PART 56A
Friday, May 13th!
7:10 PM
Ajmera Corp HQ
Light, breezy, effervescent. The trials and tribulations of an arranged marriage can wait!
She wore a stunning lemon yellow chiffon, with green vines running from bottom to midway. The blouse was not quite sleeveless. Afterall she had to go to Mahalakshmi! She had taken off work at 4 ish, gone home gotten a shower, changed and gone to the shrine.
The exposed back compensated for the extra inch on the arm. She wore two dozen green and yellow combination of glass bangles on her right wrist.
Paula was giving her updates every 15 minutes, on Shaan's where abouts. All because she asked her if Shaan was at the HQ or at the Site, and she had to come pick up a Supplemental Designs file from him.
Paula informed her he had made to the HQ around 5 PM, Khanak had plans to go surprise him at the Site, in a saree! She also decribed his clothes for her, blue jeans and a black tee, she said.
Paula was really excited that Khanak was making the move. She considered it as a top secret government project and swore complete alliegance to it! Khanak had laughed when Paula had told her "Jaan tumhaare aane tak, main guard ko bol degi ki who doors lock karega. That way we can keep him inside"
Khanak had worried, how Paula would explain it to the other guests and employees that were still working. Paula had declared unfazed "They will all join forces if I tell them the purpose".
Her Aada was arriving in the morning tomorrow. He had a lunch date at Gujrals, they had invited her as well. But she wouldn't go she said, as she had to go "shopping" for the wedding. He was still persuading her. Her ticket to Ahmedabad was booked, on the Gujarat Shatabdi leaving at 6: 25AM on Tuesday May 24th. It was Saaz's Bday on May 22nd and she had strict orders from Aman not to leave town that day!
Ritu would arrive on 27th. Khanak was going with her Kaki and her kids.
Her Kaka was expected to reach on 27th also. Khanak had finally brought herself to pack the last couple days, sorting her clothes, deciding which ones to take and the ones to leave behind. She knew Ritu was keeping the apartment until April 2012. She could always come back!
In more ways than one'''''''.
Ritu had one thing to say to her every morning " Quit being so negative! Mystery! Enjoy kar! This arranged marriage thing is so fun. Even I am trying it, to dekh le"
Khanak would respond with "Kuch zyaada jaldi nahi nahi hai? I mean, Sooraj ko gaye abhi ek saal hua hai? Am I desperate?"
Ritu would reassure her with a "Are you mad or what?" "Please Khanak, you must stop beating yourself up so much. If you like being with Shaan, if you want to talk with him, that tells me, something has changed. Learn to acknowledge the truth and let go of your fears". "If you happen to mention Sooraj this many times around Shaan, I am surprised he is not ballistic". "Sooraj WAS, Shaan IS , tu apna grammar theek kar le, life bhi sahi ho jaayegi"
This scene played out with different words almost every morning since engagement.
Ritu was planning a quick trip to Delhi for the "roka" ceremony. There will be a formal grand engagement after the monsoons. Their building was abuzz with news and gossip about khanak's wedding. Many speculated he is a movie actor and is doing this wedding for his "image". Khanak never really cared about anybody, so it did not bother her at all, Ritu painstakingly explained to the people she spoke with about how much of a fairy tale it was.
The evening was much cooler than the day was. Heads were turning all evening when she stepped out of her cab, or train. There was something beautiful yet fragile about the way she looked in the saree today. She got off at the 25th, Paula was waiting like a hawk. She ordered her to deposit her laptop case and her purse AND her cell phone with her and urged her to walk empty handed.
There were a couple guests waiting, a young guy whose jaw dropped when she made her entrance. He openly admired her. Paula was ready to fling him out the window. Instead she pushed his appointment out another half hour and made him wait longer.
Khanak gingerly made her way to his cube. He was busy working, typing away furiously, both flat screen monitors were lit, one had the CAD application open the othet had Outlook, instant messenger and a couple of other apps.
He ran his fingers thru his hair, in the process of thinking about something.
She stood outside his cube without saying a word.
Shaan: The file must be really special, ... If you dress up like THAT to come get it! 😳😳😳
(mocking while slowly turning around, checking her out)
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