Giving her what she wants...

" You obviously know where she is" he said harshly...
"Shaan" Dadi interrupted him squirming.... "You two need to be happy, I know you two belong together" she rambled...
"And?" "How is that connected with her disappearance?" he probed...
Sunil sat down with his coffee "We know she took a cab from the airport, since she had already quit she took off to whereever she had planned to"
Shaan grunted...
"I know Ive accused you of being insensitive, uncaring... and" Sunil stopped...
"They both are pig headed" Dadi suddenly ranted...
"Does that mean this is one of her reckless acts, and you covertly supported it?

"Shaan, dont accuse Dadi beta" Sunil tried to pacify
Shaan ate quietly "She has left for a reason, and I hope you guys will let me handle it HOWEVER I WANT TO, when she returns" he was emotionless
Dadi had gone completely pale...
"You both are going to be fine... Khanak ziddi hai par tu apna gussa kam kar puttar"
"If she wants separation, she got it" he said it smugly...
Abruptly getting up...
"And Dad quit the pretense of looking for her, I think we all know she left deliberately"he said calmly

Dadi looked at Sunil with worry
"Nashta to kar le puttar"
"Nope, I have a meeting at the site, and then back at Corp... I might get in late tonite, a bunch of us are planning to head to Goa" he said unemotionally

Dadi melted and formed a pool of mush in fear and shock... if he wasnt going to look for her, should she tell Khanak?
Dadi cursed herself for playing along....
It terrified her to see her grandson revert to  the reckless arrogant, haughty rich brat he once was.......
Sunil "Shaan you are not separating from her"

Shaan was almost at the door
"Looks like thats what she wants" he said slamming the door uncharacteristically behind him

To know where she is...

There was an intense purposefulness in him the next morning, he did wake with a hang over, but showered shaved and went downstairs for breakfast, his eyes were bloodshot, no one was up... he thought until Dadi appeared out of the pooja room with a half smile. He was sure she knew where Khanak was.
He just wasnt sure WHY Dadi would hide her. Maybe she loved Pradyun and Dadi secret getaway helped them reconnect?
He gulped his all black sludge of a coffee too hard... it set his throat and ribs on fire as it cascaded down... he was dressed for work, stylishly as ever, ditching his morning, run/gym/tennis....his gym bag was packed... with no wife, he could do whatever he wanted, there would be no sulking, no begging and pleading for hours, no heated arguments over the phone...
She wouldnt disappear with Dadi the moment he entered the house...
"I am staying out tonite" she would dare him...
But return after midnite... he would be up in the lounge area playing a video game and tracking the site on the video feed, he would lunge and grab her....
"A lil early?" he would ask tackling her....
"Did he fix your bacon" Dadi asked caringly
"Why should you eat bacon EVERY morning?" that question was gone this morning...
He nodded, smiling...
"Sunil ne Purandare ko keh diya kal, everything will be OK"
"Not unless she doesnt want to be found" he said softly, as fresh steaming bacon made it to his table
Dadi twitched her nose...
"You can go sit on the couch" he told her lightly
"Teri biwi baithti hai tere saath, atleast main non veg kha leti thi kabhi" trying to be brave, trying to somehow reach out and make peace with the young guy.
Shaan's jaw clenched when her name was mentioned... nevermind that his every thought was about her, hearing other people talking about her made him jealous, mad, furious, self righteously angry
He didnt know which...
"I want oats, but isme bahut cinnamon hai" she would complain...
He would scoop out a spoon and taste it Its disgusting" he would gag..
"Its a lil sweet" she would admit grudgingly like a child...
He would chew on his crunchy bacon "Try this, its salty" he would proffer the fork
"Not in this lifetime" she would sulk...
He would lean and whisper something in her ear...
"Your hair is all wet" she would say as it soaked her neck and ear...
He would take her hand and rub it all over his damp tendrils on the back...
A simple gesture... quiet and understated... she would smile
"I get your point" she would say softly.. withdrawing her moist hand shyly as HL would reappear

"Is there something you want to tell me about her Dadi?" he asked
"Kis baat par beta" hugging her grandson...
"U obsviously know where she is" he said bluntly

