Chapter 20
It was a cold and chilly autumn that dawned on Tuesday.....Shravan after a hurried breakfast, dropped by his office, went thro' some papers, made notes and charted out agendas for his friends and zoomed into Doon on his bike....
With a sunny and cheerful disposition, a stark contrast to the weather around him, Shravan was smiling in anticipation of meeting Saachi...
Yesterday he was everywhere, planning , sketching, reeling orders to his assistants... His staff always obliged him, the concerted effort resulted in a successful event well managed... He had constantly looked out for Saachi, from the corner of his eyes...Eventhough she was busy, she cld have not have missed him, roaming everywhere...He had kept a safe distance from her... Once or twice she did stop to see whats going on....That brought smiles to his face and approval from Sham too...
Walking towards her class purposefully, armed with a ready excuse just to meet her,he bumped into someone....."Ugh... sorry, are you hurt"..." nahi, koi baat nahi.. you, new here young man"... asked Gopally. "Am Jaiswhal, ur annual day event manager"..." Am Gopldas Yadav , the math prof"....After the initial exchanges and small talk, they went their way...
Shravan,not finding Saachi in her class, enquired at the staff room and found the reason for her half a day off...A cold chill filled his belly...he felt an inexplicable uneasiness in his heart.. Shrugging himself and trying to hide his disappoinment,he immersed in his work....
Gopally, smiling and whistling softly, knew the reason for Saachi's absence,as he had overheard her asking for permission.. well, he thought, things seem to move fast.. need to go to Delhi next week and chalk out the next stage of programme... probably after the annual day...lets see..mmm..
Meanwhile at Saachi's house, the whole atmosphere was one of charged excitement and anxiety... The house was spruced up clean,decked with flowers and filled with aromas of the kitchen and the soft tunes of instrumental bhajans and fragrant smell of agarbathis emanating from the puja room.. All were eagerly waiting for this wonderful Mishra family,lavishly praised by Naana and Naani ji...
Saachi, dressed simply, sitting with her fingers crossed, was like a yogi... Nothing much in it for her.. afterall this was one more bride seeing..All her initial apprehensions,goose bumps, butterflies in stomach were things of the past...She had become so immune to her previous rejections, these days this kind of ritual was only a minor pinprick...She was now mature enough to handle it and take things in her stride...
The Mishras arrived sans their son Ranjan... His parents, sister and another relative were all in attendance, except him...After the initial shock and disappoinment, maama and maami, enquired abt this.."Ji plz hume maaf kijiye.. kya hai ki Ranjan ko ek bahut important call aaya office se..urgently aaj subhah Delhi jana pada.. he cld refuse or postpone it..We feel embaressed to be here without him.. but agar hum nahi aaya toh yeh abshagun hoga na .. So we decided to go ahead and come here"..said his father..." behenji,plz aap galat math sochiye..first we will see Saachi and am pretty sure Ranjan will like our approval and see her later on"..said the mother to mammi...
After the initial pleasentaries and small talk, Saachi was welcomed into the room.. "baito, beta hamare pass... dont feel shy.. there is no need for any formalities.. thumare bahren mein bahut suna..ithni kubsoorthi, hum pehele nahi dehka.. our Ranjan is very lucky"...said the mother....Indeed Saachi was already making a very big impression on them, without even opening her mouth...She was disappointed that the boy didnt make it.. how was she going to meet him and ask and clarify her doubts before anything concretised...
As if reading her mind the father said " Inder ji agar aapko ethiraaz nahi hai toh, ek baat poochun...My son wants to meet her later casually either at the coffe shop or park, either with your permission or in your presence.. will you oblige him"...
"Jaan jaye par lachan na jaye.. kyun nahi Mishra ji...aaj kal, zamana toh bahut badal gaya.. we also need to move along with the change... ladka aur ladki kho ek dusrese milna chahiye, woh bhi akele mein.. we are modern in our outlook, koi problem nahi hai
.. wherever and whever your son wants to meet our Saachi, we will gladly send her"
.....Nanni hits sixers after sixers, a full six sixers in an over
...
