Milind took two stairs at a time in his haste to reach home and let go of all his pent up feelings of the past weeks. He reached the front door and pressed the bell several times, eager to see his beloved wife. There was no response. He then banged at the door - still no response. He started getting alarmed. Why was Prachi not opening the door? Was she ill, has she fainted like she did on the Dahi Handi day? Panicking, he hurriedly searched for the duplicate key in his hip pocket and on finding it opened the door. He rushed in and found no one in either of the rooms. Has she gone to Manju's house? he wondered and was about to go to his neighbour's house when he noticed the notebook on the bed and the note under it flapping in the breeze. Pulling the note out, he read it curiously.
As he ran his eyes through the note, they widened in shock and despair. Dropping the note, he looked around and found his diary lying on the floor. Her sketches of him lay scattered around it. He knew then that due to his folly, he had lost the only woman he truly ever loved. He kept shunning her because he thought his love could not match up to hers, that he was not good enough for her. Now she has left him thinking that his heart is taken by another and hence he does not love her at all. Can he really blame her? When he himself could not see the truth staring at his face, the irrevocable truth that he loved her more than his own life, how could he expect her to understand him? The poor girl gave up her shyness and openly declared her feelings for him in public and how did he react? Like a coward, he ran away from the very same feelings he too had for her. She was desperately trying to save their relationship. She begged him to confide in her his worries, his confusion, his despair. It was he who was pig headed enough not to share his concerns with her. It was he who had thrust her in misery and disillusionment. He could not blame her for the conclusion she had arrived at after reading the diary. Anyone would have done the same, especially if they were subjected to the strange behaviour she was subjected to for three whole weeks. How pained she must have been to come to know of his past in this manner. He should have confided in her about his past love. He did not, because he felt it was a closed chapter; that it did not have a bearing on their present, but did it really not have a bearing? Was he not shying away from his feelings for her fearing that the past would repeat itself and his love for Prachi may weaken over time like his love for Ayesha did? Why could he not see the difference between the love he felt for Prachi and what he thought he felt for Ayesha? Why did it require some hard talking by Ayesha to disentangle his muddled thoughts and feelings? Why did he just not follow his heart which was crying out for Prachi all the time? His heart ached for the pain he had caused to the woman who had reposed complete faith in him.
He did not want to waste another minute. He needed to speak to her immediately; to explain to her how wrong he was in treating her with disdain; to tell her how much he loved her and wanted her back. Wiping his eyes which had brimmed over with tears, he took out his mobile and called Shah House. PL came on line and as soon as he identified himself, cheerfully enquired about how he was and how was Prachi. Shocked by her query he hurriedly mumbled that both of them were fine and assured her that he was merely making a courtesy call. As the whole implication of what that call meant sunk in, he felt that his entire world was caving in around him. Prachi was gone and he did not know where she was. He ran out of his house and not knowing where to look for her, he rushed to Ayesha's house. He banged at her door with all his force and called out her name. Ayesha who was getting ready to cook her dinner opened the door and seeing Milind she asked him teasingly, "So, did Prachi madam swoon after hearing her patidev's love confession?"
It is only then that she noticed that Milind's face was death pale. She looked at him with concern and asked him, "Milind, are you alright?"
"She's gone, Ayesha", he whispered. "She's gone, my Prachi has gone. She has left me." Holding the frame of the door, he slid down and broke down completely. He wept uncontrollably like a baby, "I can't live without her, Ayesha. I can't live without her."
"Let's go now," he said with a sense of urgency. "Let's go and get back Prachi from there."
"But Milind I do not know where Sneha lives."
Milind was crest fallen. Trying to find a solution to their problem, Ayesha suddenly snapped her fingers. "Wait, I know of a way to get her address. Prachi must have written down her phone number in the telephone book in Shah House. I'll get PL aunty to give the number to me."
Milind looked concerned. "Ayesha, if Ma comes to know that her daughter is missing she will be worried."
"Don't worry. I will not let her know that Prachi is missing. Just give me your cell," she said.
Milind passed on his cell to her. She dialled Shah House and asked for PL. When she got her on the line she told her that she needed Sneha's telephone number as she wanted to invite her for Prachi's surprise birthday party. As Prachi is not supposed to know about the party, she cannot ask her. So she was asking her mother instead. PL bought her flimsy story because Ayesha does come up with some of the weirdest of ideas to celebrate people's birthdays. She searched the number in the telephone book and gave it to her. Armed with the number, Ayesha immediately called up Sneha's house. Identifying herself as Prachi's best friend to Sneha, she asked her if Prachi was there. Sneha was initially reluctant to admit that she was, but Ayesha could make out from the hesitancy in her voice that she was lying. Ayesha then explained to her that there was a small misunderstanding between Milind and Prachi which her husband wanted to clear up with her. After a lot of pleading and cajoling, Sneha agreed to let Milind meet Prachi. Ayesha asked her not to let Prachi know that he was coming and Sneha agreed to keep it a secret. Ayesha then took down her address and handed it to Milind.
"Milind I think you need to meet Prachi alone. She must be too raw and hurting right now. If she sees us together, it will only aggravate matters. "
Milind agreed with her and bidding her goodnight, he set off on his bike to bring his beloved back home where she belongs.
Why has she been singled out for the choicest of treatment by destiny she wondered. All the men in her life seemed to have abandoned her when she needed them the most. Her childhood friend whom she trusted with the smallest of details of her life did not trust her enough to confide in her his love life, thereby letting her weave dreams around him which were shattered before they were realised. Her father who had always been her emotional anchor was not strong enough to bear the disappointment of her broken engagement and left her for the heavenly abode even before she could bid him a proper adieu. Her brother, her own flesh and blood, used her as a pawn for furthering his own ambitions. Her husband, from whom she never expected anything in the beginning, gave her a ray of hope through his actions, only to snatch it away before it fructified into something more meaningful. She felt cheated; she felt betrayed; she felt lost. Her life, which appeared to have achieved some purpose after she started bonding with Milind, seemed to suddenly turn rudderless again.
When she left Milind's place that night she was still in a state of shock to register what had befallen her. All she knew was that she needed to get out of that place as soon as possible as she felt too suffocated. She did not want to go back to Shah House lest she worries her mother who already had her share of troubles, what with a son like Alaap. If she comes to know that her daughter's life was in shambles, she would have been too heartbroken. It is then that she remembered her childhood friend, Sneha. As she took the local train to Malad where she lived, the entire evening's events started slowly seeping in. Strangely she felt no anger or bitterness against either Milind or Ayesha, only a huge sense of disappointment at not being taken into confidence. She felt betrayed by their secrecy.
She did not blame them for loving each other. After all it is not a crime to love but why did they not tell her about it? Ayesha was her closest friend. She had been with her through her most trying and turbulent times and understood her like none other. Then why did she not tell her that she was in love with Milind when her marriage was fixed up with him? She would have definitely brought them together even it meant marrying any creep Alaap would have chosen for her in return for his marrying Sukriti. Ayesha had been through a lot of pain since childhood and deserved happiness and she would have ensured she got it. Moreover, she knew nothing of Milind back then and would not have missed him but now that she has fallen so hopelessly in love with him, leaving him was tearing her apart from within.
Her heart cried out in agony at losing the only man she loved romantically. When she lost Neev she felt more betrayed than hurt. The fact that she mistook friendship for love hit her only after she lost him because she did not feel the pangs of a ditched lover but that of a ditched friend. Losing Milind, though, was like losing her heart, for within the short time she had known him she had accepted him fully into her heart. He was her world. Losing him was like losing her breath, the reason why she felt suffocated and breathless at the sight of him with Ayesha but she had willed herself to give him up because at the end of it all his happiness meant more to her than her own.
Meanwhile in Sneha's apartment
Prachi had reached Sneha's house at around 8.30 p.m. While Sneha was elated to see her long time friend, she quickly realised that something was amiss seeing her friend's face. Despite Prachi's best efforts to hide her tears, the melancholy look in her eyes was unmistakable and Sneha's heart went out to her friend. She gently enquired if something was wrong but Prachi merely told her that she was having some marital problems and wanted to stay with her for a couple of days till she finds an alternate accommodation to move into. Seeing that she did not want to discuss her problems with her, Sneha did not prod her but told her she can stay with her as long as she wants. Moreover, her husband was away attending a Medical Conference in Geneva and will not be back till the weekend. After she showed her the guest room, Sneha offered to serve dinner but Prachi wanted go up to the terrace to get some fresh air. While waiting for her, Sneha had received the call from Ayesha. Although she was initially reluctant to admit Prachi's presence in her house, she also knew that unless the newly-weds communicate they cannot sort out any issues between themselves. As Milind's visit can help solve whatever problems they were having, she invited him over.
Milind was there at her doorstep at around 9.00 pm. Sneha was surprised that he had reached there so soon but then could understand his urgency from his eyes which constantly kept searching for his wife even while he was introducing himself to her. Sneha did not want to make him wait longer. So after the preliminary introduction she took him to the terrace and switching on the light, left the husband and wife alone to sort out their issues in private.
Disturbed from her troubled thoughts by the sudden brightness, Prachi turned towards the light and saw Milind standing at the entrance to the terrace. Her heart skipped a beat to see the person she was thinking of at that very moment. Soon the excitement of seeing the man she loved so dearly was clouded by the heart wrenching pain of having lost him and she turned her back to him. Milind was quick to notice the change in her expression and was equally pained at having caused it in the first place. He slowly walked up to her. She got up from the swing and went to the far corner of the terrace. Not wanting to intrude into her private space, Milind stood two feet away from her and poured his heart out.
"Prachi I know you are angry with me right now. You have every right to be. I have no right to be standing in front of you after all that I had subjected you through in the past weeks. You had been nothing but loving and caring not only towards me but also towards my family. If it had not been for you, my Baba would now not be on the road to recovery."
At the mention of Baba, Prachi turned around and raised her palm to stop him, "Milind, you need not feel obliged to me for what I had done for your Baba. I was a fool not to realise that your change in attitude towards me was because you felt grateful to me for taking care of your Baba and not because you had developed feelings for me. It was my mistake to have misunderstood you and built my dreams around you. Ever since I revealed my love, you were doing your best to push me away. Only I did not take the cue. I did not realise that you can't love me, now or ever."
Milind was shocked to hear this. Did she think that he merely felt gratitude towards her? "Prachi, who said I can't love you?" he asked her quietly.
"You did" she said, more as a statement rather than as an accusation. "I heard you tell Ayesha you can't love me. I can understand it Milind, you can't love me because you can't forget your love for Ayesha."
Milind was completely shaken by now. Prachi had heard him? Was she there when he confessed to Ayesha his problem? How much had she heard? Not much, from what she was saying now, he thought ruefully. He could well appreciate her pain. It was one thing to read his diary and quite another to also hear him admit to his ex-lover that he can't love his wife. How much she must have hurt hearing those thoughtless words. He wanted to hit himself for causing her so much anguish.
"Prachi, I am so sorry you heard those words but they did not mean what you think they do. I thought I can't love you enough, as much as you deserve. I thought my love was inadequate in front of your supreme love and sacrifice. It is not that I have not forgotten my love for Ayesha, Prachi, but that I have forgotten it and that too in one month. I was scared that if I can forget a ten-year love in a month, what sort of commitment I can bring to my love for you. I was scared that I may end up hurting you more by giving you hope. That is why I tried to push you away from me, Prachi, I tried to make you dislike me but I couldn't stop loving you, I couldn't give you up. You are my world, Prachi. Without you I am nothing," he said, his voice betraying his pain.
Prachi looked into his eyes and saw the truth in his words. She could see his desperate longing for her; his remorse for having hurt her and most of all his deep love for her.
By now Milind was reduced to tears. He started pleading with her "Prachi, please give me a second chance to prove my love, to wipe out the pain I've caused, to......" Before he could continue Prachi reached up and putting her arms around his neck, she dragged his face to her and sealed his lips with hers. Milind was too stunned by the suddenness of her act but he let himself drown in her kiss.
(5)
Moments later Prachi broke free realising what she had done quite impulsively to stop Milind from rambling away. She bent her head down, unable to meet his gaze. Lifting her chin up with his finger, Milind couldn't resist teasing her, "Now, THAT was unexpected." Prachi's blush deepened and she tried to move away. Milind dragged her back into his arms when Prachi suddenly realised there was something still not resolved yet. Pushing herself back, she looked into Milind's eyes and asked him with concern as to how Ayesha was taking all this. It is then that Milind realised he had not explained to her what had transpired between him and Ayesha in her house. He guided her to the swing and once they were seated, he narrated the entire chain of events of that evening starting from Ayesha waylaying him and questioning him about his behaviour towards Prachi to her making him see what he failed to see. He also told her what she had said about their own relationship and how it was bound to fail given their temperaments. Prachi looked a little sceptical but looking back, she found no instance when Ayesha displayed even a shadow of remorse at their relationship breaking up. Was she such a good actress or was it that love for Milind was as much a mirage to her as it was to him? One thing she knew from her own experience, the length of time of knowing a person is no guarantee that your love for that person would be deeper. She knew Neev since childhood and yet what she thought as love was not love after all. Milind and she agreed that it was their joint duty to ensure that Ayesha finds true love soon and decided to do their part in helping her do so. Milind then held her hand and said in a serious tone, "Prachi, there is something I want to tell you." Prachi looked at him curiously.
"I don't want you to get this wrong. Our marriage did not take place under the most ideal conditions. I married you for the sake of ensuring and preserving my sister's happiness. So atleast there was something in it for me from the start. It is a huge bonus that I ended up getting the most precious woman on the face of this earth. But this marriage has not been a fair deal to you. You did not get anything but hardship by marrying me. You had to give up a lot of comfort for my sake. In the initial weeks of marriage you also had to put up with my temper tantrums and taunts. I even came home drunk one day and took out on you my anger against your brother. In all your goodness you did not utter a word against any of it. On the contrary you not only took good care of me but also my baba. At the beginning of our marriage I mocked you as 'Your highness' but in truth you are my queen and I want to treat you as one. Although I want to give you everything, at present I am unable to. I want to make myself worthy of you before I make you mine."
"I have everything I want, Milind", assured Prachi. "I have you and there is nothing more that I need. It is not what a man has that counts but what he is. I could have never hoped to have got a better husband than you. I admire your righteousness, your independence, your love and care for your family, your sense of duty and diligence, your sense of humour, your principles, your... "
"Bas, bas, bas..Prachi. I am merely a human being, not a demi-god. Please don't put me on such a high pedestal. I know that you value human relationships more than any material things. That only goes to show the goodness of your heart but I do have some ambitions in life. I want to achieve them. I want to be my own man and not merely an employee. In pursuit of my dream I had not taken up a job for a long time but as I have to run a home, I took up this job at the hotel. Someday I want to own a hotel. I am working hard towards achieving that dream by learning all there is to know about running a hotel business. I hope to achieve my dream soon. So until then can we postpone consummating our relationship? Believe me there is nothing more that I want than making you mine and becoming yours but I want it to be the celebration of the fulfilment of my dream."
