Chapter 17
“Mumma, please…leggo,
no kissy-wissy…not here. My friends will make fun of me.” Adi rubbed his
cheeks, looking back at the gate from where a throng of boys of varied ages
came out. Gingerly he stepped out of his mother’s ferocious hug and waved at
some of the boys.
“It’s OK to be kissed
by your mother, champ. She was much worried for you.” Raj ruffled Adi’s hair,
which was all mussed and sweaty from his game.
Adi stared at Raj for a
brief second and stepped back into Naina’s arms, curling his arms around her
neck, “Sorry mumma. I was worried for you too. That man was here again, and I
was concerned. So I called Raj uncle.”
Naina gave her son a
tight squeeze and stood up, “You did right, Adi. That man won’t bother us again.
Raj uncle took care of him.”
“Super!!” He extended
his fist toward Raj, who banged it back with of his own, “Did you beat him uncle?
Did you? Did you?”
Raj laughed, “Yeah, I
might have…a little.”
“Wow!!” Adi’s eyes went
wide, “I wish I was there.”
Just then two boys of
Adi’s age walked up to them, “Adi, here…you forgot your water bottle.” Adi
thanked them, and before he could introduce them, one of them, who hadn’t taken
his eyes of Raj, completely blindsided them by asking, “Hey Adi, is he the one
who is going to be your papa?”
Adi went all red, as he
shuffled on his feet and focused on his bottle as if it was an object of deep
study. Naina gaped. Her eyes looked as if they were going to pop out of her
head even as heat rushed to her cheeks and her mouth formed a perfect “O.”
Raj chuckled and saved
the day for them, “No, young man. You are mistaken. For now, I am just Adi’s
friend.”
The boy wouldn’t give
up, “Oh, I am sorry, uncle. I thought you were the soldier uncle who was going
to marry Aunty. Adi said that …”
But what Adi said was
never heard, as Adi suddenly found his tongue and nudged his bigmouthed friend,
“Jeet, your parents are here. Aren’t you going for the movies? Look, they are
waving…Hurry.”
After his friends ran
off, Adi sheepishly braved a peek at his mother, who was still staring at her
son as if he had grown horns, “Explain yourself, Aditya Bhatia.”
“Err…mumma, don’t
bother about Jeet. He blabbers a lot unnecessarily.” He tried his winning
smile, which waned as his mother’s grave expression was not dented.
“Seems to me it was you
who has been blabbering…as well as assuming a lot. You owe Raj uncle an
apology.” She gestured toward Raj.
Raj spoke up then, “No.
He doesn’t. Nothing has occurred that warrants an apology.” He bent down to
Adi, “It’s OK son. Just remember that sometimes it is better to keep to
yourself what you wish for. Silent wishes are heard louder by God.”
“Really? I’ll remember
that. I am sorry, uncle.”
“No harm done. Now, go
and sit in the car.”
Raj turned to Naina who
was staring at him in confusion, “Raj, I don’t know where that came from. I am
really sorry.”
“But I am not.” He
tilted his head and smiled at her, the intensity in his eyes snuffing out any
other word that tried to escape from her jumbled-up brain. He held her by the
arm and turned toward the car, bending down sideways to whisper, “Children’s
hearts are as transparent as spring water, Naina. Adi only articulated what he
sensed between us.” He loosened his grip on her and swiped an unsteady hand
through his hair. Knowledge of Adi’s hidden yearning had affected him to the
core. He opened the car door and paused to look into her large eyes, “You can’t
fight this, Naina. We are meant to be. Meeting
you was fate, becoming your friend was a choice, falling in love with you was
not in my control, and now, more than ever, I am sure that being together is
our destiny.”
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Naina stared at herself
in the mirror. A beautiful woman with troubled eyes stared back at her. She was
used to dressing low key…always. This was the first time in years she had taken
care to dress up. She was wearing an elegantly designed red and black jamwar saree that had embroidery and
patchwork on the pallu and border. It
was a birthday gift from Ranima. She never had any occasion to wear it before.
