Man of Her Match

by Sakshama Puri Dhariwal

  His dishevelled appearance bothered Nidhi because it implied that Vikram had been raking his hands through his hair—something he had done several times during the last few overs of the World Cup. Nidhi recognized the stressed-out gesture all too well.

  Of course, he probably had a lot of things on his mind at the moment—his suspension, the disciplinary hearing and now Kuku’s ridiculous case against him. But for some reason, the thought of Vikram’s rumpled hair made Nidhi feel terribly guilty.

  And then Nidhi remembered something that made her guilt subside. The expression on Vikram’s face in that photograph with Natasha.

  ‘Clearly, the only thing on his mind is the woman he loves.’

  Which is why, no matter how tempted she was, Nidhi couldn’t risk a temporary affair with Vikram. Because there would be nothing temporary about it—not for her.

  Risha took Nidhi’s empty styrofoam cup and tossed it into the garbage can. ‘Wanna get out of here?’

  ‘I really do,’ Nidhi said.

  Nidhi stormed into her father’s study without knocking. ‘Did you do this?’ she demanded, slamming the newspaper on his desk.

  Balraj looked at her in surprise, more shocked by her tone than by her interruption.

  ‘Did you do this, Papa?’ she repeated, her green eyes blazing.

  ‘Sit down,’ Balraj said calmly.

  ‘No, I will not sit down,’ Nidhi said, raising her chin defiantly.

  ‘Sit!’ her father snapped.

  ‘Answer my question first. Then I’ll sit,’ she persisted.

  Balraj stifled a smile at her temerity. ‘You look so much like your mother right now.’

  Nidhi blinked. ‘What?’

  Balraj’s expression softened and he spoke gently. ‘Nidhi, sweetheart, will you please sit down?’

  She sat mechanically, a little stunned by the reference to her mother.

  ‘Now tell me, in a calm tone of voice, what you’re talking about,’ Balraj said.

  ‘You mentioned my mother,’ Nidhi blurted, momentarily forgetting the reason she had barged into his study.

  Balraj sighed and stood up, walking towards his bar. He poured himself a whisky and turned to Nidhi inquiringly. She shook her head, impatient to get back to the topic that had been taboo in their home for over two decades.

  Balraj tossed back his drink in one large gulp and poured another, bracing himself for the discussion. ‘What do you want to know?’

  ‘Anything. Everything,’ she said, feeling like a child who had been asked what she wanted for Christmas.

  ‘You have her eyes,’ he said softly. ‘And her smile.’ Nidhi nodded eagerly and he tipped his head towards the newspaper she had flung on his desk. ‘And clearly her temper.’

  ‘Why did she leave?’

  Balraj sighed. ‘We’ve been over this, Nidhi. She left because her career was too important to her and she did not want the responsibility of a family to hold her back from achieving her goals.’

  ‘When did she leave?’

  ‘When you were two and a half.’

  ‘Did you try looking for her?’

  Balraj’s jaw clenched. ‘Initially I was obsessed with tracking her down—I wasted years trying to locate her, not to mention lakhs of rupees. Then I spent the next decade being terrified that she would come back to claim you. I spent every day until you turned eighteen looking over my shoulder, for your mother.’

  For the first time, Nidhi looked at Balraj and saw not the indomitable force that controlled her life, but the insecure, vulnerable father who, for years, had lived with the irrational fear of losing his only child.

  Nidhi swallowed the emotion clogging her throat. ‘Do you know where she is?’

  ‘I honestly don’t. I signed divorce papers a few years ago and sent them to a law firm in Paris. I believe she was touring with a theatre company somewhere there, but I have not kept track,’ Balraj said bitterly.

  Nidhi nodded, realizing the conversation was probably as hard for him as it was for her. But there was one other thing she wanted to know, and because she couldn’t count on her father ever speaking about this again, she had to ask now. ‘After she left, did she ever . . .’ Nidhi’s voice trailed off.

  Balraj’s knuckles tightened around his glass as he correctly predicted Nidhi’s next question. ‘Did she ever ask about me?’

  Balraj considered lying.

  ‘Tell me the truth, Papa,’ she said, watching the struggle on his face. ‘I can handle it.’

  Balraj looked at her and spoke honestly. ‘No. Never.’

  Nidhi raised her chin and said softly, ‘Her loss, right?’

