The Astral Alibi

by Manjiri Prabhu

  “Oh! Introduce her, as in—this is my good-friend-cum-wife-to-be?” Sonia asked carefully, hiding her surprise. Jatin was surely taking long strides in a very short period of time

  His grin widened. “Not exactly. I shall do that only after you give me the green signal. First you read the horoscopes, give me the thumbs-up, then I propose, and then I announce! Right now, she will be introduced as a special friend. But I’m sure my parents will take the hint.”

  “You’ve got it all lined up in your head, haven’t you?” Somehow Sonia didn’t know why she was so surprised. Was it because of the speed with which Jatin’s love affair seemed to be rolling? Or because she never really expected him to ever get this serious about any girl?

  “Go ahead,” she told him. “But Ganapati is drawing to a close. After that, you won’t have so much time courting your girl-friend,” she warned.

  “I know that, Boss. That’s why I’m making the most of this time. And take my advice, you should use this holiday, too! Go out with Mohnish, go to DDLJ with him for the late-night show.”

  “No thanks!”

  “Or simply romp around town with him, the weather’s so romantic, so perfect for two souls in love to be together—”

  “Hold it! Who said I’m in love with Mohnish?” Sonia exclaimed.

  “You don’t have to say anything, Boss. Your eyes speak for you.” Jatin aired his opinion grandly.

  “I agree with you. Sonia has the most expressive eyes I ever saw!” Mohnish remarked, entering the room with a flourish.

  Sonia blushed. What perfect timing! How much had Mohnish heard? Jatin could be such an idiot at times. She scowled at her Assistant, but he was grinning from ear to ear.

  “By the way, why were you complimenting Sonia?” the journalist asked, drawing out a chair and making himself comfortable.

  “All I was saying—” Jatin began.

  But his Boss cut him off neatly. “Do you want the day off, or not, Jatin?” she asked him, in her best blackmail tone. She felt like throttling him at times!

  “I want the day off!” Whistling cheekily, he left the room.

  Mohnish grinned. “You and Jatin constantly share secrets and leave me out of it.”

  Sonia laughed and rolled her eyes heavenwards. “Secrets with Jatin! He’s more used to ladling out mature advice to me.”

  “Has he been urging you to leave this office and spend some time out in the beautiful outdoors?”

  Sonia was a little startled. Had Mohnish put ideas in her Assistant’s fertile brain? Or had he actually overheard their talk?

  “More or less!”

  “Good, because I was going to suggest the same. What are you doing for lunch today?”

  “The usual.”

  “Come on, then, let’s go.”

  “Go where?”

  “Don’t ask irrelevant questions on such a lovely day!”

  “Don’t you have work to do?”

  “I’ve followed your excellent example. No cases for you these ten days and no media work for me, too! Though that’s not strictly true, of course. I do have a coverage of the last day, the visarjan sohla—the procession of the immersion of Ganesh. But that is still two long days away. So why worry about it now? Are you coming or not?”

  Sonia sighed. Everyone seemed to be dominating her nowadays. First her parents, her Assistant, and now Mohnish. Well, all right. She may as well be a little flexible! And accede to Jatin’s advice and have a good time!

  And she did have a whale of a time. Mohnish drove her all round town, pointing out and pausing at the huge dekhave decorated with images out of Ramayana and Mahabharata; life-size mythological figures; a sixty-foot statue of God Hanuman; water sprouting out of the top-bun of the hair of Lord Vishnu; or just plain mountainous idols of the Lord Ganesh. Even though the dekhave were better appreciated during the nighttime with their dramatic lighting, the crowds still moved around them as if they were on a permanent picnic.

  It was only while they took the turn from Chandanai Chowk to Mulshi that the rain began its downpour again.

  “Now where are we going?” Sonia felt invigorated, excited, and heady. She couldn’t care less where they were headed, she felt so relaxed.

  “We’re going to have a late lunch at a personal favourite restaurant of mine!” Mohnish announced. His hair was wet and tousled with the wind and rain and he looked disturbingly handsome in his jeans and blue denim jacket.

