Posted:
Interesting update ! Is shyam anjalis husband and is arnav a male chauvinist?
Originally posted by: MOnamy11
Interesting update ! Is shyam anjalis husband and is arnav a male chauvinist?
Chapter 6: Accident
New Delhi
Devyani Raizada was a woman of extraordinary youthfulness. The 78 year old widow of Pratap Singh Raizada had as many wrinkles on her face as grey hair on her head- both beyond numbers, still she ran on the stairs with the agility of a seven year old. The straightness of her back was comparable with a plumb line; her heart would beat 72 times a minute, her blood pressure never quivered beyond or before 120/80, her hemoglobin 12 and sugar levels admirable. Doctors could well put her up as the specimen of perfect health and ventured to predict she would sure shot hit her century.
Had her daughter not died that fateful night years back, Devyani would have been healthier was her conviction. A debater and an artist Devyani patronized the conservatism in Indian culture and was forever critical of its so called 'westernization'. An outside supporter of the SSS (Samaj Seva Sangh), she held several Satsangs but remained the worldly duck who could only think about her grandchildren even in the mouth of the Vaishno Devi cave.
The chauffer opened the rear door of the sparkling white Porsche; Devyani Raizada disembarked, clad in white chiffon sari with silver embroidery. The Bahrain pearls gave her an almost divine aura as she brisked her pace towards the entrance of the palatial Raizada Mansion which she had named 'Shantivan' two and a half years back when her family had moved into it.
"Where is Laxmi?" she demanded from the more than a dozen servants who had lined up in front of her.
"Wow nani, you are back!" Anjali flashed a bright smile while touching her feet. Her grand-daughter's face made Mrs. Raizada forget that there was a world that existed beyond that face.
"Oh, my daughter when did you come? Where is my dear son-in-law and what about your oafish brothers?"
"Easy nanz" said Anjali nudging at her, "MJ's off to Bombay, so I thought I'd drop here and stay with you guys while he's away. I came here the day before and found the boys were off to Lucknow, so I followed them there."
"Lukhnow?" Devyani gasped.
"All's fine nani, just business. We flew back in Delhi yesterday.
****
The huge mirror reflected the gargantuan bling of the yellow metal but Manorma Raizada could never be pleased enough. Her husband remarked that she alone was responsible for the decline in the value of Ruppee in circulation as she held half of the RBI's gold assets.
"Hello hi bye bye, you jusht sut up" she scolded the scientist who was her forever obedient husband. Mahendra Singh Raizada was never allowed to have a voice. Regarded as inept by both his mother and wife, he confined himself in his quiet shell for most of the day, delving only in his research at which he was as successful as he was at reconciling the differences between both the women in his life.
"One, your mother," Manorma grumbled, "will never understand me, two, you- momma's boy will never speak for me." she said as she wore another coat of the flashy pink lipstick that matched with her equally flashy pink saree with broad golden border.
"Manu, it's just a simple pooja, only family, just the five of us, not a party that you are dressing like that."
"You jusht sut up! A woman of my shtature doesn't step out of her bed without adorning the finesht silk."
"Finest." Mahendra corrected.
"Oh, the same and does not step out of her room without being wrapped in gold." she said haughtily and lifted her plump frame from in front of the mirror giving her reflection a last admiring look. With elbows resting on her waist and forearms thrown up open reaching till her shoulders, she walked like a house-maid who just got her month's salary in advance. Manorma Raizada could never learn sophistication. All of the ostentations, all of the bling were abject failures in disguising her proletarian background.
Mahendra closed the chapter on the metabolism of fecal coli form found in the Ganga and reluctantly followed his wife out of their room.
*****
At eight in the evening ASR loosened his tie, shut the flap of his macbook and rolled back his swivel chair. The strategically located state-of-art glass cabin on the first floor favored him the vantage point view of the ground story. In the right most corner was his core team, overwhelmingly engrossed in working out the planner for the coming season. None of them was going home tonight or for the next couple of nights since the prospects of functioning in office for longer time were far more rewarding than anything else in the world they could think of.
The logic at AR was crude and simple. You get amply rewarded for every miniscule benefit you bring for the company. The boss is censorious, workaholic with eyesight of a hawk, hindsight and foresight- well he may himself be the criteria for that. If you can brace up yourself for his withering criticism, if you are ready to dedicate your operational organs (brain) entirely to his company, if you are ready to live in that air, breathe in that air - Welcome to AR - a world where you own the car your eyes fancy, you own the house that your family fancied, a world where expulsion is not as difficult as admission.
The guard bowed and took his briefcase. The auto-sensing slider glass doors opened as he approached them, tonight ASR wasn't staying late at the office. Despite it being a Friday night, ASR had refused his girlfriend's proposal for a dinner-date. He did not plan to visit the golf club either.