  Pride shone in her father’s eyes as he walked around his desk and faced her. ‘Damn right. You may look like your mother, but you are your father’s daughter,’ he said, leaning down to kiss her forehead.

  Nidhi flushed at the unexpected display of affection.

  Balraj cleared his throat and returned to his chair. ‘Now, tell me, what has made you so upset?’

  ‘Kuku has pressed charges against Vikram and he’s already in the middle of a controversy that might affect his discip—’

  ‘Kuku dropped the charges an hour ago,’ Balraj told her.

  Nidhi was surprised. ‘How do you know?’

  ‘The only reason he pressed charges in the first place was because I fired him. Petty revenge on his part, but also a colossal mistake.’

  ‘Why?’

  ‘Because no one messes with you and gets away with it,’ Balraj said gruffly.

  Nidhi smiled. ‘Thanks, Papa.’

  ‘He thought he would get some free publicity off Walia, but it didn’t take a lot to change his mind,’ Balraj said wryly.

  ‘Did you bribe him?’ Nidhi asked sceptically.

  ‘No. But I did threaten to divert all of Marwah & Mehta’s legal resources towards ensuring his total destruction,’ Balraj said with disgust.

  Nidhi expelled a breath of relief and stood up. ‘Thank you.’

  ‘Nidhi?’ Balraj added, as she walked towards the door. ‘I want to make one thing very clear. My actions had nothing to do with Walia. I didn’t do it to protect him, I did it to protect you. I still don’t approve of him.’

  Nidhi nodded and walked out the door.

  ‘Chalo, at least one disaster averted!’ Monty said, tossing back two pills with his lassi.

  Vikram grunted without looking up from his cheese omelette.

  ‘No more of this Kukreja-Shukreja nonsense. Now we only need to deal with Shaan Kapoor,’ Monty said, attacking his aloo parantha with both hands.

  Vikram took another bite of his omelette and washed it down with a large gulp of orange juice.

  ‘Please tell me you are planning to shave before tomorrow’s hearing?’ Monty grimaced.

  Vikram nodded, his gaze still focussed on his plate.

  ‘So sad that Natashaji is in Dilli tomorrow,’ Monty said conversationally.

  Vikram gave him a warning look that clearly stated ‘Don’t go there’ before saying, ‘She’s promoting her new film, Monty.’

  ‘No, no,’ Monty clarified, ‘I was not talking about her making an appearance before BCCI. I was only saying for moral support-shupport.’

  ‘That’s what I have you for,’ Vikram said with a lacklustre smile before returning his attention to his breakfast.

  Monty gave his client a long look before bravely venturing into a sensitive subject. ‘We have got offer for your house.’

  ‘Huh?’ Vikram looked up.

  ‘Your Lajpat Nagar kothi,’ Monty clarified.

  Something flashed in Vikram’s eyes before he nodded. ‘Sell it.’

  Monty gave him a surprised look. ‘Lekin I have not even told you price.’

  Vikram shrugged. ‘I trust you, Monty.’

  ‘It is only first offer, Vikram. And it is two crores less than asking price. I think we should wait for—’

  ‘Sell it,’ Vikram said tersely. ‘I want to put that chapter of my life behind me
.’

  ‘But what about when you go back to Dilli?’

  ‘I have no reason to go back to Delhi.’

  ‘Of course, you do.’

  Vikram raised an eyebrow.

  Monty gave him an innocent look. ‘South Afreeka series.’

  ‘So what?’ Vikram said. ‘We’ll be staying at a hotel like the rest of the team.’

  ‘Yes, I just meant . . .’ Monty stood up without finishing his thought and wiped his butter-soaked fingers on a napkin. ‘I will make some calls. Then we can close this Dilli chapter forever.’

  Vikram raked a hand through his hair and nodded. ‘Right. Forever.’

  News Today Office Messenger Chat

  Participants: Risha_K, Nidhi13

  Risha_K: You’ll never guess what the Bollywood editor just told me!

  Nidhi13: Salman Khan is in jail?

  Risha_K: Guess again.

  Nidhi13: Sanjay Dutt is out of jail?

  Risha_K: You suck at this.

  Nidhi13: At least give me a hint!

  Risha_K: It’s about a Bollywood actress who is currently promoting a film in Delhi.

  Nidhi13: Oooh. Madhuri Dixit?

  Risha_K: Yes, because this is the early nineties.