All except the Mishras, were spellbound and speechless.. Naana and Inder open mouthed, Mammi, her son and daughter in law,wide eyed, shreya and sharmilla in disbelief, Rajeev jiju shocked.....
Saachi stoically watched this great drama enacted before her... She knew in her hearts of heart Naani always had a soft corner for her.. Rough on the outside she was all honey and sweet inside..It was not in her nature to hurt anybody wantedly.... Her words sometimes spewed venom but it was harmless and Saachi knew that deep inside Naani cared for this orphan....
So it was decided that Ranjan Mishra will meet Saachi at a later date and place and at a time convenient to both...After Mishra's exit, the house was filled with cacophony of sounds; discussions abt the family, its members, naani's self goal etc..etc...
While saachi got ready for school, two people were eyeing the whole scenario differently...
Sharmilla, seeing the wealth and upbreeding of the Mishras, was openly jealous;..
Rajeev, noting the absence of Ranjan, was glad, as it gave him a breather..
Saachi, unaware of these thoughts and aware that she was getting late to school, hurriedly wished all and left for school......
Chapter21
Shravan's concentration suffered...Like a homing in pigeon,his wandering thoughts always came back to Saachi..."Whats this new feeling, I have... Mein is ladki ko jantha bhi nahi hun....and here am thinking abt her and feeling sad by her absence..Arre mein pagal hogaya kya"....slap he hit himself on his cheek...."ouch that hurts.. arre maarna hai toh, thumhara boxing bag kho maaro, mujhe nahi..ooohhhh gone case yeh ladka"....cried Sham..."oh sorry sorry..did it hurt? I didnt feel anything'...pacified Shravan...
Slowly making his way towards the canteen just for a coffee,(as Saachi's absence had killed his appetite),Shravan was a picture of a Dejected man....
Shoulders hunched, hands in pocket,feet pointing in, he slowly treaded his way in...Walking straight to the counter and ordering, he hardly saw whats going on around..All the BG noise and the scence was a blur to him.. partly due to hunger and partly due to his feeling of Saachi's absence...With the tray of coffee in hand, he turned back and glanced around for a an empty seat...when a bolt of lightening struck him....
There she was having a cup of coffee with her co staff...His tray crashed, spilling the hot brew all over his jeans and on the floor.. the cup rolled over on the floor and came to rest near Saachi...The scalding pain of the hot liquid hardly affected him..Suddenly everything was bright and sunny, the gloominess and chillness of the Autumn weather was brushed away in one stroke...He felt as though he was floating,flying high up in the air in a hot air balloon...
The entire canteen was suddenly enveloped in a piercing silence.... people stopped in their tracks to see what happened and realising it was nothing but a broken cup,soon filled the room with their incessant chatters...Saachi slowly picked up the cup and gave it to the advancing man...Why is he looking at me like a ginger eaten monkey
, with that silly grin and addled senses...
However when Shravan neared her, she asked concernedly.."Mr. Jaiswhal are u hurt,hope you havent burned yourself. shall I get you another cup"....
Sham bounced up and said "Hey saachi, he hasnt burned himself, but he burning up now after seeing you.... wish you cld hear me"...." Arree chup, kya kya boltha hai thum"...
" Ji maaf kijiye, Jaiswhal ji, are u alright.. Chot toh pair pe laggi na,sir pe nahi na ...kuch hua aap ko?....
" Oh saachi ji, errrr kuch nahi hua, haan mein teek hun, err bus yehsahi kuch aur chintha, mmm sorry... Since your now back,can we discuss abt the MC ing part of the show..do you have any scripts in mind or can you veto mine"...he asked enthusiastically... " ji okay,but your jeans are stained; dont you want to change them... cant this MC business wait until tommorow.. I have just come in and have lots of other work, so if you dont mind".....
"Oh never mind ji, we can discuss tommorow..dont worry abt my jeans, its nothing, I have worked in even much dirtier state.. Till tommorow then"...