Prachi gazed at her husband with new found respect. Here is a man who was willing to reign in his desires in order to achieve his dream and provide her with comfort. As she remained silent, Milind got nervous and fidgeted around.
"If you are not agreeable Prachi, we can become husband and wife in every sense of the word as soon as possible. I don't want to impose my views on you and deprive you of your conjugal rights."
Prachi smiled and shook her head, "No, from today, your dreams are my dreams. I will wait till you fulfil yours. I am sure you are going to achieve your dream pretty soon because you have the drive needed to achieve it. Until then we will just be lovers who immensely enjoy each other's company but do not take the final step to physical intimacy."
Milind was so happy that his wife understood him. He hugged her again and kissed her forehead.
They went down to meet Sneha and tell her that their misunderstandings have been resolved. Sneha was very happy to hear that her friend was back with her husband. She insisted that they have dinner with her before they left for their home. During dinner Sneha light heartedly mentioned to Milind that Prachi had some strong crushes in school. Milind was curious to know more. Despite Prachi jabbing her friend at the ribs to stop her from revealing her secrets, Sneha went ahead and spilt the beans. Prachi seemed to have had crushes on fictional, historical and mythological characters. Among the fictional characters, her strongest crush was on Mr. Darcy from Pride and Prejudice. Among the historical characters she had a crush on Martin Luther King. Her favourite mythological character was Karna from Mahabharat.
"Now, that is quite a variety you have up there", joked Milind.
Prachi punched his shoulder and screwed Sneha's ears for revealing her crushes to her husband.
(6)
"Don't worry, no broken bones yet," Milind drawled languidly, slowly opening his eyes to gaze at the most exquisite vision before him.
"Sorry, didn't mean to hurt you", she apologised and rubbed his chin across his soft beard.
Holding her head between his hands, he said. "No problems, honey. I am prepared to get hit by this pretty little head any number of times." He took her hands in his and continued, "Especially if I get massaged by these soft silky hands afterwards." He then lifted her palms up to his lips and gently kissed them.
Prachi dipped her head in shyness. Propping himself up on his elbow, he lifted her chin to look into her eyes. "Do you know how beautiful you look when you blush?" he asked her. She gave him a shy smile, showing her dimples. "You are even more beautiful when you smile", he continued.
As they were finishing up their breakfast, Sneha's driver came with Prachi's suitcase. Taking the suitcase from him, she offered him tea and looked up to see the chawl kids. They had come to invite them for the stapana (installation) of the Ganesh idol. It is only then that they remembered it was Ganesh Chathurti that day. Prachi changed into her own clothes and they went down for the puja. The entire chawl had gathered there. A huge idol of Lord Ganesha was brought in and installed on the small stage erected for the purpose. As the people started disbursing after paying their obeisance to the God, Ayesha came up to greet them. While Milind reciprocated warmly, Prachi turned her face away from her, sulking. Ayesha held her hand and asked her what was the matter. Milind, sensing that the two girls needed to have a heart-to-heart talk, left them together and returned to his home. After he had left, Ayesha said quietly, "Prachi, I know you are angry with me."
"Why did you not tell me about Milind before we got married?"
"What good would it do?"
"I would have ensured that the two of you were united."
"What about Sukriti? Do you think that your brother would have married her if Milind had not married you and signed over the property to him?"
"I would have agreed to marry any guy Alaap would have chosen for me only if he marries Sukriti."
"You expect me to sit back and let my friend's life be ruined in this manner? Look Prachi, I was initially upset about losing Milind but when I realised I was losing him to you I was happy and relieved. I knew that Milind is one person I can trust my life with and you are as precious or maybe even more precious than my life, Prachi."
"Imagine, Prachi, what our lives would have been like if Milind and I had got together. We would have had a world war every day of the week. Both of us have a fiery temper, both of us are obstinate, both of us are too proud to give in easily. It would have been a recipe for disaster. Thankfully destiny intervened and averted a catastrophe by uniting Milind and you. Only you with your patience and care could have tamed the wild side of Milind and made him shine, Prachi. Only you could have brought out the best in him and you have. And Milind is so right for you, Prachi. You needed a strong, independent minded and loving man to guide you, to protect you, and to cherish you. Milind is just the man for you. He brings out the best in you." Ayesha spoke to her in all sincerity. Prachi felt a large burden of guilt lift off her shoulder.
Holding her hands, Prachi asked her what did she intend to do with her life?
"What is wrong with my life right now? What do I need to do? I have the most wonderful friends around me and a good job which gives me a decent salary. My mom's health is also improving. What more do I need?"
"But don't you need a life partner, Ayesha? How long do you intend to stay single?"
"What? Get married and give up all this freedom? Prachi, I don't think I am the marrying kind. I don't want to punish any guy for life. Let me enjoy my singledom."
Part XV
Nine days later
Prachi woke up in the morning to greet another day; only this was no ordinary day, but the day she was born. All her birthdays, except the last one when she was still mourning the loss of her father, were celebrated with great pomp and grandeur. Although Prachi herself did not attach too much importance to the day, she considered this particularly birthday special because it was her first birthday as Prachi Milind Mishra. She mouthed her full name and feeling really good about it, smiled at the sleeping form of her husband who had given her half of that name. She leant forward and traced his lips with her index finger, marvelling at their fullness and shapeliness. When she saw him stir, she quickly withdrew her finger. Milind opened his eyes and seeing his wife, smiled sweetly and wished her a good morning. She waited with baited breath for his birthday wish to follow, but it did not come. Hiding her disappointment she wished him back and went about her morning chores. While Milind had gone for his bath, his cell rang. Picking it up, Prachi realised it was PL calling to wish her on her birthday. She thanked her and said she will drop by later that morning to take her blessings. Just as she disconnected, Milind returned and enquired who was on the line. Prachi merely said that her mother had called and that she was going to meet her. Milind asked her to give her his regards and proceeded to get dressed. Soon he was screaming for his socks, his handkerchief and his watch. Prachi scurried and found the things he wanted. Taking them from her, he brusquely thanked her and got ready for work. As he was about to leave the house, Prachi hesitantly asked him if he was not forgetting something. At first he looked confused but then as realisation dawned, he smiled and leaned over to give her a light goodbye kiss on the cheek. He was gone before she could fully recover from the huge disappointment. 'He did not remember my birthday', she thought sadly.
She got dressed, and went to the temple before going to the Shah House. PL was glad to see her daughter. Prachi took her blessings and hugged her. PL kissed her daughter on the forehead and gifted her a set of diamond ear rings. Just then Sukriti had walked in and hugging her bhabhi, wished her a very happy birthday. She gifted her a beautiful Titan watch and said it was from both her husband and herself. She said Alaap wanted to wish her but had to leave early to attend an important business meeting. Prachi knew she was covering up for him but did not say anything. PL insisted that she stays back for lunch. Over lunch PL enquired how was Milind and asked what gift he had given her. Holding back her tears, Prachi conveyed his regards to her and said that he intended to surprise her that evening with his gift. PL expressed her satisfaction with her son-in-law.
After lunch Prachi made her regular visit to the nursing home to see Baba. Placing his limp hand on her head she sought his blessings. Although he was not conscious, she felt he was blessing her from whatever mental state he was in. She returned home that evening and was soon surrounded by the chawl kids who dragged her down. They pulled her hands towards the community hall which was adjoining the chawl. The welfare society of the chawl had built it and, for a nominal charge, the residents of the chawl conducted their functions there. The hall was decorated with balloons and streamers. A large banner with a happy birthday message hung on one wall. A table at the centre had a huge chocolate cake on it. As Prachi entered in, she was greeted with loud clapping. Prachi looked around to see nearly the entire chawl gathered there. PL, Sukriti and Sneha were there too. Prachi was very happy to see them all. Ayesha asked her when Milind was expected to come and was told that he comes home very late these days. Ayesha then said that they may not be able to wait for him as the children had school the next day. So they started the party. After the birthday song was sung and the cake was cut, refreshments and snacks were served. The children then sang and danced for their Prachi didi. Prachi was asked to sing too and she obliged. They had a few games like the 'dumb charades' and 'passing the parcel'. The party finally got over close to 8 o'clock. The children carried to her house all the gifts their Prachi didi received and wishing her good night, they left.
Prachi sat down on the wooden sofa, looking at the gifts and pondering over the happenings of the day. She had received birthday wishes from everyone who knew her except from the one person whose wishes mattered the most to her. Her eyes grew moist as she struggled hard to overcome her disappointment. Realising she had not prepared anything for dinner, she hurried to the kitchen to start cooking. Just then she heard the front door bell ring. Expecting to see a tired and worn out Milind, she was surprised to see a refreshed and excited Milind at the door step. Before she could recover from the shock, he proceeded to blindfold her with a large handkerchief and ignoring her protests, he whisked her in his arms and carried her out, banging their door shut on the way. Prachi kept asking him where he was taking her to but he would not utter a word. She could feel him carrying her up many flights of stairs. Soon they reached their destination. Milind gently let her down and removed the blindfold. Prachi looked around in curiosity and realised that they were on the terrace of the chawl building. The walls of the terrace were lit up by small diyas. On the water tank of the chawl was stuck a large banner which proclaimed "HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MY DARLING WIFE" in big red letters. On one side of the terrace was a table on the centre of which was a small black forest cake. The table was set for dinner for two. Prachi clasped her hands in glee, looking around at the arrangements her husband had made without her knowledge. She rushed to her husband and hugged him tight.
"You remembered Milind, you remembered my birthday?!" she exclaimed.
"When did I forget, to remember it?" he asked her amusedly.
"You did not wish me in the morning. I thought you had forgotten."
Milind then knelt before her and with his hand crossed against his heart recited these lines which he himself had composed:
"I wasn't there to greet you into this world
I wasn't there for most part of your life;
But I'm here with you now, and will always be
Till the very end, my beloved wife."
When he finished, he took her hands in his and kissed them.
Prachi was surprised to see the poet in him.
"I did not know you wrote poetry!" she exclaimed.
Getting up, he said, "I don't normally write poems, Prachi, but you are a great source of inspiration."
He then explained to her why he waited till now to wish her. "Your family and friends have known you longer than I have. So I wanted them to have the opportunity to wish you first. But I want to have you exclusively to myself after that so that I can celebrate the closing hours of your birthday with you. Although I am a late entrant into your life, I am the one who will be with you now and forever."
He continued, "I kept everyone informed about my plan. That is why no one bothered you with too many questions about my whereabouts. I had returned from work while you were at the hall. After freshening up, I had come up here to make these arrangements. As I had already bought the dinner, I asked them to keep you busy till dinner time so that you would not have time to prepare anything. So, Mrs. Prachi Milind Mishra, how do you like my surprise?"
Prachi punched his chest in mock anger and said she loved her surprise.
"Wait, there is more", he said.
He then went to the music player plugged to one corner of the terrace and switched it on. The song below sung by George Benson played on it.
If I had to live my life without you near me
The days would all be empty
The nights would seem so long
With you I see forever.. oh so clearly
I might have been in love before
But it never felt this strong
Our dreams are young and we both know
They'll take us where we want to go
Hold me now
Touch me now
I don't want to live without you
Nothing's gonna change my love for you
You ought to know by now how much I love you
One thing you can be sure of
I'll never ask for more than your love
Nothings gonna change my love for you
You ought to know by now how much I love you
The world may change my whole life through but
Nothings gonna change my love for you
If the road ahead is not so easy
Our love will lead the way for us
Like a guiding star
I'll be there for you
If you should need me
You don't have to change a thing
I love you just the way you are
So come with me and share the view
I'll help you see forever too
Hold me now
Touch me now
I don't want to live without you
Nothings gonna change my love for you
You ought to know by now how much I love you
One thing you can be sure of
I'll never ask for more than your love
Nothings gonna change my love for you
You ought to know by now how much I love you
The world may change my whole life through but
Nothings gonna change my love for you
Nothings gonna change my love for you
You ought to know by now how much I love you
One thing you can be sure of
I'll never ask for more than your love
Looking at Prachi's surprised expression, Milind explained that Ayesha had told him this was her all time favourite love song. So he wanted to play it for her. Moreover, the song conveyed exactly what was in his heart. Then, holding her hands in his, he gently dragged her to him. He slipped one hand to her waist and gently swayed to the music. Prachi immediately fell in line and put one hand on his shoulder. They held each other and danced through the song.
At the end of it, Milind kissed her forehead and led her to the table. He extended the knife to her and after she cut the cake, he fed her a piece. As she bit the piece, he leaned forward and bit the part that was sticking out of her mouth, brushing his lips against hers as he did so. A tingling sensation ran through her body and she bent down her head. He gave her small gift wrapped box. On opening it, Prachi found a cell phone inside. He told her that now he can call her through the day and whisper sweet nothings. Prachi blushed and gave him another hug.
They then had their dinner in silence looking deep into each other's eyes. The light from the diyas flickered, enhancing the romantic ambience. After dinner they sat on the mat Milind had spread out and chatted for hours. Prachi told him that this was the best birthday she ever had. As their eyelids grew heavy, they stretched themselves on the mat and fell asleep in each other's arms under the sky lit by the near full moon and the stars. The diyas burnt themselves out as the night wore on.
(2)
As the sun's rays hit her eyes, Prachi opened them to find Milind still fast asleep. Realising they were sprawled on the terrace where they could be spotted by anyone coming up, she quickly got up and tried to shake Milind awake. Milind merely smiled in his sleep but did not budge an inch. Finally getting frustrated, she went up to the tap which was in one corner of the terrace and collecting some water in her palms, she walked up to him and trickled it on his eyes. Milind got up with a start and seeing Prachi stand over him with her hands on her hips, grimaced at her.
"Prachi... why did you break my beautiful dream? We were dancing to Kuch kuch hota hai like Shah Rukh and Kajol and you broke it before the song got over," he complained.
"Milind, if you don't wake up immediately, bahut kuch honae walla hai. We are in the middle of the terrace, not in our bedroom. Do you want us to become public spectacle?"
It is only then that Milind realised where they were. He hurriedly got up and rolled up the mat. Prachi ran to the water tank and tore up the banner on it. She then helped Milind to fold up the table and the chairs after putting away the plates and the dishes in the plastic cover which lay against the wall. As they carried their stuff down the stairs, they were met by Manju who was coming up with a bucket full of washed clothes which had to be dried in the clothes lines strung on the terrace. Seeing them with their paraphernalia she couldn't help pulling their legs.