Mark Twain & Whiskey

He waited for Pradeep to give him a ride home, he was DRUNK as a skunk... but outwardly appeared calm and composed, his speech was slurred... Nachiket offered to give him a ride home, but he declined, his one year old was sick, he just let him take off...
"Hang in there man" Nachiket had said parting...
Shaan grunted... in acknowledgement 
"She probably had a good reason, may be you should take a few weeks off and go someplace nice, Rahat would be fine"
"You are talking as if she is home" Shaan whined...
Nachiket felt terrible....
"I agree she should have told you" he acused Khanak grudgingly...
He emptied his drink and stared at Nachiket....
Didnt say anything... just watched his boss leave....

His eyes were on fire, and his throat... he went on drinking binges while in college and grad school
But never afterwards, felt like a teen after a break up... smiled derisively at himself...

"thats one too many" she would say on his second drink... he once poured it all over her in the rec room.... as she watched in horror... the gold sliding down her collar bone... and down...
"She shrieked with her mouth shut... muffled and choking...

"Mom's couch" she hissed... as if thats all that mattered
"I didnt want to waste it" he said...
"You gave me a bath?" "On the couch..." horrfied she shrieked... as she fished ice cubes from her cleavage as it slipped and fell back on her....
He bent and scooped it in his mouth... all 5 of them....the slow  slurping sound he made on her tee sending her into throes of arousal....
"Too much of anything is bad, too much of good whiskey is hardly enough~ Mark Twain said" he whispered on her skin....
His hair held in vide like grip in her clutches... as she stopped his straying mouth...her eyes shut involuntairily

When she met him at Trishna's engagement and someone would have said to her "You would be laying on his rec room couch while he sucks whiskey off your body" she would have personally driven that person to an asylum...

But here she was... trying to fight him...worrying his stubble was going to leave scars on her soft skin... as he undressed her....

"Mark Twain was too busy to quote on whiskey" she mumbled....

Battle of wills

I shouldnt have played along" Dadi lamented..... Khanak wondered if Dadi was really afraid of him... she hadnt thought much of the implications of how it would affect her own parents....
Her widowhood took quite a toll on them....
Since she didnt talk much there was no way for them to tell if she ever completely got out of it....

Shantanu's entry into her life changed everything.... she not only thought of him every waking and asleep minute.... Sooraj slowly began fading away...
She suffered bouts of guilt frequently, he saw that, he didnt say much... but when he made love she knew he was attempting to obliterate any remnant of Sooraj from her being....
Her parents saw her transform slowly... she smiled more like she used to... she jumped up and answered his texts or calls... she fought over the phone endlessly in her room...
"Kuch bhi nahi" she would say in Gujarati when she was asked who was she arguing with...
Bai exchanged secret looks of satisfaction with Aada

Marrying a man from a different culture and caste was hard enough for them.... vanishing upon finding herself pregnant was straight out of the movies...
She truly didnt know how long it would take for him to find her, but her gut told her it wouldnt be longer than a month....
Her nausea struck as that thought hit her.... she retched for a few minutes, the girl that was assigned to help looked on helplessly, didnt say a word.... "They are all the same, HL, his partner Dasrath at home, this helper" none of them said a word....

"If he doesnt want the baby, I will have to raise her by myself, Aada and Bai will know then" she splashed water on her face...
She knew Sunil and Dadi would support her unconditionally...

He did not encourage any reasonable conversation on the topic... "Not until Ulwe is handed over" he would say as if that was a big reward for her... Ulwe was expected to be handed over in 2016... 3 years from now... 
It seemed to be always about work for him... she knew she was marrying a workaholic... even when he pursued her... he would be frustrated by the attention Aman would pay her in or after meetings, but wouldnt follow up to express his jealousy until he was done making that call or having that quick meeting with Rahat....

Even at home, he would get off bed most nights "afterwards" "I swear I am going to be home when you get up in the morning" he would say 
He would be, she would know when she felt his body pressing or moving against hers as the sun broke out in the distant sky....
"I always keep my promise" he would chuckle
She would smile "Sure... when you want something" she would say allowing him access to her body...
Its a battle of wills" she told herself aloud as she walked over to the living room to answer the phone

No pity for sure...