He walked away in a trance forgetting to even pay for the breakage...As soon as he came out out he realised with a start, he didnt know the outcome of her bride seeing..."Was it an yes or a no; from her or from the boy.. indeed a difficult question to pose her.. Oh how will I know what the result is.. Its so maddening; just like waiting for the third umpires decision...Oooohhh I must think of a way know ,otherwise I'll go insane"..thought Shravan...
" Who said you arent mad..Already there are quite a few symptoms shown by you, only a conformation is needed... wait till you fully realise your feelings for her, then any half baked doctor will diagonise your mental stability...
yuk yukk "chuckled Sham... " yeh sab thumari wajese hua na..the day you woke up, mera jeena karab kardhi...mein haath jhodtha hun bhai, plz mujhe chod dho"...pleaded Shravan cryingly...."Teek hai, if you think like this I will sleep now , but remember its written in your destiny, without my help you cant succeed..until and unless if you call me I wont surface again".. Sham warned him and disappeared....
Saachi walked back to her class along with the staff; generally not a talkative type she hardly disclosed her personal life to anyone in school...todays happenings didnt affect her much... If Ranjan didnt see her today, then he will do so some other day, after all she was in no hurry to get married...the sight of Shravan crashing the coffee tray and his stained dress and the silly grin involuntarily brought a smile to her face....Nice man of 26/27 yrs old.. so boyish and handsome at the same time... mmmmm why am I thinking abt him suddenly.. he just a professional, here to do his job...anyways since I have to work with him closely, must always keep him at arms length...
After her work, she left for the day... As usual the Rider was waiting for her.. this time he didnt follow her..he was going to head for the icecream parlour to treat himself... it was just by accident he came to know abt saachi's bride seeing... how cleverly he had moved his pieces..A little BG check of that Ranjan
helped him very much.. just an impersonation of his official's call and his hurried departure to Delhi,resulted in what he wanted.. If Ranjan still persisted , he had another Ace up his sleeve, which he wld use judiciously...Till then Saachi was his and only his.....
Chapter 22
Breakfast that morning at the Jaiswhal house was one of mixed bag for Shravan. Waking up with bright spirits and eager to meet Saachi that day to discuss abt the MC scripts, he didnt expect Pratap to be a spoilsport....
" listen everyone my associate from Mumbai, Mr.Verma is here for a few days with his family... Ma aap ko yaad hai, jab mein 5 saal pehele, ek Jewellers conference ke liye Mumbai gaya, us samay yeh Verma ji helped me a lot.. Ab woh apna pariwar ke saath 3/4 din kelye yahan aagaya aur hes checked in a hotel..Shravan, plz on my behalf,take his family and show them in around Mussorrie and bring them home for dinner today... you ask your friends to take care at office , teek hai"....
Shravan's face fell, hiding his disappoinment and agreeing to his father's wishes he left for the hotel to oblige the Vermas....
" arre Pratap thum kyun Shravan ko bejha..cant you send Rajat, whos already familiar with Verma'...." maa, mein jo karraha hun sahi karraha hun... verma has a daughter; a beauty who has done gemology masters in the states.. I have seen her in Mumbai before she left for her higher studies...If all goes well we can make a match of verma's girl with our ladla..hope you all understand now'...
Shravan on his way to the hotel was grumbling... kya timing hai Hitler ki..here iam to act as guide to some unknown faces,wheras I cld have enjoyed seeing the face thats troubling me...mera kismet bahut khrab hai, hai na Sham... oh no woh kaisa ayega, I have even lost him...Ringing the room bell, he waited for Verma to open the door..
He saw a jeans clad high heeled petite figure with a tight fitting shirt, knotted around the navel...looking up further he saw a painted face; eyes lined with mascara, eyelashes highlighted with false ones, arched eyebrows, blue tinged eyeslids, deep red lips and a nose pierced with a huge ring.. the hair was closely cropped around the head and bleached blonde... for a moment Shravan was dazzled by this sight and was starring openly, but common sense prevailed and he asked " maaf kijiye yahan koi Prakash Verma from Mumbai is staying na"...
