Part 67

Part 68

31^st December 2011

10:18 PM

Mangal Kunj

The house is full… almost… Mumbai’s glitterati, not movie stars or TV stars, but professionals and business partners, young and old… mingled, well there were a couple from the movie industry that lived in the building….

Khanak wore a sleeveless lace sheath dress in salmon pink… figure hugging… her hair was styled in a high wispy mass on her head, she looked taller than her petite 5’5” frame, her shoes helped in that…

Ritu was taller than her.. they measured daily, hoping one would grow and the other would shrink, Ritu wore a black gown… elegant and revealing…

Ritu:Saving Kritik’s time (winking)

Khanak:I can see that (shook her head)

They took forever to get ready in his room, Ray joined in, they mixed and matched, and mixed, and changed their mind…

Dadi and Nandu maasi had to appear twice, in panic wanting to know what was going on… there was clothes, shoes and accessories everywhere……….her husband had not returned… she decided she wont call him, he had texted her while shopping “still out?” “Yes” she had texted back…

”Any plans to return tonite? :-p”

“Will think about it” she had responded.

He hadn’t said anything afterwards, she had gone back and re-read that text multiple times when Ritu was out trying clothes…

They had talked and talked… Khanak had concluded that “Shaan is very ziddi”

R:Yeh baat tujhe ab pata chali hai?

K:Ummm

R:You are the same…

K was quiet

R:You were alone last NY’s eve, you are with him now… that should make you happy

There was nothing hidden from R, K told her everything… but put her guard up everytime Ritu wanted unconditional admittance of being happy with Shaan

K’s heart lurched painfully at that thought… “Surreal” she would repeat

R:Its not! You will be married for two years in May..

K:Soch! MAIN… I couldn’t stand the sight of him…(paused) yet wanted to see him, wanted him to see me………. Every time the conference room door opened, I would pray it should be him…….(barely audible)

R:Do you still wait for him to walk in through that door? Mera matlab jab ghar par hoti hai uski family ke saath?

K nodded faintly, as awareness caused her to blush….

R: You told me yesterday how much you craved for him jab Aada ke ghar par thi… usko kaha toone?

K:Nahi..

R:You were so drunk, you have NO idea what you said!

K:Kyon? (shocked)

R:You promised to give me that purple kurti and those silver and pearl earrings…

K: Kabhi nahi…

R:Arey you even told me where they were in your giant walk in closet in… boy you are rich!

K:Not me! (firm)

They both didn’t speak with each other for a while, fuming…

K: You know I cannot take his money…

R:Mujhe is bare mein koi baat nahi karni tujhse

K:Sure.. lets talk about why its OK for him not to have a baby

R: Sheesh! I could murder you! Do you know that?

Ritu crossed the road, unmindful of 15 cars honking and screeching… didn’t give her bestie a second look as she stormed into a shoe store…

K texted her after 20 minutes “R”

Ritu had responded after 10 minutes… “Fool!”

“Thx” she wrote back with a smile

“I am at “Metro”

Ritu later bought her coffee and Khanak bought her silver anklets…

They sat down at the coffee shop and sorted the receipts and cash, and their cards…

Ritu showed her pics on her phone, her 3 day Dubai trip, 4 day Nepal trip…Khanak was her quiet somber self… smiling and pleasant…

Ritu told her about going to Bangalore end of January for a friend’s wedding… wanted Khanak to go so they could shop for silk sarees.

K: I cant…

R:Sirf do din Mystery

K:Umm… I…

R: Do you have to ask him? (teasing)

K: He said he wont let me go by myself anywhere

R:I AM GOING

K: Haan par… he said, after the Ahd trip last week he is still mad

R:Teri galti hai

K:Ofcourse!

R:OMG! You sound like him now!

K:Pfftt!

R:Look at you…

K: He doesn’t own that word…

R:Not the word… (giggly)

K:You have been reading 17^th century trash…

R: Lots of it (sheepish)

They talked about movies, music, Vasant Kunj, Vasant Vihar, Jamuna the maid…

Pradyun:You look stunning Kan…

K back to earth…. “ Its OK, say it”

P:Gorgeous.. how do you say it in Gujarati?

K:Saaru chhe! (smiling)

P: Saaru, chy?

K:Nevermind…

P:A friend that goes to grad school is here..

K looks at the young girl, cute, chubby, with glasses… she wore a green dress..

K:Hi! I am Khanak, I am married to his cousin

The “cousin” appears… Khanak shoots him a missile for being so late, he is wearing black trousers and a white shirt.. PLAIN... sexy, just like he usually was...

Shaven, showered, water soaking the locks on top.. Khanak's hand clenched... as her belly churned....... she knew how it smelled and felt........ that jaw.......

Shaan: Hi! Shaan Gujral(extends hand)

Crowds Khanak... yet not touching her...

Girl:So YOU are Shaan! I am Megha!

K:Lovely name

S: I am…good to meet you.. how do you know him? (to Khanak it sounded like "WHAT did you see in this clown")

Megha: DU MBA..

Megha: Pradyun has said so much about you,

K: He is funny

M: Mujhe to nahi lagta (serious)

K: Umm… may be… baad mein?(once you date him more?)

M:Oh! No, we are not dating… he is crazy, I am just his date for a nite..

P:one night(stand).. (smug)

The girl smacks him

Shaan utters a "Fool" just for his wife's ears..

Megha: He said his cousin was mean…(laughing)

Shaan: Must be Akshay Bhayya! (smug)

Khanak looks at her husband incredulously