The phone rang twice, she answered it, her voice sounding like she was either in pain or asleep
Dadi:Beta?
Khanak:Dadi?
D:Beta, are you OK? Did Mrs Singh visit?
K:Hmm... I was asleep Dadi... I am a lil better...
D:I am not sure WHY I am playing along... 
K:Dont say that please? (agonized)
D:You dont know if he will hate being a Dad...
K:I know... I dont want his pity...
D:Pity is nothing close to what he is feeling at this time
His mention, caused her heart to skip a beat...
K:Did you talk with him?
D:Oh yes, he accused me of hiding you...

Ksat down in shock... "Unko kaise pata chala?" (terrified)
Dadi (dryly) Really Khanak? You have been his ONE thought since you vanished... I had to force Sunil not to go to the cops...
Khanak was very afarid... "Dadi, I should just not involve you"
D:Dont you DARE... disappear... I need you to call me every hour... tum ITNI stubborn ho?
K:Dadi...
D:Tera miya kisi ka khoon kar dega, itne gusse mein hai
K:Good... he wont want the baby anyway (lump in her throat)
D:mera bachhhe.... shhhhhhhhhhh... stop crying... he is probably going to chain to the bed...
Khanak giggled....
K:He can be indifferent when he wants to be (reminded of the time, when they had just met, and how he had mocked and ridiculed her with just his looking at her)
D:Mujhe lagta hai yeh zyaada din nahi chalne waala
K:I love the school Dadi, I am the art teacher... THANKS for the money Dadi (blurting the last part huskily)
D:Tere pati ko pata nahi maine karaway sab kuch... tere saath mainnu vi maar daalega...
K:Dadi but you know I will return the money to you once I arrange it
D:I dont want to talk money with you...
K:Dadi... I dont want his pity..
D:You wont get any of THAT trust me

Closer...

He wondered if he should ask his Mom, his Mom and Khanak were never best friends, he knew that. He also observed the way his Mom warmed up to Bhabhi, she never did that with Khanak.
A part of her still hoped he would be single, so she could match make with zeal.
She didnt care much for Gujaratis anyway.... his choice of a Gujarati partner only added her to indifference...
Ofcourse and her lack of wealth....

She did not fail to point out "casually" every time Khanak was around about the Gujrals' wealthy Gujarati connections... she would ask Khanak if her Aada knew of them....

Khanak would respond like she was spoken to in French.... calm and completely unaffected.... "Nahi Ma"
she would say

He would wait for her to say something about his Mom's repeated jabs... but she wouldnt...
She would fight with him for every lil thing though...
"Aapne mujhe nahi kaha"
"Aapne mujhe call nahi kiya"
"Aap mujhe kuch nahi bataate"
Her aap for everything would simmer his fury down instantly...

"We are not having kids" "Quit throwing childish tantrums over it" he would tell her passionately...
"I want to have 5"
"You will have to see how you can do that" he would smirk
"Where there is a will" she would hiss...
"What about US?" he would argue...
"Hum to yahin hain" she would respond....
"Khanak... Amogh's good enough... Bhayya wants 3 more... hes on it, so you can channel your instincts towards it.... him or her I mean"
"I want my very own"
"You have your very own" he said smothering her... and proceeded to tell her stuff he hadnt told any woman in his life...
She fought him against the crimson tide enveloping her...
"Very own" he said lost for breath.... husky
"Ughhhhhhhhhhhh" she protested...
"Here is some more" he whispered in her ear... let his hands show..
"Shantanu"she wailed...
Is she pregnant?" he asked aloud... as a hard hat wearing Supe walked in and started yelling in Marathi"

Getting away..

He scrolled through his call log, she hadnt done anything out of the ordinary... not hinted at anything, didnt sound weird when she called from Bai and Aada's "You never called" she accused him at the end of day three...
"I am sorry" he pleaded...
"You never call. You didnt even ack my tex" she complained...
He had smiled reveling in being wanted...