  The drive took fifteen minutes down the serpentine road, with stretches of green trees on the right and rolling hills on the left. The rain pattered on the roof of the car. Sonia glanced at Mohnish’s profile, noting his total concentration on the slippery road. Suddenly he turned and looked at her. Their eyes locked momentarily, and for precious moments, time froze. Then he tore his gaze away and focused once again on the road. But Sonia was reeling with the impact of the look. There had been so much desire and intensity in his smileless gaze that suddenly the close confines of the car made her uncomfortable. The gaze had stoked emotions she wasn’t even aware she possessed and her heart had picked up erratic speed. She stared out of her window at the lush green hills and took slow, deep breaths.

  When they had parked, they had to make a run for the restaurant so as not to get completely drenched. It was only when they were seated that Sonia realised that they were on a hill, overlooking the bloated Manas lake. Despite the rain, a weak sun shone, layering the landscape with gold.

  “What a lovely view!”

  “Isn’t it?” Mohnish looked pleased. “I knew that you could appreciate it.”

  “I hope the food is good. I’m hungry!” Sonia admitted, smiling. “You order. I’m going to go fetch two bhuttas for us!”

  Before he could respond, she rose and headed towards a man in kurta pyjamas and a muddy white scarf tied around his head, roasting bhuttas on a cart. Mohnish watched her stride gracefully to the man.

  Sonia turned to flash him a quick smile. She knew he was observing her and thinking about her. But for the moment, she felt in a better frame of mind to accept the fact. Neither conscious nor ill equipped. She experienced an unrestrained thread of freedom run through her. She could cope with anything today!

  The man turned the two cobs on the hot coals till they were a crusty brown, then rubbed salt, red pepper, and lime on them.

  “Put lots of chili on them, please,” Sonia told him, extracting money from her handbag.

  He placed the cobs on a corn cover and took the money.

  Mohnish observed her as Sonia and the vendor exchanged comments. She was such a unique person, he thought. Beautiful and elegant when the occasion required it; tough and indomitable at times; and compassionate, empathetic, and concerned when the need arose. A perfect combination. And in the car, that one moment when he had looked at her—it had been a moment of truth for him and it had hit him like a jolt. He was in love with Sonia!

  As she walked towards him, he decided that he had to do something about it. Today. Now. She slipped into the chair beside him.

  “Lots of spice and lime. I hope you like it that way,” she said, handing him a cob.

  “Thanks, I’ve ordered Pav Bhaji for us.”

  “Good, I love it.” She bit into the cob, savouring the spicy, tangy taste.

  Sonia was silent as she devoured the bhutta. A frown marred her pretty face.

  “Do you know, Mohnish, a person is like a corncob? You think the corn is so big, and then you peel away the multiple layers and you discover that, bare and stripped of its covers, it’s almost half the size inside. Most people are like that. But you barely notice it, since it might take a lifetime to peel away the layers of self-defence, respect, greed, love, age, and God knows what else. And there’s the possibility that you may never ever get under the layers at all. In a majority of the cases.”

  “Hmm…” Mohnish shrugged. “Most people do live with all the layers on anyway. Layers which they themselves aren’t aware exist!”

  “Right.”


  “What brought this on?” he asked, curious.

  The waiter arrived with the Pav Bhaji and Sonia waited for him to leave. The rain continued to fall around them, enclosing them in misty white. Sonia watched idly as a group of youngsters arrived in a Jeep, ran into the shelter of the restaurant, laughing and giggling, oohing and aahing at the landscape.

  “I guess I’m thinking about Jatin,” she remarked, spooning her bhaji.

  “What about him?” he asked, tucking into the meal.

  “He seems pretty serious about Naina.”

  “And does that bother you?”

  “Yes and no. He’s too young to get married or even to get serious about any girl. Of course, that’s my opinion. He doesn’t seem to think so.” She grimaced. “He’s madly in love with Naina. That guy is on a mission and nothing will dissuade him. He’s simply waiting for me to read Naina’s horoscope and give him the green signal. And somehow I feel responsible. I don’t want to give him the green signal just yet, but I guess if all is well with the horoscope, I will have to.”