"So Milind, how was the night under the sky?"she asked with a naughty smile.
Both Milind and Prachi turned a deep red and rushed down without a response.
"Hey, you forgot the diyas!" she called out and burst out laughing.
"I'll take them down later Manju Akka," Prachi shouted back.
Back home, Prachi spun like a top to ensure that her husband was not late for work. Finally, when Milind was ready to leave, he turned around and holding her head between his hands, he gave her a big smacking kiss on her lips and thanked her aloud for being such a wonderful wife. Prachi eyes widened in astonishment but soon her lips widened too in a disarming smile. Milind seeing it, held his hand to his chest to fake a heart-attack, making her giggle. He then promised to be back early for it was Ganesh Visarjan that day.
That evening, all the chawl residents gathered in front of the Ganesh idol. A puja was performed, as was done in the past nine days; only this was more elaborate as it was the final puja before bidding goodbye to Lord Ganesha. The women then sang the artis (songs of praise) and the procession with idol left the chawl with great fanfare. The chawl kids danced in front of the motorcade. The men and women followed it singing and clapping. En route they were joined by several other processions and they all headed towards the sea. The noise was deafening as loud speakers were blaring chants and songs. After walking for nearly two hours they finally reached Girgaum Chowpathy where there were hundreds of Ganesh idols waiting to be immersed. Milind and his chawl friends lifted the idol from the lorry and walked up to the beach. The women stood back as the men went into the waters to immerse the idol. Devotees bid their farewell to their favourite diety, promising to welcome him back into their homes the following year.
After the visarjan, Milind returned back to where the rest of the chawl crowd were standing and looked around for Prachi but could not find her. He asked Manju, Ayesha and the other ladies around but no one seemed to know where she had gone. Milind panicked and kept calling her name but it was difficult to be heard over and above the loud noise surrounding the place. Asking the rest of the chawl crowd to proceed home, Milind ran up and down the beach looking for Prachi. It was difficult to make his way through the thronging crowd. He pushed his way through the mass of people, frantically searching for his wife. As the minutes ticked by and he had still not found her, he broke into cold sweat. 'Where are you Prachi, tum kahaan ho?' he screamed. He then collapsed in a heap and started sobbing his heart out.
Suddenly he heard a group of people yelling that some lady who had been dragged by the waves had just been brought in by the fishermen. He immediately rushed to the spot and was shocked to the core to see an unconscious and wet Prachi being lowered on to the beach by two men. He jumped to her side and pulling her on to his lap, kept repeatedly tapping her cheeks. Seeing no reaction, he thumped her chest. She brought out some of the water she had swallowed but she was not breathing. He titled her head back, opened her mouth wide and, holding her nose, he gave her mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. Soon she sputtered more water and started breathing. As she slowly opened her eyes, he heaved a sigh of relief and quickly carried her to the nearest taxi. On reaching the chawl, he hurriedly paid the taxi walla and rushed to their house with Prachi in his arms. Manju and Ayesha were waiting outside looking worried. Seeing Prachi with him they were relieved and quickly opened the door. Although both of them wanted to know what had happened they realised this was not the right time to ask. Once inside, he hurriedly started removing the wet clothes from her body after pulling up the bedsheet to cover her up. Ayesha took out a dry nightie from the cupboard and handed it to Milind who deftly dressed his wife within a matter of seconds. Manju rubbed Prachi's feet vigourously to bring in some warmth. Milind then took a towel and rubbed dry Prachi's hair. In the meantime Ayesha made some hot black tea and asked Prachi to slowly sip it. After they made sure Prachi was fine, the two ladies left them.
Milind sat beside her on the bed and looked at Prachi wearily. Prachi's eyes filled up in tears and she said in a small voice.
"I am sorry, Milind". He did not respond. Instead he just stretched himself next to her and turned his back to her. He tried to sleep but visions of seeing her in that unconscious state kept flashing in his mind. What if she had drowned? How did she get to the sea? The women were all standing at a safe distance from the sea. Why did she go close to it? He knew this was not the right time to ask her these questions. She was still in a state of shock. He decided he will wait till the next day to find out more about that traumatic night.
Next morning, both Milind and Prachi woke up at about the same time. Before Milind could ask her anything, Prachi gave him an account of what had happened the previous night. As the men went into the sea to immerse the idols, Prachi stood by watching the colourful idols being taken in. As she had never witnessed a live visarjan before, she got excited and inadvertently strayed from her group in order to take a good look at the idols. She had unknowingly gone closer to the sea and was soon pushed by the pressing crowd from behind. Before she realised she had fallen into the sea and a wave dragged her in. Luckily some men standing close by shouted for help and had alerted the nearby fishermen who went in and dragged her out before she drowned. Milind was livid with anger.
"What was the need to leave Ayesha, Manju and the rest of the women? Did you think of my plight if something had happened to you? Do you know how terrified I was when I realised that you were missing and couldn't be located?" he yelled.
"I am sorry Milind. I did not mean to scare you," she said meekly, eyes brimming with tears.
"But, you did, didn't you?"He ran his fingers through his hair in exasperation. "When will you learn to be more responsible?" He got up abruptly and went about his morning routine, ignoring her for the rest of the morning.
She tried serving him his tea and breakfast but he refused both saying he did not feel hungry. After he was ready for work, he mumbled a goodbye under his breath and not bothering to look back at her, he left home.
Prachi was heartbroken. She sat down and wept bitterly. There is nothing more she wanted from life than his happiness but she had ended up making him miserable. She did not know how long she was crying when she heard her cell ring. Picking it up she heard Milind's voice.
"Prachi?"
She had trouble responding immediately as she could not find her voice.
"PRACHI?" his voice raised up in anxiety. "Are you alright?"
She whimpered that she was. After hours of crying she couldn't stop hiccupping.
"I'm sorry for yelling at you, Prachi. It's just that you are so precious to me, I just can't bear to lose you. Do you realise your value to me, Prachi? You are my life. Seeing you unconscious and breathless last night, my breath stopped. Please don't do this again. Please don't scare me again, Prachi. I cannot take it."
"I'm sorry, Milind it will not happen again."
"And please, Prachi. Please stop crying. Your tears pierce my heart. You know since morning I could not concentrate on my work, remembering your tear-stained face."
Prachi wiped her eyes and told him she has stopped crying.
"Have you had anything for breakfast?" he asked.
"No. How can I eat knowing you have not?" she asked him.
"Ok, baba. I am going down to the canteen right now and I'll have something. Will you promise me that you will eat something?"
"Yes, I will."
"I'm sorry, darling. I'll be late from work. You'll take good care of yourself till then, won't you? Remember, by taking care of yourself you are actually taking care of me."
"Don't worry, Milind. I will."
Before he disconnected he blew her a kiss bringing a smile to her face.
Three weeks later
The Sens were getting ready to leave the chawl that Saturday. The chawl residents had arranged a small farewell function for them the previous night. Milind, as the chawl welfare society's President, gave a speech recounting the contribution of the Sens to the chawl's well being in the past fifteen years. Arnab, their son was like his younger brother he said. Having gone through a similar situation, he could well understand his frustration at not getting a job of his liking and his decision to wait till he gets one, although his parents were unhappy that he was unemployed. His patience had paid off since he has landed himself a good job in Oman and was all set to leave the next day. Mr. Argya Sen and Mrs.Anindita Sen had wanted to get back to their ancestral house in Kolkatta, as their only son was leaving. They were taking the train the next evening. Mrs. Sen then came up to give her little speech. She had tears in her eyes as she thanked each one of them for being such wonderful neighbours and helping them out whenever needed. When she had first come to Mumbai she did not know a soul in the city but now she is leaving the city with the knowledge that she has atleast nineteen families whom she can call as her relatives. She said that she was taking with her sweet memories of chawl life in Mumbai. On the next day, a truck came in to cart the Sens' furniture and other household effects to Kolkatta. The Sens finally bid a tearful goodbye that evening to all the residents.
That Sunday Prachi got up at 7.00 a.m. to find Milind fresh from a bath, pouring through the Sunday Times. He had already prepared the tea and was sipping a hot cup.
"Good Morning Milind, how come you are up so early on a Sunday morning?" she asked him in surprise.
"Good Morning, Prachi. Thought I will give you a break from the kitchen for the day," Milind replied nonchalantly. "Breakfast is ready.We'll have it together once you're ready."
Prachi thanked him and went to finish her morning routine before joining him for breakfast. Just as they were finishing up, Ayesha came by asking if Prachi could accompany her to shop for some material for her garment company. They have received an order from a very finicky European customer who is particular about the texture and colours of the garments they will be exporting to them in a month's time. As Prachi has a good taste in clothes, she wanted her advice to pick the right fabric for the garments. Prachi looked at Milind for approval, a small part of her hoping that he will not agree for she really looked forward to spending all Sundays with him. Surprisingly, Milind was only too happy to accede to Ayesha's request. Prachi got ready and left with Ayesha. They spent nearly three hours shopping and placed the necessary orders for the fabric to be delivered directly to the factory the next day. When they returned back, Prachi bid Ayesha goodbye and went to her own house. Finding the door locked, she presumed Milind had gone to meet his friends. She tried to open it with her duplicate key but the door would not open. Just as she raised her puzzled head, she saw Milind behind her whispering into her ear,"Is the door not opening, darling?"
"Yes, Milind. What is wrong with the key?" she asked.
"Nothing is wrong with it. Only it is not meant for this lock." He said, increasing her confusion.
"If it is not meant for this lock, which lock is it meant for? I had used it to open this lock so many times."
"Are you sure it is this lock or a lock which looks like this one?" he queried back.
By now Prachi was getting fed up with his riddles. "Give me your key, Milind," she said and snatched the key in his hand.
She tried opening the lock with that key but it didn't work either. She finally threw up her hands and said she gave up.
"Come on, darling. What if the keys are not opening this lock. Let's try opening some other lock", he said in a mischievous tone.
Prachi looked at him like he has lost his mind. "Are you crazy? Do you now want to try breaking into someone's house?"
"Darling, if our keys open the lock of some house, it is not called breaking in, but entering in," he stated in a matter of fact tone.
Even as she shook her head in frustration, he went ahead and tried unlocking the two locked doors on their floor and shaking his head he asked her to follow him to the floor below. Prachi was getting irritated by now.
"Milind, what are you up to? Did you change the locks when I was away?"
"Patience, darling. Lets discover the door that opens to our keys." He said and without waiting for her he went ahead to try out the key on the one door which was locked on that floor.
Prachi followed him and stood behind him as he loudly said,"Open Sesame", inserting the key into the lock. The lock opened and, unlatching the door, he swung it open. Prachi looked on in astonishment.
It is only then that it dawned on Prachi that they were in the apartment vacated by the Sens. In her apprehension over Milind's house breaking activities she had not noticed the door number of the apartment. Milind informed her that he had rented the place and in her absence had enlisted his friends and the kids of the chawl to help move their things into the new apartment. While Milind's friends helped him move the large furniture items, the children helped with the small household articles. They set up the place before she could return so that they can give her a surprise. He had inter-changed the locks in the house, the reason why their keys did not open the old house.
"But Milind, the rent for this place must be more. How will we manage it?" she asked him. Milind assured her that he had got a raise in his salary so the additional one thousand rupees they may have to shell out for the place is taken care of.
Prachi was overwhelmed by his thoughtfulness and she gave him a tight hug, prompting Milind to say that the hug was worth all his efforts. Just then they heard the door bell ring. On opening the door, Prachi saw Ayesha and Anju's family at the door step. They had brought food and informed her that they were planning to have their lunch with them in the new house. Prachi spread the mat and they all sat down to have the food. Anu and Adi were fighting to sit on Milind's lap. Prachi asked Anu to sit on hers. The boy was initially reluctant but when she offered him a chocolate which she found in the fridge, he promptly went to her. They then had a lively conversation over lunch. Prachi came to know from Ayesha that Milind had taken up two jobs to make enough money to pay the deposit money for the apartment. The dahi handi prize money was also meant for this purpose. When Prachi realised the extent to which her husband had gone, slogging every day and risking his life, all for providing her some additional comforts, her eyes filled up in tears and she held his hand and thanked him profusely. Milind wiped her eyes and told her he was merely doing the duty of a husband and she was worth every effort he took. Manju was very happy to see the deep love these two had for each other. Looking at her husband she asked him to learn a thing or two from Milind. Venkat retorted back that she too could learn to be more patient and giving like Prachi. Ayesha intervened and asked them not to keep bickering amongst themselves for they too are an adorable couple considering that they have managed to put up with each other for seven long years of marriage. That made both Manju and Venkat happy.
"But Venkat Anna, be careful of the seven-year itch", she said winking at Venkat.
As expected Prachi was surprised to see his gift, only not as pleasantly as he hoped she would be. She was more appalled than elated but quickly recovered to thank him. Although he was a little disappointed by her confusing expressions, he asked her to wear it immediately, for he was eager to see how she looked in it. Very reluctantly she took the plastic cover to their bedroom to change into the saree while he waited in the hall. It is only then that it struck him that he had never seen his wife in a saree other than on their wedding day. He wondered why she never wore sarees after that day although he felt she looked really good in it. Did she not like sarees? He kept waiting for her to come out but even after half an hour, there was no sign of her. He called out to her asking what the problem was. Prachi assured him that everything was alright. Finally, she came out hesitatingly, taking small steps as her movement was restricted by the saree which was tightly wrapped around her. Behind her, half the saree was hanging out like a train. Milind looked at her from foot to head and his mouth gaped. Prachi went red with embarrassment.
"So, THIS was your problem? You do not know how to drape a saree?"
She shook her head in the negative.
"Is that why you never wear one?"
She nodded. She explained that on her wedding day, her mother had draped the saree for her.
Back in their bedroom, sitting on their bed, Prachi was trying to get a grip of herself. Never has she been more aware of her husband than she was a few minutes back. If he had not pushed her away, she did not think she could have stopped what would have inevitably followed. It was not that there was anything wrong if something really happened between them. Afterall they are married and it was an essential part of any normal married life but since they had mutually taken a decision to wait, she was sure they would have regretted it later. That was something she could not accept. She wanted their union to be cherished always. She was prepared to wait as long as it takes for Milind to make a name for himself for she was sure he will succeed in his goal.
Milind returned home after a few minutes. Prachi had changed back into her salwar kameez. They had their dinner in uneasy silence, each trying to avoid looking at the other but nevertheless doing so when the other was not looking. After dinner Milind got busy with some paper work. Prachi put away the dishes and sat with her sketches. Try as she may, she could not draw anything as her mind kept going back to the saree fiasco. She finally gave up and went to bed. Milind joined her much later but turned his back to her. An invisible wedge seemed to be driven between them although their hearts were filled with love for each other.