"I thought Bai and Aada were your world, and you didnt worry about Malabar Hill"
"Fine. I will hang up now"
"Khanak.... ughhhhhh.... OK Khanak... U know how the Fairview block is coming along"
"I dont care about Ulwe" she moped....
"Return tomorrow" he ordered
"Nahi" she said... "Bai has something for Naag Chaturthi?" "Something"
"Tomm nite then?"
"Shantanu?"
"Hmm?"
"Amogh ko kuch nahi diya humne, yahan se kuch laaoon?"
"Dont worry"
"Its not nice, Bai wanted to give him something in silver, main le loon?"
"Hes never going to wear it... Bhabhi wont put it on" Shaan told her bluntly
"How about a rice bowl?"
"Khanak I dont care what Amogh eats in" frustrated...
"Take a day off and come over"
"You LOVE yanking my strings dont you" angry
"U never want to get away from work"
"And you look for every opp to get away from me"

Unforgiveable...

He missed a couple of key points that evening at his crisis meeting at the site, Nachiket noticed and asked him later over beer, it was past midnite...
"Whats going on man?"
"I am not sure" Shaan evaded
"You werent at the meeting, you know it, I hate that whiny grating monotone of the structural engineer too, but that was not it"
"Khanak has vanished"
Nachiket looked sombre and serious...
"What do you mean vanished"
"She left for her parents, last week, we spoke before she boarded her flight"
"Did u guys cal the cops?"
"Dadi was with her the whole week, her loans have been paid off"
Shaan hadnt shared anything about her financial situation previously with his boss, Nachiket of course knew of her family, their financial dependence etc... he was a rock solid, polite, discreet boss, Shaan couldnt have asked for a better one, or gotten a better one, even if he went looking

Unlike Sanjay Tiwari....
"You think Dadi has something to do with it? But why? She always roots for you guys"
"Unless she is rooting for the new guy" Shaan blurted, swallowing a pint all in a mouthful choking as he spoke
"Whhaa?" Kya Matlab?"
"Dont know... I am trying to get to the bottom... Dadi is not panicking, Ritu isnt...."
"What about Dad"
He spoke with the ACP South I think, Purandare"
"You guys are so well connected... the CM would come calling"
Shaan shifted uncomfortably... he didnt want his boss gushing over his wealth or status, at work... none of that mattered...they tried to keep the Gujral financing of the Ulwe Project as hush hush as possible...
Construction mafia was dangerous and cruel in Mumbai

"There is no foul play u are sure?" Nachiket asked

"I am hoping there isnt... Dadi didnt have an aneurysm  so that tells me she is safe some place"
Nachiket waved for more slices of pizza...
Shaan checked his voicemail during then....
None from her...
His degree of rage and frustration was peaking... he was definitely not willing to forgive...

Degrees of worry

"It was paid in full on..." the banker continued...
"Gotta go" "Thanks Man" Shaan bit out... "Oh BTW, lets do golf this weekend"
He dialled Dadi "Did you pay off Khanak's debt"

Dadi's heart came to her mouth "Whhatt?"
"Did you?"
"NOOO" Dadi lied furiously
"All her debt has been paid off by a J Tripathi"
Dadi cringed....
"Did u call her bank? Are you snooping?" She accused her grandson... not knowing what else to do...
"So u did pay it off then?" He mocked....
"Nahi beta... WHY would I"
"Crafting her escape plan? Is this J Tripathi the guy thats been courting her? Shaan continued down his devilish path...
"What nonsense is that beta? Not fair"
"I was expecting Pradyun Kapoor actually" he revealed his nasty fear...
Dadi was angry and confused... "Pradyun?"
She vaguely remembered Shaan being upset about Prad visiting her in Vasant Kunj when they were separated...
"Pradyun tumhara cousin hai"
"Thats not important, she has left for a reason, and I am going to find out why, if it has to do with a man, I would like to know why"
Shaan barked... "I will hang up now Dadi, I have a meeting at the Site, I may not be home tonite"
"Shaan, please take care of yourself beta..."
"I am really astonished by HOW calm you are Dadi" Shaan blurted....
Dadi cursed "Damn!!! "Damn" and took a deep breath and unmuted her phone "We are all worried"
"SOME more than the others" He hung up

J Tripathi

He called his bank, his wealth manager as he raced through smoggy Mumbai traffic....
She was heavily in debt, he wondered HOW the next month's instalment would be paid.
If this was orchestrated, thats the only thing he needed to dig into.