  “And Naina. You do approve of her, don’t you?”

  Sonia took a few seconds before she responded. “I like Naina. She’s beautiful, she’s sensitive, she’s perfect for him. There’s not a fault I can find in her.”

  “So then, what’s the problem?” Mohnish asked. “I thought the two were very well suited when I met with them at your house the other day. Jatin is a lucky guy.”

  “Yes, but she has a sister who is completely dominating and frightens her to death!” Sonia narrated the asthma incident. “I’m afraid Priya may continue to influence and affect Naina all her life. Basically, she doesn’t seem like a nice person.”

  “You cannot choose your relatives. You just have to accept your family as it is and move on. And besides, Jatin can’t have it all. He’ll get a perfect mate in Naina.”

  “I guess you’re right. But Jatin’s not perfect himself.”

  “Now, that is an argument that won’t gel!” He laughed. “Worried that Jatin’s admiration will now be divided between you and Naina?”

  Sonia smiled. “I’m not certain that’s a bad thing to happen! He pays far too much attention to me anyway. Always correcting me in a condescending and patronising manner, thinking he knows what’s best for me. But he’s a dear. Can’t think of a day without him!”

  “Hey, now you’re making me jealous!”

  “Jealous?” Sonia raised startled eyes and found him staring at her, a burning intensity in his brown eyes. A thick lock of hair fell attractively over his forehead and she had an urgent desire to flick it away.

  He leaned forward and casually took her hand in his. A shiver ran down her spine and her throat went dry.

  “Sonia, you’re a beautiful and intelligent girl and…I’ve been wanting to talk to you for a while now, but somehow couldn’t muster the courage. Or the occasion wasn’t right. But I’ve decided that I’ve got to get it off my chest. I—”

  “Stop!” she gasped, and snatched her hand away abruptly. “Don’t say a word more!”

  “But…” He looked startled.

  “No, not now. I’m not ready!” she exclaimed, desperate to put an end to the breathless thudding of her heart.

  “Ready? I was going to ask you to pay the bill. I’ve forgotten my wallet!” Mohnish burst out laughing.

  Sonia blushed beet-red. “You…What! You tell a girl she’s beautiful and intelligent so that she can pay the bill?”

  “Sometimes.” He stopped laughing, but continued grinning. “Okay, that’s not strictly true. But you panicked. And I had to shake off that stricken look. You looked as if I were about to announce a death penalty!”

  “You’re impossible!” Sonia shook her head, a mixture of contradictory emotions flitting over her. Disappointment and annoyance rolled into a dash of relief. Then her humour surfaced and she laughed. “All right. I admit I panicked. Now, have you finished? I have some important work to do and I must return to the office. Do you or don’t you have your wallet?”

  “I do, ma’am!” He dug into his back pocket and extracted a black leather wallet.

  “You deserve a punishment for that sick joke,” she said sternly.

  “I’m all yours!” He paid the bill and rose, a wicked grin still on his lips.

  Sonia averted her gaze. “Good. Because I have a busy evening lined up for you.”

  “I can’t wait!”

  They both raced through the rain to the warmth of his car.

  The huge Banyan tree sheltered the couple from the light rain as they sat in peaceful silence on the yellow-painted wooden bench beneath it. Jatin was sitting cross-legged, humming a song from the movie they had just seen under his breath, holding a huge black umbrella in his left hand as the rain fell softly around them. He couldn’t believe that the moment was here. The moment which would change his life forever. He shot a glance at Naina, her face serene and angelic in the moonlight.

  His parents had loved Naina. He had seen it in their countenance that evening when he had taken her home after the film. That was a relief in itself. But it was nothing compared to the joy he had experienced when his Boss telephoned him and gave him the best possible news!

  “Are you sure about your feelings for her, Jatin?” Sonia had begun.

  “Positive! Did you read her horoscope?” he asked eagerly.

  “Yes, you can even propose to her tonight if you wish.”

  “Oh, thank you, Boss! I’m on my way!”