"oh so you are the boy, how sweet and desi looking.. well Iam Ruby, you know.. Ruby verma or Rupali as my father prefers to call me.. come in .. hey dad look whos here"...drawled Verma's daughter.. Shravan was taken aback.. "You are the boy. whats this tomboy saying.. agar mein ladka nahi toh,aur kya..Aaajeeb hai"...
" arre arre, aavo Shravan, your father had already informed me abt your services for us today..very nice.. you and rupali can also have the opportunity to get know each other.. two mangoes in one stone..your fathers ideas are always practical and wonderful"... said Prakash Verma...
"So this is what Hitlers' plans are"...he ground his teeth.. "wait till you get a dose of your own medicine all"... with a sweet smile, and honeyed voice, he started their guided tour of Mussorrie...
The whole day Shravan was in his best avatar.. he was to the point of discourtesy to Ruby in particular; teasing her looks and her accented language and later shunning and cold shouldering her; but very civil to her parents..
By the time the evening wore on Ruby was almost to the point of tears...
Just before he left them to get ready for dinner,Verma called him aside and shook his hands and hugged him happily... " Shravan am very happy today..
my daughter who had almost become a shrew after her stint in US,showed signs of changing to her good old self, thanks to you.. I will gladly inform Pratap abt my blessings for this alliance... teek hai beta, we will see you at your home at 8pm'.....
Shravan's face was a sight to watch.. all his best laid plans were shattered by these words...." lagtha hai yeh aadmi Hitler ka baap hoga...A full day's effort and work gone down the drain..jaldhi kuch karna hoga, warna mein in dono ke plans mein phasaunga... kya karnen, kaisa karnen.. haah dadhi hai na.. Zaroor woh madath karengi".... with a renewed hope he headed home...
Dinner was a lavish affair that night..When the Verma's walked in, they were greeted warmly by the hosts... the sight of Rupali evoked mixed responses from the family.. A somewhat rebuked Ruby, dressed in a plain salwar,but in still painted face and boyish appearance and accented language did not elicit much enthusiasm from Madhura or Dadhi.. Nidhi was reserving her opinions to herself, while Neetha didnt show any outward emotions... the two brothers were some what indifferent, least they influence their father's plans...
But the icing on the cake was Pratap's reaction, his emotions on his face...Too shocked at the sight, he had never imagined a beautiful girl undergoing such a dramatic change in these years... It was hard to digest for a man like him, still rooted in tradition and following and practicising the dharma of joint family system... To think that such a girl like Ruby, even if she changed her appearances, would be able to adjust and accomodate in this family was beyond his imagination...
With full dimplomacy and politeness, he delicately informed his visitor abt his apprehensions towards the alliance... such was his manner and handling of the situation ,Mr.verma hardly took any offence.. he understood his daughters shortcomings and blamed only himself for this predicament...
That night Shravan was so relieved, he felt like jumping with joy.. without any effort on his part to influence any family member, his worries were wiped away.. "Thank you God... Ab mera raastha clear hai...Saachi ji will be waiting for me tommorow"...like a child he liked his lips and hugged his pillows and shouted a goodnight to all(including GOD and Sham) and fell in to a dreamless deep sleep.....
Chapter 23
The next three days were the most significant ones in both their lives ...Shravan consciously aware of it, while Saachi was yet to realise the importance of it...Day in and day out he was there at the school.....sometimes discussing with her, sometimes meeting staff of other depts and some other times working with his own staff..
She saw him diligently going through each and every aspect of the task assigned to him... He climbed on trees and on walls, holding on to drain pipes just to get the right angles for his light fixtures and decorative pieces...He sat with her other staff and religiously noted down their inputs...Sunshine or chilly wind of this Autumn,didnt deter him from roaming around in the school, grabbing a bite whenever he could..A thorough professional he was; she saw him in a new light...
He saw her dedication to her work,her tireless energy and enthusiasm rubbing on to all others around her...Almost every staff he met had nothing but praises for her... A few years in the Doon, she was one of the most popular staff...The children,he saw were in awe of her, friendly with her and even idolised her.. A kind of medely of emotions they exhibited according to their ages...Never in his life he had seen or heard a music and dance teacher being the most favourite and popular among students of different classes...He saw a new facet of her personality.... His respect and regards for her grew leaps and bounds...
