Part 90

Modi Dastur

Worli Sea Face

January  12^th 2012

4:10 PM

Her lunch sat in her drawer.. she couldn’t get to it… didn’t feel hungry either… her head was beginning to hurt

“Signing Shiv up is afterall not such a bad idea” she thought

Between working the numbers for M&D’s new project, they were undertaking for Axis Construction, and taking care of her money matters, every inch of her brain was filled with numbers.

Axis was small but dreamt big… they had bought a couple of old run down 1960s houses in Marine Drive… a Middle East investor was heavily betting on Axis………Khanak’s new project was  the 16 apartment luxury condo project.

Ram was upbeat about the whole thing… his eyes were set though on the Lower Parel textile mill project.

The Bangalore Builder Esteem was leaving no stone unturned in nabbing it

Rahat and Esteem’s CEOs were captured feteing Lower Parel’s Municipal Commissioner

The Mumbai TV networks were on to something… except this was nothing new for Ajmera………..

If Esteem gets it… Modi & Dastur would be hired… Ram would get a big chunk… Khanak’s next milestone it would be……..

Bai had called after a long time, curious why she hadn’t called much…

Aada was leaving tonite… with Fa

Bai worried if she gave any more money to Fa or Sonali

Khanak told her about the “money management help”

Bai was ashamed… she asked if her “var” would be paying off the loans

Khanak reassured her that it wouldn’t happen.

Mom In Law, Bhabhi and her had a spa appointment for the evening… she wasn’t sure if she would go…

“Three nites without s---, and you are in a mess” she mocked herself…

She was in bed fast asleep, he didn’t wake her… she saw his side  crumpled and tousled… and some of her clothing was undone…

She was in a hurry to get to work, so she didn’t pause to think when he left for work……….

Pradyun had texted her about Suraj Kund Crafts mela in Feb, and if she wanted to go…

“I could see Ritu” she thought…

She reached for her third glass of lemonade… as it continued to rain outside…

She wondered what was for lunch…

Her phone beeped a text…

It was a picture her husband had taken of the sunrise that morning…

“?” he asked

Orange blended with blue… as the sun sparkled in the horizon…

 she wrote back…“Awesome”

“The pic or taker?” he asked

“jpeg” she returned… mischievously

Again looked at her lunch thermos… her calendar beeped her next meeting… She checked the next week.. scrolled up and down through the month…….. and began to count…her heart skipped a beat…

She walked to the conference room… it was full, already… Axis was here everyday… they were small and untrusting….

The meeting went for 3 hours…

Khanak left the room walking back to her cube… finished her warm lemonade….

CNN-IBN’s news alert popped…

She went to their website… “Ulwe is the new multi crore project. MMC, MMDA and and builder hand in glove…” the ticker rolled

“Picketing and vandalism at Ajmera’s Ulwe Site , Union management clash”

Her face paled as she read on…

Thought

I have an idea for a new story

Of course with a rich handsome guy and a fiesty middle class girl
Kinda Phillumi
But will make it as real as possible
Are you girls interested in reading it?
It wont be based in a gaon or anything :-P
Bustling urban metropolis setting
She is not mahaan like Khanak, he is not an angel like Shaan



I wanted the guy to be rakish... the girl to give him a good fight.
There is something about a M&B like romance set in Mera Bharat Mahaan

Of course there has to be LOTS of s-- and humor
My stories are never devoid of those

Its germinating in my head... if you all are not too excited I will dump it
Or just write and read by myself :-P

Part 89

Mangal Kunj

Malabar Hill

January 11^th 2012

 10:05 PM

He peered at the front cover… and smiled…

She shut it and laid it down…

They both did not say a word for a few minutes… just gazing at each other.

She wanted to ask “Where did you go?”

“Is Dadi asleep?” he interjected her thoughts…

“Shaayad” she answered still searching his face for cues…

Her stomach rumbled…”Have you eaten?”

“A lil” he answered blandly… “Rishi was at the bar at the Towers”

“You didn’t bring him?”

“Nahi”

She got up reluctantly…

“Have you?” he asked… as she walked towards the kitchen… “not eaten?”

“Abhi” she told him.. too much pride…..

She brought the leftovers out of the warming oven… there was too much food…

She brought his stroganoff.. out… he was behind her in the huge kitchen..