  Nidhi13: Hey, I love Madhuri!

  Risha_K: So do I. But it’s not her. Think of someone under the age of thirty.

  Nidhi13: Alia Bhatt?

  Risha_K: I didn’t say under twenty.

  Nidhi13: Just tell me already.

  Risha_K: Natasha Sahay just gave an exclusive to Kabir. Apparently she was in a ‘turbulent’ relationship with her ex and it’s totally obvious she’s talking about Shaan Kapoor! Didn’t I tell you he was sleazeball?

  Nidhi13: That’s why Vikram punched him???

  Risha_K: While she didn’t say that in so many words, she strongly hinted at it. And she only gave the interview on the condition that Kabir release it on the website immediately and do a longer follow-up in the newspaper tomorrow.

  Nidhi13: Vikram’s disciplinary hearing is tomorrow, so she’s obviously trying to protect him!

  Risha_K: One moment she’s here to promote her movie and the next moment she’s volunteering an interview. Kabir is ecstatic!

  Nidhi13: That’s weird.

  Risha_K: Of course not. He has every reason to be thrilled. It’s the first time Delhi Today has bagged such a big scoop!

  Nidhi13: No, I mean it’s weird that Kabir is calling me right now. BRB.

  ‘Can you please come to my cabin immediately?’ Kabir said on the phone, sounding frantic.

  Nidhi took the one flight of stairs down to the Delhi Today floor, wondering why Kabir’s first instinct after procuring the biggest scoop of his life would be to call her.

  Nidhi knocked on his door. ‘You wanted to see . . .’ Her voice trailed off as soon as she caught sight of the guest seated on the small love seat in Kabir’s cabin.

  ‘Come in, Nidhi!’ Kabir said with a bright smile. ‘Meet Natasha Sahay.’

  Nidhi turned to the tall beauty in the pristine white pantsuit. Natasha’s trademark waves had been straightened and pulled back into a high ponytail, and she wore nude makeup that accentuated her smooth skin and sculpted cheekbones. Her thick-winged eyeliner and smoky-grey eyeshadow brought out the distinct gold flecks in her otherwise brown eyes.

  The Indian media was not exaggerating when they called her the most beautiful woman in the country. Because Natasha Sahay was absolutely breathtaking.

  Nidhi resisted the temptation to glance down at her boring black slacks and grey satin blouse. ‘Hi. I’m Nidhi.’

  Natasha stepped forward, and, for a split second, Nidhi had the uneasy impression that she was about to hug her. Instead, Natasha took a step back and shook Nidhi’s hand with a warm smile. ‘It’s so nice to finally meet you.’

  ‘“Finally”?’ Nidhi asked.

  ‘I’ve heard so much about you,’ Natasha explained, and when Nidhi’s eyebrows shot up, she added, ‘from Kabir.’

  ‘I’m a big fan of your work,’ Nidhi offered politely.

  ‘That makes one of us!’ Natasha winked.

  Nidhi gave a surprised laugh.

  ‘Natasha is very interested in the EducateIndia programme and wants to know how she can be a part of it,’ Kabir said, gesturing to the love seat.

  Both women sat down and Natasha said, ‘I have room in my brand portfolio for a social cause, and I was wondering if you could share some details about the programme. I’ve heard so much about it from Vikram.’

  Nidhi stiffened at the mention of his name, but nodded. ‘Sure, I’d love to. We started the progr—’

  ‘Kabir,’ Natasha turned to him. ‘Don’t let us keep you from pressing matters, sweetie.’

  Kabir understood the politely worded dismissal and sprang to his feet immediately, making a graceful exit from the room.

  ‘I don’t really want to talk about EducateIndia,’ Natasha said as soon as the door clicked shut.

  Nidhi gaped at her. ‘Oh.’

  ‘I mean, I’d love to. But not today.’ Natasha smiled.

  So this is what a celebrity mood swing looks like.

  ‘Okay.’ Nidhi shrugged. ‘No problem.’ She started to stand, but Natasha clasped her hand to stop her. Nidhi looked at her in confusion.

  ‘I wanted to see you in person,’ Natasha said.

  Nidhi observed the twinkle in Natasha’s deep brown eyes and the glow on her flawless skin and spoke tentatively. ‘Oh-kay.’

  ‘I’ve heard so much about you from Vikram,’ Natasha explained.