He heard her singing the songs she had composed for the ballet....Her melifluous voice was so divine.. he closed his eyes and let himself be carried away; far away into the deep space where everything was black and filled with vaccumn,except for the two of them and the soul stirring music and the heavenly voice....He saw her singing for the first time; a sight he wld always engrave deep in his mind.. Eyes open,sitting on chair, with students dancing around and watching them correcting their pose,her voice was drowning everything else...The rendition of raag Dharbari Kanada,( when Rapunzel sings to describe her separation from her parents) evoked a strange feeling of sadness,heart clenching emotion..Shravan felt as though she was reaching out to him, asking him to hold on to her tightely and never let go...He was lost in a different world never wanting to be back here...
For three days Shravan was in and out of his office...Though he had taken primary responsiblity of this project, he didnt forget his other commitments... He was also giving final finishing touches to the IAS alumini party,scheduled right after Doon's annual day...At nights his thoughts and heart, were filled only with the sights and sounds of Saachi... A new feeling he cldnt pinpoint what it was; but very pleasing and soothing like a feather on his cheeks...
On the evening of that third day, a Saturday,Saachi's house received a call from the Mishras... their son Ranjan, with due permission wld like to meet Saachi next day at a coffee shop or at the famous Mussorrie's municipal gardens... It was decided with consensus that mama and mami will accompany Saachi to the park and leave the young ones to meet after due introductions....That night Saachi slept a dreamless deep sleep, like a child without any care or worry about this troubled world....
Chapter 24
Sunday saw a hectic activity at the Sharma's house(Inder's surname was also Sharma)...saachi was bombarded on all sides,each giving different ideas and tips as to what to wear, how to look and how and what to talk;...." beta , thum yeh pink salwar, nahi woh green silk salwar, with works pehenlo...Sharmilla you braid her hair in french knots, aur Shreya thum, Saachi ko thodasa makeup kardo, aur... aur kya, hope I have not forgotten anything"... said a very anxious and concerned maami... " mammiji, dont worry,relax..I will see whats fit and suitable for me and do so"... said saachi...
Nannu and Naani advised her as to how she can ask her questions without offending the guy.. Mama, for his part, didnt spare her from his few wise words......Only Shreya , Sharmilaa and Rajeev left her alone... Shreya understanding the momentous occasion, the first time Saachi was allowed to see the guy outside the home and that too alone... While Sharmilla and Rajeev were watching the proceedings with a slight smirk and tinge of jealously...
Soon after breakfast, Saachi, dressed in a mustard yellow salwar suit with red embroidery thread on the neck and butti work all over,hair braided in a french knot and with very minimal makeup, left the house along with her mama and mammi....As prearranged they were waiting for Ranjan at the entrance of the Municipal garden, when a sleek car glided to a halt a few feet away from them...
Out stepped a tall, handsome, clean shaven man.. He was wearing a Charcoal grey Armani suit,matching red Versace tie, a black well polished Gucci shoes, an aviator Ray Ban sunglasses, a Rolex watch and had generously splashed himself with Zirh international cologne...To any discerning eye he wld radiate a man of wealth, to any consumer he wld be a walking advertisement of all International brands....But to Saachi's eyes he was a well dressed man, good looking , excuding a raw power and masculinity..she was even slightly intimidated by him...
After the preliminary introductions, they went to a quiet corner of the park and sat on a bench..."dekho beta.. thumare baaren mein bahut kuch suna, thanks to my inlaws...this is the first time am allowing my neice to meet someone outside the house.. so plz... and hope u understand my apprehensions"..mama ji cld help trying to convey his feelings to Ranjan...mami, ever since she set her eyes on him, was awed and speechless.."dont worry uncle ji.. I know and understand.. as soon we are finished here I will drop Saachi ji back home".....
