Part 117

Sunday Feb 12^th 2012

9:22 PM

Shaan: She hit a home run during Casa di Sogni For us (Ajmera)

Sanjay: Raam! Raam has great leadership skills!

Shaan:9 minutes Khanak (completely ignoring Sanjay)

Khanak went back to what she was doing, defiant….

She hoped her husband would punch Sanjay…. Secretly hoped….

She could hear her husband on the phone in the hallway pacing….

He walked into her cube and picked up a post it to record a number… and some specs of something

Glared at her as she stared at her monitor

S:Were you hoping to be carried to the car? (putting his caller on hold)

K:I guesss…. (she smiled innocently)

S:Call you back!

Shaan hung up… reaching for her waist

K:Don’t you dare  (hissed)

“Now what?” he asked mocking…

“Not funny Shantanu! Sanjay bahar hai”

“Shantanu?”

They looked at each other quietly

S:Lets go home Khanak…

She packed up quietly… he grabbed her lunch Thermos, it was heavy… “Not hungry?”

“Nahi” she said glumly

“Taking it all out on the food?”

“Agar aap aisa sochna chahen to” she countered

Sanjay peeked “Hey Khanak, one last thing…” “Or may be a few”

“Jee?” she asked (subservient?)

Shaan looked blandly…. Just collecting her multitude of things

Sanjay:Who Tuesday ko site visit hai na usme I am thinking

Khanak wasn’t even ready for that…

K:I still have to complete that arch thing

S:I thought who last week keh diya tha

Shaan: I will be in the car, Khanak…

Khanak looked at him pleadingly

He responded with a “If you need my help then ask for it” look

She didn’t ask…

He didn’t help

Sanjay whined for another 10 or so minutes before she went down

Shaan:Did you clash with Dad this morning? (blunt)

K: Do you want a yes or a no?

S: Dad says you are feisty… and charged

K stared out the window… the Toureg played some English songs…..

His Starbucks coffee aroma lingered…

“No SOR?”she thought

“I have to drive” he spoke aloud……

“Hmmppfff”

S:Ritu has been making your baby case with me (irritated)

K: How nice (calm)

S:She said you’ve been avoiding her

K:Since I am going to go see her soon…

He paused at an intersection and drilled holes into her head with his eyes…

“

Thanks all of you guys...

Work pressure has finally eased :-)
Will start posting from tonite

Hi!

Sorry!
Have been extremely busy at work :-(
Havent had a chance to even sit down for a half hour when I get home

I promise to update tonite definitely

Part 116

Sunday Feb 12^th 2012

9:07 PM

M&D

Worli

Sanjay: You probably think I am nit picking, but I just want to make sure we don’t send anything with errors

K:Hmm.. I understand…

Sanjay: You didn’t change the column length on the last one… if you recall… I know we are working against a crazy deadline here…

K:I thought we already went over the column length issue

Sanjay:Khanak Mr Ahmadi was able to spot the difference (exasperated)

They both turned around from staring at her monitor

Khanak Gujral’s husband stood outside her cube…

Causing her heart to careen against her chest wall like a soaking whip… splatter!

She heard it

Sanjay: Hi!? (who are you?)

Shaan: Shaan GUJRAL! (firm but not impolite)

Khanak furiously calculated something on her keyboard… the images jumped erratically on screen

Sanjay:Oh! Mr Gujral! Heard so much about you!

Shaan: Shaan will do! (smiling)

He wore navy jeans and a sea green Lacoste

Sanjay:They told me you look like a movie star

Shaan:And they were not wrong I bet!

Khanak met her husband’s eyes “REALLY?” she asked with her eyes

S: Are you done? (ignoring her mockery)

Sanjay:We should be wrapping up soon, do you want to wait in the lobby?

Shaan: Nope! I was hoping she could go now?

Sanjay: This reminds me of primary school (subtle mockery because he came to fetch his wife, but Sanjay’s laughing afterwards kind of blunted the initial jab)

Shaan: I meant for it to be (cool)

Khanak: I think it will be 20 minutes

Shaan: 10.. (Don’t you DARE!” look on his face)

Sanjay: How is work?

Shaan:Couldn’t be better!

Sanjay:We are working on a challenging project (your wife is not a genius or anything)

Shaan: She hit a home run during Casa di Sogni For us (Ajmera)

Sanjay: Raam! Raam has great leadership skills!

Shaan:9 minutes Khanak (completely ignoring Sanjay)

Part 115

Part 115

S:Ram can find 10s of other jobs

K:YOU can too if Casa del Buena Suerte is unfinished…

They both stood on the either side of the massive bed… her earring lay on his pillow…along with her lip gloss stain…….. their passionate, fiery intimacy always left a residue…

With that comment from her, he looked about ready to explode.

S: I DON’T think I was seeking a opinion or comment on my career.