He strode towards his B.M.W, the chauffer handed him the keys, took his briefcase from the guard and placed it on the rear seat. ASR left the chauffer there and drove out of the underground parking lot. He took a right from the Connaught circle, after several months he was heading for his home this early. Work was not the reason for eluding home, he was in fact avoiding his grandmother. He would usually reach at a time when his family would already be asleep, for any interaction with Devyani would end up in an argument. Of late the difference of opinion between the two of them had become rather pronounced and Arnav was loath to it. The only force that pulled him home tonight was Anjali.
****
Nothing out of ordinary happened during the train journey. Earlier that day, Khushi had taken Payal to the office of the Khabri news channel which was the first to air her video and had been most flagrantly lewd in its portrayal. Upon recognition the reporters had unabashedly told her about her prospects in modeling, T.V or even Bollywood as she was in 'limelight' now, they even tried to interview Payal upon how she felt!
Khushi smiled ruefully remembering how she had thrown a paper weight at one of the cameramen, missing him by a few inches. She had then picked up a metallic tripod stand and threatened to break their equipment if they did not behave themselves. She wasn't a fool, even hard core, proven criminals are allowed privacy, they can hide their facial identity from public on T.V., when scandalous videos similar to her case are aired, the faces are always blurred to not disclose the subject's identity than why was she treated differently when all what happened with her was an accident, how could the channel be so imprudent and indiscreet? Not unless someone had deliberately done that...
"I am filing a case against your channel if you don't tell why you did it." she had said.
"Ma'am we are extremely apologetic about what happened, you have been treated unfairly, please forgive us, we are really sorry about all this." they had said, "we will run an apology from the next broadcast."
"Why on earth did you do it in first place?" she had cried.
"Ma'am these things are not under our control, we had orders from the headquarters."
"Who is that idiot?"
"Ma'am our head has no issues with you, he doesn't even know you, he only followed his orders or the channel would have crashed. I am not sure but I have heard it was one of the sponsors..."
"Who?" she asked.
"Mr. Arnav Singh Raizada." had been the weighted response.
Khushi recalled their genuinely sorry faces, some even scared as if she had meant the threat she had given. But what was the point now when the harm had been done. She glanced at her heavily snoring aunt. Madhumati had been sleeping for the entire journey. Payal had acquired the window seat and was reading something called a 'John Grisham'. Khushi took out the lunch box packed for three, she alone would now have to finish it, not that it had ever been an issue.
They got down at the Hazarat Nizamuddin terminus, when Madhumati hailed an auto-rikshaw, they would not fit into. Bua was too large, when she entered from one side, Khushi fell on road from the other. Finally it was resolved that bua had no problem with a feather-weight Khushi sitting on her lap for their journey till Connaught circle where at the Rajeev Chowk Metro station they would change for the metro train that would take them to Lakshmi Nagar.
Just as they were climbing the steps for the station Madhumati began to wheeze, followed by a hysteric coughing attack and then not even cough, she held her throat, her tongue hanging out and eyes rolled up, she threw her hands in air and began fidgeting with her bag.. the girls became frantic, "help somebody, my bua has an asthma attack!"..."Jiji can you find her pump?" Khushi cried. "You mean inhaler", Payal fretted as she searched her bag, "I can't find it..."she gasped. "Fine I'll get one, there has to be a medical store nearby." Khushi declared and shot like a bullet towards the exit. "Wait Khushi...how would you..." Payal's plea went unheard.
Khushi searched desperately for a cycle or something in the parking and immediately saw an electric blue scooter with a large side carrier. The key was hanging at the ignition. She muttered an apology, a theft for saving someone's life wasn't a sin. She jumped on the seat, twisted the key, the engine roared to life and the vehicle pulled away from the parking..."Arre chor..." somebody screamed, Khushi ignored.
She drove towards the circle, the scooter was a brand better than her rickety one, just as she approached the signal the lights turned red.
Khushi muttered another apology to god, breaking a traffic rule to save someone's life is not an offense. She judged she could dodge the car ten steps away...a very wrong judgment, the SUV was big, she hit just millimeters away from the car's tail light, denting it above the bumper. The rear view mirror of her scooter shattered with the impact.
The driver of the SUV cursed and glanced angrily at his rear view mirror to see his attacker. Her face shined, illuminated by tail clusters of the vehicles ahead, "What the hell, it can't be you..." he cursed again. The newly invoked fury was enough for him to storm out of his B.M.W SUV.
Khushi still gawked at the dent, "I am really very sorry sir, I didn't..." she was already breathless when she looked up to face the driver's wrath. Her eyes first popped out when she saw him and then narrowed. "You.." she gasped. Khushi forgot all about her aunt, asthma and the pump.
****
PS: Mamaji is a scientist here. I don't intend to send him on business trips to USA indefinitely.
Originally posted by: MOnamy11
Like the way you described the characters and can't wait to read arshis interaction :-) btw who is Mj ?
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