The next evening arrangements for Sukriti's Godh Bharai was made in the community hall in which Prachi's birthday was celebrated. With Manju's help, Prachi drapped the saree Milind had bought for her. Seeing her in it, Milind could hardly keep his eyes off her. The women of the chawl had assembled in the hall and adorned Sukriti with glass bangles, blessed her and filled her lap with gifts. PL blessed her daughter-in-law and gave her ruby jewellery set. Prachi gave her the saree Milind had bought for her. Milind brought in a plate full of food items Sukriti loves and fed her with his own hands. There was a lot of singing and dancing. Prachi also sang for her sister-in-law, enthralling everyone, particularly her husband, with her talent. Although Milind tried his best to remain aloof, he felt continuously drawn to her. Just then his cell rang. After attending the call, he told Prachi that he had to leave for some urgent work and asked her to take care of the rest of the function. Although Prachi wondered what engagement he would have at that time of the night, she nodded and went around playing the perfect host. After the dinner, the women indulged in a fair amount of teasing and fun. They started guessing the sex of the baby by the size and shape of Sukriti's the pregnant belly. Most were convinced she was carrying a boy going by the pointed, conical shape of her stomach. Sukriti blushed at all the attention she was getting. Prachi was glad to see Sukriti's happy face and hoped that the arrival of the baby will strengthen the bond between her brother and his wife. All she wanted was for him to take good care of his wife and child even if he did not care for his sister.
Edited by optimist - 15 years ago
(1)
Two weeks later
It was the last night of Navratri, the festival that honours the three main goddesses of the Hindu religion, Durga (goddess of power), Lakshmi (goddess of wealth) and Saraswati (goddess of wisdom) in all their manifestations. The chawl wore a festive look for the past nine days. Dandiya raas was performed every night and the entire chawl residents congregated in the courtyard in the front to dance with colourful sticks to the latest bollywood numbers. Since Milind was coming home very late, sometimes close to midnight, for the past few weeks, Prachi alone took part in the dances so far, but her heart was never in it.
Prachi noticed a perceptible change in their relationship. While they were quite cordial with each other, there was an unspoken barrier between them ever since that saree fiasco. They both avoided physical contact with each other inorder to prevent their desires from resurfacing. Although they shared the same bed, they no longer held or kissed each other. It was very difficult for both of them since they had gotten used to the cuddling but they feared that their resolve may be weakened if they give in to the physical comfort. Despite their steely resolve there were occasions when the temptation to give in was pretty strong. For instance, only that morning she had inadvertently collided with her husband at the entrance to the bathroom when she was trying to get in and he was on his way out, clad only in his towel. As she hit against his bare, well muscled chest, glistening from the water drops which had still not been dried, shivers ran up her spine. In the few seconds it took for them to unlock their intense gaze and regain their bearings, they could feel the electrifying tension between them. It had taken tremendous effort on both their parts to break it and get back to their normal activities. On the positive side, such instances only served to intensify Milind's will to remain focused in his work so as to attain his goal at the earliest.
That night, however, Prachi was surprised to see Milind return home earlier than usual. The dandiya dance for the night had just begun and seeing him, Ayesha thrust a pair of sticks in his hands and asked him to join in. Although he initially protested, he subsequently gave in and danced. They were going in rounds and Milind landed in front of Prachi. While Prachi was glad to be dancing with her husband, his eyes seemed distant as though he was lost in some deep thought. Prachi soon bore the brunt of his mental absence because he ended up hitting her right hand instead of the sticks. It is only when Prachi dropped the sticks and winced in pain did he realise what he had done. He quickly rushed to her side to examine the extent of damage. Her fingers were bleeding by now. Realising that there has been a mishap, the rest of the crowd stopped dancing as they looked on in trepidation. Ayesha hurried to Prachi's side and admonished Milind for being so careless. Tearing the ends of her dupatta, she tied it around the wound to stop the bleeding. Milind said that he will take her to their place for some first aid. He led Prachi away and asked the rest of the crowd to continue dancing. Back at their place, Milind immediately cleaned the wound and applied tincture. When Prachi flinched at the burning sensation caused by the medicine, he blew on her hand, concern written all across his face. He never stopped apologising even though she kept assuring him that it was just an accident. He fed her dinner and forbade her from doing any household chores till her hand was completely healed.
The next morning he got up earlier than usual inorder to take care of the household chores. By the time Prachi was awake, he had finished preparing tea, breakfast and lunch and had also washed the vessels and the clothes. He was about to sweep the house clean when Prachi snatched the broom from his hand and said that she can take care of it. After Milind left for work that day, Prachi took a stock of their life in the past weeks. She was increasingly concerned over the mental and physical strain he was putting himself through to fulfil his dream. She knew that the previous day's accident was the result of his mental fatigue. She did not like him wearing himself down in this manner. She wished that she could help him in some way but did not know how. She hoped her wound will heal soon so that she does not add to his burden.
She reached her home and was about to unlock the door and get in when her new neighbour Mrs.Shukla met her and asked her what did she have in her hand. Now Mrs.Veena Shukla had several nicknames given by the residents, none flattering but all very true to her nature. These included 'Mrs.Busybody', 'Jai Hind's gossip queen', 'Mrs.No-gooder' and 'Troublemaker No.1'. Manju had warned Prachi about her character and asked her not to entertain her company. Prachi had avoided her as much as possible but Mrs. Shukla seemed to be determined to corner her somehow. Since Prachi can never be rude to a person, she politely said that it was a portrait. Mrs.Veena asked her to show it and before she could respond, snatched it from her hands. Removing the portrait from the cover, she looked at it and exclaimed,"So its a portrait of Milind?! Did you draw it?"
Prachi shyly nodded. Mrs.Shukla looked at her sympathetically." Look, Prachi. It is none of my business to interfere in other people's lives but then you are like my daughter. I could not help but notice the way you are being treated by the good-for-nothing husband of yours. He even hit you with the dandiya stick yesterday. I don't think that was an accident."
Prachi went red with anger hearing such slander of her husband. She raised her hand and said,
"Enough,aunty. I will hear no more ill words about my husband. Please give me back the portrait." She pried the portrait from Mrs.Shukla's hands.
"I know my dear girl. No Indian housewife likes to hear anyone speak ill of her husband but I swear I have no malice towards him. I am only concerned about you. I noticed that he comes home late every night, sometimes close to midnight. Wonder what keeps him so late when he does not even have a job."
Prachi was now completely losing her patience with the woman. "I'm sorry you are mistaken, aunty. My husband has not just one job but two. Before saying anything, please check your facts." She did not wait for Mrs.Shukla to respond. Quickly opening the door, Prachi went in and shut the door behind her.
"What a rude girl!" Mrs. Shukla said in disgust. "I was only trying to open her eyes to reality. Looks like she wants to remain in the dark. Why should I bother." She shrugged her shoulders and went back to her house.
"So, do you want to work?" he asked her brusquely.
"Well, I don't know. The money seems to be good." she said. Milind remained silent but he looked distinctly uncomfortable. As Prachi was busy setting the table she did not see the change in his expression.
(3)
(Note: Karva Chauth comes nine days before Diwali, on the fourth day after the full moon. Since Dussehra is celebrated 10 days after new moon, technically what I have written in this part will not match the lunar calendar.)
Early next morning, they were woken up by the ringing of the door bell. Prachi opened the door to see Mrs. Vandana Kapoor at the doorstep with a plate full of sweets in her hand. Seeing the puzzled looked on her face, Mrs.Kapoor explained that she has come to gift her the 'sargi' on the occasion of the Karva Chauth that day. Normally the sargi is given by the mother-in-law of the girl so that she can have the sweets before sunrise and commence her fasting for her husband's long life. Mrs.Kapoor who had no children of her own, said that as she is extremely fond of Milind and treates him like her son, she wanted to gift it to his bride. Prachi was amazed that the chawl had people like Mrs. Kapoor who loved Milind and also people like Mrs. Veena Shukla who seemed to despise him. Thanking her, Prachi accepted it and went in. Milind silently observed all this from the bedroom. Prachi did a small puja and had the sweets before the dawn broke out. She then went about her morning chores. Milind got up as usual and went about his tasks without uttering a word to Prachi. Prachi tried serving him the tea and breakfast but he just ignored her. Once he was ready and was about to leave, Prachi asked him if he can come a little early that evening. He merely nodded and left.
Prachi was very unhappy with the way things were shaping up in her life. Milind was very touchy about her taking up the job. She had only wanted to help him but she seemed to have hit a raw nerve. She knew her husband wanted to make it on his own but she couldn't bear to see him subject himself to so much physical and mental stress for it. She did not know how much she could have helped him with this job, but definitely their financial resources would have been augmented. At the same time she did not want to do something against his wishes or hurt his sentiments. She decided that she will sort things out that evening and let him know that she was not taking up the job.
Before she could respond, Mrs.Shukla interjected, saying "Why would he be bothered about his poor starving wife? He must be enjoying himself somewhere."
"Milind, you wanted me to think that you refused your morning tea and breakfast because you were angry with me, but I know you did so because you too were keeping a fast for me."
Milind was astounded by her ability to read his thoughts and interpret his actions.
"Prachi, how did you know that?"
"Milind, you are a part of me. How can I not understand your feelings? I am sorry for mooting that idea of taking up the job. I know you can make it on your own. I only wanted to support you because I was concerned that you were overworking; the two jobs are taking a toll on your health."
Milind realised that she did not know his unemployed status and was relieved. He did not want to trouble her with his woes. He will tackle them on his own.
"I am sorry for my appalling behaviour last night, Prachi. I have no right to curb your talents. You are free to take up that job if you so wish but I would still prefer it that you are doing so only because you love it and not because you feel compelled to help me out."
"Thank you, Milind. I'll be happy to use my time productively. I'll speak to Mr.Sahoo tomorrow and ask him when I can start taking the lessons".
"Now that this issue is settled, can I have the pleasure of drinking the water which will be sweetened by your lips?" he said and held the vessel to her lips. She shyly took a sip of the water. Placing his lips where she had sipped, he drank the water. They then fed each other the sweet and had their dinner in the moonlight.
One week later
Prachi and Milind were getting ready to go to Lonavala for finalising the arrangements for Mala's wedding which was to take place in three days. Mala had already booked the hall in Lonavala. They needed to get there and ensure that everything is in order before making the payment. The past week had been hectic, getting the wedding invitations printed and distributed and shopping for jewellery and sarees for Mala. The money Baba had set aside for Mala's wedding was sufficient to take care of all the wedding expenses. When Milind offered to get Prachi a saree for the wedding, she declined saying that she will wear her wedding saree for the occassion. They hired a Matador van and Milind's friends accompanied them to Lonavala. As Ayesha's mother had to undergo some special therapy which required her daughter's presence and Ayesha had to leave for Bangalore, she expressed her inability to attend the wedding. Manju and her family had promised to arrive on the wedding day. As Sukriti was close to her delivery time, doctors had adviced her against travel. PL had to stay back to take care of her. Alaap, as usual, cited business as an excuse for not being able to attend the wedding.
On arriving in Lonavala, they quickly got down to business. Milind's friends were of great help in arranging for the priest, the caterer, the light music troupe, the decorations etc. The sangeet and mehendi ceremonies were conducted with great fanfare. On the day of the wedding, the bridegroom arrived on a horse-back as part of the bharat ceremony. As Mala did not have a mother, Prachi welcomed him with the arti and applied the tilak on his forehead. The bride and the groom then exchanged the mala and sat in front of the holy pyre. Just then they heard a lot of commotion at the entrance. Milind went to see what the fuss was all about. To his shock he saw a group of policemen who had come in and said that that they were looking for one Mr.Sushil Joshi who works as a clerk in Madhavpur Co-operative Bank in connection with the lakhs of rupees he has swindled from the bank. They had also received complaints from two families that he has cheated them by marrying their daughters and ditching them after a month or two. They showed him the evidences they had, which included forged cheques, wedding pictures, bank statements etc. As soon as the bridegroom sighted the police, he tried to make a dash to the door but the constables who were standing there immediately nabbed him. Mrs.and Mr.Joshi hung their head in shame but later tried to beg the inspector to let their son go. The inspector asked them to find a good lawyer as their son sure needs one considering that the case against him was fairly open and shut. Even as the shocked crowd who had assembled for the wedding looked on, the bridegroom was dragged out of the wedding hall, followed by a weeping mother and a humiliated father.
Milind later found out that the parents were well aware of their son's activities and encouraged him as they were equally greedy for money. They had reaped quite a harvest by way of dowry in the earlier two weddings. They were keen in this alliance because Mala earned a decent salary and her father was also getting pension. That is why they did not hesitate too much to agree to the wedding even though they were told that she will continue to take care of her father after her marriage. Milind and Prachi were shaken by the events of the day. Prachi rushed to Mala's side to make sure she was alright. Although she was shocked by the sudden turn of events, Mala soon recovered and said that it was good that they came to know the true colours of the groom and his family before the wedding. Milind hurried to his uncle's side worried about the impact all this will have on him. Venkat told him that he needs to take care of the guests who were about to disperse realising that there was not going to be a wedding. He assured him that he will take care of Mala's father in the meantime. Milind requested the guests to have their meal before leaving even if the wedding itself did not take place. He said that they were his guests and he could not let them go on an empty stomach. Although they obliged, everyone was heavy hearted, thinking about Mala's plight.
Prachi who felt suddenly claustrophobic inside the hall ran out into the lawns outside the wedding hall, weeping bitterly. Milind followed her worriedly and tried to comfort her.
"Milind, it is all my fault," she sobbed and buried her head on his chest.
"Sh..., why are you blaming yourself, Prachi?" he asked in confusion.
"Milind, if I had not interfered that day and made a case for the marriage, it would not have come to this. I should have let you break the nose of that senior Joshi when he spoke so rudely about your uncle. We would have got rid of these hawks then and there."
Milind could not help smiling at her description of them. Wiping her eyes, he said,"Prachi, none of us knew their true nature. What you did that day was commendable. You had Mala's best interests in mind. It is our fortune that we came to know the truth atleast now. Imagine what would have become of Mala's life if we were to discover all this after the marriage?"
Just then Milind heard his name being called. He turned around to see a nervous Ganpat and a shy Mala.
Ganpat seemed like he had something important to say but did not know how to start it. Milind encouraged him to open up. Ganpat stammered out what he wanted to convey.
"Mi...Milind. Ma...Mala and I have decided to get married. We need your approval and blessings."
