that pia was married to a much older Jai Walia? almost fifteen years? she a spirited 20-something and he a 35 year old man having a sea of experience of life?she still wondered how a mature, level-headed, serious, thinking man like him so easily fell for a girlish carefree girl who saw world through rose-tinted glasses and refused to grow up, not that she was not happy for pia's new life but somewhere the whole idea seemed too precarious, the day she opposed this match since then she had a feel that it was not going in any direction, marriage was not simply dress-rehearsal or a fashion show, it was a bond which would last for seven lives to come?after endless rounds of arguing, debating, counter-attacking herself she simply concluded to the clichd saying of 'opposites attract', maybe it was true and she prayed that it would turn out to be true despite being daunted by the demons of her fear for her sister who was yet to touch reality?
"Tony?di ka samaan gaadi main rakhwado?" pia ordered, with a bit of pride mixed with the feeling of being Mrs. Walia?
"Yes, maam?" Tony said picking up the suitcase along with the bag, the only limited things she possessed?
"Thank you Tony?" bani smiled at him affably, as he proceeded to do his work, his mistress had asked him to? ? tony replied her with a unique smile of his own, not too wide, not too small?
"Pia, you should have worn something Indian?" bani said, not liking what she was wearing?it had been only two days that she was married?she should have been clad in a sari or even a salwar kameez? ?
"Chill di?jai doesn't mind?" pia said flicking her straightened, perfectly made hair? the statement somewhere left her aghast? bani stood speechless for a moment? ?
"Di?I?do you need to go?" pia said, clinging onto her arm?as they walked out?
"Pia?I mean you and rano both are settled now?tum hamesha kehti rehti ho na?that I need a break?so I am taking a break?" bani said thinking of rano of whom she was so proud of, it was through her sheer hardwork that rano topped her board examinations and was now pursuing her education in UK, on a full scholarship?she had wept inconsolably the day Rano went up to the stage to collect her gold medal in commerce, making a small speech, dedicating it to her? she was so over-whelmed by her loving gesture that she had broken down crying in front of everyone?she was always over-protective of pia, pia being the more airy one, she was like a bubbling stream whose course of path was impossible to predict, while rano was like the stable ocean, calmer? ?
"Oh Di!!! I will miss you?" pia said?
"I will miss you too?par you will become so busy with your life that you will forget me?" bani joked?
"Di?aisa kabhi nahin hoga?" pia sulked, bani laughed lightly, stopping in her tracks seeing the entire family gathered outside except jigyasa walia, which didn't; surprise her?her eyes watered a bit, she was going to miss them, they had become so close in a matter of few months?leaving pia she walked slowly towards masi and daadi hugging them?
"We will miss you bani didi?" anu and sahil said in unison?
"I will miss you all?" bani said not wanting to cry?
"Ab mujhe acha khaana kaun banke khilayega?" aditya made a face?
"Main roz aapke khaana lekar aaongi?" bani smile wistfully, remembering the tiems when her favorite adi bhaiyya showered praises on her for her delicious, mouth-watering dishes she cooked especially for him?
"Haan ab theek hain?" adi laughed?her moist eyes suddenly met a pair of deep eyes, looking at with a mix of amazement and curiosity?
Jai Walia stared at her with clear amusement, he was surprised at how his family was reacting to her, a person who was a complete stranger to them a few months ago, today they were crying as she was about to departure? bani had somewhere touched everyone's life, he realized it too late or rather acknowledged it too late?through the corner of his sharp eyes he witnessed masi and daadi wiping their eyes with the ends of their pallus?
"You?You could stay bani?" jai uttered after a lot of thought and putting a lot of energy?he was conversing with her after almost many days?the last was when she had equivocally sized him down to have impulsively proposed pia for marriage? he was left astounded after she had left his study, bashing him up with her no-nonsense talk?he was angered to no extent and had not even acknowledged her presence since then, not even when she stood in a bright maroon sari, doing his aarti on the day of the wedding? ? Soon after the marriage rituals were over, she had calmly come and announced that she had decided to vacate the outhouse, and move to a separate place she had found for herself, a one-bedroom flat almost on the opposite dimension of the Walia Mansion?they were protests from every member of the family with the only exception of jigyasa who seemed least bothered?
Bani gawked at him; feeling embarrassed for no definite reason, a sense of awkwardness crept inside her, this was the first conversation they were having after the marriage, he was her brother-in-law, the word seemed too cumbersome, it seemed too bizarre?but she accepted it nonetheless?she would have stayed but she was scared that her fears which loomed over their matrimony might just turn into materiality?she wanted to run away far?far away?where her fears would remain within herself and not eclipse their newfound relationship? ?finally she found her voice to reply? ?
"No Mr. Walia?this is pia's house now? I can't impose?" bani said like ever, her words precise, concise, clear and straightforward, there was nothing remotely fake about her?there could never be, she had been brutally honest with him always?
