Part 199 A
Sunday October 13th 2012
Noon
Ritu asked if Shaan was around, she had said he was the reason she went, Ritu had asked if they've patched up, Khanak had said "Its not a "tiff" "Its formal separation. With Dad's ultimatum thrown in, its taking on a legal angle now"
Ritu scolded her for being negative, she told her in turn how Shaan played along and laughed at her epxense
Ritu reassured her all will be well'''. Khanak did not know any more'..
The task was arduous and she was all alone''..
No sign of Shaan in the morning, Samar didn't even wake her, in fact she had, herself around 10:30, Samar's maid had fixed her a huge breakfast, giving curious looks all the while
Samar had joked about how enraged Shaan would be if he found out that the amid thinks Samar and Khanak had a thing going
Khanak had laughed too
He was a perfect host, kind, compassionate, not saying or asking one word about their relationship
Asked her if she would go shopping instead to buy something for the "friend"
Khanak had agreed instantly
He had given her a ride until IIT Gate and then she had insisted she wud take an auto
She let herself in, her phone rang again, it was Pradyun wanting to know when she was meeting him for lunch, shedeclined saying she spent the nite out
He being his impatient, curious, edgy self, had asked "Are you dating some one?"
"NO!" she had denied
"Phew!" was his response
Prad: Lets meet Khanak
Khanak: I am not sure it's a good idea Pradyun, aapko padhna chahiye
Pradyun: Speak to me in hindi when we meet
Khanak: I cant meet you this week
Prad: Are you and Shaan getting back together?
Khanak being super private, had said " Shud you even be asking me this question?"
Prad: Ofcourse! I want to know
Khanak: I will always be your friend'..
Prad: Khanak, be honest'..
Khanak thinks "Your brother will kill me first"
Khanak: Pradyun apna project complete karo aap
Pradyun: I am coming by next week, I havent seen your apartment
Khanak; Its brick and mortar and has two rooms
Pradyun: YOU live in it
That line makes her super wary'
Khanak: Hmmm
Pradyun: See you next week?
Khanak: Maybe'
Hangs up, walks up to the mirror, stares at her reflection, well rested eyes, sad, but well rested, crumpled clothes, dishevelled hair '''.
She takes a shower and changes into her fave pink cotton track pants and an old life is good tee.
Putters around in the kitchen, trying to fix lunch, her mind wanders to Samar's bedroom, and Shaan, "I am celibate" he had said''. "There is no one then?"
A quick smile escapes her lips
A warm glow fills her all over, she goes to the living room, turns the AC on and leans on the wall, hugs a cushion and shuts her eyes'''
Reliving every second of the intimacy''' he was so close, so demanding,'''..
"Dad's not going to like it?' Reality hits her
"Dad?"
"Dad has no idea I went chasing after you like a fool, if he did he would never approve" Khanak thinks shamefully
"He had asked me to stay away from him"
Her heart pumps huge amounts of blood in fear, Vishal Desai, Dad was not kidding, if Shaan and her did not work it out, he would make it all final with Vishal
"What if Shaan does not want me back?"
Fear shocks her into standing up, she picks up her phone in auto pilot and calls her Aada
He picks up
Kaise hain Aada?
He sounds pleased "Ekdum fit"
"Aap khush hain?"
Tumne call jo kiya" he says
Khanak is shocked "Haan magar"
"Kab aa rahi hai milne?"
"Main aaoon?" (Will you let me)
"Zaroor" he says
Khanak is overjoyed, wants to know why he is happy
"Bus khush hoon, tere, mera matlab Sunil ji ka phone aaya tha"
The moment he switches from "tere sasur" to "Sunil ji" she knows there is trouble
Khanak: Haan? Kya kaha unhoney?
Aada: Yahi ki tumhe aur Shaan ko do mahine ka time diya hai
Khanak's heart sinks she worries how much more Dad has said
Khanak: Aur?
Aada: Aur kuch nahi, kyon?
Khanak: Kuch aur nahi kaha?
Aada: nahi beta
Khanak: Main milne aoon?
Aada: Shaan ko bhi saath lekar (smiles)
"Ofcourse! That's so easy" she thinks'.. but says "Jee" "Shaayad who busy hongey, main akele nahi aa sakti?"
Aada: Aa sakti ho, kyon nahi hamari phone par baat karwa dena (gushes)
Khanak is caught between a rock and a hard place'''.
Khanak: Main Thursday tak call karoon?
Aada: bai bua ke ghar gayi hai, who bahut khush hai, tu sham ko phir call kar achha?
Hangs up
She stares at the phone, worrying just how many people will be disappointed if they legally end the marriage'''
She orders Chinese take out and spends the afternoon working, she sees her husband online but does not ping him, he doesn't either''
Seeing emails from him reminds her of every word they exchanged, last nite
"Gawd! What a fool he must think I am" she shuts her eyes in shame''..
"He talks to me if I am around, If I am not I don't exist for him any more"
Monday October 14th 2012
DLF Towers
11:37 AM
She steps out of the meeting, Sabina is mighty pleased with her, all her Sunday slogging resulted in some good review of designs and a lot of timely modifications
She had vowed not to worry about her personal crap furing work hours "Yep! That's me! The new Khanak" "I don't know if I am a Gujral or Mistry any more" "But I will have a good time at work and not worry about where my life after work is headed"
Swati and Ira had pinged her about coffee twice already,
She had told them to head downstairs, she set her laptop on her desk and rushed out, her hair was untied this morning, part damp''. Part dry
She snuck into the elevator in the last minute''.
A handful stood in it, they got off at 10th, and her husband entered''..
She took a step back and felt the icy brass rail on her back
He had an inscrutable expression
She deliberately ignored him
Shaan: Not very chatty now I see (mocked)
Khanak smiled, artificially
Shaan: All conversation dried up on Facebook ?
Crowds her, playing with a lock of her hair behind her ear''
"Oh God!" formed in her mind''. As she tried to recall the convo
Pradyun had posted a picture of his, a new one with stubble and a caption
"YOU know why? ;)"
She had written: "Why?"
To which he had responded "Weekend project" (meaning, "meet me next weekend and I will shave it off")
She had responded "Busy😉"
To which he had said "Bored 😭"
To which she had said "Never bored being busy 😃"
Many of his friends had typed a "???" to the convo between the two
Khanak: just trying to intrigue people😳😳!
The elvator stop and more people get on, he puts a lot of distance between them just before the doors open