She served herself as he began to nibble from her plate…

She sat down at the smaller kitchen table…

“Where is mine?” he asked

“Aapne kaha, you’ve eaten” sulk

He laughed… “You are upset”

She just ate…

“Khanak” he approached… she just ate… flipping through the magazines…

He began eating off hers

“Hl has made your fave stroganoff… he said he couldn’t make it like Bhabhi tho”

He was unmindful……

“Bhabhi’s is divine…” he concurred

That did not make her happy for some reason…

“Did you make all this?” he asked gently

“Nahi… sirf bangan” she ate to prove it for some reason…

He stepped out.. poured himself SOR she heard… at the bar…

Returned…

She had gotten the chocolate soufflé from the frig… eggless so Aada could eat…

She sensed he might eat and served him his meal…. They ate.. as he told her about the most recent Casa Ulwe news…

“The same opinions… we can not deliver on the 2015 promise..” “There is serious hunger for real estate in metros”

She listened…

“Is Ajmera going international?” she asked, and held her breath…

“Rahat is thinking about it… no let me say… may be” “Its not easy to partner in Singapore… or Hong Kong”

“After Ulwe?” praying anything concurrent would mean her hubby would jump up and take the offer……..

“Sooner” he said preoccupied over the text he just received.

He didn’t notice the wave of apprehension that sweeps over her face…..

She brought out choc soufflé that HL had made for Aada, eggless and delish…

He declined “A bite may be” he said carelessly… as she gently scooped a tiny bowl full…he watched her movements carefully… elegant and poised as ever… unfluttered…

“Is your Dad staying over the week?”

She shook her head in response… lifted up the scooper.. wiped the edge off and kissed it slowly…

“Chutthi nahi hai unko”

“Are you meeting Shiv again?” he asked directly

She set the spoon down… “I don’t know”

“Do you want to?”

She wanted to say “No”, she wanted to say “My financial condition is my very own… I am in my very own carefully constructed mess here”

“He sounds expensive”

“Didn’t we spar over that yesterday?” blunt..

She quietly tidied up, she asked if he wanted more food… he shook his head, not letting go of her gaze…

“I need a puppy”

“NEED a puppy?” he chuckled

“Hmm” firm

He laughed…

“Amogh leaps into Bhabi’s arms when she enters the house”

He listened…smile disappearing…

“I thought you were afraid of dogs!” messing with her

“Mujhe to aa(pse bhi dar lagta tha)” she swallowed half of it…

It wasn’t hard for him to surmise.

“Please?”

“Mom’s allergic to pet hair”

“Oh great!” she thought fuming…

“Mujhe chahiye” she demanded feebly

He stalked her… letting his fingers crawl under her tee from both sides….

She put everything in small containers and stacked it in the frig… to load the dishwasher that was empty….his stubbly jaw on her shoulder……….massaging her lobe with his alchohol soaked tongue……….

He fondled and she forgot her task…………...

“HL can take care of that” gruff

“Subah?”

“There is a reason he is employed here” sarcastic…

She did anyway… in his hold…

He finished his drink…. Right arm wraped around her waist.. left holding his glass……

His phone rang as she rinsed and loaded the dishwasher…  he let go…

“I am going to be “sleeping” she told him… disappointed, knowing he might not return to bed..

he pressed “spray” on the kitchen faucet, it showered  and rained water all over her………

“Shantanu!” she squealed…. trying to shut it off as the liquid soaked her...

He walked away without paying her a second look…

Part 88

Mangal Kunj

Malabar Hill

January 11^th 2012

9:30 PM

Aada and Fa were done with dinner, she cleared the table, her FIL and BIL were not home yet… her husband was not home either, Dadi wanted to know where he was… “Mujhe kehkar nahi gaye” she answers somberly

D:Is everything OK beta?

Hmmm she answers characteristically

“Will he be home for dinner?”

“I don’t know” she said stopping in her tracks…

“Text kar le puttar. Ekdum laparwah hai yeh munda” she scolds in Punjabi

“Dadiji beef stroganoff ready hai, shaayd waise nahi bana jaise bhabhi banati hain”

Khanak turns around to check with Aada and Fa are listening…

“Phew” they are nowhere in the living area…

“I told him to hold off on it beta” Dadi reassures her

“Dad bhi daante hain unko, Aada ko beef ka pata nahi… Fa ko to bilkul nahi”

“This is your new life. While I don’t approve of his eating habits, I will also not approve of your withdrawl from him because of it” Dadi tried not to sound stern

“He wont change” K complains… feebly

“And you wont either, and that’s what draws you to him like glue”

“You sound like a movie script writer”

“Teri kahani to likhi maine hai… warna tu aati is ghar mein? Usne apna haath tudwaya to aayi milne… uske baad tujhe khaane pe bulaya to kitna dari hui thi”

Khanak holds an empty bowl that contained paneer gravy… blushes staring into it

“Jaise tujhe Shaan kha jaayega”

Her heart raced wildly….