" No, no no"..interjected mammi suddenly waking up...."Shreya will come here and then both saachi and she will do some shopping and come home.. you dont worry beta"... cooking up a new plan on the spur of the moment..." par mammi, mujhe..."... " haan Saachi thum shreya ke saath wapas aajaon"...she cut her of..
"Toh teek hai.. aap log baat cheeth karo, aur hum mandir jakkar baad mein ghar chalthen hein.. All the best"... Inder shook hands with Ranjan and with a knowing look at saachi, left them..Both mama and mammi cld help, glancing back and commenting on how wonderful they look as a jodi...
After their initial awkwardness,both slowly started on small talk and pleasentaries..."Saachi ji, I have heard so much abt you fron your grandparents, but never imagined you to be beautiful like this.. Indeed lucky is the man to wed you...I have something important to tell you and make a proposition later if you agree to my plans"..Ranjan said cryptically...Saachi, who was feeling shy and looking down, suddenly straightened and was all ears..."ji, bholiye'..
"Err .. how to put this... you see.. theres something..mmm plz dont take offence or ridicule me...hmmm..".....he swallowed and opened and closed his mouth but didnt have the courage to say what he wanted..."Ranjan ji if, your are seeing someone or in love, plz go ahead and say so..dont make this drama of farce bride seeing"..Saachi was slightly annoyed...
"hmmm ahem...Ji.. you see Am a Gay...I have a lover in the US...nobody knows abt this at my home.. they all think am a good straight guy and want me to settle in marriage...Since I have heard so much abt you I wanted to lay all the cards on the table and not disappoint you"....Saachi was so shocked and speechless.. before she cld recover her senses and speak came another volley of blow...
Suddenly Ranjan was at her feet and pleading.."Plz Ji, marry me and we will go abroad, you can divorce me there;.. you can go your separate way , me in my own way..This way, you can escape from this predicament of your orphaned life and I will be able to satisfy my parents wish... One stone;two mangoes...What do you say?".....he said...
Regaining her composure, saachi gave him a look,best described as looking at a pest and searching a fly swatter to squash it...Sick with his appearance and words, she was beyond anger...Without raising her voice, but conveying her disgust she said "Look Mr. Ranjan, who are you to decide my future...who gave you the authority to decide my marriage and shape my life...You dont have the guts to disclose your problems to your loved ones.. what a shame and farce life your are leading, cheating your good parents"....She spoke sternly,her face exhibiting her anger and disappoinment to see such a creature...
Ranjan who was now close to tears was pleading and cajoling her to marry him and not disclose anything to his parents.. he wanted to do anything rather than loose face in front of his loved ones...sick and tired of this sight and feeling nothing but contempt and pity, saachi said " Mr, now I propose a plan for you.. see a good therapist, either here or in US.. Be truthful to your parents,Am sure they will understand after their initial shock, but for heavens sake forget abt me.. leave me to lead my life in my own terms.. My only concession to you is, I will convey my rejection after 2/3 days giving you enough time to compose yourself and face the reality.. till then hope you will not precipitate any matters... Goodbye and Goodluck for your treatment....Never ever do this again for any other girl"....
With head held high, feeling lighter after so many days, euphoric for deciding thus, Saachi was a picture of dignity and woman power personified..She was like a walking example of Rabindranath Tagore's Gitanjali poem..A few verses cited here...
Where mind is without fear and head is held high
where knowledge is free;
Where world has not been brokenup
into fragments by narrow domestic walls
Where words come out from the depth of truth;
Where tireless striving stretches its arms towards perfection
Where the clear stream of reason
Has not lost its ways into the dreary desert sand of dead habit
Where the mind is led forward by thee into ever-widening thought and action---
Into that heaven of freedom, my Father, let my country awake.
Chapter 25
A furious Saachi, walked out of the park, without even a backward glance..Stopping, just to call Shreya and asking her to meet at Rajsri's hostel, she walked all the way to simmer down her anger and frustration...
She met them both.. A concerned Rajshri and equally shocked Shreya at the hostel..."What happened".... they both uttered at the same time...