He called Citibank, the SVP answered the call "Hey dude... you missed that golfing gala at Saturday"
Shaan:I did didnt I
Shaan formed his thoughts in his mind.... he knew how to ask questions without revealing a thing....
"Hey Rahul, my wife's account, do u have a minute"
"Sure man"
"Can you tell me what the balance is, she MAY have asked me to make sure the Punhe Foundation loan was paid for this month... I forgot"

"Oh her Uncle's surgical thingie?"

Rahul looked as Shaan paused at a stop light, urchins begged and rubbed themselves against the gleaming VW Toureg windows...
He turned away disgusted... He was in NO mood for charity tonite....
"Life sucks for you?" Too bad dude... mine aint no picnic either" he cursed
Rahul: Hey looks like the whole thing got paid off in full and the lien released
Shaan: There was lien?
Rahul: What are you smoking? (incredulous, "dont you know your wife's finances?" tone)
Shaan was furious... the fact that she even AGREED to meet with the Gujral family wealth mgmt team was an achievement

It took months of convincing to transfer her loans all to one place....
Shaan: And your point is? (furious)
Rahul backed off "Looks like it was all paid in full two days ago"

Shaan: Dadi was mentioning something... but I wasnt sure (Shaan covered)
Rahul: Yep, its a transfer from a J Tripathi's account. Pune I think is the wire code...

Shaan breaked, screechy noisy... trying to avoid a lady trying to catch the 7 :30 Best to Worli

Servitude...

His gut for some reason told him it was intentional and that she was safe some place. 
What he DIDNT know at this time was WHY.... Why would she do it....
It made him hopping mad....
Being extremely private people he didnt reveal much to his own family.
He had a meeting on site at 8, with the design team and Nachiket and a set of key contractors.... the balcony extensions on the block called Renaissance werent turning out as they had expected.... Rahat wanted them ripped out... they were don with trusses until the second flooor.... out of 28....

Rewok would cost time and money, his Project team, had spent countless hours working with the architects to see if they can make the whole thing into French windows....
NOW His wife has left him...
IF you guys will let me handle this" he barked as he left home....
"Biwi ka pata nahi aur janaab kaam par nikal gaye" Sunil fumed...
"Sunil calm down please" Dadi worried... her grand daughter in law was texting her.... her phone pinged....
She worried if Khanak was healthy...
Her morning sickness was really bothering her.... she wouldnt eat anything....
"When I was pregnant with her I threw up exactly like that"Bai had commented....
Khanak had gone pale.... in order for her plan to survive her parents shouldnt find out...
They would NEVER cooperate if they knew

Shaan pulled out of the driveway.... looked up at the 9th floor her roses shook and shivered in the evening sea breeze... she would spend hours in the balcony... texting him... chatting with him...
He would urge her to go out with Bhabhi "I will wait for you" she would say

He was hopping mad.... she wouldnt quit her job for ANYTHING...... her family debt was a prized possession she lugged along without losing breath

It threatened to bury her but yet, she wouldnt complain....

"You have to let me give you a loan" he would hurl...she would squirm... trying to push him away...
"I dont want to be indebted to you" she said once...
They stared at each other......UNTIL he would channel his anger towards passion..... he would make love ferociously....

"Welcome to a world of servitude sweetheart" he cursed colorfully... as he jumped a red light and sped towards Nariman Point

You cant leave...