“Tu jitna chup rehti hai, utna who tere paas khichta hua aata hai”

The home phone rings

“La mujhe yeh de, phone utha”

Not Khanak’s fave task… she had no clue about who what, how many acquaintances there were… what kind of business dealings the senior Gujral had… who came… who went… she was oblivious to it all…

“Main table saaf kar deti hoon Dadi”

“Nahi phone uthayen aap” stern

K walks towards it reluctantly…

Dadi shakes her head and cleans up the table with HL

“Tu khaayegi abhi?”

She wants to wait… but knows its foolish to… but yet wants to…

“Umm… mm” she says

Her phone beeps on the dining table…

Dadi brings it, as she hangs up the home phone… some tax guy… she notes it all down on one of the leather bound note books on the phone table…

“How iz u?”

How is hottie?”

Ritu asks

“Me iz good”

“Hottie is…”

“A lil cold”

Her phone rings… Khanak smiles

“Kaise kiya thanda miya ko?”

“I was kidding” Khanak unconvincingly.

“oh really?”

“I mentioned Sooraj”

Longish pause…

“Over what?”

“He wanted me to meet some wealth manager Ritz!” sad

“To achhi baat hai na friend?” caring

“Then slowly he will ask me to take his money. I cant do that… no I cant… nahi” vehement

“Us se darti hai, ya uske paise se?”

“The closeness that it will bring” choking…

“Mystery… jaan…”

Khanak gently wipes tears off her cheeks…

“Now he is not home”

“And you miss him? YESSSSSS”

“Hes home usually after 10…”

“Aada chale gaye?”

“Nahi aaj chhoda Sonali ko”

“Bout TIME!” ritu exclaimed angrily…

“She is silly, she just wants things”

“She just wants your life”angry

Khanak knew that…

Dadi coaxed her to eat… she didn’t…

He showed up past 10:30… on the phone, let himself in… nobody else was home either… Dad, Bhayya, Bhabhi or Mom…

Dadi was in bed…

She was sitting at the dining table reading…

He removed the phone from his ear in shock… “Are you awake?”

“It’s a good book” she said… her sharp sense of humor making an appearance… as she tapped on the book

He walked up and sat by her…

Part 87

Mangal Kunj
Malabar Hill
January 11th 2012
Tuesday

8:44 PM

Aada and Fa were talking about something important, Aada's face lit up as he saw her enter
K: Is she all settled in?
A: Ha beta
K:When is her next vacation?
Fa: I didnt ask (clueless)
Khanak was raining Sonali as her own, Bua was not educated, Fa couldnt care less
K:Jinse aap milne gaye, unhoney koi help ki Fa ki job ke liye? (Gujju)
A:We dont know beta (worried,) they all say "Ho jaayega" "But in Mumbai things are so different
Dadi hears her G DIL and walks out of her rom
D: Kab aayi puttar
K: A minute ago... where is everybody?
D:Somebody is upstairs... everybody is at work, Khushboo is on Amogh's play date
K:Oh! (smiles)
D:Jao oopar
K:Jee
A:Oh! Sha... damadji aa gaye?
Dadi laughs "Dont say that in front of him, woh naraaz hoga"
A:Iska var hai
D: I know Mistryji, but Shaan hates such titles
K:Dadi main change karke aati hoon
D:He said he had a call..
K:Ofcourse! (just like her hubby)
He is in the balcony on the phone.... dressed to kill navy jeans and a white tee
He hangs up a minute after she enters...
Follows her to her closet
S: How did it go?
K:Work was good....
S:Niiiceee
K:I met him... hes handsome
S:You are married now, so that shouldnt matter! (dismissive)
k: I can look cant I (looked at him sombrely)
S:Go ahead (tucked his hands into his pockets) all you want!
K: I told him i'll think about it...
S:And...?
K:Woh... Woh... chahte hain... I..
S:Hmm
K:I.. should do the math myself... review what he gave me and meet again
S:Are you (going to?)
K:This...
K:Aapne kaha...
S: So you wont....
K:I am tired and hungry...
S: Sure! go eat!
K: I...
S:Did you drop Sonali?
K:Aada aur Fa gaye
Pause...
K: Shantanu... its very difficult to let go...
S: Oh really? (mocking)
He reached and felt a sparkly sequin on her chest... lingered... watching her let out her breath audibly............ she leaned forward allowing him access... wanting to be fondled....
K: I have been doing this for 8 years now... jab se main 17... 18 shaayad
S listens...
K: Even Soo(raj never cared what I did)... I
S notices the subtle change in expression.. he realizes she was going to say something about that guy but swallowed it fully... it irked him... OK............ the fact that she even thought about him... or attempted to say his name... pissed him off
S: I cannot be like him... I wont...
Turned around and walked out
Turned back in paused to stare and stepped out again