Gesturing to them and cooling herself with some ice cold water,Saachi related all that happened at the park...
" That cad even had the audacity to ask ur hand in marriage..What temerity and who gave him the rt to decide for u"... shouted her friend walking to and fro inside the room..."These men are like leopard in a deer skin, so unassuming and normal and totally misleading and prowling for an innocent victim"...echoed a stunned Shreya...
"Believe me Shreya, life as a perpetual student is so much easier than actually earning a living and facing the prospect of marriage...How I wish mama and mammi leave me alone to choose my own lifemate and shape my destiny..Iam indebted to them, so much that I have to suffer all these pains and hurts"...Saachi cldnt help a few tears as her voice broke down...
To cheer her up, both decided to go out... As they were leaving the hostel they were joined by Uma and Amit... Allowing Saachi and Shreya to walk ahead of her Rajshri briefed the other two abt the happening at the park..Both elicited a furious response, much to her satisfaction....
As soon as Saachi and Shreya reached home, they were surrounded by eager and anxious faces of the whole family.....Not wanting to create a scene and hurt their feelings, Saachi quitely went to her room with a forced smile and cheerfulness..As previously decided with Shreya, she cldnt help lying to them and said "Dehkiye, mein do/teen din mein faisla karungi; tab tak is baren mein aap sab mujhe kuch bhi nahi poochiye, plz"...Seeing her resolve and her face none cld approach and ask her for further details...
The next day at school, Saachi tried her best to forget yesterday's fiasco....Shravan who was watching her cldnt help wondering, what brought abt this change in her...She was like an hurt tigress liking her wounds and snapped whoever came near her...Poor fellow he was at the receving end most of the time...When he tried to talk to her abt some changes in the programming order, she curtly replied..."Mr. Jaiswal, this was decided by the Dean and the organising committee, so no more changes okay"... when he tried to smile and compliment her singing,he received a cold stare and acknowledgement "Ji I know that; thank you" ....While on way to canteen, when their paths crossed she deliberately turned her way and avoided him...
"Today Saachi is definitely acting like a goat", he thought...."Whats eating her.. If someone had given a gun she cld have easily shot his head off, with or without any fruit on his head... This is a new facet to her dynamic personality... Let me get out of the way least she stabs me back"
...
By lunch time Saachi had run out of her steam and calmed down considerably..Never in her life had she let her personal problems affect her work and reflect in this kind of conduct... Sitting under a tree and discussing with her closest aide, she outlined her reasons for this aberration in her behaviour...Gopally, who was selecting the volunteers for the function nearby cldnt help overhearing this...Smiling benignly he walked away with a slight skip in his step...
The post lunch session of rehearsals went in full swing.. Seeing her wards doing an excellent job, brought the magnetic and charismatic smile on her face... Feeling remorse and slightly abashed she sought out Shravan and apologised for her behaviour... A speechless and awe struck Shravan was just starring at her hardly hearing what she was saying...What kind of blow hot , blow cold emotions she exhibits, he wondered... Woman-hard to understand; always an Enigma....
"Mr.Jaishwal,hello are you here; Wednesday is going to be a full dress rehearsal... Almost all our staff, Dean and the whole school will witness that.. so plz make sure all ur paraphernalias for the event is ready... We dont want any last minute problems okay"...
That evening as they left for home, Shravan was still in a confused state of understanding her; Saachi, now back to her old self, was more focussed abt the show and nothing else.....Little did they know what was in store for them that black wednesday....
...A man with remarkable ability for numbers and figures was a hopeless social outcast... But it was due to the Dean's effort and insistence he was inducted into the Doon yrs ago...With his help, he underwent psychiatric counselling and medical treatments..the efforts of which borne fruit;he was now grudgingly accepted somewhat by others and was given some standing in the society...
...
.....
her and shoving his nervous hands into his jeans pocket, waited with bated breath for her reply...
.... thinks he a Romeo.. hardly know him, here he is asking me to join for a cup of coffee
..Today asks to join for coffee; tommorow for a date and the next day say he wants to marry me.....Its better to keep a safe distance from such smarty pants