Dadi squirmed some more "This is just not a working plan, what was I thinking, we should just let Shaan know" her mind warned....
Dadi: Beta she sounded happy and cheerful when she spoke with me
Madz:Oh yes, ofcourse... she was going to leave correct?
Shaan: Hey how are ya?
Ritu: Hi! Mr Gujral, aap kaise ho?
Shaan:Where is Khanak?
Ritu dropped her phone...
Picked it up again "Kya matlab?" she croaked...
Shaan:She wont answer her phone AND she seems to have quit her job..
Shaan sounded very calm.... steely calm....
Ritu:Really, uski naukri to uski jaan hai... mera matlab... tumhare baad..
Shaan:Ritu, she just dropped off the planet... do u know...
Ritu:Gujral....(almost blurting) aise mat kaho...
Shaan:So do YOU know then?
Ritu: Nahi yaar...
Shaan: Will u ask her to call me I know she will call you SOON...
Ritu nodded... and hung up...
Sat down and looked sad....
Sunil: Agar aapko nahi bola, Ritu ko nahi bola to yeh ladki gayi kahan...

Dadi: Shaan.. will you sit down?
Shaan:WHY? Do you have some catastrophic news?
He was quiet.... not revealing anything...
Dadi:She cant live without you, you know that...
Sunil: Ma... he drives her crazy I know... but he obesesses over her also (grudging)
Madz:There cannot be another man can there?
Sunil:Madhavi... Is that what comes to your mind?
Shaan looked at his mother... not amused....
Madz:WHY will she disappear...
Dadi:She has NOT disappeared....

Shaan immediately looked at Dadi... SOMETHING about the way Ritu and his Dadi were reassuring him... made him VERY suspicious....
He wondered WHAT his wife was upto...
Stubborn as a rock.... "Shantanu, Nahi" were her favorite two words....
He couldnt remember HOW their conversation had ended before she boarded the plane from Ahd....
"I am going out to dinner with Bhabhi" she flung at him...
"Not if I am home before that"
"Mujhe maloom hai aap ki baat mein koi sach nahi hai" her chaste Hindi killed him every time...
"Khanak" he groaned..
"Main jaaoon?" she had asked...
"Nope" he told firmly..

Confused? Outraged? Befuddled? Furious?

"Did she quit her job?" he asked in complete shock...
Dadi's heart stopped functioning for a few seconds...
"Ummm" she cleared her throat... and then said "Oh! Wow! beta why would she do that?"
Her face turned red in guilt...
Madhavi was looking at her son...
Sunil did not conceal his confusion either...
"Mistryji ke yahan gayi na woh?" "Ma tussi vi kudi de naal..." (more confused)
Shaan was scrolling through his call list

"What the hell is going on?" he barked....
He wore, blue jeans and a brick red, v-neck tee, with frayed edges on the sleeve... in soft cotton... kinda faded with Versace on it....
"Did u speak with her today Dadi?' he asked the woman...
"Haan beta, I called her (DID not say what number she called) she sounded busy, to maine socha I shudnt talk much"

"Should I call ACP South?" "Is she safe?"
"Let me talk to Tiwari, I know they had a troubled relationship"
"Cmon Sunil usko aa to jaane do, why are you beating up on Sanjay?" Madhavi offered infuriating advice
"I am not suggesting he drove her to resign Madhavi" Sunil jumped out of his seat... ready for a fight...
Shaan was on the phone... about the site...
"His wife has quit her job and is not returning his calls, he cares about the site more" Sunil yelled....
Shaan put his call on hold "Shouldnt some of that nastiness be directed at HER?" he argued...

Madhavi: You guys!
HL quietly refilled the drinks

"Bhabhiji ke liye kya banaoon, mutton koftas aur salmon hai raat ho Dadi" HL whispered...
"Arey HL, Khanak Bhabhi ka dinner to rehne do" she said smugly...
Shaan went back on his call
Sunil called ACP South... Purandare... 
Did not say anything, just chatted for a few and hung up...
Paced the room...
Dadi's worries began to slowly drag her down like quicksand....
Her daughter in law alone, in suburban Mumbai... her parents thinking that she is home safe in Malabar Hill
Her grandson, bursting an artery...
Shaan hung up on his call "Did u actually call Mr Purandare?" he asked his Dad
Sunil: Akshay kab laut raha hai?
Shan:Where is he? At the Nariman Point office?
Dadi: Sunil....
Sunil: Ma ek min...
Dadi:She will be home soon...
Shaan:HOW do you know, she wont answer the phone, she quit her job....
Sunil:Tum lade us se?
Shaan:WHHHAT?
Sunil:U caused it obviously....
Shaan:REALLY DAD?!!
Dadi:Sunil...
Sunil:Ma ek minute....
Sunil: Is he ever home?
Shaan:I am here... dont speak in thrid person!
Sunil: 20 GHANTE SITE PAR REHTA HAI YEH
Madz:Its his job... she knew that when she married him, Akki is in Brazil two weeks a month... Khushboo kahin bhaag gayi kya
Sunil:BHAAG GAYI? Madhavi... have you made up ur mind Khanak has left him
"Um mmm mmm.. mera.." Madhavi squirmed...
Sunil:Have they been fighting Mom?
Dadi: Mujhe...usne (Dadi dragged her feet totally fearful, but hoping something good will come out of this fiasco)
Shaan: We argued over a Manchester United win, for 30 minutes Dad... I sent her a video...we spent 30 minutes flirting... we both wished we could be together making out in rec room"