Milind was shocked to hear this. Ganpat then explained how he was as indignant as him seeing the events of the day. He always had a soft corner for Mala although he was not bold enough to express it. When he heard that her marriage has been finalised, he was happy for her and helped with the arrangements whole heartedly. However, he least expected that things will reach this point. He was upset by the fiasco at the mandap and wanted to make things right for her by marrying her but he wanted to ask her consent before he approached them. He met her separately and expressed his wish to make her his wife. He explained to her that he does not have much to offer her except his undying love. He had a job which paid a reasonably good salary with which he can ensure that she is provided a decent life. He also told her that he has the responsibility of taking care of his old mother who is nearly blind. As he was an only child who had lost his father at a young age, his mother was totally reliant on him. He was willing to let her bring her father along with her and take care of him. He also assured her that if she wanted to work, she can take up some job in Mumbai. All he wanted from her is a life-time commitment to be with him through thick and thin just he he will be with her. Mala was touched by his simple, stitled, but heart-felt speech and had agreed to marry him.
Milind was pleased to hear that one of his close friends was marrying his cousin. He hugged and thanked him for everything. Ganpat said that it is he who should be thankful, as he was going to become a part of Milind's family. Before the guests could leave after their meal, Milind went back into the hall and asked them to wait as the wedding was not yet over. The guests looked at him in confusion. The priest was just washing his hands after the meal when Milind approached him and asked him to conduct the wedding of Ganpat and Mala. The priest, although initially taken aback, gladly agreed to be instrumental in uniting two people who were well-deserving of each other.
Ganpat sat in his simple dress next to his bride who was blushing in happiness. The ceremony went off without a hitch and Ganpat and Mala were finally uited in matrimony. After the wedding, the newly weds first took the blessings of Vinod Sharma, who looked relieved that his daughter's marriage went off well. They then took the blessings of Milind and Prachi. Prachi looked at Milind happily and he returned the look. Later the guests blessed them whole heartedly.
The next day, the bridal couple and Mr. Sharma went back to Mumbai in a separate car. Mala wanted to return later to Lonavala to wind up things there and take her belongings to Mumbai. Manju and her family returned with Prachi, Milind and his friends in the Matador van.
One week later
It was salary day again; only this month Milind did not get his salary, as his dues were settled two weeks back when he was disgracefully discharged from service. As he did not want to tell Prachi that her husband had lost his job on the last day of the Navratri celebrations and that too in such a manner, he had deposited the 20 days pay of Rs.12,000 in his bank account. That morning, he had collected it from his bank before meeting someone important.
He waited at the coffee shop at Cuffe Parade for the person. After about 15 minutes a smartly clad young woman met him and they were deeply engrossed in conversation. Little did they realise that they were not only being watched but also being snapped in someone's cell phone camera.
******
Back in the chawl, Prachi got dressed to go to Mr. Sahoo's residence to take art classes for Ananya, his daughter. Manju had dropped in just then to ask her if she could submit their electricity bill along with hers and left the money and the bill with her. So she decided to first pay the bills before going to Mr.Sahoo's house.
As she waited in the queue in the electicity office, she found to her dismay that Mrs.Veena Shukla was standing right ahead of her. The minute she spotted Prachi, she struck up a conversation with her.
"Praaachi, how are you?" she drawled.
Prachi merely nodded her head, not wanting to talk to her. Mrs.Shukla did not, however, take the hint. She went on.
"You poor girl. You've come all the way in this hot sun to pay the electricity bill? What is that good-for-nothing husband of yours doing? Could he not pay the bill now that he idling away jobless? These Indian men I tell you, if you give them an inch they will take a foot. Don't let the guy take advantage of you."
Prachi was livid with anger
"Aunty, if I remember correctly, uncle does not have a job, does he? Is he not simply sitting at home? Then why has he sent you to pay the bill instead of doing it himself? Have you let him take advantage of you?" She has never spoken so rudely to anyone in her life, especially to someone who is nearly twice her age but she could not take the woman's repeated nasty comments about her husband.
Put in her place, Mrs Shukla turned her head away from her in a huff and did not talk to her after that.
Prachi paid the bills and left for the Sahoo residence.
At the Sahoo residence, Prachi got busy tutoring Ananya. Ananya was a sweet kid who was eager to learn everything there is to know about sketching and painting. Prachi had taken only four classes so far and she showed considerable improvement within the short span of time. With such an enthusiastic learner, Prachi too enjoyed her job. Once she finished the lessons, Mrs. Sangamitra Sahoo came up to her and gave her the fees of Rs.3,200 for the classes she had taken so far. Prachi had already made up her mind what she will do with the money.
She later visited Baba at the nursing home before returning home. Once she reached the chawl she went straight to Ganpat's house. Mala opened the door for her. After the usual small talk, she handed over her pay to her. Mala was surprised to see the money and protested. Already they had spent a lot for her wedding, she said. She did not want to be a burden on them. Prachi shut her up saying that till she finds a job, she will need the money as cost of living in Mumbai is much higher than Lonavala and Ganpat has now two extra mouths to feed. Although Vinod uncle was receiving his pension, that was sufficient only for taking care of his medicines. When Mala still kept protesting, Prachi told her that she can take the money as a loan and repay it piece meal once she gets the job. Mala had no alternative but to accept it.
That evening when Milind gave her the salary, she realised it was short by Rs.6,000. Before he could find an excuse to explain the shortfall, Prachi herself came up with a reason. She told him that she knew he would have taken an advance to arrange the reception they held for Ganpat and Mala in the chawl's community hall because Ganpat's mother was not present at the wedding and many of the chawl's residents did not attend the wedding at Lonavala. His pay for the month must have been reduced by the advance amount he had taken earlier. Milind did not dispute her presumption although in truth the reception expenses were met by Milind's friends who had pooled in their resources.
Over dinner Prachi described her day excitedly. She did not mention her encounter with Mrs.Shukla, though, as even the thought of that woman made her blood boil. She told him how she had given her tuition fees to Mala so that the newly-weds don't face financial problem till Mala finds a job. Milind was amazed at how thoughtful, caring and generous Prachi was. He asked her what she will do about the shortfall in their own budget, since he had given her only Rs.12,000 which was even less than what he was getting earlier before the salary hike. The rent for the new house was also higher. Prachi said that she had managed to save about Rs.1,000 from the past months' budget. They can also utilise the money which is being set aside for Baba's medical expenses, as in any case they will be repaying that amount to PL much later. They can always replenish the amount once they have more money. Milind could not but admire how smart and worldly-wise his naive wife had become in such a short time. On being asked about his day, he merely said that it was the usual.
After dinner Milind went out for a night stroll at the park. His mind was actively engaged in some deep thought. The plan needs to work, he thought. He cannot afford it to flop at this stage for his reputation is in the line. When he returned back, Prachi was already in deep sleep. Poor girl must be really exhausted after her day, he thought. He gently pushed aside the strands of hair falling on her face and gazed at her beautiful face for a long time before sleep enveloped him too.
Part XXI
"It's done, Mr.Shah. I've accomplished the deed".
"Good, Mrs.Shukla. Thanks for everything", he smiled at the attractive model who was sitting on his lap.
"No problem, Mr.Shah. It is retribution time. That Milind Mishra has to pay and I'll make sure he pays big time."
(2)
"Didi, please join us in bursting these crackers," they begged her and pulled at her hands.
She tried to excuse herself but they kept pestering her. Just then Milind walked in and seeing the tug of war between his wife and the kids he asked them what the matter was.
"Look bhaiyya, didi is not joining us for bursting the crackers", they complained to him.
Prachi had moved into the bedroom and turned her back to him. Milind came from behind her and whispered into her ear in a teasing voice, "You are scared of crackers, aren't you?"
Milind was visibly shaken. He did not expect Prachi to come to know of his problems. "Pra...Pra..chi...." he stammered but she did not let him continue.
She collapsed on the bed and burst out in tears, unable to hold herself together. Milind's heart just broke into a million pieces seeing her in so much anguish and pain. He felt guilty knowing that it is his silence which had caused it. He sat next to her and lifted her bowed head with both his hands. She refused to meet his eye, her tear-filled eyes fixed on the floor. He wiped her tears with his thumbs and willed her to look at him. When she reluctantly met his eyes, the pain evident in them suffocated him and he silently wept from within.
"Prachi, please don't cry. I can't bear to see you so miserable. Please forgive this fool for his stupidity. If it makes you feel better, hit him", he said and lifted her hand to his cheek to slap it, "but please don't cry."
During Suki's godh bharai ceremony, Milind was called on his cell by one of the customers of Garodia hotels, Mr.Mulchandani. Mr.Mulchaldani, one of the patrons of the hotel, was a businessman from Jaipur. He visited Mumbai atleast twice a month in connection with his business. As customer service executive, Milind had, on his own initiative, distributed survey forms to all the guests of the hotel to get their feedback about the comforts and services provided by the hotel. He also left his cell phone number in them so that they can get in touch with him at any time of the day to voice their grievances. Mr.Mulchandani had called him that day to inform him that there was a prostitution racket going on in the hotel which was bringing disrepute to the once well respected hotel. He had just noticed that the room next to his was among the rooms used in this manner. Milind rushed to the hotel and had discretely vacated the occupants after threatening them with police complaint if they do not leave on their own. After this incident, he tightened the screws and warned the people at the reception desk that if he hears of such complaints in future he will take it up with the management. Soon he forgot about this incident and concentrated on discharging his duties effectively.
"Prachi, the kids must be waiting for us. Come on, lets go," he pulled her up.
Prachi looked at him sheepishly and said she was scared of crackers.
XXII
The next morning Milind was all set to meet Mr.Garodia. He told Prachi that he may be late returning home because after his meeting with his former boss, he planned to visit a few banks regarding his project and then meet his friend, Prakash to check on when he can take up the part-time job. Prachi wished him luck and waved him good-bye.
At the hotel, Milind waited outside Mr.Garodia's office for about ten minutes before Mrs.Garodia called him in.
Sitting behind his huge mahogany table with a pipe in his mouth, Mr.Tushar Garodia looked genially at Milind. "Good Morning Mr.Mishra, what have you decided about my job offer? Will you manage my hotel for me?"
"Good Morning, Mr.Garodia. I thought it over long and hard but have decided not to accept your generous offer."
Looking surprised by his response, Mr.Garodia asked, "Why, may I ask? Are you expecting a higher salary?"
"It's not a question of money, Mr.Garodia. It is a question of being able to fulfil my ambitions in life. Accepting this managerial position will leave me no time to pursue my dream," he sounded firm, yet respectful.
"What is your dream, Mr.Mishra?" asked Mr.Garodia, curiously.
"To own a hotel," Milind declared with conviction.
"Own a hotel? Now that is a tall dream indeed. How do you think you are going to achieve it?" asked Mr.Garodia in a half amused tone.
Milind then gave him a rundown of what efforts he had taken so far to make his dream a reality. He showed him the file which contained papers relating to the business models he was planning to show the bank managers. Mr.Garodia was quite impressed with what he saw. Milind seemed to have done his homework well right down to the smallest detail. He asked him if he had only thought of new concerns.
"What about existing concerns? Do you have any idea how to make them more profitable? Let's for instance take this hotel? Do you have a plan to make it successful?"
"Yes, Mr.Garodia. Working in this hotel for the past seven months, I have studied the hotel inside out. There are some serious lacunae which need to be set right if the hotel has to succeed."
He then proceeded to list out all the problems of the hotel and how each of them can be rectified. Mr.Garodia was truly impressed at the end of it.
"You were indeed an asset to this hotel, Mr.Mishra. It is sad to know that you were treated badly and your full potential was not exploited when you were with us. It would be a pity if all this talent goes waste. So I have a proposition for you. How do you like to be the next proprietor of this hotel?" he asked, nonchalantly.
"What?" asked Milind, his mouth gaping in surprise.
"You heard me right. Well, it is no secret that this hotel is in doldrums. Seeing the latest balance sheet numbers I realised that all is not well with this hotel at present. I had come down to India to see how best things can be sorted out. The arrest of my manager opened my eyes to how serious the malady is. Last night I called for a closer examination of the accounts and realised that the financials of the hotel are much worse than I believed them to be; the net worth of the hotel has turned negative. I was planning to sell it off to real estate developers as it is bleeding me dry. In fact I was to meet a couple of them this afternoon regarding the deal. I was actually hoping you would not take me up on the offer. If you had said yes to my offer, I would have had to rethink my plan, for the real estate developer who will buy this property, in all probability, will demolish the hotel and build a multiplex or a shopping mall. All the people employed here would lose their jobs including you. That thought was making me uncomfortable.
Listening to you, however, I realise that the hotel still has a lot of potential. All it needs is an able captain to steer it clear of the trouble it is presently in. I can see that you are the man for the job. By transferring the hotel in your name I would actually be doing myself a big favour. As the net worth of the hotel is negative right now, selling it off will only help me to cut my losses as all the proceeds from the sale will go in settling the dues and even after that I may have to shell out something from my pocket as well. So I am not really losing anything by handing you the hotel, for you will be assuming the liabilities that come with it along with the assets. You see, there is something in this for me too. I can ensure that the hotel is still running and also save my own purse."
Sitting on his table and swinging his legs, he went on, "I had started off my business in a small way and financial help from a generous man at the initial stages of my career has got me where I am. I can see a lot of myself in you. You have the same determination and zeal to overcome all adversities. I would be happy to be of some help to you in achieving your dream. You may want to take a loan and start up a small hotel but it will take you a long time to establish it. On the other hand, although this hotel is riddled with problems and at present its net-worth is negative, it has already established a name, a good will for itself. So it would be relatively easier to turn it around, especially for a person like you who seems to have a good grip of what is ailing the hotel and what it requires. In fact, I am hoping to see you help it to regain its past glory. That will be reward enough for me."
Milind listened attentively to all that was being said. While he would not want to accept anything as charity from any one, Mr.Garodia made perfect business sense. By transferring the property in his name, he was getting rid of a liability and was also ensuring that the hotel is preserved. It is not going to be a cakewalk for Milind because the hotel required a lot of work inorder to be redeemed from the dumps it was presently in. So basically Mr.Garodia was offering him a challenge to turn it around or else sink with it. Milind never shirked from taking up risks in life and he was convinced this was one risk worth taking. He agreed to the offer and the two gentlemen shook their hands on it.
That same morning at Alaap's office
Alaap had just disconnected the call on his phone. "Damn," he cursed, "damn."