Part 86

K panted and struggled as he threw his phone down

K:I am not meeting him…

She struggled expending all her physical energy within moments…

K:You cant make me (provoking)

S:Yes, I can!

K: You are paying him more than what……

S waited…

K:You are paying him more than…. I have in savings (the last part almost inaudible)

He gently let her go…

S:If he were to do this for free would you consult him?

She was quiet…

He leaned on the closet wall, one foot up, hands tucked into his pockets

S:Its not about how much he is charging us…

K:Iam… not paying him.. so.. (there is no “us”)

S’s jaw clenched….

S:Do you want to pay half of what he bills ME annually?

K spontaneously clamped her hand over her mouth… “I cant” her shoulders slumped

S: If that would make you consult him, go right ahead, and pay him half

K: You are being cruel… (fighting the lump in her throat)

Shaan looked her straight in the eye unfazed…

K:I don’t need help! (firm)

S: You can tell me that after you meet him…

K:I have always managed to pay off my debt…

S shrugged carelessly as if saying “I don’t care about the past”

K:I don’t… I don’t…(need your help)

S: I am not offering mine! I am offering HIS!

K:I…

They had a staring match…

K:Shantanu (plea)

S:He told me you are meeting him for lunch, Dad and Bhayya’s drivers might have the day off, I can loan you mine…

K: Mujhe…

S: You have told me enough times…(so stop)

K:He will… who sochenge, I am drowning in debt (inaudible)

S:Are you?

K: I ..

S: Get out of that self imposed gag order Khanak…

K:I care for my family

S: Ofcourse!

K: I know… its silly (furious)

She was fast tearing up.. he had the ability to take her to pinnacle of pleasure and shove her down to the deep dark canyons of sorrow…. Nobody else in the world did that to her…. Not even widowhood brought so much grief… just as being married to Sooraj did not bring such delight

This man took her from one end to the other frequently…. He occupied every pore of her physical and emotional being….

She was real and alive with him, she felt everything, she fought his every overture….

S: So now the guilt trip about being wealthy and poor?

K: Ofcourse not! You being wealthy was never questioned (smiled derisively)

S: So that would mean I insinuated that you are poor? (furious)

K:I have to say goodnite to Aada… and Maasi…

Pause…… they both were unmoved

They craved for each other…. Fighting or making love…. It didn’t matter… if they found themselves together someplace…. They valiantly tried to be together…

S: I don’t doubt your intelligence

K:Just my ability to repay the loans? (hurt)

S:I didnt say that…..

K: He will think, I should take your money and become debt free

S laughed out loud, mocking… “Then you have it al wrong” “He is like a money management doctor, its not HIS job to tell you to take your husband’s money”

K: He would wonder….

S: Tell him your husbands’ wealth is out of bounds… you say that pretty directly to ME…

She stared…

K:Are you going to play cards now? (sulking)

S: Yes I am…

K: I am going to listen to him, but I (don’t promise I will hand everything over to him)

S: Ofcourse not! Your privacy needs to be guarded at all costs

Stepped forward and crowded her, angrily…

His phone beeped multiple texts

S:Will you ever let your guard down?

K:I… I do…(in bed, I hunger for you… I pine for you)

He bent down…

K: Aada thinks you drink too much…

He opened his lips on hers…… she kissed eagerly… hungrily……

S: You are soaked in my fave booze… I am an idiot to be choosing a poker game…

She reached and felt his bare belly….

His phone rang…impatiently