Smiling sadly she realized how the colors were a reflection of the ambiguous
disposition of her heart. She had lightly curled her hair and let it down in
loose waves….just as Raj loved them. For some twisted reason she wanted to look
good today…just for him. For once she didn’t want to look over her shoulders
and be reminded of what could not be. For once she wanted to be the Naina she
was and look at the unabashed look of love and admiration in Raj’s eyes without
feeling guilty and ashamed. Throughout the afternoon Raj’s words had filled her
head and heart: Being together is our
destiny. She picked up her phone and reached for a picture of Raj that she
had stored. It was a picture of him laughing at something Adi had said, on the
day they had visited the zoo. On a whim she had clicked him. She stared at his
handsome profile through glistening eyes. A stab of excruciating pain, almost
physical, cruised through her as she envisioned her loss…a loss of something
that was never hers to begin with. Why did life have to be so complicated? She
loved Raj; He loved her. Why couldn’t it be that simple? Yet nothing
was….Everything was intricate. Sinful. Undefeatable. Real. Scary. Manmeet was
on his way here. Maybe he was already here. Tomorrow may change all the
equations in her life. Reality was bound to raise its ugly head sooner than
later, just like the early spring sun bathing the valley. And when that
happens, what will be left? Will Raj still love her then? Will he even look at
her? Will she be able to withstand the disgust, revulsion, hatred, or, worse
still, pity that will replace the warmth in his deep eyes?
Naina closed her eyes
and took a deep breath. But all that’s tomorrow. She still had tonight. Tonight
she will forget the reality and live her childhood fantasy. Tonight she will
bask in the love of her prince. Tonight she will be happy. One night. In this
one night she will amass all the joys for a lifetime. Her choice made, she
opened her eyes with a smile and kissed Raj’s picture, “I love you Raj. I shall
always love you…till my last breath. You are the other part of me: the better
part. But you are wrong. We are not meant to be.”
She kept the phone and
turned as there was a knock and beeji’s voice called out. “Naina, are you
ready?”
“I am, beeji. Just a
minute.” Naina opened the door with a smile and stepped back. Beeji stepped
into the room with a wondrous expression. Naina pirouetted on her toes,
“Well…what do you think? Do I look OK?”
Beeji cupped Naina’s
face and said, “You look stunning, my child. You are going to be the
showstopper tonight…No doubts about that.”
Naina giggled and
hugged the woman who may not have given her birth, but had given her life and
was her parent in every sense of the word. Beeji took Naina’s hand and kept a
jewelry box in her hand, “This is for you, Naina. Wear this tonight and make me
happy.”
Naina opened the box
and saw an exquisite gold and ruby set, “Oh beeji! This is beautiful. Did baba
give you this?”
“Yes, Naina. On our
wedding. I want you to have it.”
“But beeji. I can’t
possibly take this. Baba’s memories are in this.”
“He would have wanted
his daughter to wear it, Naina. I am only following his wishes. Here, let me
put it for you.”
Naina met Adi at the
landing. He was wearing a tuxedo and looked suave and princely.
“Wow mumma! You look
like a queen.”
Naina did a little
curtsey and smiled, “And you look magnificent. Will my little prince honor me
by escorting me downstairs?” She then extended her hand.
Adi grinned and then
sobered up. Squaring his shoulders he gravely put his hand in his mother’s, “Yeah. Cool.
I mean, yes ma’am.”
*******************************************
“Raj uncle, see I am
escorting a queen.” They were in the middle of the stairs. This was a surprise.
Naina had told Raj they would come by themselves, and that he need not come to
take them. Obviously that had fallen on deaf ears. She suddenly tensed. Raj had
never seen her all decked up. She wondered what his reactions would be.
Raj was texting in his
phone and was sitting on a leather chair facing away from the staircase. On
hearing Adi, he turned and was dumbstruck. The vision he beheld knocked away
his senses. His jaw slackened and his eyes darkened with unrestrained passion
as he slowly got up from the chair. He ran his fingers through his hair and
then spread his hands toward her, “Naina. You look beautiful. Absolutely
gorgeous.”
