Part 29
Niyojan Nagar
12:30 PM
Dec 22nd
Saturday
Khanak paces the
room frantically… “Will calling him mean, I admit wrong doing on the loan
issue?” “Will calling him mean I am apologetic about not telling him before
heading out here” “He is not expecting me to call” “Calling him will make me
appear desperate” “Over a LEHANGA?” “Really Khanak?” “Ab baat yahan tak pahunch
gayi hai?” “Coy Khanak?”
She throws the phone half heartedly back on the bed…
Bua peeks in “Neeche kab aane ka iraada hai (in Gujarati)
Khanak turns around startled… she is wearing a lemon
yellow chikan kurta and a marroon jaipuri salwar… the kurta is decked with embroidery…
Madz had bought it before Deepavali at some 5 star hotel “Artisan fair”
Yep! At a 5 star hotel…
She was very happy she had paid “only” Rs.4000 a piece
for the dozen colors she had picked up that day… Khanak had the choice to take
them all… she was tempted to…
But was as usual ridden with guilt over buying something
for Rs.50,000 for Deepavali… just for
kicks… when she knew her husband was planning to gift her an outfit, and Dadi
and Sunil and Bai and Aada…
Dadi had forced her to take 5… she did… her reluctance
was really not real…. Khanak smiled at her reflection on the Godrej mirror……..
She hugged her kurta… he had ran his index finger and
thumb over it gently…….. all over tracing the patterns……… carefully………. Sometimes
going over patterns “that I really like” he had fibbed……..
When she was on the verge of choking, she had let out a
long deep breath……… that had let somehow let a moan escape her throat…….
“Shantanu, it’s just embroidery” she had debated huskily……..
“Agreed!........... he had paused… followed by a “But I
had no idea it could cause you to tremble like this” he had said… enveloping
her… hungrily……….tangling her moist hair…………..
It had hung on the foot of the bed… that morning……….. she
never made it downstairs wearing it… it was so crushed… she wore the pink
instead……..
Bua peeked again: Neece chalo Khanak
Khanak nodded respectfully…
Bua shook her head mockingly…
Smriti and her Mom Malini behn were snacking voraciously,
Smritis kids were fine tuning the remote…
Khanak: Arey, sorry beta… mujhe dogey
They argued with her in Gujarati…
Aada looked away helplessly
Bai escaped into her cave… kitchen…
Dadi smiled and hugged her… repeated for the 5th
time that she has married a rich man…
Bua: They are punjabis, and they eat maas (for the 6th
time)
Khanak searched in the cupboard in the living room for
toys or books…
She found a few, a toy phone and some hot wheels cars, robots,,
from the time of her wedding… to Shantanu, some Mumbai high society Moms had
left it… she had insisted to Shantanu that they need to be returned… he had
fumed… and blistered… Khanak had let it go…
Smriti: This toy is expensive…
Khanak smiled faintly
Bua:They are left over from the time she got married
Smriti looked at Khanak
Bua clarified, “you know when she married in 2010”,
as if she married every year
Smriti: Where do you live in Mumbai?
Bua: Jahan daftar hain…
Smriti: kidhar?
Khanak: Malabar Hill
Smriti had no clue… she lived in Junagadh… never stepped
out of the state…
Her Mom checked Khanak out completely
Malini: Punjabi mein mangal sootra nahi hota kya?
Khanak nodded confirming…
Bua: Aajkal ka fashion hai… (dismissive)
Bai: Lunch is ready
Khanak: I can make pooris
Bai:No! You are here for two days
Bua: She is here for a week! (laughing)
Bai:Even a year is like a day for the mother
Bai tears up…
Bai (proud) her husband doesn’t let her visit even for a
day! (to Khanak’s ears that did not sound like a complain at all)
Aada: He never really agrees to send her even I ask him
to (pleased)
Khanak turned crimson…….
Bua: Haan ghar par aadat jo ho jaati hai
Bai:Their house is full, yet he misses my daughter..
Aada signals his wife to give up..
Malini:Do you eat meat now?
Khanak is startled… she shakes her head vehemently..
Bua has a mocking look on her face.. “she lives with him”
(hides her lips in her pallu and says something, giggling)
Malini behn squirms understanding the implication……
“Great! Now Bua and Malini Bua would want me to have him
brush and gargle before kisses me.. as if I havent tried. HOW do I tell these
women? They should talk to him in gujarati… will serve him right… Dadi is
right, he IS a brat”
A hawker calls his wares out… outside
Khanak gets up hurriedly walks over to see what the
hawker is selling outside.her face flush with heat……… as if she just tasted the
food he ate… her chest pounding for some unknown reason……..
Bai:Ragini behn (Aada’s sister) you are embarrassing the
poor girl..he is a very educated man… he has lived abroad and studied abroad…
(Bai is breathless singing praises).. he is in a very high level job”
Bua is unfazed “Smriti’s husband is very educated also,
but he goes to the temple everyday”
Aada: Khaana lagao sabke liye..
Bai is frustrated… ANY and EVERY choice made by HER daughter is
ridiculed.. and the daughter herself is mute…. Mute just like her Aada… it
makes Bai very mad…
Sonali looks up from painting her nails “Di Jeeju aa rahe
hain?”