Since morning he has been hearing nothing but bad news. His entire mood was ruined ever since he received the call from Mrs.Shukla to inform him that she spotted Prachi gleefully celebrating Diwali with Milind even after being told about her husband's character. Although Alaap was initially confused by his sister's strange reaction, he soon came to know the reason for it when he received a call from Mr.Bansal. Mr.Bansal was in the housekeeping department of the Garodia Hotels and was Alaap's informant. He informed him that Milind managed to salvage his reputation and the crooked manager was apprehended by the police. As though that was not enough, he also told him that the latest buzz at work was that Mr.Garodia was transferring his hotel to Milind.
"The lucky bugger not only managed to save his skin and patao his wife, now he is set to own a hotel?!" he thought.
So he did his best to find out something against Milind to effect his plan. He engaged a private detective who gathered information about Milind's interpersonal relations with fellow residents of the chawl. Although Milind was hugely popular with the rest of the residents, he found out that Mrs.Shukla had some axe to grind with him. He decided to use her when required and befriended her. He then planted his man, Mr.Bansal in the housekeeping department. Try as he may, Mr.Bansal could not find anything against Milind for the first six months. On the other hand, Milind seemed to be doing very well for himself. All that, however, changed when the scandal broke out and Milind lost his job. Mr.Bansal faithfully passed on the good news to him. Alaap knew that he needed to ensure that Prachi hears about it, not from him, but from a third party. Who better than Mrs.Shukla to do the honours? He himself wanted to stay away from all this and watch the fun from a distance. So he promptly conveyed the news to her the day Milind lost his job and had later sent her the envelope with the evidences gathered by the private detective. He was hoping that there will be a lot of fireworks at his brother-in-law's residence at the end of which Prachi will walk out on Milind and return to the Shah House. He expected that PL would avenge the injustice meted out to her daughter by throwing out Sukriti and at the end of it all he, Alaap, will be the sole gainer. Unfortunately for him, all his plans backfired. Milind's bond with his wife seems to have strengthened and in all probability his mother is going to exalt him even more once she hears of his success in his career.
"Some men have all the luck in the world", he lamented to himself and chewed at his nails furiously.
Part XXIII
Two days later
The past two days were hectic. As Mr.Garodia was in a hurry to leave for Delhi to finalise a new business deal he speeded the process of transferring the ownership of his hotel to Milind. That afternoon Milind finally received the transfer deed which acknowledged that he was the proprietor of the hotel. Initially he had wanted to change the name of his hotel but Mr.Garodia advised him against it. As the name was a well established one, changing it at a time when the business was floundering would not be a good idea, he said. Obtaining a loan would also be more difficult. He asked him to wait till he turned the hotel around. The name can always be changed after that. Milind agreed with him and left the name unchanged for the present. Now that he acquired legal ownership of the hotel, he decided to finally break the news to Prachi.
When he reached home and rang the bell, he could barely wait for Prachi to open the door. As soon as she did, he swung her in his arms and spun her around. Prachi looked at him, puzzled by his excitement. She asked him if he had obtained a loan. He assured her that it was much more than that and gave her a long envelope. Still puzzled, Prachi opened it to see the title deeds to the Garodia Hotels and there in big bold letters was her husband's name. Her eyes widened in surprise. Milind then explained to her everything that had happened since his meeting with Mr.Garodia. Prachi was elated hearing the news and hugged her husband tightly. They then decided to convey the news to Baba.
At the nursing home, Milind knelt in front of his unconscious father and laid his limp hand on his head. His eyes filled up as he emotionally connected with his father. How he wished his father could see him, hear him and understand him right now. He had always wanted to make his Baba proud of him and he was sure that he would be. If only he knew that his son has finally realised his dream, he thought regretfully. Prachi gently placed her hand on his shoulder and whispered that his father was proud of him and would be wishing him well in whatever mental state he was in.
After they left the nursing home Milind took Prachi to the Jehangir Art Gallery where an exhibition of contemporary art was going on. Prachi was pleasantly surprised that her husband appreciated modern art. It is only after they reached there did she realise that the guy was doing his best to hide his boredom. Prachi understood then that he had brought her there because of her interest in art. Smiling at him, she suggested that they go to some other place. Milind nodded and took her to the Y.B.Chavan auditorium where there was a ghazal programme by Hariharan. As soon as they took their seats, Prachi got deeply engrossed in the performance that she did not notice Milind's reception of it. Soon she was made painfully aware of it when she felt her husband's dozing head on her shoulder. She gazed in love at his sleeping face till he was woken up by the applause from the audience at the end of the performance.
"With you by my side I can conquer the world.
Happy six-month anniversary, darling.
Yours forever,
Milind"
After dinner they returned home. As Milind unlocked the door he whispered, "Our vrat (fast) starts from the minute we enter in till the break of dawn."
Prachi looked at him in shock. "How much longer", she thought to herself but was too shy to voice it.
Seeing her unhappy look he smiled and clarified, "Not that vrat, honey. Have we not done enough abstinence to last us a life time? I meant moun vrat (fast of silence). No words should be uttered once we step in; only action from now till morning. Let's enjoy the beauty of silence."
He then lifted his wife in his arms and carried her to the bed, kicking the door shut as he went in. Prachi buried her face in his shoulders. Laying her gently on the bed, he stretched himself by her side and gazed at her lovingly. Under the streaming moon light, she was looking more breathtakingly beautiful than she ever did in the past, if that was indeed possible, he thought. Her eyes were glazed in passion; her lips quivered in anticipation of the invasion they may soon be subjected to. As her nose took in the fragrance of him, she felt increasingly heady. He pushed aside the tendrils of her hair to get a clearer view of her angelic face. Cupping it in his palms, he lowered his lips on to her forehead, her eyelids, her plump cheeks, the tip of her delicate nose and the space between her nose and her lips before capturing her supple lips in his full luscious ones. She responded with equal fervour and sank her fingers in his mane, relishing every moment of his onslaught. Soon both of them were breathless and had to break free to come up for air. He then proceeded to explore her womanly curves, covering her in kisses, some gentle and some not so gentle. She squirmed as his facial hair tickled her, letting out a seductive moan which only served to heighten his yearnings. Although she was initially coy, his silent encouragement emboldened her and not wanting to be left behind, her hands explored him with equal eagerness, savouring the feel and texture of him.
When the mutual exploration became unbearable, his eyes met hers and silently asked for acquiescence to proceed to the inevitable union of body and soul. As she batted her eye-lids to convey her tacit approval, he gently lifted her and dipped himself in. Seeing her face flinch in pain, he tried to make a hasty retreat, not wanting to hurt her. She, however, held his shoulders and pulled him back to her, prolonging their union. What followed was the most exhilarating journey for both of them as they traversed a path that neither has ever treaded. Each concentrated on giving rather than receiving and in turn was amply rewarded. At the end of it, they lay spent and panting but immensely satisfied. He kissed her gently in loving gratitude and she responded in kind. They were finally man and wife in every sense of the word.
The first streaks of sunlight entered the room, caressing her eyelids and waking her up. Fluttering her eyelids open, she found herself tightly enveloped around the waist by his strong arms. One of his legs was slung loosely on hers. Her back caved into him and his face lay nestled against the back of her neck. Not wanting to wake him up, she gently tried to extricate herself from him. She froze when she heard his seductive grunt. He whispered into her ear "Don't get up. Let's spend the entire day like this in each other's arms." She turned around and looked at him in shock.
"Milind, we can't do that! It is your first day as the boss. What example will you be setting for your subordinates?"
"Oh no, don't remind me of work. I'll call in sick. One day, Prachi, let me spend one whole day with you."
"I should warn Milind that however sweet his wife may be, he still can't go around chewing her up," she joked.
Garodia Hotels, Andheri
Milind was shown his new office by his secretary, Mrs.Saldanha. The room was wood panelled from ceiling to floor. The walls were adorned with expensive paintings. On one side of the wall was a show case with a trophy and some handicraft items. Taking the trophy in his hand he looked more closely at the inscription on it. It read "Best Four-Star Hotel of Mumbai ' 1996". That was ten years back, he thought to himself. Since then the hotel has degenerated from four-star to three-star and even in this category it was not amongst the best. He vowed to himself that he will not only ensure that his hotel becomes a five-star one in the near term and a higher graded one in the years to come, but also is amongst the best and reasonably priced one. He also made a mental note to replace all the paintings with portraits sketched by his wife.
He then individually met the heads of each department in the hotel and heard their problems. While some of them could be sorted out immediately, some required time and resources. He jotted down the bare minimum finance required to give the hotel a basic facelift and decided to approach the banks for financing the needs.
He called his wife at lunch and asked her what she was doing.
"I am sketching a portrait of you Milind", she said continuing to draw.
"Don't you tire of drawing me, woman?" he asked, in mock frustration.
"No, I don't. On the other hand I enjoy bringing alive my Samson in my art," she replied with a smile.
"Listen, I want you to paint some beautiful sceneries to replace the pathetic paintings in my office."
"Why, don't you want to hang my portraits of you?"
"Actually that is not a bad idea. Only I don't want to be called a narcissist." He said in mock seriousness.
She smiled and said "OK. Sceneries it will be. Will get down to work immediately."
"Thank you, darling. By the way, do you make self portraits? Would love to have a big picture of you in my office."
Prachi shook her head, "No, Milind. Never attempted one and never will either."
"I guess then I'll have to make do with a photograph," he sounded crestfallen. "Wish I knew how to sketch".
"Wouldn't mind teaching you," Prachi offered.
"Now, that's a real tempting offer. Who would let go of a golden opportunity to be taught by a beautiful damsel like you."
"So do we start our lessons from the coming Sunday morning?" asked Prachi excitedly.
"Done." he said.
"How much do I get paid?" she asked teasingly.
"Thousand per session," he replied.
"You'll pay me one thousand rupees?" she asked with her eyes wide open.
"No, not thousand rupees, darling. A thousand kisses," he guffawed.
"Milind...," she drawled, blushing a deep red.
"Hey, how do you like to receive an advance right now?" he asked in a hushed tone.
(3)
That evening Milind returned home by 6.00 p.m. and attempted to fulfil his promise of paying Prachi the remaining advance in person. After he managed to give her a dozen kisses all over her face, Prachi reminded him that if he keeps it up they will never reach Shah House any time in the near future. That brought him back to the present. He asked her to get ready soon. As they were about to leave, Ganpat and Mala joined them too.
"Where are we going?"asked Mala.
"To meet Sukriti," Milind said but did not elaborate further.
Mala was excited to be meeting Sukriti. She had not got much time to interact with her personally when they briefly met at her wedding reception in the chawl. Sukriti too had left early because she was feeling uncomfortable. Mala hoped she will get more time to spend with her cousin now. The two couples set off for the Shah House in their respective motor bikes. At the Shah House they were warmly welcomed by PL who wondered what brought them there. Milind merely said that they wanted to spend some time with Sukriti as she would have absolutely no time for anyone once the baby arrives. PL nodded her head understandingly and said that a baby does change a woman's life completely. Hearing their voices, Sukriti slowly ambled out of her room and seeing her bhaiyya, bhabhi and cousin, gladly hugged them. She slapped Ganpat on the back and asked him if he was keeping her precious sister happy, for if he was not, she will personally come to the chawl to give him the thrashing of his life. Mala intervened and said that she could not have hoped for a better and more caring husband than Ganpat. Sukriti was happy for her cousin although her face registered a trace of sadness which only Prachi had noticed. Prachi asked her where was Alaap and was told that he had left for Delhi the previous night in connection with his business. Prachi was astounded that he will leave his pregnant wife at this stage when the delivery date was so close. PL told her that she tried her level best to make him stay back as it was crucial for the father to be around when the baby arrived but he had insisted it was some urgent work which could not wait.
They all sat down in the hall and were soon animatedly discussing the arrival of the baby and how Sukriti will be coping with him, when the door bell rang. Ramu kaka ran to open the door and found to his surprise half a dozen caterers who quickly came in and set up a table. They then spread out a buffet dinner on it. As PL, Sukriti, Mala and Ganpat looked on in surprise at the men and the delicious, aromatic food that they spread out, Milind explained that they were from his hotel. When they looked at him puzzled, he informed them that they were looking at the owner of Garodia Hotels. He then explained how he was offered this unbelievable deal by Mr.Garodia and had taken over the reins of the hotel that day. He wanted to give them a surprise party at his hotel but since Sukriti was not in a position to freely move around, he decided to hold the party at the Shah House instead, arranging for food from his hotel. He had personally selected the items and hoped they would like them. After they recovered from the shock, Milind went up to PL and took her blessings. The rest of them rushed in to congratulate him. PL wiped happy tears from her eyes and looking at Prachi she said that her faith in her son-in-law was vindicated. She knew he will succeed like his father-in-law, for like him he has the fire in his belly. Milind hastened to add that he has still not succeeded; there is a lot to be done at the hotel and it will take some time before he can turn it around. PL assured him that she had no doubt he will achieve everything he sets his mind to. As she was fond of Ayesha, she enquired why they had not brought her along. Prachi then informed her that Ayesha had to go back to Bangalore regarding her mother's treatment and will be returning only that Sunday evening. They had planned to break the good news when she gets back. They then had their dinner, appreciating Milind for his excellent choice of items. Finally at around 10.00 p.m. they returned home, bidding goodbye to PL and Srukiti and asking Sukriti to take care.
*******
The next morning, Milind asked Prachi to get dressed soon for they were visiting an important place. When she enquired if he did not plan to go to work that day, he replied that he had informed his secretary he will be a couple of hours late that day. Milind had a large plastic cover in his hand which he did not let her open. Slinging it on the handle bar of his bike he asked Prachi to take her seat. On the way Prachi did her best to glean information as to where they were going but Milind refused to divulge anything and instead asked her to wait till they get there. Soon they reached their destination. When she got off the bike, she was surprised to see where they had come. It was Ashadhan, an orphanage near their place. She asked Milind why he had brought her there. He then told her she will get her answer once they enter in and proceeded to the door, ringing the doorbell when he got there. The elderly nun who opened the door gave Milind a bear hug. Milind introduced his wife and the sister to each other.
"Prachi, this is Sister Clara, the warden of this place. Sister, this is my wife, Prachi."
Sister Clara expressed her happiness at having finally met the lucky girl who had married their beloved Milind. She had wanted to attend their wedding but as she was busy with her duties at the home she couldn't get away. She then told her that her husband never failed to visit them atleast two days in a year, although they are trying to get him to visit them more often; one was on his birthday, April 4th and the other day was that day, the birthday of the first Prime Minister of the country, November 14th, also celebrated as Children's day. Prachi looked at Milind in surprise. Milind merely smiled and asked Sister Clara to take them to the kids. The kids had assembled in a big hall where they were getting ready for the cultural programme. Milind and Prachi were shown their seats. The programme then commenced with kids ranging from 5 to 15 years of age participating in it. Milind and Prachi thoroughly enjoyed themselves, not realising an entire hour had passed before the programme got over.