Naina blushed, “You
really think so?”
“Every other woman in
the party is going to pale against your beauty. Am I right beeji?” The last to
the older lady who had walked into the room.
“I have been telling
Naina the same thing.” Beeji smiled at them knowingly.
“And me? How do I look
uncle?” Adi put his hands on hips and cocked his head to one side.
“You look handsome,
son. Beware of the girls tonight.”
“Eww, girls! Tanu and I
will keep away from them. Why didn’t she come with you?”
“She is waiting for you
at the mahal, Adi. Come, let’s go.” Adi walked ahead with beeji. Raj turned to
Naina and gave her his hand, “May I?”
Naina found herself
staring at the striking and magnificent man in front of her. He looked utterly
handsome in a ceremonial military dress, with silver cross-belt and epaulets as
well as an impressive array of medals adorning his chest. All in all, the
combination of that face, those hypnotic eyes, and the regal bearing was
lethal. She couldn’t take his eyes off him. She came down to earth when she
heard him clear his throat, “Err…Naina. Is something wrong? You seem to be in a
trance.”
Red heat crept up from
her neck to her cheeks as she realized what she was doing…blatantly checking
him out. She blushed to the roots and kept her hand on his extended hand, “So sorry,
Raj. I have never seen anyone in such a magnificent uniform before. I hadn’t
meant to stare.”
“Now you are hurting my
feelings. Do you mean to say that only the uniform is magnificent? What about
the man in it?”
She shook her head, “No…no
I didn’t mean…,” and then broke off before narrowing her eyes, “Are you fishing
for compliments or pulling my leg?”
Raj’s lopsided, amused
smile didn’t help her cause, nor did his words as he bent and whispered in her
ears, “Do you even know how transparent your eyes are? They just paid me the
sexiest compliment.”
“Stop flirting Raj. You
are incorrigible.” She grinned and then turned to lock the door after they had
stepped out into the porch. Before they moved toward the car, Naina turned to
Raj, “Thanks for coming. You need not have though. We would have managed.”
He turned to her with a
seriousness that took her breath away, “Nothing in the world would have kept me
away, Naina. This is my right.” He brushed a stray hair off her cheek, tucking
it behind her ear, and then bent to place a lingering kiss on her forehead. The
tender gesture almost did her in as Naina fought to curb the raw sob that nearly
escaped her throat. She controlled herself and stored the beautiful moment in
her cache of memories.
Rawin Mahal was lit up
and looked spectacular in its grandeur. As they stepped through the door, Tanu,
looking like a doll in a frilly frock, ran and hugged Naina, “Aunty, I have
been waiting for you. Please put this on my head. Bela didi cannot do it. She
is spoiling my hair.” She held a little tiara in her hand.
Naina knelt and
adjusted it on her head, “There. Now you look like a little princess. As pretty
as a fairy.”
Tanu shyly kissed Naina
and went and stood next to Adi. He took her hand and both of them went in
search of badi ma. By the time Naina went and greeted Ranima and had a final
look at the kitchen, the first guests had started arriving.
One hour into the
party, it was apparent that the evening was a huge success. Ranima introduced her
grandson to everyone personally with such pride that it caused a lump to form
in Raj’s throat. Soon the crowd moved into the ballroom where a live band
played old, classic numbers. Raj guided his nanisa to the dance floor for the
customary opening dance. Soon many couples joined them. Duty over, Raj’s eyes
searched for Naina. She was nowhere, nor were the kids. He caught beeji’s eyes,
who silently gestured toward the terrace. He weaved his way over to the terrace
to find the most adorable scenario. Leaning against the door, he watched Naina dance
a waltz with an imaginary partner, with Adi and Tanu following her as she
taught them how to do the basic steps. She bent to adjust Adi’s hand behind
Tanu, instructing him where exactly to keep it, as Tanu squirmed. She instantly
made a serious face as Adi gave her a stern look and told her to concentrate.