Sunil looked like he swallowed a bird... "THANKS for the details... Dadi baithi hai yahan"
Dadi:He has said worse to me (laughing feebly)
Sunil: Did u buy her something nice? Did u take her out to dinner... are you (he stopped)
Shaan:YES TO ALL, I sent her flowers, after we made a pact we wouldnt buy each other presents.. we ate out... lunch... the evening she left for Ahd... she didnt eat much... becoz the pizza came soaked in olives she said... and YES... we make love every nite... I wake her up if she is asleep""THERE! DOES THAT HELP?"
Madhavi turned red... "Way to go Sunil,  questioning your son's intimate life" (hissing)
Sunil: Whhat? Arey yeh seedhe mooh baat karne ka time nahi hai iske paas..
Shaan took a call again...
But hung up quickly...
"The fact that she quit her job tells me, the disapearance is intentional, the fact that she switched off her phone COULD be because she is in trouble?" Sunil looked visibly worried...
Shaan:I am going to call Ritu...
Sunil: MA Is ghar mein you are her best friend... did she say anything to you.... pehle Dilli ab yeh"
Madz:Oh! Puhleez... Best friend? I doubt anyone other than her husband she even talks to (she inadvertently admitted to herself that Khanak talks the most to Shaan)
Sunil:Madhavi, please... Ma aapko kuch kaha usne, Shaan ne kuch kiya... jiski wajah se?

Discovery

"She was supposed to returnin the morning, her phone went dead"
"She left you and you should start dating" Madhavi blurted voicing her dark desire... pretending to crack a joke......
"I am kidding baby" she said shrilly after a moment, realizing her son didnt care for the joke..

Sunil:Kidhar hai meri beti?
Madhavi:I had no idea you wanted a girl so bad (you wud pretend ur bahu is ur beti)
Sunil: Anyone that marries HIM deserves ALL my love and compassion (Sunil sipped his Vodka)
Shaan smiled derisively "So I can just conclude you had a part in making her disappear?"

Dadi shifted uncomfortably in her seat

Sunil:Dekho Ma, he doesnt think twice before shooting his mouth off.
Dadi:Thats why I pray he has half a dozen kids... hes been recklessly arrogant in not wanting any...
Shaan:Are we back on that one again.? I have a meeting at the Site in 2 hours, can you ask her to text me when she gets home?

Dadi truly had no idea how every minute from now was going to pass, how she was going to keep the event shrouded in secrecy... for HOW LONG....

She had a cell phone that Khanak would call on... she worried about her... she decided the idea was foolish... what if she threw up all nite and dehydrated herself?

HL's cousin was looking for work... maybe she should ask her to be with Khanak?
For how long?

Sunil:Aaapko batakar gayi?

Dadi: Shaan is crazy... he has a vivid imagination,
Madhavi: Amen! (he married HER)
Sunil:Is time tak to ghar laut aati hai, hafte se apne parents ke ghar hai, looks like she is slowly beginning to feel dispassionate about us all

Madz: A elite South Mumbai Punjabi family, is not everyone's cup of tea (arrogant) especially such a obedient, simpleton Gujarati like Khanak (compliment?)

Dadi:I dont think u need to declare the elite part Madhavi (pissed)
Madhavi: Cmon Mom... our word is different....