After the programme Milind met the kids and congratulated them. Dipping into the plastic cover, he then brought out chocolates. Kneeling down, he distributed them to all the kids who simply swarmed him, each trying to get closer inorder to get his attention. They told him about all the little things happening in their lives and Milind listened very attentively. Chottu, a five-year old boy showed him the bruise on his knee and explained to him that he had got it while playing hopscotch. Milind expressed his regret and asked him if he can change his dressing. When the boy nodded he asked for the first aid kit and proceeded to carefully remove the band-aid and replace it with a new one. He assured him that he will be as good as new by the next day. Chottu seemed satisfied as he gingerly rubbed the band-aid.
Just then they heard the loud wailing of a small baby. Turning around they saw one of the sisters trying her best to calm the little one who looked to be around three months old. She seemed mighty furious with the world, going by her incessant angry screams. Milind approached the nun and asked her what was wrong. The sister replied that the baby who was the latest addition to their growing clan was a difficult one to handle. She has been screaming like this most of the time even though she was being fed and changed regularly. Nothing seemed to satisfy her and most of the days she cries herself to sleep. Milind asked the sister to hand the baby over to him. When the sister obliged, he gently lifted the baby in his arms, with a hand behind her neck to support it. The minute she landed in his arms, the baby shut her mouth and looked curiously at the tall bearded man who was holding her. He looked deeply into her round eyes and cooed to her. Although initially she kept staring at him, soon she was smiling at him. When he buried his face in her belly and made a funny noise, she giggled in happiness. She enjoyed his company so much that after a few minutes she refused to go to anyone else, preferring the company of the gentle giant instead. Milind too seemed to be enjoying the time spent with the little one. Prachi watched all this with great interest. He really has a way with kids, she thought. Soon the baby wet herself and Milind. The sister rushed to take her from him and apologised for the inconvenience. Milind shrugged it off saying that he will take care. Asking for a fresh nappy, he then proceeded to change the wet nappy, unmindful of his own shirt which by now had a big wet Africa map on it. He said that she will catch a cold if she's not changed immediately. He took a soft cloth, wiped her dry and then changed her nappy. As she kept licking her lips, Milind realised that she was hungry and asked for her bottle. He then sat down cross legged on the floor and fed her the bottle. Soon the baby slept peacefully on his lap. After waiting for a few minutes to ensure that she does not wake up soon, he passed on the baby to the nun.
They then thanked and took leave from the kids and the sisters. The kids asked Milind to come to visit them more often and Milind promised to try. As they were getting ready to leave, Milind told Prachi that this was one of his favourite places. He enjoys the time he spends with the kids and gets a lot of peace. Prachi said that she can see that and hoped that soon he will stabilise in his career so that they can start their own family. Milind nodded and assured that he will soon improve things at work. After he had dropped Prachi back at their place, he left for work.
XXIV
(1)
It was Sunday morning. After breakfast Milind sat next to Prachi for his first art lesson. Prachi handed him a white drawing sheet, a pad and a well sharpened drawing pencil. Holding a similar pencil in her hand she showed him how to hold it the extended tripod grip in which the pencil is held in the usual manner where a triangle is formed by the thumb, forefinger and middle finger, but the hold is further up the pencil. She explained that in this hold, small movements of the fingers can produce a much larger movement of the pencil-tip, so it is an economical and efficient grip for sketching. Seeing Milind hold the pencil in a tight vicelike grip, she loosened his fingers and asked him to keep a relaxed grip.
On the sheet of paper she held, she drew a straight line and turning to Milind she asked him to do the same. Milind protested saying that he wanted to learn how to draw her, not straight lines which in any case he knew how to draw. Prachi explained to him that they need to go step by step. First he needed to perfect the art of drawing flawless lines. Then he needs to be able to draw shapes, both two dimensional and three dimensional. Then he can graduate to drawing in proportion; and finally learn the different shading techniques before he is ready to draw portraits. Milind looked heavenwards and rolled his eyes, saying that he will grow old and grey before she finishes all the steps with him. She slapped his shoulder playfully and asked him to do what his tutor was telling him to do. Milind folded his hands, paying her mock respect, and proceeded to draw the line. She looked at his sheet and said that as his line was a little crooked he needs to draw it again. Milind grimaced and tried again. Fifteen minutes and ten sheets of paper later there was no progress beyond the line. Prachi's patience was wearing thin. Milind's concentration was wandering everywhere but the task at hand. When she bent her head down and held his hand to show him how to draw the line, he leaned back to admire her long lashes, the tendrils of her shampooed hair flying across his face, the profile of her delicate nose and the soft supple lips which was puckered in concentration. Realising his unwavering gaze on her, she gave a tight slap on his hand and asked him to concentrate on the drawing. Shaking his hand to rid it off the pain he tried again. The line finally came out as near to perfection as she wanted it to.
She then proceeded to show him how to draw shapes. This was an even tougher task. The next one hour was spent in experimenting with circles and ovals. By the end of it, Milind's pencil was reduced to about a couple of inches as he kept breaking the lead and sharpening the pencil over and over again. He showed her the tiny pencil and said that since he had nearly finished up the pencil, they better stop for the day. Prachi handed him her pencil and gave him a couple of sheets from her stock and asked him to continue. Milind tossed the pencil over his shoulders and brought her face close to his. Leaning close to her ear, he whispered that she has worked hard enough for the day and its time he paid her salary. As he does not believe in keeping any dues, he had to pay her then and there. So saying, he proceeded to kiss her all over her face. She tried to break free but he tightened his hold on her face and bent to take her lips in his. After struggling for a few minutes, she soon gave up and he carried her to their bed. He then proceeded to show her his interpretation of drawing, tracing with the tips of his fingers the contours of her face, her neck, her body and her limbs. Soon she was breathing hard; he lifted himself to cover her up and proceeded to show her what she means to him.
Minutes later they lay next to each other, their heartbeats were slowly returning back to normal. Prachi laid her head on his chest and Milind loosely embraced her shoulder. Just then Milind's cell rang. Reaching for it, he picked it up and answered leisurely, but the minute he heard what the caller had to say, he straightened up and said that they will be there as soon as possible. Worry was written all across his face. Seeing his expression Prachi too got up with a start.
(2)
"That was your mother on the line. Sukriti has been admitted to the hospital," Milind informed Prachi.
They quickly got ready and rode to the hospital. On the way, Prachi called Ganpat's cell and informed them about Sukriti. At the hospital, Milind and Prachi met PL who was pacing up and down the corridors, eyes filled with tears and hands wringing in worry. Mala and Ganpat joined them in a couple of minutes. Between sobs PL informed them that Sukriti's water had broken but she had not developed pain. So she rushed her to the hospital. The doctors tried to induce labour but her blood pressure had shot up and to compound things the umbilical cord had prolapsed, resulting in foetal distress. She was wheeled for emergency caesarean section just a few minutes back. PL has been praying and waiting apprehensively for the good news. Milind held her hands and asked her not to worry,assuring her that everything will be alright. Deep down, though, he was equally worried. Prachi ran up to the small shrine in the hospital and fell on her knees in front of the Ganesh idol there, praying fervently for her sister-in-law and her baby. Mala tried to console PL who was getting more nervous by the minute and forced her to sit on the hospital bench. Ganpat and Milind worriedly paced outside the operation theatre.
After nearly half an hour, one of the doctors came out to inform them that they could not save the baby boy inspite of their best efforts. The umbilical cord had got compressed and shut off the oxygenated blood flow to the baby. They tried to remove the baby before he died but it was too late. All efforts to revive him had failed. The mother was alright and was being sewn up. It will be another hour or so before they could meet her. PL broke down and screamed her lungs out when she heard that her grandson was no more. Hearing it, Prachi rushed back from the shrine and hugged her and the two vented their grief. Mala tried to console both of them but to no avail. Milind was too stunned to react. He stood frozen and Ganpat held him by his shoulders for support.
Sukriti gained consciousness after nearly two and a half hours. During this time Milind squeezed his brains to come up with a soft way to break this emotionally shattering news to her. However hard he thought, he could not come up with a way to soften the blow. Prachi had tried calling up Alaap but his cell was switched off. She left an SMS asking him to rush back to Mumbai by the first flight out. When Sukriti opened her eyes and looked around, she saw the gloomy faces of her mother-in-law, her sister-in-law, brother, cousin and her brother-in-law. She knew then that something was seriously wrong. Looking at Milind with tearful eyes, she kept shaking her head and whispering to herself that it can't be, she could not have lost her baby, but her heart knew that it was the bitter truth. Milind rushed to her side and grabbed her in his arms, letting her cry her heart out on his chest. The heart wrenching scream she let out tore at the hearts of her near and dear ones. She wept inconsolably and Milind buried his face in her hair, wetting it with his own warm tears. Prachi could not bear to see the people she loves in so much grief and she wept silently in her mother's arms. Sukriti kept blaming herself for everything.
"Bhaiyya, God has punished me by taking away my son. He has punished me for what I put our Baba and you through. No daughter can live in peace after wounding her own father, bhaiyya. Baba is in this unconscious state because of me. My son paid the price for it with his life. I have lost the only hope in my life, bhaiyya, I have lost my son. I don't deserve to live."
Saying this, she started hitting herself, sobbing hysterically. Milind caught her wrists and hugged her tightly.
"Sukriti, please don't blame yourself. It is not your fault that my nephew is no more. Life and death is not in our hands. God has his own plans. I am thankful that you pulled through this ordeal." He rubbed her tears and held her face, willing her to be strong.
PL came up to them and placing her hand on Sukriti's head, her eyes clouding up with tears, she said, "I am there for you, my child. You are not my daughter-in-law, but my daughter. I understand your grief. It is not easy for any mother to accept the loss of her child. But you need to recover now and get well soon, for me, your bhaiyya, your husband, your bhabhi. We all need you. I'll be your emotional support and you be mine in this dark hour."
Sukriti hugged her mother-in-law and cried fresh tears. Milind, Prachi, Mala and Ganpat looked on with pained expressions on their faces.
They stayed back at the Shah House that night. Prachi entered the guest room to see Milind sitting forlornly on the bed. She sat next to him and placed her hand on his shoulder. She saw the tears streaming down his cheeks and wiped them gently. She knew how much he was looking forward to becoming an uncle. Given his love for kids, she could well understand his sorrow at the loss of his nephew. Milind laid his head on her shoulders and wept like a baby.
*****
The next day, the baby was buried after the usual rituals were performed. They still could not reach Alaap but did not want to keep the body for long. Sukriti crumbled in front of her son's grave and had to be dragged away after nearly an hour. Back in the Shah House, PL held Milind's hand and apologised for Alaap's appalling behaviour.
"I am very sorry for everything, Milind. I am ashamed to have raised such a son who was not there for his own son's funeral. I have failed as a parent."
Milind assured her that she has not. She was a wonderful mother for she has given him the most precious gift in this whole world, her daughter. She has raised her up so well and he will always be thankful for that. He knew that his sister was safe in her care. PL then told him that after Sukriti heals from the surgery, she wished to take Sukriti to their guest house in Kodaikanal for a few weeks to help her get over her grief. Milind agreed that the change of place will do his sister good.
(3)
Alaap had returned home three days after the baby's funeral. The minute he stepped into the house, PL blasted him for not turning up earlier. He looked confused and asked her why. When he was told about the events since Sukriti's admission to the hospital, he appeared dazed. He then crumbled to the floor, weeping bitterly, saying that he was an unfortunate dad who could not even bid a proper farewell to his son. Seeing his reaction, it was PL's turn to look confused. She questioned him about how he seemed unaware of anything since Prachi had left several SMSes after being unable to reach him through his cell or the landline of his Delhi office. Alaap then told her how his cell was stolen as soon as he landed in Delhi. He thought of filing an FIR there but considering how cumbersome it would be to follow up on a case filed in another city, he did not file a complaint. As to why nobody at his Delhi office seemed to know where he had gone, he said that he had left for Chandigarh the very next morning after he reached Delhi. His client had called him the previous night asking him to meet him there as he himself could not make it to Delhi. In fact he had returned to Mumbai directly from Chandigarh. PL did not look too convinced with his explanation. She sceptically asked him why did he not inform either his Mumbai office or his Delhi office about the change of plan. He told her that he was not expecting any emergency and hence he had not informed his office about the change in plan. PL questioned him as to how he can presume there would be no emergency when his wife was full-term and was expecting the baby any day. Alaap had no answer to that. She chided him for not only being an irresponsible father-to-be but also an irresponsible CEO of such a large business empire for he cannot remain incommunicado for days on end like this. Alaap just remained silent, his head bowed down. PL asked him to meet Sukriti and console her. He went to their room very reluctantly. Sukriti did not respond to his presence. She steadfastly ignored him, wallowing in her own pain. He tried to speak to her but she just looked through him coldly.
As the days passed by, Sukriti was physically slowly healing, with the pain from the surgery reducing over time, but emotionally she was still a broken woman. The heartache was as raw as it was on the day she came to know that her son was no more. Milind and Prachi never failed to visit her every single day. While Prachi visited her before making her daily visits to the nursing home to meet Baba, Milind always went directly from his office to the Shah House every evening before returning to the chawl. They tried their level best to cheer her up but Sukriti could not reconcile herself to the loss. In one of his many visits to the Shah House, Milind happened to meet Alaap outside the house as he was returning home from work. Seeing his brother-in-law, Milind's latent anger against him for his callous neglect of his wife surfaced. He held him by his collar and with his teeth clenched he bit out that if he dares to put his sister through any more pain than she is already in, he will not live to see the next day. He then shook him hard till his teeth rattled. He would have thrashed the living daylights out of him but respect for his mother-in-law, concern for his sister and love for his wife stopped him from losing his equanimity.
Mishraji looked at her confused. Prachi who was standing behind him mimed to her not to reveal about the baby. PL understood and immediately changed the topic, telling him how lucky she was to get a loving daughter-in-law like Sukriti and a loving and respectful son-in-law like Milind.
"Both Milind and Sukriti are like my children", she said. "They have strengthened the bond which always existed between the Mishras and the Shahs."
Mishraji turned to his daughter and nodded his head, beckoning her to him. Sukriti ran into his arms and cried her heart out.
"I'm sorry Baba. I'll never hurt you again. Please forgive me. Please don't hate me."