  “Don’t you want to know the details?”

  “Later, after the most important deed in my life is done!”

  “Jatin, listen…”

  But he hadn’t. He hadn’t wanted to hear anything else! He had made a swift call to Naina, telling her to be ready. He had taken her out to a candlelit dinner, while the rain had provided the most idyllic setting outside. And now they were sitting in a park, with just the moon and the feather-light drizzle for company. Tranquillity reigned between them. A comfortable togetherness. No compulsion to converse, no craving to impress. A contented, relaxed atmosphere of complete ease. This is what love is like, he decided.

  “Don’t look at the moon!” Naina said suddenly.

  “Why ever not?”

  “You aren’t supposed to, during Ganapati.”

  “That’s only on the first day!” Jatin grinned. “Don’t you know the story behind it? Apparently Ganapati was sitting on a mouse and taking a ride when the moon laughed at him. Because he was so huge and the mouse so small! Ganapati fell off the mouse’s back and was very angry. He told the moon that if anybody looked at him on the first day of Ganesh festival—the day of his birth—that person would be accused of theft!”

  “Such a cute story! But is it true?”

  “You should’ve tried it out. Looked at the moon on the first day! But I did and I have been accused of stealing!”

  “Really?” Naina looked taken aback.

  “Yes, I’ve been accused of stealing a heart!”

  Jatin took a deep breath, turned in his seat to face Naina, and took her hand in his. She glanced at him shyly. In a flowing blue chiffon Salwar Kameez, with raindrops glistening like diamonds in her long loose hair, she looked resplendent.

  “Naina, I’ve tried to make this evening as special as possible. Because I want to ask you something very special. I love you, Naina. I’ve loved you ever since I saw you for the first time in Frenzy.”

  The bashful expression on her face rapidly changed to joy.

  “Oh, Jatin…” she whispered.

  “Will you marry me?” he asked.

  “I…don’t know what to say!”

  “Say yes!” he insisted.

  “But what about Priyadidi? I have to ask her.”

  “Don’t worry about her. I will officially ask her for your hand and I’m sure she will not refuse. Just say that you will be my wife!”

  “Yes, I want to be your wife! Now and forever! Oh Jatin, you’ve made me so happy!” Naina exclaimed as her
eyes welled up with tears.

  And Jatin took her in his arms, the umbrella flying away with the wind.

  “Boss, she accepted!” Over the phone Jatin sounded as excited as a child.

  “She did…You mean you proposed!” Sonia confirmed.

  “Yes, I asked her to marry me tonight and she was overjoyed. We went over to her house and we gave Priya the news. Naina was a little apprehensive about her reaction, but fortunately she was happy for us. But she insisted that we have an immediate engagement. Tomorrow, Naina and I are going to Lakshmi Road to buy the rings. She will buy a ring for me and I will buy hers. And then we shall go to the temple. You will have to excuse me tomorrow, Boss. I promise I will make up for it later!”

  “Engaged tomorrow? So soon?”

  “What’s the point of waiting? We shall have a small family ceremony within a couple of days, but we’ll go and buy the rings at Wadekars as soon as possible.”

  “But the Ganesh procession will begin tomorrow, for the immersion ceremony. The roads will be blocked and the shops will be closed.”

  “Only after four in the afternoon. And we plan to go around two o’clock since in the morning Mom wishes to meet with Naina. We can finish well in time.”

  “Jatin, are you sure?” Sonia asked again.

  “Boss, I love Naina. I’m as sure about it as I know my own breath,” Jatin answered seriously.

  “Wow!” Sonia sighed. “Well then, all I can say is congratulations and Best of Luck!”

  “Thank you, Boss. For everything. And specially for not taking any case during this Ganesh festival.”

  “Then you should thank my mother, not me!” Sonia remarked. “As for me, I always did and always will have your good in mind, Jatin. Whatever I do will be with your best interest at heart. Just remember that!”

  “I never doubt that.”

  “Good. See you tomorrow, then. Goodnight, Jatin.”

  “Goodnight, Boss.”