  Oh. So that’s what it’s about. Marking her territory.

  Nidhi gave her a polite smile. ‘Don’t believe everything he says. I’m not all bad.’

  Natasha laughed. ‘There’s that sense of humour he keeps talking about. I can totally see why he’s crazy about you.’

  Nidhi choked. ‘What?’

  ‘During his last Mumbai trip, you’re all he could talk about. He told me about your—’

  ‘He was talking about me?’ Nidhi blurted.

  Natasha gave her an amused smile. ‘He went on and on about the colour of your eyes. He couldn’t decide if they are jade or emerald. And now I can see why,’ Natasha said warmly. ‘They’re a little bit of both.’

  Nidhi stared at her, slack-jawed.

  ‘I heard all about Odie and the Trio and also five hundred reasons why Vikram is never playing basketball with you again,’ Natasha said, rolling her eyes.

  Then she did the strangest thing. She reached out and squeezed Nidhi’s hand. And the gesture was all too similar to the one in the photograph.

  ‘This is simply a photograph of a man in love.’

  ‘He was talking about me,’ Nidhi whispered.

  ‘Clearly, the only thing on his mind is the woman he loves.’

  ‘He was talking about me,’ she repeated, as the realization sank in.

  Natasha nodded. ‘It was the first time in years that he seemed . . . at home. I’m so glad you both have finally found each other again.’

  Nidhi stared at her blankly.

  ‘And I’m sorry for catching you off guard like this,’ Natasha said with a helpless smile. ‘Next time let’s plan properly and do lunch or dinner?’

  Nidhi cleared her throat, finding her voice and her manners. ‘Yes, I’d like that very much. And it was a pleasure to meet you, Natasha. I can see why Vikram is so fond of you.’

  ‘I’m lucky to have a friend like him,’ Natasha said, a shadow crossing her face. ‘He’s been there for me through a very tough period in my life.’

  ‘And I can see that you’re repaying the favour,’ Nidhi said, referring to the interview.

  But Natasha shook her head. ‘Honestly, it’s the least I can do. Cricket is his life.’

  ‘Thank you,’ Nidhi said.

  ‘Of course. I would never let Vikram throw his life away,’ Natasha said, a strange catch in her voice.

  Nidhi reached out and gave Natasha an awkward hug
, and Natasha hugged her back warmly before reaching for her bright orange Hermès clutch. ‘I better go. I have to catch a flight to Ahmedabad.’

  The moment Natasha left, Nidhi sank into the love seat, her entire body alive with the heartbreaking realization that Vikram loved her.

  He loved her!

  Nidhi remembered his face, white with strain, when he’d held her after her date with Kuku.

  ‘Promise me you’re okay.’

  And the way he’d leapt to the defence of his adulterous teammates.

  ‘I don’t condone infidelity, but I would never betray my teammates. Those guys are the only family I’ve got.’

  Nidhi had wanted to tell him how wrong he was. She was his family, always had been and always would be. She almost laughed when she recalled his annoyance at the aggressive video montage.

  ‘You’re confusing my persona with my personality.’

  Vikram was kind and loyal and protective. And the whole world could confuse his persona with his personality, but Nidhi would never doubt his strength of character again. Because she would never forget the biting fury in his eyes when he had threatened Kuku.

  ‘If you ever touch her again, I will rip you apart limb by limb!’

  Her expression softened at the memory of Vikram lying in bed, delirious with fever, his expression vulnerable.

  ‘Don’t leave me again.’

  Her body almost shook with emotion when she thought of the gentle way he’d held her in his arms as she sobbed her heart out.

  ‘Don’t cry, Nidhi. I can’t take it any more.’

  And the raw ache in his eyes when she had asked him to let her go.

  ‘I don’t want a goddamn supermodel. I want you!’

  She wanted him too. So much.

  ‘You are enough for me. In every way.’

  And he was enough for her.

  Monty dug into his third helping of biryani and studied his client, who was seated on the other side of the room with his teammates.

  On the one hand, Vikram had proclaimed that he was done with Nidhi—permanently—and forbidden any mention of her. But on the other hand, he hadn’t so much as cracked a smile since the day of the disciplinary hearing. The BCCI had given him a clean chit with a fair warning after Vikram promised to ‘behave himself’. Barring the practised smile Vikram had given the paparazzi outside the BCCI headquarters, he had worn the same impassive expression for the last ten days.