"I know you don't need this, but I like to keep up with my principles, you can donate it?it would be nice?" bani said fishing out a brown cover from her bag, it was the money for the rent of the outhouse?jai frowned?somehow he could never get into an argument with her, she was too frank to even begin to try and appease her?he wordlessly accepted it, thinking of giving it to Tony later on?
"I can never repay your kindness?I wish you both a very happy married life" Bani smiled wishing him?making pia stand beside him?watching them stand together under the morning sunlight? ?
"Thanks bani?" he said looking at her with a jovial smile?throwing his arm around pia's shoulder?
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Bani typed on?review the figures printed on the file?there was a lot of chattering going on, people were relaxed and taking their own sweet time to work, since Jai Walia was on a two week honeymoon in Spain? her eyes scanned the crowd, pushkar was sitting, staring blankly at nothing?her heart went out to him?her first crush which she soon realized was nothing more than a silly infatuation and got over it dismissing it as quickly as she had been bestowed by the over-friendly charming boy, she had never been so friendly with a guy so she thought it to be something more than friendship, but she was so wrong, pushkar could never be more than her friend?he had compressed himself into a shell, and she knew why???? Pia's marriage to Jai Walia had left him shattered, the fact that pia out-rightly rejected him was a major blow to his male ego? ?bani sighed getting up?
"Let's have some coffee?" bani said cheerfully?
"No bani?I have work?" pushkar said shuffling the loose random papers?
"Pushkar?come on?you can work later?" bani had to almost drag him from his seat to the cafeteria?
"Pushkar?kab tak aise rahoge?you need to gather yourself?" bani said empathetically? pushkar remained silent?
"Pia is married?Mr. Walia loves her and so does she?everything ends there?" bani said looking at his downcast eyes?
"She doesn't love him? ?"pushkar said caustically?stunning bani?
"You know it?" pushkar looked into her eyes accusingly? ?she sat in the chair unmoving? long after he left? ?
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Jai restlessly skimmed through the pages of the file?his steel gaze fell on the wall clock which was about to strike twelve?pia was still not home? and was not even answering her cell-phone?throwing the file away he stormed towards his study?pouring himself a drink he gulped down?reflecting back on the two months of his uneventful marriage? he confessed that marrying pia was a decision he made on a spur?very contrary to his thinking, he always analyzed a situation, weighed its pros and cons and then made a decision? but with pia it was totally opposite, he was bewitched by her charm and prettiness?she soon attracted his attention and in no time he felt attracted to her?she would be the perfect Mrs. Walia , elegant, classy?and no soon he found himself proposing to pia in the most outrageous fashion and she agreed readily as if she was waiting for it to happen? ?But bani's unvarying display of displeasure irked him?
"Mr. Walia why don't you understand?she is just 20?you are so much older than her?" bani had argued?
"She is still immature?she is just infatuated with you?by your imposing personality?she has no idea what she has done by agreeing to marry you?"
"Please Mr. Walia?at least I didn't expect such a juvenile behavior from you?we don't match you in anything?" bani hadn't given up?
But he was stubborn? at that time he had seen her debate as a clear attack on his ego and masculinity?her static comments enraged him?and his determination to marry pi only strengthened?but had he realized the truth hidden behind her words, he wouldn't have been regretting this now? ?
Their honeymoon in Spain was the defining moment that pia was not what he perceived her to be or rather he didn't want to see?she was good in bed but the physicality never touched his soul, not even once, not even the first time?he wanted to have children while she didn't?he wanted to spend the time talking to her, getting to know her, while she wanted to shop?they were drastically opposite with neither of them ready to comprise or adjust?they were too rigid in their opinions, at first he thought it was her childishness, with time she will learn but it didn't take him long to realize that all she had ever wanted was the comforts of life which came from the enormous money he had? ? at the end he had no one but himself to curse? ?
But still he wanted to mend this marriage, tried as much possible to make pia understand in some said and unsaid ways, but she was too busy enjoying this newfound life of royalty, friends, parties, night-outs, everything?except him there was space for everything in her life and she carried it out with the least possible guilt?he wasn't able to look into masi's vacant eyes when she wouldn't found pia joining the family for dinner or stand jigyasa's snide remarks?it was out of bounds now? ?the honk of the car disturbed his train of thoughts?
He walked down to find the pia struggling to walk; completely drunk?he held her arm with an unfamiliar feel?
"Jai?sorrryyy?.I?ammm?late?" pia fumbled?he lifted her talking he to the room? ?
Like invisible sound waves that ripple out and out?he was back to where he always was?alone and loveless?the darkness became friendly again?he scornfully laughed at his cursed destiny, he was never entitled to be loved?it simply wasn't in his fate to be loved? ?
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God bless
Dhani
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