K:You dish one out on others’ (softly)

He walked around to where she stood

She still faced the bed….

S: Casa de Buena Suerte is my life, Rahat’s entire life is invested in it… I will not let it fail.

K:Look at you! (sneering) You are a DESIGN VP, not an investor

S:Who happens to be the best in his job…

She shook her head in frustration

S: I think we have said enough on this topic

K: I haven’t (as he walked away)

S:Then please continue to say something……..

She stared as he walked away in rage….

She hated everything in that moment…. The work pressure, her family obligations, inability to get through to her husband on starting afamily… and now his sabotaging of her prospective growth in career………

She sobbed weakly…leaning on the bed

He walked back in to pick up his ringing cell phone

S:What the hell is wrong Khanak?

K ignored him walking into her closet, he answered the call……….. talking cheerfully

She picked out clothes deciding to go to work…….

S:Why are you having a meltdown? (bark)

K:Its your imagination (shutting the closet door on his face)

He slammed the bedroom door and walked downstairs

Part 114

Mangal Kunj

Feb 12^th 2012

Noonish

K:No wonder you are so relaxed you know you won…

S: I did… (laughing huskily into her neck as he pressured her into relaxing)

K: Ram doesn’t have a job I am sure you will be happy to know…

He was totally still….

She tried pushing him…

S: Hes being dramatic…

K:Ofcourse! He is so prone to that (bitter)

Her husband’s hands roved…. Under her skinny tee… grabbing, fondling….

She bit down on her moan….

S: Did you come in to fight? (tackling her arms)

K:You would do anything for your career wouldn’t you?

S set a path of fire on her belly….

S: Khanak it’s a Sunday… I am in bed… I don’t want to think about work

K: Esteem is getting a stay at Lower Parel

He stopped and let go of her… she slithered out instantly… hooking her clothing back on… pulling her tee down…

S: I DON’T own Ajmera! (biting)

K:But are hand in glove with everything that happens there!

S: That’s an assumption!

K:I AM NOT WRONG! (fervent)

S stared

K: RAHAT called Dad this morning

S:SO?

K:Dad had to take the call in the balcony!

S:They are working together on a million things

K:EHSAAN and Dad, not Rahat and Dad

S evaded eye contact

K:You are siding with something completely wrong and unethical

S:He has pumped in 5000 crores into that hole! (bark)

K: So?

K:If he is building in Mumbai, no one else can? THAT’S INSANE (teary eyed)

S: You ARE NOT on the Lower Parel Project! Quit the melodrama Khanak

K:Oh! No! I am designing, Dad’s tropical paradise in Goa!

S:Cut the sarcasm out Mrs Gujral

She quickly colored… looking away

S:It was sincere and genuine, its cheap and underhand of you to acuse Dad of slyness

K:He wanted me to be gone from M&D…

S:That’s again conjecture (sounding not very convincing)

K:I have worked for them for so long, I have a great future, I HATE Sanjay Towari, I was hoping to work with Ram on the Esteem project (venting, crying towards the end)

S:Ram can find 10s of other jobs

K:YOU can too if Casa del Buena Suerte is unfinished…

They both stood on the either side of the massive bed… her earring lay on his pillow…along with her lip gloss stain…….. their passionate, fiery intimacy always left a residue…

On that comment from her, he looked about ready to explode

Part 113

Part 114

K:What?

R: Esteem is likely to receive a stay at Lower Parel… when courts open tomorrow.

Ram sounds grim…

Khanak is furious and horrified all at the same time, at a distance she can see her FIL laugh and chat, still on the same call… he gestures… looking out at the ocean

K:I am sorry Ram…

R:Its not YOUR fault Khanak…

“Its my husband and his family’s” she tells herself, ashamed…

Dadi:Aur lo beta, paneer parantha… you love it don’t you?

Khanak is physically sick now, stares at Dadi…

D:KYA hua? Sab theek? Ritu hai na?

K:Umm mmm

D:Ek to baat nahi karegi ladki

Madhavi: Her husband encourages her silence! (random)

D: Madhavi…

K: Ram…

R: Don’t worry I will be fine… its messy and nasty right now…. Esteem invited the trouble upon themselves… (defending Ajmera?)

K:Yeh kaise keh rahe hain aap.

R:OFCOURSE! 25kms from their Project, Ulwe mein who 5000 crores sink kar raha hai, he is not a fool na?

K:But this is illegal

R:Its fair in construction industry………..is your husband home or celebrating?

K:Hes asleep…(livid)

R:You shouldn’t let this come between you Khanak… please…

K:It has….. Ram…

Sunil:Beta, do you want to go meet the builder today?