Shaan sprinted down the stairs "She quit her job?"
Dadi wanted to disappear...Sunil looked startled... Madhavi did as well for a moment and later realized her son might finally be heading to his rakish bachelorhood/freedom days... tried to conceal her glee...

Action..

A week had gone by since she had left for her parents. Her parents assumed, she had returned to Mumbai, as Dadi was with her.
Dadi had been constantly warning her all the while "With Sunil's connections in Mumbai, its going to be impossible to "hide" you for more than a month, month is extreme also"

Khanak was sombre... not thrilled at being part of a grand plot.... she was not disappointed... she knew Shaan did not want kids.... she was not fearful either... she was hoping...
Hoping for a healthy baby..

Bai and Aada did not check on her because she left with Dadi....
When Shantanu tried to call her the 6th evening of being gone, her went dead

Dadi asked her to switch it off... she took her to Chirner, and set her up at a "friend's house"

"Ek hafta tika hamara plan to hame celebrate karna chahiye" she hugged Khanak tight as she left....
Khanak shut the door and leaned on the wall... she was nauseous and tired....
"9 months of running? 9 months of hiding?" She didnt have the energy....
She called Dadi from her new phone... "Should I just go with you and tell him?"
Dadi jumped out of her skin... "Ummm... abhi?" she asked.


Twilight merged with night sky outside... Dadi's cabbie waited in traffic.... Chirner was crowded and polluted... the airconditioning sucking fumes from outside....

"I dont need his pity Dadi.. I dont want it to be a compromise" she said agitated....
Mr. Salve aayenge kal subah tumse milne, tum school jaakar dekh aana.. Gujral Trust is well respected beta"

Khanak took that sentence as "Relax and calm down" "We will think of something..
The townhome like structure was a new building.. a new rival development... posh and clean....
Dadi had appointed a private scurity guy... the neighborhood was very family oriented... expats and wealthy everywhere.... still.. a Gujral bahu couldnt be left unattended...
Dadi wondered if her "plan" was a reflection of becoming senile...
She feared Shantanu's reaction...
"YOU WERE IN ON IT DADI?" she could visualize his reaction... of disgust. horror and fury...

~~~
"Have you heard from Khanak?" he asked his Mom
"No.... she doesnt call much..." laughed out loud... "Doesnt do anything much..."
"She was supposed to returnin the morning, her phone went dead"
"She left you and you should start dating" Madhavi blurted voicing her dark desire... pretending to crack a joke......

Soon...

Dadi pulled some strings.... ofcourse there was no one else who would do such things for her.... umm... well there are a few... but they didnt have the last name of Gujral....
Hiding someone in plain sight must mean this..... Dadi "helped" find her a teaching position at a Bal Vikas school run by a sister foundation of Tejeshwar Gujral Trust.
The school was in Chirner, 13 kilometers SOUTH of ULWE, the giant Ajmera township....
She first spent a week at her parents... Dadi convinced her parents that she was "under the weather".
Sanjay Tiwari was livid she quit offering only one day notice but.... he had to deal with his temper issues...
It did not occur to him that the girl was fleeing from her husband.... he had no reason to suspect she was... :(

"Mistryji cant be trusted, so we will not announce just yet" Dadi told Khanak... when visited to drop her off... her husband didnt care for her to go... as he never usually did...

Khanak didnt cry.... she had seen and heard and experienced more tragic things... delaying the sharing of her baby news with her Mom & Dad did not devastate her much...
What devastated her was the last declaration by her very own husband... the evening before Dadi's plans were put into action....
"There is a set routine you have to follow with kids. THATS CRAZY. I am not willing" he had said....
She was in touch with him when she spent the week in Ahmedabad.... Bai was insistent she was pregnant... she even shared it in hushed tone with her hubby at night.... she didnt want Bua or his Mom to discover

"She would tell us, if thats the case" Mr Mistry reassured her
"Does she seem happy to you?" Bai asked.
"She seems very happy since she married the man" Aada replied.... content...
"She wants babies" Bai pointed
"It will happen....soon he said.... as if he was clairvoyant