Naina straightened, trying hard to keep a straight face, and lifted her hand
only to find it placed on Raj’s shoulder, who then proceeded to take her other
hand and spin her around. “My dance, I believe.”
They danced in blissful
silence before the kids nudged them and demanded they too be included. That’s
how beeji found the four of them, dancing and laughing, as she came to call
them for dinner. She stood watching them with her hands clasped to her bosom
and eyes welling up and then looked up at the night sky as she wished, “Please God…if I have done any good in this
life, then let this family come together to join for eternity.”
********************************************
“No arguments, Naina. I
am going to stay the night and take you both to the temple tomorrow morning.”
“But Raj, you don’t
have to. You are needed at the mahal. Someone has to see to the closure of the
party. I would have stayed back had the panditji not given the dawn-breaking
time for the puja. Adi has to wake up early and take a bath. And if you are
worried about the security, then don’t. The two guards are good.”
It was only during the
dinner that Raj came to know that the next day was Naina’s family’s death
anniversary….a day on which she offered prayers in Chamunda Devi temple. For
the past two years, Adi was performing the main puja.
Beeji stayed back at
the mahal to help Ranima supervise the wrapping up. Tanu had slept on Naina’s
lap midway during the dinner. Raj had changed into jeans and shirt and packed
an overnight bag. Now, as he drove them to beeji’s house, Raj refused to give
in to Naina’s demands that he go back after dropping them home, “Don’t be
difficult, Naina. This is non-negotiable. I am not going anywhere.”
He smiled as Naina harrumphed
and muttered, “Bully!”, and Adi giggled, “It’s fun when you both fight.”
Raj grinned, “I never
fight, son. Your mother does. She is a real firecracker.”
And, then, to Naina’s
consternation the two laughed aloud. She crossed her arms and glared at them, “What’s
so funny? We’ll see how you like it if I go all quiet on you.”
Raj stopped the car in
front of the gate as Adi jumped out, still chuckling. Raj turned in his seat
and cupped Naina’s face, not smiling anymore, “Don’t say that, my love. I won’t
know how to handle it if ever that happens. You are my miracle, and I will
never let you lose your sparkle. I love you.” He caressed her cheek, her heart
melting at the way he looked at her. As they got down from the car, Raj’s
mobile rang.
“What? How did it
happen? Has anyone called the fire brigade?... Yes!...The horses?...OK…OK…I am
on my way.”
“What happened, Raj?
“The stables caught
fire.”
“Oh my God! The horses…”
“They are all fine.” He
held Naina by the shoulders, “Naina, I have to go, but I won’t be gone long. I’ll
come back…OK? You take care.”
Before Naina could say
anything, he turned toward the house and shouted, “Bahadur!!”
“Yes Sir!” One of the
guards ran up to him.
“I’ll be back in a
couple of hours. Be alert. Call me if you find anything unusual.”
“Yes Sir! One thing
Sir, there is…”
Raj’s mobile rang
again. He turned away, dismissing the guard with the wave of his hand as he
spoke urgently on the phone. Once done, he strode to where Naina stood with her
arms around Adi. Without any preamble, he pulled them in a tight hug, and
whispered into Naina’s ear, “Be careful, love.”
“I will be, Raj. Don’t
worry about us. We’ll be fine. Now go.”
Raj drove away after a
lingering look at the two people who along with Tanu had become his life. “Tomorrow,”
he promised himself, “Tomorrow after the puja. Somehow I will convince her.”
Naina sighed and
unlocked the door, simultaneously answering Adi’s tumbling queries about the
fire. She locked the door and kept the keys on the side table. They stood
chatting at the front door for a few minutes, with Naina removing her jewelry.
They then moved into the living room. Naina kept the jewelry and mobile on the
center table and turned to ask Adi whether he needed any milk before turning
over. Her eyes fell on a black coat that draped the leather chair…the same
chair on which Raj sat just a few hours ago. She sucked in her breath as her
eyes darted wildly around the room.
“Hello, wife!”
*****************************************
To
be continued……………