(2)
(3)
The next morning Mala had come home early in the morning. Prachi had opened the door for her. After the usual greeting, she went in to see her uncle who was still sleeping. Kissing him gently on the forehead, she came to the hall and handed over a cover to Prachi who looked at her in confusion. Mala explained that she had come to return the money she had given her the previous month. Prachi tried to protest but Mala wouldn't hear of it. She told her that she had accepted that money only as a loan. Now that she has got an occupation, she had to return this money. Prachi asked her what occupation she has. Mala then explained to her that she is running a dhabba service from her home. She has five customers already, all bachelors who work in Ganpat's office. She cooks lunch and dinner for them and Ganpat delivers the dhabbas to them. Charging Rs.30 per meal, she makes a neat profit of Rs.5000-6000 per month. In the evenings, she takes maths tuitions for kids in the locality, earning around Rs.2000 in that. As she is quite self sufficient now she needs to settle her dues. Prachi recognised the fiercely independent and enterprising streak in her that she sees in Milind. 'It must be running in their blood' she thought. Prachi accepted the money and bid her goodbye. Milind who had come out of his shower a few minutes before overheard their conversation. He felt relieved that he did not have to ask for money from his friend. Asking for things was something he detested but had decided to give up a little of his self respect for the good of his family. With this money they can tide over this month, he thought, but he needed to do something about the future. He needed to secure it and that can be done only by securing a loan and straightening out his hotel. He decided to make another trip to one of the banks and try his luck again.
Prachi came into the bedroom to keep the money in the cupboard. Milind who was still in his towel caught her wrist and swung her into his arms. Prachi hit against his bare chest which was still damp from the shower. Nodding her head in the direction of his father she whispered to him that his baba was in the room and hence he should behave himself. Milind whispered back that Baba was asleep. He will leave her only if she kisses him. She shook her head and said that she cannot be disrespectful of her father-in-law. Milind said that he will then wait till she relented. As they kept wrestling for a couple of minutes, they heard Baba cough. Both of them panicked and turned in his direction. Milind loosened his grip and taking this opportunity, Prachi sprinted out of the room. Milind looked regretfully at her retreating back when he realised that his baba was still asleep.
He soon got ready and picked up his file with loan application papers. As he leaned over to kiss his wife goodbye he asked her to pray that he is successful in obtaining the loan. She asked him not to worry for she will pray hard that he gets his loan sanctioned soon enough. After he had left, she received an unexpected call on her cell. Couple of hours later she wheeled her father-in-law to Mala's house and asked her to take care of him for a few hours as she had some important work to attend to. Mala readily agreed to do the needful and Prachi left for her appointment which would soon change a lot of things in their lives.
XXVII
(1)
The next day Ayesha returned from Bangalore after nearly one and a half months. She dropped in at Milind's place to say hello. Milind was about to leave for work. Seeing her, he sat down with her for a few minutes and asked her how her mother was doing and why did she not turn up by mid-November when she was supposed to. Assuring him that her mother was fine, she explained that when she was about to leave for Mumbai she received a call from her company asking her to stay back and take care of a few things in their Bangalore branch as the manager of the branch had absconded without giving them any notice. Things were in a mess and some urgent consignments had to be shipped to Singapore. So she stayed back to straighten things out and ensure that the consignment reached Chennai as per schedule so that it can be shipped to its final destination. Having finished her task she was back again. She then enquired what was the news back here in the chawl. Giving her a cup of tea, Prachi smiled and said that a lot had happened in her absence, both good and bad. Milind and Prachi then gave her a brief rundown of how Milind became the proprietor of Garodia Hotels. Ayesha was elated to hear this and gave Milind a bear hug. Asked when he will treat her, he assured her that he will do so soon enough. They then recounted how Sukriti lost her baby. Ayesha was deeply saddened to hear this and enquired how she was doing. They assured her that she was feeling much better now, especially after she saw her baba out of his coma. Ayesha's eyes widened in surprise. Prachi then held her hand and took her into the bedroom where Mishraji was still sleeping. Ayesha sat next to him and took his hand in hers. He slowly opened his eyes and tried to get up. Ayesha gently pushed him back and asked him to relax. He asked with his eyes how she was. She said that she was doing well and was very happy to see him conscious. Milind in the meantime excused himself as he has getting late for work and quickly took Baba's blessing before he left. Prachi followed him to the door and kissed him goodbye, voicing her hope that atleast the bank he was to visit that day will consider his application favourably, for which he smiled ruefully. The previous day did not bring much luck as that bank had rejected his application outright. Milind was slowly losing hope of ever securing the loan he so desperately needed. There were two to three banks left. If he is unable to get the loan from one of them he will sink along with his hotel. The thought made him shudder as he shook his head and proceeded to the bank.
Ayesha spent a few more minutes with Baba before she too left as she had to report back for duty. Prachi later wheeled Baba to Mala's house yet again before leaving for her mysterious outing. Mala was aware of where she was going but was sworn into secrecy.
That night Sukriti called Milind and asked him if Baba can stay with her for a few weeks. She missed him very much and wanted to spend more time with him. Although Milind was initially reluctant to let go of his baba, he realised that it was not fair to hold on to him when he himself was not able to devote more time for him. Moreover, Baba's presence will help her emotionally heal faster. He asked Prachi whether she was OK with the arrangement. Prachi nodded her head. So he agreed to drop him at Shah House before he left for work the next morning. Sukriti was glad to hear this.
(2)
Two days later
It was Christmas eve. Milind set out that morning, holding on to the last vestiges of hope. This was the last bank he will be visiting for his loan. If this one too declines to give him the loan, he will have to file for bankruptcy. He wondered whether he made the worst mistake of his life by accepting Mr.Garodia's offer. Atleast earlier he had a regular job. If not in the Garodia Hotels, he could have found another job in another hotel, especially with his experience. It would have been easier to have followed the beaten path. Instead he chose the path riddled with stones and thorns, hoping that it will lead him to riches which would help him buy all the comforts his wife so deserves. Now there was the danger that instead of acquiring riches they may be reduced to rags. While he did not fear facing poverty, he could not bear to thrust his wife in it. No, if he did not get the loan, he will eat humble pie and approach Mr.Garodia himself for help. He hated to do it but then he needed the money. He was convinced he can repay it in less than six months as he had full faith in his own abilities. It was only a question of having timely liquidity to revive the hotel.
At the bank, he was asked to wait for a few minutes before he can meet the manager. The minutes soon turned to more than an hour. Milind was getting impatient and he finally got up to leave when he was called in by the manager, Mr.Khurana.
"Mr.Mishra. I have gone through your application and your business proposition. I must admit that I am very impressed. For someone who has been in this field for only a short time, you seem to understand what ails your hotel and how to set it right. The precision with which you have chalked out your strategy for its revival is amazing. I have no hesitation in sanctioning the loan, for I know you will make good use of the funds and repay it in time."
Although Milind was extremely happy to hear this, he was still a little apprehensive.
He hesitatingly said, "I do not have any funds to place as margin money. You may have to give me the loan solely based on my credibility."
"No problems Mr.Mishra. We will release the funds in a couple of days." With that Mr.Khurana got up and shook his hands warmly.
On his way to his hotel, Milind called up Prachi to inform her the good news. He could barely contain his excitement as he stuttered and stammered out that he finally managed to secure the loan. Prachi was overjoyed to hear this and assured him that now all their problems will soon melt away. He agreed that they will and it is all because he had his lucky charm, his beloved wife by his side, making Prachi blush. He then asked her to bring Ayesha along for the Christmas eve party at the hotel that evening. She agreed to do so and left for her appointment.
That evening, the guests of the hotel gathered in the banquet hall for the party. Prachi was wearing a beautiful indigo blue Mysore crepe silk saree which Ayesha had bought for her from Bangalore. Ayesha too was wearing a similar saree in wine red colour. Milind who was dressed up as Santa Claus could not take his eyes off his wife. His eyes kept following her wherever she went. Ayesha came up from behind him and twisting his ears, she teased him about it.
"What a lecherous Santa you are! Instead of taking care of the kids, you are drooling over a pretty dame?"
Milind reddened but soon recovered to retort back, "Santa is human after all. He cannot help himself when the woman in question is criminally hawttt." He emphasised the last word. Soon the band played the carol 'Jingle bells' and Milind Santa went to his seat to entertain the kids who came up to him and sat on his lap one after another. He kissed them and gave them the bars of chocolates he had in his large red sack. One of the little boys wanted to test whether his beard was real and tried pulling it. Milind was quick to anticipate his action and averted his stretched hand. He gently whacked his bottom as he put him down, making the boy giggle.
Prachi then joined the band in singing a couple of carols including 'Joy to the world' and 'Deck the hall with boughs of holly'. As the kids had to go to bed, the Christmas cake was cut by the youngest kid. After the kids and their parents left, the party continued till mid night although Milind excused himself and left with his wife and Ayesha by 10.00 p.m. as he had planned to report for duty on Christmas day too. They left Ayesha at her house and returned home. After they showered and changed into their night clothes, Prachi asked Milind to wear the Santa mask and cap. Although he was puzzled he did as she asked him to. She then sat on his lap, held his neck and whispered into his ear that her Santa had so far fulfilled all her needs. For a change she wanted to give her Santa what he desires. She then gently bit his ear, pulled his mask off and bent to enfold his voluptuous lips in hers in a deep kiss. Milind's eyes widened first in surprise and then in happiness. Holding her face between his palms he returned the kiss, measure for measure and gently pushed her down on the bed. When they finally came up for air, both of them were panting. Linking her arms around his neck and looking deeply into his eyes, Prachi then proceeded to demonstrate her love and desire for her Santa, pleasantly surprising him with her zest. It was a merry Christmas indeed for the young Mishras.
XXX
Three days later
Jai Hind chawl had the tradition of respecting and celebrating all the festivals of the residents. Hence it geared up to celebrate Lohri which is a festival to worship fire. A huge bonfire was started in the middle of the courtyard and people gathered around it, throwing til, puffed rice and popcorns into its flames. Prayers were offered to the bonfire, seeking abundance and prosperity and the residents danced the typical bhangra dance with Mrs. Vandana Kapoor singing traditional Punjabi folk songs.
Before he could respond she whispered to him, "Milind, how long do you want to monopolise Prachi and chew her up like a teething baby? Do let your baby do the chewing."
Milind turned red in embarrassment. Manju never minced words. He told her that he wanted to stabilise a little in his business before they start a family. Mala asked him not to postpone these things for too long. At that moment Venkat arrived there with the two boys who had earlier dragged their father to the nearest store to get them chocolates. "See these two little mischievous brats. They drain us out every day and yet we can't imagine a life without them. Children are the blessing of any marriage." She picked up Anu and kissed his cheek. Milind caressed the little boy's head and assured that they will soon give her the good news she wants. Satisfied with his answer she wished them all the best and after inviting them to her house the next day for Pongal celebration, she left with her husband and children to their house.
The next morning Milind and Prachi visited the Iyer's residence to celebrate Pongal. The entrance of the house was decorated with an elaborate and intricate kolam (rangoli). Prachi asked Manju to teach her to draw such kolams. Manju nodded and said that these things should be child's play for an accomplished artist like her. After the usual puja, Manju mixed rice with finely chopped ginger, cumin seeds, pepper, cashew nuts and ghee in a brass pot and let it boil over as per the custom. This delicious dish was then served to the guests. Prachi asked her what was this dish called.
"This is called ven pongal. We also add jaggery or sugar to make sarkarai pongal which is sweet pongal. Pongal means boiling over. We let the food boil over to indicate abundance and prosperity. Pongal is a harvest festival and is celebrated over four days. Here in the cities we do not have time to observe all the days. Hence we only celebrate it on one day", she explained.
Adi and Anu begged their mother to give them sarkarai pongal. Manju smiled and brought out the sarkarai pongal which disappeared into their little tummies within minutes.
"See, how fast they eat sweet stuff," she remarked to Prachi.
After breakfast, Venkat gave them pieces of sugarcane to bite and chew. He chopped off the hard exterior and gave the softer inner portions to his sons who happily munched them before spitting them out. They later bid goodbye to their parents, Milind uncle and Prachi aunty and ran off to play with their friends.
Prachi looked at her piece of sugarcane, wondering how to bite it. Milind showed her how, by biting into his piece. After trying to rip off the hard skin a couple of times and not succeeding, she gave up. Milind took the piece from her and ripped off the hard exterior with his teeth and gave her the inner portion which she then chewed to a pulp before spitting it out. Some of the sugarcane juice spilled from the corner of her mouth as she chewed on the cane. Milind caught the dripping liquid in his index finger and sucked his finger. Prachi playfully slapped Milind's hand. Manju and Venkat who were watching this, looked at each other and smiled.
Once the sugarcane biting, chewing and sucking were done, Manju requested Prachi to sing for them.
"Tomorrow I can tell my colleagues at school that the new singing sensation sang exclusively for me," she said.
Prachi smiled and sang one of the songs from the album. Both Manju and Venkat rose and gave her a standing ovation when she finished the song. Milind smiled at her proudly.
That evening there was a kite flying competition in the chawl on the occasion of Magar Sankranti which is celebrated on the same day as Pongal. The kids in the chawl got together and flew colourful kites. They offered a kite to Prachi too but she declined saying that she does not know how to fly it. Milind offered to help her. He held the ball of string and asked her to hold the kite facing her and the wind. He then unwound the string for about 30 yards or so and signalled to her to release the kite. When she did, he quickly drew in the string towards himself to launch the kite. Once the kite was in the air, he loosened the string to let it fly higher. He then asked Prachi to hold the string. Standing behind her, he too held the string and helped her move the kite around. Soon the kids brought their kites closer to hers and tried to cut off her kite. Prachi got excited and in trying to avert them, moved backwards, tripped and fell on Milind who, in turn, lost his balance and the two of them went crashing to the ground. Their legs got entangled in the string and their kite came down with a thud. The kids laughed merrily at the spectacle. Mala and Ganpat who had come down to watch the competition could not hide their smile. Ganpat walked up to Milind and lifted him up. Milind then pulled Prachi up.
"Kya, yaar. You are a disgrace to men. You lost to small bachchaas?" he pulled his leg. Milind scratched his head and said that his better half literally brought him down this time. Prachi glared at him and stomped off with a sullen face. Seeing this, Milind excused himself and ran behind her to appease her. Mala and Ganpat laughed loudly.
Me first yipeeee...........Ok this was real good opti poor milsi really felt bad for him but it wasnt completely their fault i guess it was the time which was not along wid them..........but i m sure Milsi will make everything allrite and more then that he will for sure get his wife back were she belongs rite plzzzzzzz let me b riteπππ.......Nice one dea.........π
Edited by bidnai - 15 years agoMe first yipeeee...........Ok this was real good opti poor milsi really felt bad for him but it wasnt completely their fault i guess it was the time which was not along wid them..........but i m sure Milsi will make everything allrite and more then that he will for sure get his wife back were she belongs rite plzzzzzzz let me b riteπππ.......Nice one dea.........π