“I don’t know”
Aada walks outside and invites his daughter…
Smriti follows…
Aada places a hand on her shoulder…. “Did you call him
this morning?”
“Who?” pretends Khanak
“The hawker” says Aada smiling down at his daughter mischievously… as
she watches the hawker disappear around the corner…
It would have been totally unlike Khanak, had she called him...........though i desperately want them to talk!! the scenario you write about Khanak's place is always very real!! most of the times the person who does the most in the family has to face the flak!! loved the memories associated with the lemon yellow chikan kurta!!! Aada teasing Khanak was very sweet!!waiting forthe next one!!
ReplyDeleteWow!!! Loved it!!! Awesome!!! Khanak contemplating whether to call or not and finally decided against it..she has a point too..And the flashback regarding her chikan kurta was penned down beautifully!!! It was romantic and hot!!!
ReplyDeleteI love Shaan's one word reply..his "nahi" and "agree" as well as Khanak's "ummm and hmmm"..:)it expresses and conveys more than what a long sentence would.. :) Yesterday I read an article which had a line, "The Language is succinct,yet poignant.." I was reminded of Casa..This line suits casa perfectly to the T..:)
Dadi still couldn't believe that her granddaughter married a rich guy and her Bua is more worried on her being married to a Punjabi who eats meat..hmmm..
Why is she not wearing her mangal sootra??? she loves to wear it so much!!!How true are her bai's word, "Even a year is like a day for the mother"!!!
So Khanak parents did know that Shaan doesn't like to send her alone anywhere..LOL:D Wonder whether she'll be staying here in Gujarat for her pregnancy for few months and even after giving birth in the future..usually that happens in TN, where girls stay for months in their mother's house for first pregnancy..don't know abt other culture..will Shaan let her???
Just loved how Khanak's Aada praised his SIL..:) Is Khanak looking for Shaan outside??? Awww!!! Unknowingly/Knowingly she is hopping for him to be here..lovely!!!
How cute!!! Even Aada is teasing her..LOL:D
Looking forward and thanks for the fabulous update..:)
Expected!
ReplyDeletewhen pride is competing with both the first wins...I'm actually glad you didn't make her call...some of her reasons were justified...though it was no doubt her fault regarding the money issue.
I love how you transform all their thought or either belongings to flashbacks...very dreamlike and beautiful! It's like even in thoughts they cannot let each other go. Sigh!
Her impatience...all her her thoughts to back to that man is cute!
You're Shanak moments are very authentic...yet like fairytale...Sigh!
Hahahaha! The teeth brushing part was amusing! Especially of how many times she has tried to make him brush..Kuch flash back on that?! And I want to see his reaction lol! Will be epic :P
Love Bai...I mean, as a mother it she tries to placate and justify everyone regarding her daughter par her own daughter unheeding! You know what is astonishing about Khanak, she doesn't care even when she was a widow. She has her priorities set and their are few things already that needs attention from her not these senseless remarks.
The black/brown line left a hope...though I don't presume he come to visit...but still as a reader it leaves the thrill to wait :)
Thank youu! Thank youuuu...update soooon!!
She wll not call. He wll not call. Then who wll call??
ReplyDeleteCan the operator call both of them nd connect ? Option hai kya ? :P:P
I dnt know why , when Khanak stepped out to see the Hawker I felt she wll she 'him' coming for surprise visit !! I know 'm day dreaming . hummmphhh !!
hahahahaha!! sorry i found that hilarious:D
Deleteeven i want the operator to call both:p
dnt say sorry, u r only one who found some humor in it, I must thank u . hehehe..
DeleteSigh!
ReplyDeleteI wonder where this ego clashes will lead them to? For some reasons I knew she wouldn call..! Not this soon atleast, knowing there is still no response from the Man!
His touch! There is electricity in the merest contacts! She had a steady heart before she met him! Now he alter its pace with his own rhythm! And She knows the power he wields over her! Sigh!!
Buaaaa! God damn! I so hate this woman! Whats HER prob?? Aditee, kuch kar yaar! But then, the most sick fact is..such woman do EXIST! -_-
Bai-Aada!I love it how her Bai defends her daughter each time! And Aada.. 'signalling' her to stop, to avoid further clashes!
Last scene! *Sigh* It reminded me of the last time she was in Ahmedabad..and he had made a shocking entry on her b'day! ;) Ghoosshhh..! I so miss having them together! :(
Ab kya hoga??? Continue sooooon!
omg.. her Aada joked.. loving it... i remembered her b'day when he came unannounced.. hoping he comes now and gives all her relatives a shock..
ReplyDeletelovely
ReplyDeleteheheheee relatives r always like that ***jealous*** LOL!!!!
i think khanak will call or will directly go to mumbai bcoz shan toh call karne se raha
waiting :)
Read all the updates in go:D
ReplyDeleteLoved it:)))) i want her to call him,its high time!!
waiting for next one eagerly:D
all update are awesome Aditee
ReplyDeletelove it :)
i want him to come or call each other
kaab taak they miss each other but won't talk
waiting for next
loved the update Aditee! Happy Thanksgiving and hope you can update soon
ReplyDelete