Akshay:Prospective builder

Sunil: Wohi sahi hai puttar… change kaam kitha see.. for the Kapoors

Akshay: I saw the pictures…

K:I am sorry Ram…

Sunil’s ears cock up “Ram hai phone par?” (squeamish)

K doesn’t respond… appears teary eyed…

Sunil:Beta, baat suno

Akshay:Kya hua

Sunil:I think Ram told her

Akshay: Rahat was supposed to shut up until Monday Dad…

Sunil:Bachon waali gal na kar tu… Commissioner ke daftar mein khoofiya bandon ki kami hai?

Dadi:What is going on?

Khanak walks back to her room

Sunil:Ma, CM se baat karwayi Rahat ki, kal subah stay hona hai Esteem ke kaam par..

Dadi is confused

Madhavi:You don’t worry aapka BP high hoyega

Khanak realizes her FIL is an incredibly well connected man… how and in what way… she doesn’t know……..yet

She wakes her husband up…

K:Uthiye… (shakes him)

He grabs her and pins her down on the bed… climbing over……

Her anger is fueled further by his explicit arousal…….

She pushes him away as his mouth seeks……

Part 112

Sunday

Feb 12^th 2012

11:10 AM

Khanak shut her art room door behind her, her husband was asleep, for a change, well.. they didn’t go to bed until after she returned from the sagai. Well past 2 AM, he woke when she was up at 9, and then went back to sleep.

Dadi:Sab neeche hain beta, tub hi aaja

K:Hmmm

D:Miya kidhar hai tera? Tennis?

K:Nahi…umm… asleep

Dadi smiles softly and walks towards the rec room

K: Sabne kha liya?

D:Kha rahe hai, maine socha tujhe dekhti hoon

Her phone rings on the coffee table, its Ritu

She smiles as she answers, Dadi gestures her to go eat

She makes a face…

Chats with her friend making her way down the stairs

Sunil’s expression changes quickly, from serious to joyous to serious again,

He gets up and hugs her

S:Bol apni saheli ko kabhi Mumbai bhi aaye

K:Jee!

K:Dad wants to see you

R:I want to see YOU, tu kab aa rahi hai?

K:Agle weekend?

R:Pati dev ko kya karegi?

K:Chhod doongi (giggling)

R: He will kill both of us, aur main marna nahi chahti

Dadi: Tujhe parantha ya poha?

K: Poha nahi… bore ho gayi

D: Tere liye muffin mangwaaoon, Towers se?

K:Ummm..mmm

Akshay:I am sure those guys are working overtime trying to squash it…

Sunil: Arey beti aayi hai, kaam ki koi baat nahi

A:I agree (nervous)

Khanak finishes her convo and hangs up…

K:Aap log kal nikal rahe hain?

A: Yep, Taiwan first and then Sao Paolo

Sunil’s phone rings, she notices its RAHAT!

Not Ehsaan….

Her stomach churns

Sunil quickly grabs it and walks away

Madz and Boo are laughing about something funny

A:Why are you waiting, eat… your husband eats like a pig..

K:I know… (smiles)

Sunil walks away as his tone increases…

Khanak stares at him

K:Koi baat hui?

A:Abt what?

K:Dad looks worried…

A:Just work…. Just work…….

Her phone rings…. Its RAM!

She grabs it quickly…

R: Hey Mrs Gujral…

K:Hi! Sunday hai to mujhe yaad kar liya?

R: Naukri nahi hai to yaad kiya

Khanak almost drops the phone in shock…

K:What?

R: Esteem is likely to receive a stay at Lower Parel… when courts open tomorrow.

Ram sounds grim…

Part 111

Saturday

Feb 11^th 2012

8:22 PM

Sunil: You look gorgeous beta!

Khanak swirls/turns

K:Dad… why are you not ready?

Sunil:Mujhe paanch minute ka abhyas de do

K:Abhyas nahi Dad, samay

Shaan:Where?

Sunil:She is my date tonite

Akshay whistles “A smoking hot date!, you look great Khanak”

Shaan:Helloo… she happens to be my wife…

Akshay winks and reaches for Khanak…

Sunil: Bus abhi aaya beta, tum chai to peeo?

HL brings her tray laden with food and tea

Her husband inspects “Aaapke liye nahi hai”

Shaan: I can see that

He creeps closer to her

K:Real Madrid waale naraaz ho jaayenge, aap jaayiye

Dadi:Sunil jao, engagement ka muhurat 7 baje ka tha

Sunil:Gosh!

He sprints

Shaan:When will you be back? (softly)

K: Don’t know (softer)

S:I will come get you…

K: Two days in a row? That would be a record…

S: If you are trying to infuriate me its working (fingering her beaded halter neck silk…

K: You are wedded to your game and to your work…

S:What happens to  you?

K: I will just have to find a man who will have me… (touched his collar)

Akshay whistles as he leaves the room…

S:Really?

K: Gujarati, with a goatee… (traces his jaw with her index finger)